Hartenberg's Riesling & Rarities Rock - fun on a summer day

Lounging about at the Riesling and Rarer Varietals Festival at Hartenberg

South African Rieslings have always been a challenge for Lynne, who grew up drinking, first, terrible (when she was young and poor in London in the swinging 60's, when you took a bottle of really cheap, commercial Riesling to parties) and then really excellent examples of this grape from Germany, Austria and Alsace and loving them. When she came back to South Africa from Britain in 1992 she discovered that SA liked to taste terpenes in their Riesling (a petrol note, for those of you who don't recognise the term) and she doesn't, not at all.. You don't often find them in European Rieslings, unless they are positively ancient. The good news is that this seems to be changing.... so she hasn't given up trying them and buying those with no trace of terpenes, but with the quality and freshness, and the great fruit, sugar and acid balance she is looking for

This annual festival always seems to fall at just the right time of the year. The weather was perfect. You can lounge about on the Hartenberg lawns, on cushions and blankets, or sit at outside tables in the shade of the huge trees or umbrellas and then get up to taste some really wonderful wines. There were excellent Rieslings and each farm was also allowed to bring any unusual varietal wines they produce. There was good food on offer and great wines were tasted and bought for enjoyment at the festival or at home

All the wine stands were arranged on the bricked plinth in the centre of the gardens

Journalist and radio personality John Meinking with Nick Pentz of Groote Post

Their Riesling was Lynne's favourite of the day. The acid sugar balance is perfect, as is the alcohol at 12.5%, 17.9 gm/ltr Residual Sugar, pH: 3.12. It’s full of Lime/lemon and pineapple on the nose with ginger, citrus and honey on the palate. Sadly, the 2015 is already sold out, so we await the 2016 with anticipation

Lazy day on the lawn in the shade of the trees

This couple was selling really fantastic falafel, jam-packed into toasted pita bread. Or you could have a plate of mixed salads for R50 each. We both had falafel

Or Ghenwa Steingastner had her huge selection of Lebanese delights on offer. Seen here with Tita Stross

What would you like in your falafel?

The sales desk was busy selling bottles to drink or bottles to take home

This mini black mantis dropped suddenly onto our table. You can see why the Khoi regard them as gods, as they do look like small people. This was very tiny, newly hatched. The squares on the tablecloth are about 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide. A tiny miracle

The Cederberg wine was also much appreciated. Janine Steyn was showing their excellent Bukettraube, full of rose petals and spice

Jacus Marais at the Nitida stand had their Riesling and the elegant Semillon for tasting

Poetry, not much motion and lovely wines

Gareth Robertson, Marketing Manager for Anthonij Rupert Wyne with Martin Meinert.  We liked the Cape of Good Hope Laing Semillon and Martin's The German Job Riesling 2014

Lots of new fans for Riesling on the Jordan stand

Lots of discussion on our table under the trees in the late afternoon

A very interesting plant in the Hartenberg garden. A tender aloe vossii, an endangered and rare grass aloe from the Soutpansberg

On our way through to Franschhoek for dinner, we came through Jonkershoek, over the Helshoogte Pass, and were horrified to see the fire damage in the vineyards and in the wild areas on the mountainsides. So it was with great excitement that we spotted this Sable antelope (Hipotrachus niger) and his two younger friends, in a field next to the Boschendal manor house with his magnificent curved scimitar horns

He is interested in us, but still nibbling on the grass

They are not indigenous to this part of Southern Africa. The southernmost edge of their range is in Limpopo, in the north-east of our country

Feeding in front of the magnificent Drakenstein mountains

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Supper at The French Connection, Franschhoek

Off after the festival at Hartenberg to Franschhoek, where our group of Irish friends was staying. We had to say goodbye to Liam Murphy, with whom John used to have fun with rally Volvos when he was young and fancy free. Many years ago. We managed to secure an outside table at French Connection, the talk was very good, as was the food and we had a lovely farewell evening

Chatting with Jason Ratner, the restaurant manager

The menu

Three large, very tempting tempura prawns with honey ginger and garlic soy on Japanese mayo were Liam's starter

Lynne wanted something light, so flame grilled asparagus it was, served with garlic butter soaked bread curls, tomatoes and pesto. Delicious

John went for one of his favourites, the home made Paté de Campagne with sticky red onion marmalade and cornichons (baby gherkins) and some salad leaves

Rosé goes with most things, so we ordered a bottle of Foundation Stone 2015 from local wine farm Rickety Bridge. It’s a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Viognier, full of strawberries & candy floss, with a kick of spice. Lynne told Liam, who prefers red wine, to close his eyes when first taking a sip and he would think he was drinking red wine. It was the perfect wine for the wide choice of food we ordered

The restaurant was nice and busy all evening and they do manage to turn tables. It was a lovely balmy evening

Pose! Liam and Lynne

John's choice of rich duck in a caramelised berry sauce made with Raspberry balsamic vinegar. There were cape gooseberries, strawberries and some black berries & raspberries

A huge portion, we also ordered some of the signature crisp potato frites

Liam had the Moules cooked in white wine cream and lots of garlic for his main course and raved about them

Lynne’s main was also huge. Tender grilled calamari with chilli, lots of garlic, lemon, olive oil, olives and roasted tomatoes topped with a mountain of rocket

We finished with two coffees for the lads. Our bill did not include the wine, which Jason very generously gifted. A lovely meal, then came the long drive home

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Nedbank VinPro Information Day - how to turn grapes and wine into profit

VinPro is the service organisation for 3 600 South African wine producer and cellar members, striving towards their commercial sustainability, as well as that of the broader producer industry and its strategic role-players. See more at: http://vinpro.co.za/about-us#sthash.giZ6rMib.dpuf

We attended the annual conference last week and were much more impressed and buoyed up by this year's content and speakers, apart from the financial reporting module, which was a bit less optimistic, but realistic given the current world financial situation and our currency devaluation, which can also be seen as a huge positive for those exporting wine. We were particularly impressed by Prof David Venter talk on land reform and transformation. He spoke in metaphors but very cogent and recognisable ones to make the industry sit up and listen and try to work together with everyone from the bottom up in the industry.

Sounding off, again

It was held at the CTICC who, again, let us down. The food served was average at best and, in some cases, impossible to eat. Who puts a hunk of half cooked lamb on the bone in a small dish and offers a cake fork to eat it with? There was nowhere to sit down. It was like something out of The Flintstones. Lunch was brief and stand up outside the lecture theatre. And they froze us to death. Lynne swears she will wear a (fake) fur coat next year. It was 38ºC outside, so everyone was dressed in minimal, but smart, summer attire. The temperature inside the lecture theatre was 15ºC or less and we asked them at tea time if they would please turn it up a little. That happened for about an hour, then someone hit the cold button again and we froze for the rest of the day. Unacceptable, CTICC

The presentation was compered by Lee-Anne Davidson, VinPro Communications Officer

SETTING THE SCENE

Opening - Abrie Botha, Chairman, VinPro reminded us that change is not new to the wine industry and this is not the first time we have faced the challenges of: The economy, exchange rate, job creation, transformation, drought and fires. He reminded us that the wine industry made a R6.1 Billion contribution to the economy in the last year, the third largest industry contribution.

Economic outlook - Isaac Matshego, Economist: Group Economic Unit, Nedbank

reminded us that we are all facing challenges in the global economy and that we are a small house threatened by a big storm coming from outside. We need to fix the small holes. He presented some grim facts on our economy & growth. His solutions are that government policy implementation needs to be more growth inducing, with more certainty & direction or we could tip into recession.. Amen

Seasonal overview and harvest expectations - Francois Viljoen, Manager, Consultation Service, VinPro

spoke about the reduction in vineyards, but also the fact that we have had record harvests in the last 4 years. We are uprooting unproductive vines and planting higher yielding ones. We have had good weather and technological advances. The drought and the heat may affect this year's harvest badly. More drought tolerant grapes being grown like Verdelho, Alvarino, Vermentino & Durif (but, we ask, do these make wines people will want to drink?) The harvest will be down and everyone will be chasing grapes

Producer and winery realities - Christo Conradie, Manager: Wine Cellars, VinPro spoke of the realities of selling our wine, especially to the large supermarket buyers. This is a team talk to the wine producers about the realities needed to work with the wine sales industry.. We must be open, honest and transparent to raise the producers' profits and stop losses, and we must understand the realities. Our wine is for sale. Deal with the concerns and the elephants in the room. Markets, mergers and acquisitions; transformation, who is making the money? Be inspired, challenge the business model, work together, take it forward. We also need the Government as a partner. They take 35% of the value of every bottle of wine sold, but give nothing back

VinPro Foundation - changing lives - Unathi Mantshongo, Transformation & Development Officer, VinPro

R38 million was spent by the wine industry on Social Development, but we need to co-ordinate the initiatives, we struggle to convince investors, we must work TOGETHER. Ethical compliance is 20%, we need 100%. 270 member farms are using the VinPro training DVD's; every wine farm should be using these, including the Eastern Cape. How are suppliers making efforts for transformation and compliance? What are your values? VinPro wants YOU to join them. VinPro can help the smaller companies and the JSE listed companies must not get left behind. We are changing the wine game

What Lies Ahead?

Overview of The SA Wine Industry Strategic Exercise (WISE)- Rico Basson, Managing Director, VinPro

WISE (Wine Industry Strategic Exercise) is part of everyday life. Use it or lose it or it will get stale. Back ourselves, we have a 366 year old wine industry; we have seen many challenges and overcome them all. It's a call to action. Time to collaborate and grow the pie and stop fighting for your own market share. Build the relationships, sing together and off we will go

Brand SA local marketing strategy Nicky van Hille, Director, The Moss Group

Start addressing the potential wine market, who already drink high end liquor & beer brands like Johnny Walker Black & Heineken, but are confused & intimidated by the vast wine choices. We need to grab more of a market which drinks, on average, 22 beers, 8 alcoholic drinks & only 3 glasses of wine a week

Craig Irving, CEO, Consumer Insights Agency

Taking transformation forward David Venter, Infostrat

Some stunning metaphors by David Venter in his VinPro presentation, Taking Transformation Forward. Such clarity and sense deserved a standing ovation, but the audience is still absorbing his message. We must build success by being reactive and pro-active and not waiting for Government to get rid of the problems. We can fight and lose or play together. Summing transformation up, he quoted William James, "Believe it & you will see it". As long as we use Common Interest based bargaining, rather than offensive confrontational Positional bargaining, we can grow our markets. The Supermarket group model in Europe isn't working anymore, as they have driven prices so low that they only deal with one supplier. Bargaining is not negotiation. People are walking away with either very little or no shelf space. The solution is to speak to the interests that drive us both and meaningfully talking to each other about common interest and areas of confluence, not differences. What ties us together? If we work together we can build bakeries and share lots of cake, not a small piece of one. Talk the language of WE not I.

Growing wine globally - international perspectives Jane Robertson, Category Development Director, Accolade Wines

"Are South African wines sexy?" asks Jane Robertson of Accolade wines UK. Sadly, not really - but they can be... How do we make it sexy? Premiumisation was her theme, go for the aspirational middle classes, where there is growth in income and lifestyle. She spoke of how SA wines have dropped in profile, availability and profitability in the UK market. Brands can make a tribe out of us. People like brands, they expect to pay more for them. We need to build our on-con sales instead and, already, SA wines are appearing in some top restaurants. We need more higher-priced premium wines, available to the affluent market

There are three tiers of wine market. We are selling most to the bottom, entry level, and not making enough profit, and some into the top level. The middle market is where we should be aiming. There is growth potential in the over £6 market! Bulk wine in cheaper Supermarket brands is doing us no favours. We need to own Fair Trade and run with it, we have the biggest regional share of Fair Trade worldwide and it sells wine

Light Lunch

Takuan von Arnim of Haute Cabrière and Jacques Malan of Simonsig

All hands to the task of lunch, accompanied by some excellent wines

Two former managers of the Robertson Wine Route:

Elizma Botha and Bonita Malherbe, who is now Marketing manager at Van Loveren

Managing change in order to grow. Johan van Zyl, Strategic Advisor and former CEO, Sanlam

Johan van Zyl's main message to VinPro delegates is "You are in business to make profits.  Not volumes. Stop all business where you are not making money. The people you are dealing with are making the money." A breath of fresh air. He quoted Warren Buffet "Change is global, we are not the only ones. Hold onto your hats, it is going to be a wild ride". There is massive volatility in markets. However, the US is coming out of its dip, as is the UK with low inflation and better job growth. It's a great time of opportunity for us and entrepreneurs can make money if they are not afraid to take risks. But stick to your strategy and plan if the risks are acceptable to you. Play the long game, don't give up half way, but don't take on massive risk, only what you can live with. Use common sense. It is not common at ALL!

There are too many brands from a large number of farms; they confuse. You are dead if you have too many categories. You are not making money. You are in business for profit and NOT for volumes. The people who do this make money from you. Stop all business where you don't make money

More detail of the presentations can be seen at http://vinpro.co.za/news/presentations-at-the-nedbank-vinpro-information-day-2016

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This week's MENU - Durbanville & Constantia wine touring, Kalky's fish, Granadilla sorbet

A hot landscape in the Nuy Valley

In this week’s MENU:

 Durbanville Delights in the heat

 Constantia for the heights

 Fish and ships for Sunday lunch

 This week's recipe: Granadilla Sorbet

 January & February events

To get the whole story with photographs, please click on the paragraph title, which will lead you there. At the end of each story, click on RETURN TO MENU to come back to MENU.

The news this week has been dominated for us by the dreadful mountain fires in, first, the Elgin and Bot Rivier areas, then on the Simonsberg and now, once more, in Noordhoek and Glencairn. It is believed in authoritative quarters that arsonists are responsible. We are very worried indeed about our many friends in the wine industry. Harvest has begun in some areas and this is not what they need at the busiest time of their year. The damage  is catastrophic to some of the affected farms. Our thoughts and hopes for a quick end to this tragedy are with them. The hills of the south peninsula suffered similar fires last summer and they have been documented in a wonderful book, The Cape Aflame, which you can see advertised on our blog site. Please buy it. Profits go to the dedicated people who fight the fires.

The heat has continued all week but we hear it may dissipate soon. It is exhausting, especially at night when the mosquitoes vie for landing space as we throw off all clothes and bedding. We are doing our best for the economy this year and already have lots of friends visiting from other parts of the world, which means trips to the countryside, wineries, restaurants and the coast to cool off.

Durbanville Delights in the heat     We started, on Tuesday, with a wine tour to four Durbanville farms with our friends from Greece and Johannesburg. We began at De Grendel, always rewarding with its great wines and that superb view of the City, Table Bay and Table Mountain. Then to Durbanville Hills for some Sauvignon Blancs and onward to lunch at Meerendal which, sadly, was a bit disappointing. We ended with a great tasting at Nitida, before heading home for an late afternoon nap and/or dip in a pool as the heat had sapped us all. Read on.....

Constantia for the heights     Time for another wine tour, this time to Constantia. High Constantia has great wines and also great bird watching facilities on its deck and in the garden. Our friend Terry is a Twitcher, so it was the obvious place to start. Then we were off to Steenberg for a long lunch at Bistro 1682 and an extensive tasting in their tasting room. Read on.....

Fish and ships for Sunday lunch     If you haven't yet been to Kalkies on the harbour-side in Kalk Bay, you must visit. It's simple, humble, the tables can be a bit sticky, but Oh, that fresh fish. It has very cheeky, funny staff and it is where most of real SA goes for a seafood treat. We try to take all our visitors there for a visit and they all love it. We finished off the afternoon sipping wine in the lovely gardens of Eagles Nest in Constantia. Read on.....

This week's recipe is something Lynne had at La Boheme restaurant this week, such a suitable end to a meal in hot weather. It was rich and cream but light and full of those seductive tropical flavours with a nice zing on the end. Granadillas are in season but, if you can't find them, you can buy tins of granadilla pulp; just strain out most of the pips please

Granadilla Sorbet

This is much easier if you have an ice cream maker, but you can make it in the freezer. There will be a lot of seeds in the 2 cups of granadilla pulp. A tip is to put the pulp into a food processor and pulse for just 10 seconds to separate the pips from the juice. Strain to remove the pips and then add back just a teaspoon of pips, so that it is identifiably a granadilla sorbet, or leave them out altogether according to your taste.

250 ml orange juice - 1 cup sugar - 2 cups granadilla pulp - a good squeeze of lime or lemon juice - whites of 2 large eggs, stiffly beaten

Put the orange juice and the sugar in a small pot and heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Do not boil. Cool this syrup.

With an ice cream machine Add the granadilla pulp to the syrup and the squeeze of lime juice and put into your ice cream machine and churn until you have a good thick smooth sorbet texture. Add the stiffly beaten egg whites and churn for another 20 seconds until they are incorporated. Remove from the machine and freeze until you want to serve this. It will make about a litre and serve 6 to 8 people.

Without a machine, mix the syrup with the granadilla and lime and freeze in a wide shallow lidded container for an hour. Remove from the freezer and beat well with a hand beater and then incorporate the beaten egg whites. Freeze again for about an hour or until you see a ring of crystals forming around the edge. Beat again. Freeze and beat again every hour until you get a smooth thick sorbet.

Here is a list of coming events up to and including Valentine’s Day

Saturday, 23rd January   Riesling & Rarities Rock at Hartenberg Estate. Celebrate the start of 2016 in relaxed sophistication at the annual Riesling & Rarities Rock Festival, Saturday, 23 January 2016. Hartenberg Wine Estate, world-renowned for their superb range of Rieslings, hosts this intimate event, which gives visitors the opportunity to taste the finest Rieslings and other niche varietals South Africa has to offer. Celebrated Hartenberg winemaker, Carl Schultz, regarded as one of the country’s finest Riesling masters, has invited the crème de la crème of cellars to showcase their premium Weisser/Rhine Rieslings at this social calendar highlight. Not only do visitors get a chance to taste this underrated varietal, but they will also be treated to a line up of other rare varietals too. These include Semillon, Viognier and Gewürztraminer, amongst others. The festival is the perfect platform to showcase these rare varieties produced from South Africa’s diverse wine regions. A niche yet premium varietal, Riesling is probably one of the most versatile of all wines, and works perfectly with just about any type of food. Ranging from sushi to oysters and antipasti, Riesling creates the perfect balance between food and wine. A culinary match made in heaven! And that is exactly what the day is about. Superb wines, delicious deli fare and live entertainment. The perfect day out in the Winelands for young and old. Hartenberg’s indulgent picnic baskets, which can be pre-booked at R175 per person, create for the ultimate relaxed food and wine experience. Without a doubt the finest summer event perfectly suited to the long summer days in January, festival goers will be able to sample these fine wines between 12pm and 5pm on the day. Tickets cost R150 per person, which can be pre-booked via www.webtickets.co.za. Your ticket includes all tastings as well as a complementary tasting glass.

Sunday, 31st January      CONCERT IN A CONVENT GARDEN, Springfield Convent, Wynberg. Regulars may notice the subtle name change from “Opera” to ”Concert” in a Convent Garden. This updated programme will now include a more balanced selection of both classical and lighter music to appeal to a wider audience, while not disappointing our many loyal friends.  This will be the 12th performance and the event has now been firmly established on the Cape Town Music Calendar as a “must go to” for all music lovers. Bring your picnic and enjoy the evening on the lawns in the magnificent surrounds of the Springfield Convent Garden, to relax and be enchanted by the beautiful music and voices accompanied by the Stellenbosch Camerata, directed by the well-known Albert Combrink. True Magic and a wonderful way to start off the New Year! Food and drinks will be available from the “The Concert Café”.  Adults R150, Scholars R30, Children under 10 Free 

Bookings (Office hours): 021 797 9637 ext. 210 or 082 781 1708 Email: concertinaconventgarden@gmaiI.com

Friday, 5th to Sunday, 7th February   STELLENBOSCH WINE FESTIVAL – A FEAST FOR THE SENSES. Celebrate the harvest season in style at the 2016 Stellenbosch Wine Festival, presented by Pick n Pay. Taking place at the Coetzenburg Sports Grounds in Stellenbosch, visitors can look forward to sampling even more delicious wines than before, with an incredible 77 wine farms and 10 boutique wineries participating in the festival. If you’re keen on sampling some of the “rarer gems” from smaller producers, then make sure you visit the festival on Sunday 7 February, when boutique wineries are scheduled to make a special appearance. This year the line-up includes: Audacia Wines, Bartinney Private Cellar, Deux Frères Wines, Keermont Vineyards, Kings Kloof Vineyards, Mostertsdrift Noble Wines, Post House Vineyards, Rudera  Wines, The High Road and Usana Wines. The Gourmet Lane will once again offer signature treats from wineries and restaurants responsible for the region’s culinary reputation, including Beyerskloof, Eaglevlei Wines, Vagabond Kitchen, Big Steve Charcuterie, Wild Peacock Food Emporium and Bistro 13. And no South African festival would be complete without biltong – fresh and delicious, it will be available from Pick n Pay’s biltong stand. Celebrity chef Tiaan Langenegger will team up with winemakers to explore the magic of food-and-wine pairing during daily sessions in The Tasting Room. Langenegger will pair delicious canapés with wines from Blaauwklippen, Ernie Els Wines, Kaapzicht, Kleine Zalze, L'Avenir, Mooiplaas, Spier, Villiera, Waterford Estate and Waterkloof. Sessions last half an hour and are limited to 40 guests. Booking is essential and tickets can be bought on the day at the festival for R25. Those in possession of a Smart Shopper card can enter free of charge. Daily festival tickets cost R180 for adults and include a tasting glass. Tickets are now available online from www.webtickets.co.za.  Children under 18 enter free. Festival opening times:  Friday from 15h00-21h00, Saturday from 10h00-18h00 and Sunday from 10h00-18h00. Tastings finish an hour before closing time. Visit the festival website www.stellenboschwinefestival.co.za for a full event schedule. Follow the Stellenbosch Wine Festival on Twitter @StellWineFest, Instagram @Stellenboschwinefest or sign up for regular updates on Facebook at StellenboschWineFestival.  

Saturday, 6th February   Franschhoek Summer Wines at Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards. Come and taste the Franschhoek Vigneron’s choice for summer. White, rosé or Méthode Cap Classique – all will be revealed on the day! Tickets are available from www.webtickets.co.za at R150 per person.  This includes a wine glass and a tasting of all the wines on show between 12pm and 5pm.

Saturday, 13th February  Nederburg welcomes The Galileo Open Air Cinema. Begin the afternoon with a relaxed stroll through Nederburg’s manor house and the winery’s lush gardens. Then share an evening underneath the stars with a loved one, or a friend, to a screening of Shakespeare in Love. Pre-order a picnic basket for R500 per couple from The Red Table. It includes delicious fresh salads, cured meats, artisanal cheeses, crackers and bread, grilled tiger prawns, asparagus spears wrapped with Parma ham, tartlets, and finally, decadent chocolate brownies with strawberries, a bottle of Nederburg Première Cuvée Brut as well as still mineral water. Pre-ordered picnic baskets must be pre-paid in full. On the night there will also be stalls offering food, mineral water, soft drinks as well as coffee and tea. Booking is essential. To book tickets for the screening of Shakespeare in Love, starting just after dark on Saturday, 13th February, please contact The Galileo on 071 471 8728 or hello@thegalileo.co.za. Go to www.thegalileo.co.za for more information, or to view ticket options and pricing. Visit www.nederburg.co.za for more on the brand.

Saturday, 13th February at 18h30 for 19h00   Plaisir de Merle Winemaker’s Table. A culinary feast prepared by well-known chef and restaurateur, Dawid Kriel, paired with wines selected by Cellar Master, Niel Bester, will be served in the cellar. Tickets are available at R595 per person, five course dinner and wine included. Limited spaces are available so call 021 874 1071 or email info@plaisirdemerle.co.za to be part of this exclusive event.

Saturday 13th February from 10am until 6pm          ROSÉ FESTIVAL AT RICKETY BRIDGE ESTATE. FLOW OF THE DAY: 8.30 until 10am: The day will start at 8.30am with The Rosé Run (5km, 10km or 20km) and The Rosé MTB Ride (20km, 40km or 60km). Entry to these events will include a Festival ticket. Showers will be provided as well as a Rosé Breakfast of Salmon and Egg Bagels. 10am until 4pm: Wine tasting, Rosé-friendly food stalls, pre-booked picnics, Paulina’s Restaurant will be open 4pm until 6pm: Wine tasting closes, wine sales continue, cocktail bar and Paulina’s Restaurant stay open. Guests will be able to enjoy tapas and live music and watch the sunset. Entry costs R120 per ticket for a glass and tastings.                                         From www.webtickets.co.za and at the door. Food will be available from Rosé-friendly food stalls. R150 per person for a pre-booked picnic. Paulina’s Restaurant will be open all day. Wine sales: By the glass and by the bottle. Music:                   There will be live music throughout the day. For more information please visit www.ricketybridge.com and www.dnaevents.co.za. To enter please visit www.webtickets.co.za or get your tickets on arrival

Saturday, 13th February  Celebrate the Weekend of Love in style at the Lanzerac Hotel & Spa with an intimate and romantic dinner for two at R420 per person. Included in your special evening is a complimentary welcome drink. Gorgeous views, gourmet food and superb estate wines. The perfect gift for that someone special. Adding extra romance to your evening the Lady Anne Courtyard, reminiscent of a Spanish sidewalk, will be transformed into a Tango Fiesta for the evening, as the sensual Dance of Love captivates you. This passionate walking-embrace symbolizes a close and sensuous connection between partners, and promises to be the highlight of what can only be described as the ultimate romantic evening. Let us treat you to an enchanting evening of delicious Spanish inspired food paired with superb wine, amidst an elegant and relaxing setting. For bookings contact Denise Bezuidenhoudt on banqueting@lanzerac.co.za

Sunday, 14th February    Valentine’s Day inspired picnic and movie night or brunch at the Anthonij Rupert Wyne Estate. Whether it’s a candlelight dinner or a sunset picnic, Valentine’s Day is known for these two things. It’s about spending time with that someone special whilst enjoying a glass of chilled MCC. With the dominant colour being red, the L‘Ormarins Brut Rosé 2013 is perfect with its delicate salmon colour. Completing the picture would be spoiling your loved one to a Valentine’s Day inspired picnic and movie night or brunch at the Anthonij Rupert Wyne Estate. What better way to enjoy this superb MCC from one of SA’s leading producers. For details contact 021 874 9041 or tasting@rupertwines.com.

Sunday, 14th February    The Backsberg Centenary Picnic Concert Series kicks-off on with a performance by The Plastics. Come and enjoy your Sunday afternoon by relaxing on the lawns with a glass of wine whilst listening to some great SA music. Tickets are R120 from www.webtickets.co.za and R150 at the gate. Students pay R60 and there is no charge for children under the age of 12. Delicious food and snack boxes will be available on the day. Snack boxes can be pre-ordered at restaurant@backsberg.co.za at a cost of R160 for two persons. Gates to Backsberg Estate Cellars open at 15h00.

Sunday, 14th February    Celebrate the day of love at Boschendal with live music by romantic duo Palm Strings, who will entertain picnic visitors at the serviced Rhone Classic Picnic area from 12h00 - 15h00. Executive Chef, Christiaan Campbell and his team will add a romantic twist to the picnic baskets, while the full range of Boschendal MCC bubbly will be available to add that extra bit of “l’amour” to your day. Cost: R520 per basket to share. Includes 10% service fee, but excludes beverages. Enjoy a Valentine’s celebration with a difference by joining Food Garden Manager, Megan McCarthy for a Valentine’s themed Food Garden Tour from 10h00-11h30 and stock up on our bio-friendly veggies and herbs for a romantic dining occasion. Cost: R150 per person (Includes water, tour, veggie gift pack and glass of Boschendal MCC). Alternatively you can book a leisurely afternoon at our Werf picnics, The Werf Restaurant for an innovative farm-to-table menu, The Deli and Farm stall for a casual meal or Rhone Homestead for a lavish Cape Buffet. Bookings for the Picnic and Food Garden Tour are essential at reservations@boschendal.co.za or +27 21 870 4274. The restaurants’ bookings can be made on-line at www.boschendal.co.za.

Sunday, 14th February    Valentine's Day Lunch at Dornier Bodega Restaurant. Head Chef Lee-Anne du Plessis has created a beautiful four course menu for Valentine's Day lunch this February. Three of the dishes featured on the Valentine's Day menu include an array of Oysters served with Lime Salsa, Bloody Mary and Pesto Parmesan, Watermelon Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese salad, and Crusted Yellow Fin Tuna served on a bed of Marinated Angel Hair and Julienne Vegetables. Seating is limited, please ensure to make your booking as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Bookings can be made by contacting Bodega Restaurant at 021 880 0557 or bodega@dornier.co.za

Sunday, 14th February    Valentine’s Day at Lanzerac. The Governor’s Hall Restaurant will be clad with a touch of extra romantic finery on the day. Well-known for its Sunday lunches, the restaurant will be serving a Valentine’s inspired menu in celebration of the occasion. Pre-bookings are essential as seating is limited. For bookings contact Denise Bezuidenhoudt on banqueting@lanzerac.co.za.

Sunday, 14th February    The Red Table at Nederburg offers the ideal Valentine’s four-course menu, priced at R650 per couple and offered for lunch and dinner. Start with delicious salmon ceviche, watercress, radish and red onion salsa, followed by bacon-rolled chicken, goat’s cheese, roasted cherry tomatoes, wilted spinach and toasted pine nuts.  Then enjoy the main dish of grilled beef fillet, baked parmesan baby potatoes, fine beans, young carrots and bone marrow jus. Seal the deal with caramel, dark and white chocolate tart, pistachio Turkish delight and fruit compote. A deposit of R150 per person is required to confirm your booking for lunch or dinner at The Red Table on 14 February. To book, please call 021 877 5155 or send an email to theredtable@nederburg.co.za. 

21st January 2016

PS If a word or name is in bold type and underlined, click on it for more information

Phones: +27 21 439 3169 / 083 229 1172 / 083 656 4169

Postal address: 60 Arthurs Rd, Sea Point 8005

Our Adamastor & Bacchus© tailor-made Wine, Food and Photo tours take small groups (up to 6) to specialist wine producers who make the best of South Africa’s wines. Have fun while you learn more about wine and how it is made! Tours can be conducted in English, German, Norwegian and standard or Dutch-flavoured Afrikaans.

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Recommendations of products and outside events are not solicited or charged for, and are made at the authors’ pleasure. All photographs, recipes and text used in these newsletters and our blogs are © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus. Our restaurant reviews are usually unsolicited. We prefer to pay for our meals and not be paid in any way by anyone. Whether we are invited or go independently, we don’t feel bad if we say we didn’t like it. Honesty is indeed our best policy. While every effort is made to avoid mistakes, we are human and they do creep in occasionally, for which we apologise. Our Avast! ^® Anti-Virus software is updated at least daily and our system is scanned continually for viruses.

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This week's MENU recipe: Granadilla Sorbet

This week's recipe is something Lynne had at La Bohème restaurant in Sea Point this week; such a suitable end to a meal in hot weather. It was rich and creamy, but light and full of those seductive tropical flavours with a nice zing on the end. Granadillas are in season but, if you can't find them, you can buy tins of granadilla pulp; just strain out most of the pips please

Granadilla Sorbet

This is much easier if you have an ice cream maker, but you can make it in the freezer. There will be a lot of seeds in the 2 cups of granadilla pulp. A tip is to put the pulp into a food processor and pulse for just 10 seconds to separate the pips from the juice. Strain to remove the pips and then add back just a teaspoon of pips, so that it is identifiably a granadilla sorbet, or leave them out altogether according to your taste.

250 ml orange juice - 1 cup sugar - 2 cups granadilla pulp - a good squeeze of lime or lemon juice - whites of 2 large eggs, stiffly beaten

Put the orange juice and the sugar in a small pot and heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Do not boil. Cool this syrup.

With an ice cream machine Add the granadilla pulp to the syrup and the squeeze of lime juice and put into your ice cream machine and churn until you have a good thick smooth sorbet texture. Add the egg whites and churn for another 20 seconds until they are incorporated. Remove from the machine and freeze until you want to serve this. It will make about a litre and serve 6 to 8 people.

Without a machine, mix the syrup with the granadilla and lime and freeze in a wide shallow lidded container for an hour. Remove from the freezer and beat well with a hand beater and then incorporate the beaten egg whites. Freeze again for about an hour or until you see a ring of crystals forming around the edge. Beat again. Freeze and beat again every hour until you get a smooth thick sorbet.

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016

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