The Sommeliers Selection Awards at The Stack, Leinster Hall

This is the second year these accolades have been awarded. Suppliers can enter their wines and these are judged by professionally trained Sommeliers who chose their 'Winelist' 2016 selection. Suppliers are asked to submit their wines in various categories, NOT by varietal or blend. The Sommeliers say they prefer to make listings this way rather than by cultivar as it makes wines easier to recommend to customers and pair with food. All wines are tasted blind and judged by taste alone. There were some surprises when the wines were revealed. We love it when these surprises appear. We so approve of blind tasting and no sight of labels which can lead to predictable expectations

The awards event took place on Monday at The Stack at Leinster Hall. It was a really wet day, so we all convened in their bar area where we had two 330 ml Brewhogs Red Lagers at a cost of R76

Then it was time to go upstairs for the awards. There were welcoming drinks of Graham Beck MCC

The two organisers, Ann Ferreira and Darielle Robertson. http://www.thesommeliersselection.co.za/

Darielle tells us about the awards. Not all the categories entered were selected for the list. This changes every year. If you are interested in the categories, click here: http://sommeliersselection.typepad.com/files/2016-categories-and-descriptions-1.pdf

They were joined by Higgo Jacobs, one of the judges

And then some of the judges joined them. Not all could be present. The judges were Neil Grant, Pearl Oliver, Joakim Blackadder, Tinashe Nyamudoka, Greg Mutambe, Ewan Mackenzie, Spencer Fondaumiere

Higgo commented on how they had tasted and judged the wines that were entered and how they selected the wines for the list

Anticipation as winemakers wait to hear who'd won what

Rickety Bridge winemaker Wynand Grobler, looking elated

Peter Bubbles Ferreira of Graham Beck. They made the list with 5 MCC bubbles, along with Villiera with Monro Brut and Le Lude with their Rosé

The floor was then opened for comments from the judges. Here Ewan Mackenzie comments

Peter Ferreira had lots of interesting questions

Very good canapés were served. These were small potato and onion cakes

Moist beetroot rolls topped with cream cheese

Mushroom and rosemary stuffed choux buns. Everything was just bite sized, which we love. We hate struggling with something that needs three bites and goes down your front and all over your face

Tuna paté on toast

Smoked salmon rolls filled with gherkin cream and topped with salmon caviar

Attie Louw from Opstal in the Breedekloof picks up his stickers for his Carl Everson Chenin Blanc 2015. Always a great wine and we will be so pleased to see it on more good wine lists

Paul Kruger of Villiera and Peter Ferreira poured their bubblies

And then we got to taste most of the wines. Louis Strydom of Ernie Els Wines with Wynand Grobler of Rickety Bridge

Writers Anel Grobler and a friend

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016

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The 2016 Sommeliers Selection wine list. The list is both comprehensive and quirky, classic and new, interesting and strange, expected and unexpected. There are surprises and lots of deserving wines. It should certainly ginger up a trade which can be boring and limited when wine lists are from one source only and cost a fortune...

 

Sunday lunch at Bertus Basson, The Spice Route, Paarl

Who doesn't enjoy Sunday lunch if someone else is cooking for you? And it appears, from the full restaurant with lots of large parties, that Bertus Basson's generous offering of a four course lunch for R290 is attracting lots of you. We were very impressed at the variety on the menu which is served family style. And, of course, the restaurant is up on the Paarl mountain with superb views across to Franschhoek on the left, then looking right across past the Simonsberg, Stellenbosch, Klapmuts and, in the distance, Table Mountain. Lions Head rides like a shark through the Durbanville Hills and beyond is the west coast

The restaurant is right in the centre of the Spice Route complex

The pergola will be covered in vines come summer

Inside the busy restaurant

The Sunday lunch menu we sampled. It does change according to the seasons and what is available. There is also a Saturday special running on Saturday 13th August. when Albert Frost will be performing at Bertus Basson Spice Route. There will be a 2 course menu for R245, 3 courses for R295pp. Book soon

We began with a bowl of savoury butternut soup topped with tangy creamy goats cheese and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds

Olive bread, olive oil emulsion and an olive paste accompany it

The next course was missing - at our request - the pickled fish, which neither of us likes; we don't like wasting food. It was replaced by a lovely fresh selection of roasted (not pickled) baby beetroot with a coriander emulsion (we couldn't detect coriander and suspect that parsley had been substituted; it was great). On the same platter, crisp baby yellow carrots, olives and radishes. There was a cos lettuce salad with shaved fennel in the bowl alongside, sprinkled with parmesan cheese and a few shreds of wet biltong. It was very well dressed. In front was a platter of shavings of rare roast Chalmar beef with small dabs of aubergine puree. But the singularly best thing on the plate was tiny slivers of dried tomatoes preserved in oil, topped with roasted garlic. They gave everything the most wonderful flavour. We didn't detect any sesame dressing

This bowl was what one of us selected

Then the main course: there are two. Top left is the crisp skinned confit duck legs on a rich spiced sauce with (Puy?) lentils, a butternut puree, moist dried figs, some lovely confit garlic, forgotten carrots ( left in the bottom of your fridge they become soft and concentrated in flavour) and rocket. Next to it is the Sticky, oh so tender braised short rib of beef with really good roast parsnips, parsnip puree and shaved beetroot crisps. Large roast potatoes, which Bertus likes to serve with a very light hollandaise sauce, a new experience for us and a good one. This course nearly defeated us and we confess to taking a doggy bag with the short ribs home. It was too good to leave, but we had little room and new dessert was to follow

Constantia Uitsig had sent us a bottle of their new 2013 Red Horizon dry red blend to try and this seemed like the perfect occasion to try it with food. It has lots of smoky bacon on the nose from the first fill 60% new oak, and a mouthful of cassis, rhubarb and red cherries. It goes very well with this sort of food which is full of many contrasting flavours and textures

Dessert was a hefty portion of Malva pudding with a very vanilla ice cream, with a jug of fresh cream on the side. This was followed by two excellent double espressos

Manager Louise Starey, who was at the Bakery at Jordan and is now managing this restaurant, had invited us to come and write about the food. Who can possibly turn down a chance to taste Bertus Basson's interesting and innovative fresh food. We loved her staff, very quiet but very attentive and polite. Our waiter’s name is Everton and yes, it is his father’s favourite soccer team

They also have some products on sale in the restaurant

WHAT a view! This is the Simonsberg, under whose shelter we spent the night on Friday

A long view to Table Mountain and that shark!

People enjoying the sun and the afternoon

Our table had a view into Red Hot Glass, the glass blowing factory and shop

Resting vines and time to head home. Thank you Bertus and Louise, a lovely experience. We will be back, probably in the summer when our visitors start to arrive

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016

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Societi Bistro's Tour de France

Enjoying good French food at Societi Bistro with some well paired wines

Having had a successful 10 weeks of Italian food and wines Societi invited us to come and try their Culinary Tour Through France -10 Weeks. 10 Regions. 10 Exceptional Wines. A different region and wine every week. Despite a cold and miserable Saturday afternoon, we so enjoyed sampling the dishes from the menu with many great local French style wines. Now you can too. Check out the different 3 course menus on http://societi.co.za/france/ It's a lovely way to enjoy eating out in winter

This time we were inside the restaurant because of the rain

Richard Bosman with a selection of his charcuterie was paired with the rich and spicy Waterford Shiraz

Fleur du Cap Chenin will be served with the Onion soup in this week's menu which is from the Ile de France region (Paris)

Journalist Neil Pendock discussing the terroir of the Lomond Pinot noir

Lomond's excellent Pinot Noir being served with the Burgundy Menu main of superb rich and tender Boeuf Bourguignon 7th to 13th September

Lots of people waiting for the cassoulet to arrive on this stand and others enjoying the dishes with the wines

The Marianne Cabernet Sauvignon was showing really well on Saturday, its a lovely expression of this grape, we need to taste more. This as served with a rich and salty Garbure Duck soup. If you want to try it go between the 14th to 20th of September

Cassoulet, perfect winter food

This was served with the Delaire Graff Botmaskop powerful red blend, well matched to this substantial dish from the centre of France near Castelnaudary and Carcassonne. Go to taste it and the cassoulet between 3rd to 9th of August. A good way to banish winter blues

Another good match was the Asara full fruit zesty Chardonnay with the Moules au cidre from Normandy. These can be tasted from 17th to 23rd August

Chicken Fricassee is not seen often nowadays, it went SO well with the Anthonij Rupert Optima. This is the French Alpine menu being served from 31st August to 6th September

Provence just has to have a Rosé served with the food and this is a good salad Niçoise on the menu from 17th to 29th September. Solms Delta provided one with good fruit but, thankfully, not sweet

Owner Pete Weetman telling us about the menu

There was a huge crowd of good customers, wine trade and media, enjoying the day

Profiteroles were served as a dessert; they are on one of the menus. We think these are exciting menus and great wines. We will go and try some

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016

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