Thursday, September 20, 2018

Cape Wine 2018 - Overview

Cape Wine is held every three years and, this year, Cape Wine 2018 was held at the CTICC again for three days in September. We think that it was extremely professionally organised and there was a lot of energy and enthusiasm from our wine industry and from the eager buyers. Well done to Wines of South Africa (WOSA) for the very good organisation
#hannuwa. This ancient San word means the gathering of good fortune through living in sustainable harmony with our natural environment
Registration was simple and easy - not always the case at CTICC
There were good tasting glasses provided at the door and also on each stand
Helpful maps and information booklets
and great hanging posters promoting the industry and our beautiful wine area
The stands were in an understandable order, so people were reasonably easy to find,
especially if they were in a regional group
It was busy and buzzing from the first morning
A view of the hall from one of the seminar rooms
Good organisation was imperative as wine stocks had to make their way
to the stands as they were needed for tasting. This was the large
holding area, with many fridges for the white wines and bubblies
Food was available from the CTICC restaurants. We had a tiny grouse on the first day
when we went to get a sandwich to take away and eat on the hoof and were told that
we'd have to order and wait half an hour, which would have meant missing a seminar.
The following day, we took our own
Tucked away on the First Floor, this media lounge was almost unoccupied
None of the media members we know were told about it
Posted by MENU at 11:00 pm 0 comments

Chenin blanc Beach Party at Grand on the Beach, V&A Waterfront

Now this is what you’d call a good party! Held the day before Cape Wine 2018 began, the Chenin Blanc Association held their party on "the Beach" at the Grand Cafe next to the V&A Waterfront. We were invited to join the party, play and taste some of the best Chenins in the land. We were instructed to wear suitable beach attire and, in the grey and damp week leading up to the party, we wondered what woollen attire would be suitable (long johns with a snorkel were mentioned). But the Cape climate played ball and we had marvellous sunny and warm weather
Welcomed by a marimba band to get us into the mood. It worked.
Malu Lambert and Jan Sleet chatting
A friend with Ina Smith, Manager of the Chenin Blanc Association, which organised the great event
 What would they do without this wonderful woman who tirelessly promotes this versatile grape
A visiting foreign wine delegate tasting at Anthonij Rupert Wines' table 
Ken Forrester, Chairman of the SA Chenin Blanc Association, welcomes us all
David and Nicholas Trafford chat to a guest
Hannelize Mouton of Diemersfontein
Karen Steytler of Kaapzicht in conversation with Fleur du Cap winemaker Pieter Badenhorst
Alastair Rimmer, Cellarmaster at Kleine Zalze, tastes a Ken Forrester wine from a huge bottle
Some of Ken Forrester’s’ lovely Chenin Blancs, including the amazingly fresh 2007
Higgo Jacobs starts off the first Wine Olympics. The teams had to answer a series of questions about Chenin blanc and then participate in a competition to see who could sabrage a bottle of Ken Forrester’s Sparklehorse sparkling Chenin and send the decapitated top of the bottle through a hoop
Guy McDonald of Magic Radio was the MC and tried to keep the contestants under control
Pieter du Toit of Cederberg, aka King Neptune, was judge and jury of this hilarious competition
Attie Louw of Opstal, Sebastian Beaumont and Chris Boustred of Remhoogte
trying to get their answers straight
You can see it in their faces; they don't have a clue about the question. Not many of them did!
We got one right! Celebration. Sommeliers Neil Grant, Kim McBride and a British colleague; Winemakers Attie Louw, Sebastian Beaumont
Kimi Blackadder, Fiona McDonald, Martin Moran MW with those hoops that had to be rolled
Siobhan Thompson & Maryna Calow of WOSA, with Thea van der Merwe of Jordan,
taking a well deserved breather before Cape Wine begins
Guy MacDonald gives instructions about how the obstacle course is to be approached
Alastair Rimmer, Danie Steytler, Siobhan Thompson, Maryna Calow
Lynne enjoying the sun and the very funny entertainment
Next time we suggest flaming hoops for the dogs - oops, contestants to leap through
Pieter du Toit, aka King Neptune, watches the action
Judge Spencer Fondaumiere checking the answers! Sebastian has a problem with that answer...
The line up of warm wines for each team to "Find the Chenin"
Even the staff were amused
Such a laugh! Lynne with Jeff Grier and Lucille Botha
Chris Boustred gets tips from Sebastian Beaumont on finding the seam for Sabrage ...
... and sends that cork flying through the hoop
as does Attie Louw
David Clarke succeeds too
A tandem attempt by Kim McBride and Chris Boustred. They got a previous question wrong and had to go again. The ringed cork came from Chris, but it missed the ring
The teams having fun
MC Guy MacDonald with those really tricky questions about Chenin Blanc
Kimberly McBride, Manager at Salut Wines, Manchester serves us some of the Sabraged bubbles
Chris Boustred with their Remhoogte Chenins
The not-so-younger-generation; Graham Knox and Francois Naude having fun
Jeff Grier makes a very short speech while Anel Grobler listens in the background
Chris Boustred chatting to Jean Daneel. It was a very convivial occassion, very social with rather a lot of chenin consumed rather than tasted. Some of us had a rather tender time next day
Posted by MENU at 10:11 pm 0 comments

On the MENU this Week. Ginger Poached Pears in sweet white wine

This uses a Natural Sweet white wine. We used the Natural Sweet White from the Four Cousins range made by Van Loveren in Robertson. It is non vintage. You’ll find it in Checkers for R40 a bottle. While we sometimes enjoy a sticky, sweet wine after dinner, we do like cooking with it too. Lynne came up with the recipe for entertaining friends who will be coming back to our house after a Chinese meal together. The quantity of pears you use depends on two things: the size of the pears and how many people you are serving. A bottle of wine is enough for six pears with some syrup over for serving
4 or 6 nearly ripe firm pears – a bottle of sweet white wine, e.g. Van Loveren Natural Sweet White – a vanilla pod – 2.5cm piece of fresh ginger root – a pinch of salt – a squeeze of lemon if necessary – 1 spoonful of honey - a jar of maraschino cherries
Peel the pears. Remove the stalks, then halve them lengthways and scoop out the cores with a teaspoon. Arrange the pears, cut side up, in a circle inside a heavy bottomed frying pan with a lid, with the stalk end pointing inwards. Peel the ginger (easy to do with a teaspoon) and cut it into thin slices
Add enough of the wine to cover the pears and add the vanilla pod, the ginger slices and a pinch of salt. If your wine is not very sweet, add a dessertspoon or two of honey if necessary. Bring slowly to the boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes with the lid on. Then, carefully turn the pears over and continue cooking until the pears are just tender – about 15 more minutes. Check your syrup – it should be light, not reduced, and sticky; add more wine if it starts to become too thick. And taste and add more honey if it needs it. Add a dash of lemon if you find it is too sweet – sometimes the pears can add lots of sweetness. The pears will add their own beautiful flavour to the delicate syrup
When the pears are just tender, turn the heat off and, leaving the lid on, let the pears cool in the pan. They will continue cooking and give out more of their juices as they steam
Discard the ginger slices and the vanilla pod. Arrange the pears on a serving dish, cut side up. Put a maraschino cherry in the middle of each and surround them with some of the syrup. Serve chilled or at room temperature, accompanied by more syrup, whipped cream or thick Greek yoghurt
Posted by MENU at 9:54 pm 0 comments
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