Friday, March 01, 2019

A Clifton evening















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Thursday, February 28, 2019

This Week's MENU. Prawns, Wine and Art on a Saturday, Groot Phesantekraal, Jordan Assyrtiko tasting, Stir fry chicken, Steenberg Nebbiolo

The full moon rises at sunset, Camps Bay
This has been a gentle week. We’ve been visited by old friends, done and seen some interesting things, some of which will be in next week’s MENU and, above all, tasted some very interesting and enjoyable wines, accompanied with some of the wonderful food which our city and its surrounding area produces. Read on and share in our enjoyment… 
Prawns, horses, wine and art on a Saturday afternoon
We decided to go to the Prawn Festival which was held at the Kenilworth Race Course last Saturday. It turned out to be a market with food and only one venue had prawns. You bought your voucher for R99 per person and stood in the longest queue imaginable. John went to find a table and some cold beers and Lynne stood, and stood and stood in blistering sunshine and heat in the slowly moving queue for nearly an hour…
Wine tasting and lunch at Groot Phesantekraal, Durbanville
We had an invitation to visit Groot Phesantekraal wine farm in Durbanville and taste the food of Chef Juan van Deventer, known as 'The Shy Chef'. So last Friday saw us on a great trek around the outskirts of Durbanville to avoid the closure on the N1 motorway. It was very hot out on the plains, our car registered 39ºC on arrival. It is harvest time and it was an appropriate opportunity to taste their Chenin Blanc and Pinotage grapes, which had just been picked…
Tasting Greek Assyrtiko wines at Jordan wine estate, Stellenbosch
With rises in temperature in wine areas worldwide now 2 to 2.5% higher, farms are looking at dry land grapes that can tolerate heat. We are not France, so continuing to grow delicate grapes that need cool growing conditions long term is something farmers are having to take into account. Even France is becoming warmer and getting higher alcohols in their wines. Gary and Kathy Jordan of Jordan wine estate bought some more land a few years ago. It appears to be perfect for the Assyrtiko grape, grown mostly in Greece, which performs well in a high altitude stony vineyard with cooling winds and dry land conditions. They have investigated this wine for years, at last gained access to the vines and will soon plant them on Jordan. We were invited to visit the farm and taste some of these wines from Greece and the only Assyrtiko from outside Greece, which is made in Australia…
On the MENU this week. Stir fried Chicken with Asparagus
This is a single portion, on Ho Fun rice noodles
This recipe is really simple to make, just do the preparation beforehand and you can assemble the dish in just a few minutes. The flavour of the sauce is really good. If you can’t get Szechuan pepper corns, just used good freshly ground black pepper. See the whole recipe here…
MENU’s Wine of the Week. Steenberg Nebbiolo 2015
Our favourite wine of the tasting and so good that it is our Wine of the Week, is the Steenberg Nebbiolo. It is a wine with wildness from a grape that gives so much. Wild strawberries, rhubarb, mulberries on the nose, with some perfume and incense wood. Soft sweet cherry berry on the palate, so deep and long with delicious fruit flavours, good acid fruit balance and gentle chalky tannins on the end. A stupendous food wine, especially with Italian or Mediterranean food
Things to do
Friday, 1st March Now in its 6th edition, Ultra SA is returning to the West Coast Ostrich Farm for a night of electronic music bliss​. More info here
Friday, 1st- Sunday, 3rd March The Robertson Wine Valley Hands On Harvest More info here
Friday, 1st- Sunday, 10th March Woordfees Festival, Stellenbosch One of South Africa’s largest annual arts festivals More info here
Friday & Saturday, 1st & 2nd March      RMB Starlight Concert at Vergelegen. Details and tickets at http://www.capetownopera.co.za/production/rmb-starlight-classics/
Friday, 1st March    The American Express Cape Wine Barrel Auction at the Norval Foundation

Saturday, 2nd March       The Cape Wine Auction sponsored by Nedbank Private Wealth at Buitenverwachting
For more information on the Cape Wine Auction, contact CWA director Darielle Robertson at darielle@thecapewineauction.com. For more information on the Cape Wine Auction Trust, contact Andi Norton at andi@thecapewineauction.com

Saturday, 2nd March       Harvest Festival at Muratie Wine Estate in Stellenbosch.  For further information and bookings contact Nina Martin at Muratie on 021 865 2330/2336 or info@muratie.co.za
Saturday 2nd March       Perdeberg’s Harvest Celebration from 09h00 - 17h00 at Perdeberg Cellars. For more information contact Johan at +27 21 869 8244 or info@perdeberg.co.zaSaturday, 2 March The Veuve Clicquot Masters Polo 2019 at Val De Vie Estate in Paarl More info here
Wednesday, 6th March    A night at the Italian Opera 18h00 for 18h30, Café del Sol Botanico, Bryanston, Gauteng Tickets are available at R650 per person, the three course dinner and wine are included. Limited spaces are available so e-mail marketing@cafedelsol.co.za to be part of this exclusive event.
Friday 8th March    Wine Concepts Craft Festival at The Vineyard Hotel 17h00 – 20h00 Cost: R200.00 per person – includes tasting glass, tastings and light snacks. Tickets via www.webtickets.co.za or at Wine Concepts branches Telephone Newlands at 021 671 9030 or Kloof Street at 021 426 4401. Email: admin@wineconcepts.co.za or at the door on the evening subject to availability http://www.wineconcepts.co.za
Friday, 8th – Saturday, 16th March  9th Annual Zabalaza Theatre Festival at The Baxter. Click here for details
Sunday, 10th March Cape Town Cycle Tour, the biggest staged race in the world. More info here
Wednesday, 13th March, Tuning the Vine 17h30 to 20h30 Collect your tasting glass and wrist band from starting stations, 91 on Loop Boutique Hostel or The Station on Bree and head out on your hunt for top-class tastings
Saturday, 16th March The annual Cape Town Carnival returns to the Fan Walk with the theme ‘Vuka Ukhanye’ – ‘Arise and Shine More info here
Tuesday, 19th – Sunday, 31st March The Mother City Comedy Festival. More info here
Friday, 29th – Saturday, 30th March The Cape Town International Jazz Festival at The CTICC More info here
Sunday, 31st March Groote Post Country Market between 10h00 and 15h00. For further information on the Groote Post Country Market Contact I Love Yzer: 022 451 2202 or info@iloveyzer.co.za www.grootepostcountrymarket.co.za · Facebook.com/GrootePostCountryMarket · @GPCountryMarket
Thursday, 15 August          Nedbank CWG Auction Showcase Cape Town
Tuesday, 20 August           Nedbank CWG Auction Tasting Pretoria*
Wednesday, 21 August     Nedbank CWG Showcase Sandton
Wednesday, 2 October    Nedbank CWG Development Trust Dinners
Thursday, 3 October         Nedbank CWG Sports Day
Friday, 4 October             Nedbank CWG Final Pre-Auction Tasting*
Saturday 5 October          Nedbank CWG Auction   Enquiries about CWG events to bookings@capewinemakersguild.com * Events in red are by invitation onl
28th February 2019

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2019

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

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 our website and ancillary works are © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus. Our restaurant reviews are often 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. This electronic journal has been sent to you because you have personally subscribed to it or because someone you know has asked us to send it to you or forwarded it to you themselves. Addresses given to us will not be divulged to any person or organisation. We collect them only for our own promotional purposes. If you wish to be added to our mailing list, pleaseclick here to send us a message and if you wish to be  removed from our mailing list
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Tasting Greek Assyrtiko wines at Jordan wine estate, Stellenbosch

With rises in temperature in wine areas worldwide now 2 to 2.5% higher, farms are looking at dry land grapes that can tolerate heat. We are not France, so continuing to grow delicate grapes that need cool growing conditions long term is something farmers are having to take into account. Even France is becoming warmer and getting higher alcohols in their wines. Gary and Kathy Jordan at Jordan bought some more land a few years ago. It appears to be perfect for the Assyrtiko grape, grown mostly in Greece, which performs well in a high altitude stony vineyard with cooling winds and dry land conditions. They have investigated this wine for years, at last gained access to the vines and will soon plant them on Jordan. We were invited to visit the farm and taste some of these wines from Greece and the only Assyrtiko from outside Greece, which is made in Australia…
"It’s that bloody photographer again, capturing our souls......" Marcha Cooke, Gary Jordan and Jon Meinking
Marketing Assistant Melanie Melville and Marcha Cooke, Jordan's Sales Manager
Drinks on arrival were the 2018 Crisp and delicious Cold Fact Sauvignon Blanc and the 2018 Real McCoy Riesling
Gathering on the terrace
Marcha with Jordan’s General Manager, Jacques Steyn CWM
An opportunity to taste the just picked Chenin Blanc grapes
A smiling Allan Mullins
First, Gary spoke to us about the geology of the Winelands
"Could Assyrtiko be grown successfully in Stellenbosch?" accompanied by some informative slides
Gary Jordan trained first as a Geologist and then as a winemaker, so he is very knowledgeable about the soils on their farm and in the Cape Winelands. Here is a picture of him in one of the old tin mines beneath Jordan
This and the following photographs, until the pic of the amphora, are from Gary's slide show
They had to remove some very large boulders in the new vineyard; here they are drilling
And some of the rocks had to be taken out by explosives
That did become rather interesting at times when explosions, which can be unpredictable, blew things in the wrong directions!
This is a view of the new vineyards on the top of the far hill. The Assyrtiko vineyard will be affected (in a good way)
by the Cape's famous South Easter wind. which does not reach much of the rest of the farm
and a view of Assyrtiko vineyards on the Greek island of Santorini, where it is believed to have originated
The Assyrtiko vines are first grown as bush vines, but after a couple of years they are woven into a basket shape (koulara),
and the grapes encouraged to grow inside the basket
Many years ago Kathy and Gary visited the island and Gary took this photograph of 18 year old Kathy sitting in one of the Assyrtiko basket vines. This was the beginning of their fascination and determination to grow this grape in South Africa. The road has been long and arduous as the grape was not permitted for many years. It is now and is soon to be planted
Here you can see an old vine with many years of woven vines making the koulara basket
This is where it will be planted on Jordan
And a view of the very rocky soil it will be grown on. Assyrtiko performs best in a terroir which is high, dry and cool with rocky soil
Winemaker Sjaak Nelson is very excited about this new grape and has already put in an amphora
which will be used to vinify some of the grapes
Time to taste the Assyrtiko wines
The wines from Greece certainly are warm country wines, some aromatic in a rather Riesling way, others wild and crisp and sunny, all have lots of fruit characteristics, often layered, many with citrus and herbs. The sea is present on some, there is good minerality and there are good fruit acids despite the fruit being really ripe (this is a notable characteristic of Assyrtiko), and many have fullness and roundness
About half had wood influence which adds to the flavour without overwhelming the fruit and nearly all were really enjoyable. We definitely think this is a grape that South Africans will enjoy drinking, especially with food. The Australian Assyrtiko which was only planted in 2012 is much more like an Australian dry, crisp Riesling. Quince like flavours, rather mouth puckering in its youth
Gary wanted to know which wines had impressed us, so asked us to vote for our top two. The room had many different favourites, but two wines did emerge as top versions of this grape. One of these had very familiar Riesling flavours and Lynne asked whether people had liked it so much because it was familiar. Why would we need to copy Riesling when we can allow the real Assyrtiko flavours to develop when it is grown on our soils in our climate. Now that prospect is really exciting
and who should pop in to say hello but Gary's father, Ted Jordan
Then it was time for a light lunch from The Bakery. We sat out on the deck under the trees
They have such great, happy serving staff
Our lunch menu
Three wine tastings you can do on Jordan
Our starter of Spanspek (orange sweet melon) topped with a goats cheese mousse, thin grilled slices of fennel bulb and fennel flowers and some slivers of smoked snoek. It sounded like a disparate combination of flavours but in fact was rather good blend of texture and summer flavours. We had The Outlier Sauvignon Blanc with this course
The main course was a roulade of roasted Pork Belly, with a spiced beetroot and orange purée which cut through the richness and fattiness of the pork and added the necessary fruitiness that pork shines with. Topped with a Waldorf salad of apple and walnuts and dressed with the jus from the meat. The 2017 Nine Yards Chardonnay and the beautiful Sophia Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot
Desserts were tiny crisp pastry 'boats filled with lemon curd, or dark bitter chocolate ganache topped with cream and a sliver of strawberry. And good coffee and tea were served before we took our Uber back to Cape Town
We visited Santorini, the home of Assyrtiko, in 2015. Click here to see the island and its vines in our 2015 story
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