Thursday, March 14, 2019

Wine tasting and lunch at Thelema. Stellenbosch

COME BACK TO THE CLASSICS SAYS THELEMA
You know how many good new wines and wineries we introduced to you over a year; all that new innovation, so different, so much hype and excitement? Yes those renaissance wines, those experimental wines... Well what is after the renaissance? Here is more big news. The classics are the ones we should pay attention to again. The benchmark wines of South Africa, those that have sustained, impressed, been at the forefront of our wine world here and abroad for decades gaining us kudos for our wines, won awards, earned big numbers from wine writers and judges, sold amazingly well and more importantly, are consistent. So, instead of going off at a new tangent, go back and take another look; you need reminding of how good they are, at what we love to drink and why. At what has continued to be enjoyed for many many years. These guys know what they are doing. They don't have to reinvent the wheel and do somersaults to get our attention. Familiar names you know and love. Think Beyerskloof, Meerlust, Kanonkop, Groot Constantia, Boschendal, KWV, Nederburg, Vergelegen, Lanzerac. Simonsig, Rustenberg and, of course, Thelema
This week we had this invitation to visit the farm and taste several older vintages of Thelema wines
matched with the new pre-release wines. And what an impressive tasting it was. It certainly makes one think
Winemaker Rudi Schultz welcomed us with a glass of their Brut MCC 2014, a classic blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
So crisp, so elegant, with lovely brioche age notes, lemon lime lean with a good mousse and so good for celebrations
Christine Rudman, Mel Minnaar and Malu Lambert talking to the dogs,
a matched pair of German Short haired pointers, such intelligent and friendly hounds
A table had been laid on the lawn where we would have had the tasting until the very welcome rain began to teem down
So we moved inside to the dining room. Julian Richfield and Fiona MacDonald with Malu and Mel on one side of the table
Angela Lloyd, Lynne, Graham Howe and Christine Rudman on the other
The line up of wines to taste
Thomas Webb took us through the tasting. He told us that Thelema produces 600 000 bottles of wine a year and they are known to be a reliable label, Thelema’s sales have been great over the last 2 years; people are buying quality wines. He thinks we should promote Stellenbosch Cabernets as the best SA produces
Our tasting sheet
Serious tasting concentration. Emile Joubert at the end
Rudi came to add comments about the winemaking
and a busy Gyles Webb popped in for a quick word
Chardonnay 2007 & 2016 We began with the 2007 Chardonnay. Golden in colour and fruit, some herbs, almost a terpene hint, acorn, peach wood with hints of fennel. Crisp complex and layered, wood is present, lovely crisp zing of lemon and lime, very elegant, rather Burgundian in style, mouth-watering and a food wine still.. Then the 2016 with herbal notes, white peach, wood smoke hint ending in nectarine. Rich full on the palate, silky with nectarine, lime, citrus, such length and depth, long, long flavours, with wood supporting, made to last and drinking perfectly now. Another food wine. R170 on the farm
Three Cabernets 1995, 2010, 2016 All impressed us. First we tasted the 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Yes, the one with the mint. Green tomato leaf nose for Lynne who doesn't get mint; herbal, bruléed berry fruit on the nose. Soft sweet fruit with some balsam on the palate, lovely cranberry cherry flavours. Still a good acid, fruit, wood balance and some more of that 'mint' on the end. Then the 2010 with cassis on the nose, richness, some tomato leaf hints, with complex layers of red and black berries, liquorice & a touch of salt. Dark chocolate, crisp red & black berries, long flavours nicely balanced with soft chalky tannin; still has years to go. The 2016 Cabernet has vanilla oak, rich fruit: berries and cherries, wood supports and no mint. Soft, sweet, seductive berry fruit, raspberry, red cherry, mulberry with nice soft grippy tannins; enjoyable now and just in waiting for the future reveal. A different clone from the two above. R275 on the farm
Rabelais 2010, 2015. This is a Bordeaux blend, Thelema's flagship wine and it is hard not to gush about it. So good. The 2010 is a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Complex with incense wood, cassis berries, such elegance and promise on the nose, fulfilled when tasting. Sweet cassis berries, grippy powdery tannins are still present. It is amazing on the palate. The fruit is prominent and delicious, but so supported by tannin and wood. Will last for ages more. Still has a nice warm kick of alcohol. The 2015, made from Cabernet and Petit Verdot is complex with vanilla and dark berry fruit with violet perfume on the nose. Again, elegance with incense wood, lighter fruit than the previous wine, with cassis, vanilla and liquorice, grippy chalky tannins and herbs on the end
Time to move to the terrace, under shelter from the downpour but warm
A tray of bread to the table and wine is poured
The home farm terrace
Classic Parma ham and melon starter, dressed with garden flowers
The rain it raineth
Absolutely moreish baked figs, stuffed with mild goat’s cheese, with walnuts and rocket and a dollop of cranberry jelly
Lots of discussion around the table
Great match, the Sauvignon Blanc and the figs
It is crisp and lean with a bit of that old fashioned cats pee on a gooseberry bush. Wonderful
The food was served Family Style, so we helped ourselves to this mixed salad
with mixed leaves, avocado, olives , nuts and tomato
A huge platter of fresh asparagus, now in season
Glazed salmon fillet on a bed of black rice was delish
and went so well with the wines we had tasted and were drinking with lunch
And something special with lunch was the farm's own (not for sale) Muscat de Frontignan, made in 2000 and still in barrel. Bruléed spice from the wood, perfumed with grapey aromas, honey, cinnamon, it is thick, sweet and textured with a hit of ground pepper on the end. As they say in Sea Point, to die for
Giles is amused by what Mel is saying
Dessert was a smooth panna cotta topped with granadilla, raspberries, black berries and nougat
Well matched with the dessert wine
What a lovely colour too
A reflection of the natural world in the glass
The tall trees that surround the house and lawn
Father and son, Gyles and Thomas Webb. Thank you for showing us the past and the future and reminding us of how good your wines are, and will be

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

On the MENU This Week. Basil and Ricotta Cheese Pesto Pasta

We are growing herbs in pots this year and watering by hand. Some have been really successful like our basil and thyme, while others have turned up their toes and died, like the oregano which was planted with the thyme. Because the basil was starting to go to seed, Lynne decided to make a pesto this week and this is how the recipe evolved. It was influenced by watching Jamie in Italy, where he has been doing some interesting vegetarian pastas that Nonnas (Italian grandmothers) have made at home for years. We used a favourite shape called Fusillata which holds sauce well, but any pasta you like can be used with Pesto, it does stick. You can also change the nuts if you like
1 cup of fresh Italian Basil - 2 peeled garlic cloves - 20g walnuts - ½ teaspoon of salt - 1 Tablespoon grated Pecorino cheese
1 Tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese - 4 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 100g Ricotta cheese, drained
Freshly ground black pepper - Pasta of your choice for 4 - 50g baby peas -  Parmesan to add at the end
In a blender, combine the basil, garlic, walnuts, salt, both hard cheeses and one tablespoon of olive oil. Blend, adding more olive oil slowly to make a finer paste. Then add the Ricotta. Taste and add more salt if necessary and season with black pepper. Cook the pasta in well salted water until al dente. Briefly cook the  the baby peas; they only need a minute. Drain the pasta and stir in the Pesto. Add the peas into the pasta at the last moment. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and another good grating of Parmesan. Serve with a tomato salad and a good Sauvignon Blanc

Anniversary Dinner at Bones, Woodstock

It's that time of the year again, where to go for our Anniversary dinner? We chose one we have been meaning to visit for ages but, because of the Cycle Race and everyone (still!) carbo loading, we were turned down. John thinks it's because we were only two and they make more money from bigger tables. Anyway they run a two tier system, so they are off the list. We do NOT want to eat at 6 and be out by 8 unless there is a really good price incentive, nor do we want to get our main course later than 10 pm. So Lynne remembered that she had seen some really good reviews on a site she follows in Facebook: Cape Town Restaurants - the good, the bad and the nastyyyy ... And so a reservation was made at Bones Kitchen and Bar in the Palms Centre in Woodstock. It’s a safe centre behind a barrier, with its own paid parking. And what a great time we had with lovely food and excellent service
The Menu. Prices are very reasonable for what you get; it is fine dining with some conventional dishes and some new and exciting. And we do love the sharing aspect, if our appetites are in tune
Might have to try them for breakfast too. And Yay! They have Green Tea.
The wine list is quite eclectic, mostly good with some wines we like. We did order the Rosé by the glass and found that you get a very generous carafe with nearly two glasses each. However, we think they might need a better house wine. Not the best rosé we have ever had. Lactic and a little bitter
Moooooose anyone. Very atmospheric! The restaurant is spacious and there is a very good buzz in the room of people enjoying themselves
The rosé was to drink with our starters - it goes well with seafood and other dishes, so usually a good choice
It lasted well into the main course
John had the Mussels velouté; superb, rich and full of plump mussels and crisp pancetta pieces
The stock they used was really good
Lynne had been dreaming of gnocchi at the first restaurant and so was delighted to find them on this menu too. In a lovely thick flavourful Gorgonzola sauce, topped with sun blush tomatoes and micro greens. They were quite light, but we think they might have been in the water just a little too long. The small pieces of crisp Parmesan tuiles were inspired. Our Pinot Noir was a great match for this dish
For our main course and because of some of the reviews, we went for the shared Pot Bones and chose the shin of beef - excellent value at R375 for 2 . Absolutely magnificent. We were told that they would take about 20 minutes extra to arrive and we were very happy to wait. The beef was slow cooked in this casserole with red wine and vegetables, plenty of rosemary and it simply fell apart. The flavour is extraordinary and it is served with a side of creamy, buttery mashed potato. Of course we couldn’t manage the whole thing and had the remains put in a doggy bag. Lunch the next day of course. The lamb choice was lamb ribs and we saw it on our neighbours’ table and that looked great too. But John does not do small bones. The other choice was chicken, cooked long and slow in these pots. We so recommend you go and try these. Wish we had a dog for that marrow bone. All its flavour is in the dish
We took along a special bottle from our cellar and it was perfect for the dish. We asked before we ordered if they have a corkage policy and they do for one bottle. A reasonable R50 given that this wine is expensive. And although, on opening, we thought it needed more time, it quickly opened up into the classic Burgundian elegant Pinot Noir we were expecting with a floral nose and lovely deep dark fruit, soft tannins and complexity. No faults and so enjoyable
Absolutely no room for dessert but we will be back, with friends. Service was seamless, we had two excellent, helpful and friendly waiters and despite a shift change nothing went awry. Thank you Carlson. Sadly we didn’t get the name of the first waiter

Thursday, March 07, 2019

This Week's MENU. Musgrave Copper, Constantia Glen book, Muratie Harvest festival, Starlight Classics, Wingerd Vista market at Delvera, Asparagus & salmon risotto, Constantia Glen Five

A pied crow flies on a misty Stellenbosch day
This has been a week in which we have enjoyed a few special events, and even a little rain, but the best, most eagerly anticipated was the annual Starlight Concert at Vergelegen wine estate in Somerset West. A spectacular evening of music in a very beautiful setting. The photographs will give you an idea of what we saw; you will have to wait until it is broadcast on MNet later in the year to hear the music which was brilliant showcase of the amazing talents we have in this country. Read on and enjoy….
An invitation to Constantia Glen for the launch of their new book published by Quiver Tree and now available in all good book shops (we saw it in Exclusive this weekend) and on the farm. Constantia Glen is high up near Constantia Nek and the tasting facility has wonderful views of the vineyards…
We were intrigued by an invitation to the launch last week by Musgrave Crafted Spirits of a new Disruptive Spirit. The launch was on our publication day, so we only managed a quick trip in the late afternoon to taste what turned out to be two new brandies. Both are flavoured Copper Potstill brandies…
One of our annual pilgrimages is the Harvest Festival at Muratie. We love the people there and so enjoy this very real and unpretentious festival each year. We were seated at the media table in the shade and presented with this huge sharing platter of cheese, samoosas, superb rillette, bread, grapes, olives and pickles…
Sunday morning saw us on the R44 heading for DelVera who had their first Wingerd Vista Market. Janine van Zyl, Owner, Founder & Executive Chef at Cold Gold Artisan Ice Cream & Sorbet has just taken over the restaurant at Del Vera which is soon to open…
One of the high points of our year is an invitation to the RMB Starlight Concert which took place on Saturday night, at Vergelegen. This was the 21st year of this spectacular concert and the invited acts and performers never cease to amaze and delight. Before the main concert begins…
The Starlight Concert has other aspects! All worth a mention. We gathered on arrival in the famous Rose Garden at Vergelegen where there were canapés and an open bar. Many of us had the bubbly to start, both were from Simonsig
This is an easy risotto to make and rather delicious.  Economical too with the salmon. Serves two greedy people for supper.  Asparagus is in season and Lynne cooks it very briefly in the microwave with a drop of water for just 1 and a half minutes.  Thick green asparagus is not really suitable for the recipe, just use medium.  Do use real risotto rice, all others will go mushy and be soggy. See the whole recipe here…
The Constantia Glen 2014 Five, which we tasted on the farm this week, is at its peak and will continue to excite for much longer. Bolder, bigger than their Three, it is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec.  Read on…

Events for you to enjoy
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 worldMore 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
7th March 2019

© 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

RMB Starlight Concert at Vergelegen - the food and drink

The Starlight Concert has other aspects! All worth a mention
We gathered on arrival in the famous Rose Garden at Vergelegen where there were canapés and an open bar
Many of us had the bubbly to start, both were Kaapse Vonkel from Simonsig

Wine merchant Wade Bales and Lynelle Hoeks enjoy a glass of Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Brut Rosé

The organiser of the evening is Carolynne Waterhouse of RMB, here checking her guest lists
She does a fantastic job each year

Before we took our seats, we were given a cold bag hamper
and some bottles of Vergelegen wines to enjoy with the concert. There were glasses in the hampers


On offer were the Sauvignon Blanc, the Chardonnay and the red was the Cabernet Merlot

But before then snacks and then a buffet supper were served
These prawns on pipettes meant you got your cocktail sauce with the prawns

Tables groaning with cheese and pâtés and chutneys
The Buffet Supper was held in the woods alongside the concert arena

A selection of cold meats, fillet steak, ham, mushrooms and salads

Whole poached salmon topped with thick mayonnaise

Apples

There was a station with several curries, poppadoms and rice

Breads, smoked salmon, tiny crisp rosti. salads,

Halaal food for those who requested it

and a selection for vegetarians and vegans

A sushi stand


Seafood Paella

First year students from Silwood were helping out

Barbecue too

On the Mexican stand, guacamole, coleslaw, cheese and chilli to go with your tortillas and meat

One of the chefs serving. The caterers were The Culinary Company from Johannesburg
It was a feast, so different from the food hampers we have had in the past
They have also previously catered for the Starlight Concert in Johannesburg 
which will happen later this year; it is normally held in September

and, after the show, we all went back to the woods for dessert and some refreshment
The roads get rather busy after a huge concert like this and we wait till most of it has gone
We did not drive home to Sea Point, no drinking and driving for us,
so we made an overnight reservation on Booking.com in Somerset West