Sunday, September 06, 2020

The Spring Flowers in the West Coast National Park at Postberg

Spring is around the corner and our magnificent spring flowers have begun to bloom up our West Coast. We haven't been for a couple of years and now that we have all the time in the world, we waited for the first sunny and headed off. 

It took us one hour and 8 minutes, leaving home at 8.30am to get to the gates of Postberg Nature Reserve up the R27. It is 88 kilometres from Cape Town. The road was remarkably free of traffic but, when we got there, there was a small queue. John had Googled the opening time which said 9, but it is actually 10 am. However, getting there before it opened meant that it was less crowded when we got in. If you go for the first time you need to know that once you have got through the gate and paid your entry fee, it is quite a long drive until you get into the actual park where the flowers are. Don’t give up! it does seem longer as you have to drive at 30 Km/h. There are not many flowers on the first stretch but, once you are in the park, they are everywhere. BUT the sun must be shining. They don’t open if it’s cloudy. There are dirt roads, but they are very well maintained. It will not damage your car. There were many SUVs, but we did see a couple of low-slung sports cars.

We had the perfect Spring day, very cold initially and by lunchtime it was 20ºC and warm. The flowers are totally magnificent. It was a crowd of mainly pensionable age, all enjoying the spectacle. We had our picnic lunch at Plankiesbaai sitting in front of our car on our camping chairs with some refreshment, enjoying the sea view. (see the video) Alcohol is not allowed in the park. We actually got hot and I needed my sunhat. The park closes at 4, so to avoid the rush, we left at just before 3 and drove to Darling. There is a small flower reserve called the Tienie Versfeld Reserve on that road which is enchanting, but it was still a little early in the season. If you go next week it might be better. We visited The Darling Wine Shop to see Charles Withington only to find that he was in Cape Town! So we headed off home via Malmesbury and did stop briefly at the Darling Cellars, had a very fast tasting and came home with some wines. Very reasonable prices and we were given a pensioner’s discount without asking. We bought a case each of their Reserve Arum Fields Chenin Blanc, the Reserve Bush Vine Sauvignon Blanc, and 12 bottles of their amusingly named Pyjama Bush Rosé, a blend of 96% Sauvignon Blanc, 4% Grenache; it is a lovely dry rosé, perfect for summer drinking on our deck with lovely salads and Mediterranean food. All were very reasonable at R50 a bottle. If you are feeling a bit flush, do try their Old Bush vine Cinsault and their other top wines. Worth heading that way folks. And if you want to try more wines of the area do go to the Darling Wine Shop, they have an on-con licence, a comprehensive selection of wines of the area and will be open on Saturdays.

Some scary driving on the the N1 on the way home in the evening. Totally mad and irresponsible taxi drivers trying to force people off the road and, just after the Visserhok turnoff where the N48 crosses the N7, we were horrified to see large trucks and vans crossing the motorway in front of us at speed, there are no traffic lights or traffic calming notices and there were near misses. It is a bad accident waiting to happen. 

Joining the short queue at the entrance to Postberg Nature Reserve. This is where you pay your entrance fee

https://www.sanparks.org/parks/west_coast/tourism/tariffs.php

The flowers carpet every spare bit of ground

And the white daisies look like drifts of snow

There are white, orange and yellow daisies ...

and in between many coloured vygies and other wild flowers, the real fynbos

The park is very large and has huge outcrops of weathered rocks. There is also some game to see and other wild life

John caught this cattle egret on camera just as it was about to take off

Another in a field of daisies

A view of Saldanah Bay from near the top look out 
Gazanias
Pink vygies - mesembryanthemum
A close up of the face of a white daisy shows the complexity.  The pink round the centre is a target for bees to aim for
Some of the smaller flowers hidden in the grass
A shell of an Angulate tortoise 
Fields of  wild blue flax heliophila-coronopifolia aka Sporries.  Often found on higher ground at Postberg
A small babiana that resembles a violet
A nice variety if you look closer
Lachenalia, the Cape Hyacinth which we used to call Ever Trevor when I lived in Llandudno in my youth. The smell of this lovely plant is sweet and floral and carries a long way
Pale blue Babiana flowers
Tiny daisies with the vygies
And a view up the coast looking towards Yserfontain.  On a very clear day you might see Table Mountain

Lynne made a short video at Plankiesbaai, where we stopped for lunch


This gull wanted some of our lunch. Do not feed them as if you do, you will suddenly be surrounded by many more

A Blesbok in the scrub

On our way to Darling there were lots of fields of acid yellow canola, a good money crop in the Cape and, in front of them on the road margins, a field of arums, more than we have ever seen together. Must be the result of the good rains this winter

Such a beautifully architectural plant

All content © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus

Posted by MENU at 7:02 pm 0 comments

Friday, July 31, 2020

2020 Shiraz Challenge Results

BREAKING NEWS: SHIRAZ CHALLENGE ANNOUNCES 2020’S WINNERS
Despite lock down and all that it entailed, the judging for the 8th Shiraz Challenge went ahead with the top-scoring wines announced at an online awards function this week.Well-known and charming TV personality Marciel Hopkins acted as MC and announced the wines that came up trumps. 
Cultivar association Shiraz SA hosted the event to which producers, members of the media and consumers were invited to log in. “Sadly we could not go ahead with the traditional tasting of finalists, luncheon and announcement of the winners and the online affair was the best second place we could come up with” according to Edmund Terblanche, Chairman of Shiraz SA. 
And the 12 Shiraz champions for 2020are …
(in no particular order)
• Koelfontein Shiraz 2017 • Kunjani Shiraz 2015
• Benguela Cove Estate Syrah 2018 • Saronsberg Shiraz 2018
• Trizanne Reserve Syrah 2018 • Flagstone Dark Horse Shiraz 2016
• Babylonstoren Shiraz 2018 • Lomond Estate Syrah 2018
• De Grendel Elim Shiraz 2018
• Old Road Wine Co Pepper Wind Syrah 2018 • Wildeberg Red (Boutinot)
• Leeuwenkuil Family Vineyards Heritage Syrah
Runners-up in the category for Shiraz were: La Motte Pierneef Syrah Viognier 2017; Bloemendal Tierberg Syrah 2014; Rust en Vrede Estate Vineyards Syrah 2017; De Grendel Shiraz 2016; Alto Shiraz 2017; Rickety Bridge Shiraz 2017; Benguela Cove Lighthouse Syrah 2018 and Stellenview Cape Five Reserve Shiraz 2017. 

The winning Shiraz blendsare:
• Saronsberg Full Circle 2018
• Babylonstoren Babel 2018
• Strandveld The Navigator 2017

Lomond Belladonna SMV 2018; Idiom SMV 2015 and KWV Roodeberg Dr Charles Niehaus 2016 were  the finalists pipped at the post in the blend category. 
This year a new category for Shiraz Rosé was introduced and Stellenbosch Hills Polkadraai Rosé2020 was announced as the winning wine.
Zandvliet Shiraz Rosé 2020 joined KleinoodKatherien Rosé 2019 as runners-up in this category.
“Although the number of rosé wines entered was fairly low, we expect it to grow in the future as this is a style of wine that is fast gathering popularity the world over” said Chairman Edmund Terblanche.
Panel convenor and Cape Wine MasterDr Andy Roedigerremarked that the wines entered in this category were all dry and elegant with little variance in their light blush colour. Wines displayed subtle red fruits with slight spicy undertones and full of vibrant character.
"The Shiraz blends were very well harmonized and did not allow other varieties to dominate in character as sometimes in the past. In general the wines were well structured with good wood management. Surprisingly the older vintages took centre stage, showing Shiraz blends can also age gracefully” according to Roediger.  
Terblanche, also a member of the judging panel, said “The overall quality in the Shiraz category was extremely high and accommodated all the different styles such as pepper-dominated, fruit-driven or spicy. Here the younger vintages of 2017 to 2019 actually outclassed the much talked-about vintage of 2015.”
To that Roediger added “This category was by far the best that I have had in judging Shiraz over the past few years. It shows that South African Shiraz is on par with those of other countries in the world.”
The unique format for tasting that eliminates inter-session discussion of wines and requires each judge to follow his own specific tasting order, was once again utilised. 


“In order to adhere to the guidelines for Covid 19, the judging panel as well as the number of working personnel, had to be reduced and a number of measures put in place” explained Terblanche. “However, we were fortunate in that everything went smoothly and we managed to conclude the four-day judging without any hitches” he added.
This year the panel comprised a line-up of experienced tasters and assisting Dr Roediger were Shiraz SA chairperson and La Motte cellar master Edmund Terblanche; De Grendel cellar master Charles Hopkins; Anthony de Jager cellar master Fairview and owner/winemaker and Cape Wine Master from Eenzaamheid, Janno Briers-Louw.
The main sponsor for the 2020 Shiraz ChallengeisVinventions SA and the firm is proud to have been associated with this competition for eight years, according to Managing Director Johan Conradie. Other contributors wereNederburg, where judging traditionally takes place; supporting software provider and program developer Wine MS; and, the Exceed Group, which supervises judging and audits the results.
Shiraz SA, established in 2008, is currently the largest cultivar organisation with over 230 members. It represents producers of South African Shiraz andits aim is to create awareness of the superior and award-winning wines produced locally from this noble cultivar. 
- 
ENDS/

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES: SANDRA LOTZ
082 924 7254
info@shirazsa.co.za
Website   www.ShirazSA.co.za.
Follow us on:  
Twitter @Shiraz_SA
Facebook (ShirazSouthAfrica).
Posted by MENU at 3:12 pm 0 comments

Bellevue Reserve Collection Launch

We were invited to take part in this on-line Zoom tasting of Bellevue Wine Reserve Collection Estate wines which took place on Friday 31st July
We have had several invitations to take part in tastings like this, but with no wine. Doing those just makes us feel envious and bereft, so we don't do it. Bellevue got the wines to us in good time and it was extremely enjoyable seeing some of the usual suspects doing the tasting as well. These are the four wines we tasted from Bellevue, which is in the Bottelary area of Stellenbosch, renowned for its Pinotages and Cabernets
Dinah Dick led our Zoom meeting with other members of the wine trade and the media
Dirkie Morkel, who is the viticulturist on the farm, talked us through some of the history, especially of the Pinotage which was the first grown in the Cape and from which the first (Lanzerac branded) Pinotage was made. And which they still grow and make very successfully
Wilhelm Kritzinger, the Cellar Master, told us how he makes the wines and then took us through the tasting. We began with the 2019 Reserve Collection wooded Chardonnay. This is only the second vintage bottled and matured in blond 300 litre French oak barrels. Wilhelm revealed that they use a red wine yeast for this Chardonnay. R209 from the farm. Order now, it will be delivered when lock down is over. It has a classic, attractive Chardonnay character on the nose, buttery pastry, full and rich; wood does not dominate at all. This is repeated on the palate with caramel and buttered toast with lime and lemon. Long flavours, a good balance of acid, wood and fruit with some minerality. We were impressed
Michael Fridjhon was on line too for the tasting. The second wine from the Reserve Collection is the 2016 Bellevue Pinotage, R220. Wilhelm told us this wine ferments in a week on the skins and goes into spontaneous malolactic fermentation. They use French made American oak barrels. So you do get vanilla on the nose, with herbs, incense wood, minerality and sweet cherry jam, raspberry & mulberry fruit, with a hint of wildness. Tight chalky tannins grip the Cherry fruit. Then dark and milk chocolate, so you are reminded of a rich Black Forest cake. A hint of metal, good acidity and balance on second mouthful, then an end of salty minerality. A big wine, one to keep
Journalist and PRO Emile Joubert. The third wine was the Reserve Collection 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon R220. A classic, with cassis in bucketfuls, also blueberries, vanilla and incense wood. Quite ethereal at first, then an invitation to dive in please. Salty licorice, smooth with a chalky grip, then full on fruit fills the palate. We had the rest of this wine with our supper for two nights running and it just got better and better. An excellent food wine for drinking now. Buy some soon
Samarie Smith and Georgio Meletiou commenting on the wines.  The fourth wine was the flagship Reserve Collection 2018 Tumara, a five variety Bordeaux Blend. R235. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, then approx 10% each of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec; the blend of these last four varies each year. Wood on the nose, then violets, then fruit, Richness and complexity, velvety notes of cassis, mulberry, rhubarb, pencil lead, a touch of wildness from the Malbec and ends with an attractive perfume. Rich red and black berry fruit, licorice and Cassis predominated, good acidity, some chalk, wood on the end with dark caramel, then a finish of fruit acidity, showing that it needs time
Wilhelm told us he studied Food Science and then winemaking pulled him down the rabbit hole. He did a harvest with Dirkie in 2002, has now been 19 years at Bellevue and has never looked back. They did run out of money for a while but the new owner, Marinus Neethling, who bought the farm in 2017, has now helped the farm to success. Wilhelm makes site specific wines, and with limited interference and says "if you don’t have the right soils, climate and cultivars you can’t succeed. " An impressive tasting and a lot of fun too. Thank you all at Bellevue for brightening up our Lock Down. May alcohol sales be allowed very soon
Lynne watching on her laptop, glasses at the ready. John sat next to her, so we could taste together and watched on his phone. All the photographs above were photographed off the phone's screen and the images come from a variety of laptop computers and other devices, so we take no responsibility for the quality. We tasted a little of each of the four wines with our supper of Goulash that night to see what they were like with food. All performed well
Posted by MENU at 10:53 am 0 comments

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Sea Point restaurants protest against a death sentence from an uncaring Government

Many South African restaurants took part in a protest today. In some areas, they managed to block the streets with tables and chairs to emphasise their distress and their plight. We live and work in Sea Point, where Main Road has, for very many years, been a restaurant hub.  The intention had been to do as other areas had done but it seems that, after pressure from the authorities which would have closed the entire operation, it was decided to protest from the side of the road

We started at an old favourite, arguably the most sophisticated restaurant in Sea Point, La Mouette,
where the owners, chef and staff were at the entrance with placards
Owner Gerrit Bruwer with a placard which tells the score
Supported by his staff
A member of staff from the Regent Burger Bar
Mykonos Taverna staff carrying the message
Another favourite, down the road toward the city, is La Boheme Bistro and La Bruixa with a message for Cyril Ramaphosa
Owned by Faisal Khakoo and his Catalonian wife Anna Rascola, who started their operation on the site with her coffee and tapas bar
La Bruixa, “The Witch” in Catalan, while Faisal was still involved with a restaurant in the centre of the city
Rubbish blown onto the verandah of a shut down restaurant
Across the road from La Boheme, the Congregational Church
No Communion here - is Communion wine also embargoed?
Posticino staff occupied empty tables in a silent protest
Then down to Green Point where Portuguese restaurant Caramba! had a telling display
With empty chairs
Carrying messages for the President and his cohorts
And, finally, Henry and Mari Vigar, original owners of La Mouette,
at Upper Bloem with their staff
On one of their empty chairs, a reminder: the suppliers also have dependants.
21 suppliers with an average of. let us say 30 staff each, who have an average family size of 4 = 2520 hungry mouths
And a final word, silently, a message. A long-established Indian restaurant has not survived
South Africa is one of only two countries in the world who have imposed this disastrous embargo. The other is Eswatini, formerly the huge country called Swaziland with a population af about 1 136 000, less than a quarter of the population of Cape Town
In order to mitigate the damage caused by a small number of miscreants who cannot control their consumption of alcohol and other addictive substances, Ms Dlamini Zuma is threatening the livelihoods of about a million people who work in the hospitality and liquor industries
We are seeing people at our door every day, asking for handouts
Not the ordinary beggars, but repectable people who have lost their livelihoods and are desperate
The virus is a cause, but Ms Dlamini Zuma's draconian edicts make her the mother of potential mass starvation
The wine industry is just as threatened and is also facing collapse
She will be recorded in the history books, along with Genghis Khan, Hitler and her hero Joseph Stalin as a progenitor of genocide



Posted by MENU at 11:15 pm 0 comments

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Father's Day lunch from Overture

So what is better than going to a top restaurant in Stellenbosch at the moment and sitting miles away from everyone else? Well, how about getting the chef to deliver Sunday lunch to you himself! Lynne ordered from Overture for Father’s Day and Bertus Basson came with the delivery himself

So nice to see him, we had a quick chat and then he was off doing other deliveries on the Atlantic Seaboard and in town. 
Ciabatta rolls, butter, Twice baked cheese souffles, Dry aged Sirloin steak, crispy potatoes, caramelised onion, confit garlic, fantastic looking vegetables, rubs, herbs, sauces followed by Sticky Toffee Pudding and treacle sugar Ice cream and custard for dessert. And very little cooking required. All for only R545 for two, including delivery..
We prepared the three course meal, followed Chef Bertus Basson's concise and easy instructions and photographed each course as it was ready. And we drank a stupendous bottle of Jordan Cobblers Hill 2008, a classic blend of Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc with Merlot, with it. Thank you Gary Jordan and Kathy
The only thing that was out of kilter was our damned gas oven. It needs a service. The starter was twice baked, light as air cheese soufflés in a rich Huguenot cheese sauce, with tiny Jerusalem artichokes, almost mistaken for asparagus spears. These were a revelation and so different from the large gnarly blobs you normally get. They are the corm of a sunflower, and have a lovely nutty flavour. The small dish is more artichoke, sliced, in a light gastrique, which completely offset the richness of the soufflés. At the back are the ciabatta rolls and whipped butter. They meant we could soak up all that delicious cheese sauce. An excellent start
The steak was a large slab of sirloin, sadly without any fat left on it. It looked so lustrously pink, it could have been mistaken for a prime piece of tuna. It had to be coated in a supplied spice rub and seared on all sides in very hot pan, then the caramelised onions, confit garlic, herbs and butter were added for 10 minutes in the oven. And then rested for 10 minutes. 
Lynne aimed for medium rare and nearly got it. The pan juices were wicked, the meat flavour was excellent. On the left is the green peppercorn sauce, then the whole cauliflower with capers, sultanas and almonds which was roasted for 30 minutes, and on the right, the crispy potatoes - had we more room we could have consumed a bucket of them. And, in the front, the sour cream and chives (She did sprinkle a few more from our garden on the top). She thinks that the dish did need a green vegetable, but it was so filling that we don't think we could have managed more. Lynne had the remains of her steak on a sandwich at lunchtime. The wine from our cellar was really spectacular and such a good pairing. The much awarded @Jordan 2008 Cobblers Hill, blended especially for Woolworths. It was so ready to be enjoyed. Green herbs and cassis leaves on the nose with berries and cigar smoke. A mouth full of rich fruit with a touch of umami. Cherry, mulberry, cassis, and nice chalky tannins. some warmth and on the end salty licorice.
We did wait an hour before we could manage dessert, which was a rich sticky toffee pudding accompanied by treacle sugar ice cream and a good custard. Lynne topped them with the almonds. And we were groaning for a while afterwards, so unused to three courses are we now. 

Thank you so much Bertus Basson you did us proud. What a wonderful way to celebrate Father’s Day, the only downside being that Clare had to be locked down in her home, so that we had to make do with a phone conversation.

Posted by MENU at 12:35 pm 0 comments
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