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Friday, September 18, 2020

Zoom tasting of Bouchard Finlayson wines with Peter Finlayson and Twelve Apostles Chef Christo Pretorius

We attended a Zoom meeting this week with Bouchard Finlayson and the Twelve Apostles Hotel. We were sent these two wines in time, so we could taste while we watched, listen to their Cellar Master Peter Finlayson and watch Chef Christo Pretorius cook two dishes that he paired with the wine. Very, very difficult to watch a chef cooking when you are not going to taste the results. However Lynne had made a good Chicken Casserole with dumplings for after the meeting...

The photographs were taken off our television screen

the quality is qualified by the webcams in use by the people portrayed

The two Bouchard Finlayson wines we were sent were the 2018 Missionvale wooded Chardonnay and the 2018 Galpin Peak Pinot Noir.

The meeting was ably chaired by Karen Davison

And it was really good to see some of our wine and media friends who were also on line for the meeting.

We were welcomed by Greg Mutambe of the Twelve Apostles Hotel

who then introduced us to Head Chef Christo Pretorius

Chef Pretorius demonstrated two dishes. The starter was sustainably fished Cured Kablejou from Port Elizabeth

Chef has been a recipient of an award from SASSI for his promotion and use of sustainable local fish

The recipes will be found at the end of this blog

Peter Finlayson then spoke about the 2018 Mission Vale Chardonnay which was paired with the starter of Cured Cob and then the Galpin Peak Pinot Noir, both from Bouchard Finlayson estate in the Hemel and Aarde valley. Both wines were excellent. The Chardonnay has rich cooked apple, apricot and hints of pineapple on the nose with a hint of blonde oak on the end. On the palate it is crisp and full, with lovely apple, and lime lemon citrus flavours, and a creamy rich 'sweetness' mid palate. It is lasting and the supporting wood only shows gently on the end

Peter says he only ever uses the best Burgundy barrels. He says that when he orders new stock, he tells the Burgundy suppliers to send him what they are supplying to the top Burgundy houses. It does show in the wines

Very good to hear that Peter has been nominated as this year's Winemaking Legend by Tim Atkin in his 2020 Report on SA Wine

Congratulations Peter, Well deserved!

The 2018 Galpin Peak Pinot Noir is beautiful. Perfumed heaven on the nose with violets, roses and cherry. Tight tannins initially, sweet/sour fruit, plum and cherry, hints of raspberry and dark wood showing as salty licorice. It is bright fresh and long and very good quality. Both wines are drinking well now but are built to last

The Pinot was paired with Bonsmara Beef Fillet and accompanied by artichoke purée, a soy truffle cream, grilled king oyster mushrooms,

pickled shiitake mushrooms and a Pinot Noir beef jus. Would have loved to have tasted the dish to see the pairing work

Chef presents the finished dish and we all drooled along.

And then it was time to listen to our President Cyril Ramaphosa tell the nation that we will move to Lock Down level 1 on Monday 21st September. International flights will be open, with specific rules and regualtions. Good news - our tourism industry needs to get going again, it is a major part of the country's economy, which is in big trouble after the long six months Covid lock down. Get out there and safely visit your favourite places and restaurants and stay a while somewhere. It is also time to plan your Covid safe Summer holiday. Lots of hotels and accommodation places need your support too

See John's photographs and follow us on YouPic

All content © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus

Lunch at George Jardine's Jordan Restaurant

The perfect day out where we could be wonderfully spontaneous

Something we have not had the chance to do for a very long time. Sunny skies with a little cloud when we headed out to Stellenbosch for lunch at George Jardine at Jordan. We had bought a support voucher and they notified us that it was time to use it. The clouds soon disappeared and we knew we were in for a lovely day

We stopped at Spier briefly as they have a special on punnets of vegetable seedlings, a reasonable R16 each

We bought two punnets of mixed plants, exactly what Lynne wants for her two new pots on the deck. They also have a great selection of indigenous plants for sale. You go to the Farm Store where you can also have something to eat or take away. We see that they are doing an interesting Heritage Day Braai Box. https://shop.spier.co.za/

The train stop at Spier wine estate, Stellenbosch,

decorated to show support for the South African wine and tourism industries

We wanted to visit another wine farm on our way to Jordan and stopped at three - Stellenbosch Hills, Overgaauw and De Waal,

only to find they were not open. This is the beautiful farmhouse at De Waal, built in 1791

And the old wine cellar, built in 1798

We ploughed onward and found that Pella was open, it is owned by Daniel de Waal

We had never been there before, but know their Mount Sutherland wines which are grown near Sutherland in the Karoo

They are also a lavender farm, so the air is very pleasantly perfumed

Fields of lavender

Chloe Luckhoff runs the tasting room. A tasting costs R60 per person

We decided to share one, as John was driving and would want wine with his lunch

We tasted three Pella wines and one Mount Sutherland, beginning with the Pella Kannidood 2016 wooded Chenin Blanc

(named after a succulent that is hard to kill). Yeasty and rich on the classic chenin nose with some citrus and age showing

Bright fruit, citrus and wood again on the palate, a rather classy Chenin. R150

Wines currently available for sale

Their price list for the Mount Sutherland wines

The Pella Verlaten Kloof 2016 Merlot has spent 12 months in French oak. It has some vanilla perfume on the nose, soft tannins,

some chalk and robust fruit flavours, cassis and plums; it has length and warmth and the fruit remains. R160

We tasted the 2017 Tempranillo from the highest vineyards in Mount Sutherland. There is wildness as expected, classic umami,

and some perfume. Intense mulberry fruit, salty licorice, smooth soft tannins and good wood and chalk on the end. R350

The 2017 Pella Oukliprand Malbec really impressed us

Violets and umami on the nose, soft tannins, supple on the palate, with a nice kick of acidity, salt and good Malbec meatiness,

then the fruit appears with cherry, mulberry and raspberries on the end. And good aging potential.

It was marked as sold out but, when we said how much we liked it, she did say they had a few left, so we bought six. R160

Onward up the Stellenboschkloof road for lunch

Warmly welcomed at Jordan Wine Estate, we were in good time to go to our table on the terrace at the restaurant

It has always been one of our favourite places anywhere, with exceptional food, wine and spectacular views

We had the most enjoyable relaxed lunch and, once again, John said "We do live in the most beautiful place"

A reflection on a spoon of the Jordan umbrella above us

So good to see Louise Jardine again after so long. We had a booking there for last March

when our Dutch friends should have been here. The Covid lock down got in the way and we had to cancel

and Chef George Jardine looks as healthy and hale as usual

He has his other restaurant in Stellenbosch which is also open

It was good to have a chat about what they have been doing for the last few months

The terrace was filling up

The menu of the day

When the bread served sends you into raptures, you know the food following is going to be superb

Crisp topped, olive oil, garlic and herb ciabatta, Garlic aioli with a herb pesto and pumpkin seed oil, so nutty and smooth

This is served while you wait for your first course

We each had a glass of Jordan Inspector Péringuey

Chenin Blanc

Lynne's starter of Duck Liver Parfait was just perfection. She was in raptures

So smooth and rich, it was dusted with crushed pumpkin seeds,

and surrounded by a prune purée and pickled blueberries, both great foils to the silky light mousse

And accompanied, as it should always be, by toasted buttery brioche slices

John chose the plump Saldanah Bay Mussels served en papillotte (wrapped in a paper parcel which allows the mussels to steam)

They were in a coconut milk sauce which takes up all the lovely flavours from the mussels and the aromatics added:

chilli, herbs, garlic and ginger. They were served with a small vetkoek to sop up any juices left

None were left, and the vetkoek was enjoyed dipped in them

A close up

Lynne's Chenin lasted through to her main course,

John had a glass of the Jordan Prospector Shiraz, another of our favourites

Lovely big glasses

Chalmar Sirloin, perfectly pink, comes with a soft herb crust, a very rich braised beef dumpling, fried crumbed bone marrow,

roasted onion sauce and a jus. John really enjoyed this; it is his sort of food

And we had to order a side of some of George's legendary Crisp hand cut chips to share

Lynne's course of Roasted East Coast Hake, so soft and yielding, with a slightly curried chick pea crust which was delicious with the fish

Topped with deep fried sage leaves, crisp pancetta and roasted cauliflower florets and a very, very creamy cauliflower mousse

Satisfying, and it left no room whatsoever for anything more. We have to learn to eat more again

Jardined! George's sauces are superb and that is our term for cleaning the plate, one wastes nothing

This was John's plate after his Chalmar sirloin! Nothing was going back to the kitchen

Our bill. We have another voucher to use and hope to come back for John's Birthday in November, if not before then

Good to see that Jordan's other restaurant, The Bakery, is still very popular and they looked full, with lots of people enjoying themselves

On our way home we went through Stellenbosch to the Joostenberg shop, where Lynne was hoping to find some duck livers, inspired by that parfait. Sadly none available, but she did get some chicken livers. A really lovely day out

See John's photographs and follow us on YouPic

Friday, September 11, 2020

This Week’s MENU. We’re back! Food Fanatics, Overture, Restaurant protest, Bellevue tasting, Spring flowers, SeaBreeze, Steenberg

We have been locked down, like most of the rest of the world, since early in March when we were in contact with people who had been exposed to the dreaded virus. We are still being very careful. In that time, there has been almost nothing to report. We have published a couple of stories on Facebook, which some of you will have seen, Lynne has kept a Covid diary of our lock down days on Facebook and she is currently on Day 166. However there has not been enough to warrant an edition of MENU…. until now. Spring is here, the restrictions have been relaxed and we have actually been able to go out, observing Covid protocols, to visit 2 restaurants and have an excursion. So here is our first edition of MENU in about six months. Thank you for your patience and, we hope, your understanding. We know that this awful epidemic has badly affected so many people around the world, we sincerely hope you have all come through it well.

Food Fanatics “the French affair” Saturday Pop up lunch from The Homestead

Elaine Rousseau of Food Fanatics caterers works out of her restaurant and functions centre, The Homestead, in Constantia Main Road in Wynberg. It is a very beautiful 200 year old venue with marvellous gardens. Like most restaurants and caterers, they have been hit during the Covid 19 lock down and have been selling food on line for collection or delivery. https://foodfanatics.co.za/ Have a look at their website to see what is on offer. They will be bringing The Homestead Pop-Up experience to your home. Read on at

https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2020/06/food-fanatics-french-affair-saturday.html

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. Read on at

https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2020/06/fathers-day-lunch-from-overture.html

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. Read on at

https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2020/07/sea-point-restaurants-protest-against.html

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. Read on at

https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2020/07/bellevue-reserve-collection-launch.html

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. Read on at

https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-spring-flowers-in-west-coast.html

Seafood supper at Sea Breeze Fish and Shell

During lock down we were restricted to our homes and very few businesses could continue to work. The hospitality industry was hard hit and so was the wine industry. Jordan Wine Estate was the first to come up with a clever idea - buy a voucher now for a meal at a favourite restaurant for use in the future when we would be allowed to go out and they would contribute the same value in wine. We each bought one! Although many have been hard hit in the wallet, many of us wanted to help assist these industries and we were no exception. They have been our business focus for many years and there are many friends we want to support. The Restaurant Rescue, initiated by Alex Dale of Radford Dale, was another project in the same vein and we decided to buy a voucher for the restaurant we would have gone to for my birthday in August, SeaBreeze Fish & Shell in Bree Street, and celebrate later. This is one of the best fish/seafood restaurants in the Cape. Their focus is on sourcing local, sustainable seafood. We also got six bottles of wine from De Grendel as part of the voucher system. The voucher cost R1200 and we think this was extremely good value. Now that we are on Level 2, we may now eat out at restaurant and so we went there last Friday night. The first time we have ventured out to a restaurant at night in nearly 6 months. Read on at

https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2020/09/seafood-supper-at-sea-breeze-fish-and.html

Lunch at Steenberg on a lovely spring day

It was the most beautiful spring day on Tuesday, we even saw temperatures as high as 26º while in the car. So what to do next? Well, a visit to Steenberg wine estate. They have a really good wine selection and also a very good Bistro restaurant. So we went and were given a very friendly welcome from Dunbar and a table on the terrace under an umbrella. It is always surprising how the weather can change so quickly from Winter to Spring. Read on at

https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2020/09/lunch-at-steenberg-on-lovely-spring-day.html

That’s it for now. We hope you’ll like these stories. Tomorrow we’ll be at a favourite wine estate and restaurant and we look forward to a Zoom wine tasting and cooking demo next week and who knows what else

See John's photographs and follow us on YouPic