Saturday, December 11, 2021

In MENU This Week - Creation Summer menu, Lunch at Cheyne's, Caroline's Sea Point, Road Trip continued



Vineyards and Babilonstoren mountain at Creation wine estate

As the year draws to its close, we’d expect to be slowing down. Perhaps it is, but our activity level has not been at the old frenetic pace, so any liveliness seems like a buzz. So it’s been wonderful to visit some wine estates and restaurants and tell you about them. There will even be a few next week in what should be the last MENU for 2021. If you like what we’ve said, perhaps you’d like to go and see them for yourselves. Please click on the headlines or the photographs to see the full stories

New summer menu at Creation


There are some invitations you cannot refuse so, when Carolyn Martin of Creation Wines in the beautiful Hemel and Aarde valley asked us to come and sample and write about their new summer wine pairing menu, which they were about to launch, we accepted rapidly. Creation has won some very prestigious awards for their excellent wines, but also for the best experience. 2021: Most Innovative Wine Estate in South Africa and Global from Great Wine Capitals of the World and, in 2019, voted Tim Atkin's Best Cellar Door Experience.  Read on…

Birthday Lunch at Cheyne's, Hout Bay

John's birthday on the 27th of November started on the hill behind and above Hout Bay, where we visited family friends. They were holding a memorial for one of their sons who, tragically, succumbed to Covid this year. The view from their house is spectacular.

Lynne had booked a table at Cheyne's in Hout Bay for 1 pm. Chef Cheyne Morrisby is renowned for his Asian inspired food and we are great fans of good Asian food, so we wanted to sample it; this was a good time to do so, Read on…

MENU visits the Karoo and the Garden Route 16. Keurbooms River, Plettenberg Bay

On day 10 of our trip, we were packed and ready to move by 9h45 and headed towards Plettenberg Bay. We wanted to visit friends who have recently moved to Keurbooms and this was the closest accommodation we could book. It was chilly the previous night and rain was promised. We wanted to miss Port Elizabeth, so headed for Uitenhage and did some essential food shopping there. And, as we left, the rain came down like a fully turned on shower and stayed with us until Jeffrey’s Bay. Not pleasant driving, but at least the road was pretty empty for most of the way. Once we passed St Francis Bay, we were suddenly on the well named Garden Route again. Lush green meadows, flowering trees, even a wheat field. And full rivers; then the Tzitzikamma forest. Read on…

MENU visits the Karoo and the Garden Route 17. Belvidere Manor, Knysna

If there is a place where one can slow down, destress and enjoy the beautiful scenery, it has to be Knysna. We had not been for quite a long time, so it was a definite stop on our journey. And what a treat to be staying for two nights at beautiful Belvidere Manor, hosted by our friends Sue and Mike Mills. Read on…

MENU visits the Karoo and the Garden Route 19. Robertson - Marbrin Olives

Our visit in Robertson had been so kindly and efficiently organised for us by Rene at Robertson Tourism, even though she was about to go on leave. We are very thankful to her indeed. Marbrin Olive Farm is in the Klaasvoogds area. It was on our list to visit and it happened to be the first place we found on our way to check in to our overnight accommodation. It is down a rather bumpy farm road, but the main building is set in a lovely verdant garden. Read on…

Caroline’s opens in Sea Point

John first met Caroline Rillema when she organised Saturday morning wine tastings at Drop Inn in Diep River in the mid 1980s. From there, she went on to opening her own shop in Strand Street in central Cape Town, which we came to know very well when her evening tastings of Italian, French and South African wines were an important part of our studies for our Cape Wine Academy diplomas. Read on…

Our Road trip

For those who’d like to see the earlier stories about our road trip through the Karoo and the Garden Route, you’ll find them in the November list in the Archive, the Right hand column on our site at https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/

11th December 2021

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Caroline's Fine Wine Cellar moves to Sea Point

John first met Caroline Rillema when she organised Saturday morning wine tastings at Drop Inn in Diep River in the mid 1980s. From there, she went on to opening her own shop in Strand Street in central Cape Town in 1997, which we came to know very well when her evening tastings of Italian, French and South African wines were an important part of our studies for our Cape Wine Academy diplomas. She opened her shop in Tokai in 2014



After more than twenty years, demographics and buying patterns have changed and she has moved her Fine Wine Cellar from Strand Street to Regent Road in Sea Point, opposite the Mojo Market. We welcome her important addition to the fine food and wine opportunities in our cosmopolitan suburb. We paid her a visit


Caroline's husband, Ray Kilian has been building interiors for businesses in Cape Town for many years
and her new shop is a fine advertisement for his high quality

Caroline has promoted the best of South African wine with her Red and White Wine Reviews for several years,
and, most recently, her  Celebration of Champagne and Cap Classique
She stocks a good selection of the best our country offers

She also has a good representation of wines from other countries, including some of the best Italian, French

and Spanish still and sparkling wines, including fine sherries, which deserve more popularity than they enjoy at present
She also has a good range of fine Whiskies and Cognacs





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Friday, December 10, 2021

MENU visits the Karoo and the Garden Route 19. Robertson - Marbrin Olives

Our visit in Robertson had been so kindly and efficiently organised for us by Rene at Robertson Tourism
even though she was about to go on leave. We are very thankful to her indeed

Marbrin Olive Farm is in the Klaasvoogds area. It was on our list to visit and it happened to be the first place we found
on our way to check in to our overnight accommodation
It is down a rather bumpy farm road, but the main building is set in a lovely verdant garden

Inside, we met Briony Coetsee, who owns Marbrin with her partner, Clive Heymans. She told us that they worked in London previously, at some of the top restaurants, before returning to South Africa. He was a chef and Briony told us that she is a sommelier. She took us through a tasting of their olives, oils and other products, then had to leave to collect her child from school. We explained that we had both done olive oil courses with Linda Costa, had participated in many industry tastings on olive farms and had sold only SA Olive products in our shop, so we did not need her to explain the process of making the olives and the oil. The oils were good, lots of purity of flavour and you could taste the different characteristics and age. We realised that we already know the infused oils; we use the Fennel flavoured olive oil, which we bought at Woolworths. They are worth trying. The Dill would be great with fish, gravadlax, peas & broad beans, The Coriander seed oil with boerewors and Asian food. The Fennel is great on pork, tomatoes and fish. They have a flavoured Truffle oil. The Chilli oil has a slow burn. The bottled Mission olives are big, salty and juicy, with a bite of expected olive bitterness. The two pestos were good

Some of the range for tasting

The price list

Extra Virgin Olive oil for tasting. These are two different pressings, one early, one later in the season

They have won several awards

which are displayed on the wall behind the tasting desk

A grumpy Clive Heymans came to take over, but we found his attitude rather off-putting, especially when he discovered that we were doing a story about Marbrin. In fact, he was downright rude, so we tasted just two pestos and then left. He said that, usually when he spends his time with “Bloggers”, they only write one line about them! Believe us, we were tempted. Not the best way to get publicity for your products. We know, we used to sell things like this in our shop, where we also won awards, but we welcomed everyone

Beautiful views of the mountains in the distance looking over the olive groves

With just harvested cornfields in the middle distance

So, off to lunch and a tasting with Johann de Wet at De Wetshof (Click Here)

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MENU visits the Karoo and the Garden Route 17. Belvidere Manor, Knysna

If there is a place where one can slow down, destress and enjoy the beautiful scenery, it has to be Knysna
We had not been for seven years, so it was a definite stop on our journey
And what a treat to stay for two nights at beautiful Belvidere Manor Hotel, hosted by our friends Sue and Mike Mills

It is a really special resort at the inland end of the Knysna Lagoon, with superb views

and the view across the lawn and the swimming pool is of the whole Knysna Lagoon;
you can see right down to the Knysna Heads

Our lovely cottage is splendid, so comfortable, spacious and well designed, it has two large bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge sitting room, kitchen and an outside veranda with table and chairs. The perfect place for a long stay. The cottages are serviced. There are several cottages on either side of the vast lawn with the main house at the top, which is where you have breakfast. Some are privately owned and available for rent when the owners are not there. One or two are permanently occupied. We would love to live somewhere like this, if we weren’t happy in our Sea Point home

They had left us some welcoming treats to enjoy. Those brownies are A–ma-zing!

A lovely welcoming note too

The fully equipped kitchen

The very comfortable lounge

A fire, Satellite TV and a table and chairs for meals or computers!

A large and very comfortable bedroom with a huge bed. The linen and towels are of high quality

and the other bedroom has single beds. Each has its own bathroom

The view from the stoep

The main building, where you go for breakfast; in good weather it is served on the terrace

There are also apartments at the back of the main building, and some can cater for larger groups

Our kind hosts Sue and Mike Mills had invited us to join them for supper in the Bell, their pub restaurant
next to the Manor and we had a suitably libacious evening with very good food

This is the menu where they list the Covid protocols

and the food

The thirsty 'lads' began with some draught Devil's Peak IPA, served in a Mitchell’s glass

Souvenirs left by the many foreign visitors

Mike Mills and one of the wines we sampled that night, Rijk's Touch 2018 Pinotage from Tulbagh
- some from our cellar and some from Mike's

John enjoyed his usual choice of a huge Hamburger with very crisp chips,

Mike a Chicken and Mushroom pot pie



and Lynne ordered the Spiced Calamari with a salad, just right, she had been longing for some seafood and this really delivered, although she was tempted by the beer battered Hake and Chips. We were, after all, now back by the sea
We also had a Peter Bayly Sauvignon Blanc

Sue had the Mussels in cider with smoky bacon and crusty bread, which looked superb

Then at 11 we headed back to the cottage and bed
It was a very crisp night and we were thankful for the heater and the electric blanket
It was a very peaceful night and we slept very well; it must be the sea air and the very comfortable bed
Oh, that view

Next morning, we walked up to the main building for breakfast on the terrace

We were given a delicious plate of pawpaw, ruby grapefruit, green melon, ham,
brie, blue cheese and cheddar to begin with, and we ordered our coffee and green tea

There are some great choices on the menu. John had scrambled eggs, a very good pork sausage,
4 rashers of bacon and fried tomato
We were so impressed with the eggs, they were expertly seasoned
and they put a little cream into the mix when cooking them;
it does make such a difference

and Lynne had scrambled egg, topped with smoked salmon on a muffin

Toast and marmalade followed and then it was time to take a walk and explore the Belvidere grounds
before we went off to see some of Knysna

An indigenous watsonia

The gardens are beautifully planted

They have their own jetty where you can tie up your boat if you bring one. We walked down to see it
The wind was blowing quite a stiff breeze, good for sailing on the lagoon
We chatted to the fisherman seated there, and no, he hadn’t caught anything yet
Then back through the lovely Belvidere gardens

Some rowing boats waiting to rise with the incoming tide

The town of Knysna seems to have grown and become much busier, but still has the same good atmosphere
It was nearly spring tide, so the lagoon was filling up nicely

In the evening, we stayed in the cottage as we had to repack the car for the next leg of the journey. We had to be up early the next morning for the drive to Robertson, where we had a mid-morning appointment. We had a quiet and early night in and didn’t need supper as we find two meals a day now are perfectly adequate. The kitchen had generously provided us with some sandwiches and fruit to eat in the morning, as we were leaving before they began to serve breakfast. We were sad to leave this lovely place, where we feel so at home





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