Friday, July 15, 2022

The Trophy Wine Show 2022


It was so good to be back to cover the Trophy Wine Show 2022 after two years of Covid and Zoom meetings. This year, Investec became the headline sponsor of the wine industry’s most prestigious wine competition – The Trophy Wine Show. The partnership unites Investec’s “Out of the Ordinary” approach to client service with the competition’s commitment to identifying South Africa’s best wines. It was held in the impressive Cape Town offices of Investec on the Foreshore

It is one of South Africa’s premier wine competitions, "identifying the very best Cape wines, recognising the achievements of the country’s winemakers, and honouring excellence in the wine industry." 673 wines were entered this year. The panel comprises three international and eight local judges covering a broad range of wine tasting experience, expertise and working with a 100-point scoring system. The overseas judges this year were: Eric Goettelmann (France), Anthony Mueller (USA). Anthony Rose (UK) and the local judges were: Tongai Joseph Dhafana, Heidi Duminy CWM, Spencer Fondaumiere, Gynore Fredericks, Patson Mathonsi, JD Pretorius, François Rautenbach & Cathy van Zyl MW. Click on this link to view their biographies

https://www.trophywineshow.co.za/judges/judges-2022/

After checking in at reception we were warmly welcomed by a smiling Janice Fridjhon of Outsorceress Marketing

We went through to the Investec terrace, which faces the docks, to enjoy their impressive view

and, on the left, a view of our Stadium and the flyover into Town from the Atlantic seaboard
Yes, it is unfinished, bad planning by a previous government, and no, it is unlikely ever to be finished

A happy Michael Fridjhon
The show has been chaired by leading wine authority Michael Fridjhon since the inception of the show in 2002
Consistency driven by the competition’s unique judging methodology
delivers an intriguing predictability in terms of who gains access to the podium

Time for hugs and catching up with members of the wine industry
It was so great to see them all and to hear the stories of how people coped with harvests,
impossible government regulations, sales and Covid

Then it was time to go in for lunch and the award ceremony, which takes place in stages between courses

A welcoming glass of one of three top Cap Classiques

On offer were Durbanville Hills Blanc de Blanc, Paul René from Robertson
and L'Ormarins Blanc de Blancs from Antonij Rupert Wines in Franschhoek

Everyone catching up. The clue is, if you have been invited, you have won something. Unless you are media!

The menu

These were some of the wines we could taste with lunch
We had a superb waiter who went and fetched several that we requested
(mostly, we chose wines that we hadn't tasted before)
and he often brought an alternative as well
Of special note were the Louisvale Chardonnay, Cilmor Chenin Blanc,
KWV The Mentors Grenache Blanc, and The Mentors Orchestra. The Warwick Cabernet Franc 2014 was superb

Lynne chatting to our special waiter, whose name was Fareed

The dream team who organise the show so ably: Alex Mason-Gordon, Monica Mountjoy, Janice and Michael Fridjhon

Michael Fridjhon begins the awards
These achievements speak for themselves but,
when seen in the context of the competition’s traditional low medal counts, they count a great deal
 673 wines were entered into The Trophy Wine Show 2022
Of this number only 29 won gold medals. Of the gold medallists, 20 won trophies
In addition, 133 Silver and 346 bronze medals were awarded. To see the complete results, click on this link https://www.trophywineshow.co.za/winners-and-results/

We were shown a video of the judges tasting and the trophies were on a table in front
Here, Cathy van Zyl is tasting a selection of white wines
The competition was described by Jancis Robinson MW OBE (Judge in 2003 and 2007)
as possibly the toughest of its kind in the world
Kirk Bauer (The 2019 international judge from Germany) commented:
“With the composition of the jury – a combination of winemakers, sommeliers, distributors and international judges –
it is a perfect set-up for the competition to deliver reliable results and reliable recommendations to the consumers
The Trophy judging process is very precise and very democratic”

Jerome Passmore, Regional Head of the Western Cape branch of Investec Private Bank,
said that the competition celebrates the excellence of our local wine industry
and their presence on the international stage

The starter was excellent. Soft and flavourful, gnocchi in a burnt butter sauce, on a rich cauliflower purée,
with wild mushrooms, toasted pine nuts and a green herb oil, topped with a parmesan crisp

John's was, as requested, without the mushrooms and had tomato added

The wines that impressed, as we tasted them with the starter were, first, KWV The Mentors 2020 Grenache Blanc
Full on the nose and palate, with vanilla oak then pure elegance and clean and steely minerality,
green English gooseberries, quince and white peach, the flavours come in layers
Then, Vergelegen GVB 2015, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon,
has lots of wood and good fruit, and will last even longer
Louisvale 2021 Chardonnay was spicy, and full of golden fruit, lime, lemon and long flavours


Time for the gold medal presentations. Here, Nathan Valentine collects one for Villiera Monro Brut 2015

Quintin van der Westhuizen
Cilmor Winemaker’s Selection Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2021

Kiara Scott
Gold Medal for Brookdale Chenin Blanc Single Vineyard 2020
So good to see her getting an award after our recent visit to Brookdale 

A J Nel
Gold Medal for Lievland Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2021

Carla van Wyk
Vrede en Lust Kogelberg Chenin Blanc 2019

Always ready with the next award, Alex Mason-Gordon

Christo Kotze
La Vierge Jezebelle Chardonnay 2021

Martin Moore
Durbanville Hills Collectors 2020 Reserve

Juandre Bruwer
Diemersdal Pinotage Reserve 2020

The main course of very tender lamb shank arriving. We were so impressed with the quick service and the food
The waiting staff were very professional; helpful and friendly too

Red wines to pair with the main course

The Antonij Rupert 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon has perfume and incense wood on the nose, tight tannins,
dark berries, salty licorice and long flavours, ending with a tread of lime, all pointing to a long life
Warwick 2014 Cabernet Franc, long a favourite, so good to taste an older one
It has that dive-in nose, good expensive wood and spice
Soft sweet fruit initially, then that opens up to reveal layers of flavour with cherry, dates, prunes and some savoury umami
Soft tannins, and good wood on the end. Both paired well

A selection of dessert wines

John Skotnes designed the Trophies

Alex with the trophy table

and then it was time to award the trophies

Philip Viljoen
Sowetan Trophy for Best Cap Classique
Bon Courage Jacques Bruére Brut Reserve Cap Classique 2013

Colin Frith
Sunday Times Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc
Trade Winds Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (Unwooded)

Vanessa Mead
Financial Mail Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Blend
Highlands Road Sine Cera 2017

Jamie Williams
Trophy for Best Museum Class Sauvignon Blanc
Nederburg Two Centuries Sauvignon Blanc 2016 (Wooded)
Trophy for Best Museum Class Dessert Wine
Nederburg Private Bin Eminence Noble Late Harvest Muscadel 2012 

Sjaak Nelson
Trophy for Best Niche White
Jordan The Real McCoy Riesling 2021

Ryan Puttick
Investec Trophy for Best Semillon
Old Road Grandmère Semillon 2018

R J Botha
Trophy for Best Museum Class Chenin Blanc
Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Old Bush Vine Chenin Blanc 2013

Anthea Eedes presented the Harold Eedes Trophy for Best Chenin Blanc
Spier Woolworths Private Collection Chenin Blanc 2020
to Anton Swarts, who also received the Investec Trophy for Best Merlot
Spier Woolworths Signature Series Merlot 2018
and Investec Trophy for Most Successful Producer Overall, Spier Wine Farm

Rosa Kruger presented the Rosa Kruger Trophy for Best Old Vine Wine to Kiara Scott for
Brookdale Chenin Blanc Single Vineyard 2020

Renowned viticulturist Rosa Kruger and Michael Fridjhon having a moment together


Andries Burger
Miele Trophy for Best Chardonnay, Investec Trophy for Best White Wine Overall
Paul Cluver Estate Chardonnay 2020

Christiane von Arnim, Trophy for Best Pinotage
Warwick The First Lady Pinotage 2020

Johnnie Calitz
received the Riedel Trophy for Best Bordeaux-style Red Blend from Michael Crossley
as well as the Vinolok Trophy for Best Premium Wine and Investec Trophy for Best Red Wine Overall
Glen Carlou Collection Red Blend 2019

Julia Blaine, Assistant Winemaker at Louisvale Wine Estate
Investec Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon
Louisvale Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Business Day Trophy for Best Shiraz
Ghost in the Machine Shiraz 2020 (The Drift Estate)
The award was collected by Drift Estate Farm manager Jason Snell

Morne Vrey
Tony Mossop Trophy for Best Cape Port
Delaire Graff Cape Vintage 2019

Annemi Nel
Trophy for Best Museum Class Cape Port
De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve 2012

The dessert was phenomenal and so was the fact that they made hot chocolate fondants
for such a large crowd which were all perfectly melting inside

A J Nel
Investec Trophy for Discovery of the Show – Best Value Gold Medallist
MAN Skaapveld Syrah 2020

Nic van Aarde
Gold Medal and Investec International Judges’ Trophy
Oldenburg Chardonnay 2021


The Gold Medal winners

and the Trophy winners



Here is the complete list of results:

All the Trophy Winners

Investec Trophy for Most Successful Producer Overall
Spier Wine Farm

Miele Trophy for Best Chardonnay, Investec Trophy for Best White Wine Overall

Paul Cluver Estate Chardonnay 2020

Riedel Trophy for Best Bordeaux-style Red Blend, Vinolok Trophy for Best Premium Wine, Investec Trophy for Best Red Wine Overall
Glen Carlou Collection Red Blend 2019

Investec Trophy for Discovery of the Show – Best Value Gold Medallist
MAN Skaapveld Syrah 2020

Investec International Judges’ Trophy
Oldenburg Chardonnay 2021

Investec Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon
Louisvale Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Sowetan Trophy for Best Cap Classique
Bon Courage Jacques Bruére Brut Reserve Cap Classique 2013

Tony Mossop Trophy for Best Cape Port
Delaire Graff Cape Vintage 2019

Harold Eedes Trophy for Best Chenin Blanc
Spier Woolworths Private Collection Chenin Blanc 2020

Rosa Kruger Trophy for Best Old Vine Wine
Brookdale Chenin Blanc Single Vineyard 2020

Sunday Times Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc
Trade Winds Sauvignon Blanc 2021 (Unwooded)

Financial Mail Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Blend
Highlands Road Sine Cera 2017

Business Day Trophy for Best Shiraz
Ghost in the Machine Shiraz 2020 (The Drift Estate)

Trophy for Best Niche White
Jordan The Real McCoy Riesling 2021

Investec Trophy for Best Semillon
Old Road Grandmére Semillon 2018

Investec Trophy for Best Merlot
Spier Woolworths Signature Series Merlot 2018

Trophy for Best Pinotage
Warwick The First Lady Pinotage 2020

Trophy for Best Museum Class Cape Port
De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve 2012

Trophy for Best Museum Class Chenin Blanc
Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Old Bush Vine Chenin Blanc 2013

Trophy for Best Museum Class Sauvignon Blanc
Nederburg Two Centuries Sauvignon Blanc 2016 (Wooded)

Trophy for Best Museum Class Dessert Wine
Nederburg Private Bin Eminence Noble Late Harvest Muscadel 2012 

Gold Medal Winners

Babylonstoren Chardonnay 2021

Brookdale Chenin Blanc Single Vineyard 2020

Cilmor Winemaker’s Selection Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2021

Diemersdal Pinotage Reserve 2020

Durbanville Hills Collectors 2020 Reserve

The Castle of Good Hope Cabernet Sauvignon

Kleine Zalze Vintage Brut Méthode Cap Classique 2015

La Vierge Jezebelle Chardonnay 2021

Lievland Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2021

MAN Skaapveld Syrah 2020

Oldenburg Chardonnay 2021

Villiera Monro Brut 2015

Vrede en Lust Kogelberg Chenin Blanc 2019

The complete list of medal winners can be seen HERE

All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

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Posted by MENU at 6:20 pm 0 comments

Thursday, July 14, 2022

Candlelight supper at Miller's Thumb

How good it is to discover, when doing boring paperwork, that you had forgotten a meal voucher purchased several months ago from Jordan Wine Estate, who have done a fantastic job supporting restaurants during Covid. Life had been a little tight and rather bleak for us recently and this was just the fillip we needed to get us out of the house during one of the interminable power cuts that come during dinner time. We had nominated Miller's Thumb, a restaurant in Kloof Nek Road in Tamboerskloof. We had not been there for several years and we know they serve very good fish and seafood. When we phoned to book, we were told that it would be during a power cut and that some things on the menu would not be possible, but we persisted and we’re very glad that we did

Dinner by candlelight is very romantic and there was certainly enough of that for a very enjoyable meal





The fish of the day is SQ and the board shows what is available on the day with its price
They had a great choice which included two fish we have not had for a very long time, which are favourites
 The board also shows daily specials. Here is a link to the menu on line. https://millersthumb.co.za/menu/

It is a rather good wine list
We took a very good bottle; their corkage policy is that your first bottle carries no charge
and the second bottle carries a charge of R50, which we think is very fair

Amusingly, the ceiling has panels pasted with reviews the restaurant has received!
Not an easy picture to take by candlelight

When we eat out, we like to take a wine that we think will match the food we plan to eat and this one was a very good choice indeed. Mediterraneo was launched by Johan Malan of Simonsig under his label The Grapesmith in 2018; only two barrels were made. This niche wine is a blend of warmer terroir grape varieties: Marsanne 39%, Roussanne 37%, Grenache Blanc 22%, Verdelho 2%. Johan’s description is that the varietals “have distinguished themselves in the south of France and Spain in a Mediterranean climate, have only recently started to gain popularity in the Cape". We were at the launch of this wine and now it has had a time to mature a little, we wanted to see what it was like. https://www.simonsig.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/The-Grapesmith-Mediterraneo-2019.pdf and the verdict? Superb, especially with fish and seafood, but a very good wine to quaff while you have a candlelit conversation. And a small quantity is still available on the farm at R255 a bottle. Aromatic, floral with lime zest and spices on the nose, it draws you in. On the palate, a fruit salad of ripe yellow peach, gooseberry, quince, and nectarine with salty minerality and golden oak on the end

A starter portion of Spanish style chicken livers in a spicy tomato sauce with hot Spanish paprika and black pepper
Very good, said John

Baby Cajun spiced calamari, grill-seared, very tender and full of flavour,
served with a hot jalapeno, tartare sauce and some rice
Lynne moistened the rice with the sauce and it was a good accompaniment

Cob or Kabeljou is one of Lynne's favourite fishes; she prefers a moist fish like this and it was perfectly 
cooked
You can have your fish cooked in three ways:
GRILLED: On a rib-top, generously basted with lemon juice, olive oil and oregano. With lemon, garlic or peri peri butter
CAJUN: Blackened with chilli, pink peppercorn and pecan nut crust. Topped with a lime and Tabasco butter and pickled jalapeno
MOROCCAN: Grilled and brushed with lemon juice, cumin, coriander, clove and cinnamon, with a pile of fresh coriander.
Because Cob has a delicate flavour, she decided to go with grilled and a simple lemon butter sauce, so that the fish would shine and it really did. Expertly cooked and so delicious

Because of the power cuts, no chips could be cooked, so there were some options: rice, potatoes or noodles
So noodles it was and they came well-flavoured with an Asian twist

John's choice was the Geelbek, also known as Cape Salmon and he had it done Cajun style:
Blackened with a chilli, pink peppercorn and pecan nut crust
Topped with a lime and Tabasco butter and very hot pickled jalapeno. He chose rice as his accompaniment

We were so impressed with the cooking and quality of the food that we cannot wait to go back for more
Perhaps, when we can have some of their chips, which are always a treat for us as we do not deep fry food at home
The service was also impeccable and very friendly
We are so pleased that Miller's Thumb has survived Covid and encourage you to go and support them

Icy evening, Lynne waiting for John to bring the car
They have a very helpful car guard just around the corner

Some photographs were long exposures by candlelight,
 the better pictures were illuminated by an LED head torch

All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

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Saturday, June 25, 2022

In MENU This Week. A Day at Spier, Kama Sushi, Trophy Wine Show

Cape grey mongoose (Herpestes pulverulentus)

The disruptions continue. With “load-shedding” at level four, we now have eight hours a day without electricity. It gives us an idea of how our ancestors lived two hundred years ago. With all this, we have had alarm installer’s technicians in the house for two days in the past week, putting back the system broken by the burglars last month. We’ve also had some very heavy rain, the wettest day we’ve recorded in 18 years; this has been great for the garden and filled the fish pond very nicely. The koi loved it. On the bright side, we are fit and well and post-Covid life is returning to normal. We hope it is also being good for you. Please click on the headlines or photographs to Read on through the full stories

A day at Spier Wine Estate

We love Spier's mission statement on their web site; it really resonates with us. And we saw what they are doing when we visited this week. "Ethical farming, the health of the soil and the people who work it. Artistic endeavour and absolute care in the crafting of our wines. This is what matters to us." We were invited to arrive at 12h15 and presumed we would be having a wine tasting and some lunch.. It turned out to be a day filled with delights. Read on…

Father's Day Sushi Lunch

Across Regent Road from Checkers in Sea Point is Kama our favourite sushi restaurant. The Chinese owner used to be further up in Sea Point with a restaurant of a different name and we were glad to see that he survived the Covid lock down and has moved to a nicer part of Sea Point. It is our go to place for good sushi, whether we take it home or eat there, and we thoroughly recommend it. The rice is perfect, so pearly, and the fish is always fresh. And they always have a good special on offer. They also do some dim sum dishes, which we cannot resist, Chinese food, Poke bowls and salads. We went there on Father's Day to spoil John and took his daughter, Clare. Read on…

The Trophy Wine Show Judges’ Feedback

This year, The Trophy Wine Show Judges’ Feedback Session was in the form of a webcast, on Thursday 16 June, from 11h00 – 12h00. The session took place directly after the completion of the Trophy judging. While it would have been wonderful to meet again in person with media and the wine industry, due to certain circumstances, the judging took place in the week of the public holiday, and a live-streamed event offers the best solution. The link to the webcast is here. Read on…



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Posted by MENU at 5:10 pm 0 comments

The Trophy Wine Show Judges’ Feedback

This year The Trophy Wine Show Judges’ Feedback Session was in the form of a webcast, on Thursday 16 June, from 11h00 – 12h00. The session took place directly after the completion of the Trophy judging. While it would have been wonderful to meet again in person with media and the wine industry, due to certain circumstances, the judging took place in the week of the public holiday, and a live-streamed event offers the best solution. The link to the webcast is here.

The announcement in early April that The Trophy Wine Show and The Trophy Spirits Show would be entering a new era with Investec as the title sponsor, has been followed by the publication of the full list of international judges for both competitions. This is the first time since the Covid lockdowns that each of the judging panels at both competitions will include an international specialist invited to South Africa specifically to participate in the competition.

As previously – and in fact since 2002 - the wine judging panel was chaired by South Africa’s most highly regarded wine authority, Michael Fridjhon. This year the three international judges for The Trophy Wine Show were US wine authority, Anthony Mueller, who covers the South African category for The Wine Advocate; Eric Goettelmann, Meilleur Ouvrier de France Sommellerie and wine director for the Bernard Loisseau Group, and Anthony Rose, wine correspondent for The Independent and well-known wine writer and author.

The judging panels have been expanded to allow judges to focus on their preferred fields of expertise. The three international judges form part of a star-studded and hugely experienced group whose local members include Heidi Duminy CWM and Principal of the Cape Wine Academy; Tongai Joseph Dhafana, award-winning Sommelier, now winemaker; JD Pretorius, cellarmaster at Warwick Wines; Patson Mathonsi, Sommelier, and regional sales manager for Spier; François Rautenbach, buyer for Singita’s Premier Direct wine progamme, Cathy van Zyl MW, Vice-Chair of the Institute of Masters of Wine's education committee; Gynore Fredericks, winemaker at Great Heart Wines and assistant winemaker at Mullineux and Leeu Family Wines and Spencer Fondaumiere, Chairperson of the South African Sommeliers’ Association.

The international panel for The Trophy Spirits Show will benefit from the expertise of George Harper, Master Blender for Roe & Co. Irish Whiskey and one of the 12 blenders responsible for all of Diageo’s Scotch (and Irish) Whisk(e)y portfolio (the world’s largest whisky business). He will be joined by David T Smith, undoubtedly the world’s most admired gin specialist, and Eric Goettelmann, former chief sommelier for Paul Bocuse and Meilleur Ouvrier de France Sommellerie.

Local panelists – all specialists in the field which they have been selected to judge – include Mare-Loe Prinsloo, Head of Research tasked with product development at Distell; Kobus Gelderblom, brandy master; Neil Paterson, whisky maven and owner of WhiskyBrother; Kurt Schlechter, award-winning bartender and drinks consultant; Kresan Naidu, a white spirits (particularly gin and vodka) expert; and Dave Gunns, whisky expert, retailer and educator.

The Trophy Wine Show was designed two decades ago to help the Cape wine industry to calibrate to the expectations of international markets and has played a key role in driving innovation and transformation on the quality side of the spectrum.

The more recently launched Trophy Spirits Show seeks to identify the best spirits available in and for the South African market, or produced in South Africa for export, applying the tried and tested methodology of the Trophy Wine Show.

The results of the 2022 Trophy Wine Show – brought to you by Investec - will be announced on Wednesday 6th July at an in-person luncheon in Cape Town

This content was provided by Outsorceress

Posted by MENU at 11:30 am 0 comments

Father's Day Sushi Lunch

Across Regent Road from Checkers in Sea Point is Kama, our favourite sushi restaurant. The Chinese owner used to be further up in Sea Point with a restaurant of a different name and we were glad when we saw that he'd survived the Covid lock down and moved to a nicer part of Sea Point. It is our go to place for good sushi, whether we take it home or eat there, and we thoroughly recommend it. The rice is perfect, so pearly, and the fish is always fresh. And they always have a good special on offer. They also do some dim sum dishes, which we cannot resist, Chinese food, Poke bowls and salads. We went there on Father's Day to spoil John and took his daughter, Clare

Inside the restaurant

We began with something new to us at Kama, a plate of 6 deep fried won ton,
served with a sweet chilli sauce. We will definitely order those again

Chef makes his sushi at the counter and they do lots of take aways
They have a small wine list and you can have tea

We ordered two of the current special, the Main Course Platter to share,
as it has all our favourites and enough salmon roses!
The sashimi was very fresh indeed

The perfect wine to go with sushi - the Groote Post Seasalter Sauvignon blanc

Our bill came to R360 with R45 corkage and tip

All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

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Posted by MENU at 10:43 am 0 comments
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