Wednesday, February 01, 2023

Lunch at The Beach Bar, Hout Bay

Lynne had read good reviews for The Beach Bar in Hout Bay
It's next to the beach car park, opposite the Chapman's Peak Hotel. 
So we invited a friend who lives locally, booked a table and went for lunch on a beautiful breezy day

The wind made us choose to sit inside
We were impressed by the wide variety of ages and apparent incomes eating there

We had taken along a bottle from our collection and were happy to pay R50 corkage

Good quality cutlery

A good range of draught beers and cocktails

This jug of Draught was ordered by two men who then sat and chatted while it became flat and warm!

Our vegetarian friend chose three tapas, spicy chilli poppers...

Camembert spring rolls served with a berry coulis

and loaded fries without the bacon

Well-seasoned and nicely crisp Salt and Pepper calamari with barbecue ribs also comes with chips. Good value at R150
The barbecue sauce needs a bit of a rev, but the pork rib meat was falling off the bone

The large and much enjoyed New Yorker hamburger comes with a white cheddar sauce and maple bacon
 and you can substitute loaded chips for R20 extra
We did quite enjoy them but they are indeed loaded with calories

The Breakfast menu needs investigating

The drinks menu


with cocktails, wine, beer and cider

and the new main menu
We must say that the Truffled Mac and Cheese sounds like a great winter dish when one is feeling down!
And some other items on this menu like the Caesar salad and Nachos also need ordering. A return is planned

The bill for three with great service from Shaen-Claude


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Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Cape Town Opera concert in Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

We made a resolution this year to go to more music events
We both love music and have quite eclectic tastes
So, when we heard that Cape Town Opera was giving a Sunday concert of opera choruses at Kirstenbosch,
supported by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Brandon Phillipswe bought tickets immediately
It is such a lovely venue. You pack a picnic supper and some wine, get there for 4 pm,
take a rug and some small low backed chairs and walk to the concert area,
where the lawns slope down to the stage, and find your favourite place

The chorus and orchestra were rehearsing as we arrived, so we enjoyed a double whammy of joyous music

We like to sit quite far back, the sound towers bring excellent sound to everyone

Our wine for the picnic was Lothian's lovely Mourvedre Rosé, a classic Rhône style dry rosé,
just the thing to enjoy slowly with some good food and music
Lynne made Jambon Persillé, salad and some gooey chocolate Brownies

Broadcaster Africa Melane was the compère for the evening and announced the pieces
He also made a plea for funds in support of Cape Town Opera and the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra
 How can a large city like Cape Town exist without an opera company and a symphony orchestra?
We are very lucky to have them, but they both need funds
Check out their websites for their current programmes so you can buy tickets and support them
https://capetownopera.co.za/operas/ 
 https://www.cpo.org.za/new/

Orchestra tuning and ready to go at 5.30 pm

Goldilocks or, perhaps, Debussy's Girl with Flaxen Hair

Such rousing choruses and arias.  This shows the four main soloists performing what for Lynne
was perhaps the best rendition she has heard of the Quartet from Verdi's Rigoletto
We also had the Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly,
the chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Nabucco,
the Easter Chorus from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana,
the tenor and baritone duet from Bizet's Pearl Fishers and many more

We have many talented singers in South Africa and many are now singing in some of the top opera houses in the world
The chorus contains excellent singers just waiting to get their break

Watch the performance of Verdi's Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Nabucco
(apologies for the occasional wind noise and the focus blips)
It's the music that matters

One of the last performances was the final movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony
also known as the Ode to Joy and the European Hymn.  It really was such an enjoyable concert

Time to go home after two rousing encores. The crowd is usually very neat and tidies up after themselves

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Friday, December 16, 2022

The Ubuntu Trophy International Sommelier Competition between Team Zimbabwe and Team South Africa

The Stellenbosch Wine Routes Ubuntu Trophy challenge, now in its second year, is the only International Sommelier Competition in Africa. This competition pits the Sommeliers Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) against South African Sommeliers Association (SASA) who both enter members to take part in the challenge. The top three members of each team will make up the team which goes forward to the International challenge in 2023. We were invited to attend the competition which was held at Lanzerac Wine Estate in Stellenbosch

The headline Trophy sponsor is Stellenbosch Wine Routes. “Stellenbosch is South Africa’s premier wine destination and, by animating the story of our wines, the sommelier has become a cornerstone of this experience”, says Stellenbosch Wine Routes manager, Elmarie Rabe. “These wine ambassadors fulfil a crucial role that we eagerly acknowledge, especially in this milestone year for the region”. And “Lanzerac is proud to be involved with the Ubuntu Sommelier Trophy for a second year in a row”, says Lanzerac Hotel general manager Emile Langenhoven

The floating Ubuntu trophy that goes to the winner each year
The meaning of Ubuntu: ‘I am what I am because of who we all are'. is a value that Africans share

Sommelier Tondai Joseph Dafana was one of the judges for the day
He was the previous recipient of the trophy and he is also one of the four Zimbabwean sommeliers
who starred in the moving and award-winning documentary film "Blind Ambition",
which showed how four hard-working young men from Zimbabwe found their way to South Africa and,
despite having no background in wine, facing many difficulties and with much hard work,
have become very successful Sommeliers. Three of them have produced their own wine

The Judges, Tondai Joseph Dafana, Shane Mumba and Kim Williams take their places as the competition begins


The competition was created by Jean-Vincent Ridon, international Sommelier, winemaker, and wine educator,
so that local teams might participate in the international competition
He was the invigilator for the competition and took the contestants through their tasks
The attention to detail demanded in performing all the tasks is very high and each is scored

The contestants had spent the morning writing a Theory paper
Twelve Sommeliers qualified for this stage of the competition and only six passed the morning tests
Their names were about to be announced by Jean Vincent Ridon,
three for the final Zimbabwe team, and three for the South African team

Sommelier Tinashe Marlvin Gwese, another of the stars of the film Blind Ambition,
was there to support the Zimbabwe team
He is now the Head Sommelier of the Liz McGrath Collection of hotels
The other two, Tinashe Nyamudoka and Pardon Tuguzu are currently overseas

Janine Van Zyl was the first member of the South African team to compete
She was about to start the next part of the competition. The first task was to welcome the guests (the judges)
and supply them with the drinks they had already ordered from the bar behind her


Two glasses of Villiera Cap Classique Brut and one double of Armagnac, on ice with a tonic water
There were some inbuilt stumbling blocks in the test, e.g. there was no Armagnac
and she had to offer the guest who ordered it an alternative from the small selection on the bar
And the rituals of correct service of the beverages have always to be performed in the correct way
Who gets served first and who next.....


James Mukosi was the first member of the Zimbabwe team
and he, like all six contestants, had to repeat the same series of set tasks, one after the other


Italian judge and invigilator Giuseppe Vaccarini was watching very closely
There was also a live feed from France, where another judge was watching the competition

George Young was the second member of the South African Team and showed a lot of skill and experience
One of the most difficult tasks was to identify three wines that a 'guest' had brought with him,
unlabelled but each from a different country
The contestants were given only two minutes to give the correct answers,
naming the varietal, the country and the region of production

They were a Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc from L’Avenir, a German Riesling from the Nahe
and a French Pinot Noir from Mercurey in Burgundy


Checking for sediment by holding the bottle and decanter over a lighted candle

Tawanda Marume, the second member of the Zimbabwe team, showed that he is also extremely skilled
He has already won the title Best Sommelier in South Africa and Zimbabwe
and will compete in the Best Sommelier of the World 2023 this coming February in Paris


This task was complex
One of the guests had ordered a 2018 Spier wine and wanted it decanted in case there was any sediment
Despite the fact that it was rather young, the sommeliers all obliged skilfully,
pouring carefully over a lit candle which would have revealed the sediment, if any


Stefan Reinmuth, the third South African team member, checking the cork for taint before pouring the wine

The judges were scoring each contestant
as the competition took them through each of the identical tests which they all had to perform


Stanley Zimbizi, the third member of the Zimbabwe team,
correctly identifying this surprise dessert as panettone and suggesting a matching wine from the country of its origin, Italy
He chose a Moscato

and then the final test ....

Each Sommelier was given one bottle of Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Cap Classique and eight glasses
and, without going back to adjust the quantity in any of the glasses,
they had to try to pour an equal portion of the wine into each glass with nothing left in the bottle
Not as easy as it sounds, but something Sommeliers often have to do at functions

Now that looks like a winning pour by Stanley Zimbizi


Pouring fast and furiously and perhaps not getting things very even. It is very difficult, and takes much practice


Spencer Fondaumiere is the Chairman of the South African Sommeliers Association SASA
and he was there to present certificates to some of the contestants

SASA Introductory Sommelier Nothando S M Khuzwayo

SASA Junior Sommelier Yonela Zondwayo


SASA Junior Sommelier Sanelisiwe L Damawe


SASA Sommeliers Stefan Reinmuth and George Young


"Would madam like a glass of Simonsig Cap Classique?" enquires sommelier James Mukosi
After watching the competition from 1 to 5 pm, yes please, she would

Sommelier Tawanda Marume was the highest scorer
and, therefore, the deserving winner of the individual competition

South Africa won the Ubuntu Trophy team competition and here are both teams with their national flags
Hopefully, they will be able to attend the International competition next year

These are all the South African competitors and recently qualified sommeliers


and all the Zimbabwean competitors with Joseph Dafana

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Wednesday, November 30, 2022

In MENU This Week. Agulhas Triangle wine festival, Southern Cape Weekend

Fluffy clouds over Pearly Beach

The last day of November and things are slowing down, with not much other than family and friends in the diary. So MENU this week is all about a trip with friends to the coolest wine region in the country (some say) for a local festival and a weekend excursion around it. We had a lot of fun…

Agulhas Triangle Wine Festival

When we heard, way back in early September, that there was going to be an Agulhas Triangle Wine Festival, we booked accommodation immediately, as close to the site as we could afford. We love these southernmost Cape wines but it is rather a long way from Cape Town and making a summer weekend of it in November seemed to be A GOOD THING. It was held at Lomond Wine Farm, which is just south of Gansbaai on the Baardskeerdersbos road. Read on…

A Southern Cape weekend

We made an escape down to the Cape Agulhas area for the weekend and a wine festival. We took our visiting friends from Holland who have not been able to come here for four years because of Covid. We booked accommodation near Pearly Beach and wanted to show them this lovely area, which is about 2½ hours' drive out of Cape Town. Well, not if you leave the city on Friday afternoon, when everyone else is also leaving, but we were not in any rush and made stopped along the way to get pies for lunch at Houw Hoek, which seems now to have the best in the Elgin valley and provisions at Gansbaai Spar. Our friends had never been to the very southernmost tip of Africa, so that was on the agenda. Read on…



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