Thursday, October 04, 2012

Avondale's Eco tour

Avondale's beautiful view of “the Pearl” – Paarl rock with Paarl town nestling below
The interior of Avondale’s tasting room, full of beautiful antiques and modern touches
Young vines at bud break stage beneath a flat pine
One of Avondale’s dams
Caeli Pentz and the Avondale Anima Chenin Blanc on the back of the bakkie
An old farm cottage on the edge of the woods
A view of the mountains behind the winery
Young budding vines, still with the cover crop on, with the 100 Avondale ducks and their duck minder. The ducks clear up the snails, slugs and other pests in the vineyards
The root of a lupin plant showing the nodes of nitrogen 
which will be ploughed back into the soil
A fresh spring day in the vineyards with the mountains in the background
Our lovely driver, whom we first met when he used to deliver Avondale wines to our shop.
Tasting the two red wines in the tasting room after the tour
The Avondale wine range
The spotless gravity fed tank cellar awaiting the next harvest
The barrel cellar
Spring daisies in the vineyards
Photographs © John Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2012

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Faces of the Nederburg Auction

The Nederburg manor house
Johan de Wet (Dewetshof, Robertson) and Boets Nel (De Krans, Calitzdorp)
Master of Ceremonies, Master raconteur and Cape Wine Master Bennie Howard of Meerendal, Durbanville
Bennie Howard and Johan de Wet
Mignon du Plessis of Delheim with Eric Welile Botha, sommelier at The Oyster Box, Umhlanga Rocks
Checkers wine buyer, Stephanus Eksteen and friends
The lots displayed on a big screen above the auctioneer
The Pongracz flowed - here being offered to Lindsay Greatbatch of Decanter
The Johann Graue hall, familiar to viewers of Masterchef SA
Duimpie Bailey, David Biggs and Gail Alswang
Bidders and spectators in the hall
Anel Grobler and Jeanri-Tine van Zyl with her father
Tables ready for the hungry horde
Mark Norrish and Dale Louwsma of Ultra Liquors
Auctioneer Anthony Barne MW and his spotters
Willem du Toit, F&B Director at the Taj, considers his options and makes a bid
A hard day in the vineyards
Business goes on next to the breakfast tent
Boplaas 2004 Cape Vintage Reserve - no space for any more stickers!
Praisy Dhlamini and Christoff de Wet, young Fleur du Cap winemakers
A break at the Media Centre
Lynne and John joined a happy group of young winemakers for lunch
The Menu and the food


The crowded dining hall
followed by more activity on the floor
Christopher Bates, champion sommelier
Christopher Bates, Jos Baker, Lynne and Christine Rudman
Harald Bresselschmidt of Aubergine and Christophe Dehosse of Joostenberg with Lynne
Photographs © John Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2012