Chenin Blanc Association of South Africa's second annual Chenin Blanc Winter Showcase

Arrival at 10 am. There is lots to chat about. Lynne talks to Jeff Grier of Villiera about the harvest

We are welcomed by Ken Forrester before going in for the tasting

26 Chenins to taste. On the left, General Manager of Delaire Graff Johan Laubser at the table  of the table on the left WM Cathy van Zyl, Editor of John Platter Guide Philip van Zyl, Journalist Graham Howe, David Trafford.   On the right a journalist from Wynboer on her laptop; blogger Johathan Snashall and Bruwer Raats

The list of wines we tasted, with their dates, technical specifications and prices

Five chenins to start with

At another table, winemakers Carl van der Merwe, Niel Groenewald, Razvan Macici, Francois Roode and Johan Grimbeek from Kanu

David Trafford of De Trafford and Sijnn wines

Journalist Graham Howe looking pensive and growly

Ken Forrester in the magnificent Delaire Graff winery talking to their winemaker Morné Vrey

and tasting fermenting Sangiovese from the tank, 12 days into fermentation

Ken helped plan and lay out this winery

Lunch followed in Delaire's Indochine restaurant

Studying the menu are Jonathan Snashall, Kathy Jordan and Sebastian Beaumont at the table on the left.

First a huge bowl  to share of deep fried vegetables in gram flour batter. Crisp pastry pieces with three different dips: Cucumber, tomato chilli and black bean

The menu for the meal

The wines we could enjoy with the lunch

 Then the Amuse. A tender Linefish siu mai dim sum dumpling, with gengati (looked on Google but cant find out what this is – the dish did taste of ginger, so perhaps it's another name for it), orange pearls  and fennel

The magnificent sculpted cheetahs on the lawn outside the restaurant, Table Mountain in the distance

Nicolette Waterford, the brilliant PR consultant who put this tasting and lunch together for the Chenin Blanc Association, with Ken Forrester and Christina Harvett, just about to enjoy their duck starter.

Our starter was Thai duck served with pickled radish, fresh bamboo shoots, cashew nut brittle and orange jelly

This restaurant has magnificent views and great art.

This beautiful hanging of migrating birds helps to bring down the height of the ceiling

Main Course was Pork done three ways in 7 Thai spice power, with a master stock, picked garlic and red pepper with pea shoots, peas and edamame beans.  The crisp croquette was also filled with small pieces of pork in a great sauce.  This was a delicious dish where the pork was perfectly cooked.

Ken Forrester talking to Ivan Oertle and Rebecca Constable of Woolworths wine Department, RJ Botha of Kleine Zalze and Jeff Grier in a pause during lunch.

The accompaniments to the main course were stir fried bok choy and black rice

Ken thanks us all for coming. On the table at the right are Chris von Ulmenstein of Whale Tales and General Manager Johan Laubser

Dessert was a simple and deliciously refreshing mango parfait with passion fruit coulis, coconut & rose-water sorbet, ginger crumble and raspberry pearls

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013

WineStyle’s Summer Wine Party at Groot Constantia

This was the second Summer Wine party Wine Style has held. We thought we were going to a party and found that it was a small wine festival instead.  We didn't make it to last year's Winter Wine Party because we had a car accident on the way there

The hall at Simon’s Restaurant, with the wine farm tastings on barrels around the edge

We loved Remhoogte’s wines. Their Honeybunch Chenin Blanc is very special and we could not resist buying six bottles of their excellent 2010 Remhoogte Estate blend. The 2003 vintage was one of the top three wines at the Ten Year Old wine awards the day before

Lynne tasting and chatting to Rob Boustred, son of owner Murray

Time to taste some bubbly and we started at the MG & Ahrens stand and chatted to the two owners Gerrit Maritz and Albert Ahrens

Then it was time to taste one of our favourites from

 High Constantia.  Lynne with a friend and Karen van Niekerk

There were some huge oysters for sale from a disused diamond mine in the Northern Cape at R25 each.

Normal sized ones were R15 and R18 each

This is one of the huge ones being prepared for a customer

The fish and chips were freshly cooked, the fish tender with a crisp batter and an excellent garlic remoulade sauce. We want more. It was a very reasonable R35 per portion and was enough for our supper

The crowd at the peak of the evening with one rather bored child playing games on his gameboy!

David van Niekerk of High Constantia with Dave Nel

Murray Jackson of Wine Style gives us our first chance to try Iona’s just released new red wine, Mr P he knows (say it quickly) – yes a Pinot Noir. Still very young 

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013

Inaugural dinner of the RE:CM 10 Year Old Wine Awards

The elegant White Lady of Constantia, the Cellars Hohenort Hotel

A very welcoming glass of Villiera 2003 Monro Brut MCC

Lynne chats to Christian Eedes, the organiser of the Ten Year Old Wine competition, and to Maggie Mostert and Hennie Coetzee, Batonage bloggers

Cape Talk Radio talk show host and wine enthusiast John Maytham talks to photographer Danie Nel

Guests gather on the lawns before dinner

A miniature version of caprese mousse on a wafer thin crisp

Tiny hot melt in the mouth cheese choux pastry gougères

Minute hot shrimp spring rolls with a hot chilli dip

Winner Marc Kent of Boekenhoutskloof wines

The dinner was held in the Conservatory. Here we are taking our seats

Wine judge, writer and journalist Angela Lloyd chatting to Remhoogte owner Murray Boustred before dinner

The very interesting menu where Executive Chef Peter Tempelhoff paired the food with three winning wines .

The Amuse of West Coast Lobster topped with crispy leeks on a sweetcorn and roast garlic espuma having the warm Bisque added to each dish. This was served with the Villiera 2007 Monro Brut MCC

RE:CM guest Vanessa Hofmeyr choosing from the great bread selection

Next to the bread was a tiny glass containing a pretty fairy garden of miniature vegetables and pea shoots on a sesame seed soil, covering a green base which tasted like a puree of peas and avocado. This was inspired as well as delicious and may well be copied at our house soon

The speeches begin. Piet Viljoen, executive chairman of RE:CM with Christian Eedes, head judge and organiser of the competition

Piet Viljoen  tells us about his company and their reasons for getting involved with the 10 Year Old Wine Awards. Seated at the table is one of the three judges, Nkulu Mkhwanazi, wine educator and entrepreneur

Guests listen intently

Christian Eedes talks about the wine entries

First award is presented by Christian and Piet Viljoen to Marc Kent of Boekenhoutskloof for his 2003 Syrah

Next award goes to Riana Hall of Rudera wines for their 2003 Syrah

Murray Boustred, owner of Remhoogte wines collects his award for the Remhoogte Estate Wine 2003 Bordeaux Blend

Another of the 3 judges, Jörg Pfützner, internationally trained and certified sommelier

First course of Springbok Tataki (Japanese: pounded meat) served with a quenelle of fig and almond pesto, celeriac remoulade, shiraz gel, almond crumble and the item that went best with the Boekenhoutskloof 2003 Syrah – a honey roasted fig. It was like a firecracker.

A deft hand pours the wine – they have superb staff, so friendly and professional and so well trained

Second course was a gloriously pink beetroot risotto topped with a fresh mushroom fricassee, cêpe puree, fresh baby peas and surrounded by a parsley and pecorino sauce. Another great food and wine pairing

Pouring the Rudera Syrah for the second course

We sat opposite Edo Heyns of Winelands Magazine. He is soon to be its Editor

He does not eat meat, so his third course lamb was substituted with kabeljou

Perfectly cooked and very tender Lamb loin and soft braised shank of lamb served with an unusual Artichoke leaf dauphinoise, smoked aubergine puree, rather pungent black olive jam and a tomato fondu and topped with a broccoli spear

It was served with the 2003 Remhoogte Estate Wine

Dessert was a tiny bowl of molecular gastronomy magic.  A snowball, soft meringue-like outer around a harder core of ice cream sitting on a nectarine and plum compote and sprinkled with chocolate candy.  A poem of a dessert

Then spiked handmade chocolates and good coffee saw us to our carriages

Special thanks to Arthur Muzengeza, the Green House excellent Sommelier, for keeping our table so well supplied with wine and more wine, exchanging wines when necessary, and for holding the bottle patiently while we photographed them being poured

 © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013