Thursday, November 19, 2015

This Week's MENU - Tuning the Vine, Kyoto Gardens, Great Domaines Trade Wine tasting at Bocca, 30th Anniversary of Kathy Raath Promotions and Van Loveren wines, Elgin does make great Chardonnays, This week’s recipe -Rohan's Chocolate Nemesis

MENU
The weekly Cape Food, Wine and Lifestyle E-Journal
60 Arthurs Rd, Sea Point 8005, Cape Town, South Africa
Phone: +27 21 439 3169  Cells: +27 83 229 1172 (John)  +27 83 656 4169 (Lynne)
email: John / Lynne
Night view across the mouth of Cape Town harbour
In this week’s MENU:
 Elgin does make great Chardonnays
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Some fun events this week and some really great ones coming up later in the week. Don’t forget to book for the Champagne Festival at the Vineyard Hotel of Friday evening. We are going to be there having fun and enjoying the French Champagnes
I Tune you my Vine (Cape vernacular!)     We started our week last Wednesday at Tuning the Vine. This is the second time this very successful event has been held in Cape Town and there will be another on the 9th of December. You book, there are 3 starter locations in town, you get an arm band, a glass to keep and you walk from venue to venue to taste wines all over the city. To book go to http://www.quicket.co.za/events/11656-innercitywineroute/#/schedules It is cheaper on early bird tickets. Read On
Great Domaines Trade Wine tasting at Bocca     Back to Bocca in Wale Street for this trade tasting of some really good imported wines from France, and Spain. There was a couple of wines which were really familiar to Lynne, who used to drink them when she lived in London, and their prices are not expensive given the current Rand exchange rate. We hope to see them appearing in good wine shops and on restaurant wine lists soon. Read On
30th Anniversary of Kathy Raath Promotions and Van Loveren wines     This was held at Weinhaus und Biergarten (formerly &Union), just along the road from Bocca, so it was a short walk to a very good social evening and the opportunity, if you had the stamina, to taste the whole range of Van Loveren's wines. Great canapés were served by Zest Catering too. Oh those crisp fries with truffle mayo..... Read On
Kyoto Gardens for dinner      We had a business meeting at Kyoto Gardens on Friday and our colleague bought us dinner afterwards. They have slightly changed their menu to (the more usual layout of) starter, main course and dessert format and we had a great meal with well paired wines. It can be expensive but the price is worth paying for such fresh seafood and Japanese dishes. See what we ate
Elgin does make great Chardonnays     Last night, we took part in another Elgin TweetUp and were not surprised to be impressed by the wines we tasted and tweeted about. You can follow us on Twitter if you want to: Johns twitter handle is @mainingmenu and Lynne's is @MenuLynne We will be doing another Elgin TweetUp in Elgin on the 2nd of December. Thankfully, they are offering transport.
Our wines of the evening were the Paul Cluver 2014 Estate Chardonnay (Lynne has already ordered some!) the Richard Kershaw Clonal Selection 2014 which is a 5 star Platter, the Sutherland Chardonnay 2012; Elgin Vintners 2012, made by Kevin Grant and very good value, and the Oak Valley 2012, which keeps impressing us.
This week’s recipe might just suit your pre-Christmas entertaining. It's an easy peasy but rich dessert. You can use other biscuits if you like, amaretti, ginger nuts etc etc.
250g dark chocolate - 250g butter  - 2 medium eggs - 85g caster sugar - 250g Digestive biscuits - 60g walnuts or pecans - 60g glace cherries - 150 ml brandy
Melt the chocolate with the butter, either in a bain marie or in the microwave. Do not let it get very hot.  Beat the eggs with the sugar till fluffy and add to the warm chocolate. Stir till incorporated then add the brandy. Break up the biscuits and nuts and chop the cherries. Add them all to the chocolate mixture. Pour into a buttered smooth mould and refrigerate. Turn out and decorate with cream, cherries and nuts.





18th November 2015
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This week’s recipe: Rohan's Chocolate Nemesis

This week’s recipe might just suit your pre-Christmas entertaining. It's an easy peasy but rich dessert. You can use other biscuits if you like, amaretti, ginger nuts etc etc.
Rohan's Chocolate Nemesis    
250g dark chocolate - 250g butter- 2 medium eggs -- 85g caster sugar 250g Digestive biscuits - 60g walnuts or pecans - 60g glace cherries - 150 ml brandy

Melt the chocolate with the butter, either in a bain marie or in the microwave. Beat the eggs with the sugar till fluffy and add to the warm chocolate. Stir till incorporated then add the brandy. Break up the biscuits and nuts and chop the cherries. Add them all to the chocolate mixture. Pour into a buttered smooth mould and refrigerate. Turn out and decorate with cream, cherries and nuts.
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Supper at Kyoto Gardens

We had a business meeting at Kyoto Gardens just off Kloof Nek Road on Friday and our colleague bought us dinner afterwards. They have slightly changed their menu to (the more usual layout) starter, main course and dessert format and we had a great meal with well paired wines. It can be expensive but the price is worth paying for such fresh seafood and Japanese dishes
Our starter of sea urchin sushi. Tastes of the sea. Different and enjoyable
This plate was going to another table but we couldn't resist taking a photo as it was so pretty. Snow crab and asparagus, we think
Probably the most delicious beef we have had in a year or three. Thin slices of just seared Kobe beef - meltingly tender and very, very flavourful with a very simple dressing and sprinkled with sesame seeds
Our main course of thin slices of kingklip on lemon rice topped with bok choy
There was plenty for two and some rice was left over. We were enjoying the food so much we forgot to take more photographs
We were not expecting to stay for supper, so the only camera we had with us was our old Nokia Windows Lumia 920 (with a cracked screen for the last several months nogal), still arguably the best camera phone in the business. All photographs taken without flash, under the restaurant's dim lighting, with minimal editing
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015

Van Loveren celebrates 30th Anniversary with a tasting at Weinhaus & Biergarten

This was held at Weinhaus and Biergarten in Riebeek Square, just along the road from Bocca, so it was a short walk to a very good social evening and the opportunity, if you had the stamina to taste the whole range of Van Loveren's wines. Great canapés were served by Zest catering too. Oh those crisp fries with truffle mayo.....
Louise and Mark Herd of Sunset Beach Wines, greeted by our friend Bonita Malherbe, Van Loveren’s Marketing manager
The new style of wine in a bag by Van Loveren - it fits perfectly into an ice bucket for picnics
Something different to taste on nearly every table.
NO one can Bant when faced with these - Nici Beaumont's amazing French fries
It was very well attended
Bonita Malherbe and Dane Raath having a cuddle. They have worked together now for several years. Dane is Kathy Raath’s son and is also in the business
Nice to meet Shan Pascall from Oneiric in Elgin there and have a chat about the wine industry while tasting, no, confess, drinking some of the magnificent top of the range and a 4 star Platter wine, the Christina Van Loveren Limited Release Chardonnay
 © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015


Great Domaines trade tasting of imported wines at Bocca

Back to Bocca in Wale Street for this trade tasting of some really good imported wines from France, Germany and Spain.  There were a couple of really familiar wines to Lynne who used to drink them when she lived in London and their prices are not expensive given the current price of the Rand. We hope to see them appearing in good wine shops and on restaurant wine lists soon
Familiar faces on the doorstep, ready to taste wine: Mark Herd, Morgan Delacloche, Karin Visser, Emile Joubert, Jean-Vincent Ridon
Karin Visser of Great Domaines gave us a very warm welcome
Morgan Delacloche says it's time to taste an Italian Prosecco by San Leo
We were all enthusiastically nosing the Lanson Brut Champagne, the wine "By appointment to the Royal Family" for over 100 years.  It is really superb
Karin Visser, Louise and Mark Herd
Next to taste was the Louis Bouillot Crémant de Bourgogne, made from Pinot noir, with a little Chardonnay and some Gamay noir
A fruity and full on RIoja with good vanilla and wood, a very soft and easy drinking, but polished Grande Vin Bordeaux, which we are tempted to buy and a juicy Malbec from Cahors in the South of France
The Saint Cosme needs much more time, the Beaujolais Villages is fairly typical of the area and the Pinot Noir also needs time to capture the fruit acids
A lovely Chablis with elegance and tightness, a slightly sweet and fruity Pinot Grigio/Muscat blend, and a very accomplished 2013 Chardonnay from Bouchard Pere et Fils, which we really enjoyed.
Tasting the Rioja, Morgan Delacloche and Tony da Costa of Liquor City, Claremont
Cognac Delamain XO. It's a small bottle but packs a punch. A treat for yourself
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015

Tuning the Vine, an evening wine tasting ramble through Cape Town's Inner City Wine Route

We started our week last Wednesday at Tuning the Vine. This is the second time this very successful event has been held in Cape Town and there will be another on the 9th of December. You book, there are 3 starter locations in town, you get an arm band, a glass to keep and you walk from venue to vent to taste wine all over the city.  To book http://www.quicket.co.za/events/11656-innercitywineroute/#/schedules Cheaper on early bird tickets.
We took the bus and so checked in at the Youngblood Art Gallery, with our web tickets
Catching up with Jacques Wentzel of Black Elephant wines
What shall we taste next?
There was a lively buzz in every one of the locations we visited. We did try to get to them all but didn't quite succeed. Too much good wine to taste at each place!
Wine was also on sale to take home. It was a young and vibey crowd with informed staff from the farms pouring the wines
"What are we tasting young man?" On the Jordan stand
Our next venue was a bit of a surprise. Next time.....
Then to Heritage Square to visit Jean-Vincent Ridon at Signal Hill Winery. A bit of a tight fit in the small shop. But we heard from him yesterday that he sold a lot of wine. And some of John Platter’s new book, as they held the signing there
..enjoying all the belles filles!
Just a brief stop here to taste the wines outside House of Machines
And chat to some old friends over a glass of L'Ormarins MCC
An oasis of calm inside
Time for a restorative coffee?
Lynne with her new adopted son, Hebert Banhire. He likes our lifestyle
You meet lots of people you know on the walk from place to place as people follow different routes. 
Shane Mullis, Sharon & Megan Parnell of Domaine des Dieux and a friend
A familiar friendly face at Tjing Tjing
Now this is serious work
Ah! Another of our favourites. Dieter Odendaal showing Creation wines
Girls having fun
And another favourite, Bevan Newton Johnson, with two of their great wines
This was the place to be, especially if you wanted to chat up Sebastian and taste his great Beaumont offerings
Upstairs under the roof is the bar for serious drinking
And some fresh air although it was a bit spoilt by smokers. Will someone please tell them it is JUST NOT DONE at wine events? You seriously piss people off
The Taj had thought of everything, including food for the hungry
We called in at Neil Pendock's Wine Gallery and saw Shelley
And then went to Twankey’s Bar for some lovely Genevieve MCC with Melissa Nelsen
and some Montpellier Brut with their new winemaker, Harold Versveld
Montpellier Brut and Brut Rosé MCC
Leaving Twankey’s to walk up Wale Street to Bocca
which seemed to be where everyone was heading
We were very lucky and were shown to a table upstairs almost immediately
But the wait for pizzas was long as there were so many hungry merry people ordering!
The pizza chefs coped very well. One every 4 minutes apparently
It is a long time since we ate pizza. Johns was Avo and Bacon with feta
Lynne went for the seafood option. And then it was time to Uber home
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2015