Thursday, February 04, 2016

Harvest Lunch Table at Vergenoegd

Vergenoegd, we are well satisfied
Vergenoegd Wine farm is just off the N2 on the R44 - right across the road from the Cape Town Film studios with their Black Sails galleons, This farm, famous for its huge flock of Runner ducks, was sold last year and we were invited to visit and see what the new owners have done to the farm. We were mightily impressed with all the offerings and think you will be too. We think they might be candidates for this year’s Klink awards. Chef Ryan Shell (who was at Haute Cabrière restaurant) has moved here and he produced a really exciting, fresh, family style lunch for the media. One you will be able to experience too.
The farm organised transport for the media from Cape Town and from the winelands for which we are very grateful. Tasting wine and then drinking with lunch or dinner and driving is just not clever and we wish more organisations would get the message.
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Having an early morning coffee and croissant in the Waterfront while waiting for the transport
A warm welcome by the staff and the farm dog on arrival
Water, wine or juice?
Vergenoegd Managing Director Peter Stuart with Chief Destineer Mariette du Toit-Helmbold of Destinate PR agency
The manor house
The march of the Indian runner ducks. It is very amusing to watch how well trained they are by the duck herder
The flock has grown so much since we last visited
They come in multi-colours but all are the same skinny, stand up shape
They are not farmed for eating, but for keeping down the population of snails and other pests in the vineyards
Fast moving stragglers!
Lunch was to be held at a long table in front of the manor house
We were split into two groups and given a tour of all the different attractions that you can experience on the farm. This is Peter Stuart, the new Managing Director
First, a tasting of wine in the cellar. They only grow red grapes on the farm, the white wine grapes are bought in
Canapés were served as we tasted. This was a fish paté
A lovely smooth salmon mousse
Divine, melt in the mouth mini choux buns filled with blue cheese cream
Winemaker Marlize Jacobs
Chef Ryan Shell, sensibly, commandeered a barrel stack to tell us about his food and the picnics they are currently doing on the farm. There is no restaurant, but there are plans to build one in the next year or two
Chef Mike Israele, who had the Pomegranate restaurant on the farm, has moved and we were told that he is planning a new enterprise
Some of the younger wines had been decanted
Pouring some tasters ..
.. of the Cabernets Sauvignon 2005 and 2010
A lively conversation. "Did you hear...?" Events manager Nicole Arnold with Destineers Mariette du Toit-Helmbold and Annareth Bolton
Chef Ryan Shell tells us about the picnics
This is a sample box called the Running Duck, it comes with bottles of wine and water
The picnic menu
There are two layers in the picnic basket and good bread
John then went into the kitchen and took some photos of our lunch being prepared
The roast beef
beans, broccoli and courgettes
Freshly baked baguettes
We were then led through the manor house and introduced to the different tasting experiences you can have
This is the olive oil blending room. There are three oils to taste and blend and you can then take home a bottle of your own individual oil blend: the tasting costs R95 and the 500 ml bottle to take home costs R100.
The wine tasting room. It costs R35 to taste 5 wines
The tea and coffee tasting room. You can taste three coffees and make your own blend. Or three teas and make your own blend. Both tastings cost R95. 250g packs of your individual blends can be taken home for R100 each
The teas
The coffees
A connoisseur smelling the coffee
and, in another room, you can do wine blending.
These are the individual varietals you can choose to blend
You measure out the wines in different proportions and taste until you get the blend you like. This costs R150 pp. To take a 750ml bottle home will cost another R150. This might be a fun exercise for clubs
This young man will guide you through your blending experience
Time for lunch and some cold Runner Duck 2015 white, a Sauvignon Semillon blend
You can play boules on the readymade courts
Lovely old buildings on this farm, established in the 17th Century
Lemons and patty pan squash decorated the tables
Fresh fish cooked en papillote
New potatoes with herbs, butter and cheese
That rare roast of sirloin beef and some slow cooked lamb shanks with a truffle Hollandaise
Herbed breadcrumb stuffed roasted aubergines
Steamed summer vegetables
Lynne’s choice
A glass of the 2010 Cabernet
A summer sunflower
and with dessert, a taste of the 1999 Tawny Port
Chef Ryan with a cheese platter to go with the Port
Dessert was a gentle vanilla roulade, topped with whipped cream and fresh blueberries, drizzled with syrup. A lovely end to a great meal
The center of the roulade was soaked in berry juice
And finally, a wickedly thick chocolate sorbet on biscuit crumbs
The wine cellar
The duck pond is filled with birds and they have built some hides for bird watchers
Our transport home from the Waterfront, a MyCiti bus

A map of the Vergenoegd estate
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus

Tuesday, February 02, 2016

Sunday lunch at Oak Valley's Pool Room, Elgin

Wending our way home on a very hot Sunday, we decided to see if The Pool Room at Oak Valley had a table for us. Yes, we know we should have booked but, after a good breakfast, we were not sure if we would want lunch. For Lynne, it was a solution to not having to make supper when we got home! The day was very hot. They did manage to find us a table inside and we ordered a lovely charcuterie platter to share. Chef Gordon Manuel then, very kindly, sent us one of his duck combinations to sample. All was washed down with a glass each of an excellent Oak Valley wine
It was one of those hot days when the oaks seemed to be humming. The cicadas certainly are. The sight of the refreshing pool was magic. You can have lunch at the table alongside the pool and people do go for a swim to cool off
An invitation not to be missed
The inside/outside restaurant interior with the large open glass door wall
And the nice view of the pool. The room is cooled by roof fans
The tasting room is at the rear of the restaurant
A selection of things to buy in the deli. Wonderful fresh bread is on sale, as is lots of delicious local produce to take home with your Oak Valley wine purchases
We so enjoyed the French baguette; it made a lovely lunch the next day
Chef Gordon Manuel came for a chat; we have known him for several years and always enjoy his food
The lunch menu. They serve breakfast and lunch Tuesday to Sunday and dinner only on Fridays. To book: http://www.oakvalleywines.com/the-pool-room
John took a photograph of the Acorn fed pork belly topped with crackling on its way to a customer. All the beef and pork used in the restaurant is from free range animals raised on Oak Valley farm. You will see these renowned meats on the menus of many of our top Cape restaurants and some are available countrywide
Chef Gordon sent us a complimentary plate of his Duck Composition starter. On the right is the sliced Rooibos smoked breast of duck, in the centre a small salad and, on the left, confit duck leg on a liver parfait, topped with an apple crisp and served with a Cointreau glaze
Lynne had a nicely chilled glass of Oak Valley’s crisp and delicious Sauvignon Blanc; John a glass of the rich and full, lightly wooded Chardonnay
Our Charcuterie platter had two different saucissons, chorizo, Duck liver mousse, pork rillette, three cheeses, pickled vegetables, peppadews, homemade preserves, bread and a salad with fresh and oven roasted tomatoes. We polished it off with gusto. Just right for a hot day
Children pool paddling and being covered in sunblock by a sensible mum. Looking at their pale skins, undoubtedly just arrived from northern climes
Madeleine Rawbone-Viljoen was supervising the tasting room and deli on Sunday and we had a great chat. The Rawbone-Viljoen family has owned the farm since 1898 and they are very large fruit, flower and plant growers and suppliers in South Africa and abroad and, more recently, successful wine farmers. Recently, they expanded very successfully into the meat business with their free range acorn fed pigs and Simmenthaler and Wagyu beef herds
A specially commissioned oak leaf chandelier graces the Pool Room
With matching sconces
Our bill
As we left, Maddy presented us with a bottle of their five star Mountain Reserve White Blend to take home and try. Thank you for a lovely experience
Their tasting room manager, Danelle Bosman
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus

Klein River cheese factory on a Sunday

On our way out of Stanford, we popped into the Klein Rivier cheese factory to buy some cheese. The shop is closed on Sundays, but the picnic venue is not and you can buy a picnic basket or put together your own selection from a huge choice available and then enjoy it in their garden picnic area. It is a great place to take children
The Cheese Shop and deli
The petting zoo has lots of friendly animals, but don't push them too far!
Including some very noisy but enthusiastic geese, who rush to anyone offering bread. You can buy packets of bread to feed them
These children loved feeding the mother hen with her huge brood of chicks
Scooters to play on
Even a wigwam shower which, on this very hot Sunday, was much enjoyed. In the background, the play park with lots of different elements to play on. It's free to picnickers
The picnic menu
Inside the picnic shop, in addition to the published menu, you can take a basket and fill it with your own selection
Each item has a price. There is an enormous selection of things to choose from
We bought some cheese to take home. The prices on the tags are for the portioned cheeses below
Wine and other beverages can be purchased for your picnic

You can enjoy the shade on the verandah or sit under the trees on the lawn. There are blankets provided
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus

Tasting at Newton Johnson, Hemel en Aarde

We had to drop in at to Newton Johnson to return a friend's wallet, which, inadvertently, had been left at Creation. Their Pinot Noir tasting was underway and we did not want to gate crash it but were, very kindly, offered a tasting of the Newton Johnson wines in the tasting room. Of course we took some photographs
The wines currently available at Newton Johnson
Gordon and Bevan Newton Johnson beginning their tasting
Nice to see winemaker Cathy Marshall, who knows how to make a mean Pinot Noir or two herself, which we enjoy very much
Cathy chatting to James Downes of Shannon Vineyards in Elgin, who also grows and makes great Pinot Noir
Sharon Parnell of Domaine des Dieu and Michael Fridjhon tasting a new rosé Pinot noir from Newton Johnson
A 'stack' of Platters wine guides on sale
Lisa and Trixie, two lovely ladies in the tasting room who gave us a quick taste of the wines, even though they were closing the tasting room. We are very grateful, girls. We were only in the valley for the morning
The Newton Johnson line up: The new zesty Pinot Noir rosé from free run juice, Sauvignon Blanc, fresh and green as we love it the elegant and rich Chardonnay, the Pinot Noir and the Full Stop Rock, Shiraz dominated Rhône blend. We opened a bottle of the 2008 this week and it is exceptional. Smooth, spicy and fruity. So good with food. If you have some, drink now, it's the perfect time
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus