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MENU's Wine of the Week. Perdeberg Dryland Collection Barrel fermented Chenin blanc 2013

This wine is one of our top Chenin Blancs and yet it is at the really reasonable end of the queue for your money. It is a wine to savour, to sip, to enjoy before and during a meal and it never fails to impress us. All that stirring of the lees gives it a rich rose, full of melons and warm grass with a hint of lemon and honey. It fills the mouth with richness too and plays layers of complex fruit flavours in harmony, such a satisfying song that goes on and on to finish with a little lime marmalade. Try it, you will like it

Cellar door price is R462.00 inc 14% VAT for a case of 6x 750ml or R77 per bottle

which is a real bargain for a wine of this quality

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Tasting and overnight at Simonstown's Lord Nelson Inn; Fish & chips at Salty Sea Dog

We receive some interesting invitations; some we can't resist. We live on a peninsula, but we must confess that we rarely visit the other end of it, so this was a chance to have a welcome overnight break, taste some good wine and eat great fish and chips, all before setting off early the next morning after a good breakfast to the CWG auction at Spier

The Lord Nelson Hotel is on the main road running through Simon's Town, famous for its Naval dockyards. They are just across the road from its entrance. It is a typical old style Traveller’s hotel, which has had a revamp

The entrance plaque

The wine tasting advertising. It was very well attended by locals, who enthusiastically embrace this sort of entertainment . And there were some very good wines to taste

Our room is named after the famous friendly Great Dane, AB Just Nuisance, that used to escort naval men about town during the Second World War and became a mascot and was even enlisted into the Royal Navy. He even got his own pass to travel on the train. Read about it here http://www.simonstown.com/tourism/nuisance/nuisance.htm It’s a lovely story

The room with its large bed and good linen, has a bathroom and access to the shared terrace outside

The view from the terrace. Noisy and, sadly, rather full of traffic fumes

Views of the SA Navy ships in harbour

The bar still speaks to the past history of the hotel

Bedecked with lots of Navy shields, presents from visiting ships, and a bust of Lord Nelson

Lynne chatting to old friend Tariro Masayiti, GM and winemaker at Springfontein in Stanford while his wife Hildegard chooses another wine for us to taste

The happy couple

Also showing their wines were Tracey Fourie and Matthew from Benguela Cove near Hermanus

Raka owner Piet Dreyer's daughter Jorika (also in Stanford) was an excellent choice to do their wine tasting, she is so knowledgeable about the wines, which are made by her brother Joseph. Jorika runs the tasting centre on the farm

It seems this was a hat wearing day for the locals, here seen enjoying some wine from Hermanuspietersfontein (Hermanus)

The popular tasting was held in two rooms. Some canapés were served

The tasting ended at 8 and we then went in search of some supper. We fancied some fish and chips, which this area does so well as it’s the base for many of our fishermen. The Main Road was pretty quiet even at this early hour

The restaurant, the Salty Sea Dog, was only about 5 or 6 minutes walk from the hotel and is just across from Bertha’s

Initially, we were seated in the glassed in terrace, but it was a little chilly that evening so we moved inside as soon as a table became available

Some of the best fish and chips we have ever been served in the Cape. We told them crispy chips please and they delivered. After wine, we drank beer and it goes so well together with this dish. No frills, just lemon and Lynne ordered a small pot of tartar sauce

The bill came to a very reasonable R212

A notice in the restaurant!

The take out menu. This was very popular with guests and Mr Delivery drivers arriving all the time. The only combo that is missing was our favourite: calamari and fish

We loved the witty T shirts that the very helpful staff wear

We met a street vendor selling this wonderful wire and LED light sculpture of a rabbit on the street. Sadly we weren’t carrying cash. Lynne is so impressed by the sheer artistry of what they can create and each year there is something new, innovative and well made, from almost nothing. We walked home with the song Bright Eyes echoing in our heads. This would enchant a child

A local hostelry

Down to breakfast the next morning after a rather noisy night with people talking loudly outside at 1 pm. John had an Omelette, Lynne had Bacon and Eggs, both nicely prepared and the coffee was also very good; then it was off to the CWG auction via the magnificent coastal road, Baden Powell Drive

Durbanville Wine Valley Pinotage Media day at Meerendal.

It is obvious from various tastings we have experienced over the last few months that Pinotage is coming of age in a big way. And that it is doing well outside of the recognised terroirs. This was reinforced by a tasting of some the Durbanville Pinotages at Meerendal recently

Angela Fourie, the PRO for the Durbanville Wine Valley. National Pinotage Day was held this year on Saturday, 9th October and there were many Pinotage celebrations throughout the winelands

She welcomed us and explained that each wine we were tasting would be introduced by someone from that farm, where possible the winemaker

Bennie Howard, public relations officer for Meerendal Estate, talked about the Pinotages in the valley and the history of Pinotage. Pinotage is having a ball, getting great sales here and abroad. People overseas recognise it and Chenin as representing South Africa. Pinotage in Durbanville used to be the biggest planted red grape, it was all sold to Stellenbosch Farmers Winery. Then Sauvignon Blanc became popular in the 80's and took over, and farmers began to make their own wine from it. 6 farms of the 12 use it in their wines. It is easy to grow, harvest and make, can produce 12 tons a hectare and is a good cash crop. It also is an early season grape. Durbanville has an advantage because of the hills, the soils and wind cooled climate from the daily sea breezes, which produces a lighter more elegant style made for drinking, not the usual big rich and fat wines produced on the warmer mountain climes

Time to taste

Bennie Howard, King of Durbanville Pinotage

Bennie became one of the first three Cape Wine Masters in 1983

We began with the Altydgedacht 2015 and winemaker Etienne Louw took us through the wine. Incense wood with notes of herbal forest floor and smoky bacon. It is elegant and restrained with long flavours of rhubarb, mulberries and cranberries

Then winemaker Mari Branders showed us the Diemersdal Reserve 2015 which is 50% bush vine. 6 years in the ABSA Top 10 Pinotages, the wine has red velvet, bacon and cherries on the nose with morello cherries and chalky tannins on the palate. It needs time

Tasting Room Manager Douglas Swanson took us through the De Grendel 2015 Black Label Pinotage, made by Charles Hopkins. This was only a preview of the wine which is new to the range and will be released on the 2nd of November. It was our favourite wine of the tasting. Again it has that smoky bacon on the nose (is this a Durbanville characteristic or was it the kitchen smells?) It is full of rich dark red berries on the nose and palate, great fruit, lots of elderberry and soft chalky tannins. An exciting wine which will age well

Etienne le Roux from Bloemendal talked us through their light 2014 Pinotage and told us that it is their intention to make the style more like Pinot Noir, which we don't understand. It has notes of violets and red fruit on the nose and soft sweet fruit with minimal tannins on the palate. It is juicy and indeed more like the parent Pinot Noir than the other Pinotages

Wilhelm Coetzee, red winemaker at Durbanville Hills told us about the Rhinofields 2014 Pinotage, which spends one year in barrel. This has serious wood, smoky, dark toast, followed by fruit and some herbal fynbos. Silky soft on the palate with black cherries, some maraschino hints, and cranberries. One to keep and savour

Meerendal Cellarmaster Lisa Goodwin talked about their Heritage Block 2010 Pinotage. Again, smoky bacon, cherries and mulberries on the nose. Soft strawberry fruit

Mr Pinotage. Beyers Truter was a guest at the tasting ...

... and seemed to be enjoying the wines

The line up of Pinotages

And others to taste with lunch. The magnum of 1996 Meerendal Pinotage was an excellent example of how well this varietal ages

Starter was a beef carpaccio with beetroot, caper berries, olives, goats cheese and rocket. A good match to the Pinotages

Bennie making sure we have wine to drink with lunch

The main course was a game or beef pot pie with yellow rice and lovely blanched vegetables that were good dipped in the rich pie sauce. The meat was rather dry though

The brave chef produced Chocolate fondants for the large crowd and they worked, all were dark and oozy as they should be. Topped with ice cream and a strawberry they were a nice end to the meal and the tasting

Durbanville Pinotage people with two guests: Duimpie Bayly, who has done much to help them in the past and Beyers Truter. Thank you. We think Pinotage in Durbanville has a good future, No metallic tastes were found, very little banana and no rust. Well done

SASSI Trailblazer Awards 2016

Do you like fish and seafood? The question is fairly rhetorical. If you do like eating fish and seafood, you should know that our seas are being overfished and we have to protect many species or they will become extinct and no longer there to enjoy. SASSI stands for South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative. They publish a list of all seafood divided into three groups: Green: Best choice, Orange: Think twice, Red: Don’t buy. Check out the website http://wwfsassi.co.za/ and download their app to your phone so that, when you’re out and ordering fish, you can make an informed decision

Six of South Africa’s finest cuisine masters have been crowned as SASSI Trailblazer Chefs for 2016. Each of the winners is accomplished in his or her own right. These six individuals have gone above and beyond in their kitchens to create and maintain a sustainable seafood hub within their industry

We live in a wonderful suburb alongside the sea that provides us with all its riches

We love going to events where we can take the MyCiti Bus, save on petrol, emissions and traffic congestion as well as enjoy a glass of wine safely

This year's event was held on the terrace at the Table Bay Hotel in the Waterfront. Chef Chris Erasmus of Foliage restaurant in Franschhoek is a previous award winner and SASSI ambassador. He is with Simon Ash of The Fat Fish who was there to receive an award

Rudi Liebenberg, Executive Chef at the Mount Nelson Hotel, is also a past winner

SASSI members of staff with Pavitray Pillay, Manager of the WWF SASSI program

A really good selection of white wines to taste

and some Rosés. Both go so well with seafood. But so does red wine with certain dishes. There are NO hard and fast rules

Clare Mack of Spill Brand Communications announced the awards

She spoke with the working docks behind her

Pavitray Pillay of SASSI

Eamon McLoughlin and Lynne, Tweeting the announcements

Past, present and future award winners listening to the speeches

More listening chefs

Rudi talks about the initiative and how he operates it at the Mount Nelson. (He is wearing the boot because he recently severed his Achilles tendon)

Diana Howell, GM of Kurland Hotel

The winners for 2016 are chefs: L to r Claire Blinkhorn-Street (Haute Cabrière), Constantijn Hahndiek (Hartford House), Carl van Rooyen (Vineyard Hotel), Leon Coetzee (Kurland Hotel) and Simon Ash (The Fat Fish)

Andrea Burgener (The Leopard) could not be present

The Award winners with Pavitray Pillay and Jocelyn Myers-Adams, Exec Chef at The Table Bay

Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront at eventide

We were taken aback and hugely surprised to be given a Media Award. We do support the SASSI initiative in MENU our publication

Main Ingredient was our wine and food shop which closed in 2010