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Thursday, December 07, 2017

Wine of the Week. Pink & White Ports for Christmas

What to drink with Mince Pies or other Christmas treats? Well, in a cold northern country we might say a vintage Port or a warm Negus, but here in hot South Africa we might suggest a chilled white or pink port. Perfect for that pre- or after dinner indulgence

Images obtained from wineries

All these wines come from Calitzdorp, South Africa's Port capital

· Axe Hill Cape White is made by the Solera method from several vintages of Chenin blanc, is almost dry but has creamy cooked apple flavour

· Peter Bayly White Port is made from two vintages of Chenin blanc. Peter's description is: "A shy bouquet of roast almond, crushed oats and hints of orange blossom and lemon rind, unfolds into an ethereal, complex and lengthy palate. Peach pip, dried apricot, Seville marmalade, roast almonds and hints of spice taunt the senses, while the Port ends with a characteristically dry finish"

· De Krans Cape Pink. The farm's description says: "a port with a beautiful vibrant blush colour, rich ripe flavours of fresh red berries and a long, lingering aftertaste"

· Boplaas Cape Pink Port. Cape Pink Port, as the style is called locally, is a fresh, fruity Port produced in a similar method to a rosé or blanc de noir wine, but of course fortified. The recipes for the Boplaas Karoo Sunset and Pink Lady cocktails are available from the website

All these wines are delicious straight from the bottle, but a popular use of all these wines in addition to drinking them straight, and always chilled, is to add Indian tonic to make a refreshing long drink for this hot summer

We are grateful to the producers for their notes

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What's on the MENU this week. Homemade Mince Pies

Back to Planning for Christmas, so our next recipe comes under the heading of pleasure and entertaining. Fiona Burrell Stevenson is an old friend of Lynne's; she runs the award winning Edinburgh New Town Cookery School. She was the Principal of the Prue Leith School in London for many years. Yes, you could buy your pastry and the mincemeat, but it is so much nicer to make your own.

Yield: 12 Servings

Image © Borgh Pottery

Homemade Mince Pies

Author: Fiona Burrell Stevenson

This mincemeat is so easy to make and can be stored in the refrigerator.

You can play around with the ingredients and change the dried fruit if you like. Try chopped dried apricots, dried mangos, dried cherries etc. It stores easily in the fridge so you may prefer to make double the batch so you have some to hand when the mince pies run out, which they will - quickly! Once you have made your own mincemeat you will never want to use shop bought again. The pastry is a simple shortcrust.

If you prefer or are feeding lacto vegetarians, or cannot find lard, substitute the lard for butter but the lard does make a very short pastry. You can also add a couple of teaspoons of sugar to the crumb mixture before adding the water if you would like the pastry slightly sweetened.

For the pastry

225g plain flour - pinch salt - 40g lard, chilled and cubed - 80g butter, chilled and cubed - very cold water

For the mincemeat

1/2 an eating apple - 45g sultanas - 45g raisins - 25g currants - 45g dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots - 25g flaked almonds - finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon - finely grated zest of 1/2 orange - 1 tbsp orange juice - 1 tsp mixed spice - 2 tbsp whisky - 30g melted butter - 1 small ripe banana or 1/2 large one

First make the pastry:

Sift the flour with the salt into a large bowl. Add the fats to the flour. Using your finger tips rub the fat into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. (Add sugar now if making sweet short crust). You can use a food processor for this but always add the water by hand. Add 2 tablespoons water into the mixture. Using a knife mix the water into the crumbs until they start to clump together. Add a little more water if necessary, remembering that too much water will make the pastry tough. Bring the dough together with one hand to form a ball of dough. Wrap in cling film and flatten to a thick disc. Chill for 20 minutes before using.

Now make the mincemeat:

Wash and grate the apple with its skin on. Put into a bowl and add the sultanas, raisins, cranberries, dried apricots, almonds, lemon zest, orange zest and juice, mixed spice, whisky and melted butter. Mash the banana and add to the mincemeat. Put into a plastic container or into glass jars and seal. It can be used immediately or it can be stored for a week before using. Keep refrigerated once opened and consume within 6 months.

To bake the mince pies, preheat the oven to 200C. Roll out two thirds of your pastry and cut into rounds with a cutter. Line a patty tin with these circles. Spoon a teaspoon full of filling into each pastry case. Then roll out the remaining pastry and cut slightly smaller circles (or stars). Top the pastry cases with these lids. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. To serve, eat warm dusted with icing sugar.

What to drink with Mince Pies? Well, in a cold northern country we might say a vintage Port or a warm Negus, but here in hot South Africa we might suggest a chilled white or pink port. Perfect for that pre- or after dinner indulgence.

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Thelema's annual Boland Braai

This annual celebration for the wine trade is held on the farm each year. This year was special as patriarch Gyles Webb had his 70th Birthday celebrations that week. A family event; everyone may bring their spouse and children and this year it was lovely to see so many new babies. The full range of Thelema and Sutherland wines is available for tasting. There is a generous spread of salads, cheeses and dessert and much sausage and steak is expertly cooked on the fire. We think these fellows could enter one of the Braai competitions and win

It is held at the private residence of the Webbs, on the terrace and in their magnificent garden

Members of the family like General Manager Thomas Webb, winemaker Rudi Schultz and assistant winemaker Duncan Clarke and the sales marketing team take turns behind the table, pouring tasters of the wines

Platters of great local cheeses with fruit and relishes are there to stem appetites until the braai is ready and they go so well with the wines

Gyles is in charge of the fires and major domo of the braai with a lot of help from the others

The placid family dogs are child friendly and very good at clearing plates mistakenly left on chairs that are within their reach!

The Sutherland Viognier Roussane 2014 is one we really like. It is perfect for summer days and outdoor eating. This 50/50 blend is barrel fermented and so deserves its four and a half stars in Platter this year. The Sutherland Pinot Noir knocked our socks off. This typical elegant and softly fruity Elgin Pinot has legs to go and is backed up by lovely savoury flavours and some soft chalky tannins. We tasted an unlabelled new vintage of The Mint Cabernet sauvignon, full of the eucalypt mint flavours people have so enjoyed in Thelema cabernets of yore. The Sutherland cabernet (previously Cabernet Petit Verdot) delighted us when we bought it last year and we enjoyed the violets on the nose again with the new vintage. There are three Chardonnays, one each wooded from Thelema and Sutherland, which also has an unwooded version. All are delicious with the cooler climate of Elgin producing predictably leaner wines than the full-flavoured Stellenbosch Chardonnay. The two Sauvignons Blanc are so different. The Thelema from the Stellenbosch farm is slightly tropical and full, the Sutherland has more crisp acidity and typical green Sauvignon flavours; we think it is showing best at this time of the year, but they might swap places with a little more age.

Wood is on the way, now just the wait for good coals before the meat can go on. Gyles is supervising

The wonderful mountain views with the Jacarandas in bloom as people relax on the lawn and the children play and eat from their special snack table

Best Boerewors just singing on the coals

And some superb rump steak in its marinade. We were so impressed with its flavour and tenderness, apparently from Stellenbosch Checkers, which must have an excellent butcher, we don’t see meat this good in Sea Point

Done to perfection!

Thomas Webb takes a turn at the fires

Nicely pink and rare in the middle, with crisp fat on the outside

And very easy to cut

Boerewors all ready and portioned for the hungry mob waiting

Lots of chat, lots of trade customers, distributors and media enjoying the evening

Gyles with his wife Barbara and their newest grandchild

The sun is setting and turning the mountains purple and pink; we have been royally fed and 'watered' with great wine, so it is time to head home. Thank you all at Thelema. Happy Christmas and here’s to another successful wine-filled year. And Happy 70th Birthday Gyles

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Wednesday, December 06, 2017

Wine-of-the-Month Club Winemaker Awards 2017

Time for Wine of the Month Club to laud their suppliers. The event was held at Vista Marine restaurant which is behind the Aquarium in the V&A Waterfront. This year's event was a chance to taste some of their most popular wines and meet the winning winemakers

Emil den Dulk of De Toren, Mike Ratcliffe of Warwick and Johan Malan of Simonsig all won awards

The man who started this successful (now on line) wine club in 1986, innovator and owner of Wine-of-the-Month Club Colin Collard

with his sons Clifford and Giscard, directors of the company and daughter Natalie, the wine buyer for the club and the publisher of Good Taste magazine

Clifford Collard began the ceremony. They have 30 000 active members and many more casual buyers. A box of wine is delivered every month. How does the selection of the wines work? They invite a panel of ten independent expert wine judges every week. They ask them to taste 40 wines each week (that is 2000 a year!) and score all the wines blind in a neutral environment at their premises. Blind wine tasting ensures that no judge is influenced by a label, the beauty of a wine farm or warmth of the host. As a member, you can order a selection of wines on line or just let them send you a selected mystery mixed case of the wine styles and varietals you prefer. Check out their website https://www.wineofthemonth.co.za/

Caroline Rillema of Caroline’s Fine Wines won an award for her own Celestina white blend and Jane Ferreira Eedes was there to collect an award for Vondeling

Some hopeful faces. The panel retastes the top 20 of each category every year and finds the champions. They want to award quality

Kathy Leaver Miller, Account and Marketing Manager at Wine-of-the Month Club

Asif Hoosen, Head of Marketing, Product and Public Relations at sponsor Audi South Africa, said that they "are very interested in the top winemakers, they want to know their 'back' stories and to be part of their future"

More intent wine people, with a glass of Johan Malan's winning Simonsig MCC Brut. This has won this category many times

Giscard Collard began the Awards ceremony

One of the slides showing the demographic of their orders nationwide

and another with the top 10 suppliers to the club

Pierre Waal, of Rijks gets his certificate as runner up in the Chenin Blanc category for the Reserve 2011 Chenin. The other runner up was Carl van der Merwe for the De Morgenzon Reserve

Alvi's Drift was awarded the Trophy for the Chenin blanc category with his Albertus Viljoen Chenin blanc 2015 (a Platter 5 star wine), collected here by owner Alvi van der Merwe

The Trophy of Winemaker of the Year went to Gerhard Swart of Flagstone

Some prizes were also awarded, this is some Laborie MCC for winemaker Stephanie Wiid of Fairview

Then it was time for some food to pair with the winning wines

Spicy chicken drumsticks, superb prawns, and fresh oysters,

Those drumsticks

A tray of canapés

Filo pastry quiches

A wicked selection of sweets, chocolates, biscuits and meringues

and a table full of the winning wines to taste

The trophy winners with Colin Collard, only missing Karl Lambour of Tokara who had to leave early

The individual cultivar winners for the Audi South Africa Wine Awards 2017 are:

Chenin Blanc: Alvi’s Drift Wines - Albertus Viljoen Chenin blanc 2015
Dry White Blend: De Morgenzon- Maestro White
Sauvignon Blanc: Brampton Wines
Chardonnay: Pulpit Rock Wines
Bordeaux Blend: Bellevue Wine Estate - Bellevue Tumara 2008
Cabernet Sauvignon: Wellington Wines
Merlot: Bayede Royal Wines
Pinotage: Flagstone Wines - Writer's Block Pinotage
Shiraz: Stony Brook Vineyards - Syrah reserve
MCC: Simonsig - Kaapse Vonkel

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Hillcrest launches new Saartjie wine range

Arno Smith, the winemaker at Hillcrest Wine Estate in Durbanville, invited us and other media to come and taste his newly released wines named after his rather cute Jack Russell terrier, Saartjie. Each of the four wines was paired with some tapas style food and a great evening was enjoyed by all. The wines are now available for tasting and buying at the Hillcrest tasting room.

This is Saartjie, the winemaker’s 2 year old Jack Russell terrier who is his constant companion and his muse and a loved and valued member of the team

Winemaker and viticulturist Arno Smith. He was appointed general winemaking assistant to then winemaker Graeme (Curly) Reed and he made the Sauvignon Blanc and the Rosé, In 2016 he was appointed General Manager and Winemaker. This was his maiden vintage of the red wines

The farm is owned by senior partners in Haw and Ingles, a Cape based construction company specializing in road construction and rehabilitation. Besides wine, they also produce olives, olive oil and now a range of craft beers

Broadcaster Guy MacDonald gets some love

We began the tasting with the Saartjie 2017 Semillon. Made in old white wine barrels, it is in the oxidative style. They allow it to ferment naturally in the barrels and add French oak staves. They made 1 barrel in 2016 which is now sold out, and 1,000 bottles in 2017. Oxidative whiffs, with honeysuckle perfume and 'fine herbes'. Nice limes and cooked apple on the palate, rounded mutton fat texture, as you should find in Semillon, a pinch of Durbanville salt and the wood supports but doesn't show on the palate. A good, enjoyable wine, especially with food

The menu

The Semillon proved itself as a food wine as it went very well with the two dishes served to us: an unusual but good apple and camembert Strudel with figs...

... and cooked pears, gorgonzola and walnuts on a quite tough pastry biscuit.

Then we tasted the 2016 Malbec. Huge notes of expensive French oak on the nose with a little violet. It is a dark, almost black garnet in colour and has intense fruit on both the nose and palate. This is a 10 year wine. Dark berries , cherries, plums and chalky grippy tannins with more violets on the end and some good fruit acidity to help it last the distance. Our favourite wine of the evening and we will try to keep our bottle as long as possible. Lots of quality

This was served with Beetroot and goats cheese

and a rather sweet spicy butternut soup with a parmesan cracker

Then the 2016 Cabernet Franc Still very young this also has lots of incense French oak on the nose with some herbs, with red and black berries. Soft and sweet fruit on the palate with some salty liquorice. It ends with chalky tannins and supporting fruit acid, with a little wildness thrown in

We had this with morsels of good roast pork on top of carrot puree and topped with a very sweet spicy apple chutney ...

... and rather dry chicken koftas on humus, topped with a nice moist smoky paprika tomato relish

Then the 2016 Petit Verdot, which was very popular in the room. It has intense perfume, cassis, coffee mocha on the nose, soft and sweet on the palate with good fruit and a kick of acidity on the end to help it last. This will sell well, it is a good expression of the grape

Accompanied by some rare tuna chunks, seared on the bottom, topped with sesame and rolled cucumber ...

... and awesome rare roast beef slices on crisp rosti with good French mustard, the dish of the evening and so good with the wine

Desserts to tempt were date and coconut balls and extremely moreish dark chocolate Rocky Road chunks which went well with the good coffee -they should sell these in the shop. Lynne bought her annual 3 kilos bucket of black olives from the restaurant shop, a bargain at R220. We thoroughly enjoyed the evening, the wines, food and the company. Thank you Hillcrest

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