Thursday, July 25, 2019

A Weekend in Stellenbosch. 4. Jordan Bakery

The final stop on our Stellenbosch Wine Routes "Experience Winter in Stellenbosch" last weekend was Jordan,
for lunch at the Bakery. The sun was shining and we were well wrapped up and so were very happy to sit out on the terrace
The tasting room is open, should you want a wine tasting
#StellenboschisCool in Winter
Inside the bakery, where they make very good bread and cakes as well as breakfast and lunch
A nice long table had been prepared for our group
A view from the deck, toward the Bakery on the left and the tasting room on the right
and one of the best views in the Winelands We heard that there had been snow on these mountains
after the very cold, wet Friday night, but it had all melted by Sunday lunchtime
Looking down the Stellenboschkloof
Each couple could order a bottle of Jordan wine with lunch and we had no hesitation in ordering
the Outlier Sauvignon Blanc 2017, a great favourite of ours which goes so well with food
You, too, can go and do their winter special for two, a curry and accompaniments, a bottle or red or white wine
and a coffee all for R375 per couple. It is a large helping of good chicken curry, topped with shaved coconut,
yellow cous cous with dried apricots and some yogurt and cucumber raita
It also comes with some black bean salad and two buttered Naan breads
This is one generous portion. As we'd had a rather large hotel breakfast and a soup tasting at Spier before we got to Jordan,
we found that this was too much food;
we asked for a doggie bag to take home for lunch the next day. So enjoyable, we do recommend this
Cape Buffalo in the field on a farm below Jordan. The one standing did rise quickly, menacing John
as he approached with his long camera lens - we think he thought it was a gun!
We are happy he didn't charge the fence
John got back into the car quite quickly
It was a really enjoyable winter experience and we encourage you to contact Stellenbosch Wine Routes who can organise something similar for you and your family and friends. The Stellenbosch Wine Routes office and Visitor Information Centre is located at 47 Church Street, Stellenbosch
For queries, visitors are encouraged to contact Stellenbosch Wine Routes on +27 21 886 4310 Or via email on explore@wineroute.co.za 
For more information on Stellenbosch and for inspiration on visits to the region, visit http://www.wineroute.co.za/

Posted by MENU at 10:23 pm 0 comments

A Weekend in Stellenbosch. 2. Blaauwklippen

When we arrived at Blaauwklippen, we were welcomed with a glass of MCC… but, first, it had to be opened... 
One of the staff members demonstrated sabrage on a bottle of their Zinfandel bubbly to welcome us
And bang goes the cork with the top of the bottle!
And one of member of our media group also had a go, with explosive result
Snowdrops already in bloom
And we then enjoyed a glass or two of the Blaauwklippen MCC Brut 2017 made from Zinfandel,
less sugar than before in the dosage making this a nice crisp MCC
Then Marketing Manager Johan van Dyk took us on a lovely walk through the gardens
We saw the Jonkmanshuis, which is now good accommodation
The old cellar
and the old manor house, which has now been converted into a superb venue
which can be hired for business, weddings or any other family or group occasion
It is superbly decorated and finished. It has a long dinner or board room table
Four stunning bedrooms with the en suite in each room
Very spacious
Two of these old Armoires are built into the hall walls; they are fully functional
Another of the bedrooms with an open fireplace
A superb and very large modern kitchen has been installed
Another angle
and on the window, a pane that may not be touched or washed
Johan shows us a message written on the glass many years ago, using a diamond
A glass building that can be used for conferences, weddings, festivals, with a lovely view of the mountains behind
We went into the Jonkmanshuis to see the accommodation there
A nicely decorated and rather comfortable room with its own separate bathroom
Up close to the conservatory building
Amusingly, they have converted these old wine storage tanks into toilets, which would serve the conservatory building
We went inside for a tasting and to have some lunch
 This is the current price list which has details of the different tastings on offer and the wine prices
We were to taste three wines which were paired with their Bunny Chows (which is a takeaway food consisting of a hollowed-out half loaf of bread filled with a vegetable or meat curry, believed to have originated in Durban). Lynne, who had reservations and who does not like soggy bread Bunny Chows, was delighted at these and really enjoyed the pairing. You too can do this pairing at Blaauwklippen: Bunny Chow & Wine Tasting - R175 (Per Person)

Nonotsikelelo Fundakubi (known as Nono) took us through the wines and the pairing
The first wine was the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc which has pine and guava notes on the intense herbal nose. Round on the palate then crisp zingy acids. This paired well with the flavoursome Butter chicken Bunny chow, served, not in a hollowed out piece of bread loaf, but in a hollowed out herb roll. The next pairing was the 2017 Shiraz, which has spent 20 months in French oak. Initially lactic notes then lots of spice and sour cherry and rhubarb on the nose. Dry tannins, soft cherry and plum fruit on the palate, with long flavours and dark wood. This was paired with quite gamy Springbok curry in an olive and herb bread. Then for the dessert bunny chow which had berry fruit and dark chocolate topped with whipped cream in a roll with chocolate chips. And was such a good pairing with the Before and After aperitif, sweet zingy cherries and lots of warm alcohol. Perfect on a chilly day
We could also taste the award winning Blaauwklippen 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (89% & Merlot 11%), which has spent 20 months in oak. This scored 93 points in the Winemag Prescient Cabernet Sauvignon Report 2019. Cherry cassis berries on the nose, with smoky bacon wood. Cassis and cherry fruit then chalk on the long well flavoured palate with a little green leaf wildness on the end
The current line up of Blaauwklippen wines with their Brandy and White Zinfandel
Judging will be taking place this week for the annual Blaauwklippen Blending Competition where wine clubs enter their blend of supplied Blaauwklippen wines. If you have a wine club you might like to enter next year. Look at the Blaauwklippen website for details of this

It is great fun to do. This year’s winners will be announced on the 18th of October

All content ©  John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus
Posted by MENU at 5:17 pm 0 comments

A Weekend in Stellenbosch. 1. Haskell Vineyards

A great invitation from Stellenbosch Wine Routes to "Experience Winter in Stellenbosch" with them last weekend
 #StellenboschisCool
We joined several other members of the media for the first event, a wine tasting at Haskell Wines
with Armand Swart, the Tasting Room Manager
The one white and four red wines we were to taste
Preston Haskell, an American born real estate magnate, owns the farm. Rudolph Steenkamp has taken over as winemaker
(and Viticulturist) since Rianie Strydom left to concentrate on making her own Strydom Vintners wines
Each couple received a generous gift of two Stellenbosch wines from Stellenbosch Wine Routes
We began with the 2018 Anvil, a single vineyard Chardonnay which is full of golden fruit and perfume on the nose It spends 12 months in new oak barrels and has crisp lemon lime flavours, chalky tannins and just a hint of wood on the long end. The 2013 Pillars Syrah is also a single vineyard wine. Good fruit and a touch of Brett on the nose, sweet berry fruit, nice tight tannins and lots of mulberries on the end. Haskell are currently replanting many of their vines due to virus. The 2014 Aeon Syrah has a pretty fruity nose with violets and wood. Soft mouthfeel on entry, then good dark berry fruit and grippy tannins. Needs more time. They have reduced the price from R350 to R205 and it is selling out. One for your cellar? The 2014 Haskell II a blend of 60% Shiraz and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon has lovely savoury fruit on the nose with whiffs of smoke. Mulberry and cherry fruit soft and sweet initially, chalky and grippy tannins, long flavours with licorice wood on the end. The 2013 Haskell IV has dark almost bruléed fruit on the nose with smoke on the end. Dry chalky tannins initially hide the fruit, then grape jam appears in this Bordeaux blend which was matured in in 70% new French oak
The views are so good from the terrace. It was a very cold morning
We surmise that, overnight, this fountain would have had some ice on it
The Haskell Aeon Syrah 2014
The Long Table restaurant with its outside tables. There is a roaring fire in the passageway
View over a green and wintry Stellenbosch
The green is the cover crops growing beneath the vines, which will all be ploughed in to enrich the soil come Spring
A table set for a tasting outside. We, thankfully, were inside
Time to move on to the next wine farm on our journey through cool Stellenbosch
All content ©  John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus


The views are so good from the terrace.  It was a very cold morning. We surmise that overnight this fountain would have had some ice on it.

The Long Table restaurant  with its outside tables.  There is a roaring fire in the passageway
View over a green and wintery Stellenbosch  The green are the cover crops growing beneath the vines which will all abe ploughed in to enrich the soil come Spring.
A table set for a tasting outside. We thankfully were inside. Time to move on to the next wine farm on our journey through cool Stellenbosch

Posted by MENU at 4:29 pm 0 comments

DGB Trade Show at the Mount Nelson

Two trade wine shows this week and they could not have been more different. The first was Douglas Green Bellingham (DGB), held at the Mount Nelson. We began as we usually do with a tasting of the MCCs from Graham Beck and once again fell in love with the Blanc de Blanc, so crisp and seductive. We chatted with Chris du Toit GEO of Graham Beck Enterprises
Kerry Kirby handles sales for Steenberg and Graham Beck and we enjoyed tasting the Steenberg Christina Bordeaux blend, the Merlot and the superb Nebbiolo with her
Kerry Kirby with Heather Poulos, Steenberg's Marketing Manager
Wow, the best way to supply food to the hungry trade that we have ever seen. They (and we) come after (and some, before)
work and need something to line the stomach while tasting wine. No elusive canapés passing in the distance,
but a well supplied table groaning with easy to eat delicious food
Pork and Pistachio terrine and good salami
The Gravadlax salmon was in a gentle herb marinade
An assortment of bread and crackers
A good selection of cheese, grapes, preserved figs and dried apricots, apple and mango
Very good scotch eggs; the sausage meat had lots of flavour
Paté
And a huge selection of dips and patés
Good Parma ham
James Gower, Premium Brand Manager at DGB (Pty) Ltd, on the Franschhoek Cellar table
We really like the branding of this wine from Franschhoek Cellars, a blend of their best wines:
The Last Elephant 2017. a Bordeaux blend of Merlot 52%; Cabernet Sauvignon 29%; Cab Franc 10%, .Malbec 9%
Great news that Boschendal winemaker Lizelle Gerber of Boschendal is soon to join Nederburg as Cellarmaster
Kathy van Niekerk and Lizelle Gerber
Why are Grandwill and Gaynor Johnson the only people sitting down? ...
... They are having their caricature done by talented Peter Mascher!
We really enjoyed these two French Quarter wines from Old Road Wines. The 2016 white is a blend of Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc and Semillon; a very modern wine in South Africa as we head for warmer temperatures and these Southern Rhône grape varietals are so successful. Full, round and fruity, but with depth and so good with food. R150/R156. The 2015 red is Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, a deep dark composition of good fruit and enjoyment
On the Old Road Wines table, where they bill themselves as The Quirky Ones. Works for us!
Wayne Morris, Vergelegen National Sales Manager and Marese Swanepoel
we will be seeing Wayne Morris on the farm soon
Richard Duckitt, Bellingham winemaker, with his lovely wines
It was a dash to get round all the stands as there were so many excellent wines to sample
All content ©  John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus
Posted by MENU at 3:32 pm 0 comments
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