Monday, April 19, 2021

Easter lamb braai

We do a traditional Easter meal every year and daughter Clare joins us for dinner. This year, we had a deboned leg of lamb, so it went into John's amazing marinade the day before. It’s an easy recipe with soy, red wine, lots of garlic and fresh lavender and/or rosemary. You can see it after the photographs. The lavender adds an unusual and delicious flavour

Getting the coals hot in our ancient Weber

and sunset over the sea with a long, long tanker passing by

Coals ready, lamb on

This does not take long to cook and with the different thicknesses everyone can have their favourite 'doneness'
we do like pink lamb

Timed to perfection, ready for carving. It does rather look like a map of Africa!

And the final plate. Lynne made duck fat roast potatoes, steamed broccoli, carrots, courgettes, minted baby peas and a good gravy. The wines served were De Wetshof 2017 Bon Vallon Chardonnay, crisp and elegant, which went well with our starter of Chicken liver pâté with almonds and Amaretto. The best wine for the lamb was the 2011 Saronsberg Shiraz; soft and supple and spicy

It was a lovely summer evening and we ate on our deck

The Recipe:

Braaied Butterflied Leg of Lamb

Ask the butcher to debone the leg (or do it yourself) so that there are two half legs, joined in the middle, with fat on one side only. Place the meat in a large bowl and prepare a marinade of

Half cup Olive Oil
Half cup Soy Sauce
1 cup red wine Vinegar, Red Wine or Verjuice
Grated peel and juice of 1 Lemon
6-8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Several sprigs of Lavender or Rosemary

Chop the lavender/rosemary leaves, having stripped them off the stalks. Whip the oil and soy sauce and the other ingredients. Pour the marinade over both sides of the meat, and cover the dish. Marinate for ± 12 hours with the cut side down, turning it occasionally to ensure that the marinade penetrates evenly.

Light the fire, and, just before the flames have completely died, put the meat on the grid, cut side down, to sear for 5-10 minutes.

Turn the meat over, and leave it fat side down, with the lid on the Weber, for ± 30 minutes for a small leg and ± 45 minutes for a larger leg. Baste the leg occasionally with the marinade (More frequently over an open fire).

SERVING – (Use a razor-sharp knife)

Cut the meat down the middle into two “fillets” and carve each one from the meat side toward the fat into very thin slices. The thick parts will be rare, becoming more well-done as the meat becomes thinner.

Serve as you would roast beef

Friday, April 02, 2021

Muratie's Summer Wine Down

On a late March, end of summer Saturday, we headed to Muratie to attend their very first Summer Wine Down event
We were promised a tasting, some history of the farm and some lunch and some live music
Assured of stringent Covid regulations, how could we refuse

Another stunning landscape from the farm is their view of the Simonsberg mountain behind their vineyards

It is a very popular place to stop off for runners and cyclists as they can sit and have breakfast, brunch, lunch
or a wine tasting on the outside tables of the Muratie Farm Kitchen under the shelter of the ancient oak trees
Open from Wednesday to Sunday, Breakfast is from 9am – 11am and lunch from 11am – 3.30pm

Owner Rijk Melck returning from his Saturday morning cycle in time to meet us all

Our media group met in the garden in front of the very pretty late 18th Century Manor House for a wine tasting
The lovely green venue in front of the house can also be used at weddings

and we were welcomed with a glass of Muratie’s Blanc de Blanc Cap Classique, a very good example of the style,
 with a good prickly mousse, crisp, long and dry with the classic flavours of Chardonnay, apple and lime. Just our style too

Desmond Binneman, National Sales & Marketing Manager, was our host
He told us about the farm’s history and led the tasting

Tables nicely spread far apart, we chose the one at the back

It is an extremely pretty venue, very green and lush,
the garden has been well planted and you sit in the shade of ancient trees

Dr Rijk Melck, Winemaker Hattingh de Villiers, and P.R.O. Posy Hazell

Some snacks of crisp samoosas and spicy spring rolls
Instead of handing these round or providing a buffet, each person was given their own portion,
much safer because of no general hand contact with the food
We enjoyed them very much, but they did blow the palate a little; luckily the Blanc de Blanc calmed it down

Desmond told us some of the history behind the names of the wines,
all named for previous owners of this very historic farm, established in 1685
In front of the Winery is a small white house which is now the art gallery
This was the first home that the first owner Laurens Campher (1685 -1735) built for his family
Beside the house is the oak tree his wife, Ansela van de Caab, planted
Theirs is a very romantic story. Ansela was a slave and he had to get her freedom
before they could marry and move to Muratie where he was establishing the farm.
He had to walk for three days to get to Cape Town to see her. And then three days back

We then had three vertical tastings of Muratie wines. It is always an extreme privilege to see how wines develop
and change with age and a great learning experience for people new to wine, who are often excited to see what happens with time

The first wine was the Lourens Campher, which is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdelho and Viognier
From left to right: 2013 has a hint of smoke and spice, shy fruit initially, then lots of apple
Dry - not influenced by the touch of Viognier, rounded with good complex fruit flavours on the palate
and a little wood on the end. It has aged well

2017 Golden fruit on the nose; the Chenin predominates with some spice and good expectations
Sweet summer fruit, golden delicious apples, nice gentle wood integration and it yells for food

The current vintage 2019 has beautiful perfumed fruit on the nose
Guava and spice is on both the nose and the palate, crisp fruit acids, mid palate of loquat
then lime, lemons and wood point to a very good wine with aging potential developing

Hearing some more of the interesting history of the farm
The aged tasting room with its cobwebs is not allowed to be changed; it is almost a national monument!

Marketing Assistant Jean-Mari Reyneke is always so helpful and friendly

Desmond told us about the wines, all named after previous owners of the farm or their family
Muratie dates back to the first owner, Laurens Campher, who established the farm in 1685,
when it was granted to him by Simon van der Stel, who was Governor of the Cape of Good Hope at the time

Then three Muratie Merlots. The first does not bear a previous owner’s name;
it was a lucky discovery in their vinoteque and we were very privileged to be tasting it
2001. What a lasting nose, quite awesome. It does have a hint of Brettanomyces,
but that is what can make red wines long lasting.
On the palate, rich red berry fruit, dark damson plums and cherries with some licorice wood
and even some chalky tannins

The 2013 Alberta Annemarie Merlot has intense wood and dark red and black cherries, good wood
and is perfumed with rose and jasmine. A fine nose. And it is lovely on the palate with rich plum,
ripe mulberry and black cherry fruit, with dark toasted wood on the end
It needs to be drunk with good steak or rich meats. Excellent

The 2017 current vintage is still a bit shy with hints of plums, cherries and wood on the nose
Great fruit on the palate - reminded us of Rowntree blackcurrant fruit pastilles,
crisp fruit acids and chalky tannins and wood
A wine which has all the components it needs, in waiting and, with the 2013, we can see what it can become

Alberta Annamarie Canitz, after whom the Merlot was named, inherited Muratie from her father Georg
She sold it to Rijk Melck’s father Ronnie in 1987, knowing that he would hold on to the long traditions of the farm,
especially as it had belonged to his family in the 17th and 18th Centuries
It was acquired by Martin Melck in 1763

Rijk swirls the wine before nosing

The final flight was the Cabernet Sauvignon, named for Rijk's ancestor Martin Melck
He owned the farm from 1763 to 1781 and it was passed down in the family until the late 1880's when it was sold

Left to Right: 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. Sweet and sour berries, lots of cassis and perfume
Dark, dark toasted wood, stewed berry fruit, long flavours with chalky tannins holding

2013 is quite pale for a Cabernet with light cassis and cherry notes
Soft, sweet dark berry fruit and a good kick of crispness. Soft and chalky tannins supporting;
a respectable Cabernet with long flavours

2015 has a different nose, with vegetal hints. It is silky on the palate,
full on cassis berries and leaves, good chalky tannins and good structure
It is just waiting to bloom and it will. It became more juicy with time as it opened in the glass

Autumn is suddenly with us, almost a month early

Time for lunch and it was good to see the terrace full of people attending the event
Everyone had their temperatures taken on arrival, and had to give their name and contact details
in case they needed to be contacted because of Covid. It is a very happy place

We were entertained by The Bulllets with nostalgic 1960s pop music 

Kim Melck is in charge of the Muratie Farm Kitchen as well as being its talented chef

The exciting menu for the day on the Media table, with choices for all

Our starter was a perfectly made Caesar salad, with a perfect oozy poached egg, shaved parmesan, cos lettuce,
crisp croutons and the correct sauce tasting of anchovies
Hidden beneath were succulent slices of delicate cooked smoked chicken
Delicious and a meal on its own. Beautiful with the Laurence Campher and ....

.... we enjoyed it with the Muratie Isabella wooded Chardonnay; Crisp limes and golden oak

We always tell people that you will find the best lamb shanks in Cape Town at Muratie
and today we were overjoyed to have them for lunch
Served in a rich lamb jus, with creamed potatoes, heritage carrots
and lots of good fresh green vegetables they were a treat
We drank some of the Martin Melck Cabernet Sauvignon with the lamb
and the Alberta Annamarie Merlot, both were excellent choices

The lamb is succulent and just falls off the bone, all the fat has disappeared in the long slow cooking

and for dessert a perfect vanilla pannacotta, topped with a zingy berry coulis and a fresh raspberry
An excellent meal, well matched by the Muratie wines

A chance to taste the 2000 Muratie Pinot Noir was gratefully accepted and appreciated
It is a very good Pinot noir, with lots of class and full of the classic Pinot flavours, soft and silky
Muratie was the first farm to plant Pinot noir in South Africa and their Pinot was used with Cinsaut (aka Hermitage)
from a neighbour farm to create the Pinotage cross

Lots of chat on the long media table; nicely spaced apart
and then it was time for carriages home after a really enjoyable day
Thank you so much to all at Muratie
So good to see some of the other media people and Posy too, after a very, very long time of Covid

A beautiful Queen protea, Protea Magnifica, which decorated our table

and Lynne spotted this magnificent beastie walking across the path
It was about 8 cm long. It is a Death's head hawk moth (Acherontia atropos) larva/caterpillar

Thursday, March 25, 2021

MENU visits Franschhoek. Four days of farm and restaurant visits

Heavy rain falling on the GlenWood wine estate, Franschhoek

We were given a very kind gift by friends who live in Carlisle in England. They are swallows and have not been able to come back to their flat here for two summers due to Covid. Every year they also book a self catering place in Franschhoek for two weeks, for which they prepay. They had hoped to come again this year but the UK went into lock down just as they were about to travel. So they offered us and a couple of other people their time at Sunny Lane.....

Three nights at Sunny Lane Guest House

We waited a few days to see if the others had booked it out before phoning, but no one had yet reserved any time. We are wary of booking at weekends, now that we are on Schedule 1 and people can travel. Our Wedding Anniversary was coming up, so Lynne thought we might as well celebrate it there and booked us in on the Monday 8th, departing on Thursday, 11th March. It seems that Franschhoek is very, very busy at weekends, so we had a marvellous time in a rather quiet village, which was exactly what we wanted.  Read on...


We began our days in Franschhoek with a visit to Colmant, one of Franschhoek’s best Cap Classique producers. Owner Jean-Philippe Colmant has won many awards for his sparkling wines. and has renowned winemaker Paul Gerber on board and Pieter (Bubbles) Ferreira as a consultant, a winning combination. Read on...

We called in at La Cotte Inn Wine Sales / Fromages de France, to speak to Ludwig and Lodine Maske and buy some cheese. Life has not been easy for them, prevented, like everyone else in the business, from selling alcohol for so many months. Ludwig is very knowledgeable about wine and he has some interesting wines at the moment, well priced. Read on...

One of the reasons we decided to go to Franschhoek on Monday the 8th of March was that it was our 18th wedding anniversary and this seemed like the ideal way to celebrate to it. We would be there when there were not many people about. Franschhoek is nicely busy at weekends and we are avoiding being with any sort of crowd. The downside is that many restaurants do not open until Thursday or Friday and the weekend, so our choices were limited. We have been to several of the Chef's Warehouse restaurants and were very happy to discover that their Maison restaurant is open on Mondays. (they close on Tuesday and Wednesday). Read on...

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Rickety Bridge

Tuesday dawned damp and grey, so we were pleased that we had invitations to wine farms to fill our day. First to Rickety Bridge, where you can stay at the Manor House, visit the winery to taste the wines and eat in their restaurant, Paulina’s. Read on...

Tasting Mullineux and Leeu Wines with Chris Mullineux

Then a visit to the Leeu Estate to see Chris Mullineux and taste the Mullineux and Leeu family wines, kindly arranged for us by Nicolette Waterford. The grounds are quite magnificent, as are the views... Read on...

Sushi Lunch at GlenWood

It had rained heavily overnight and there was a mist above the valley when we set out on Wednesday for GlenWood, down Robertsvlei Road. We know their excellent wines and had been invited to come and sample their excellent Gourmet Sushi. Everyone in Franschhoek to whom we mentioned that we were going there said you will really enjoy it; the sushi is very good. And it was.. Read on...

Tasting with Irene Waller at La Bri

A visit to La Bri in Franschhoek happened on Thursday morning of our visit. We had not told them that we were coming, as we did not think we would have the time, but we did manage to clean, pack and move out of our accommodation at Sunny Lane by 10 am. We were not due at our lunch appointment until 12. Read on...

Lunch and tasting with the von Arnims at Haute Cabrière

Our final stop on our Franschhoek four day extravaganza was a visit to Haute Cabrière. We have known the family for many, many years and were so looking forward to seeing them after quite a while, doing a tasting with Cellarmaster Takuan von Arnim and having lunch with Achim and Hildegard von Arnim. The rain was over, the valley was looking beautiful. They do have some of the very best views of Franschhoek. Read on...