Author: trwk1966

Veni, Vidi, Vici, VINO Part 3

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We strolled back to the car with the knowledge that we had to be back in Cape Town by 5:30pm to be sure of being scrubbed up and ready for our Black Tie evening at the Clifton penthouse.

What we hadn’t expected was that with the traffic in our favour we would make it to Somerset West on the outskirts of Cape Town just before 4pm! This gave us the magic half hour window to make an unscheduled stop at the world famous Vergelegen estate owned by the  mining conglomerate Anglo American PLC.

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The Vergelegen Estate

My wife had been here several times before and waxed lyrical about both the wines and the gardens! What’s even more remarkable is that in 1962 the last vines from this 300 year old estate were removed and the estate left fallow until its purchase and substantial investment by Anglo in 1987!I can’t think of another estate in the world where so much has been achieved in such a short time, albeit with a substantial investment!

Sadly with just a 30 minute window we decided to go our separate ways with Gillian enjoying the gardens and I the wines. I was lucky enough to meet the manager of the tasting room , Frieda Stanbridge, who knew my wife from previous visits.

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Tim and Wine Tasting Manager, the legendary Frieda Stanbridge at the bar in the tasting room at Vergelegen

 

Frieda has been at Vergelegen for thirteen years and my god is her knowledge encyclopaedic or what??Despite being really busy she took me through a personal tasting of her favourite Vergelegen wines.

As I sat on the terrace at the rear of the tasting room, it was a real joy to look out over the magnificently manicured gardens whilst feeling the burning warmth of the afternoon sun on my neck.  First of all Frieda took the time to explain to me some of the basic code of Vergelegen wines.

Premium: Equals the high volume wines and includes 2 Whites (a Chardonnay and a Sauvignon Blanc) and 2 Reds (a Cabernet Merlot and and a Shiraz). Don’t be fooled into thinking that these are their prestige cuvées like I was, these are their entry level wines with the grapes coming from 14 different blocks of terroir.

As I was under time pressure Frieda suggested that we bypass these and cut straight to the next level!

Frieda had lined up an eclectic selection of wines rom their next two tiers, four from the Reserve range and two from their stellar Flagship range wines. These two are bottled under the acronym G.V.B. (Grown/Bottled/Vinified).

So to the wine…first up

Vergelegen Reserve Sauvignon Blanc. I’ve never tried this before and my only yardstick was the Premium range Sauvginon. This was a completely different wine ! Unlike the Premium which is composed of grapes from 14 different plots this is produced from a specific block single vineyard.

The result is a wine that is less upfront than your typical New Zealand Sauvignon, and without the grassy and green pepper nose, by contrast the Reserve has an almost honeycomb nose with what the locals refer to as a nose of indigenous vegetation. This gives the wine a multi-dimensional and complex flavour with the tastes evolving with every mouthful.

Vergelegen Reserve Chardonnay. This is 100% barrel fermented with a natural yeast. The result is a not overly buttery style of Chardonnay with lots of varietal character.A very sophisticated wine.

Before we moved onto the Flagship G.V.B. White, Frieda also explained that the Vergelegen philosophy is that wine and food should exist in synergy. With this theme in mind we debated why do so many restaurants ask you for your wine choice before you’ve even chosen your food! We couldn’t really come up with a solution to that one!

I have to admit that I’m a bit of a White Bordeaux virgin so was completely bowled over by….

G.V.B. White: A Bordeaux style blend of 62% Semillon and 38% Sauvignon Blanc. This was one of my favourite wines that I tasted in South Africa. The Semillon dominates as you’d expect from the blend ratio. The honeysuckle nose gives way to a really complex and long finish.

At its heart this is a food wine.

It also possesses a chameleon like personality in that it pairs perfectly well with seafood/shellfish yielding bamboo like flavours equally it’s acidity cuts through the concentrated fat of a slow roasted pork belly joint or a Free Range fatty pork chop.

In the UK this wine is available from Jeroboams – Elizabeth Street

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2012 Vergelegen G.V.B. White

Vergelegen Reserve Shiraz

This wine is a little like a tall mysterious stranger! Unlike most South African Shiraz and those from the New World this wine does not exhibit those big, bold and in your face characteristics that personify wines from those areas. Instead think a style more reflective of a Rhone style Syrah and even more specifically those from the Southern Rhone, all soft dark berry fruit, spice and white pepper. Indicative of the winemakers wish to maintain quality, with only a mere 18 hectares of Shiraz available this wine is only released in years where he feels the wine meets his exactingly high standards for quality.

Vergelegen Reserve “DNA”

This is made in the style of a classic St. Emilion, a blend heavily weighted towards Cabernet Franc and Merlot.The wine is named after Don Tooth, MD of Vergelegen and André van Rensburg the winemaker. At its heart this is a food wine through and through! The herbaceous characteristics of the Cabernet Franc grape are really brought out with dishes that are cooked with fresh herbs like slow roasted lamb shanks with rosemary. There is also a nice finish to this wine that is reminiscent of stewed plums so its no surprise to learn that this wine is equally suited to spicy foods and rich meats like duck. This wine is available in the UK from New Forest Wines .

G.V.B. Red: This is their red Bordeaux style blend. A full bodied heady mix of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc. This is a such a complex wine it is probably best enjoyed without food. Its the kind of wine that you can curl up by the fire with a favourite book and reflect and indulge in its sheer opulence! If you really want to eat with it, let the wine do the talking so pair with nothing more than a simple fillet mignon with crushed new potatoes! Its a perfect balance between tannin, balance and black cherries and blackcurrants with a long finish and no grippy tannins which just dissipate.

As the clock struck 4:30pm we thanked Frieda for her hospitality and headed off to meet our driver Tim for the short drive back to Cape Town. We just had time to get in a pair of Planters Rum Punch’s to sup whilst we were getting our glad rags on!

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Pre Dinner Cocktails at The One and Only!

Before we were swept away in our classic car, a 1950s Ford Zephyr to the Clifton Penthouse where the black tie dinner was taking place.

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Our 1950 Ford Zephyr!

The penthouse where our gala dinner was taking place was reputedly owned by the millionaire Sol Kerzner and rented out for private functions. What was never in doubt was the truly stunning and memorable sunset view that we had from the terrace overlooking the infinity pool in the foreground and the Atlantic Ocean in the back ground!

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Clifton Sunset!

We were also treated to a fabulous three course meal of smoked salmon, fillet steak and fruit cheesecake with of course a wonderful selection of South African wines and cabaret style entertainment.

As we wearily made our way back to the One and Only we reflected on another amazing 24 hours in Cape Town wondering what other treasure this fantastic city would yield to us tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

 

Fizzytastic Sunday at Laithwaites, Virgina Water with Laurent Perrier

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If you’re partial to a little of the bubbly stuff and I for one am, those good people down at Laithwaites Virginia Water, Surrey are hosting an afternoon of champagne tasting with Brigitte of Laurent Perrier on Sunday 13th December 2015.   On dégustation will be their Laurent Perrier NV, Rosé, Vinatge, Ultra Brut and the divine Grand Siéclé. Saving the best to last, you don’t need to book and the event kicks off at 12pm and goes on till 4pm! Not one to miss!

Veni, Vidi, Vici VINO! Part 1

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As we drove into Franschhoek and towards our first stop, a photo opportunity at Dieu Donne Vineyards , we were already filled with anticipation for what the day ahead had in store for us!

Panoramic Video across Dieu Donne Vineyards

We had already scheduled a stop over at the world renowned Hamilton Russell vineyard in Hemel-en-Harde and lunch at Bientang’s Cave and had a black tie dinner scheduled for that evening but neither of us could have predicted what an awesome and incredible day we would experience before we slumped into our beds that evening.

As we headed out over the Franschhoek Pass towards Elgin we encountered our first Cape wildlife in the form of a troop of baboons on the road side. Our driver Tim told us that we wouldn’t be stopping for any photos as these clever primates can wreck major damage on cars and instinctively always go for the car door handles if any unsuspecting tourist is foolish enough to stop!

As we passed through Elgin we took a pitstop at one of the most iconic farm shops in the area, Peregrine Farm Stall . This place is a food mecca, with bakery, cafe and a selection of local fresh produce. They also sell freshly squeezed apple juice from the orchards that surround the Farm Stall.

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Apple Juice from Peregrine Farm Stall

OMG! This was probably the best apple juice that I’ve ever tasted. 100% pure juice, no sugar and no preservatives as the label says! and yet so sweet from that Cape sunshine!

Nicely refreshed we headed out towards the seaside town of Hermanus and the start of the famous R320 Walker Bay wine trail. On route we got our second wildlife sighting as a mongoose scuttled about 70 yards in front of us from one side of the verge to the other!

Our first stop on the R320 was Hamilton Russell.

In my opinion one of the finest vineyards in South Africa and what a location too!

As we entered the tasting room our host offered us a table by the lake at the rear and I suddenly felt like I had died and gone to Heaven!

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The patio at the rear of the tasting room, Hamilton Russell Vineyard, Hemel-en-Aarde

Of the seven wines we tasted the real stand out ones were as follows

2009 Ashbourne Sandstone : A blend of 88% Sauvignon Blanc which spends three months in stainless steel tanks and 12% Chardonnay fermented in clay amphoras. The stoneware amphoras are lined with clay from the Hamilton Russell estate and it’s the clay that yields a combined fruitiness and earthiness which are the baseline unusual characteristics of this wine. It is then bottled for 5 years and released. With a nose of toasted nuts and a taste that makes it food friendly with layers of texture, good minerality and a long savoury finish, this became one of my Top 5 of the tour wines!

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Ashbourne Red Blend and Sandstone (middle)

2009: Red Blend. 86% Pinotage  and 3.5% each of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec. The individual varietals are fermented in wooden barrels for 14 months before being blended and then spending another four years in bottle before release. A rich Bordeaux style blend albeit with a heavy Pinotage weighting, this one oozes blackcurrants and raspberries! A great partner to any rare meats!

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Hamilton Russell 2014 Pinot Noir (left) and 2015 Chardonnay (right)

Tasting both of these again just yesterday at the Cape Wine and Food festival I was taken back to sitting by the lake where I first tasted these two beauties.

2014 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay: Barrel fermented for eight and a half months in French oak of which 26% is new oak, the majority 2nd fill and a small proportion of third fill, this wine has a mellow buttery taste which is young and fresh with a nice minerality, while both citrusy and fresh. It has the potential to continue to age in the bottle for a further 8-10 years. Serving temperature around 12C.

One of the great factoids about this wine is that in 1996 when her majesty Queen Elizabeth II hosted a banquet in honour of Nelson Mandela at Buckingham Palace this was the wine she choose to serve! You can’t get a higher endorsement than that!

2014 Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir: This is fermented in French oak for ten months. About 45% is new wood which brings a smokiness to the wine to soften the tannins, the balance is made up with both second and third fill. This wine has great ageing potential of about 15-20 years, has a nose of strawberries and cherries and although could be drunk now will really benefit from being laid down for at least five years.

Whilst at Hamilton Russell we met a delightful lady and her father who told us that we really should visit Creation Wines further on up the valley. This turned out to be one of the best recommendation of our visit! Knowing that we had a lunch reservation at 12pm we rang Bientangs Cave and pushed back our reservation to 1pm and headed north up the R320!

 

 

 

 

 

Veni, Vidi, Vici VINO! Part 2

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We arrived at Creation wines and made our way to the veranda in the restaurant to commence our speed tasting! Under the careful tutelage of Ethan we got the opportunity of tasting some stunning wines in some of the most beautiful surroundings that we witnessed during our micro trip to the Cape.

Panoramic View – Creation Wines Vineyard

The name of this wine farm gives us the hint that the couple behind this place literally “created” something out of nothing. Back in 2002 Jean-Claude (JC) and Carolyn Martin (from the famous Finlayson wine family) took up the challenge of establishing a winery in a remote corner of the Walker Bay Wine Region. The forty hectares of rolling Hemel-en-Aarde hills were a redundant sheep farm and had never seen vines before!  With their combined knowledge, skill and tenacity they have transformed them into one of the icons of South African wine making. In 2007 they produced their first vintage but their wines are rivalling some estates that have been around for centuries!

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Tim and Ethan and the array of accolades that Creation wines hold!

So to the wines…..

First up, 2014 Creation Viognier: This is the only unoaked Viognier made in South Africa. It has a nutty creaminess even though no oak has been used in its production, with a taste of stoned fruits such as peach and apricots this wine is a superb example of this varietal and it’s no small wonder that the 2014 sold out in just four months of release and earns a well deserved 4* rating in Platter 2015 !!

2015 Creation Chardonnay: This was only bottled on 13th November this year, just five days before we tasted it. Buttery and smooth, it spent its first eight months in 30% new woods and 70% 2nd and 3rd fill. If anything it’s citrusy tones are a little in your face but these will definitely mellow with age. In Ethan’s opinion this is going to be one of the best Chardonnay’s that Creation has ever produced.

2014 Creation Pinot Noir: nicely balanced, drinking well now but ageing potential of at least upto 20 years. Lots of cherry-berry fruit!

2013 Creation Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot Bordeaux style blend. Percentages (50%/40%/10% in that order). This has rich mocha flavours which will develop into more rich dark chocolate with ageing!

Having tasted these amazing wines Ethan then went for the close on asking which wines we would like to take away with us. Not being backwards in coming forward, I asked him if apart from the current vintage would JC consider selling any gems from his relatively young wine library (cellar).

Ethan disappeared for a few moments and when he reappeared I couldn’t have been happier! Not only was JC happy with selling some of his bottle aged classics but Ethan was permitted to take me to the fermentation room where these were stored, stacked in vast wooden crates!

As Ethan expertly clambered from one crate to the next with great agility he managed to locate me an extremely rare 2009 Semillon ( no longer made), a 2012 Viognier, 2009 Syrah-Grenache  and a 2008 Merlot! I topped this off with 2 bottles of the sensational 2015 Chardonnay vintage and settled up before my avarice got the better of my wallet!

Back in the Merc, Tim, our driver, picked up the pace as we desperately tried to make it to Bientang’s Cave restaurant; we were already nearly an hour late for our midday lunch reservation.

As we hurried down the stone staircase to the restaurant the roar of the Indian Ocean crashing against the rocks was dramatic and enchanting! We made our apologies, having out of courtesy already phoned ahead to advise of our tardiness!

I was so impressed that they still had kept us the best table in the house right next to the Ocean and of course guaranteed themselves a handsome tip at the end of the meal!

It didn’t take us long to order. We are both suckers for seafood and shellfish.

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The sharing shellfish platter of oysters, smoked fish pate and smoked salmon roulades

this was followed by …

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Grilled giant prawns with garlic butter!

and a plate of calamari in a light tempura batter!

Delicious in every way you can think of and so fresh you felt like you’d plucked it from the sea yourself!

Their wine list was overwhelming and we eventually decided on a 2014 Bouchard Finalyson Kaaimansgat/Crocodile’s Lair Chardonnay, a brilliant partner to the seafood. This along with Hamiliton Russell has to be one of the Cape’s most revered Chardonnay’s. As we sipped this stellar wine, a subtle balance of light oaking and robust minerality, we both remarked that this had to be one of the greatest lunches that we had ever enjoyed together!

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The Chardonnay!

It had the holy trinity of sublime food/wine, superb weather/al fresco eating and a location to die for!

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View from our table at Bientang’s Cave!

Just when we thought that things couldn’t get any better our waiter brought us the bill. An unbelievable £19 a head!! OMG!! you’d pay that for a bottle of average Aussie Chardonnay in All Bar One! So here we were in a stunning location, eating the finest fruits that Neptune could yield and drinking wines that Bacchus could have pressed himself for less than the price of a One Day Travelcard from Egham to London!!

Look out for Veni, Vidi, Vici, VINO Part 3 coming soon when we get a VIP tasting at the world famous Vergelegen estate and go to a black tie event at a millionaires apartment in Clifton!

 

 

A Boutique Country Hotel and a Stellar Restaurant – Franschhoek at it’s Best!

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Our driver had suggested trying to avoid the Cape Town rush hour by delaying our transfer back to Franschhoek till 6pm. This welcome delay enabled us to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the infinity pool before packing our overnight bag to head off on the next leg of our South African adventure.

We were really enjoying staying at The One and Only but we also wanted to experience a stay in a traditional colonial style property in the heart of the Winelands. A little internet based research prior to our visit had thrown up Franschhoek country House and Villas . The website looked amazing but when we arrived we were in for an even greater treat!

On route out of Cape Town our driver Tim Harris from Tourrific, took us via the buzzing varsity town of Stellenbosch and out to Franschhoek via the Stellenbosch pass where mother nature treated us to some stunning sunset views.

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Sunset at the Stellenbosch Pass

 

As the sun slipped behind the mountains we checked into the hotel and were greeted warmly by the reception team. They confirmed our reservation in the hotel’s Monneaux Restaurant and showed us to our room in the manorial main house which dates back to 1890!

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The Master Bedroom!

After a quick freshen up we headed down to the restaurant in anticipation of both the gastronomic cuisine and the wines to match! I had committed a schoolboy error and failed to check that the legendary tasting menu was available on a Tuesday night!

I need not have worried, working with our wonderful waitress, Janille, we composed a decadent 5 course tasting menu with wines as follows:

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Golden Beetroot, candied pecans, roasted sun dried tomatoes subtly fused with a goat’s cheese cream

The acidity of the goat’s cheese was perfectly balanced with the sweetness of the pears, tomatoes and pecans. Sublime! This was paired with a generously large glass of La Motte 2015 Sauvignon Blanc. This had a good balance of minerality and zest which reminded me more of a cooler climate style Sauvignon. A perfect partner to the goat’s cheese!

Next up was…

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Rack of lamb with a herb and spicy harissa crust with a cool raita and al dente ratatouille.

The lamb was perfectly cooked to an even pink colour throughout but with a brown caramelised crunch to its exterior. This was partnered by a truly stunning wine, a Meerlust 2010 Rubicon, Bordeaux style, Cabernet rich blend. The dark fruits embellished with a hint of peppery spice and every delicious mouthful of this wine was an absolute pleasure!

We wisely followed the hot spice of the main course with a cooling sorbet.

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Paw Paw sorbet with wild strawberry couli, garnished with berries.

This palette cleanser diminished the burning lingering warmth of the chilli in the Harissa and set us up nicely for the next two courses.

A sweet local brie in couscous, deep fried and crisp with caramelised figs and served with a not too chilled glass of 2014 Monte Andre Chardonnay.

Critics often talk of the importance of ending a great meal with a stunning combo and this was no exception.

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Lemon Posset with Cape Gooseberies, Strawberries and Blackberries garnished with a strawberry coulis and chocolate sauce

The posset absolutely zinged with lemon but its acidity balanced nicely against the sweetness of the fruits and was indulgently matched with a 2014 Noble Late Harvest Rickety Bridge natural sweet Chenin Blanc, which was both sweet and unctuous with honeyed tones.

With our heads in a bit of a spin we asked for the bill and were delighted to meet the young assistant chef, Catherine who had been running the pass that evening. We congratulated her on her culinary skills and had the best surprise of all when the bill came, just over £70 a head for 5 courses and wines to match.

If you’re planning to visit Franschhoek and are looking for a base or even just a restaurant for dinner this is definitely worth a stopover.

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View towards the mountains and garden villa suites

The following morning we took our now obligatory pre breakfast swim in the outdoor pools, with the waters warmed to around 24C and a stunning mountain backdrop behind.

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The outdoor pools at Franschhoek Country Hotel and Villas

After breakfast we bid farewell to the team at the hotel and met our driver Tim for the next exciting leg of our wine tour.

 

 

Cape Food and Wine Tasting in Staines on 5th December 2015

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For those of you enjoying following my adventures in South Africa, there’s a really great opportunity of sampling a brilliant selection of up to 50 wines from the Cape on Saturday 5th December at the Cape Food and Wine Tasting.

This annual event takes places between 11:30am and 4pm and this year is at the The Mecure Thames Lodge in Staines-upon-Thames, situated on the banks of the river Thames.

They will have over 50 wines to taste and there will also be a light selection of delicious snacks. There’s some real gems and rarities and some of these wines you are unlikely to see anywhere else on the UK.

You might get to sample the amazing Sauvignon Blanc from Hamilton Russell’s second stable, Ashbourne, which tasted on location last week!

I’ve already snapped up my ticket and if you’d like to do the same you can order online at Cape Food and Wine

Directions
Parking is available at the Riverside Car Park which is a 2 minute walk from the hotel and Staines station is a 10 min walk.

May be see you there

Wine adventures in Franschhoek

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In my book there’s no better way to start the day when on holiday than with a swim before breakfast! The pleasure is enhanced even more when you have the infinity pool to yourself and the sky is azure blue and even at 8am the temperature is above 20c!

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The Infinity Pool

Refreshed from our swim we just had time to head to the terrace of the Reuben’s restaurant  overlooking the infinity pool to get pole position from which to enjoy breakfast! I love breakfast and I often find it’s a great indicator of what else a hotel can deliver in the culinary department.

The buffet breakfast of fruits, juices, cereals, fish, oysters, hams and cheeses is augmented by an extensive a la carte offering and finished off with an in house patisserie making a delightful selection of pastries and breads.
The almond croissant had a nice frangipane filling and chewy texture!

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Fortified by breakfast and with our stomachs suitably lined, we braced ourselves for the day of wine indulgence ahead of us!

We headed out of Cape Town on the N1 by coach leaving the city behind us and  making good progress to our first destination Haute Cabriere in Franschhoek.

Franschhoek takes its name from the Afrikaans for French Quarter. This area of the Cape was settled by around 200 French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution under Louis XIV’s intolerant regime. Although French speaking died out within a generation under Dutch East India Company rules, many of the estates in this area are still known by their original French names.

I have it on good authority that they also throw a pretty impressive Bastille Day celebration in July!

In 1694 the French Huguenot Pierre Jourdan, was granted a piece of land in Franschhoek and decided to name it after his home town in France, Cabriere.

In the early 1980s, Achim von Arnim – then still Cellar Master at Boschendal – purchased a portion of this land and set about producing wines in the style of Champagne. He later had the opportunity to acquire some land adjacent to this with a terroir similar to that of Burgundy.  Over time he set about his dream of producing single varietal Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines in the style of the Burgundian area where he had studied.

The wines of Haute Cabriere were not to my taste but this took nothing away from what they do best which is put on a great show and wine experience from a beautiful location.

After a short tour of the cellars we headed to the impressive tasting room where we were treated to the highlight of the tour, which was seeing our host Eben demonstrate opening the Haute Cabriere MCC traditional method sparkling wine with a cavalry sword!

This looked like a scene straight out of a Lord Flashman novel and highly impressive! They even sell cavalry swords for those “Flash Harry’s” who can pull off the Sabrage stunt! (as this clip shows!)

The MCC Classic Brut is a blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, not abundantly floral, dry and crisp and would be most suited to being an aperitif. 

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Tim and Eben in the Tasting Room at Haute Cabrière.

I also tasted the Pierre Jourdan 2001 Belle Rosé, made from 100% Pinot Noir with a nose of toffee and burnt sugar.

2013 Pinot Noir which was light and tasted of red fruits with the smokiness from the toasted barrels masking some of the tannins.

Last up was their Pierre Jourdan Ratafia which is a 100% Chardonnay fortified with Pierre Jourdan Fine de Jourdan (brandy). This can be either served as an aperitif or with starters like foie gras or as a decadent pudding wine with say vanilla ice cream! This wine has a thick honeyed flavour with a hint of roasted pineapple.

Already buzzing from our our first alcoholic beverages of the day we zigzaged back onto the coach for the short transfer to the next vineyard and it wasn’t even lunchtime!

Thankfully when we arrived at Grande Provence there was a tempting selection of cheeses and charcuterie to help absorb the preceding venues vino!

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The Cheese and Charcuterie welcome platters at The Grande Provence vineyard!

As we tucked into the delicious cheeses, a Brie style, a creamy blue and a goat’s cheese we looked ominously at the wine blending paraphernalia in front of us!

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Fraser and Judith with the Heath Robinson blending kit!

Our group of 40 or so were divided into 8 groups of 5 and we were introduced to the head winemaker at Grande Provence Heritage Wine Estate. Our task was to take the 3 carafes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot and not only come up with a wine blend but also choose a name and design a label.

The finished article to be judged in a blind taste off!

We made a good start with our team of Judith, Fraser, Sarah, Gillian and I agreeing on 5% Petit Verdot with the balance split between the other too grapes. After 3 or 4 tweaks we thought we had a winning blend.

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Sarah measuring out our final blend!

So having come up with the name “Shooting Star” we headed off to lunch, al fresco in the gardens.

We enjoyed lunch with our wine blending team and snuck in a few extra wines from the Grande Provence estate. Sadly, we didn’t win the blending competition but we thought our blend was pretty good!

Over a two course lunch we tasted the following:

Grande Provence: 2015 Sauvignon Blanc. This had flavours of tart apples, with a hint of green melon. This was served with our starter of smoked duck and pork paté.

Grande Provence: 2015 Chenin Blanc (60%)/Viognier (40%). This had notes of peach and spice with a rich long finish, was not overly oaked and a perfect wine to accompany the pan fried sea bass.

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After lunch we had time to walk around the estate and it struck me that it was more than a coincidence that this place was called Grande Provence.

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This could be the Luberon but it’s actually the Grande Provence Estate

Check out the similarities to Chateau La Canorgue near Bonnieux in Provence! The other interesting wine factoid about this place is that the homestead here which now provides luxury hotel accommodation was once home to John Platter, probably the most well know South African wine author and inspiration behind the annual must have Platter’s South African wine guide for 35 years!

After our stroll it was down to a little cultural appreciation in the form of a Post Lunch Drumming Class !

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By 3pm we made our way back to the bus and to be honest before we’d even pulled out of the estate my eyes were closed and I’d drifted off into a nice post lunch nap!

I awoke just as we reached the V and A Waterfront and so we just had time for a quick swim before heading off on our next adventure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This City is Awesome! Cape Town adventures continued

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After the amazing welcome picnic on Signal Hill we made the short transfer back to our hotel. I’d seen photos of the One and Only, Cape Town but nothing really prepares you for the 5 star luxury and amazing service that this paradise has to offer.

We checked into our room and instantly felt compelled to take in this view from the balcony.

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Table Mountain stands majestically above the luxury hotels and apartments that surround the Waterfront area. Their Spa is located just behind the buildings in the front of this photo and just behind them a warm heated infinity pool with a cool lakeside bar!

Keen to start tan maxing and get in a quick swim before we headed off to Table Mountain we packed in 30 mins by the pool before our transfer to the cable car station.

On that Monday we were truly blessed with the optimum conditions for our visit to the summit. The day before the top of the mountain had been draped in a ‘Tablecloth” of fluffy clouds and the day after we visited the high winds had threatened to suspend the cable car ascent!

As we all packed into the cable car we were assured of its safety due to its Swiss provenance and we needn’t have worried about getting the best vantage point as the floor moved through 360 degrees as it ascended the mountain to afford everyone on board a great view!

 

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Considerably cooler and eerily quite at the top we were afforded some truly stunning views of the city and Robben Island.

A drinks reception had been laid on at the summit, so whilst we drank a chilled glass of the Groot Constantia Semillon/Chardonnay we were both fascinated and curious at these little creatures!

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Now like me you might think that someone was winding you up if they told you that these “Dassies” aren’t rodents, despite their oversized guinea pig like appearance, they are in fact the closest living relatives of the elephant!!

After taking in the stunning views and the amusing antics of a colony of Dassies in front of us on the rocks we headed back to the cable car for our descent.

When we reached the bottom we were disappointed to find that our coach transfer had broken down but an alternative “local” bus had been diverted along with several passengers on route to one of the townships from the city!

We entered the bus and sat next to one of the locals who said he’d been at work all day and was looking to get home to his family. Half way further down the mountain all 5 locals stood up and we could not have been prepared for what happened next!

Cape Town Flashmob on a Bus!

As you can see we all joined in and everyone just burst out laughing as the a cappella lead Phillip broke into the opening lines of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight!”

Shortly afterwards we pulled up outside the Gold Restaurant, Cape Town

This African themed restaurant was amazing with drumming, face painting (Dean and Helen, looking very tribal!)

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and a tasting menu featuring all the countries that you can see on the map of Africa below

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Highlights were as follows. Spicy chicken wings, can’t remember origin, carrots with star anise from Zanzibar, Congolese spinach, Groundnut chicken and South African smoked fish cakes! They served a delicious Delaire Graff 2015 Coastal Sauvignon Blanc that had the right amount of acidity to work with the spicy food!

As we slumped into our beds at the end of the first day it didn’t take us long to fall into a very deep sleep!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Posh picnic and a view to die for!

/ trwk1966 / 1 Comment

Our arrival in Cape Town was no less spectacular than this beautiful city itself! We were greeted warmly at arrivals by two young women from the Gold restaurant who gave us each a welcome gift of a traditional bead necklace, we’d meet them again when we dined at Gold later that evening … See next Blog on that evening.

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As we exited the Terminal, the heat of the African sun warmed us like a soft brioche in an oven. Any thoughts of England an damp and grey Sunday that we had left behind were forgotten in a heartbeat.

Our next stop was the famous Signal Hill landmark which is one of the many great vantage points from which to view the vistas of the city and the iconic Table Mountain. As we walked to the picnic area we were again greeted with the sound of traditional Khosa singing and dancing and handed a glass of the local fizz, known as MCC. 

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Before you even ask this has absolutely nothing to do with Marylebone Cricket Club, Lords or St.John’s Wood! It has everything to do with a methods traditionelle sparkling wine called “Method Cap Classic”. Usually made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, this was the perfect way to start our picnic.

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The hilltop was festooned with an array of picnic blankets and brightly coloured cushions all shaded from the searing heat by the canvas sails of some large umbrellas. A huge Pandora’s box of tempting treats was there waiting to yield to our lunchtime hunger! Switching to a crisp Sauvignon from the Iona estate we tucked into a picnic of Greek salad with artichokes, thin slices of cold slow cooked lamb, homemade foie gras parfait, and divine little goats cheese tarts with spinach and pine nuts. 

To indulge further we were treated to a selection of local cheeses, a Brie, a Blue and a Cheddar all in perfect condition with some crusty baguette.  Saving the best till last, we were given little cellophane bags of mostly homemade confectionery, the highlight of which was a slab of blood sugar rising fudge….. Delicious !

We all felt the need for a quick stroll taking in the views to ensure that we would have room for our seven course African themed dinner later that evening.

A Jammy Experiment with a glut of Japonica (Ornamental) Quinces

/ trwk1966 / 7 Comments

Autumn is the time of year when there is usually an abundance of  free produce kicking around. Apples are the usual suspects.  Our humble cooking apple tree has just yielded a record crop of apples and one of the freezer draws is packed to the max with puréed apple unsweetened and ready to use in crumbles, desserts or with a succulent grilled pork chop!

I’ve always romanticised about quinces; Exotic sounding and with origins in the Far East. I love the classic Spanish combo of Manchego cheese and Mebrillo paste or its English version quince jam and a strong mature unpasteurised English cheddar like Keen’s Cheddar  .Every year I see my mother-in-law’s japonica shrub laden with fruit and the thought crosses my mind that there’s a jam making opportunity in the offing. Then something else gets in the way!  Come Christmas lunch, we’re tucking into the cheeseboard and there’s me wishing I’d grasped the nettle or the quince and made that jam!

I’m also quite competitive, so when, a few weekends ago when my mother-in-law arrived at the door with a bag of quinces, picked from her garden, and threw down the gauntlet by saying “Are these going to end up like the others in the food compost?” I just had to rise to the challenge!

The Quinces Arrived

The Quinces Arrived

At this point it hadn’t actually occurred to me that ornamental quinces might not be as cook friendly as the tree varietal and so I set about searching for various recipes. One thing was for sure ,these little golden beauties that had been freshly harvested that morning were also a mass of core and seeds so I was keen to find a recipe that would hopefully minimise the hassle factor.

My research led me to this rough algorithm for creating a jam from these little beauties.

Ingredients

1.5kg of japonica quince

2.25 Litres of water

185g granulated sugar

In addition enough granulated sugar to equal the volume of pulp created after boiling ( around 500g, but do measure out the pulp!)

Enough Jam Jars to fill….

Method:

Clean the quinces by washing and then rubbing dry with a cloth or tea towel.

Cut any bumps from one end of the quinces to enable them sit in the bottom of a large preserving pan or saucepan snuggly during the boiling phase.

Pack the quinces into the preserving pan and add the entire volume of water sprinkling the 185g of granulated over the top so it dissolves in the water. Pre warming the sugar in an oven may accelerate the dissolution speed.

Gradually bring to the boil and Boil gently for 2 hours. After about 90 minutes you will notice that the quince start to turn pink!

Quinces halfway through boiling

Quinces halfway through boiling

Lift out of the pan after 2 hours with a slotted spoon.

Cut in half, remove the pips and core using a small tea spoon if easier ( this is the really fiddly bit and will probably temporarily take away your will to live! Do not give up at this point!)

Take the pulp and pass it through a metal sieve

Take the sieved pulp and any remaining juice weigh this and add an equal proportion of granulated sugar to the pulp.

Return to the saucepan and heat slowly until  the sugar dissolves and then boil rapidly for 20 mins.

Make sure you have a supply of sterilised jam jars at the ready.

Once the jam has set ,bottle immediately and enjoy with your favourite cheeses or meats!

We did have a small amount left over after bottling and used this as a taster with a particularly strong English Cheddar.

Quiche Jam, English Cheddar and Walnut Bread

Quiche Jam, English Cheddar and Walnut Bread

The quince jam was a balance of sweetness and sharp acidity and was a perfect partner to the rich density of the cheddar! Delicious! We also tried this with some lamb chops instead of redcurrant jelly and this also worked extremely well too!

The finished product

The finished product

I now have 2 jars of this waiting patiently for this year’s Christmas Lunch cheeseboard.

And the best bit is this recipe is as frugal as you like with the total cost of production coming out at less than a few pounds including electricity! Brilliant