Cheers - July/August 2014 (Vol.13)

ry a t en m i pl m co

Jul|Aug 2014 | 13 brought to you by

T

t

www.topsatspar.co.za

A sticky situation Decoding wine bottle stickers

Dark delight

Heavier winter brews

Going green:

turning old chip oil into biodiesel

win!

• One of THREE unique Glenmorangie discovery hampers worth R1 650 • Copies of Donovan van Staden’s Gourmet Safari • a Noah DVD or NOW 67 CD

Grain whisky in blends

MOCHA-STYLED

coffee cats WINES

Nederburg Auction FABULOUS AT 40

OGILVY CAPE TOWN 62895/E

Who says a beer can’t be flavoured?

New flavoured beer.

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

contents 30

4 EDITOR’S LETTER Distant recall

6 NEWS

Sir Alex Ferguson sells off part of his wine collection for millions, Windhoek’s new lager commercial keeps it real, more international kudos for Van Ryn brandy, the country’s cocktail champs compete and so much more...

14 TINUS TALKS

Sweetly sentimental over gateau

16 ROASTED BEANS ’N COCOA Wake up and smell the...wine!

22 BEST-DRESSED BOTTLES

43

The tale of the medal stickers

26 COFFEE, WHISKY AND CREAM Doing it the Irish way

14

38

30 DARK & STRONG Bolder, fuller brews

34 VOTING FOR VALUE Setting your whisky sights a little lower

38 JEREZ, XEREX OR SHERRY

26

Spain’s sherry is all the rage

43 FABULOUS AT 40 Four decades of the Nederburg Auction

16

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 1

win

contents cont...

69 Stand a chance to win a Glenmorangie Hamper to the value of R1 650!

71 GROCERY LIST

Stocking up made simple

48

72 LOOPDOP

Bothaville se trekker

64

48 THINGAMAJIGS

Gewgaws, gadgets and whatnots

50 ENTERTAINMENT

Editor | Fiona Mc Donald fiona@integratedmedia.co.za Art Director | Megan Knox megan@integratedmedia.co.za Advertising | Shayne Dowling shayne@integratedmedia.co.za Jess Nosworthy | jess@integratedmedia.co.za PR & Promotions | Ashley Attwood ash@integratedmedia.co.za Photography | Julia Andrade and Thinkstock.com Contributors | Tinus van Niekerk , Teresa Ulyate Emile Joubert, Gerrit Rautenbach, Clifford Roberts.

Head Office | Cape Town Tel: 021 685 0285 Suite WB03 Tannery Park 23 Belmont Road, Rondebosch, 7700 Postal Address: PO Box 259, Rondebosch, 7701 Printing | Paarl Media Cape

The movies, CDs and books to try

win

Publisher | Shayne Dowling shayne@integratedmedia.co.za

Published by | Integrated Media for TOPS at SPAR

50 Stand a chance to win a copy of the Noah DVD or NOW That’s what I call music 67 CD!

TOPS at SPAR | Jess Tivers, Group Promotions & Advertising Manager - Liquor

stockists:

52 RESERVATIONS IN THE BUSH

SPAR Good Living items are available at your nearest TOPS at SPAR and SPAR outlets. www.topsatspar.co.za and www.spar.co.za

Raising safari fare to gourmet heights, a new recipe book from Donovan van Staden

Utique: www.utique.co.za Entrepo: (021) 448 7192

COMPETITION TERMS & CONDITIONS Competition submissions should reach us no later

57 TOPS NOSH

Silwood Kitchen’s take on coffee & cake

62 TIS THE SEASON

Blogger Teresa Ulyate shares some recipes

64 WINTER EN WILDSVLEIS

Emile Joubert se braai raad

66 FUEL FROM FAT

SPAR’s local Biofuel connection

68 NEXT ISSUE

What to expect from Issue 14 2 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

than 08 August 2014. The Prize/s is as indicated, no alternatives or cash will be provided. Six months’ supply equates to one case of product per month.

win

a copy of Gourmet Safari

pg52

The decision of Integrated Media will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. Under no circumstances shall Integrated Media, TOPS at SPAR, SPAR or its appointed representatives and the prize donors be liable to anyone who enters these Prize Draws for an indirect or consequential loss howsoever arising which may be suffered in relation to the Prize Draws. By entering these competitions you make yourself subject to receiving promotional information.

Entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions. Prize Draw Rules: The prize draw is only open to consumers who must be over 18 years of age and resident in South Africa. Employees of Integrated Media and TOPS at SPAR, SPAR and their respective advertising, media and PR agencies, as well as the family members, consultants, directors, associates and trading partners of such organisations and persons are ineligible for the draw.

Editorial Fiona McDonald

memories

fiona

You know you’re getting old when you can look back and remember when things started... reparing this issue for print has brought on a wave of nostalgia. The memories started flooding in with

the story about Irish coffee. My preference Those were the days when an invitation

was always for Kahlua coffee ‒ but then

flavour came from wood and yeast ‒

that was when I was in my 20s and hadn’t

and not the grape. Which is 100% correct

was as rare as hen’s teeth ‒ and one really

really cultivated a taste for whisky. The

‒ but is that any reason not to like it? I’ve

had to make an effort with one’s outfit. Just

sweeter edge that Kahlua gave the frothy

always held the view that anything which

like the Rothmans Durban July 20 years ago,

concoction was more to my liking.

opens a door and provides a glimpse of a

a hat for ladies was quite the thing. (I think I

broader enjoyment of wine should be

still have the two that I bought for both

of us was to try and find the ideal mix of

welcomed and embraced. I know of many

events kicking around somewhere ‒ both

coffee, whisky and cream ‒ and he and the

people who have had a little light bulb go

having only been worn once or twice!)

team from Truth coffee bar in Cape Town’s

off in their heads when smelling those

Buitenkant Street really put us through our

wines for the first time. The look of sheer

paces. We must have sampled at least 10

joy on their faces when they said: “I get it...

different versions before settling on the

coffee!” It’s the first step towards a greater

best combination. Not that we drank all the

world of wine. If they can get coffee, with a

Irish Coffees ‒ just sampled them and rated

little bit more practice perhaps they can get

them for flavour.

berries, or cigar box, herbs or any of the

coffee flavour, which sparked off another

on wine. The wine world is full of potential

memory: that of being around when the

and it needs something to trigger that

first ever “coffee-styled” red wine was

interest and desire to learn more.

released by Wellington winery,

And it’s that feeling of adventure and

Diemersfontein, more than a decade ago. It

excitement which I experienced as a young

created a tsunami in wine circles! People

wine writer close on 20 years ago when I

either loved it or hated it. There was no

was invited to my first ever

middle ground… I still hold the position

Nederburg auction. It was a

today that while it’s not necessarily to my

genuine thrill and I will never

taste to drink wine that is reminiscent of

forget that first one in the 90s...

coffee but that it’s a valid style, just as much

I was a reporter on The

as any other style of wine is.

Mercury newspaper and

In the early days of the “coffee-styled”

was flown down to Cape

wines there was a very vocal lobby which

Town and literally wined

said they should be banned; that the

and dined in fine style all weekend.

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Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

Cheers, Fiona

pe r f e c t I r i s h ?

es

o tf

e r th

pg2 6

is b

multitude of aromas which are discernible

during this issue.

h w his ke y

Crucial to the exercise was not losing the

Hat’s off to a trip down memory lane

W hic

Yet David Donde’s challenge to a group

Fiona McDonald is a trained journalist who has spent the last 20 years writing about wine ‒ and more recently, about whisky too.

Cheers Magazine.indd 1

2014/06/12 11:46:16 AM

News

news news news news TELLS A STORY

Two issues back Cheers carried a story on the growth of cider’s popularity in South Africa. One of the people quoted in that article was Rudolph du Toit, the national marketing manager of Tells.

“Tells has led in innovative packaging,” du Toit said, explaining that the cider named after William Tell, the legendary archer who shot an apple off his son’s head, was until recently only available in PET plastic packaging.

Seeing stars... and stripes Van Ryn’s Collection Reserve brandy has won consistent critical acclaim in both the United Kingdom and Europe ‒ and has now straddled the Atlantic Ocean and begun appealing to palates in the United States.

South Africa’s flagship specialty pot still

Now in its 14th year, the competition

distillery clinched a double gold and two

attracted a record number of entries from

gold medals at the 2014 San Francisco

63 countries.

World Spirits Competition. Highest

Du Toit said the product had been incredibly well received. “After a host of local and international tastings we kept meeting the same response: ‘It’s a superb cider, but can’t we buy it in glass?’” he said.

“The call from the export market to switch to glass was also a major motivator for us to make the change,” he said, explaining that the glass packaging would be introduced on the local as well as European

Global spokesperson for the

Union and United States markets. “Tells

honours went to the Van Ryn’s 15 Year Old,

Stellenbosch-based Van Ryn’s distillery,

will still be available in PET, but only for

with the 12 Year Old and 20 Year Old also

Rapula Pitsoe, said the results were an

large events and festivals where glass is

winning gold.

important affirmation for the brand in one

All submissions were judged blind by panellists drawn from leading hotels and restaurants, as well as top media houses.

of the world’s biggest and most discerning spirits markets.

Since 2004, Van Ryn’s has won the UK-based International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Worldwide Best Brandy title five times, and the International Spirits Challenge Best Brandy Trophy, four times. It is also a regular winner of gold medals at the annual Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.

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Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

not allowed.”

what’s happening

news news news news MIXING AND Cape Town hosted the third round of the World Class regional finals ‒ with the global final taking place in London and Glasgow in July and August. The aim of the competition is to find the world’s best barman.

flaringg

Shaking, stirring and straining ‒ contestants in action during the Cape finals.

The Mother City’s mixologists spent two days being put through their paces by

knowledge and technique.

Contesting the final will be Jeff Lopes

the judges, World Class 2013 global

and Simphiwe Ngcobo, both of

finalist Nick Koumbarakis, SA’s current

Johannesburg’s Michelangelo Hotel;

number one mixologist Travis Kuhn and

Brent Perremore and Assaf Yechile of

Gareth Wainwright.

Cape Town’s Orphanage Cocktail

Possibly the hardest task the

Emporium while Steven Saunders of The

Here’s Simphiwe Ngcobo’s runner-up cocktail:

Casablanca INGREDIENTS: 50ml rum 20ml ginger liqueur 40ml apple juice 1 tsp fresh ginger

contenders faced was the cocktails

Oyster Box and Haroon Haffajee of Harry’s

3 dashes bitters

against the clock which required them to

Cocktail Bar represent KwaZulu-Natal. A

20ml lemon juice

produce five perfect cocktails ‒ in under

wild card entry was granted to Marson

Served on an ice sphere in a brandy balloon

five minutes! Speed and efficiency were

Strydom of Buena Vista Social Café in

with a rum vapour. Garnished with sherried

judged, along with their product

Cape Town.

pears and apples.

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

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News

news news news news

SWEET WINTER WARMER

Muratie’s Ben Prins Cape Vintage 2009 is a

delicious heart-warming winter companion which celebrates the historic Stellenbosch winery’s rich heritage in the form of one of its legendary characters.

Prins was the Muratie winemaker from 1957 until 1987 ‒ a “hard-working, no-nonsense kind of man” the Melck family, now owners of the wine farm tell.

“He was quiet, contemplative and exceptionally particular, both a perfectionist and a traditionalist ‒ as

BEWARE

the Scorpion!

It’s not often a gin distiller goes tromping into a Venezuelan rainforest to find new ingredients ‒ but that’s exactly what Master Distiller Lesley Gracie did to create a truly unique special edition gin for Hendricks, the Kanaracuni gin.

unique as the wines he made.” He was

The unique botanical ingredient used in the gin is called Scorpion Tail ‒ but the sting in

known affectionately as Barefoot Ben

this tail is that just 560 bottles will be available worldwide!

because he didn’t believe in any ‘unnecessary novelties’ like shoes…

The Muratie Cape Vintage Port, which became synonymous with Muratie many

Like an intrepid adventurer of yore, Gracie and global ambassador David Piper trekked into the rainforest in Venezuela with renowned explorer, Charles Brewer-Carias and expert botanist, Francisco Delascio ‒ and her tiny but trusty 10-litre alembic still! Pierce tested a

years ago, was first produced by George

variety of plants, distilling them while in the jungle. The Scorpion Tail delivered the most

Paul Canitz in the 1940’s, more than 70

intriguing result, providing a complex deep green note which is a natural fit with Hendrick’s

years ago. Ben Prins arrived at Muratie in

style of gin. She ultimately prepared 8.4-litres of Scorpion Tail concentrate and transported it

1957, just before GP Canitz died, and the

back to the distillery to tinker with the balance of the resulting blended distillate.

Muratie Cape Vintage Port tradition continued during the 30 years while Ben was at Muratie, and still continues today.

The fiery sweet and rich wine is from a single vineyard planted during Prins’ time, in 1965.

The traditional Port varieties Tinta Barocca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Francesa and Souzao are ‒ unusually ‒ all planted in the same block.

The tasting notes reflect floral notes of violets and roses along with flavours of ripe black cherries, dark chocolate and sweet spice and fiery alcohol fortification.

Perfect as a fireside companion.

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Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

“The flavour profiles complement each other seamlessly producing a finished gin which is recognisable as Hendrick’s but evidently different with deeper floral, spice and green character,” Gracie said. “From start to finish, the creation of such an intriguing one-off concoction has been an incredible experience for me. Here’s hoping there will be many more adventures to come in pursuit of the extraordinary!” she added.

what’s happening

news news news news That’s the The new face of spirit!

Drostdy-Hof There’s a special prize

awarded to the best student of the brandy module in the Cape Wine Master’s programme run by the Cape Wine Academy.

And this year the person with the best theoretical and practical knowledge was Nina-Mari Bruwer of Robertson.

The Mont Blois Wine Estate winemaker, who is married to the manager of the sixth-generation family farm, received top marks for the exam on brandy making as

well as the brandy tasting exam during the course of her certification.

“With such erudition and a love for brandy, she has just what’s needed to tell

A firm fixture on the South African wine firmament, Drostdy-Hof took a calculated risk to have more than just a nip and tuck ‒ opting instead for a facelift in revitalising its packaging.

The new look branding was showcased to a group of invited guests at Chef Quentin Spickernell’s restaurant in Hout Bay, Quentin at Oakhurst.

The idea was to reveal the wine’s new look alongside food which

more South Africans about our exciting,

reflects the brand’s tagline “pure country wines”. Brand manager Louis

internationally acclaimed brandies and

van Brakel explained that the change came in the wake of a new

what makes them so worthy of attention by connoisseurs,” said Cape Wine Academy MD Michelle Grimbeek.

positioning which sees the brand rooted in an unspoiled, wholesome but sophisticated country environment.

Naturally, pride of place goes to its place of origin, the historic home in Tulbagh.

Spickernell’s meal began with sweet potato and macadamia fritters served with mango, charred corn, coconut, lime and crispy ginger salad, matched with the 2013 vintage of Drostdy-Hof Adelpracht Special Late Harvest. Next up was roast rack of lamb partnered with Drostdy-Hof Pinotage, while fish-eaters were served roast loin of kingklip with a lemon and hazelnut crust and Drostdy-Hof Chardonnay 2013. Dessert was deliciously refreshing rose, pistachio, date and apricot frozen nougat, paired with Drostdy-Hof Natural Sweet Rosé

Marie

Bruwe

r and M

arlene

(non-vintage).

Bester

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

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News

news news news news CROWD SOURCED SCOTCH

In an unusual exercise, The Glenlivet got its loyal customers to decide on a new expression of the popular Scottish whisky ‒ and now it’s in South Africa.

Nadia

No fewer than 37 countries were in on

Barna

rd

the exercise with thousands of votes ultimately cast to choose The Glenlivet Guardian Chapter limited edition single Scottish malt.

The quest was begun in September 2013 when three expressions (Exotic, Classic and Revival) were selected for a global tasting tour. The task was for consumers to taste and vote for their favourite. It’s the first time in the distillery’s 190 year history that someone

SEEING RED

Fans of red wine know that Cabernet Sauvignon is considered the king of reds ‒ but they should also be aware that its kissing cousin, Cabernet Franc is now also muscling into the spotlight.

other than the master distiller would decide

Somerset West winery Waterkloof and

even tractors! The vineyards are worked by

which whisky would be bottled.

Oldenburg, a winery in Stellenbosch’s

large white Percheron horses. “This is to

Banhoek, are the two latest producers to

ensure that we harness the best of nature in

release their Cabernets Franc to local

the most natural way when producing our

acclaim. For Waterkloof it’s a first while

unadulterated wines. We aim to express the

Oldenburg has established a good track

terroir in each bottle,” she said.

South African malt lovers were given the chance of having their say at the 2013 FNB Whisky Live festival in Johannesburg, joining other aficionados from London, New York, Mumbai and elsewhere in doing so.

Proud South African brand manager for The Glenlivet, Mandla Holomisa, described the Guardians’ Chapter as having the typical fruitiness of The Glenlivet but with added rich, warm spicy notes which are reminiscent of moist fruitcake and candied apple with an orange marmalade tang too.

record for the wine over the past five years.

“This silky newcomer encompasses a style

Another winery close to the see is Durbanville Hills which

of Cabernet Franc, rarely found outside the

overlooks Table Bay ‒ and it’s

Left Bank of Bordeaux. It purrs with pure

just released its 2012 Cabernet

elegance, allied with intensity and purity and

Sauvignon.

is an exceptionally versatile food wine,”

Winemaker Wilhelm

“We’re pleased with the enthusiastic

shares Waterkloof proprietor Paul Boutinot.

Coetzee describes the

response we received ‒ especially in

An Englishman of French descent Boutinot

wine as soft and fruity

bought the farm in 2003 for its particular

with blackcurrant, mocha,

location that had absolutely specific

sweet vanilla and hints of

circumstances, which meant it had the

cedar wood on the nose.

potential to make fine wine.

The palate is smooth with

South Africa,” Holomisa said.

Winemaker Nadia Barnard credits not

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Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

silky tannins and dark

only the vineyard’s location on the slopes of

berry fruit flavours.

the Schapenberg just four kilometres from

He suggests it be drunk

the chilly waters of False Bay but also the

with roast lamb, gourmet

biodynamic farming methods. So no

beef burgers or

conventional pesticides or fertilisers ‒ not

mature cheese.

what’s happening

news news news news Wine down in Franschhoek

The normally sleepy town of Franschhoek in the Western Cape comes alive whenever there’s a festival – and true to the town’s Gallic roots, they celebrate every possible occasion they can!

Sweet global glory Nederburg pioneered dessert wines in

South Africa. Former cellarmaster Günter Brözel made the first example of noble late harvest in 1969 – before the style even existed in the country! So it should come as no surprise that Nederburg’s 2011 Winemaster’s Reserve Noble Late Harvest has won an International Wine Challenge trophy in London.

The wine is made from grapes affected by so-called noble rot, or botrytis cinerea, an unsightly fungus which partially dries out the grapes, concentrating the sugars in each berry. It’s this concentration which makes the wine so special – and with so little liquid left in the grape to vinify, the resultant wine is quite pricey!

It’s not the first time a Nederburg noble late harvest wine has won acclaim. With rich flavours of honey, tangy apricots, raisins and ginger, the 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 vintages of the Winemaster’s Reserve Noble Late Harvest were each rated five stars in Platter’s South African Wine Guide. The 2012 vintage was also South Africa’s only trophy winner at the International Sweet Challenge in Australia and a gold medallist at the 2013 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC).

Cellar master Razvan Macici, who has earned many leading awards for his dessert and

Franschhoek Uncorked takes place over the

the weekend only. There are art exhibitions,

weekend of 27 and 28 September,

food and wine pairing and a host of other

the title of Diners Club

activities planned.

Winemaker of the Year,

coinciding with the onset of spring – as well as the release of the new vintage wines from local producers.

There’s ample opportunity to responsibly

Uncorked Weekend Passes cost R120 a head, available from www.webtickets.co.za.

other wines, including

suggests serving it with fruit-based desserts, liver pâtés and blue cheeses. “It’s terrific on

sample local wines and the various cellars

Visit www.franschhoekuncorked.co.za

its own and even

and wineries join in the festivities by

for further details and a list of

makes a delicious

offering specials on their wines, valid for

participating farms.

substitute for dessert.”

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

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News

news news news news POSITIVELY NEGATIVE

Windhoek Beer has taken a number of different angles for their television advertisements over the years. Who can forget Louis Gossett Jnr ensuring the guys kept it real? In their latest campaign they say no: no to frills and fuss and yes to purity.

“Not all beers have the courage and tenacity

Unlike many other beers, Windhoek can really

to keep saying no, but for almost 100 years,

talk about the intrinsic quality of its beer and

Windhoek has done just that. By sticking to

that’s its strength. Windhoek does not need to

our principles, by saying no when it counts,

use gimmicks or smoke and mirrors to

we believe we have continued to produce a

convince people to drink it. This honesty ‒ and

beer Made of the Right Stuff that people

the purity of its ingredients ‒ is refreshing in a

with high standards can say yes to,” says

world full of nonsense.”

Windhoek marketing manager Alan Roberts,

The full-length advert can be viewed on

from Brandhouse Beverages.

the www.purebeersociety.co.za website.

Germans, Hermann Ohlthaver and Carl List quit their banking jobs in order to fulfil their dream of brewing a beer which was uncompromisingly pure and world class. That was in 1920. During World War II when the right ingredients were unobtainable, they stopped production rather than compromise.

Chief Creative, Ross Chowles, from The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town, says: “With this television commercial, viewers are shown first-hand what Windhoek has always been made of and will continue to be made of: malted barley, hops and water, and nothing else. It’s a simple but bold statement.”

As Art Director, Andrew Lang adds, “We wanted to tell a no frills story that takes beer

Meeting your match Talk about profilers and you automatically think of folks working for the FBI who catch criminals... but the House of Johnnie Walker has launched an innovative online whisky profiler that helps match your perfect flavour.

Check out the website www.meetyourmatchsa.co.za to see the work done by Johnnie Walker and former South African chef of the year, David Higgs. The Saxon Hotel’s executive chef has used molecular gastronomy along with visual and sound stimuli to create this online whisky profiler.

“We understand that every offering from the House of Walker is as distinct as the people who drink it. From the spicy tingle of Red Label to the sweet and honeyed tones of Gold Label Reserve, each one is unique. With this in mind we set about creating Meet your Match to help whisky enthusiasts discover their taste profile and identify their perfect match,” says Brandon Weaver, Johnnie Walker brand manager.

lovers to the heart of why they love Windhoek.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

SHAKE & BAKE The Good Food and Wine Show takes place in

Johannesburg from July 31 to August 3 at the Coca-Cola Dome. This year’s big celebrity draw card is the Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro ‒ all the way from New York.

The Good Food and Wine Show has a number of their cooking personalities on hand to meet gastro groupies.

The Spice Prince Reza Mahammad will be joined by Masterchef Australia’s larger than life food critic Matt Preston as will local sensation, Siba Mtongana of Siba’s Table renown.

Tickets are on sale now on www.computicket.com. Ticket prices from: R125 per adult, R50 per child under 12 and is free for children under three. See www.goodfoodandwineshow.co.za for more information.

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Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

CMY

K

what’s happening

news news news news Hammertime for Fergie

Manchester United football team had a dire season in 2014 but former manager Sir Alex Ferguson scored big in both Hong Kong and London recently. Fergie put up a portion of his wine collection for sale ‒ and raked in $3.8 million (R38 million) for the 257 lots which went under the hammer in Asia! The second auction, held in London in June raised £400 000 (R7.2 million).

At the Hong Kong sale hosted by famous

sold for £16 450 (R296 000).

Ferguson began collecting wine,

auction house, Christie’s, one bottle,

Sir Ale

x Ferg

uson

that his wine hobby served as a useful distraction from the pressures of being

a methuselah (6ℓ), of 1997 vintage Domain

specifically fine Burgundy, in the 90s after

manager of one of the world’s best football

de la Romanée-Conti was sold for £94 815

being introduced to excellent French wines

clubs. “It gave me a balance in my life that

(R1.7 million) while the top lot in London

during a talent scouting trip to France in

helped me in dealing with the intensity and

was also Romanée-Conti, this time a LandskroonCheersAd_fnl_2014_pths2.pdf 1

LandskroonCheersAd_fnl_2014_pths2.pdf

1

1991.10:13 He said his enjoyment grew, along 2014/06/25 AM 2014/06/25

magnum (1.5ℓ) of the 2002 vintage which

10:13 AM

with his knowledge, as he collected ‒ and

demands as manager of Manchester United,” a Telegraph article stated.

Tinus talks

Pudding in a glass tinus

“A thousand cups of wine do not suffice when true friends meet, but half a sentence is too much when there is no meeting of minds.” ‒ Chinese proverb

t saddens me that there is little

which are the aromas (fruity, flowery,

to sweeties. Just think of how good

appreciation or even recognition of the

grassy, herbaceous, earthy); the taste

a trio of dark chocolates would taste with

fact that South Africa produces some of

impressions (sweet, acidic, spicy, sour,

an older vintage of red muscadel. Trust me,

the world’s best sweet wines ‒ and that’s

bitter, hot, burning); palate weight, body or

it’s a decadent experience!

across the saccharine stratum, from

substance (light, medium, full, heavy); and

muscadels, special and noble late harvests

the flavour intensity and concentration (a

trick which wins friends and fans ‒ and it’s

to ports and jerepikos. Alas, most of the

weak, subtle, moderate, strong mouth feel

ridiculously easy. One of my favourite

time dessert wine is served as an

experience).

sweets I discovered in France: chocolate

afterthought at the table, during a special

The old rule of ‘red wine with red meat’

I’m not afraid to admit that I have a party

gateau. It’s light, easy to prepare and can

event only, or as a “warming up” elixir. The

frequently sees the dinner party host/

be served with ice cream, different creams

worst fact of all is that they are generally

hostess or chef pairing a dry red wine such

and even afternoon tea, but that’s not

readily available and not expensive!

as Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon with

usually my choice!

Those of us in the wine fraternity who are

grilled or roast meat because of their fuller

utterly passionate about all different styles

bodies and mouth feel and pertinent

of wine made from the grape agree with

flavours ‒ and the view that the protein in

even the most entry level consumer ‒ that

the meat will tame and balance the tannins

the pairing of food and wine is important.

in the wine. The opposite would be to serve

The first guideline is to ensure that the food

a carefully selected dry wine, or even a red

and wine do not overshadow each other,

muscadel or Cape tawny with lightly seared

but for them to rather complement or

tuna or a slab of foie gras with a mildly

contrast each other. There is absolutely no

sweet red wine sauce.

doubt that there is as much a place for

As an accompaniment to spicy, strong-

Here’s the recipe which is seriously not difficult to master:

Chocolate gateau INGREDIENTS:

100g dark chocolate 100g butter

dessert wines at the table and it needn’t

flavoured dishes, most people would opt

50g cornflower

only be at the end of the meal. The cardinal

for a more neutral wine with a higher or

3 eggs

sin would be for one to mask each other’s

noticeable acidity ‒ like a tangy and tart

5g sugar

unique aromatic and flavour characteristics.

Riesling with a Malay-style curry, for example. The adventurous and innovative

METHOD:

in my opinion, a lack of imagination,

thing to do is to serve such spicy food with

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a

appreciation and understanding of dessert

a natural sweet such as hanepoot, or a

bain-marie. Beat the eggs and sugar

wine, or sweeter wine in general. When

white or pink port style wine. But

together until creamy and light. Then mix

pairing food, we’re essentially

remember to ensure that these sweet

all the ingredients together, before filling

complementing or contrasting four sensory

wines are always served chilled.

a non-stick cake pan. Bake at 180̊C for

The biggest handicap for sweet wines is,

elements ‒ smell, taste, touch and intensity.

Any number of wine farms now offer

The way any dish is prepared, cooked and

chocolate and wine tastings. Naturally,

presented will affect these components

desserts are signature dishes when it comes

14 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

20 minutes.

Et voila!

Tinus van Niekerk

Just think of how good a trio of dark chocolates would taste with an older vintage of red muscadel.

Trust me, it’s a decadent experience!

A few months ago, I prepared three such gateaux and served them at an occasion in

harvest wine, next time.

Our feast ended with everybody

emotions. Why? Because often consumers buy a brand, like wine, for its emotional

the south of France accompanied by Orange

endorsing the Chinese proverb: “A

benefits, as opposed to purchasing a

River Cellars 2002 Red Muscadel, a Boplaas

thousand cups of wine do not suffice when

product for functional reasons.

Cape Tawny (port), a De Wetshof Noble Late

true friends meet, but half a sentence is too

Harvest and a 1963 Quinta do Noval port.

much when there is no meeting of minds.”

This was a heavenly experience with the

During winter time in South Africa

French guests, some winemakers, two chefs

tradition dictates that dessert wine will be

and a few trade people, absolutely besotted

served at any possible opportunity,

with the quality, the richness, etherealness

especially next to the fireplace which

and elegance of the South African wines.

induces many a story to be told. After all

Adding to the atmosphere was music from

everybody loves a good story, and if you

the old masters, great conversation and

want to sell your wines to customers, and

jollity with the decision taken that we should

your ideas to friends, you’ve got to recognize

repeat the experience and include a

the importance of great storytelling. In

Sauternes, France’s famous noble late

essence wine marketing is concerned with

Wine is a lifestyle commodity with a deep well of emotions to draw from. Savouring that port or muscadel will quickly bring home this realization.

Tinus van Niekerk is TOPS at SPAR’s wine consultant and has been instrumental in refining the grocery chain’s wine offering.

But wine is not the only thing that fascinates this Northern Cape-bred nature lover. He’s as au fait with bush lore, animal behaviour and geology as he is about wine.

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 15

Wine

16 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

coffee & chocolate

cats They do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery ‒ but Wellington winery Diemersfontein unwittingly spawned an entirely new category of wine which the public have fallen in love with: coffee-styled wines.

So does that make all the wannabe emulators of the original coffee cats rather than copycats? questions Fiona McDonald.

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 17

Wine

And to think it actually happened by

accident during the 2003 harvest at

Wellington’s Diemersfontein… Bertus Fourie was the winemaker at the time, and had a bumper crop of Pinotage to

deal with. He decided to put into action some research he’d conducted during

his Masters in Oenology studies at the University of Stellenbosch a few years earlier – a combination of a specific

commercial yeast for fermenting the

grape juice, with the maturation of the

wine in a stainless steel tank lined with specially toasted oak staves. The result was the turbo-boost of coffee and

chocolate flavours that created an instant sensation.

Speaking about the two styles of

Pinotage that Diemersfontein is

t really set a cat

renowned for, with one being the

among the proverbial

serious, traditionally styled Carpe

pigeons when it was

Diem and the other the cheerful mocha

launched in 2004: Diemersfontein’s

toned example, owner David

2003 Pinotage had a distinct coffee

Sonnenberg is on record as saying that

aroma and flavour that found

immediate praise and enthusiasm

he feels like “the parent of two teenage

among the wine drinking public.

and followers and having been around

protecting the reputation of Pinotage,

critics.

Of course, the purists were all for

South Africa’s unique grape which was

for a decade, it’s even winning over its Instead of the coffee phenomenon

developed in 1926 by Abraham Perold

lasting five minutes, it has instead

The traditionalists felt that Pinotage

red wine category, with numerous

who crossed Pinot Noir with Cinsaut. had a hard enough time trying to win friends and influence people –

particularly foreign wine writers who

criticised it as tasting of rusty nails or burned rubber.

The fact of the matter is that people

loved it because it was a delicious, drinkable style of wine – and they

couldn’t get enough of it. And what

many wrote of as a “flash in the pan”

trend has gained more and more fans 18 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

created its own little niche within the

daughters – one is a classically trained violinist who dresses modestly and pulls the crowds in the exclusive

concert halls; the other, a mini-skirted and occasionally provocative pop star

who wows the younger generation but has fans of all ages.”

Fourie later moved on to the KWV

winemakers creating unique examples

which launched Café Culture in 2007,

Malbec, Tinta Barocca and even

the sparkling sensation, Choc Mousse,

of not just Pinotage, but Merlot, Port-style wines. At one of the

country’s biggest wine shows, the

annual RMB Winex festival held in

Johannesburg, Cape Town and now Polokwane, the Diemersfontein

Pinotage 2009 beat out all comers to be adjudged the wine of the show by popular vote.

and subsequently followed it up with a fizzy, bubbly-style wine made from coffee Pinotage. By the turn of the decade, just three years after the

launch, Café Culture was selling more than 100 000 litres annually.

And after again moving on to yet

greener pastures, Fourie created his

own Barista brand which is going down

coffee & chocolate a storm in the American market – with the brand showing massive growth among the nation of coffee lovers!

But what is it that people love? One

of the explanations given is that the world of wine is still seen as quite snobbish, with people talking a

language that others don’t necessarily understand. To the novice drinker

being able to distinguish raspberries and oak tannins is a stretch too far – which is why these wines work.

Everyone gets coffee! From the nose all

and Dave Hughes, both veteran wine judges, joining in.

The Diemersfontein Pinotage and

Café Culture came out tops, followed by: Boland cappupino ccinotage;

Barista, KWV Choccochino, Schalk Burger Meerkat, Vrede & Lust

Mocholate Malbec, Cathedral Cellar Pinotage (non-coffee flavour), Stellenbosch Hills Polkadraai

Pinotage-Merlot, DGB Rib Shack Red and Doolhof Dark Lady.

Chief KWV winemaker at the time,

the way through to the palate – the

Richard Rowe, said: “What I learnt

cocoa, is quite pronounced. It’s also

pursue coffee flavours. The wine should

flavour of coffee, and even chocolate or seductive…

And that’s what is so exciting: these

wines provide a glimpse through the

from this, is that one shouldn’t only also be smooth and generous. The answer is palatability.”

And after 11 years of coffee-styled

keyhole to the greater, more exciting

wines there’s absolutely no doubt that

It’s when these novice red wine

flavours – and yes, palatability, of this

world of wine appreciation that awaits. drinkers also have an “aha!” moment and get what the fuss about wine is about. There’s many a marketer

working for a wine brand who is in favour of the coffee and chocolate phenomenon because they

acknowledge that it’s not a big leap

from coffee red wines onto other, more traditional red wines. It’s opening the

door to a whole new world of flavour for people who might otherwise have been intimidated by the idea of drinking red wine.

It’s also interesting to note that even

the experts can appreciate that the

wines aren’t as “pop culture” as they might have thought. In a Wineland

the market is loving the delicious style of wine. Long may it last!

Coffee-styled wines: Diemersfontein Pinotage KWV Café Culture Barista KWV Choccochino Shiraz De Krans Tinta Mocha (Tinta Barocca) De Krans Original Espresso Boplaas Tinta Chocolat Boplaas The Chocolate Cape Vintage Port Boland Kelder Cappupinoccinotage Schalk Burger Meerkat Vrede & Lust Mochalate Malbec Stellenbosch Hills Polkadraai Pinotage-Merlot DGB Rib Shack Red Doolhof Dark Lady

report in 2010, Cassie du Plessis

The Grinder Pinotage

KWV with some of their production

Ja-Mocha Pinotage (Simonsvlei)

reported on a tasting conducted at the and marketing team with Pinotage

Chocoholic Pinotage (Darling Cellars) Van Loveren Africa Java Pinotage

Association members Duimpie Bayly Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 19

TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS\DURBAN\34726\LEFT

You may have heard of a “good bottle of wine”, but what about a “good box of wine”? Introducing the Carnival range – an affordable, everyday drinking wine that can stand the sternest test at any dinner table. Crafted to be simply delicious, the Carnival range delights with its fruity notes and great quality. There is a wine for every palate from dry to sweet. Find it at a TOPS at SPAR or SPAR store near you in its striped packaging, reminiscent of days gone by. The next time you want to have some fun, put a cork in it and open a box instead.

For your nearest TOPS store, phone our share call number 0860 31 3141 or visit topsatspar.co.za

Bottle Art

Sticky

medals

They stand out on the shelf – the bottles with stickers attached. Perhaps just one, possibly two.

But those which really catch the eye are the ones festooned with medals and awards.

Fiona McDonald decodes the sticker scenario. here’s seldom a wine

That’s because the consumer

producer who objects to

appreciates it as a vote of confidence, a

perfection with a sticker or

competition or tasting panel somewhere

sullying his bottle’s

two or three. Speak to any and they will tell you: stickers sell! Those little

adhesive additions to the outside of a

bottle of wine make all the difference

between being noticed on the shelf and being overlooked.

22 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

symbol of recognition. Some

has deemed the contents of a particular

bottle worthy of either a bronze, silver or gold medal. Sometimes it’s a star rating, a commendation or even a trophy. But the person standing in front of a vast

array of wines, not necessarily knowing

what wine to choose for tonight’s dinner party, the weekend’s braai or a last

minute birthday gift appreciates that a

bottle with something that sets it apart

has the edge. Consequently they’re more

likely to place their hand around its neck and walk off to the checkout with it.

SO WHAT DO THE VARIOUS LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL SYMBOLS OF RECOGNITION MEAN?

The biggest local competition is Veritas with 1 792 entries in 2013. It awards bronze, silver, gold and double gold

medals – or 682, 526, 166 and 68 of each type last year. It’s basically South Africa’s national wine show and draws the most entries. It’s a “for the industry, by the industry” event although a few

international judges participate. It’s

considered an “authoritative quality wine

competitions guideline” and is also the country’s

longest running event, having been started in 1990.

Competing for the title of the most

lable Avai SPAR from TOPS and PAR at S res sto

like – so Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Pinotage and others are all tasted as separate categories.

One notable difference to this is the

authoritative event is the Old Mutual

Platter Guide. It makes the point that it is

he Call t TLINEWINE the erstwhile HO 141 S P TO 0 313 086

with the Oxford Dictionary definition of a

NOT a competition, it is a Guide. And

Trophy Wine Show, an event begun in 2002 by

magazine.

guide being: “a person who advises or

In 2014 it attracted 1 040 entries,

shows the way” or “a directing principle or

awarded 28 trophies, just 37 gold medals,

standard. A book providing information

121 silvers and 469 bronzes. To be

on a subject” it is apt then that the wines

awarded a coveted trophy, a wine must

score an average 98 points out of 100! For gold the threshold is 90 and above, silver is 80-89 and bronze is 70-79.

Show chairman Michael Fridjhon

states in his introduction to Icons 2014, the book containing information on all

the winning wines: “The role of the wine judge is not to replace the consumer’s

responsibility for buying what he or she

likes and wishes to enjoy. It is to offer an assessment of what – in the trained

taster’s opinion – are the qualitative

intrinsics of a youthful bottle, sampled

years before the wine is at its peak. Since show judging is done blind – in other

words, free of the marketing hype and

the influence of a producer’s label – it is as good (or bad) as the quality of the palate which passes judgement.”

He also makes the point that show

judging “can only comment upon what is evident in a young wine: potential”. “We are able to review the comparable merits of what has been submitted… for the

judges’ consideration, to benchmark the wines in a particular class, one against

the other, to identify the finest bottles, at

The role of the wine judge is not to replace the consumer’s responsibility for buying what he or she likes

submitted to Platter are sampled by

experienced tasters – but with sight of the label. In other words, Taster ABC will know that he is tasting a Merlot from

Stellenbosch producer Wonderful Wines, for instance, and will make an assessment of whether it deserves a 1, 2, 3, 4 (or more) Star rating.

Should the taster deem it potentially 5

Star worthy – the highest on the Platter quality scale – he needs another Platter taster to concur with his judgement.

Finally, all potential 5 Star wines are

tasted by the full Platter tasting team –

but this is done blind. So once again, all the Shirazes are tasted alongside each

other, all the Merlots – and so forth. Only when the majority agree that the wine is worthy of 5 Stars, is it awarded that

rating. With the 34th edition of the

Guide published in 2014, just 80 wines

– out of nearly 7 000 South African wines assessed – received the ultimate accolade.

So you can see why a producer would

want consumers to see that his wine was rated 5 Stars by Platter!

Other local competitions exist, notably

that time, and in that place.”

the Michelangelo awards which is judged

competitions work – with the wines

Terroir Wine Awards, Classic Wine

And that’s the way that most

judged against their peers, blind. So a

Shiraz, for example, would not be tasted

versus a Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s like for

by an international panel, SA Top 100, Trophy and Winemakers Choice

Diamond Awards. There are also a range of category specific events for Chenin Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 23

Bottle Art

Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage, Methode Cap Classique, Port,

Bordeaux-style blends, Muscadel, Cape Blends and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The “biggies” when it comes to

international events are the Decanter

World Wine Awards, International Wine & Spirits Competition, International Wine Challenge, Mundus Vini and Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.

The 2014 staging of the Decanter

World Wine Awards attracted in excess

of 14 000 entries from all over the world.

In 2013, of 32 international trophies

awarded, four of them went to South

African wines! Wines are all blind tasted by country, category, area and also price

The panel debates the merits of each wine before agreeing on a score or medal that reflects the panel opinion.

The International Wine Challenge is

point. So a Chardonnay from Elgin

held in London with a range of

at the same price level. On the final day

the International Wine & Spirit

would be tasted with other Chardonnays of judging, the gold medal winning

South African wines are pitted against each other in order to win regional

category trophies. Once a wine has won a regional trophy it is then lined up

against other countries’ regional trophy winners. So South Africa’s best

Chardonnay would compete against an

international judges tasting the wines while Competition (IWSC) judges the South

African entries in South Africa, using local judges. The IWSC reasoning being that

local judges are well versed in local styles

and more attuned to the unique qualities of a Sauvignon Blanc from Elim versus

one from Stellenbosch, and thus able to

super-jurors, notably Masters of Wine Tim Atkin, Peter McCombie, Sam

Harrop along with competition founder Charles Metcalfe and Oz Clarke. They

have the discretion to overrule the panel and reinstate wines for judging during week two, based on their expert

knowledge and years of experience.

By contrast, Concours Mondial de

Bruxelles, is run according to European

OIV (L’Organisation International de la vigne et du vin – or International

Organisation of Vine and Wine) rules.

Wines are tasted blind, one at a time, they are categorised and flighted

according to type but no information is given to the panel. So the only

information provided is that the wine is

white, red, rosé, still, sparkling or sweet.

There is no indication of grape variety, country, or style. There is also no

discussion whatsoever, if anything,

silence is encouraged. Tasting notes are not a requirement at this competition with boxes being ticked to arrive at a final score.

To quote Mr Fridjhon again: “The

make an assessment of the differences.

kind of benchmarking exercise the show

Zealand, German, Italian, Austrian or

(IWC) has to be one of the fairest

valid only for a brief moment in time.”

winning Chardonnay to be deemed

checks and balances built into the

American, French, Australian, New any other country’s regional trophy

worthy of the International trophy.

As with Decanter, the International

Wine & Spirit Competition and the

International Wine Challenge judging sessions reach consensus based on

discussion. This means that everyone on the panel scores the wine – and then

defends their position, either pointing out good or bad qualities. The panel

debates the merits of each wine before

agreeing on a score or medal that reflects the panel opinion.

24 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

The International Wine Challenge

competitions in that there are numerous system. During week one, panels don’t score the wines but simply decide

whether they make the quality cut-off

for a medal, a commendation or deserve to be rejected. Week two is then spent

represents is more than a freeze-frame

He writes that it is “a recognised talent

scouting enterprise” – and all the various expert tasters, at a variety of

competitions and panels are the ones

who have sought out the gems worthy of recognition.

That’s what the stickers on bottles

assessing what level of medal – gold,

mean…

one should get. They can also be rejected

(Declaration: The author judges at Decanter

silver or bronze the wines from round at this stage…

During both week one and week two,

wines kicked out go into the safety net of highly experienced and qualified

World Wine Awards, International Wine Challenge, International Wine & Spirit Competition, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Classic Wine magazine panels and tastes for the annual Platter wine guide.)

Winter warmer

26 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

Dark delight

The story goes that Sheridan was a head chef in Foynes, County Limerick, in Ireland’s Mid-West province of Munster. In 1942 ‒ when this famous drink first appeared ‒ Foynes port was the first point of arrival for the Pan-Am flying boats from the United States, predating the modern Shannon international airport. t was a chilly, wet and generally wretched winter’s evening when a batch of passengers disembarked from America. To cheer them up and warm them

Sheridan added a tot of Irish whiskey to their coffees. Apparently the passengers

asked if they were drinking Brazilian coffee – to which Sheridan apocryphally replied that it was Irish coffee.

And so the legend was born: and it quickly travelled back Stateside with those

passengers where it became famous at the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco. The American innovation was the floating of the cream atop the coffee, rather than stirring it into the mix.

Cape Town aficionado David Donde of Truth Coffee bar is someone who lives,

eats, breathes, sleeps and dreams coffee! Talking to Donde is like having an

individual masterclass on the topic. He can wax lyrical about origin of the beans –

perhaps why his first Cape Town coffee establishment was called Origin… Or about

green bean roasting, happily explaining the concept of ‘first crack’ and ‘second crack’.

And don’t get him started on the topic of milk – because he will tell you all about what happens to the milk proteins if the liquid goes above 85˚C. There’s a reason why the term ‘sweet spot’ exists.

david

Irish coffee

“Cream as rich as an Irish brogue; coffee as strong as a friendly hand; sugar sweet as the tongue of a rogue; and whiskey smooth as the wit of the land.”

That was the original recipe for Irish Coffee, according to its ‘inventor’, Joseph Sheridan.

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 27

Winter warmer

Some months ago, he decided to rope

in a few folks to see if he could improve on the tried and tested recipe for Irish

African, 3 Ships 5 year old and a bit of ringer – Jack Daniels Honey Liqueur.

Even the topping didn’t escape

there’s another which states that Irish

Coffee contains all four essential food

groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat!

Coffee – and in typical Donde fashion,

without serious scrutiny: single cream –

restaurant critic JP Rossouw and his

double-thick cream – also unshaken

TOP AND TAILS

frothed milk, the kind you’d get on

interesting to see how each variable affected

it was done exhaustively. Along with brother Jacques, wine writer Neil Pendock and I were the tasters.

“The idea is to get to the perfect Irish

Coffee,” said Donde. “As simple as

that.” Except that it turned out to be

anything BUT simple! We should have

known what we were letting ourselves in

for when he briefed us that “the first rule is that the rule book is being thrown out the window!

“This drink that we all think of as Irish

Coffee: how far can we go once we’ve thrown the rule book out?” was his

challenge to the assembled palates.

MECHANICS

The task involved quite a few variables – the first step being the coffee. We

settled on three options: an espresso, a double espresso and a bog-standard

Americano. Both forms of espresso had water added to bulk up the volume

sufficiently. The other thing was that the sugar was removed from the equation in

order that the coffee and whisky flavours weren’t masked.

Then there was the whisk(e)y: lined up

where Jameson’s Irish whiskey, an American whiskey in the shape of

Woodford Reserve Bourbon, a smoky,

peaty Scottish malt whisky – Ardbeg, and then a Speyside malt, The Macallan 12 year old. Rounding out the spirit side of things was the South

both unshaken and whipped,

and whipped to thicken, as well as

On a more serious note it was really

a cappuccino.

the overall impression of the drink.

The single cream was too thin to

There once was a head chef named Joe, Whose thought process was anything but slow, When chilly passengers arrived, A warming drink he contrived, And gave us the Irish Coffee we now know!

Donde’s direction was for each sample

enjoyment of the whole. The unshaken double-thick cream was good but the

lightly whipped double cream really hit the spot, providing a nice dense

covering to the coffee and also adding a richer, creamier mouthfeel. It was

interesting to see how much harder one had to really pull and suck through the thick cream to get at the coffee/whisky

blend – and that made the appreciation of the mouthful of flavour deeper and richer.

The milk froth was a total non-starter

for two reasons; the first being lack of flavour and texture and the second

because of the physics – the froth slid to

the opposite side of the glass when it was tilted, making it almost impossible to take a mouthful of the coffee, whisky and topping simultaneously.

The whisky was possibly the most

interesting aspect of the tasting. The

overall impression.

muted with the coffee being the hero of

whisky flavour, mouthfeel, body and an The first order of business was to try

the accepted version of Irish Coffee – a

sweetened filter coffee with a tot

Irish (Jameson) whiskey was somewhat

the piece rather than it being a genuine partnership.

On its own Bourbon has delicious,

of Irish whiskey topped off with

slightly sweet, vanilla and fudge flavour

quote that Irish Coffee is the

came through as overtly fruity with a sort

whipped cream. While there’s a

perfectly good drinks: coffee and whiskey –

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

make much of an impression on the

to be assessed in terms of coffee flavour,

ideal way to ruin two

28 www.topsatspar.co.za

My sentiments lie with the latter camp.

– but when blended with the coffee this of tangy and quite hot aftertaste of alcohol burn. One of the tasters

described as a Mustang muscle car “a big

Irish coffee bruiser with a throbbing V8 engine!”

Too much…

And as for the peaty, smoky

Ardbeg? The consensus was that you’d have to be insane to attempt blending it with coffee and cream! It was just

too much. Too smoky, too peaty – and

would also be too expensive if trying to sell it in a coffee shop! Neither the coffee nor the malt were done any favours in this pairing.

When tasted on its own, as a whisky,

the 3 Ships 5 year old had a light

smokiness to it. In Irish Coffee it was

less offensive or overt than the Ardbeg

had been but it still didn’t work as well as some of the others.

How to…

Prepare your Irish Coffee glass by pouring in boiling water to heat it.

Empty the water out and then add a teaspoon or two of sugar, according to your preference.

Pour in black coffee and stir well until the sugar is dissolved.

Stir in a tot of whisky.

Finally, float the lightly whipped cream on top by pouring it over the back of a slightly warm spoon.

Don’t stir the coffee once the cream has been added.

The idea is for the warm, sweet coffee and whisky to be drunk through the cream, filling the mouth with all the elements of flavour.

Donde described the Jack Daniels

Honey Liqueur version as the “Jerry

Springer show of the line-up…” Firstly, the honeycomb aroma jumped out of

the glass before the initial sip – and the flavour was of roasted hazelnuts,

slightly sour caramel and coffee nougat.

As good as the liqueur was on its own, it was too sweet and nutty with the coffee being overwhelmed.

THE VERDICT

For the best coffee flavour a slightly

diluted double espresso is the way to

go. Ironically, it was the Scottish single malt – The Macallan – that performed best in terms of flavour and harmony

with the coffee, perhaps because it is a

gentle, mellower spirit than the others tried. And the whipped double-thick cream is an absolute must.

Perhaps the best coffee quote going

was one attributed to famous American singer and dancer, Josephine Baker: “He was my cream, and I was his coffee. And when you poured us together, it was something!”

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 29

A question of taste

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Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

beer

Just chill, brew We might swear by our brand of beer in summer, but when winter comes we scamper off to the arms of some other darker specimen. Clifford Roberts attempts an explanation.

ver wonder why you have more

talking about a complex organ – the

sugary foods after cutting them out for a

when the weather turns cool?

each comprising clusters of between 50

winemakers when its actually the air

of a hankering for dark beer

No doubt, the question’s come up before – as they do when evenings grow longer

and the pub becomes a safe and friendly refuge from the grey cold outside.

The fact is, beer sales fluctuate across

seasons and many brewers take

advantage of this trend by brewing

“seasonal” beers that carry more appeal

than others at different times of the year.

This is especially true of countries that have an even spread of cold and hot

tongue – that has some 9 000 taste buds, and 100 cells. On top of that, our taste is linked to our other senses in ways far more intricately than we realise, and

whisky blender Richard Paterson for

We wince when we see someone

accidentally whack their thumb with a

hammer even though we’ve experienced no physical pain.

Also, new research published this year

condition – can detect over one trillion

We’re talking here of that switch

order a Guinness; or a Heineken fan

tries a Van Hunks Pumpkin Ale. Just

like our choice of food, weather has a lot to do with it.

The answer to the question as to why

our tastes change however is more

complicated than a bar full of opinions might imagine. For starters, we’re

With something apparently so fickle,

sometimes from unexpected sources.

senses feed information to our brains,

what John Milton put so succinctly:

when a Castle Lager drinker chooses to

we fly.

one has to wonder what truly lies behind

in the American Journal of Science says

“Then to the spicy nut-brown ale”.

pressure that dulls our taste buds when

particularly to our sense of smell. Our

months. When it’s hot, we drink one

type of beer, and when it’s cold, we do

while; and, we blame the chefs and

that a humble schnoz – in mint

different smells. Now, consider that most of our body is continuously

shedding and replacing cells, while ageing too.

This microscopic, turbulent

environment is responsible for our taste being both transient and malleable – pregnant women can experience

surprising changes in taste; children

grow out of their so-called sweet teeth; our palates become sensitive to salty or

the insuring of a nose like that of master $1.5m (R26m) or the tongue of coffee taster Gennaro Pelliccia, for £10m (R175m).

Our taste preferences also change

– you might have had a bad experience with peach schnapps as a student, and

still have occasional, stomach churning reminders each time you get the mere sight of a bottle of the stuff; or you’ve

acquired (or, perhaps even lost) the taste for Scotch.

Now, narrowing down our search to

the relation between our senses,

temperature and our brew, scientists in

Belgium recently found that food flavour perception changes when temperature changes: ice-cream tastes sweeter as it warms up; ham, saltier when colder; and, beer, bitter when warmer.

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 31

A question of taste

DO WE THEN PREFER OUR BEER LESS BITTER, EVEN SWEETER, WHEN IT’S COOLER OUT?

Certainly one theory says that our bodies are programmed to seek stimulation at times when we’re less mobile. In cold, wintry

months, we get out less and may be more

moody as a result. We want to nest. Sugar

And remember, most important of all: you might love the light while it’s there most year round, but you don’t need to be afraid of the dark.

More specific to our situation, consider the

provides an appealing spike in our emotions

general use of beer in sunny South Africa,

why sugar appeals more to populations in

summer day like an ice-cold, dew-laden

and some studies actually say this is the reason colder climes. This perhaps unconscious desire for a sweet tinge to our drink could well be our internal PT instructor screaming to go for a run, although the alcoholic lullaby usually

where nothing quite hits the spot on a hot brewski. It just doesn’t seem right to order our stock standard lawnmower brew when the temperature is 10 below outside.

Also, conventional wisdom says that cold

drowns him out.

constricts aroma and flavour, as well as our

speak of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in

connoisseurs prefer a dash of water at room

The labels of these darker brews often

their flavours, pumpkin and sweetness too.

They’re tinged in colours you might associate with autumn or even toasty embers in the

hearth. And just like we picture ourselves in

that expensive new coat hanging in the shop

physical perceptions – it’s why whisky

temperature, rather than ice in their dram. It makes sense then that full-bodied beers,

which have more flavour and potency, will hold greater appeal for our palates.

There’s a good argument to be made that

window, that beer label surrounds us with

winter, more than any other season,

the cold and nastiness outside. One brewer

in particular. As the season changes, beer

warm and fuzzy things that shelter us from actually refers to his winter brew as

“Christmas cookies in a glass” – it helps that your brain is thinking about the comforts of home before that first sip reaches your lips.

represents a prime opportunity for craft beers drinkers expect to try something different and winter is far less competitive than summer, as beer hunting grounds go.

Of course, we might believe that the

higher alcohol in many of the darker brews

warms us up, which does hold true but only temporarily. In fact, consuming alcohol

clifford

actually increases the risk of acquiring

hypothermia in extreme conditions. Of

course, you’ll have to keep a keener eye on your intake as well, if you intend driving.

So best stay indoors then, where it’s warm,

Award-winning journalist Clifford Roberts loves researching topics such as beer especially the practical side of the subject!

32 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

the beer is plentiful and the conversation cheap.

And remember, most important of all: you might love the light while it’s there most year round, but you don’t need to be afraid of the dark.

TJDR (CT) 44292/E

Q U E U E S. R ELY I NG ON HIGHLIGHTS. CONSTANT REFILLS.

RUNNING DRY. MISSED

GOA LS.

OVERCOOKED STEAKS.

SECOND–HAND

M O M E N T S.

MORE What’s better than 100% Pure Beer? 33% more. Introducing the all-new 440ml Lager can.

More malted barley, more hops, more water – and nothing else.

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

Drink Responsibly.

smart

entry level

“Instead of buying that R150-plus bottle of whisky, they’re looking at a different segment of the whisky market ‒ that of the R100-or-less whisky.”

bottle. But what separates the two price

segments is what’s in the bottle – and the first group of whiskies, while also blended whiskies, have a higher

proportion of grain whisky in them.

GRAIN WHISKY Whisky writer Dave Broom had the

and performs a vital function

Whisky: “Grain whisky is conceivably

must have flavour.

following to say in The World Atlas of the most misunderstood of all whisky

within a blend. By law, grain The Scotch Whisky Act of

styles. For the majority of drinkers,

1988 states that it must be

alcohol. Grain whisky? Nothing more

by volume of less than 94.8%, so

column still whisky equals neutral

than Scottish vodka whose existence in a blend is simply to dilute and bulk up the malts, right? No. None of that is

true. Grain has a character of its own

distilled: “at an alcoholic strength that the distillate has an aroma and

Dave Broom had the following to say in The World Atlas of Whisky: “Grain whisky is conceivably the most misunderstood of all whisky styles.”

taste derived from the raw materials used and the methods of its production.”

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 35

smart

entry level

“Instead of buying that R150-plus bottle of whisky, they’re looking at a different segment of the whisky market ‒ that of the R100-or-less whisky.”

bottle. But what separates the two price

segments is what’s in the bottle – and the first group of whiskies, while also blended whiskies, have a higher

proportion of grain whisky in them.

GRAIN WHISKY Whisky writer Dave Broom had the

and performs a vital function

Whisky: “Grain whisky is conceivably

must have flavour.

following to say in The World Atlas of the most misunderstood of all whisky

within a blend. By law, grain The Scotch Whisky Act of

styles. For the majority of drinkers,

1988 states that it must be

alcohol. Grain whisky? Nothing more

by volume of less than 94.8%, so

column still whisky equals neutral

than Scottish vodka whose existence in a blend is simply to dilute and bulk up the malts, right? No. None of that is

true. Grain has a character of its own

distilled: “at an alcoholic strength that the distillate has an aroma and

Dave Broom had the following to say in The World Atlas of Whisky: “Grain whisky is conceivably the most misunderstood of all whisky styles.”

taste derived from the raw materials used and the methods of its production.”

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 35

Whisky

“In other words, although grain

can be high in strength, the

regulations say it must have flavour and character.”

Broom’s point of view was echoed

in print by fellow whisky authority,

Charles McLean who wrote the book,

World Whisky. McLean said the advent of whisky blending in the mid-19th

century “proved to be the making of the Scottish whisky industry.”

McLean documents that the first

blends “were produced in about 1853

by Andrew Usher, an Edinburgh

whisky merchant. His Old Vatted

Glenlivet is often cited as the first blend and it achieved rapid popularity.

Charles Mackinlay and WP Lowrie

to instinct and a ‘feel good’ factor’.”

well known whisky houses in the

good factor” as well as a certain

Dewar’s and Buchanans.”

to three of the products in this price

were also early pioneers, as were many industry today, such as Johnnie Walker, Also helping the cause of the swing

towards a preference for blended whisky was the collapse of the French brandy

industry which was brought about by – of all things – a tiny plant louse: phylloxera.

This little critter decimated the vineyards of the world in the mid-1800s and since Cognac or brandy was distilled from

wine, there was a massive shortage of the spirit’s raw material.

Not only that, but McLean recounts

that “drinkers rapidly adopted the

lighter, cheaper and more palatable

And there’s definitely a “feel

amount of national pride attached

segment: Knights, Harrier and Two

Keys. All are proudly South African.

Knights and Harrier fall under the

Distell umbrella, being produced at the

James Sedgwick distillery in Wellington which is also the brand home of Three

Scotch malt and SA grain. Bursting with

waves in the global whisky fraternity.

South Africa this will be my daily dram.”

Ships whisky which is making definite Two Keys is part of the Edward Snell &

South Africa”.

substantial interest. Firstwatch, for

owned wine and spirit company in

In the 2013 edition of his eponymous

Irish Whiskeys”.

it 87 out of 100: “Bourbony vanillas and

figures in the distilling business,” wrote McLean. “They are responsible for the selection of whiskies for a blend – a

process described by Whyte & Mackay’s Richard Paterson as ‘90% percent down 36 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

That’s fairly substantial praise from one

of the world’s most recognised whisky

Whisky Bible, Jim Murray writes the

“The master blenders are important

attitude and vitality. When next in

Company range, the “largest family-

blends over the then highly variable and strongly flavoured single whiskies and

While the economic conditions might mean a bit of belt tightening, it’s also an opportunity to expose the taste buds to new flavours

following of Knights whisky and scores toffee. A superb bite to this with a

experts! But this array of whisky offers example, is a blend of Canadian and

American rye and grain whiskies – which means that it offers up unique flavours as rye spirit is unlike Scottish malt.

While the economic conditions might

salivating sweet and oily follow-through.

mean a bit of belt tightening, it’s also an

caramel. It now appears to be a 100%

new flavours – with the added bonus of

Wonderfully textured vanilla and South African whisky – a vast

improvement on when it was a blend of

opportunity to expose the taste buds to practising fiscal responsibility at the same time!

Taste of Spain

38 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

Sherry

Social trend

In May, the festival of San Isidro in Spain’s capital city of Madrid was cancelled for the first time in decades ‒ after three matadors came off second best to the fighting bulls in the Las Ventas bullring. All three are reportedly recuperating well from their near fatal injuries... By Fiona McDonald hat is culture? This

sherry in their supermarket wine section

a glug of Fino sherry, and feel your

animal activists after

reason is the food that it does well with

Daily Telegraph in December 2013.

question was posed by Spain’s congress conferred ‘traditional

cultural heritage’ status on the corrida –

or bullfight – in order to protect it from a European ban. Although the practice dates back 4000 years, having been

popularised by the Romans during their

domination of Europe, its legion of fans and supporters are waning noticeably.

And yet, if you ask anyone for an

iconic image of Spain it’ll either be a matador with a flowing cape or a

flamenco dancer! Although incredibly hard hit by the continuing economic

recession, Spain is riding the crest of a

wave in terms of patriotic fervour, having won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as well as Euro 2012.

But there’s another Spanish cultural

tradition that is being celebrated in all the hottest and trendiest circles in

London and New York – that of sherry drinking! Sherry has been deeply

unfashionable as a drink for years. In

South Africa, the appreciation of sherry extends to taking a bottle of “Obies”

(Old Brown Sherry) along on fishing trips to stave off the night chill!

London in particular has adopted

Spanish sherry with massive enthusiasm.

Tapas and sherry bars have opened in

the UK capital at a rate of knots while

one national retailer reports that sales of

have increased by 33%. And part of the – little tapas, pinxtos and raciones of

mouth all refreshed,” he reported in the

olives, jamón Ibérico or Serrano and

WHAT AND HOW?

and pulpo. One of the scientific reasons,

fortified wine – meaning that spirit is

cheese, cuttlefish, pimentos, calamares

The basic information is that sherry is a

according to food writer James Ramsden

added to boost the alcoholic strength of

is that the chemical compound which

makes you drool – acetaldehyde – can be found in quite high levels in sherry. “It

washes out your taste canals. That’s why

you can have some olives or jamon, have

the wine. It’s made from white, mainly Palomino, grapes grown near the town of Jerez de la Frontera in the southern

Spanish region of Andalusia. Although most people think sherry should be

sweet – as Old Brown is – in actual fact, it’s generally made in a range of styles,

from crisply bone-dry to rich, treacly and deeply sweet. (See sidebar.)

It’s a hot, dry region and the soils are

quite chalky but it’s the history that’s

fascinating. It was the Phoenicians who

introduced winemaking to Spain in 1100 BC, the Romans who continued it when they controlled Iberia around 200 BC

but the medieval Muslim inhabitants of Sicily, Malta and the Maghreb, the

Moors, who introduced distilling to the

region around 700 AD, ultimately giving the world fortified wine and brandy. It’s also the Moorish name for the town,

Sherish that led to it being called Jerez and the wine style, sherry. In the

mid-1500s sherry was hugely popular in

Great Britain, courtesy of Francis Drake who arrived home with 2 900 barrels of the stuff after sacking Cadiz in 1587!

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 39

Taste of Spain

Sherry Styles: FINO

The most subtle of the styles, and the lightest, it’s dry, nutty, tangy and crisp.

Having not been exposed to oxygen during its making because of the flor

Having been fortified, it also meant that the wine travelled well, not going off even during long sea voyages.

Wine writer Jamie Goode reports on

his website, www.wineanorak.com that “vineyards are mainly located within a triangle formed by the Sherry towns

Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa

Maria and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. The characteristic vineyard soil in the region

layer, fino is delicate and akin to a

oxidation. It’s thicker in the humid coastal towns in the region. In addition, the flor

contributes a distinctive flavour to the wine through metabolizing alcohol to the nutty, appley compound acetaldehyde. To keep the flor healthy, casks are periodically

topped up with fresh wine, to maintain the nutrients that the yeasts need to survive.”

It takes the skill of the winemaker to

is known as albariza. A blinding white

identify which style the different barrels

chalk content, and retains water well. In

complete. Tasting is essential to separate

colour in bright sunlight, it has a high

such a warm, breezy region, evaporation levels are potentially very high, so this characteristic is important.”

white wine. Best chilled.

MANZANILLA Because of the higher humidity on the coast at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, this fino-style sherry benefits from a thicker flor layer and so is typically lighter and fresher than fino. It also displays a distinct salty tang.

AMONTILLADO An old fino which has lost its flor and consequently been exposed to oxygen,

will become once fermentation is

developing deeper, amber colour and

the lighter ones for fino sherry and the

higher in alcohol at 17.5% (the others

richer, deeper ones for oloroso.

complex nutty flavours. It’s also slightly are around 15%). It lasts longer because of the oxygen exposure.

SOLERA SYSTEM

PALO CORTADO

the mercury regularly passes the 40˚C

The ageing of sherry is the most complex

Another example of a fino sherry which

the Atlantic. “Table wines made from

involves a solera system. It’s an intricate

Goode writes that the extreme heat –

mark – is offset by cool winds coming off here wouldn’t be terribly exciting, but the complex process of Sherry production, including the addition of spirit once

fermentation is complete (fortification), results in complex, stable wines.”

Probably the most vitally essential

element to sherry production is the filmy layer of yeasts which forms on top – the

flor. “It forms spontaneously from yeasts that are abundant in the winery

environment when the sherry casks are left

incompletely filled,” Goode writes. “Sherry

butts (as the barrels are known) are made of American oak and usually have a capacity

of 600 litres, but are only filled to 500 litres, leaving a large air space. The growth of the flor protects the developing wine from 40 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

element of its production – because it

system involving many barrels. Picture,

lost its flor ‒ but it’s not as complex and aged as an amontillado but lies somewhere in between the two.

for example, three barrels of wine: one

OLOROSO

barrel is removed to be bottled. It’s then

sherries that don’t have the protection

very old. Some of the volume of this old replaced by a portion of the middle-aged wine in the second barrel. That second barrel is in turn replenished with wine

from the youngest, newest and freshest

barrel. Up to a third of the volume of the barrel can be removed but generally only 10 to 15% is taken out. This ageing and replenishing with “fresher” wine is how the complexity and flavour develops.

So the final bottled product is actually a melange of wines from many

different vintages.

Complex, rich and nutty, these are of a film of flor while in barrel. These wines are dry in spite of being quite rich and raisiny in aromas and flavour.

They age and last well.

PEDRO XIMÉNEZ Richly sweet and like liquid Christmas cake, PX is made from air-dried grapes.

Consequently the sugar level is extremely high. The wine’s fermentation is stopped early by the addition of spirit. It’s typically almost black in colour and sticky.

Four decades Nederburg Auction

Hammertime!

The annual Nederburg auction is one of the country’s most sought after social events and an invitation is highly prized. But nowadays few people realise that when ďŹ rst held, it was open to members of the public who brought along their own picnics. Fiona McDonald reports.

Auctioneer, Anthony Barne, MW

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 43

Four decades

Günter Brözel

Carina Gous

44 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

Nederburg Auction alling the Nederburg auction a

in a marquee on the lawns of the Nederburg

Not that there are clowns but

beyond recognition,” Hughes admits. “And

circus would not be far wrong! there is certainly a ring master

and performers and some of the producers

feel the tension of having their wines under the hammer is like a high-wire act… But

veteran of the South African wine fraternity, Dave Hughes, is happy to recount that the auction really is based on a circus.

“When we were planning the first

auction all those years ago we knew we

manor house in Paarl. “It’s changed almost

and details the various wines available.

what a lot of people don’t realise is that the

cellarmaster, Günter Brözel, had made a

was actually a postal auction… And in the

refused to allow! It was the first Edelkeur

first ever auction which preceded the event early days members of the public were able to attend. They didn’t get any of the fancy stuff reserved for the VIPs but they were

encouraged to bring their own grub along and picnic on the lawns!”

As it has been for decades, the auction is

needed to be organised and efficient in

now a ‘by invitation only’ event, restricted

circuses having to move on to a new town

hotel and lodge owners, important local

setting everything up,” he said. And with

virtually every day, packing up and moving on and then setting up in time for the

afternoon matinee meant that they were well-oiled machines.

And to this day, with the 40th

Nederburg auction due to be held in

September, that’s how it’s run – like an efficient, well-oiled machine.

Between 1 500 and 2 000 guests will have

their every need swiftly met, probably

without even realising half of the logistics required to make it appear seamlessly

effortless. As a veteran of many Nederburg auctions I still marvel at the hundreds of

details which are seen to. From the tickets texted to one’s cell phone which are then scanned at the entrance, the parking, the transfer from car to auction hall, the

exhaustively informative catalogue, paddles

online - www.nederburgauction.co.za –

to members of the liquor trade, retailers,

and international Distell clients and guests and, of course, the media. It’s always been

It all started because the Nederburg

sweet wine which the authorities at the time from grapes which had been infected with

botrytis – what is now recognised as noble

late harvest style wines. But back then there was no official designation or approval of that type of wine. Stellenbosch Farmers’

Winery, under which Nederburg then fell and that subsequently merged with

Distiller’s Corporation to form the current Distell, decided to sell this wine – and others – by means of auction.

“It was also a way of exposing the South

intended as a trade event. Members of the

African market to the potential for local

approach their local liquor retailers to bid

the height of apartheid and sanctions.

public are encouraged, however, to

on their behalf. The catalogue is available

wines to age,” said Hughes. It was the 70’s, South Africa didn’t have a very big wine market and it was a predominantly

It all started because unsophisticated one. the Nederburg cellarmaster, Günter Brözel, had made a sweet wine which the authorities at the time refused Bidders for SPAR to allow! in action

and admin support for the bidders, the bubbly which flows continually, the

thousands of plates of food, the coffee stations – and, the ever-present video

screens which constantly update the live bidding action.

Four decades down the line the

Nederburg auction is a far cry from that

1975 auction when there were just 15 wines on offer from five different producers, held

45

Four decades

It’s seen changes over the decades.

Possibly the most notable was the building of a bricks-and-mortar home for the event rather than tents and marquees. “That

happened after we had a helluva storm the

day before the auction one year. It blew all

the tents away! There was a lot of scrabbling

and scrambling and midnight oil burned but we were open for business the next

morning,” Hughes recalled with pride.

The Johan Graue auction hall now also

serves as the home to the popular TV reality

series, Masterchef! The days of seating 1 500 people and providing them with a plated

three-course gourmet meal has made way for a more relaxed two-day event which sees an

Daily Maverick: (The 2013) “Nederburg

really rooting for some diamonds.”

had been predicting the demise of the

a few treasures from Distell’s wine library.

established premium wine event.”

modern wines are some 40- and even

auction confounded the Jeremiahs who

Some of the rare lots which join the

Cape’s longest running and best-

Producers were delighted to attain an

average price-per-litre of R355 which was 91% higher than previously! (R185 in

2012.) Not only that, but most of the wine stayed on local shores rather than being

shipped off abroad as had often happened

auction manager Dalene Steyn took

cognisance of the fact that buyer interest in the event was waning – as were the prices

achieved. With the approval of then Distell CEO Jan Scannell, Steyn invited a local

and international panel to select the wines.

There was no instruction other than to set

Nederburg Port showcase the country’s vinous history.

Uiterwyk’s 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon, a

Cabernet Sauvignon and a 1974 Middelvlei

15.4% of everything on offer.

In 2014 there will be 112 wines on offer

wines, 2 005 cases and 12 400 litres. When

significant shake-up in recent history. New

Cabernet Sauvignon and a 1964

Group as the top buyer overall, purchasing

up 63% of all the lots with the SPAR

plates of food.

In 2013 there was probably the most

Cabernet Sauvignon, a Zonnebloem 1964

Zonnebloem 1974 and 1975 Cabernet

in the form of 1 932 cases making up

CHANGE

50-year old wines: a 1964 Lanzerac

previously. South African buyers snapped

army of waiters regularly doing the rounds

with trays of canapés, snacks and scaled down

And diamonds were found – along with

Sauvignon, an Oude Libertas 1975

Pinotage make up the group of exceptional wines sharing the Auction’s birthday.

It is also only fitting that the iconic

12 156 litres of wine, down on 2013’s 134

Edelkeur, which gave rise to this event, is

briefing this year’s tasting panel, selection

different wines: a 1979 made by Brözel, a

convenor Michael van Deventer said “this being the 40th year of the Auction, we’re

most of the wine stayed on local shores rather than being shipped off abroad

well represented in the form of three

1993 and 2006. Adding further sweetness to the event is a 1989 Eminence natural sweet, the last vintage made by the

legendary cellarmaster which is still

gracious and lively, along with a 1990 vintage offering.

(Declaration: Fiona McDonald was a member of the tasting panel invited to select wines for both the 2013 and 2014 Nederburg Auction.)

the bar as high as possible. Wine quality was the only criteria and all submissions were tasted blind.

What resulted was a more than 50%

decrease in the amount of wine on offer,

from 25 444 litres to just 12 426! It was a shockingly bold move and yet produced

the desired result. Sales were double the

anticipated figure – with R4.4 million paid against an estimate of R2.2 million,

whereas the 2012 total (with twice as much wine) was R4.7 million.

Commentators and critics were united in

their praise. Michael Fridjhon wrote in the 46 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

Razvan Macici

Nederburg Auction

Janake Johansson

Mario Santana, SPAR Group

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 47

Available at TOPS at SPAR and SPAR stores

Thingamajigs

26

pg

1. SPAR Good Living’s

3

red or white wine glass is ideal for an indulgent Irish Coffee treat

2. SPAR Good Living stoneware coffee mugs 3. Simple yet elegant, SPAR Good Living classical white mug 4. SPAR Good Living cordless kettle, also available in a corded version 5. Fun and funky SPAR Good Living coffee mugs in a range of fashion designs

4

5 48 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

AR GO O D L

SP

2

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how to make the perfect Irish coffee

R.CO.

1

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Call the

TOPS HOTLINE Wrapping your 0860 313 141 hands around a mug of hot chocolate, coffee or tea warms the heart as much as anything else.

From kettles to mugs and even glasses perfect for Irish Coffee, SPAR Good Living has something to suit every taste.

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SEE CONTENTS PAGE FOR A FULL LIST OF STOCKISTS AND THEIR CONTACT DETAILS.

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10 13

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9 Egg Yolk Egg Cosy R60 & 10 Jacaranda Wood Bowls R90 each, both Quirky Me. 11 Menu POV Candle Holder, Entrepo R799.95.

12 Vintage World Map Gentleman’s Umbrella, Heart and Home 349.98.

13 Entrepo Rosendahl Soft CoffeeTea Glasses ‒ 350ml Set of 2 R299.95.

14 Entrepo Rosendahl Soft Coffee Cup and Saucer ‒ 280ml R149.95.

Jul|Augl 2014 Vol 13 www.topsatspar.co.za

49

Entertainment

Local is baie lekker music

South Africans are getting over their cultural cringe and proudly taking ownership of what it means to be a child of the Republic ‒ and that includes celebrating Afrikaner heritage. People can mock but see what happens to a dance floor when ‘Kaptein, span die seile’ or ‘Loslappie’ starts playing!

Juanita du Plessis: Nashville ‒ R136

cd’s

Since the start of her illustrious career, it has been a dream of Juanita du Plessis’ to record a full country album in Country Music City Nashville, USA. Her dream is becoming a reality.

Juanita has been working for the past year in Nashville and South Africa. Working with some of the best musicians in the mecca of country music, this double album took many hours and heaps of commitment but the end product is bound to surprise even the sceptics.

True to the Nashville sound, the album comprises 32 songs, produced by Juanita and engineers, with artists such as Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson and more featuring.

Juanita has also included two new Afrikaans country songs: As vandag my laaste dag is and As ons oud is. And keep your eyes peeled for the new music video accompanying the album’s release.

Now That’s What I Call Music! 67 ‒ R149 The biggest and best compilation around returns for another mammoth instalment of Pop hits, Indie treats, Urban anthems and dance floor fillers. The unstoppable Now brand rumbles on with No.1’s from Rihanna, Avril Lavigne and Timbaland, and tracks from Hellogoodbye, Gym Class Heroes, Take That, The Fray, Mutya Buena, Calvin Harris and more.

the PAPER

CORNER One Step Too Far ‒

By Tina Seskis ‒ R170

A body is found hanging on a hook

In the midst of battle, Lord Nicholas

above the canals of Amsterdam’s old

Falcott suddenly jumps 200 years

town, a mobile phone forced into the

An apparently happy marriage.

into the future. Finding himself in

victim’s mouth. In a remote coastal

A beautiful son. A lovely home.

2003, Lord Nicholas forges a new life

village, a doll lies in the ashes of a

Yet, one morning Emily Coleman

as “Nick Davenant” and serves in a

burnt-down house. But the couple

wakes up and walks right out of her

time-travelling secret society known

who died in the fire had no children of

life, taking nothing with her except a

as the Guild. But 10 years after he

their own. Did a little girl escape the

bit of money... not even her name.

jumped, Nick is told he’s being sent

blaze? And, if so, who is she and where

What makes her do it? Has she had a

back to 1815 on a vital mission. While

is she now? Inspector Jaap Rykel

breakdown? Was it to escape her

investigating the Guild’s enemies and

knows that he’s hunting a clever and

dysfunctional family ‒ especially her

hunting for the invaluable Talisman,

brutal murderer. Still grieving from the

flawed twin sister Caroline who always

he’s reunited with his sweetheart,

violent death of his last partner, Rykel

seemed to hate her? How will she

Julia Percy, who’s just started to

must work alongside a junior

survive? And, no matter how hard she

discover time-travelling gifts of her

out-of-town detective with her own

tries, can she ever really say goodbye

own. But a war over the past and the

demons to face, if he has any hope of

to her past? Emily has a secret. No one

fate of the future, as well as desperate

stopping the killer from striking again.

has ever guessed it. Will you?

attempts to find the Talisman and

Their investigation reveals two dark

use it to avert catastrophe, promises

truths: everybody in this city harbours

either to bring Nick and Julia

secrets ‒ and hearing those secrets

together or tear them apart.

comes at a terrible price.

The River of No Return ‒ By Bee Ridgway ‒ R170 50

After the Silence ‒

By Jake Woodhouse ‒ R170)

dvd’s

cd’s, dvd’s & books

The Grand Budapest Hotel ‒ R141

Noah ‒ R119

Ralph Fiennes truly steals the show in The Grand Budapest

Now you can make

Hotel which takes place in a fictional European alpine state known as the Republic of

up your own mind

Zubrowka. It’s 1932 and the country is on the brink of war. Young Zero Moustafa is a lobby

about the film which

boy at the eponymous hotel ‒ a luxurious estate run by M. Gustave H (Fiennes), a fastidious

caused controversy

yet charming and extremely proper man, who spends his days keeping (intimate) company

on its release a few

with the hotel’s richest, oldest, and blondest guests.

months ago. Human

When the elder Madame D ‒ whom Gustave had been a close companion to for

barbarism and

nearly two decades ‒ dies, Zero and his boss find themselves at the centre of a storm

warfare have ravaged the landscape. Noah, a

involving Madame D’s money-grubbing relatives, a priceless painting, and false

peaceful man, just wants to live a righteous

accusations that Gustave is responsible

life with his family. Every night, Noah has

for the death of the late Madame, which

visions of death by water, followed by

land the Grand Budapest Hotel’s

renewed life on Earth.

esteemed concierge in prison. Zero, with

He’s sent word from the Creator that a

help from the bakery girl Agatha who’s

great flood is coming that will destroy the

stolen his heart, seeks to break Gustave

world and all life. When Noah begins to

out of jail and assist his eccentric friend

build a giant ark in order to save himself, his

in proving his innocence.

loved ones and two of every species from the impending flood, he’s approached by an army of men who want to take over the boat

*cd’s and dvd’s available at kalahari.com

in an effort to save themselves.

enter now!

The Last Train to Zona Verde: My Ultimate African Safari ‒

By Paul Theroux ‒ R190

world increasingly removed from both the itineraries of tourists and the hopes of postcolonial independence movements.

“Happy again, back in the kingdom of

Passing the browsing cattle of the great sun

light,” writes Paul Theroux as he sets out on

baked heartland of the savannah, Theroux

a new journey through the continent he

crosses “the Red Line” into a different

knows and loves best. Theroux first came to

Africa: “the improvised, slapped-together

Africa as a 22-year-old Peace Corps

Africa of tumbled fences and cooking fires,

volunteer, and the pull of the vast land

of mud and thatch,” of heat and poverty,

never left him. Now he returns, after 50

and of roadblocks, mobs, and anarchy. After

years on the road, to explore the little

2 500 arduous miles, he comes to the end

travelled territory of western Africa and to

of his journey in more ways than one, a

take stock both of the place and of himself.

decision he chronicles with unsparing

His odyssey takes him northward from Cape

honesty in a chapter called “What Am I

Town. Journeying alone through the

Doing Here?”

greenest continent, Theroux encounters a

To qualify, send in a postcard or e-mail clearly marked Cheers CD/DVD Giveaway and containing your name, ID number, physical address (not a PO Box please!) along with a contact telephone number to qualify for the random draw. Entry deadline is Friday, 8th August 2014. The address to send it to is cheers@cheersmag.co.za or Cheers P.O. Box 259, Rondebosch, 7701.

win

Stand a chance of receiving a copy of either the Noah DVD or the NOW That’s what I call music 67 CD! Double your chance of winning!

Go to www.facebook.com/CheersMag and LIKE the Cheers Facebook page.

Vivid, witty, and beautifully evocative.

DISCLAIMER Please note that prices of all books, cds and dvds are recommended retail prices and are correct at the time of going to press. They are, however, subject to change at the discretion of suppliers, without any prior notice. All books featured here are distributed by Penguin Books SA. Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 51

Recipe book

Fancy bush tucker he name of the company he works for gives you all the

information you need: Sanctuary

Retreats – and as Group Executive Chef,

Being on safari needn’t mean smoky campfire braai fare, as detailed in Struik Lifestyle’s latest book release – Gourmet Safari by Donovan van Staden.

Donovan van Staden harnesses his years of experience to ensure a 5-Star safari experience for all guests.

Sanctuary Retreats have properties in

the Okavango Delta in Botswana, the Masai Mara in Kenya, Bwindi

impenetrable forest in Uganda and

elsewhere – and Van Staden’s day job is to shuttle between the properties,

supervising chef training and ensuring

that culinary standards don’t slip an inch.

Spotting elephant, buffalo, lion, rhino or cheetah might be the ultimate goal but much of the enjoyment of a bush or

safari getaway is also about the relaxed repast. And with lodges so far from

civilisation, maintaining standards is always a challenge.

From the biscuits which accompany

guests’ coffee on the pre-dawn drive to spot game feeding and trekking to waterholes, to breakfast, lunch,

WESTPHALIA HAM AND MELON SALAD WITH A BALSAMIC REDUCTION

METHOD: For the balsamic reduction, pour the vinegar into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the sugar and reduce the

afternoon tea, sundowner snacks and

”My take on the traditional Italian Parma

liquid until it reaches a syrup consistency.

ham and melon duo,” writes Donovan.

Chef’s tip: Keep a very close eye on the

compiled a collection of recipes

Serves 1

balsamic mixture while it is reducing.

canapés to dinner, Van Staden has appropriate for every eventuality.

Van Staden admits that it helps that he

loves all aspects of bush life. He unwinds by indulging his hobby of photography, something he took up as a young chef working at Sabi Sands in the Kruger

Park. The evidence of his love of both

food and photography is plain to see in the pages of this beautifully illustrated recipe book, Van Staden’s first.

52 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

It can go from simmer to burnt in the blink

INGREDIENTS: BALSAMIC REDUCTION

of an eye.

For the salad, wrap each piece of melon

(MAKES 200ML)

in a slice of ham. Place three slices of ham

750ml balsamic vinegar

in the centre of the plate and arrange a

250g white sugar

small bundle of greens on top. Neatly stack the ham-wrapped melon on top of the

HAM AND MELON SALAD

greens. Drizzle the balsamic reduction

3 slices green melon

around the salad.

6 slices excellent quality Westphalia ham

Chef’s tip: Try to get some height when

Salad greens

plating up as it adds to the presentation.

Pan-seared duck breast with a mushroom and red wine sauce and creamy mashed potatoes Serves 4

INGREDIENTS: DUCK MUSHROOM AND RED WINE SAUCE 4 duck breasts 10 ml cooking oil

Giveaway 500ml beef stock Pinch each of salt and ground black pepper

CREAMY MASHED POTATOES 1.6kg potatoes, washed, peeled and chopped 40g butter 5ml Dijon mustard 125ml thickened cream

40g butter

125ml milk

1 onion, chopped

Salt and ground black pepper

85g button mushrooms, sliced Available GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ at TOPS at SPAR and ON PG71 FOR YOUR SPAR stores FULL GROCERY LIST

125ml good red wine

Call the TOPS HOTLINE 0860 313 141

METHOD: For the duck, score the skin of the breasts.

(This is to stop the breasts from curling during the cooking process.) Heat the oil in a pan until sizzling hot. Place the duck breasts in the pan, skin side down, and fry until the skin is crispy. This will take about four minutes. Turn the duck breasts over and cook to your liking. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

For the sauce, use the same pan in which

moisture. Remove from the heat and mash

you cooked the duck. Add the butter, onion

the potatoes until smooth. Add the butter,

and mushrooms and sauté until the onion is

mustard, cream and milk and use a wooden

soft. Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add

spoon to combine. Press the mash through

the stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce

a sieve. Season to taste.

until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the sauce and season to taste.

For the mash, place the potatoes in cold

To plate up, carve the duck breast into even slices of about 1 cm thick. Place a dollop of mashed potato in the centre of

water and bring to a boil over a high heat.

the plate and neatly arrange the duck slices

Boil until tender and then drain the

around the mash. Drizzle the sauce around

potatoes. Return the potatoes to the

the outer edge of the duck breast and

saucepan and cook out some of the

serve immediately.

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 53

Recipe book

RED WINE-BRAISED LAMB SHANK WITH OVEN-ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS: LAMB SHANKS

VEGETABLES 2 large carrots

4 lamb shanks

METHOD:

2 large parsnips

10ml olive oil

For the lamb shanks, marinate them overnight

2 medium red onions

in the olive oil, vinegar, red wine, rosemary and

20ml balsamic vinegar

½ butternut

garlic. Remove the lamb shanks from the

125ml good red wine

15ml olive oil

marinade and reserve the marinade for later.

4 sprigs fresh rosemary

7.5ml chopped fresh mixed herbs

Heat some cooking oil in a large saucepan and

10 cloves garlic, unpeeled

brown the lamb shanks. Add the onions and fry

Cooking oil for frying

until soft. Add the marinade and deglaze the

4 small onions, chopped

saucepan. Add the grated and tinned tomatoes

3 tomatoes, grated

and simmer for about two hours, or until the

1 x 400g tin whole peeled tomatoes

lamb is tender and barely attached to the bone.

Pinch each of salt and ground black pepper

Season to taste.

For the vegetables, preheat the oven to 180ËšC. Peel and cut all the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil and herbs. Spread the vegetables in an even layer on a baking tray. Roast in the oven until fork-tender. Give the vegetables a good toss every five minutes or so.

Serve the shanks and vegetables on a bed of couscous to soak up the sauce.

es l b a t e eg v t o o r d aste o r n e v o h t i w k Red wine-braised lamb shan 54 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

Giveaway

enter now!

dark, rich chocolate cake

To qualify, send in a postcard or e-mail clearly marked Cheers Book Giveaway and containing your name, ID number, physical address (not a PO Box please!) along with a contact telephone number to qualify for the random draw. Entry deadline is Friday, 8th August 2014.

The address to send it to is cheers@cheersmag.co.za or Cheers, PO Box 259, Rondebosch 7701.

DARK, RICH CHOCOLATE CAKE

METHOD:

INGREDIENTS:

saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the

Serves 12‒15

250ml water

TO DECORATE

100g butter

200g dark

125ml sunflower oil

chocolate

250g cake flour 25g cocoa powder 5ml baking powder 500g sugar 2 eggs 125ml milk

100ml fresh cream

Preheat the oven to 160̊C. Grease a deep baking tray. Pour the water into a small butter and oil to the water and stir until the

win

Stand a chance of receiving one of two copies of ‘Gourmet Safari’, published by Struik Lifestyle SEE T&C’S ON PG 2

butter has melted completely. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and sugar together. Add the water mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the eggs and milk and mix. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking tray and bake for about 1½ hours, or until a test skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the pan.

To decorate, melt the chocolate in a steel bowl suspended over a saucepan of simmering water and then combine with

Double your chance of winning! Go to www.facebook.com/CheersMag and LIKE the Cheers Facebook page.

the cream. Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake and smooth out with a spatula. Cut the cake into squares and serve.

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 55

TOPS Nosh

Café style

Silwood Kitchen

‘Wake up and smell the coffee!’ might be a commonly used expression to get people to pay a bit of attention to what’s literally under their noses ‒ but in this context, it’s an invitation to revel in all things mocha! Photography by Julia Andrade.

Coffee macaroons Makes approximately 25-30

INGREDIENTS: MACAROONS 180g icing sugar 100g ground almonds 80g egg whites ‒ room temperature Pinch cream of tartar 27g castor sugar Black food colouring

COFFEE BUTTER ICING FILLING: 50g butter 100g sieved icing sugar 40g instant coffee granules

METHOD: MACAROONS Heat the oven to ±140̊C. Line 2-3 baking sheets with silicone baking paper and spray

little extra frothy egg white to slightly soften the mixture. Transfer the batter to a piping

very lightly with Spray and Cook. For the

bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Pipe rounds about 2.5cm in diameter onto the prepared

macaroons: In a blender, blend the almonds

baking sheets. Leave to rest for 30 minutes out of the fridge ‒ or until the macaroons have

and icing sugar together, then sift and set

developed a skin. (This step is essential as it ensures a crunchy outer shell once baked.)

aside. Beat the egg whites. When frothy add

Bake the macaroons for approximately 20 minutes, turning the oven temperature down to

a pinch of cream of tartar. Add the castor

120̊C after 10 minutes. Immediately slide the silicone baking paper onto the work surface

sugar and beat at high speed until a stiff

and rest for a few minutes before gently peeling the macaroons off the paper.

peak is formed, then add a tiny amount of the colouring. Fold in the almond mixture

BUTTER ICING:

in two batches. Continue the folding until

Cream the butter thoroughly in an electric mixer, gradually beating in the icing sugar,

the mixture closes on the count of 10. At

flavouring, colouring and sufficient liquid to make a spreading consistency. Assemble:

this stage if still too stiff you can add a

Sandwich macaroons together with butter icing Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 57

58 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

INGREDIENTS: COFFEE CHIFFON 30ml coffee granules 250ml boiling water 565ml cake flour 375ml sugar 15ml baking powder 5ml salt 125ml sunflower oil 5 egg yolks 250ml egg whites 3ml cream of tartar

COFFEE ICING 45ml coffee granules 10 ml boiling water 200g butter 500g icing sugar, sifted

METHOD: COFFEE CHIFFON Mix the coffee granules into 250ml boiling water, set aside to cool. Sift dry ingredients together three times. Mix together the oil and egg yolks, add to the dry ingredients and enough of the cooled coffee (+/- 220-240ml) to form a smooth batter. Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peak. Pour the yolk mixture over the whites and gently fold the two mixtures together. Pour into an ungreased chiffon pan. Bake at 160̊C for approximately 60-80 minutes until set and cooked through. Hang upside down to cool.

TO ICE: Cut the cake in half. Spread the lower half with coffee icing and reassemble. Cover the cake with coffee icing

COFFEE ICING: Mix coffee granules with the boiling water to form a paste. (Water must be boiling to cook the coffee. Do not add too much water as it will curdle the icing.) Allow to cool. Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sifted icing sugar and cooled coffee paste. Add a few drops of water if the icing is too thick.

jarred

Coffee chiffon

TOPS Nosh

These delicious recipes were prepared and cooked by chef Jarred Deeves , a second year student at the Silwood Kitchen in Cape Town. www.silwood.co.za

Silwood Kitchen Available at TOPS at SPAR and SPAR stores Call the GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ TOPS HOTLINE ON PG71 FOR YOUR 0860 313 141

FULL GROCERY LIST

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 59

TOPS Nosh

Decadent Chocolate Brownies with Coffee and Hazelnut Ice-Cream Serves 8

BROWNIES INGREDIENTS: 140g butter, plus extra for greasing 4 large eggs 350g castor sugar 140g cake flour 75g cocoa powder 100g pecan nut halves 100g white chocolate, roughly chopped

METHOD: Preheat oven to 170̊C. Completely line a 23cm square cake tin with greaseproof paper and butter generously. Very gently, melt the butter in a saucepan and leave to cool. Using a wooden spoon, beat the eggs with the sugar in a large bowl until creamy and smooth, then stir in the cooled butter.

Stir the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Gradually stir in the egg mixture until smooth, then fold in the nuts and white chocolate pieces. Pour into the prepared

FOR THE ICE CREAM

spoon and boil the syrup until it looks thick

cake tin and bake for 30 ‒ 35 minutes until

INGREDIENTS:

and syrupy; when a metal spoon is dipped

risen with a slightly crusty top. Be careful

55g sugar

in, the last drops of syrup will form thin

not to overcook the mixture ‒ it should be

120ml water

threads. Pour this boiling syrup in a steady

gooey in the middle. Cool in the tin for a

2 egg yolks

stream onto the egg yolks, whisking all the

few minutes, then lift the cake out in the

25ml good quality coffee dissolved in 35ml

time. Add the coffee mixture and continue

greaseproof paper and place on a wire rack

boiling water

to whisk until it becomes a thick creamy

to cool. When completely cold, remove the

500ml whipping cream

white mousse. Whip the cream to soft

greaseproof paper and cut into 16 squares

50g hazelnuts, skinned

peak, and fold into the mousse with the chopped hazelnuts, pour into a bowl, cover

60 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

METHOD:

and freeze. After about 1½ hours when the

Put the egg yolks into a bowl and whisk

ice cream is just beginning to set, fold

until light and fluffy. Combine the sugar

mixture again to make sure the hazelnuts

and water in a small heavy bottomed

are equally distributed, freeze again. If you

saucepan, stir over heat until the sugar is

don’t fold the ice cream, the nuts will sink

completely dissolved, then remove the

to the bottom.

Blogspot

Seasonal satisfaction

teresa

Winter has well and truly arrived, and it is time to unpack the scarves and gloves, light a fire and enjoy delicious cold weather dishes that warm from the inside out, writes Teresa Ulyate of Cupcakesandcouscous.blogspot.com.

nspiration for both of these recipes was provided by the arrival of a

typically chilly Cape Town afternoon.

I was craving something warm, spiced

and filling but not too heavy – so the first recipe to come to mind was a thick and

hearty soup. Step one was to get everything

ready, so I grabbed my chopping board and went about throwing some of my favourite

ingredients and flavours into a pot. This was the result – delicious carrot and coriander

soup. Full of flavour and packed with healthy veggies and lentils, it also freezes well so you can store any leftovers for quick weekday

lunches at your office desk. Your colleagues will have menu envy deluxe! It’s easy to

throw together as you don’t even have to

Carrot & coriander soup Makes approximately 1.6 litres

INGREDIENTS: 15ml sunflower oil

cook the lentils – simply open a tin!

1 tsp ground cumin

guava season, thanks to the large guava tree

1 red onion, chopped

At our house, May marks the beginning of

in our back garden. For those without the delights of a guava tree, you’re sure to see them appearing in your local SPAR

supermarket soon. Why not try this lightly spiced guava crumble with its gorgeous

crunchy, golden crumble topping? I’m a fan

of this blend of warm spices that enhance the flavours of the fruit without overpowering

them. And the addition of coconut is subtle

but really complements the fruit nicely. Keep warm and happy cooking!

Teresa Ulyate is the writer of Cupcakesandcouscous.blogspot.com and

1/2 tsp medium curry powder Available at TOPS at SPAR and SPAR stores

3 cloves of garlic, chopped 700g medium carrots, peeled and sliced 400g tin peeled and chopped tomatoes 1 litre vegetable stock 1 tin of lentils, drained (drained weight 244g)

GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ ON PG71 FOR YOUR FULL GROCERY LIST

Call the TOPS HOTLINE 0860 313 141

1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves (no stalks) + extra to garnish salt and pepper to season

METHOD: 1 Heat the sunflower oil in a pot, then add the ground cumin and curry powder and cook gently for 1-2 minutes. 2. Add the red onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.

3. Add the carrots and cook for a further 2 minutes. 4. Stir in the tin of tomatoes, then add the vegetable stock and allow everything to simmer until the carrots are just soft, stirring occasionally. This should take 20-30 minutes. 5. Add the lentils and simmer for a further 5 minutes. 6. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the coriander leaves.

Use a stick blender or food processor to blitz the soup to the desired consistency.

holds the bragging rights as the winner of Two

My preference is to blitz mine just until most of the carrot slices are blended in so it still

Oceans’ Simple Snacking Challenge 2013.

has some chunky texture, but you could make it smoother if you like. 7. Season to taste

Cupcakesandcouscous.blogspot. com

62 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

with salt and pepper and serve topped with a few fresh coriander leaves and some crusty bread on the side. If you’re feeling lavish you can also add a swirl of fresh cream.

Hearty fare

Spiced guava & coconut crumble INGREDIENTS:

METHOD:

1kg fresh guavas

1. Preheat your oven to 200̊C . Peel and

80ml (1/3 cup) castor sugar 2 Tbsp water 2 star anise 8 whole cloves

CRUMBLE TOPPING: 75g cake flour 50g brown sugar 20g desiccated coconut 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground ginger 60g butter, cubed

quarter the guavas, removing the seeds as you go. 2. Place the castor sugar, water, star

the butter cubes have disappeared and the

anise and whole cloves in a pot, then add

mixture starts to clump together. 4. Grease

the guavas. Stir gently over a medium heat

an appropriately sized oven dish ‒ or

to dissolve the sugar. You’ll notice that the

individual ramekins if you prefer. Remove

guavas will start to release some juices.

the whole cloves and star anise from the

Allow to boil for about 5 minutes until the

guava pot, and then tip the fruit and syrup

liquid has reduced. Take the pot off the

into the dish or ramekins. Sprinkle the

heat and put to one side. 3. To make the

crumble mixture over the fruit in an even

crumble place the flour, brown sugar,

layer. 5. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or

coconut, cinnamon and ginger in a bowl

until the crumble is golden and the syrup is

and mix. Add the butter then, using your

bubbling up the sides of the dish. Serve

fingertips, rub everything together until all

warm with vanilla custard or cream.

Spiced guava & coconut crumble

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 63

Tuisnywerheid

64 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

Emile Joubert

as die wildspot

uid-Afrika is ’n paradys vir iemand wat lief is om wildsvleis gaar te maak en te eet. Ek het al gewoon in jaglustige nasies, soos NoordAmerika en Europa. Daar betaal jagters ’n fortuin om die hele naweek deur ’n modderige woud te kruip agter ’n pieperige voël of ’n verdwaalde springhaas aan. En moenie eers van ’n kalkoen praat nie!

En as iemand wel die dag iets geskiet het, word die dier met sulke koorsagtige opgewondenheid by die huis aangebring dat die kok nie weet wat om met die ding te doen nie.

Dáár is wild ’n seldsame luukse. In Suid-Afrika is dit ’n gegewe.

Die keuses hier is ook wyd. Kaap se kant is springbok die ding. In die Oos-Kaap en Bosveld smul hulle aan koedoe en rooibok.

En vlak- of bosvark.

En met die winter se kloue tans diep ingeslaan, is dit jagtyd. Wat beteken dat heelwat wildsvleis beskikbaar is – hetsy op winkelrakke of deur die vrygewigheid van ’n jagvriend. Die keuse is wyd, maar ek volstaan by my mening dat springbok die lekkerste vleis is. En spesifiek die dier se slangvormige heel rugstring, gebraai oor die kole.

Ons is mos almal bokke vir sports ‒ en waar twee stokperdjies bymekaar kom, is daar niks beter nie.

Jag en braai! Ditsem.

MAAK SÓ: Neem jou springbokrugstring van om

mond smelt en die geur van bossies en vleis

en by 1.5 kg en plaas dit in ’n bak. Gooi

agterlaat. Laat die mense hul eie sout en

twee stewige koppies goeie rooi wyn,

peper byvoeg, maar hou hulle in toom.

soos ’n Pinotage of Merlot, op die vleis

Want in wildsvleis proe mens die geur van

uit, asook ’n halwe koppie olyfolie en

die lewe.

een eetlepel oester- of sojasous. Vind

Ek het nou die dag hierdie ding vir my

ook plek vir twee fyngekapte

Franse pelle gebraai. Hulle heet uit

knoffelhuisies. Laat ta nou in daardie

Toulouse, een van daardie land se prima

bak lê vir tot 12 ure. Draai hom net nou

kosstreke. Wel, hulle het iets bevestig wat

en dan om om hom aan die volle

ek nog altyd geweet het: ’n goeie stuk

geurspektrum bloot te stel.

springbok is van die perfekste vleis in die

Wanneer die eetslag wink, maak ’n

wêreld. Die geur is nie wild en vrank nie, en

vuur en sorg dat jy matige tot warm

ondanks die lae vetinhoud is dit smelt-in-

kole het.

die-bek-geurig indien die braaier hom

Braai nou daardie rugstring vir sowat 12 tot 18 minute ‒ afhangende van

medium hou.

Bedien met gestowe sagtevrugte soos

hoe gaar jy van hom hou en hoe groot

ons boere dit doen en tradisionele geelrys,

die vleis is. Aangesien jy ’n voortreflike

ja, met rosyntjies.

braaier is, sal jy weet wanneer om die vleis om te draai. Elke 3 tot 4 minute,

Dis immers ons nasionale bok wat hier gebraai word, vir vleis en vaderland.

afhangende van die kole se hitte.

GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ ON PG71 FOR YOUR FULL GROCERY LIST

Smeer die vleis gereeld met die marinade, maar nie vir die laaste drie of vier minute van die braaislag nie. Jy wil jou vleis droog van buite hê wanneer hy opgedis word.

Available at TOPS at SPAR and SPAR stores

Nadat hy afgehaal is, laat die vleis vir

emile

10 minute langs die vuur op ’n houtbord of ander plat voorwerp staan om te “rus”. Dit gee die vleis se sappe

Call the TOPS HOTLINE 0860 313 141

kans om terug te trek vanaf die warm Writer and PR guy Emile Joubert was a finalist in the Men’s Health Braai King competition, uniquely qualifying him for this column.

oppervlak tot die dieper binneste weefsels.

Sny nou dun skywe van daardie pienk vleis met sy bruin kors wat in jou Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 65

Responsibility

His research led him to businessman

and inveterate inventor Org Nieuwoudt in George who, together with the

University of Stellenbosch’s Energy Research division, had developed a

patent for more efficient and effective conversion of waste oil into biodiesel.

BioGreen’s website – www.biogreen.

FUELLING

conservation

It has been decreed by government that by October 1 2015 at least 5% of all diesel fuel purchased at pumps nationwide will be biofuel derived. SPAR has got a jump on things, having run a portion of its truck fleet on biodiesel since 2010 – resulting in a saving of nearly 250 tons of carbon dioxide emissions since then! Fiona McDonald reports. hile it might seem a

which doesn’t accurately convey the

running successful

De Gouveia and his team have for what

huge leap from

sushi restaurants to

becoming an eco-pioneer producing and promoting the use of biodiesel, for Cape Town businessman and innovator Roy

de Gouveia it wasn’t a big stretch at all.

“I’m living my dream,” he said simply.

“Yes, I could still be running Wakame,

Wasabi and Salushi very successfully but putting everything I have, every drop of

enthusiasm and effort, into BioGreen is just so much more fulfilling.”

Its website states that “BioGreen is a

renewable energy company that prides

commitment and genuine passion that

they do. People pay lip service to ‘making a difference’ but BioGreen truly is!

And to think it all started with De

Gouveia asking one of his restaurant

managers what they were paying for new cooking oil – and what happened to the old, used oil. “I was looking to run my

own diesel bakkie on biofuel and started researching the process.” After being

given three different prices, De Gouveia realised that he needed to go into the matter more deeply.

“I was shocked! There are some deeply

itself on transparency, reliability and the

unscrupulous people out there! One firm

services of the highest grade to the

chemically – and then goes and sells it

determination to deliver the products and market.” That’s typical corporate speak 66 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

buys up old oil, basically cleans it up

into the poorer communities as ‘new’ oil!”

co.za – states that “Biodiesel is made

through a chemical reaction between natural oils and alcohol, followed by

purification. Biodiesel can be made from nearly any naturally occurring vegetable oil or fat. The most frequently used oils

by Biogreen Diesel facilities are used cooking oil and poultry fat.”

Some of De Gouveia’s pictures of the

yellow buckets of used oil which arrive at the BioGreen processing facility in

Cape Town are stomach churning! “It’s not a pretty sight and can be quite a

stinky process,” De Gouveia conceded.

Local restaurants, hotels, retailers and supermarkets sell the oil to BioGreen which then filters and cleans it,

processes it chemically and produces biodiesel and glycerol and water as a waste product.

“That in itself is a potential negative,”

said De Gouveia. “By 2020 the world

will have six times more glycerol floating around the system than is needed!” Not

that he isn’t “a-man-with-a-plan”… and is developing an organic fertiliser which

goes a long way to solving his by-product conundrum.

The distribution director of SPAR’s

Western Cape and Namibian operations, Solly Engelbrecht, took up the tale. “We were approached by BioGreen in 2010 and saw the merit of what Roy de

Gouveia was proposing. We gave our

stores the opportunity of getting rid of their used oil – something which most

Biodiesel were only too pleased about,” he said.

“It’s unique in that with SPAR it’s a

closed loop system,” De Gouveia said.

“We don’t sell biodiesel to them. It’s their oil that we simply process and

provide them with the biodiesel for their truck fleet – obviously for a fee.”

Engelbrecht admits there were a few

“teething problems” especially with the

vehicles being a bit sluggish in the chilly Western Cape winters “but we’ve solved

the issues – it was just a temperature and

heating problem – and now everything is running fine. We’re very happy with the relationship and according to our records, by making a very simple

adjustment, we’ve converted 166 216

litres of used oil and saved 235 tons of CO2 emissions!”

De Gouveia “guesstimates” that the

local market produces between 2 – 2.5

million litres of waste oil monthly. But

with the mandatory requirement of a 5%

FAQS:

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN EMISSIONS OF BIODIESEL AND MINERAL DIESEL? Using biodiesel instead of mineral diesel significantly reduces unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter from exhaust emissions. It also virtually eliminates sulphur oxides and sulphates ‒ major contributors to acid rain. Nitrogen oxide emissions may increase slightly, but can be remedied with newer low-emission diesel engines. Roughly 400 litres of biodiesel displaces one ton of carbon emissions.

BIODIESEL AND VEGETABLE OIL. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? Biodiesel is produced through a chemical process called trans-esterification which converts oils and fats of natural origin into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME).

Combustion of vegetable oil without conversion to biodiesel will lead to soot accumulation and deposits that may lead to power loss and engine failure.

DO I NEED TO DO ANYTHING TO CHANGE MY DIESEL VEHICLE TO USE BIODIESEL? If your car was made after 1993, the answer is no. If your car was made prior to 1993, the rubber fuel lines will probably have to be replaced. One of the major advantages of using biodiesel is the fact that it can be used in existing diesel engines without negative impacts to operating performance. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel for heavyweight vehicles that does not require any special injection or storage modifications.

addition to diesel on the South African

CAN BIODIESEL WORK IN MY PETROL ENGINE?

7 million litres of biofuel annually. It’s

DIESEL AND BIODIESEL. CAN I SWAP BETWEEN THEM?

market alone, there is a need to produce potentially a huge growth industry with the positive spin off that used oil is no longer a headache for restaurants and other users.

“Everything we use is South African

– local labour, locally fabricated

equipment, local tanks and even local

No, biodiesel can only run in conventional compression-ignition (diesel) engines!

Yes, you can use biodiesel and diesel fuel interchangeably, as well as blended.

I HEARD THAT MY FUEL FILTERS NEED TO BE CHANGED MORE OFTEN WHEN USING BIODIESEL? Biodiesel is a solvent. It’ll clear many diesel deposits that have accumulated in your fuel tank which may initially cause fuel filter clogging. Continued use of biodiesel will not cause an increase in frequency of filter changes.

intellectual property!” And it doesn’t

FUEL EFFICIENCY OF BIODIESEL VS. DIESEL?

his 3 000 litre a day production to

Virtually the same MPG rating as

stop there: De Gouveia wants to expand include non-waste oils. “We’re looking

at potentially getting a community-based seed oil farming initiative up and

running in the Eastern Cape – which in turn has a spin-off for the economic wellbeing of the community.”

Is it any wonder he turned his back on

slinging sushi for a living?

vehicles running on mineral diesel.

IS BIODIESEL GOOD FOR MY ENGINE? Yes, biodiesel can actually extend the life of your engine. Biodiesel has superior lubricating properties that reduce the wear of vital engine parts.

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 67

what to look out for next issue Yo-ho-ho! And a bottle of...? Rum: Tasted and rated by CHEERS Cellars, cabinets, racks, crates & fridges.

The lowdown on liquor storage What’s the buzz on weiss beer? brought to you by

www.topsatspar.co.za

Congratulations to all of last issue’s winners THE HEINEKEN KEG WINNERS & THEIR TOPS AT SPAR STORE:

1. Nhlanhla Mahlangu, Maluleke 2. Phillip David Nkambule, Birch Gate 3. Richard Moodley, Parklane Cellars 4. Rabana Modisaemang, Vosloorus 5. Sanette van Niekerk, Langverwacht 6. Desmond Nel, Ladybrand 7. Sonja Steyn, Christiana 8. Dee Williams, Jeffery’s Bay 9. Nomsa Mnguni, Moloto 10. Debbie van der Bank, Essenwood 11. Wayne Talbot, Nottingham Road 12. Michael Rubin, Jeffrey’s Bay 13. Sasha Reddy, Knowles 14. Siphesihle Zikalala, The Fields 15. Claire Erasmus, The Hill 16. Ismail Badat, Jonathan’s city square 17. Gaynor Ray, Bluff Super Spar 18. Edward Geach, Meyersdal 19. Kamogelo, Karen Park 20. Gillian Oberholzer, Kraaifontein 68 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

BUNNAHABHAIN BUSINESS TRAVEL SET WINNER:

1. Kobus Burger, Pietermaritzburg

JACK RYAN DVD WINNER: 1. Neo Thebe, Ganyesa

SHAKIRA CD WINNER:

1. Elizabeth Nagel, Pretoria

SAVANNAH TO SEA BOOK WINNERS: 1. Natasha Pieters, Durban 2. Tim Walker, Port Elizabeth

enjoy your spoils!

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wi n

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Go to w th ww. e C fa he ceb er By entering you stand a chance to win one of o yo s Fa ok.c three Glenmorangie Discovery Packs. ur ce om ch bo / Send an email with the subject line Cheers Glenmorangie Hamper Giveaway an ok Che ce pa er containing your name, ID number, physical address (not a P.O. Box please!), name of ge sM a wi of the TOPS at SPAR store at which you made any purchase from and the till nn and g, in do slip number, along with a contact telephone number to qualify for the g! ub SH le AR random draw to cheers@cheersmag.co.za. SEE T&C’S ON PG 2 E

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Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

Drink Responsibly.

Sep|Oct 2013 Vol 08

www.topsatspar.co.za 69

Call the TOPS HOTLINE 0860 313 141

Grocery list TOPS at SPAR

Available at TOPS at SPAR and SPAR stores

Your complete list of ingredients for all the recipes in this issue.

Groceries

Available from TOPS at SPAR Liquor 30ml whisky 50ml rum 20ml ginger liqueur 3 dashes of bitters bottle of Pinotage/Merlot 2 bottles of good red wine 40ml apple juice 20ml lemon juice

Available from SPAR Dried Spices/Herbs/Stock

1pkt salad greens

250g instant coffee granules

3 tomatoes

20g desiccated coconut

800g medium carrots

100g ground almonds

85g button mushrooms

100g pecan nut halves

1.6kg potatoes

50g hazelnuts, skinned

2 large parsnips

100g white chocolate,

½ butternut

200g dark chocolate

1kg fresh guavas

1kg rice

1 green melon

1pkt raisins

Cans/Jars/Bottles/Cartons

Dairy

150ml olive oil

675ml cream

275ml sunflower oil

250ml milk

10ml tumeric

5ml soya sauce

700g butter

1 tsp ground cumin

770ml balsamic vinegar

14 eggs

2 star anise

5ml Dijon mustard

250ml egg whites

½ tsp ground cinnamon

black food colouring

¼ tsp ground ginger

400g tin peeled & chopped tomatoes

½ tsp medium curry powder

400g tin whole peeled tomatoes

1.5kg game meat

1l vegetable stock

1 tin of lentils

4 lamb shanks

500ml beef stock

4 duck breasts

salt and pepper

Baking/Dry goods Fresh Fruit/Veg/Herbs/Spices

Meat/Fish/Poultry

6 slices of ham

100g brown sugar

23 cloves of garlic

1kg white sugar

3 red onions

780g icing sugar

5 brown onions

400g castor sugar

1 bunch coriander

615g cake flour

5ml ginger

100g cocoa powder

4 sprigs rosemary

20ml baking powder

7.5ml chopped mixed herbs

10ml cream of tartar

All ‘in the basket’ items are available at your nearest TOPS at SPAR and SPAR outlets. See www.topsatspar.co.za and www.spar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

www.topsatspar.co.za 71

Loopdop Gerrit Rautenbach

gerrit

Die trekker van Bothaville Daar’s ’n storie ‒ en dit begin met ’n dominee en ’n Vrystaatse mielieplaas.

Op die punt wat Dominee wil moed

welkomsê-mandjies vol mielies, pampoen,

s jy weet van Bothaville in die Vrystaat, dan weet jy dis die tuiste

uie en ander lekkernye.

Maandagoggend het hy besluit dis tyd om

van die Nampo-oesdag, maklik

opgee en die aftog blaas, vlieg die voordeur woes oop. So woes die hortjie-blindings

die grootste mieliefees in die wêreld. Maar

almal eerstehands te leer ken. Met die

kabbel dit uit teen die riffelglas langs die

daar is baie meer wat dié plek op die kaart

gemeentelys op sy pa se ou 200 Mercedes (’n

deur. Eers sien Dominee niks, maar

gesit het. Tog is die storie der stories een

gradueringsgeskenk) se passasiersitplek is hy

wanneer hy sy blik laat sak, staan daar so ’n

waarvan min weet.

daar weg vir sy eerste rondte huisbesoeke. Hy

kordaat mannetjie met bloedrooi hare,

het gereken sy gemeente het ’n groot

kroontjie wild op die voorkop en groot

plaaswyk en hy sal eerste die plase doen.

sproete wat sy blitsblou oë laat uitstaan.

Hier in die vroeë 1960’s het ene jonkheer Hubert Schalk Botha sy studies aan die

Hier teen Woensdagmiddag net na twee,

Universiteit van Pretoria se teologiese fakulteit suksesvol voltooi en is

vat hy die afdraaipad na Dorsfontein. Dis die

gelegitimeer wat hom natuurlik beroepbaar

verste plaas in sy wyk. Met die inry die

gemaak het. Kort voor lank is Hubert se

plaaswerf in, het dinge effe verlate gelyk. Dis

gebede verhoor met dié dat hy beroep

immers ’n Woensdagmiddag; hier behoort

word na die NG kerk op Bothaville.

geboer te word. G’n mens is te sien nie.

Dis stil, verklaar hy aan homself nadat hy die

Dominee Botha na Bothaville... Ja, dis ’n teken het Hubert gereken.

Onse man van die bediening is met

Dominee skat hom niks ouer as ses nie.

“Hallo Boetman, is jou pappa hier?” vra Dominee vriendelik.

“Ek het hom met die trekker weggejaag!!” skree Boetman met ’n skor stemmetjie.

“Ha ha ha ...” lag Dominee. “En Mamma?

Is sy hier?”

Merc se deur agter hom toegemaak het. Net

“Ek het haar met die trekker weggejaag!!”

die Vrystaatse ooswind roer die los mielieblare

“Ouboet? En Ousus?” verneem Dominee glimlaggend.

vreugde en fanfare ontvang en tuis gemaak

heen en weer. ’n Verrimpelde hoender loop en

in sy pastorie met lekker bees- en

kra-aak kra-aak in ’n moedelose stemmetjie,

skaaphappies uit die boerdery-kontrei

maar is ampers te lui om enigsins te skrop. Hy

sowel as ’n mandjie vol groenmielies op die

loop skuil dan maar in die skaduwee van die

stoksielalleen op die plaas?” speel Dominee

koop toe. Hy was oorweldig oor die

trekker wat windskeef voor die skuur staan.

saam.

gasvryheid. Hy het sommer aangevoel dat,

“Nou sê my Boetman, wat doen jy so

“Ek jaaaaaaag met die trekker!!!”

Nietemin stap Dominee voordeur toe. Hy

alhoewel hy ’n stadsklong is, hy gou goed

voel al stowwerig hoewel hy nog kraaknuut

gaan aard in dié boeregemeenskap. Die

lyk in sy donker pak. Ferm klop hy aan die

eerste Sondag se intreepreek het goed

dik ou voordeur en wag.

afgegaan en geëindig met nog ‘n paar

“Ek het hulle met die trekker weggejaag!”

En wag.

Freelance writer Gerrit Rautenbach is a man who knows how to spin a yarn, having been the editor of Mooiloop and Wegbreek magazines.

72 www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

wilmi & nic

Bothaville TOPS at SPAR

Nic Schuman is the Manager & Wilmi von Abo is the Owner at the Bothaville TOPS at SPAR Address: 36 President Street, Bothaville, Free State.

Tel: (056) 515 1831 Email: Bothaville2@retail.spar.co.za Business Hours: TOPS at SPAR Mon - Fri: 09h00 - 20h00, Sat: 08h00 - 17h00 & Sun: Closed.

SUPERSPAR Mon - Sat: 07h15 - 20h30, Sun: 08h00 - 20h00.

An award-winning blended brandy, created to celebrate Oude Meester’s Diamond Jubilee 60th anniversary. This luminous amber brandy is noted for its rich chocolate and nutmeg nose, as well as a distinctive apricot and pineapple taste on the palate.

The premium taste and smoothness of this brandy is an embodiment of Oude Meester’s relentless pursuit of perfection - which is reflected in the brand’s diamond symbol of exceptional purity.

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.