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JAZZY DELIGHTS AT DELHEIM Winter will have the country firmly in its grip by June – which is coincidentally when Stellenbosch wine estate Delheim kicks off its popular Sunday Jazz & Fondue events.

The first session is set for June 23 and will be held in the downstairs tasting cellar which is suitably intimate and snug – especially when there’s a pot of gooey, melted cheese to dip into with a glass or two of wine alongside. The live music will be provided by the Cape Town Music Academy NPC and Jazz in the Native Yards. “The Jazz & Fondue series is a wonderful initiative that not only gives our jazz musicians a platform to perform but also exposes local and international guests to recognise and enjoy the great local music talent that South Africa has to offer,” said Cape Town Music Academy programme manager Vicky Davis.

Jazz in the Native Yards is a travelling live jazz gig that promotes jazz performance and listenership across the Western Cape including townships, cultural centres and festivals.

The fat sounds of jazz giants like Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Robbie Jansen and Chris McGregor will be relived through a spectrum of jazz musicians. In the mix will be some “pata pata” from Sima Mashazi who with Schalk Joubert wowed the crowds at the most recent Woordfees festival in Stellenbosch. Also in the line-up is Thembelihle Dunjana, a young jazz pianist hailing from Gugulethu who started playing the piano at the age of 11. Her passion for jazz grew during her high school years at Bergvliet High and she ultimately ended up at the UCT College of Music where she graduated with a B. Music degree.

Reservations are required and can be done online through Quicket. Entry includes glühwein on arrival, the music and fondue (with bread and vegetables). Note that all starters, meats and desserts will be charged extra. Wines will be on sale by the bottle or glass. Each lunchtime show runs from noon to 15h00.

DISTELL A WORLD BEATER At the Whisky Magazine recent Icons of Whisky 2019 awards held in London recently, South Africa’s wine, cider and spirit producer Distell was announced as Distiller of the Year, beating out Brown Forman, Irish Distillers and the Edrington group for this singular honour.

As its website states: “The Icons of Whisky Awards are a celebration of the years of hard work that go into every bottle. From distillers, still makers and coopers, to warehouse staff and visitor centre managers – a great deal of craftsmanship, skill and knowledge are imparted at each stage of the process.”

The whisky brands which make up Distell’s powerful and critically acclaimed portfolio include the proudly South African Three Ships range, Bain’s Cape Mountain whisky, as well as its Scottish portfolio of Bunnahabhain, Deanston, Scottish Leader and Black Bottle.

As James Sedgwick master distiller Andy Watts said, “It’s an amazing whisky portfolio.”

It was also announced that a number of Distell whiskies had also been recognised in the fi rst round of the – separate – World Whisky Awards for 2019. Is more silverware going to go into the trophy cabinet in Stellenbosch? Time will tell.

IT’S SHOWTIME! KwaZulu-Natalians are the fi rst patrons to enjoy the winederful variety that is the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show when the ringmaster pulls aside the curtains at the Suncoast Casino in Durban on 9 to 11 May. Graham Beck will be popping corks aplenty to allow people to sample their Méthode Cap Classique sparkling wine, but then there are also Ken Forrester Wines, heavy hitters and Pinotage pioneers Kanonkop, pocket friendly and ever improving Orange River Cellars, Slanghoek and Raka. Those tasters are just for starters! There are gins and craft beers available for tasting as well.

The action then moves north to Montecasino in the City of Gold where winelovers get their chance to sip, swirl and spit – purely optional – between June 6 and 8. Babylonstoren, Cape Chamonix, , Dalla Cia, Elgin Vintners, Kunjani Wines ... almost every letter of the alphabet through to Z for Zorgvliet will be exhibiting in Johannesburg.

Tickets are available through Quicket and can be booked online at www.wineshow.co.za. A variety of diff erent ticket options are available so if styling in a cordoned off VIP area like a rock star is your thing, TOPS at SPAR have you covered!

SWEET SIXTEEN FOR ‘WACKY’ It’s been 16 years since the wine farmers of the Robertson area banded together and off ered a festival unlike any other in the country: the Wacky Wine Weekend.

It’s been emulated by many but still remains THE most fun, cheerful and enjoyable wine festival on the annual calendar – which is quite something because it takes place smack dab in the middle of winter!

What sets Robertson’s Wacky wine Weekend apart is the variety of events and attractions on off er. There is something for everyone: young and old, families or singletons, novices or geeks, sports enthusiasts or couch potatoes.

The weekend of the 7th to 9th of June is when the 16th staging of this takes place, in and around Robertson, McGregor, Bonnievale and Ashton.

Book your accommodation in time and be sure to make your way to the lush Robertson Wine Valley, the perfect country escape, being a mere two hours from Cape Town on the famous Route 62.

During the course of the weekend festivalgoers can visit any of the 30 diff erent wineries and tourism venues which have thrown their doors open –

places like Van Loveren, Viljoensdrift, Bon Courage, Weltevrede, Graham Beck, De Wetshof, Zandvliet,

Robertson Winery – or Springfi eld for fantastic Sauvignon Blanc. (Insider tip: try their newlyreleased Albariño for something distinctly diff erent.) Note that there is a zero tolerance policy with regard to drinking and driving. Organisers have pointed out that many

transport options are available and festivalgoers are advised to make use of them.

Weekend pass tickets are available with a new ticketing partner, Howler, at www.howler. co.za. Kids under 18 enter for free. Visit the festival website www.wackywineweekend. com for the programme on what each participating winery and tourism establishment will showcase over the course of the weekend, to tailor made your own weekend escapade.

For additional information, contact the Robertson Wine Valley offi ce on 023 626 3167, admin@robertsonwinevalley.com or www.robertsonwinevalley.com. RAISING THE BAR Lifting standards, improving skills and equipping customers and patrons with more knowledge and appreciation for cocktails is the task which Justin Shaw has set himself – and his team at Cape Town’s Cause + Eff ect.

This edgy establishment, which is soon to relocate from its Tamboerskloof digs to new premises in the V&A Waterfront, labels itself as an ‘Experiential cocktail kitchen and brandy bar’. And it just been recognised in the annual BAR awards as the country’s Cocktail Bar Of The Year.

Shaw was more pleased that Cause + Eff ect won the Best Bar Team Of the Year because he said it showed the depth of talent the group shared. “We want our customers to become more and more demanding when it comes to cocktails because that forces us to up the bar and keep on innovating and stretching ourselves.”

Nominations come from within the hospitality, food and beverage and spirit industry, as does the judging in each awards category. South Africa’s current Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year, drinks consultant, and BAR Awards founder, Travis Kuhn said the intention was to acknowledge brands and mixologists that make the SA cocktail industry a contender on the global stage. “The BAR Awards is a celebration of each and every person and brand in the industry who make meaningful contributions to the trade,” he said, “but even bigger congratulations must go to those who have stood out enough to receive special recognition as voted for by their peers.”

ADDITIONAL AWARDS WERE:

International Footprint Award - Sumaiyah Connolly and Travis Kuhn Bartender Newcomer of the Year - Alecs Besier and Nkuli Khanyile Social Media Award - Peter Lebese High-Volume Cocktail Bar of the Year - The House of Machines Hotel Bar of the Year - Bascule Bar, Cape Grace Mobile Bar Operator of the Year - Molecular Bars Media Contributor of the Year - Leah van Deventer Pop Up Bar of the Year - The Polynesian Pearl Diver Mentor of the Year - Cassandra Eichhoff Brand Campaign of the Year - Diageo World Class Best New Cocktail Bar - The Art of Duplicity Bartenders Brand of the Year - Bulleit Bourbon Cocktail Bar of the Year - Cause Eff ect Cocktail Kitchen Brand Ambassador of the Year - Caitlin Hill (Remy Cointreau) and Jody Francis (Inverroche) Bartender of the Year - Travis Kuhn

It’s back to the culinary “drawing board” for Gabriëlskloof Restaurant, just 80 minutes drive from Cape town, come the month of May when the popular Overberg destination switches its traditional à la carte off ering to a hearty Blackboard Menu for winter delights. This is the perfect time to join the throng of diners-in-the-know who make a beeline for the winelands eatery that’s famous for generous country-style hospitality and all-round good fare. The restaurant occupies a wing of the celebrated hilltop winery and has views of the surrounding valley and a large fi replace that’s well utilised on cold days. The new winter menu runs until the end of August, curated in the tasty style for which chef Frans Groenewald is renowned. Dishes change daily, ensuring that the menu stays interesting, no matter how regularly people visit.

Groenewald looked to the region for his latest inspiration. “To me, the Overberg is about community and collaboration, natural beauty and harmony. I love coming to work and driving through a landscape that gives me peace and makes me curious at the same time,” he said.

“Even a cursory visitor will see its charm. Within just a short drive, you can see sun, sea, mountains, sheep, gatherings of endangered blue cranes and sprawling fi elds.”

“We’ll be punting plant-based dishes, not exclusively of course. But I’d like to show that vegetarian options can be wholesome and satisfying – even with the winter chill about,” Groenewald said.

Expect dishes such as crispy pork belly, roasts, chick pea-and-lentil salad or chick pea-and lentil-bolognese, big casseroles, soups, grilled trout, wheat risotto or curried wheat salad. On the sweeter side, diners can look forward to treats like chocolate fondant, chocolate mousse, the traditional decadence souskluitjies and milk tart tiramisu. The foodie spectacle steps up a notch on Sundays when, in addition to the Blackboard Menu, the Gabriëlskloof Restaurant presents a set fi ve-course menu.

For reservations, call 028 284 9865 or email restaurant@gabriëlskloof.co.za. OVERBERG SEASONAL FARE