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SWITCHING IT UP Constant reinvention and rejuvenation of the food offering keeps things as fresh for the staff at Gabriëlskloof Restaurant in Bot River as it does for the host of regular patrons.

Visitors to the restaurant that occupies a wing of the celebrated hilltop winery boasting views of the surrounding valley appreciate the large fireplace that’s ablaze on cold days as much as they do the switch from a la carte fare to more hearty winter delights.

This is the perfect time to join the throng of diners-inthe-know who make a beeline for the winelands eatery that’s famous for generous country-style hospitality and all-round good fare.

The new winter menu runs until the end of August, curated in the delectable style for which chef Frans Groenewald is renowned for. Dishes will change daily, ensuring the offer stays interesting no matter how regularly people visit.

Groenewald’s inspiration for the seasonal blackboard menu came from a fresh perspective on the region. “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.

“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.”

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 five-course menu. Reservations are advised and can be made by calling 028 284 9865 or emailing restaurant@gabriëlskloof.co.za.

July 14 is commemorated annually as the day in which the Bastille in Paris was stormed during the French Revolution. Two winemakers from the Overberg’s Bot River area will be taking Johannesburg by storm the same day, one a king of Shiraz and the other a Queen of Methóde Cap Classique (MCC). Both Luddite Wines’ Niels Verburg and Genevieve MCC’s maker Melissa Nelsen hail from Bot River in the Overberg, a region known by its credo “real wine made by real people”; the unspoilt, down-to-earth, sociable character of the farmers; and, wines for lovers of the road less travelled.

For the small-town experience in the big city of Jozi, serving the Shiraz from 9-litre bottles and the MCC from 1.5-litre magnums makes the occasion unique. The aim is to give enthusiasts the opportunity to experience the difference in taste that a large-format bottle makes. Guests will be welcomed with canapes and the 2010 vintage Genevieve MCC. Then it’s onto a tapas-style lunch paired with five vintages of Luddite Shiraz out of 9-litre bottles – or Salmanazar – which is the equivalent of 12 standard 750 ml bottles. It’s the first time this has been done in Johannesburg and is a wine event designed to show the varying effects that terroir, climate and crop size has on wine. “In big bottle format wine comes across fresher,” says Penny Verburg, who will co-host the event. It just seems to age better in big bottles.”

As for the bubbly to be served, 2010 was the first year Melissa decided on magnums, setting aside just 120 bottles of her precious Genevieve MCC. She had always had a love for bubbly and when the opportunity arose to make it, she jumped. Genevieve is her second name and the patron saint of Paris, making Genevieve MCC the perfect link between great South African MCC made in the style of French Champagne.

The venue is Urbanologi, famed for fine, eco-friendly food, and somewhere that has been described as the “clear standout of must-visit inner-city dining spots”. Located at the uber-cool 1 Fox Precinct of Ferreirasdorp in the heart of Jozi, chef Jack Coetzee sources all ingredients except spices, within 150km of the restaurant.

Tickets are limited so early booking is advised. Contact Sharon at info@luddite.co.za, or call 028 284 9308. BOT RIVER BIG BOTTLES

While active winemaking slows down somewhat during the winter months, it’s still a very lively period with cellar masters doing the round of the various awards and shows collecting medals and trophies their wines have won. THE SHIRAZ CHALLENGE The Shiraz Challenge was held in Paarl for the seventh consecutive year and produced a lineup of 12 winning single varietal wines and three Shiraz – led blends.

Singled out for special mention was the KWV which is the only producer to have won an award since the inception of the competition.

The dozen Shiraz champions for 2019 are: Babylonstoren 2017, Neethlingshof 2015, Bellingham the Bernard Series Basket Press Syrah 2016, Quoin Rock 2015, Driehoek 2017 and Driehoek 2016, Rhebokskloof Black Marble Hill 2016, Kruger Family Reserve 2016, Flagstone Dark Horse 2015, Strandveld First Sighting 2017, KWV Cathedral Cellar 2016 and Wellington Wines’ La Cave 2017.

The winning Shiraz blends were: Alvi’s Drift Albertus Viljoen Bismarck 2017, Babylonstoren Babel 2017 and Eikendal Charisma 2017.

Panel convenor and Cape Wine Master Dr Andy Roediger said the continued pace of year-on-year improvement impressed the judges. “The wines across the board were of improving quality and it appears the winemakers have got their wood regime right. Very few wines were heavily oaked, a tendency which is being moved away from. It appears that oak from East Europe is overtaking a preference for American, which has resulted in more spicy Shiraz styles.” MUSCADEL SA AWARDS It’s always a case of sweet success at the Muscadel SA awards... Top performer this year was former co-operative cellar Badsberg from Rawsonville in the Breedekloof valley with one platinum and two gold awards at the 17th annual event sponsored by Enartis SA.

“We are very proud of our flagship Red Muscadel,” said Badsberg cellar master Willie Burger. “We were honoured AWARDS, TROPHIES AND MEDALS GALORE

with a platinum award in 2014 for our Badsberg Red Muscadel 2013 so to win this award again is a great privilege.”

Robertson’s Mont Blois estate is the only other cellar to be honoured with a platinum award in 2019. The wine estate has been in the Bruwer family for six generations and their winning wine, Mont Blois Pump House White Muscadel 2016 is from vineyards that are 26 years old. A scant 330 cases of this sweet, liquid gold were produced.

Other Robertson producers which won gold were Bon Courage estate and Montagu wine & spirits while Du Toitskloof and Slanghoek from the Breedekloof valley defended their region’s honour.

De Wet Cellar from the Worcester wine and olive route won gold for their White Muscadel 2017 and Orange River Cellars won gold for its White Muscadel 2017 and Hanepoot 2017.

“The wine industry as well as the rest of the agricultural industry is suffering from severe drought at the moment,” said Muskadel SA chairman Henri Swiegers. “We’re very happy with muscadel because it is one of the first grape varieties to ripen, the heat helps the grapes build up a good concentration of sugar.”

ABOVE: The 12 winners at the 2019 Shiraz Challenge. LEFT: Robertson winery Mont Blois was awarded Platinum status.

OLD MUTUAL TROPHY WINE SHOW The most high profile of the local events is the Old Mutual Trophy wine show which this year celebrated its 18th staging. Just shy of 1 000 entries were received from 206 producers – and the judging panel awarded just 32 gold medals and 24 trophies were won. The Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show believes it’s an effective “showcase of the everchanging landscape of Cape wine”.

Biggest winner overall was Painted Wolf wines which walked off with the trophies for best niche red and best niche white varieties with their Black Pack Mourvèdre 2017 and 2018 Roussanne respectively.

Stellenbosch’s Mulderbosch also won big, taking home the Cecil Skotnes designed trophy for the best Chenin Blanc with its Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc block A 2017 – which also won the Old Mutual international judges trophy as well as the cup for the best white wine overall. The top Cabernet Sauvignon went to Kruger Family Reserve 2017 – which was also adjudged the best red wine overall. Bonnievale’s 2015 Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon was rewarded with the trophy as the discovery of the show and best value find.

Cape Point Vineyards Isliedh 2017 was the best white blend, JC Le Roux’s 2014 Scintilla reserve MCC was the best sparkling wine while Leopard’s Leap Culinaria Collection Grand Vin 2017 was deemed the top Bordeaux-style blend. Its non-Bordeaux counterpart went to Calitzdorp’s De Krans for the Tritonia 2016. No stranger to awards, Jordan’s barrel fermented Chardonnay 2018 won its class while Rustenberg walked off with the Shiraz bragging rights for its Buzzard Kloof Syrah 2017.

Sauvignon Blanc is a crowd favourite and top honours went to Ghost Corner 2018 while the best Pinotage went to Survivor’s 2017 reserve. The best Cape port was Delaire Graff Cape Vintage 2017 and the unfortified dessert wine trophy was won by Nederburg for The Winemasters Noble Late Harvest 2018. Recognising that the appreciation of mature wines is growing, the OMTWS recognises a Museum Class. Winner were: the KWV for its Ruby Port 1949 and 2012 The Mentors Semillon; D’Aria The Songbird Sauvignon Blanc 2014 and Desiderius Pongrácz Méthode Cap Classique 2011 which showed that local bubbly doesn’t have to be young to be good.

CABERNET FRANC CHALLENGE Cabernet Franc is a variety which continues to see good growth with more and more local producers bottling it as a stand alone wine rather than a component of a red blend. The fourth Cabernet Franc Challenge again highlighted the quality wines made by passionate advocates of this wine.

“The panel was in complete agreement that the line-up of wines showed an improvement on last year,” said Christine Rudman, Cape Wine Master and convenor of the judging panel. “There was an astonishing quality jump on what was already at a high standard, resulting in a record number of Golds being awarded. “Of particular note was the lithe elegance, the harmony and balance of the wines, with careful use of oak. Despite showing great presence and being impressively complex and multi-layered, they had enough succulence to make them delicious to drink even young. Yet the vintage class showed just how well they could age.”

The Top Six wines for this year’s competition were: Hillcrest Saartjie 2017, Holden Manz 2017, Lisha Nelson 2017, Mulderbosch Vineyards with their 2015 and 2016 Cabernet Francs and Raats Dolomite 2016.

The top three blends were Landskroon Cabernet Franc/Merlot 2017, Morgenster Lourens River Valley 2012 and My Wyn Les Grandes Horizontales 2015. The Vintage Category award went to Ormonde Private Cellar Ondine 2014 while Bushmanspad Estate’s 2015 was deemed the best value winner.

DECANTER WORLD WINE AWARDS And on the international scene, the Decanter World Wine Awards announced the results of its annual selection. More

LEFT: their cups – or trophies – runneth over ... winners at the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show.

than 12 000 samples were submitted to a competition which is judged in London by some of the world’s finest tasters.

Overall, just 148 wines – or less than one percent of all entries – were rewarded with Platinum medal status, and there were six South African wines which achieved this.

Franschhoek bubbly specialist Le Lude was recognised for its Vintage Cuvée Brut 2012 while Beyerskloof Faith 2014, a blend of Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot was joined by Tokara Director’s Reserve 2014 (Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend), Nicolas van der Merwe Syrah 2017 and Constantia Glen Five 2015. The surprise package as a platinum winner was Swartland winery with its 2017 Bushvine Chenin Blanc. Overall, 480 wines won gold medals – just 2.9% of all entries. South African producers accounted for 20 of those golds.

They were: Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2017, Paul Cluver Noble Late Harvest Riesling 2017 and 2018 Riesling; Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2015; Uva Mira 2017 Chardonnay, The Mira Chardonnay 2017 and The Single Tree Chardonnay 2017 as well as OTV 2016 red blend; Idiom ‘B’ blend 2015; Strandveld First Sighting Sauvignon Blanc 2018; Delaire Graff Laurence Graff Reserve 2015; StarkCondé Oude Nektar red blend 2016 and the white Field Blend 2018; Wildekrans Barrel Select Reserve Chenin Blanc 2017; Ridgeback His Master’s Choice Signature C 2016; Oldenburg Vineyards Rondekop Stone Axe 2016; De Grendel Op Die Berg Chardonnay (Ceres Plateau) 2018; DeMorgenzon Reserve Chenin Blanc 2018 and Reserve Chardonnay 2018 and Lanzerac Cabernet Sauvignon-MerlotPetit Verdot 2016.