Cheers – Mar/Apr 2019 (Vol41)

cheers C O M P L I M E N TA R Y M A G A Z I N E M A R /A P R 2 0 1 9 V O L 4 1

| www.topsatspar.co.za Irish whiskey | SA wine farm heritage | Flavoured beer | Selfies | Mojito Perfect Serve

SPIRITED REVIVAL

THE IRISH WHISKEY

BOOM A COP

BEER FY OF OO FIRE D

Mar|Apr 2019|41

FLAVOURED BEERS:

WHAT’S THE BUZZ?

SA WINE HERITAGE THE FARMS WITH 50 VINTAGES IN BOTTLE

A SNAPSHOT OF

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features 14 LUCK OF THE IRISH More and more distilleries and whiskies 18 TASTING: Irish whiskey 21 GOING FORWARD BY GOING BACK Modern wine trends look to the past 24 VINTAGE WINERIES South African producers of 50-plus 28 WHAT THE FRUIT? Beer with cherries, lemon and even elderflower...

30 TASTING: Flavoured beers

54 SELFIE ABSORPTION Turn the spotlight on the ME generation

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58 BOARD? Scrabbling for the right game 70 CALL ME OLD FASHIONED Mobile phone etiquette

Check out Cheers magazine online

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contents

62 regulars

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04 FROM THE EDITOR Be the change 06 NEWS SCOOP Belgian beers available locally, new wines, Glenmorangie extensions and more.

32 PERFECT SERVE More than a hint of mint

SEE P43 TO WIN THIS RECIPE BOOK

34 HOT BITES Try this at home

60 ENTERTAINMENT CDs, DVDs and books

40 BOOK GIVEAWAY Beer Food Fire by Greg Gilowey and Karl Tessendorf

62 FISHING Heading north for bass and tigers

44 HUISKOK Emile Joubert se Ierse bredie resep 46 TERESA ULYATE A saucy whiskey pudding to die for!

50 HOT NEWS Where to go and what to do 52 THINGAMAJIGS Whatsits and doodads you don’t know you want 2 w w w .t o p s a t s p a r. c o . z a

65 SOCIAL MEDIA Family trees in cyberspace 66 RESPONSIBILITY Plastic straws suck 70 CALL ME OLD FASHIONED Mobile phone etiquette 71 NEXT ISSUE Vodka, hops and the Breedekloof 72 LOOPDOP Gerrit Rautenbach se storie

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E D I TO R ’ S L E T T E R |

TIME FOR REFLECTION It’s something which leaves the proverbial bad taste in one’s mouth. I’m not talking about a literal flavour – although there is a lot of that in this issue: from the burgeoning Irish whiskey industry which has opened 11 new distilleries with a further 15 planned, the importance of muddled mint in the quintessential mojito cocktail, fruity beers and even grown-up flavours in frozen non-alcoholic popsicles.

No. What I’m talking about is plastic pollution.

It’s become a burning environmental, economic, political and social issue worldwide. Very few people can claim to be unaware of the dramatic toll that plastic is taking on the planet and its resources. Firstly, it’s derived from oil which is a non-renewable resource and secondly it takes so long to bio-degrade and when it does it has a massive impact on man and beast alike. Plastic micro-particles are now being found in the flesh of fish we eat!

It was the latter which inspired then nine-year-old Australian Molly Steer to launch a campaign to get plastic straws banned from the canteen at her school in Cairns, Queensland. She succeeded – and then her Straw No More campaign took on a life of its own with other schools in Cairns, other states in Aussie, in New Zealand, South Korea and even America and England deciding to adopt it too.

What a difference a few years can make. Just 30 years ago scientists rang the alarm bells about the hole in the ozone layer and the damage done by chloro-fluorocarbons (CFCs). All refrigerators and freezers had to be CFC free. Now they all are and you seldom if ever hear anyone talking about them or the ozone layer and its hole.

The problem is that in the past two years alone the problem has become too big to ignore. We are all champions at sticking our heads in the proverbial sand and ignoring stuff, hoping it’ll go away or that “someone else” will wave a magic wand and find a solution.

It’s a problem that is not going away and no-one has a magic wand. But what we ALL need to do is what young Molly Steer talks about, our little bit. Control our own environment by refusing things such as plastic straws, talking to the local café, bar or restaurant and asking them to consider alternatives. It’s like the ban on public smoking; initially people resisted it, got all hot under the collar about their democratic right to smoke where they wanted – but 20 years later you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t admit that it was the right thing to do. Sitting in restaurants is so much more pleasant when diners are not being assaulted by second-hand cigarette smoke.

Plastic drinking straws are just one link in the very long plastic chain – but it’s one where every single person CAN make a difference. Alternatives are available, so consider a pasta or paper straw. Or better yet, do what we all did before they were patented in 1888, just use your mouth as nature intended!

It certainly won’t affect the flavour or your enjoyment of whatever you’re drinking.

Fiona

FIONA MCDONALD CHEERS EDITOR

cheersmag.co.za

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CheersMag

@CheersMag

cheers team

TOPS at SPAR Jess Nicholson Group Promotions & Advertising Manager – Liquor Nicole Hesom Group Advertising Controller – Liquor

Publisher Shayne Dowling shayne@integratedmedia.co.za Editor Fiona McDonald fiona@integratedmedia.co.za Art Director Candi Acheson studio@integratedmedia.co.za Advertising Shayne Dowling shayne@integratedmedia.co.za PR & Promotions Dee Griffin dee@integratedmedia.co.za Photography iStockphoto.com Contributors Emile Joubert, Gerrit Rautenbach, Teresa Ulyate, David Bowman, Hector McBeth, Tshepiso Molisana, Lucy Corne, Craig Thomassen.

Head Office Cape Town Tel: 021 685 0285 Address Suite WB03 Tannery Park 23 Belmont Road, Rondebosch, 7700 Postal Address PO Box 259, Rondebosch, 7701 Printing Paarl Media Cape, a division of Novus Holdings Published by Integrated Media for TOPS at SPAR

STOCKISTS SPAR Good Living items are available at your nearest SPAR outlets.

COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS Competition submissions should reach us no later than 15th April 2018. The Prize/s is as indicated, no alternatives or cash will be provided. 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.

Participants can only win one competition every 3 issues.

THE SCOOP NO TALL (STILL) TALE ...

A lot of building is going on at Scottish and Irish distilleries. The latest to announce expansion plans to accommodate a hike in production is Glenmorangie.

The distillery renowned for having the tallest stills in Scotland with necks 5.14 metres high, can be found alongside the Dornoch Firth in Ross-shire, around a kilometre northwest of the town of Tain.

Two new warehouses will be built to house the numerous barrels of new make spirit which will flow from the still house – since Glenmorangie will be inaugurating two new stills and supplementing their existing mash and fermentation equipment. The annual production capacity allowed by Glenmorangie’s existing 12 stills is six million litres.

Visitors to the distillery need not fear any restrictions due to the construction work, both production and sightseeing tours continue as usual. Work is expected to be completed later this year.

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70 NOT OUT! It was once a bit of a unicorn wine: you could only get your hands on a bottle if you “knew” someone who had a KWV quota ... because Roodeberg’s famous wine was only available to international customers.

First made in 1949 Roodeberg celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. There are big plans afoot for 2019 so keep your eyes peeled and hop on board to celebrate Roodeberg’s 70th milestone year with upcoming new wine launches, promotions and events.

Roodeberg’s rich heritage and colourful tapestry of wine folklore, has seen this signature red evolve from the master’s original blend to an accessible, contemporary classic in step with ever-changing tastes and lifestyles.

Launched in 1949, Roodeberg is the brainchild of Dr Charles Niehaus, a legendary pioneer of the South African wine industry, who developed new red blends at KWV in the early 40s. Roodeberg soon became one of the country’s biggest export wine brands and although it was not readily available in

the local market until 2004, it enjoyed iconic status in the hearts and minds of South Africans.

Dr Niehaus retired in 1971 leaving an indelible mark on the world of wine. Today, Louwritz Louw follows the string of fine winemakers who have borne the torch Dr Niehaus first lit, proudly continuing the Roodeberg tradition.

Catch all the action of Roodeberg’s 70th anniversary year by joining the Roodeberg community on Facebook or follow @Roodeberg_Wine on Instagram and Twitter.

TELLING IT NEDERBURG STYLE Nederburg will be hosting a range of winners in both Johannesburg and Cape Town in March to a unique “dinner experience” by well-known South African chef Zola Nene when its #TELLMYSTORY campaign concludes.

The intent by the renowned local wine brand was to celebrate South Africans forging their own paths in special and uniquely South African ways, said Nederburg brand manager Nicola Coubrough.

To launch its #TellMyStory campaign, Nederburg collaborated with up-and-coming South African designer, Tshepo the JeanMaker, as well as popular street artist, Russell Abrahams, in terms of online video clips portraying their unique stories.

“By having showcased our own brand story and those of street artist Russell and Tshepo the JeanMaker, we hopefully inspired our consumers to become part of the Nederburg narrative and submit and share their own individual stories via our mobi-site.” The prize was to win a share of R200 000 in cash.

“We also commissioned Russell to create a huge street art mural in Johannesburg’s bustling Maboneng district, using 50 of the consumer stories entered into the competition as inspiration,” Coubrough said. Hundreds of inspirational entries were received over the course of the campaign as South Africans were happy to share their stories with the wine brand.

BRING ON THE BELGIANS! With the takeover of SA Breweries by international beer giant AB InBev, South Africans now have access to a broader range of beers.

Two extremely popular global brands now available in the walk-in cool rooms nationwide are Leffe Blonde and Hoegaarden, the latter being the most awarded wheat beer in the World Beer Cup history.

“Leffe Blonde is an authentic blonde abbey beer which is full bodied and multi layered with hints of vanilla and clove, and a slight bitterness,” said Vijay Govindsamy, High End marketing director. It has an alcohol content of 6.6%. “The perfect aperitif beer, Leffe Blonde pairs particularly well with red meat, vinegary dishes, ham and cheese.”

Govindsamy said Leffe Blonde was best served in the iconic chalice glass, “which allows the essence of this beer to unveil its true elegance”.

Hoegaarden is the original Belgian Witbier, with a 600-year history. Hoegaarden monks have been credited as being the first to discover the unique recipe for wheat beer around 1445, when it was used to treat people with vitamin deficiencies.

“Today it might not be prescribed by doctors but it is a beer brand enjoyed by both men and woman, and has become a mainstay in households across Europe, Asia and the Americas.”

The naturally different wheat beer with a medium light body is brewed with orange peel and coriander, which imparts a distinctive, bright and refreshing flavour. It has an alcohol content of 4.9%. “Hoegaarden is the perfect accompaniment at the brunch or lunch table of casual light bites like Asian food, seafood and salads.”

Hoegaarden is served in the iconic hexagonal glass. Legend says that the shape of the glass is derived from jam jars. Back in the day, when you ran out of clean glasses you used jam jars, where the taste of leftover fruit was a definite plus.

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ECO-FRIENDLY BEER PACKAGING British trade publication, The Grocer, reported recently that Danish beer giant, Carlsberg, is doing its bit to combat the scourge of plastic polluting the marine environment.

Images of sea life – birds, fish, penguins and turtles – trapped by sharp, plastic sixpack rings have been used to make people aware of the unintended consequences of plastic’s convenience and ease of use. Not only will it reduce Carlsberg’s CO2 emissions, it will save 1 200 tons of plastic from being used annually.

“We recognised the need to reinvigorate and drive value back into Carlsberg Export alongside the wider premium lager category, whilst re-engaging with consumers in a more relevant way and we’re delighted with the response we’ve had so far,” said Alistair Gaunt, vice president of nationals’ sales business unit at Carlsberg UK. “The new Snap Pack is a revolutionary new way of responsibly packaging Carlsberg Export - and we know that sustainability is as much a priority for retailers as it is for us and of course, shoppers.”

Carlsberg’s alternative to the six-pack rings are small dots of a specially developed glue which hold the cans together. They are robust enough to stand up to the rigours of being loaded into trucks and on and off shelves – yet snap apart easily when required.

The bonds are near invisible, Carlsberg claim.

CELEBRATION TIME February 2019 marked 260 years since Jan van Riebeeck planted South Africa’s winemaking flag by writing in his diary that “today, praise be to God, wine was made at the Cape of Good Hope for the first time”.

Durbanville wine producer Groot Phesantekraal Estate is not far behind since it’s celebrating 320 years of existence!

Fourth generation owners, André and Ronelle Brink, are celebrating the fact that their farm dates back through history to 1698 – and has been in the family just over 120 years. To mark the occasion Groote Phesantekraal launched their Saturday Lawn Menu and reflected on a good year which saw recognition for their wines, which included Michelangelo awards double gold for the 2018 Chenin Blanc, gold for the Berliet Pinotage 2017 and Veritas gold for the Groot Phesantekraal 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon.

The past couple of years have seen some changes. Etienne Louw has taken over as winemaker and all the wines have been rebranded. Phizante Kraal, one of the names of the farm during its long history, was changed to the current name of the farm, Groot Phesantekraal, in 2017, and the new wine labels include the Brink family crest.

Just 20 minutes drive from Cape Town, this historic wine property on the

fringes of Durbanville has a lot to offer – notably an elegantly rustic restaurant located in the original stable that dates back to 1767: a charming mixture of past and present.

The white-washed plastered walls, original stone floors, open-beam thatched roof and original feeding troughs blend seamlessly with modern touches and wonderful views over the rolling hills and mountains beyond.

The menus, based on a combination of contemporary country style and traditional cooking, provide hearty, wholesome meals; a perfect foil to the farm’s wines. The small but eclectic menu changes regularly according to seasonal availability.

But Saturdays on the Lawn are attracting people to the charms of being outside in the open air, on rolling green lawns with views that stretch for miles.

The tasty cheese and charcuterie platters are another attraction. Booking is essential and can be made by telephoning 021 825 0060.

APPLICATIONS APPEAL Young South African chefs should get their applications in for the S.Pellegrino young chef awards which have been expanded significantly for 2019. They have until the end of April to do so.

As an international water brand which is renowned for its support of global gastronomy, S.Pellegrino sponsors not only the competition to list of the world’s best restaurants but also supports the cuisiniers who make these establishments what they are.

S.Pellegrino recognises the potential of gastronomy to impact social change and its ability to transform peoples’ lives and future prospects.

Nowhere is this more obvious than in South Africa where chefs can rise to the top by means of drive, enthusiasm, practical skills and positive mentorship.

NOT SO SECRET CINSAULT Foreign critics and wine experts have been tripping over each other to praise older South African wines.

At Cape Wine 2018 held in September, there was a seminal tasting at which London-based master of Wine, Greg Sherwood awarded a perfect 100 point score to a 1957 Chateau Libertas, a first for a South African wine.

The secret behind some of these long-lived wines and the Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignons of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s is the role that Cinsault played. Cinsault is a very humble grape which was mixed in when the grapes were put into the press “to help lubricate everything”, as the old timers will tell.

Waterkloof, the winery located on a windswept slope in Somerset West, is paying homage to this humble grape and near-forgotten South African red wine style in its Revenant Red. “The red variety for which Stellenbosch is famous for, is Cabernet Sauvignon. What most people don’t know though, is that Cinsault used to play a major role in many well-known South African Cabernet Sauvignon-based red blends,” says winemaker

“This landmark fourth edition of S.Pellegrino Young Chef represents the genuine commitment of S.Pellegrino to continue developing an initiative that truly nurtures the future of gastronomy, “ said Stefano Marini, Director of Sanpellegrino International Business Unit. “Indeed, we are committed to support the international gastronomy community by nesting, discovering and promoting the next generation of culinary talent, enabling it to demonstrate their personal belief leveraging the transformative power of gastronomy.”

Applications for this edition of S.Pellegrino Young Chef will open from February 2019 and, for the first time, there will be three additional awards on top of the Title of ‘S.Pellegrino Young Chef’.

These awards will give a voice and will be a platform to different young chefs, recognising their varied beliefs and approaches to the way gastronomy can play a role in transforming society. The four awards are as follows: Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thoughts Award (voted for by the online Fine Dining Lovers community); S.Pellegrino Award for Social Responsibility (voted for by an internationally recognised voice on Sustainability in food); Acqua Panna Award for Connection in Gastronomy and the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Award.

The latter award is won after numerous rounds of cooking and final judging in which the chef must demonstrate unrivalled technical skills as well as genuine creativity.

Application forms can be found on the website: www.Sanpellegrino.com

Nadia Barnard-Langenegger. “These elegant wines inspired us to create our revitalised rendition of a quality blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cinsault.”

This inaugural vintage of Revenant Red was produced for False Bay Vineyards at Waterkloof. It was preceded by a white blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc and a wine with a special link to False Bay Vineyards, being the very same blend as the first white wine made by owner Paul Boutinot in France back in 1984.

Revenant White celebrated the glorious rebirth of a lost soul (Sauvignon and Chenin Blanc is now rarely blended in France) in new lands, whilst Revenant Red heralds the return of a long-lost Western Cape classic.

A renaissance and recognition of the importance of naturally balanced grapes; of minimal intervention winemaking; of old wood, concrete tanks and the beauty of the blend, Revenant encapsulates this rebirth of tradition and the spirit of ‘new wave’ South African wine.

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CRISP & EASY

GROOTE POST

Drinking beer shouldn’t be difficult. It should be easy – and that’s something the South American countries are setting the pace with.

Hansa Golden Crisp is the local version of a light, crisp beer style which has taken Latin America by storm.

Beers which appeal to women and men are fast growing in Columbia, Panama and Ecuador – including Aguila Light, Atlas Golden Light, Balboa Ice and Pilsener Light. These beers attract significant numbers of women drinkers, with more than half of sales for certain easy drinking beers in Latin America emanating from female consumers who appreciate the essential natural ingredients of beer in an easier drinking, less bitter style.

Easy drinking beers are brewed with the essential ingredients of barley, maize, hops and water yet characterised by lower bitterness and moderate alcohol levels by volume of 3,5 to 4%.

“Hansa Golden Crisp is designed for unisex urban consumers who appreciate the value of breaking free from the daily grind to embrace healthy outdoor activities,” said brand manager Alet Eksteen.

Hansa Golden Crisp is bottled in clear, flint glass, with an easy to remove, break-free bottle cap. Brewed with locally grown ingredients, it delivers a pleasant light citrus hop aroma, with a subtle yet lower bitterness, and a short finish. It’s also SAB’s first beer to be packaged in a 290ml flint bottle as well as 300ml slender can serving size.

It’s been 20 years since the first Groote Post wines were bottled – and in two decades this winery, located in the Darling Hills on the Cape’s West Coast has found a loyal following for its distinctive Sauvignon Blanc.

The grape revels in the cool growing conditions found in this spot, just a few kilometres (as the crow flies) from the cold Benguela Current pushing northwards along the coastline. So it was logical for owners, the Pentz family, to make a Sauvignon Blanc their flagship wine.

The first vineyard plantings at Groote Post in 1993 were Sauvignon Blanc, the first wine made at Groote Post in 1999 was Sauvignon Blanc and the first wine to roll in the accolades for Groote Post was Sauvignon Blanc. Pioneer of Sauvignon

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Blanc in Darling, Neil Ellis was an inspiration ... With a 10% Semillon component and given partial oak maturation, this is not your typical Sauvignon Blanc. The name, Seasalter, was chosen to symbolise the unique minerality and saltiness of Groote Post’s white wines, the culmination of the interplay of slope, soil, climate and proximity to the icy Atlantic.

And the name? It had to be something special to portray Groote Post’s terroir and proximity to the icy Atlantic, said Nick Pentz.

Coincidentally on one of his UK wine sales trips, he visited a tiny medieval village in Canterbury by the name of Seasalter.

It was a centre for salt production in the Iron Age. “I just knew immediately that Seasalter was the ideal name for our new flagship Sauvignon as it superbly captured the essence of our wine in one word,” Pentz said.

SWEET SPRITZ South Africans like sweet things: from Diwali and Rosh Hashanah to extended funerals deep in Zululand or Limpopo there are always richly sweet treats.

It’s no different when it comes to the world of wine, as Calitzdorp wine producer De Krans can attest.

Since its release in 2012, the premium Moscato Perlé White has remained a crowd favourite – and the Moscato Red which joined it in 2017 has had the same response.

The word Moscato, still a growing style in South Africa, refers to the grapes used (Muscadel or Muscat de Frontignan in the case of De Krans), while perlé refers to its sparkling character.

What makes this style of wine so popular is not only the low alcohol (the white and red both have an alcohol content of 8.5%), but also the versatility of its use. Being naturally sweet with a fresh acidity and a slight fizz, this wine is perfect as a welcoming drink, sundowner, or as a fresh and much more affordable alternative to a bubbly. Both the white and red Moscato also make for super delicious sangria, the perfect drink for a Summer’s day next to the pool.

And they’re also great with food. The White Moscato made from white muscadel, has lovely fruit flavours of litchi and Muscat, with honey and exotic spice. The Red Moscato is made from muscadel with 15% Pinotage added, resulting in a vibrant red colour and a good tannin structure. The wine is packed with fruit characters, including berries and prunes with a subtle exotic spice.

SPIRIT OF AFRICA Elderflower is a quintessentially English flavour – even though it grows in South Africa. Newcomers to the booming local spirit scene, African Craft have spotted the gap and just introduced the first elderflower gin to the market.

Wanting to produce top-quality products that look as good as they taste is the motivation behind the establishment of African Craft in 2018, said cofounder Brendon van Niekerk.

“From the very start we’ve ensured that each stage of the production process is of the highest standard. We began by carefully selecting the best distillers in their relevant industries, as well as sourcing the finest ingredients locally and abroad. Once sourced, each ingredient is then infused at a different stage in the production process in order to create a beautifullybalanced flavour composition,” van Niekerk said.

Starting with a bang, this new kid on the block already boasts 11 gins and a tequila – with more products planned and in the pipeline!

The Chroma collection is a kaleidoscopic journey through colour, encompassing a selection of nature’s best fruits, each with a distinctive hue, making the collection a must-have for all gin lovers. The Chroma range comprises apple, blackcurrant, blueberry, pineapple, strawberry and watermelon.

Their Benedict’s gin is a London dry to appeal to the market which wants a standard G&T while the Sicario is an oak matured, triple distilled Karoo agave spirit – tequila in all but name and geographical origin ...

African Craft’s premium range celebrates this continent – highlighting Marula, Baobab and honeybush infusions. Just add ice, tonic and an African sunset for maximum drinking pleasure!

UNIQUELY COPPER HUED COGNAC One of the oldest of the French Cognac houses, Martell, has just introduced an exciting new product for lovers of the ultrapremium spirit.

It’s the Martell VSOP Red Barrel. “A first of its kind,” said international Martell brand ambassador Aldrick Deheck who is also a member of the tasting committee. “It’s an irresistible invitation to discover a new and unexpected perspective, experience and encounter with fine Cognac.”

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this new expression charms immediately with its lovely coppery hue. Yellow stone fruits are apparent on the nose and in the mouth with subtle, mellow woody notes – and the power which gently but inexorably grows.

“Our eaux-de-vie are aged exclusively in fine-grained oak barrels,” Deheck said.

“Casks for the Martell VSOP Red Barrel are specifically selected by the cellarmaster and utilised to full term, producing a smooth Cognac that showcases Martell’s maturation style and character.”

NATURE’S SURVIVOR Overhex’s Survivor range of wines has really struck a chord with the wine buying public: whether it’s because of the tale of the Nguni cow which survived its leap from the back of a bakkie while being transported from a farm in the Swartland (and landing – unscathed – in a vineyard), the striking label imagery or simply the damn good juice in the bottle cannot be determined.

Possibly a combination of all three factors. There’s a new addition to the Survivor herd – a Wild Yeast Syrah which was launched recently.

Winemaker Ben Snyman described it as a dark, full-bodied wine with luscious layers of violets, blackberries and spice. The maiden 2017 vintage of Survivor Wild Yeast Syrah has soft, supple tannins which make it really appealing in the mouth.

It’s name comes from the fact that the 100% Syrah underwent fermentation in large 500L French oak barrels using only naturally occurring yeasts. No packets were opened to inoculate the fermentation, as happens with many other wines! After extended skin contact for 60 days, the wine was left to mature in third fill French oak barrels for 12 months.

“Mind, body and soul – this is how wine is really made without the use of commercial yeasts so that we can experience the true taste of terroir,” Snyman said.

His advice is to enjoy it with spicy stir-fried pork, leg of lamb or chicken and spare ribs on the braai.

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SPIRITS |

WHISKEY

IRISH EYES ARE

SMILING

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THE EMERALD ISLE IS UNDERGOING A SPIRITED RENAISSANCE. THE WHISKEY INDUSTRY IS BOOMING AND THE COUNTRY WHICH USED TO BOAST JUST FOUR DISTILLERIES NOW HAS NEARLY 10 TIMES THAT NUMBER! LOCAL AFICIONADO HECTOR MCBETH HAS THE STORY.

MAIN: The famous Dublin distillery where the globally popular Irish whiskey is distilled has become a tourist attraction with thousands of visitors making a spirited pilgrimage to the spiritual home of Jameson’s annually.

C

urrently, Irish whiskey is the world’s fastest growing brown spirit – and to understand why this is so, one needs to appreciate and understand its history.

Without doubt, the great epoch of Irish whiskey was the early and mid 19th century which saw the emergence and rise of the now famed Dublin distillers John Jameson, William Jameson, George Roe and John Powers. What they created allowed the Irish category to become the biggest global spirit. There were a whopping 88 licensed distilleries at the time.

Despite the resounding success which saw Irish whiskey booming to become second only to rum in terms of international popularity, the Temperance movement’s campaign in the early 1900s definitely had an impact, calling as it did for a ban on spirits in favour of beer and ale. Enter Aneas Coffey, an Irish excise man who invented the column still used to produce grain whisky.

Sadly, the Irish resisted using this method while their canny Scots counterparts embraced the new distilling technology. The result was that blended Scotch whisky boomed as a category.

A civil war and a drive for independence and the eventual creation of a free state in 1922 saw Ireland enter into an economic war with Great Britain. One of the consequences of this action was that the country was not allowed to export to any Commonwealth countries. This, on top of

Prohibition in America – one of their top markets – sealed the fate of Irish whiskey by the 1930s.

World War II intruded and played a role as well.

The Irish government decided to keep all the whiskey in Ireland in order to benefit from the taxes raised – and not one litre was exported in the early 60’s. In 1966 Frank O’Reilly convinced the last few family distilleries to consolidate and form a union to compete with the Scottish distilleries – and so all the Dublin distilleries were closed. Bushmills joined the collective in 1972, forming the Irish Distillers Group and in 1974 the new Middleton distillery was opened, based largely on the John Lane distillery.

The situation was dire and by the 1970’s sales had fallen as low as two million cases while Scotland notched up sales in excess of 100 million cases!

With only two distilleries operating – and both owned by the same company – resuscitation of the Irish whiskey scene was slow. It took a visionary in the form of John Teeling, who, in 1987 bought an old industrial alcohol plant and created the Cooley distillery. This marked a turning point and noted a distinct uptick in fortunes.

Cooley’s offered the first peated Irish single malt seen in years with the brand Connemara, as well as the first grain whiskey, Greenore. Teeling revived old brands such as Tyrconnel and recommissioned the Killbeggan distillery and Miller brands. He also MAR/APR 2019

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SPIRITS |

WHISKEY

RIGHT: Maturation in oak casks is standard practice but the Irish have faith in the distillation processes which precede it.

BELOW: Golden spirit from the Emerald Isle.

offered other private labels, and by so doing, created a much larger Irish offering – even though it all came out of one production facility.

In 1988 Irish Distillers Group was acquired by Pernod Ricard and whilst their focus was on growing Jameson, the creation of an Irish category by Cooley’s and an increase in private labels was starting to see the average bottle store shelf increase to a full category.

Whilst the 90s belonged still largely to the dominant Jameson, Tullamore D.E.W. and Bushmills, a plethora of new brands hit the shelves: Clontarf, Knoppogue Castle, The Irishman, Michael

16 w w w .t o p s a t s p a r. c o . z a

Collins and more. The dawn of the 21st century laid a solid foundation which will see the full restoration of the beguiling Irish category no longer content to simply saunter along on the back of blended

whiskey and Irish coffee sales. The stubborn resistance in the mid 19th century has been replaced with diversity and innovation such as Ireland has never seen.

The Irish Whiskey Association (IWA) was formed as recently as 2014 and at the time of inception boasted 28 members.

There are currently 11 distilleries producing and bottling whiskey older than three years with a further eight distilleries that are producing spirit which has yet to reach the three year maturity threshold. A further 15 are either in the planning or building phase ... Not a bad state of affairs considering that in 2007 there were only four working Irish distilleries!

Never has Ireland seen such diversity in owners: Pernod Ricard were forced to sell Bushmills to Diageo who in turn sold it on to the Tequila producing Cuervo group. William Grant, the Scottish Independent owners of Glenfiddich bought Tullamore D.E.W. and rebuilt it in 2014 in its original location – along with a massive grain whiskey plant which was opened in 2018 allowing them to double their sales over the last three years!

Teeling sold Cooley’s and Killbeggan to Japanese-owned Jim Beam. Jack Daniel’s owner Brown Forman opened Slane castle whilst Pernod Ricard opened a three pot still micro distillery at its current Middleton distillery. Rumours abound that they are opening a new facility to keep up with the ever increasing demand for their tripledistilled crowd pleaser, Jameson.

The Teeling sons have built Teeling distillery in Dublin whilst John Teeling has opened the Great Northern Distillery in a bid to recapture the third-party labels that the current Cooley’s owners have decided not to pursue, preferring to keep their spirit for their own growth ambitions.

West Cork whiskey is the brainchild of two fisherman brothers who teamed up with their food technologist cousin to purpose build a craft distillery themselves. They broke onto the scene by blending a whiskey for the iconic band, the Pogues.

Glendalough distillery is a conglomerate which includes the Irish international rugby star Brian O’Driscoll. Pearse Lyon Distillery in Dublin converted the St James Cathedral into a distillery named after the late founder of American company Altech. The original craft distillery is Dingle which has occupied a converted saw mill since 2012 – but it only produces two barrels a day, true to its artisanal roots.

Echlinville distillery owner Shane Braniff set out to bring back the Dunville Whiskey brand and, along with this, produces Jawbox Gin, Echlinville Gin and Ban Poitin.

The Connacht distillery has three Canadian-made stills and is a modern distillery producing Poitin and gin as well as a vodka. The Shed distillery are doing the same in a modern, compact distillery.

Their Irish Gunpowder Gin is something quite unique in that it utilises Asian botanicals.

Probably the most innovative and profound project ever undertaken in whiskey is the Guinness converted brewery, Waterford distillery. It’s where Mark Reynier, former owner of Bruichladdich on Scotland’s Hebridean mecca of peated whiskies, Islay, has built what he terms “a cathedral of barley”.

He has enlisted 72 Irish farms – amongst them organic and biodynamic farms – to grow barley

on 19 different soil types, keeping every crop separate and distilling them separately ... making them completely traceable to origin and terroir. They are utilising four types of oak barrels for the maturing process too! Both American and French oak form part of those barrels, allowing the wood to be fully traceable too.

This will hopefully come together as the most individually crafted Irish Whiskey.

Not to be outdone, the Boann distillery has converted an auto showroom to both a brewing operation and distillery which can produce pot still, single malt and grain whiskey. They are at the cutting edge when it comes to their patented nanotechnology which allows them to expose their spirit to more copper than previously, as well as reflux control of the Lyne arm which makes them able to produce a greater variety of spirit.

The Walsh Whiskey distillery at Royal Oak is the home to the brands, The Irishman and Writer’s Tears. Ownership is shared between its founders, Bernard and Rosemary Walsh, and the Italian company Illva Saronno. It is one of Ireland’s largest independently owned distilleries and relies on local craftsmanship, preferring manual to auto operation.

Another producer of which great things are expected is Rademon distillery. It was started in 2012 as a craft distillery producing Short Cross gin. It has only made whiskey since 2014 but has already been shortlisted by the Icons of Whisky Ireland 2019.

Blackwater distillery is another award-winning micro distiller producing gin which is in the process of opening a new whiskey distillery at Ballynduff. St Patricks Distillery are producing gin and vodka from potatoes and also blending maturing whiskey which they buy in.

It’s as if Ireland has kicked into a higher gear, realising the benefits of world trade and the thirst for

unique spirits. Much of this is due to its legacy from those original pioneers and producers from the 19th century – but also to the political will to treble Irish whiskey tourism in the next five years.

The Brexit issue remains a vexatious one for Ireland but there is little doubt that the Irish will continue to grow and do things their own way. The beauty of considering a distillery touring whiskey-focussed holiday on the Emerald Isle, is that it’s not a huge island and can easily be covered in 14 days – with plenty of other culture and pub visits in between.

ABOVE: In spite of the continuous column still being developed by an Irishman, the Irish spirit industry clung to copper potstill distillation – and thus fell behind its Scottish whisky compatriots.

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TA S T I N G |

IRISH WHISKEY

EMERALD ISLE

NECTAR

ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING CATEGORIES OF WHISK(E)Y IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW ARE THE SPIRITS BEING DISTILLED IN IRELAND. THE PROFUSION OF NEW DISTILLERIES AND LABELS HAS MADE IT A BUYERS MARKET FOR ENTHUSIASTS. TASTING PANEL: HEC TOR MCBE TH, JONATHON MILE S, SHAYNE DOWLING, C LIFF ORD ROBER TS, DEE GRIFFIN, FI ONA MC DONA LD

I

t was handy having the author of this issue’s feature on Irish whiskey on hand for the tasting because he could decode the range of styles laid out in front of the panel, separating them into blends of malt and pot still, single malts and single pot still products.

And what a genuinely thrilling tasting it turned out to be. “It wasn’t always the case,” McBeth said, “because at one point there were only two distilleries in Ireland! Although there were a host of different labels, they would all have been distilled in one of those two facilities.”

West Cork distillery, built in 2003, was started by two fisherman and a food technologist. “It sounds like the opening line of a joke,” one of the panellists quipped. What’s no joke is the quality of the whiskey in the bottle as they produce the popular Pogues bottling as well.

With the virtual explosion of distilleries that has taken place has come more variety but McBeth was quick to point out that it’s still early days. “Many of the newer distilleries don’t have aged mature stock but that will come within a few years.”

Overall, the category review was a resoundingly positive one.

Editor’s Choice!

TULLAMORE D.E.W. 12 YEAR OLD

Dried apricot and a slight gooseberry tang are what Shayne noted while Hector found deep, dark chocolate and cocoa powder. Rich, full bodied and intense this is a unique blend of single grain, single malt and pot still whiskey.

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POGUES

A blend of 50% single malt and 50% grain whiskey it shows soft fruity notes with a delicate but rich palate and a lush finish. Light and very easy to enjoy.

IRISH Y HISKE

JAMESON SELECT RESERVE

Appealing fudge vanilla and caramel notes on both the nose and the palate. Clifford found it nicely dry in the mouth while Jonathon noted the smoky charcoal notes. Hector said this whiskey spends time exclusively in Bourbon barrels which have been double charred.

WEST CORK SINGLE MALT 10 YEAR OLD

Notably less tawny in colour than the others, this spirit was also less intense in the mouth. Fiona found it powdery and floral with spice and pepper, leather and good intensity with a nutty creaminess on the tail. “Dry library books,” Hector said, while Jonathon liked its lightness.

* Interesting factoid: the Green Spot and Yellow Spot names are linked to the old tradition of marking special casks with a paint colour to indicate how long it would be stored for. “So a cask which one of the distillers thought would be good for 10 to 12 years would get a yellow spot, for example, while one which they felt might not stand up to the oak for as long would get a green spot – and so on,” Hector said.)

Panel

Choice!

YELLOW SPOT

Lovely light biscuit and cookie elements with cake spice mix, Shayne found.

Jonathon liked the rich complexity and described the nose as immediately having “great expectations” – which the palate then delivered.

Long rewarding smooth finish.

RED BREAST 12 YEAR OLD

Roasted hazelnuts and supple leather, Fiona found, with bright spice and peppery hit on the palate.

Silky smooth, comforting and delightfully retro – but it’s a whiskey with an incredible history, stretching back to 1820.

BUSHMILLS 10 YEAR OLD

Spicy palate with clean peppery, praline and nuts apparent. Clifford likened it to a rich fruit and nut slab of chocolate while Jonathon found abundant toffee and caramel appeal.

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GREEN SPOT

“So easy to drink,” was Dee’s comment.

Rich, rounded fruit with a supple underpinning of polished oak notes.

Velvety and creamy textured with lovely milk chocolate nuances too. “A very precise whiskey,” was Hector’s opinion.

POWERS SIGNATURE RELEASE

Complex and powerful was the consensus. “Robust nose,” Jonathon said. Big in intensity with full on, complex caramel, fruit flavours with rich spicy highlights. Tannin is noticeable in this one but then it’s aged in new American oak as well as sherry barrels.

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WINEMAKING

|

WINE

FRINGE GOES MAINSTREAM

SOUTH AFRICAN WINERIES ARE FILLED WITH STAINLESS STEEL TANKS, SQUEAKY CLEAN PIPES AND PUMPS BECAUSE CELLAR HYGIENE IS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE WINE REMAINS HEALTHY. BUT SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING AND GENUINELY THRILLING WINES NEVER SEE ANY OF THIS KIT! FIONA MCDONALD REPORTS.

T

he months from late January until April are when residents of the Western Cape frequently drive behind tractors and trucks laden with bins of bouncing freshly-picked grapes being moved from vineyard to cellar.

Drive past any vineyard on the morning school or office run and you’ll see pickers with secateurs in hand who have been hard at work since daybreak. It’s important to pick the grapes when they’re still cool; before the sun has the chance to bake down and heat them up – which is why picking is often suspended around 10 or 11am.

It’s been this way since time immemorial, from ancient Greek and Roman times – even if they didn’t necessarily know the science behind the alchemical process which turned sweet ripe grape juice into wine. After all, the influence of yeast is something which was only discovered by Louis Pasteur in 1857!

Mechanisation and modernisation is something which we accept as part of modern life – and the modern winery or cellar is no exception. But here’s the funny thing: the most modern, “edgy” thing for a winemaker to do nowadays ... is to adopt age old traditions!

Pickers hard at work in the vineyards as the sun’s first rays peak over the horizon.

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WINE |

WINEMAKING

LEFT: A winery floor so squeaky clean you could literally eat off the floor! Stainless steel fermentation and storage tanks are the modern winemaker’s best friend.

As a young wine writer 25 or more years ago, I recall producers talking about technological leaps being taken by “edgy” winemakers such as Mike Dobrovic of Mulderbosch. The creative but scientifically astute winemaker was at the head of the pack doing something called malolactic fermentation as well as reductive winemaking.

To break it down into easily understandable terms, winemaking is simple: Take sweet ripe grape juice full of natural sugars. Add yeast (invariably from a packet) and inoculate the juice so that it starts fermenting. The yeast feeds on the fermentable sugars, gives off carbon dioxide gas which explains all the bubbling during the process and turns the juice into alcohol.

That’s primary fermentation 101. But there are various other chemical components that make wine the deliciously alluring drink that it is – and acid is one of them. One such acid found in wine is malic acid – the same kind of acid found in tangy green apples, giving them their distinct sour flavour. So malolactic fermentation is a secondary process which converts malic acid to smoother, more palatable lactic acid.

And as for reductive 22 w w w .t o p s a t s p a r. c o . z a

winemaking, well it’s winemaking in the absence of oxygen, which can be harmful to wine, causing oxidation.

Again, using apples as an example: if you take a bite out of an apple and put the fruit down, after a few minutes that crisp, white flesh will start to go brown. That’s oxidation.

So to make wine without oxygen present it’s necessary to displace oxygen with an inert gas that’s heavier – like carbon dioxide.

If you’ve seen a theatre production, music video or horror flick where tendrils of wispy white smoke seem to flow around, you’ll know that dry ice has had a bit of water poured on it backstage to create that effect!

Nowadays it’s common practice for winery staff to also use chips or chunks of dry ice – carbon dioxide in solid form – to displace oxygen.

Some even add it to the bins of Sauvignon Blanc grapes in the vineyard to protect it from oxygen on its ride to the winery.

What was once somewhat ‘black magic’ 25 years ago has become commonplace. And the same thing is happening now with alternative methods of winemaking.

There have been lengthy debates about making wines as naturally as possible, taking a

minimally interventionist approach.

Ten years ago people making wine without tearing open a little packet of commercially produced yeast provoked the same sort of head scratching and tut-tutting response that reductive winemaking and malolactic fermentation did two or three decades ago. Using natural or wild yeasts or allowing fermentation to start on its own, spontaneously was seen as risky, edgy and downright nuts. But it has subsequently been enthusiastically adopted by larger producers. One month ago, Overhex announced the release of its Survivor Wild Yeast Shiraz – a red wine fermented spontaneously without the usual standard “packet inoculation”. (See the news pages in this issue.)

ABOVE: Maturing wine in oak imparts a gentle creamy, vanilla nuance to either white or red wine – but the amount of oak character depends on the age of the barrel.

WINEMAKING

|

WINE

Like something out of a Lara Croft movie or Tomb Raider video game, this avenue of amphora are moody and atmospheric but the clay also plays a role in the wine’s maturation.

The same sort of thing applied to fermenting white wines on the skins. Red wine only gets its deep colour because it’s made using the skins. Winery staff do either pump-overs or punchdowns during fermentation which allows the colour or pigmentation in the skins to infuse the juice and then wine. The juice itself would be clear without the constant submersion of the skins into the liquid. But doing this with

Using natural or wild yeasts or allowing fermentation to start on its own, spontaneously was seen as risky, edgy and downright nuts. white wine serves no purpose in changing colour. It’s about adding another element to the resultant white wine – and that is tannin.

Ever felt that slightly dry, grippy sensation in your mouth if you’ve bitten into an apple seed or a grape pip? That’s pip or seed tannin. Grapes also have tannins in the skins – and, of course, wine also picks up oak tannin from time spent maturing in barrel. But, other than oaking a white wine, there generally hasn’t been a call for tannin in white wine until now.

While on the topic of maturation there are all sorts of non-stainless steel alternatives in use nowadays too. Traditionally, many South African producers have used open concrete bins – or kuipe – such as those at Kanonkop which are responsible for their world-beating Paul Sauer red blend or Pinotage.

These kuipe are invariably kept hygienic by being lined either with fibreglass or an epoxy resin. In times gone by beeswax was used! In France, people started to replicate the concrete material by making a closed concrete tank. An extension of this was the concrete egg. Biodynamic wine producers believe in energy adding life and dynamism to wine – and the egg is the shape which gives rise to all life. Studies have shown that there are currents and movement of fluid within closed containers and the egg shape is particularly good for this dynamic process.

That led more naturally inclined winemakers to step even further back into history, to look at clay amphora such as the Greeks and Romans used. As with most things, it started with one producer who thought he’d give it a try ... it was successful and within a year or three the practice has become quite popular. Many is the South African winery which

have between 500 and 1000 litre clay amphora containing an experimental wine. Some, such as Stellenbosch organic producer Laibach even proclaim it on the label of their Claypot Merlot, for example, while Franschhoek’s Grande Provence heritage estate have a flagship white blend called Amphora.

While these “innovations” might initially seem extreme or edgy, so was maturing wine in small oak barrels once upon a time. Speaking to Johan Malan of Simonsig (for the piece on SA’s wine heritage), he mentioned that some of his colleagues thought his father, Frans Malan, was crazy for maturing Pinotage in 225 litre barrels. “Nowadays they look upon him as a pioneer who had the foresight to do something different,” Malan said. “He changed the game.”

Similarly, five to 10 years ago it would have been unthinkable for a large producer such as Overhex to even consider wild yeast fermentation – but they did. And there are hundreds more wineries in South Africa and elsewhere in the world adopting new – old – methods all in an attempt to produce better wine.

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W I N E | V I N TA G E

HERITAGE

HEROES

IT WAS 360 YEARS AGO THAT JAN VAN RIEBEECK WROTE IN HIS DIARY: “TODAY, PRAISE BE TO GOD, THE FIRST GRAPES WERE CRUSHED AT THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE,” MAKING SOUTH AFRICA THE ONLY COUNTRY TO KNOW PRECISELY WHEN ITS WINE INDUSTRY BEGAN. FIONA MCDONALD LOOKS AT THE COUNTRY’S WINE HERITAGE.

T

TOP: It’s said that the best fertiliser for a vineyard are the farmer or winemaker’s footsteps. High on the slopes of the Helderberg, Alto’s vineyards have only known five of them in nearly 100 years!

ake ancient Cape Dutch homesteads and manor houses stuffed with antiques – such as Vergelegen, and Boschendal. National monuments, both fabulously beautiful with manicured lawns, restaurants and rich visitor attractions, but Boschendal only bottled its first wine under its current label in 1975 and Vergelegen in 1991.

There are a host of brands and labels from co-operative wineries – like Chateau Libertas, now in its 86th year or production from what used to be part of Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery or Roodeberg, part of the KWV, which began in 1918.

Groot Constantia, of course, is the proverbial great-granddaddy of them all with its bottling records stretching waaaaay back to 1688 – but surprisingly there are very few South African producers which go back 50 years or more. Not Kanonkop, not Meerlust ...

24 w w w .t o p s a t s p a r. c o . z a

While many producers will reference when the land was granted in the late 1600s or early 1700s, there are a handful of locally recognisable labels which have a track record of bottling wine since 1969 or earlier. Other than the co-operatives, whose mandate was to produce wine in bulk and then sell it on to other producers such as Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery, which are they?

Alto has been around since 1921 – and in all that time has only had five winemakers: Manie Malan, Pieter du Toit and his Springbok rugby playing son Hempies, Schalk van der Westhuizen and Bertho, his son and the current cellar chief. Since 1919 the focus at this lofty vine farm on the Helderberg slopes between Somerset West and Stellenbosch has always been on red wines– and it still is. One of the country’s most dependable, quality offerings.

Backsberg was established in 1916 and while the current Platter guide states that its first bottling was in 1970 – one year shy of its half century this year – the 1990 guide states that wine first went into the bottle on the Paarl farm in 1948 when Sydney Back was the owner and winemaker. Here’s what Erica and John Platter wrote in that entry: “Unfailingly at the forefront of local innovation (which means being au courant with international trends), Backsberg has proved, in recent vintages, the advantages of French and Californian cellar techniques, the latter demonstrated in situ by the young New World oenologists Sydney Back recruited for a season. These have resulted in fuller, more complex wines.

“Sydney Back has been SA champion estate winemaker three times. Equally impressive is his vast mailing list; a testimony not only to Backsberg’s admirably wellpriced range but also to Sydney Back’s unswerving policy of giving his direct customers, rather than the trade, preferential treatment.”

“We have always believed,” he says, “in selling our wines by the proven method of word of mouth rather than through advertising.”

Bellingham, now owned by DGB, was established in 1693 and bottled its first wine in 1947. South Africans remember it most fondly for its catchy: “Where Douglas Green?” advert but it notched up a number of significant firsts over the years. The first Rosé for example – which Bernard Podlashuk released to the market in 1948. The style has fallen out of fashion, but around the same time he launched a wine which spawned a host of imitators – Premier Grand Cru. Then there was also the semi-sweet Bellingham Johannisberger which at one point sold a whopping 200 000 cases – or 240 000 bottles – a year!

Delheim now resides under the care of the second generation of Sperlings – with brother and sister team Victor and Nora having taken over the reins from ‘Papa’ Spatz Sperling. It was among the earliest of the South African Bordeauxstyle blends to make it to bottle in the form of the Grande Reserve. Its maiden vintage of that particular wine was 1981 but other wines had

TOP: Delheim’s Simonsberg slopes are prime vineyard terroir.

BOTTOM: Delheim’s patriarch, “Papa” Spatz Sperling, left an indelible mark on the Stellenbosch wine fraternity.

been in productions from 1954.

Cabernet Sauvignon forms the backbone of that renowned red blend – and was coincidentally the same grapes which caused the farm to hit the headlines in March 2003. In the dead of night some stealthy marauders stole two tons of their prime Cabernet Sauvignon in a brazen heist which has remained a mystery to this day!

2018 saw the Malan family of Simonsig in Stellenbosch celebrate its 50th anniversary of winemaking. Patriarch Frans Malan was fondly remembered for his innovation by sons Pieter, Johan and Francois. After all, South Africa owes its sparkling success with Methode Cap Classique (MCC) to his ground breaking Kaapse Vonkel bubbly, first produced in 1971. He also pioneered oak maturation of Pinotage in small barrels and was instrumental with Niel Joubert of Spier and Spatz Sperling of Delheim in establishing the Stellenbosch Wine Route – which led to all other areas following suit. That little spark also contributed to the development and enactment of wine of origin legislation in 1973.

Simonsig was something of a ‘wine university’ with a host of well-known winemakers learning their craft under Oom Frans – like Mike Dobrovic (ex-Mulderbosch), Jacques Borman (ex-La Motte), Martin Meinert (ex-Vergelegen), and Carl Schultz of Hartenberg.

Schultz has been in harness at Hartenberg Estate since the mid-90s, at an estate which has had continuous bottlings since the mid- to late 1960s. One family associated with the property which was bought by Ken McKenzie in 1986, is the Finlaysons. Matriarch Eleanor Finlayson was quite the character – and is why the estate’s MAR/APR 2019

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W I N E | V I N TA G E

flagship Chardonnay is named in her honour. The indomitable Mrs Finlayson was known to use her Peugeot sedan as a quasi-tractor, notably pulling a disc plough behind her car, a feat which is captured graphically on a large mural in the tasting room!

Were Niel Joubert alive today (he died in 1992) there is little chance he would recognise Spier. It offers everything from genuinely organic farm-totable dining to ‘blend your own wine’ tasting experiences to Segway wine tours, along with conferences, banqueting and hotel accommodation! It’s a massive operation producing a number of different ranges – from pocket friendly easy drinkers to organic, Creative Block and seriously acclaimed reserves. Cellar chief is Frans Smit while white wine maker Jacques Erasmus is a former Diners Club Winemaker of the Year which he won in 2014 for a stellar white blend.

Lanzerac used to be part of Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery and has been rediscovered of late because of some of the historic bottlings of Pinotage from the late 1950s and early 1960s which have set international (and local) wine critics’ hearts aflutter! It’s had a bit of a chequered history in the past two decades, having been owned by billionaire Christo Wiese of Pepkor who then sold it to Marcus Jooste of Steinhoff notoriety ...

Sheltered by the horseshoe-shaped Witzenberg mountains, Tulbagh has staked a claim in the South African winescape over the past two decades.

26 w w w .t o p s a t s p a r. c o . z a

TOP: A hundred green bottles hanging... in Spier’s popular tasting venue.

People who visit Muratie on the slopes of Stellenbosch’s Simonsberg mountain fondly remember this place because of its atmospherically cobwebbedecked winery! It’s been bottling continuously since the 1920s and the Melck family bought it in the late 1980s, taking production and quality up a notch.

There’s an ancient receipt for brandy sold to a midwife in 1692 which means Rustenberg has been around an awfully long time!

Its modern history involves the Barlow family which bought the showpiece property in 1941. Simon Barlow trained as a viticulturist and took over its running in 1987

– with his son Murray entering the fray in 2012. Simon is back in the vineyards and loving every minute of it while Murray is already making waves, having been pronounced the Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year in 2016 – and having been a finalist in the senior Winemaker of the Year in 2018!

The 1990 Platter Guide had the following entry on Rustenberg: “And its winemaking record is a match for the historic surroundings.

To date, it has not only bottled every vintage since about the turn of the century – unrivalled locally – but it has had only three cellar masters. And though present incumbent Etienne le Riche still

rates the ’73 cabernet made by his predecessor, Reg Nicholson, as the greatest yet produced on the estate, many would agree that he is being (characteristically) modest about his own contribution: the ’82 and ’84 are often described as the best of the Cape’s “first growths”.

In the intervening years since Le Riche’s departure there were another three winemakers: Kiwi Rod Easthope, Adi Badenhorst and Randolph Christians.

Sheltered by the horseshoeshaped Witzenberg mountains, Tulbagh has staked a claim in the South African winescape over the past two decades with the emergence of a number of wellknown labels. Predating them all is Theuniskraal which has been in the Jordaan family’s hands for decades – and making wine since 1927. Ironically, the wine most consumers associate with is Theuniskraal Riesling... which is not a Riesling at all, but rather the so-called Cape Riesling which is, in fact, Cruchen Blanc!

TOP: The gable on Rustenberg’s manor house might be dated 1814, but some of the glass panes on the windows have some early graffiti artists’ names etched in them, notably from the late 1700’s!

Twee Jonge Gezellen and Uitkyk are the final two to be mentioned in despatches. The former Tulbagh winery was established in 1710 and the late NC Krone build the country’s first ever underground cellar and was one of the world pioneers in the 1950s of cold fermentation which revolutionised white wine

making globally. His son Nicky was passionate about sparkling wine and specialised in a range of different bubblies – but also used to pick grapes for the popular (in the 80s and 90s TJ39 and TJ Night Nectar) at night, with harvesters armed with head torches! The brand now belongs to Vinimark and all wines appear under the Krone label.

It’s not yet known if Uitkyk will continue as a brand after it was acquired, along with Warwick wine estate by American investors, Eileses Capital, in 2018.

Nonetheless, Uitkyk with its unique (haunted!) Georgian homestead dating back more than 200 years, bottled wine from 1946. It used to belong to the Bouwer family until it was bought by the Bergkelder in the late 1980s – and was then acquired by Distell when it merged with Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery. Despite all the corporate trading, it had some fantastic wines – notably the red, all Cabernet, Carlonet.

LEFT: Authentic Portuguese grape varieties are used for Muratie’s port-style wine.

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BEER |

F L AV O U R E D

GI

E

IT SOM E V

FLAVOUR

BEER BEGINS WITH FOUR INGREDIENTS, BUT THE SCOPE FOR ADDING EXTRA ELEMENTS IS ALMOST ENDLESS. LUCY CORNE TAKES A LOOK AT SOME OF SOUTH AFRICA’S FLAVOURED BREWS.

28 w w w .t o p s a t s p a r. c o . z a

W

hen most people think of beer, they conjure up the same picture: a clear, golden pint topped with a centimetre or two of fluffy white foam. The flavours in this envisioned pint are subtle, muted, slightly bitter. The beer that people imagine is the pale lager. It is true that such beers account for something in the region of 90% of all beer sales globally, but beer can be so much more than this.

Beer can be found in a variety of hues and shades of amber, copper, mahogany and even pink.

It can be light and crisp and low in alcohol or rich and robust with notes of chocolate or fruit cake.

And it can, alongside the four core ingredients of malted barley, water, hops and yeast, feature all manner of additions and flavourings, from coffee and coconut to coriander, cucumber and almost any fruit you can think of.

AGE-OLD TRADITION Flavoured beers are gaining ground in South Africa and are often used as a way to win over an audience which had hitherto thought beer to be too bitter. Adding fruit or herbs to a beer is not a recent fad; the Belgians have been producing fruit ales for centuries – most notably their fruit Lambics.

These traditional, wildfermented brews are aged on a bed of cherries, raspberries, apricots or grapes, taking character both from the flavour of the fruit and from the natural yeast found on the skins. It’s time-honoured and lengthy tradition, but not one that every brewer has the resources or knowledge to replicate. Luckily, ageing your beer on freshly picked fruit is not the only way to get fruit flavours into the glass.

Liefmans, a Belgian brewery dating back to 1679, is known for its Kriek – a brown ale blended with beer that’s had cherries soaking in it for up to six months. Funky, tart and maddeningly complex, its appeal is somewhat niche, but its sister beverage, Fruitesse, is a real crowd pleaser. Just 3.8% alcohol by volume (ABV), perfectly pink, with a sweet finish of berries and candy, Liefmans Fruitesse is a perfect introduction to fruit-flavoured brews. As well as contact with ripe cherries, the beer is blended with a melange of juices, including strawberry, elderberry, raspberry and cherry. Fruitesse is available throughout South Africa and when served over ice it’s ideal as a spring

If there’s one thing that craft brewers are known for, it’s innovation. In the past year alone we’ve seen some of South Africa’s 200-or-so breweries release beers featuring dragon fruit, almondinfused coffee beans, melon, ocean water, chillies, hemp seed and all manner of fynbos plants.

Some experiments were so successful they’re set to be repeated as regular seasonal brews; others have been happily forgotten as one-off ‘whoopses’.

But all have their place in keeping beer as just about the most exciting and innovative alcoholic beverage in our fridges today. sipper and is deliciously refreshing on a hot day.

But we don’t have to rely on imported brews in order to get our fruity fix. In 2013, SAB released Flying Fish, a lager with fruit juice and flavourings. Originally available in orange and lemon variants, an apple version has since been added to the range alongside a low-kilojoule lemon option.

CRAFTING FULLFLAVOURED BREWS It’s not only large scale producers that have seen the benefit of adding flavoured beers to their line-ups. Cape Brewing Company, a craft brewery based in Paarl, started out adhering strictly to the Reinheitsgebot, the so-called purity law born in Bavaria in 1516.

Under the law, only barley, hops, water and yeast could be used in beers, but on seeing that large numbers of festival-goers in South Africa were shunning beers in favour of coolers or ciders, Cape Brewing Company decided to flout the medieval rule and add a flavoured brew to the range.

The base beer is CBC’s Krystal Weiss, a filtered weissbier that’s an already approachable and not-too-bitter brew. Added post-fermentation is raspberry flavouring which offers sweetness, flavour and a delightful pink hue.

A FLAVOURFUL SIX-PACK Seek out some of these flavoured beers, available year-round.

AMSTEL RADLER Heineken (3% ABV) Low in alcohol and with added lemon, orange, lime and acerola juice, Amstel’s Radler is a fairly sweet brew for a very hot day.

CASTLE MILK STOUT CHOCOLATE Anheuser-Busch InBev (4.5% ABV) The popular stout got a flavourful facelift a few years back, with the chocolate version gaining an instant following.

MR BROWNSTONE HAZELNUT BROWN ALE Woodstock Brewery (5.2% ABV) Hazelnut essence is added to this cocoa-coloured beer making for a rich but quaffable afterdinner sipper.

THE STRANDED COCONUT Drifter Brewing Company (4.5% ABV) This easy-drinking ale has just enough coconut character to have you believe you’re sipping on a Mozambican beach.

DURBAN POISON CANNABIS LAGER Poison City (4% ABV) Poison City’s easy-drinking hemp seed-infused offering is South Africa’s first foray into the growing global trend of cannabis beers.

MOERKOFFIE CONDENSED MILK STOUT Beer Country/Fraser’s Folly (5% ABV) With additions of coffee and lactose, it’s the perfect brew to drink around a campfire.

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TA S T I N G |

BEER

BREWS WITH A

DIFFERENCE THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE CARBONATED COOL DRINK COMES IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT EXPRESSIONS: DIET, ZERO, CHERRY, VANILLA ... EVEN RASPBERRY AND LIME! WHY SHOULD BEER BE ANY DIFFERENT? TASTING PANEL: LUCY C ORNE, HEC TOR MCBE TH, JONATHON MILE S, SHAYNE DOWLING, C LIFF ORD ROBER TS AND FI ONA MC DONA LD

T

he Reinheitsgebot decrees that “true” beer should be only hops, barley and water. It was adopted in 1487, before the world even knew about yeast and its importance in the brewing process.

But there are numerous different types of beer which can be produced using those three simple ingredients – and yeast. With Lucy Corne having written an article for this issue about flavoured beers, it seemed appropriate to taste a few locally available examples.

The ultimate take-out of the tasting was that everyone has a different opinion of these flavoured brews. Authenticity was key. A flavour promised on the label that was delivered in the beer – without tasting like it was an essence or was remotely “manufactured”.

The fruitiness which one person appreciated was too fruity for another, while the gentle smokiness of one was overpowering for someone else. Isn’t it that diversity of taste what makes a market for beers such as these? People dress differently, prefer a variety of diverse food styles, appreciate music from classical to hip-hop or trance ...

Variety is the spice of life and there truly is something for everyone. The world of beer is no different.

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FLYING FISH LEMON

There’s no mistaking the lemon! Distinctly citrussy and tangy with a vivacious lemon tang. Reminiscent of a beer shandy on the nose but refreshing in the mouth. Lucy said it reminded her of lemon sherbet sweeties from her childhood. “I happily drink a Flying Fish on a hot summer’s day,” Hector said. “Ice cold!”

Clifford agreed.

D E R U O FLAV BEER

THE DRIFTERS STRANDED COCONUT

Subtle Weetbix, mash and gentle roasted oats nose with a delicious creamy, toasted coconut flavour. Very drinkable, the panel agreed. “It’s like having a fresh coconut water when you’re in Thailand,” Hector said. Clifford agreed, saying it was an interesting mouthful that opened up a host of potential food pairings.

LIEFMANS FRUITESSE

No-one could mistake the cherry and berry association with this Belgian bottle! Bright raspberry aroma and flavours. Quite sweet but with a light spicy nuance. Also eminently refreshing and bright but needs to be served cold. Like the Liefmans Yell’oh, it doesn’t have a pronounced beer flavour.

Panel

Choice!

LIEFMANS KRIEK BRUT

LIEFMANS YELL’OH

This Belgian import had the panel hauling out a host of different flavour associations – from passionfruit and pineapple to yellow Sugus sweets wrapped in wax paper ... Tangy, bright and refreshing, it has elements of elderflower, apple and lemon, the label states. Least “beery” of the brews.

The unanimous favourite because it nimbly walked the line of tasting like beer as well as respecting the fruit that it was brewed with: cherries.

Lucy appreciated its beery bitterness while Fiona liked the gentle undertone of sour cherries. “I’d marinade a side of pork ribs in this!” said Jonathon. Rich, complex and smooth.

Hector liked its soy sauce meatiness.

CHERRY CHOUFFE

“Black Forest gateaux in a glass,” was how one taster described this Belgian import.

And with good reason: it’s unmistakably maraschino cherry on both the nose and in the mouth. The flavour sings of cherry – but it was too bold for some who found it overwhelming.

If you like cherries, raspberry cool drink or cherry chocolates, this is the one to go for.

CASTLE MILK STOUT CHOCOLATE

Appealing bold cocoa powder and chocolate nose. “Really jumps out at you,” Jonathon said. It’s lighter and crisper than one might expect of a stout which is traditionally seen as a creamy, rich winter drink. This was initially going to be a seasonal release but the market loved it so much it’s become a fixture!

MOERKOFFIE CONDENSED MILK STOUT

It would be positively unpatriotic not to like this brew! If you’ve ever had moerkoffie made over a campfire, you’ll relate to this. Big smoky, ash and bonfire notes on the nose with a light mocha tone on the palate along with a tasty sour, typically beery bitterness at the end.

D E R U O FLAV BEER MAR/APR 2019

31

PERFECT

Minty

SERVE

THE MOJITO A IS DRINK BARTENDERS LOVE TO HATE. IT’S BORING TO MAKE AND YET PATRONS LOVE THEM ...

MIXOLOGISTS WOULD FAR RATHER BE CHALLENGED BY A MORE COMPLEX, MULTI-INGREDIENT DRINK. BUT THERE’S A GOOD REASON THAT THE MINT AND LIME COMBO IS ENJOYED WORLDWIDE, WHATEVER THE SEASON.

C

uba is the country of Fidel Castro and his revolution, of hand-rolled cigars, rich rum, warm, sultry nights with seductive music and 50’s cars. It’s also the home of the mojito cocktail. The old-fashioned saying of “what grows together, goes together” and in Cuba there is plenty of sugarcane for both the rum and the sweet sugar crystals. When they are combined and balanced by squeezed lime juice, the vibrant freshness of crushed mint leaves and then topped off with sparkling or soda water, it’s a match made in an island paradise.

Famous author Ernest Hemingway is alleged to have written: “My mojito in La Bodeguita, My daiquiri in El Floridita.” Turns out it’s an elaborate prank and the myth has been convincingly

32 w w w .t o p s a t s p a r. c o . z a

magic

debunked in Phillip Greene’s book, To Have and Have Another – a Hemingway Cocktail Companion.

Greene details the owners of La Bodeguita admitting they got a graphic artist to write the fake quote out, copying Hemingway’s handwriting. Thousands of tourists STILL flock to the bar to down the iconic drink every day!

“Hemingway tended to write about what, and where he drank.

Harry’s Bar in Venice? You’ll find it in his novel Across the River and into the Trees. The daiquiri and the Floridita are in countless letters, as well as in his novel Islands in the Stream. The gin & tonic at Museo Chicote in Madrid? See ‘The Denunciation,’ one of his short stories from the Spanish Civil War,” Greene wrote. Never a mention of La Bodeguita or the mojito – in any of his books or letters.

“But Hemingway did enjoy a drink like the mojito while out on his beloved boat, Pilar. Gregorio’s Rx was created by his skipper, Gregorio Fuentes, which he made for Hemingway when he was under the weather,” Greene wrote.

“Many believe that Fuentes and another Hemingway skipper, Carlos Gutierrez, both served as the basis for the character of the old fisherman Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea.” The Gregorio’s Rx contained

blonde rum, honey syrup (honey mixed with water in a 1:1 ratio), fresh lime juice and four mint leaves.

When shaken together and then strained into a glass over crushed ice, with sparkling water added – that’s pretty much a mojito!

Jason O’Bryan is a San Diego mixologist who took it upon himself to figure out the perfect mojito.

“So I did experiments. A lot of them. And after at least 30 iterations spread over two weeks, I dialled in what I believe to be the best mojito recipe in the world, and in the process became tediously familiar with every ingredient, and all their variations.”

The former journalist tried the cocktail with light rum, dark rum, spiced rum, aged rum – and eventually settled on a specific Nicaraguan four-year-old silver (light) rum.

The two most crucial elements of the drink are the limes and the mint. Fresh lime juice – even though some cocktail geeks determined – scientifically! – that the “enzymatic bittering of juiced limes somehow mitigates a little of the lime’s sourness and that limes juiced four hours ago are better than fresh squeezed limes”.

Mint was the biggest revelation. Bartenders and mixologists believe that they should not over muddle the

“To my great surprise, the one I practically jackhammered, where I was expecting bitterness, instead presented a full, delicious mint flavour.”

mint as it goes bitter. (Press the mint leaves too hard and the chlorophyll leaks out, ruining the drink, so they say.) “One, I over muddled the mint; the other, gentle pressing. The gently pressed mint barely registered, and to my great surprise, the one I practically jackhammered, where I was expecting bitterness, instead presented a full, delicious mint flavour,” he wrote on his blog, www.drinksanddrinking.com.

“Then I shook the mint with ice, and the mint flavour is so much more pervasive and intense, buttressing every point of the palate.” He tried 20 mint leaves – with predictable results. Too much.

Six to 10 is the perfect ratio.

And the sweetness which is necessary to balance those flavours is equally important.

“There’s something perfectly soft and subtle about those molasses flavours when they come from cane syrup, or a demerara/ muscovado syrup. They are processed much less than white sugar, and add a rustic layer of personality.”

Ice and sparkling or soda water are fairly standard but crucial to the enjoyment of the minty, refreshing mojito.

MOJITO

45 mls white rum 6 – 10 leaves of mint Soda or sparkling water 30 mls fresh lime juice 2 teaspoons sugar (brown, muscovado or Demerara preferably) 1 Muddle the mint sprigs with sugar and lime juice.

2 Fill the glass with crushed ice.

3 Add the rum and top off with soda or sparkling water.

4 Garnish with a final sprig of mint.

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HOT BITES LOLLIPOPS FOR ADULTS Popsicles are cool – in so many ways.

Cool because they’re made of ice and help keep folks chilled on steamy hot days but particularly cool for adults because they come in alcoholic and nonalcoholic frozen form.

Frost popsicles pioneered the boozy lollies – and South African consumers love their range of frozen G&T (both straight and berry infused), passionfruit and peach margarita and blood orange screwdriver cocktails! What’s not to love?

The range has been expanded to include three new flavour variants – all non-alcoholic and just as delicious.

The new range of ‘virgin’ popsicles taps into fast-growing demand from the market. The new flavours are pomegranate, grapefruit & hibiscus; peach, strawberry & banana which are both 100% natural fruit juice blends – and then the indulgent vanilla coffee popsicle which blends full cream milk powder, Madagascan vanilla extract and gourmet coffee to superb effect.

The entire Frost popsicles range is made using all-natural ingredients only, is low in calories and contains no artificial flavourants, colourants or sweeteners.

And with the exception of the vanilla coffee popsicle, all are dairy-free and vegan-friendly.

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FEVERISH ABOUT TONIC ... AND GIN Marketers are always paying attention to consumers and what they do. People are turning away from drinking spirits neat or on ice.

With the big swing in lifestyles being towards health and wellbeing, neat spirits are incompatible.

This is according to the chief executive of Fever-Tree, Tim Warrilow.

“There’s a huge shift towards simple drinks with high-quality components,” he said.

“Premium Gin has grown extraordinarily here in South Africa with the emergence of an abundance of craft and local gin brands, and we’re already seeing some great opportunities for co-promotional activities. Last year we partnered with a number of brands on collaborative experiences and we’ve already listed in key retailers. We’re very excited about the opportunity across the whole region.”

Fever-Tree drove margin back into the forgotten mixer category, enabling bars and restaurants to deliver great mixed drinks simply, quickly and consistently by just using a premium spirit, high-quality mixer and a garnish. And where consumers historically shied away from creating complicated cocktails, these great tasting, long mixed drinks can now be effortlessly recreated at home, so

THE PERFECT G&T Fill a glass with ice.

Add 1 – 2 tots Tanqueray London Dry Gin (to taste).

Top up with Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic Water.

Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Fever-Tree has helped to make spirits more accessible to a new generation of drinkers.

Fever-Tree entered the market with one simple premise: If three quarters of your drink is the mixer, use the best.

“It was all about putting quality back into the mixer category, nowhere more so than the ingredients themselves, and this resulted in a very different approach to product development,” Warrillow explained.

“We went back into the history books to find the most authentic and highest quality ingredients we could and then went out into the field to track them down. We travelled the globe meeting and spending time with specialist producers and experts to create our products, from the Democratic Republic of Congo where we source our quinine to the Ivory Coast for fresh green ginger.”

Fever-Tree’s aromatic tonic water is made with angostura bark and aromatic botanicals such as cardamom, pimento berry and ginger; pairing perfectly with juniper rich gins.

Pour with Tanqueray London Dry Gin.

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BRAAI WITH A FRUITY TWIST With Ultimate Braaimaster, Siba Mtongana and other local and international chefs making cooking over fire trendy, it’s no longer just enough to ensure you don’t overcook the steak, chops and wors when braaing. It’s important to come up with something different to serve guests – even if they are family or good mates.

One suggestion from Rhodes Fruit is to look to nature and add a fruity twist while also keeping it simple and hassle free. Expresso’s Zola Nene and popular comedian George Mnguni shared these two recipes with CHEERS.

5 ACRE LAND CLAIM

ZOLA NENE’S GRILLED PINEAPPLE, TOMATO AND CORN SALAD:

GEORGE MNGUNI’S MANGO MARINADE CHICKEN BRAAI RECIPE:

Land claims have been in the headlines of late – but Irish whiskey brand Tullamore D.E.W. have a solution in the form of the 5 Acres cocktail.

Irish whiskey is the fastest growing category of whisk(e)y in the world and Tullamore have a truly unique selling point, being a blend of all three types of Irish whiskeys; pot still, malt and grain.

Tullamore’s distillery, established in 1829 and named for the small market town in which it was located in the Irish midlands, produces pure pot still whiskey using a triple distillation process which the Irish are renowned for. During Daniel E Williams’ times, the 11 warehouses alone covered nearly five acres and contained gallons of whiskey – it was truly a massive, and certainly thrilling, distilling operation. Known the world over for its smooth and gentle complexity, Tullamore D.E.W., the original triple distilled, triple blend Irish whiskey came up with this landmark drink: the 5 Acres cocktail.

1 tin Rhodes Quality pineapple rings, drained 4 spring onions, chopped 200g assorted cherry tomatoes, halved 1 tin Rhodes Quality whole kernel corn ½ cucumber, deseeded and diced 15g fresh coriander, chopped ½ lime, juiced ¼ cup olive oil ½ red chilli, finely chopped Salt and pepper 1 Heat a griddle pan, then add the pineapple rings and char grill on both sides.

2 Remove from the heat, then chop roughly before combining with the rest of the ingredients.

3 Toss well and serve immediately.

2 cups mango - diced 1 cup onion - chopped 1 Tbsp ginger - grated 1 Tbsp garlic - chopped 2 Tbsp cider vinegar 1 chilli - deseeded and chopped ½ cup Rhodes Quality 100% Mango juice 1 Whiz the ingredients and one cup of the diced mango in a food processor and then combine with the other unprocessed cup of diced mango.

2 Pour over chicken and marinade for 2 hours before braaing.

5 ACRES 30ml Tullamore D.E.W. 30ml dry vermouth 30ml ruby Port 2 dash aromatic bitters 2 dash chocolate bitters Garnish: Orange twist and cherry Add all ingredients into a chilled stirring glass. Add ice and stir until liquid and ice meet. Pour contents into a cocktail glass. Zest with orange and garnish with a cherry and orange twist.

36 w w w .t o p s a t s p a r. c o . z a

It’s no longer just enough to ensure you don’t overcook the steak, chops and wors.

GIVING CHENIN WINGS Chicken is South Africa’s favourite protein – and Spier wine farm in Stellenbosch has its own free-ranging birds which are moved around their organic pastures.

So it’s logical that Spier would find the perfect snack to suit its award-winning Chenin Blanc.

Sticky chicken wings are one way of keeping friends or family happy when visiting. A platter of glazed wings with a blue cheese dip on the side ensures sticky happy smiley faces and licked fingers galore! Spier’s tip is that the only way to get the chicken wings really glossy and sticky is to re-glaze them a few times while cooking. Three to four times is their recommendation for maximum enjoyment – and serving them hot or at room temperature with the zippy Southern-style blue cheese dip and a glass of Spier Signature Chenin Blanc. It is both crisp and fruity with green guava, pear, apple and hints of litchi on the nose.

STICKY HOT WINGS WITH BLUE CHEESE DIP

(serves 4) Hot sticky marinade: 60ml tomato sauce 180ml smoky BBQ sauce 15-30ml Sriracha sauce (or hot chilli sauce) 15ml Worcestershire sauce 30ml dark brown sugar (muscovado or demerara) 5ml smoked paprika 2,5ml salt About 16 chicken wings.

For the dip: 100g blue cheese, crumbled 250ml thick sour cream or crème fraiche 60ml mayonnaise 15-30 ml milk 10ml lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar) Salt and pepper to taste

1 Marinade: In a medium size mixing bowl, add all the ingredients (except the chicken) and mix together. Pour over the chicken wings in a sealable container and marinate for 30 to 60 minutes (or longer – overnight).

2 Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a roasting tray with foil, then arrange the marinated wings in a single layer.

Roast for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a pastry brush to baste with more marinade.

Return to the oven, and keep on basting every 10 minutes until the wings are very tender and the edges are dark, glossy and sticky. Remove from the oven and serve hot or at room temperature.

3 Dip: Make the dip while the chicken is roasting. Mix all the ingredients in a food processor and until smooth and thick (thin it with a little milk if it’s too thick). Keep any leftovers refrigerated in a covered glass jar.

SIMPLY, PINKLY CLASSIC Gin is hot right now – and South Africans are lapping up local versions which make the most of the country’s wonderful biodiversity by using the bountiful fynbos for the botanical infusions.

But how about making a simple, classic cocktail – and utilising a cocktail staple: Angostura Bitters? It’s probably one of the easiest cocktails to make. Called an Original Pink Gin, it’s perfect for the last of the summer days and also fits right in to the autumnal ‘winter is coming’ vibe.

Two ingredients – that’s all you need. Gin ... and bitters. No mess, no fuss.

Although there aren’t many variations on the classic you could add your favourite mixer or try your hand at experimenting if you’re feeling a little more creative. The great-grandson of Charles Dickens, Cedric Charles Dickens, had his own method for a Pink Gin. His version, called a ‘Burnt Pink Gin’, consisted of one teaspoon Angostura aromatic bitters burnt by heating over a flame, poured into a large tot of dry gin.

There’s nothing stopping you from creating your own classic.

ANGOSTURA’S ‘ORIGINAL’ PINK GIN 60ml gin 2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters Ice In a mixing glass filled with ice stir together gin and bitters, then strain into a serving glass over ice and get ready to indulge in a classic.

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B O O K G I V E AWAY |

BEER FOOD FIRE

books for

BOYS ALL SOUTH AFRICANS LOVE FOOD OFF THE FIRE. THERE ARE LOTS OF BRAAI BOOKS OUT THERE – BUT NONE WHICH SERIOUSLY RECOMMENDED THE PERFECT BEER ACCOMPANIMENT. BROTHERS-IN-LAW GREG GILOWEY AND KARL TESSENDORF HAVE JUST RAISED THE BAR FOR EVERY RED-BLOODED BRAAIER IN MZANSI!

T

he stats don’t lie: 45 000 words, 150 full colour photographs of droolicious seared braai food and a whopping 224 pages filled with 80 recipes.

There is no way that industrial designer Greg Gilowey and his brother-in-law Karl Tessendorf ever would have imagined that they would spend days beside a bed of glowing coals, beer in hand, rather than a desk and computer, especially since Tessendorf was writing advertisements for insurance companies until 2014.

He traded in his pen for braai tongs and the duo collaborated on South Africa’s first television programme devoted to beer, food and fire – Beer Country, screened locally and in Asia. The advice to “love what you do – and you’ll never work a day in your life!” holds true for these guys. They have not only travelled the country meeting craft beer producers and having some epic cookouts, but they have developed a range of spices perfect for al fresco fireside sizzles called Karoo Dust braai spice – as well as the rather unusual (but super tasty!) Moerkoffie Condensed Milk Stout, an award-winning collaboration beer.

This book is not just another collection of recipes with marinades, sides and sauces. It’s genuinely packed with useful information. Take wood, for example. Not only do they analyse and explain the difference between kameeldoring, rooikrans and blue gum, comparing them in terms of beer as the “Imperial stout of firewood,” for the former, and Pale and Amber Ale for the last two – but they go into the merits of the

40 w w w .t o p s a t s p a r. c o . z a

wood for the type of cooking required, along with hardwood charcoal versus compressed briquettes and other common fire fuel sources.

In their words: “Do you know your rooikrans from your wingerdstok and your wattle from your kameeldoring? Or are you the guy who arrives with a condensation-soaked bag of garage wood and smokes out the party? The key to any successful braai starts with the right wood type. Here are our 3 Ds to consider when purchasing wood.

“Dryness: Remember the guy who smoked out the party? Don’t be him. If you see any condensation in the bag, just walk on by. It’s only going to cause you headaches and a whole box of firelighters to get it going.

“Density: Wood’s density varies. Some burn fast and hot while others burn low and slow. If you’re cooking steak then you’ll want hot and fast. If it’s potjies then you’ll need a slow burn.

Get to know your wood types and pair your dish and density.

“Dimensions: Always look for bags with evenly sized pieces of wood. This ensures your fire burns evenly and your bed of coals is ready to go when the pieces burn down. A big ol’ chunk of wood in the mix will just throw things off and you’ll end up with a smouldering stump while you’re trying to braai.”

Tell me that’s not practical info which every wannabe Braaimaster won’t appreciate?! And while on the subject of Braaimaster ... the foreword is written by Justin Bonello.

A rack of pork ribs fresh off the braai – but looking as good as any restaurant-worthy dish!

And blessed as it is with Korean spicing, it packs a flavour punch.

FIERY KOREAN BARBECUE PORK RIBS

Gochujang may be difficult to say but it’s delicious to eat. It’s a Korean fermented red chilli paste that can be used to add kick to any dish. Here we’ve used it to make fiery Korean barbecue ribs that’ll keep your mates guessing about what makes them so damn delicious. To this day these are still some of Greg’s favourite ribs.

Feeds: 4 • Prep: 15 minutes • Cook: 1½ hours THE RIBS:

2 racks of pork spareribs Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper THE MARINADE:

½ cup gochujang (fermented red chilli paste) 3 Tbsp soy sauce 2 Tbsp brown sugar 2 Tbsp honey 2 Tbsp rice vinegar 2 tsp sesame oil 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 small knob of fresh ginger, finely chopped 1 Packham pear, finely grated Juice of 1 lime TO SERVE:

Sesame seeds Spring onion (green part only), chopped Lime cheeks 1 Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a small pot over medium heat until thoroughly combined and smooth, then remove from the heat.

2 In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds while shaking them around to prevent burning and set aside for later.

3 Season the ribs with salt and pepper, then use half the marinade and give the ribs a good basting.

Wrap the ribs in foil and put them in the oven on a baking tray to cook for 1 hour. While the ribs are cooking, light a fire so it’s ready to go when the ribs come out of the oven.

4 After 1 hour, take the ribs out of the oven and check for tenderness. The ribs should be fork tender but not falling off the bone. If the ribs are still a little tough, give them another 20 minutes in the oven until fork tender. Braai over medium heat coals while turning often and basting with every turn. This will give you a good build-up of caramelised sauce on the ribs. After about 10 minutes, the ribs should be crispy and caramelised. Rest the ribs, covered in foil, for 10 minutes. Garnish with spring onion and toasted sesame seeds, then serve with lime cheeks and smash it!

5 Beer Pairing: Red IPA — this rich, sweet and smoky umami bomb needs a hefty amber malt backbone to embrace the layers of caramelisation, and enough hop bitterness to cut the sweet-chilli bite.

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B O O K G I V E AWAY |

BEER FOOD FIRE

SMOKY BEER-BATTERED CHILLI POPPERS

Chilli poppers have been a full-blown addiction for a while now. Even a bad popper is better than no popper. We’ve played around with many versions and, as far as a fried popper goes, this is one of our favourites. Just a side note: deep-frying can be done on the fire, but it can also be very dangerous. If you don’t have to, then don’t.

Feeds: 4 • Prep: 45 minutes • Cook: 15 minutes

THE CHILLIES AND FILLING:

1 small tub cream cheese 1 heaped Tbsp smoked paprika 1 Tbsp capers, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped A squeeze of lemon Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 12 large pickled jalapeños

THE BATTER:

½ cup cake flour ½ cup cornflour 2 tsp baking powder 1 Tbsp honey 1 cup lager Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR FRYING:

Large flat-bottom potjie or Dutch oven Enough canola oil for deep-frying (just under half your pot) Digital meat thermometer A bowl of flour for dredging

Golden brown and crisp, the stuffed chilli popper comes with a warning: as a fried snack, it’s best to do it in a pot on the stove or on a gas ring rather than on the braai.

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1 To make the filling, place the cream cheese, smoked paprika, capers, garlic and lemon juice into a mixing bowl and stir well to combine.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2 Carefully slit the chillies on one side from the stem to the tip. Grab the chilli with your thumb and index finger and gently press to pop open the pocket that you’ve cut. Scrape out the seeds and then spoon in a good amount of cream cheese filling, but don’t over fill it. Press the chilli together to seal and wipe away any excess filling that pops out. Repeat until all the chillies are stuffed.

3 To make the batter, mix the flour, cornflour and baking powder in a large bowl and then whisk in the honey and beer until you have a thick, pancake-like batter. Season to taste.

4 Heat the oil until it reaches 180 °C. Dredge the chillies in the flour then dunk into the batter. Shake off any excess batter and carefully drop the chillies into the oil. Deep-fry until golden brown, then remove and drain on a sheet of kitchen towel. Serve while the The exotic Middle poppers are still hot.

Eastern flavours of 5 Beer Pairing: Bock — sweet malt and cumin, coriander spicy hop flavours meet deep-fried crunch, and harissa elevate pickled heat and a smoky interior this in this lamb dish heavyweight pairing. The Bock will both from mundane intensify and soothe the burn at theto same sublime. time. It’s beer magic.

If Italians made burgers, this is what they’d make – a ridiculously tasty, marrowfilled patty topped with pesto, mozzarella and tomato.

ROASTED BONE MARROW CAPRESE BURGERS

Much like bacon, bone marrow is one of those magical ingredients. Its pure meat butter flavour will turn a regular burger into something special. In this case it’s a Caprese burger, which is technically healthy because it’s a salad, right?

Feeds: 4 • Prep: 1½ hours • Cook: 10 minutes THE BONE MARROW:

4 short marrow bones Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper A glug of oil for drizzling THE MAYO:

½ cup good quality mayonnaise 2–3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (depending how sharp you want the mayo) THE PATTIES AND TOPPINGS:

800 g good quality, fatty beef mince, cold Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper A glug of oil for drizzling 8 thick slices mozzarella 4 sesame seed rolls, buttered A handful of rocket leaves 8 slices tomato Basil pesto

1 Season the marrow bones with salt and pepper then drizzle with oil. Braai for about 5 minutes a side, or until the centres are soft and loose. Alternatively, roast them in the oven at 200 °C for 20 minutes. Use the back of a spoon or a steak knife to pop the marrow out the bones. Roughly chop it and let it cool completely.

2 In the meantime, whisk the mayonnaise and balsamic together, then place it in the fridge until you need it.

3 Combine the cooled marrow with the mince and divide into four equal size balls. Work the balls in your hands to form four patties. Place the patties onto a tray greased with oil and pop them into the fridge for at least 1 hour.

4 Season the patties with salt and pepper then drizzle with oil. Braai over hot coals for 3–4 minutes a side or until they are cooked to your liking — we like a medium patty with a pink interior.

Top the warm burgers with mozzarella.

Rest the patties off the heat for a couple of minutes while you toast the rolls over the fire. Just before you assemble the burgers you can use your oven grill to melt the cheese.

5 To build your burger, start by spreading the base roll with balsamic mayo then add rocket leaves, the burger patty topped with cheese, tomato, pesto and finally the top of the roll. Congrats! You’ve made a ridiculously tasty roasted bone marrow Caprese burger. Now go forth, smash it and wash it down with a cold brew.

6 Beer Pairing: Belgian IPA — a sweeter, complex malt backbone is perfect with the intensely rich and meaty burger, while the spicy, earthy hops love the herbaceous pesto kick.

WIN A COPY OF BEER FOOD FIRE See T&C’s on pg 04 To qualify, send an e-mail or a postcard 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 lucky draw.

ADDRESS: cheers@cheersmag.co.za or Cheers, PO Box 259, Rondebosch 7701.

ENTRY DEADLINE: 15TH APRIL LIKE us on www.facebook.com/ CheersMag to double your chance of winning.

MAR/APR 2019

43

TUISNYWERHEID |

IRISH STEW

BOBAASBREDIE

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Emile Joubert is a PR practitioner by profession, but a food and wine enthusiast by desire.

Check out his blog: www.winegoggle.co.za

MENSE MAG DINK DAT IERLAND NIE ’N KOSKULTUUR SONDER AARTAPPELS HET NIE – MAAR KOS- EN WYNSKRYWER EMILE JOUBERT VERSKIL.

A

angesien daar elders in hierdie blad oor Ierse whiskey geskryf word, herinner ek myself oor ’n stywe dop dat my bloed ook groen loop.

Danksy ’n oupa uit Ierland. Daarom kook ek nou ’n Ierse bredie, vir my die bredie der bredies. Die heel beste voorbeeld van hoe die eenvoudigste bestanddele – en basies net drie daarvan – in ’n pot of bak kan saamsmelt om ’n nuwe eenheid te skep.

Trooskos op sy beste. Kos vir die skraal tye van die maand. En altyd lekker. ’n Regte, egte Ierse bredie, beter bekend tog as Irish stew, is die eenvoud vanself. So eenvoudig dat ’n mens resepte daarvoor minder raakloop as vir enige ander bredie.

Tensy dit kom van ’n sjef wat dié aardsheid wil verhef tot iets in die lyn van fusion confusion, wat dan die siel daaruit haal.

Vleis, aartappels en uie. Dis al. ’n Ouer geslag Iere sal ook te vertel hê dat aartappels vooraan moet staan. Die vleisie (in die ou dae bok) is maar net bygevoeg om geur en krag aan die land se stapelvoedsel te gee.

Eers later kon vleis ’n belangriker rol speel en huisvroue wat dié bredie wou opkikker, het dit met wortels gedoen.

Dus: wortels word verduur in Ierse bredie, maar nie deur puriste nie. Moet dit nie waag om enige ander groentes by ’n egte Ierse bredie te voeg nie, dan gee jy dit liewer ’n ander naam.

Die vleis en uie hiervoor word ook nie vooraf gebraai nie (regte vaalvleis-bredie) en die gaarmaakproses is lank en stadig.

Tiemie is die enigste krui wat daarby hoort.

Die lamsvleis is van die goedkoper snitte, tradisioneel die dikribstuk wat net onder die nek sit. In dun tjoppies opgesny, of van die been gehaal en in blokkies gekap.

EN SO MAAK HULLE:

1,5 kg lam- of skaapvleis, wat ses lekker porsies sal gee 6 groot aartappels of 8 medium, geskil en in skywe gesny Maak ook so met 4 groot uie Sout en gemaalde swartpeper na smaak ’n Knypie tiemie Water Pak helfte van die aartappels op die boom van die kastrol of oondbak en dan die helfte van die uie bo-op. Al die vleis word nou bo-op gepak.

Sout en peper en tiemie kom by en dan die res van die uie en die ander aartappel bo-oor. Gee maar weer ’n bietjie sout en peper.

Giet water oor net tot dit mooi gelyk staan met die bestanddele. So vier of vyf koppies.

Nou kan jy kies. Bring alles tot kookpunt op die stoof en laat dit dan baie stadig prut vir minstens ’n ander-halfuur. Loer so nou en dan om seker te maak die vloeistof het nie opgedroog nie en vul dan aan.

Of bring tot kookpunt en plaas dan in die oond teen 160º C tot die bredie weer kook. Stel dan die oond laer en laat die bak se inhoud prut tot sag. Loer maar weer vir vloeistof, maar as die oond stadig genoeg is, sal geen ekstra water nodig wees nie.

Wat kry jy? OK, nie veel kleur nie, maar ’n sagte, romerige mengsel van vleis, uie wat hul suiker vrygelaat het en aartappels wat al die geure opgeslurp het. Van sous dik maak hoef daar nie sprake te wees nie. Die aartappels smelt so bietjies-bietjies om ’n eie sousie te gee. Bedien op rys of – as jy regtig Iers wil speel – tuisgebakte brood.

As jy dan voel hierdie weergawe is eens te eenvoudig vir jou smaak, voeg wortelringetjies by, enige ander kleurigheid wat jou pas, giet aftreksel, wyn of self Guinness by en ook ander geure. Maar noem dit dan net nie Irish Stew nie.

Hoe ook al, die Luck of the Irish is met jou en die oë gaan beslis glimlag..

MAR/ARP 2019

45

B LO G S P O T |

T E R E S A U LYA T E

rich & spicy

‘This was the only truly sad time in Paris because it was unnatural. You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintry light.’

– Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast 46 w w w .t o p s a t s p a r. c o . z a

Teresa Ulyate is a multi-tasking working mom who juggles a job, children and a blog cupcakesandcouscous.com

COLE PORTER MAY HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT LOVING PARIS IN THE SPRINGTIME, BUT THERE’S ALSO SOMETHING MAGICAL ABOUT THE GENTLE CHANGE OF SEASON WHICH PRECEDES WINTER.

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utumn is probably my favourite season of the year. Not only do the days shorten slightly with a much welcomed cooling off from the long, hot hours of sunshine and searing summer heat but there is an abundance of colour too.

The red, russet and orange hues of the foliage herald the arrival of a completely different range of fruit and vegetables which in turn stimulate the mind and appetite too.

As the days get a little shorter and colder they provide the perfect excuse to indulge in some delicious comfort food.

For this issue I have put together some sweet treats that are perfect for this transitional period.

If you are in the mood for some tasty nibbles without too much guilt then these hot cross bun bliss balls are just the thing. They are a cinch to put together being really easy and simple to make and have a wonderfully fruity, spicy flavour – not unlike the very Easter buns that inspired them! I like to make a batch over the weekend to keep and enjoy on busy weekdays …

Snacking never tasted so good.

Alternatively you can go for gold and proceed directly to the fully loaded chocolate whiskey pudding for a delightful, decadent dessert.

Dig in while the pudding is still warm from the oven and discover the rich, dark sauce lurking underneath.

No-one I’ve served it to has ever refused a portion ... It’s a dessert lover’s dream and I urge you to treat yourself and give it a try soon.

SELF SAUCING CHOCOLATE WHISKEY PUDDING Serves 6 FOR THE CHOCOLATE PUDDING:

1 cup flour 1½ tsp baking powder Pinch of salt 50ml cocoa 200ml light brown sugar ¼ cup ground almonds 50g butter 1 large egg 150ml milk 3 Tbsp whiskey 1 tsp vanilla extract 100g dark chocolate chips FOR THE SAUCE:

1 cup treacle sugar 50ml cocoa powder 200ml boiling water 2 Tbsp whiskey

1 Preheat your oven to 170ºC. Grease a 22cm square ovenproof dish.

2 Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa into a mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and ground almonds.

3 Melt the butter. Add it to the dry ingredients along with the egg, milk, whiskey and vanilla extract. Stir until just combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

4 Pour the batter into the oven dish. Make the sauce by placing the treacle sugar and cocoa in a jug. Add the boiling water and whiskey and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Gently pour the runny sauce over the back of a spoon into the dish so that it sits on top of the batter.

5 Bake for 45-50 minutes until the pudding is cooked through.

Serve warm from the oven with ice cream or cream.

Resistance is futile... chocolate sponge and decadently tasty whiskey-laced sauce is a dessert which screams second helpings.

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B LO G S P O T |

T E R E S A U LYA T E

Really easy and simple to make with a wonderfully fruity, spicy flavour – not unlike the very Easter buns that inspired them!

HOT CROSS BUN BLISS BALLS Serves 18 120g dates, chopped ¼ cup sultanas 2 Tbsp mixed peel ½ cup raw almonds ½ cup raw pecans 2 tsp mixed spice 1 tsp cinnamon 1½ tsp vanilla extract 40g dark chocolate for drizzling (optional) 1 Pop the dates, sultanas and mixed peel into a food processor.

Blitz for a few seconds.

2 Add the almonds and pecans.

Blitz again until combined and the nuts are finely chopped.

3 Add the mixed spice, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Blitz the mixture again until everything is evenly combined and the mixture is sticky and starts clumping together.

4 Roll the mixture into small balls and arrange these on a plate or small baking sheet. Refrigerate the bliss balls until set.

5 Optional step: Chop the dark chocolate and melt. Use a spoon or a small piping bag to drizzle the chocolate over the bliss balls.

Leave to chill and harden. Store the bliss balls in an airtight container in the fridge.

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MAR/ARP 2019

49

HOT NEWS EGG-SACTLY WHAT’S NEEDED

Kids these days are whip smart but are also happy to play along with the Easter Bunny myth – so long as it guarantees them a chocolate fix.

Grande Provence heritage wine estate in Franschhoek is offering adults and children alike the opportunity for a fun family outing on Easter Sunday, 21 April.

On the cards is a family picnic, complete with an Easter egg hunt for the younger participants. Parents can rest easy and enjoy the beautiful surrounds, art and sculptures with a glass of Grande Provence wine, safe in the knowledge that their children will be entertained with lawn games, face painting and the ever popular jumping castle.

The Grande Provence Easter Picnic starts at 12h00 and ends at 16h00. Entry is free, but bookings for the Easter Picnic Baskets at R800 per double, R400 per single and R300 for children under 10, need to be made ahead of time by telephoning (021) 876 8600 or email reservations@grandeprovence.co.za.

TREAD GENTLY

THE BREW-TIFUL LIFE

Beer festivals don’t need to be confined to the month of October, as this profusion of national diary listings for March and April demonstrates.

East London beer lovers can visit the three day showcase of crafted beers, wines and spirits at Hemingways Casino in Two Rivers drive from Friday 8 March to Sunday 10 March.

Tickets are R170 per person.

Hazeldean in Pretoria is the place to be on Saturday 23 March when the Wort Hog Brewers will be at the Cowhouse Market in the Hazeldean Valley between 10h00 – 16h00.

Tickets are R70.

Cape Town’s SouthYeasters are hosting their annual summer festival at the Saggy Stone at Villagers football club in Claremont on Sunday 24 March.

It’s one of the biggest homebrewers’ gathering with at least 50 taste makers bringing more than 100 beers to be sampled. Tickets are available on Quicket and the doors open at 11h00. Further details available on www.southyeasters.co.za.

A week later, on Saturday 30 March, Summerhill wine estate in

Fools apparently stomp in where angels fear to tread... but Bot River’s Beaumont Wines are happy for you to tread, stomp, squish and even march on their ripe grapes during their annual grape stomp in March.

The date for the Stomp is Friday 15 March and the venue is Beaumont Family Wines in Botriver. Everything kicks off from 18h30 and anyone interested in attending should contact the farm by telephoning 028 284 9194. Tickets cost R490 per person but include Beaumont wines which are frequent 5 Star and award winners, as well as dinner and some light dancing and revelry to light music “to keep the spirits and energy levels high”.

The dress code is: “seriously casual... please bring old clothes for the stomp, towels and something warm for later”.

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Stellenbosch sees a celebration of Sir Thomas Brewing Co. Cape Town’s Stone Jets will provide live music.

The event starts at 17h00 and tickets are R100 per person. Bookings can be made by calling 082 850 2917 or mailing info@sirthomasbrew.com.

The idyllic village of Greyton plays host to the Fools & Fans beer festival on 6 April when some of South Africa’s top independent breweries will provide suds for fans. Music, food stalls and even a supervised children’s play area will be available.

The venue is the Moravian Hall, 18 Main Road in Greyton.

Gauteng has its turn the following week on 13 April at Marks Park sports club on the corner of Judith Road in Johannesburg when SAontap is held from 10h00 to 17h00.

Billed the biggest craft beer and music festival, there will be a host of beers, ciders and homemade alchemical concoctions to try! Great local bands will also be playing.

Tickets are limited so organisers urge those interested to book well in advance. www.saontap.co.za/ johannesburg-festival

HIGH FIVE!

Franschhoek’s La Motte wine estate deserves a massive High Five salute – for being announced as Drinks International’s Wine Tourism Awards 2019 winner for the best food and wine matching experience for the fifth time.

Previous victories have come in 2013, 2015, 2016 and again in 2018.

A decade ago, the revamped and sympathetically restored Cape Dutch buildings were opened, along with new features such as the critically acclaimed Pierneef restaurant and art gallery, the farm shop as well as their environmentally friendly activities like the fynbos hiking trail.

But it’s the marriage of food and wine which has set it apart – particularly in its celebration of the seasons. At this time of the year, for example, people visiting the tasting room get the unique opportunity of a Harvest Experience. While the grape juice or must is fermenting, some of it is extracted and used to make the delicious mosbolletjies – a sweet, aniseed-tinged brioche baked loaf which is made with the must.

“Our wine and food experiences are developed with our guests in mind”, said La Motte CEO, Hein Koegelenberg. “Quality is at the essence of what we do, but we are passionate about sharing our love for food and wine with our guests in a way that intrigues and entertains.”

Koegelenberg said La Motte were “delighted” that the prestigious industry publication, Drinks International, recognised the effort taken. “We are truly honoured by such international acknowledgement.”

But La Motte is far from a ‘one trick pony’, hosting a range of different events such as classical music concerts on a monthly basis, guided hikes on Mondays, art experiences on Tuesdays, historic walks on Wednesdays celebrating the Huguenot as well as Cape Dutch heritage of the wine farm... and more.

HIGH ON THE HELDERBERG

Named Alto because of its high-flung vineyards on the steep slopes of the Helderberg mountain between Stellenbosch and Somerset West, this historic wine estate is leveraging its lofty perch to offer visitors to the farm a fantastic way of winding down to live music on Friday evenings in March.

Imagine unwinding with a glass of Alto’s acclaimed smooth red wine in hand while watching the sun set behind Table Mountain in the distant west and listening to the music of either Jeri Silverman (8 March), Timothy de Monk (15 March), Aston Wylie (22 March) or Etienne Smook (29 March).

Entrance – and the first glass of wine, a complimentary Alto Cabernet Rosé 2018 – is free but any additional wines or cheese platters are for sale. Bookings are necessary to secure a spot and can be done by telephoning 021 881 8334 or emailing info@alto.co.za or lboraine@distell.co.za.

THE TOPS AT SPAR WINE SHOW DIARY

ABOVE: La Motte CEO Hein Koegelenberg (right) celebrates the estate’s exceptional performance in the Drinks International Wine Tourism Awards with Cellarmaster Edmund Terblanche and Pierneef à La Motte Restaurant’s Executive Chef Eric Bulpitt.

The country’s foremost national wine show, the TOPS at SPAR wine show has announced its dates for 2019.

KwaZulu-Natal kicks off the carnival at Suncoast Casino on 9 to 11 May, with Montecasino in Johannesburg next from 6 to 8 June.

The Mother City is next with Cape Town taking place on 11 to 13 July, followed swiftly by Port Elizabeth over the weekend of 25 to 27 July.

Pretoria takes place on 26 to 28 September and East London is the penultimate wine merry-go-round on 7 – 9 November. The last corks pop in Nelspruit on 28 – 30 November.

MAR/ARP 2019

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THINGAMAJIGS |

1

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2

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO

HMMM...

10

9

THAT COULD BE “HMMM” AS IN “OOH! I REALLY LIKE IT,” OR A MORE CONTEMPLATIVE “HMMM...

THAT’S INTERESTING” OR EVEN THE MORE DEFINITE “HMMM...WHAT ON EARTH WERE THEY THINKING?!”

NONETHELESS, HERE’S THIS ISSUE’S INTERESTING LITTLE DOODADS THAT YOU NEVER KNEW YOU WANTED. LIKE THE FUNKY SQUEEGEE OR THE RETRO TOMATO SAUCE DISPENSER THAT YOUR GRAN HAD. 1 BOHEMIAN CAT MUG, R190, www.hellopretty.co.za 2 UMBRA BUDDY SQUEEGEE , R179, www.yuppiechef.co.za 3 PLASTER TIN , R50, www.bigblue.co.za 4 WINE GLASS CHARMS , R118, www.neatfreak.co.za 5 SUPERMAN EGG CUP , R175, www.bigblue.co.za 6 HAPPY JACKSON LUNCH BOX , R159, www.yuppiechef.co.za 7 GEOMETRIC WALL CLOCK, R349, www.hellopretty.co.za 8 RETRO TOMATO SQUEEZER, R25, www.bigblue.co.za 9 WOODEN RECIPE / TABLET HOLDER , R245, www.neatfreak.co.za 10 ZOKU COOL MOJI ICE TRAY , R125, www.mantality.co.za

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S PA R G O O D L I V I N G

1 3 2

OFFICE EFFICIENCY

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EVERYONE KNOWS THE CLICHÉD EXPRESSION OF “A BAD WORKMAN BLAMES HIS TOOLS” - RIGHT? WELL, WITH A SUITABLY STOCKED STATIONERY CUPBOARD, FULL OF ALL THE SUPPLIES YOU MIGHT CONCEIVABLY NEED, THERE’S NO REASON YOU CAN’T IMPRESS WITH PERFECTLY BOUND, STAPLED OR COLLATED REPORTS. BOSSES APPRECIATE COMPETENCE AND ORGANISATION – SO TAKE NOTE, WITH A PERFECTLY SHARPENED PENCIL AND NOTEBOOK, OF WHAT THE WELLDRESSED SUPPLY CUPBOARD IS WEARING THIS SEASON!

5

1 Carry Folder - assorted colours 2 Standard Staples (5000 piece) 3 Full Strip Stapler (26/6) - assorted colours 4 Retractable Ballpoint Pens (2 piece) - blue or black 5 Packaging Tape (50m x 48mm) - buff or clear 6 Spiral Notebook - assorted sizes 7 Orange Handle Scissors (210mm) 8 Blue Gummed Envelopes (25 piece) 9 Sharpener & Eraser Set (2 pack) 10 Office Combo Assortment

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LIFESTYLE |

AW A R E N E S S

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SELFIE SENSATION SELF PORTRAITS CAPTURE THE ZEITGEIST AND OUR OWN STARTLED EXPRESSIONS. TSHEPANG MOLISANA TURNS THE LENS ONTO THE SELFIE PHENOMENON.

I

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) says, “Selfitis is the obsessive-compulsive desire to take photos of oneself and post them on social media as a way to make up for the lack of self-esteem and fill a gap in intimacy.”

n June 2010, Apple produced the first front-facing camera and changed the trajectory of awkward, poorly lit self-portrait photography.

Despite the lure of being able to take a photograph using a front-facing lens while staring at your own startled reflection, Apple’s innovation was not the first iteration of the self-portrait.

Self-portraits give the photographer the unique opportunity to be both the subject as well as director of photography.

Through selfie photography, our images have become as captured as drug kingpin El Chapo Guzman.

Dutch painter, Vincent Van Gogh produced over 30 selfportraits between 1886 and 1889.

Van Gogh’s vivid paintings were produced by critically looking at his reflection in a mirror.

Each expression, every frown, the grey hollows in his cheeks and the wiry strands of his red beard were captured vividly by the artist himself.

Enthused by his ability to capture his own likeness, Van Gogh wrote to his sister: “I am looking for a deeper likeness than that obtained by a photographer.”

Like millions of smartphone users around the world, Van Gogh was charmed by the angles of his own face. His animated eyes and supermodel-sharp cheekbones dazzle on canvases that hang in some of the world’s most renowned museums.

Canadian rapper, Drake’s 2018 anthem ‘Nice for What’ produced inspiration akin to Van Gogh’s for selfie-enthusiasts of his time.

Drake philosophically insists: “With your phone out, gotta hit them angles ... and you showin’ off, but it’s alright, it’s a short life.”

With Drake’s sagacity and Van Gogh’s ingenuity, even the least ardent selfie-taker finds themselves transfixed by the idea of capturing their own image.

Van Gogh’s self-portraits even distilled the fashion trends of his time as many modern selfieMAR/APR 2019

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LIFESTYLE |

AW A R E N E S S

LEFT: Artist Vincent Van Gogh churned out 30 self portraits within a three year period – even documenting what he looked like with a bandaged head after lopping off his own ear!

“

I am looking for a deeper likeness than that obtained by a photographer

56 w w w .t o p s a t s p a r. c o . z a

photographers have attempted to do on Instagram. Van Gogh’s ‘Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat’ was completed by April 1887.

The artist’s sombre expression is framed by a blue background, a blue collared jacket and a grey fedora. His fevered brush strokes and a myriad of green brush strokes not only gave life to his sallow skin, but contrast the redness of his beard.

Van Gogh’s alluring view of himself captivates the same frenetic energy which fevers the work of modern beauty bloggers and makeup artists who post their selfievideos on YouTube and Instagram.

Jackie Aina is an internet phenomenon who went from being an army reservist to prolific beauty videography.

Jackie even won the NAACP YouTuber of the Year Award in 2018 for her entertaining and informative YouTube videos (www.youtube.com/JackieAina).

Through her bold eye-shadows and bubbly personality, Jackie has created product review videos that are as informative as they are entertaining.

Online fashion community, Fashionista.com says that Jackie’s attempts to make people of colour feel included in the beauty community and hold the industry accountable form part of why she has become an internet sensation.

Although she was anxious at first that discussing taboo topics would halter her internet career, Jackie has earned the attention of over 1.1 million Instagram followers and over 2.9 million YouTube subscribers. (That’s more than the entire populations of either Gabon, Lesotho or Gambia!) Since Jackie first turned the camera on her antics with make-up in 2008, her spirited selfie-videos have become more sophisticated.

However, the highlighter on her cheeks remains less of a highlight

than her ability to see herself in a way that millions of people around the world can relate to.

Jackie told Fashionista.com: “Just because we don’t wear the same makeup shade doesn’t mean you can’t watch my brush reviews. It’s not about looking the exact same as someone, it’s about enjoying their content.

“You don’t have to look like someone to enjoy who they are as a person and to enjoy what they put out there into the world.”

Like Van Gogh who captured his tragic injury in 1889 in ‘SelfPortrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe’, YouTube bloggers understand how important it is to be authentic and relatable, despite the pressure to look perfect even when your circumstances are far from perfect.

Jackie says, “I’m really happy that I decided to wake up one day and just be myself, and I think people underestimate how important that is on YouTube.”

While Jackie and her contemporaries have allowed their antics with lip-gloss to bring life to their selfies, there is a less glamorous side to the self-portrait.

On 23 December 1888 in Arles, after a heated argument with fellow lodger and painter Gaugin, Vincent Van Gogh sliced his own earlobe. According to the Van Gogh museum: “Van Gogh’s illness revealed itself. He began to hallucinate and suffered attacks in which he lost consciousness.

During one of these attacks, he used the knife.”

According to the museum, Van Gogh could later remember little about the incident which lead to his famed ‘Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe’.

The dangers of selfies extend beyond a bandaged ear or having a camera land on your face and bruise your cheek. According to Psychology today, ‘selfitis’ has

“You don’t have to look like someone to enjoy who they are as a person and to enjoy what they put out there into the world.”

been classed as a new mental disorder. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) says, “Selfitis is the obsessive-compulsive desire to take photos of oneself and post them on social media as a way to make up for the lack of self-esteem and fill a gap in intimacy.”

It can be argued that there is nothing more intimate than staring at your own reflection, with all its bumps, creases, bruises and scars.

In 1839, Robert Cornelius shot the first selfie on a daguerreotype

camera in Philadelphia. Amherst College professor Ilan Stavans says, “Painting a self-portrait can take hours, days, maybe even months or years to be made. The selfie is done rather quickly.”

In a viral selfie seen around the world, comedian, Ellen, shot an intimate, star-studded group selfie at the 2014 Oscars that included the likes of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto, Meryl Streep and even Lupita Nyong’o’s younger brother.

ABOVE: Jackie Aina has become an internet sensation doing makeup tutorials. Her Insta and YouTube videos have appealed to an audience craving authenticity.

With all of that star power packed into photographic view, Ellen’s selfie reflects the sentiments of Van Gogh who wrote to his brother: “People say, and I am willing to believe it, that it is hard to know yourself. But it is not easy to paint yourself either.”

From Robert Cornelius’ selfie to the immediacy and virality of the smartphone selfie, few can argue with Van Gogh’s assertion that there is little that is as illuminating as the ability to see oneself.

MAR/APR 2019

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FA M I LY F U N |

GAMES

THE

PEOPLE PLAY

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ho hasn’t attended a conference, meeting or seminar where the same clichéd expressions are used again and again? “Blue sky thinking”, “paradigm shift”, “unpacking the issue” or “fish where the fish are” ... Is it any wonder that people came up with the game of buzzword bingo?

In a political or parliamentary context these buzzwords to be attuned to during the speech would be things like “comrade”, “honourable member”,

BANNER HEADLINES ON NEWS SITES, SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS, RADIO AND TELEVISION BROADCASTS TRUMPET THE DAILY MAYHEM AND CHAOS WHICH BESETS THE WORLD. EVERYONE COULD DO WITH A BIT OF LIGHT RELIEF – WHICH IS WHY TOPS AT SPAR INTRODUCED #SIPOFTHENATION FOR PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA’S SECOND ANNUAL STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENT IN FEBRUARY.

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“expropriation” or the current favourite “state capture” or even “accountability”.

It might seem somewhat cynical to have made a game out of arguably such an important speech but there is a solid body of science which backs up the benefits of game playing.

The first obvious benefit is that of laughter. It all boils down to endorphins, the happy chemical rush we experience when laughing.

Endorphins make us feel good, feel happy and relate to others with more compassion and empathy.

Board games such as Monopoly, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, 30 Seconds and Pictionary have the added advantage of bringing friends and family together. And with that time spent together, even if it is just once or twice a year while on holiday or when the power is out, reinforces familial or friendship ties and makes communication easier. Plus it’s fun and can show whether someone has a nasty competitive streak!

Fun aside, there are genuine advantages to game playing – and scientists have found that they promote cognitive skills like problem solving. In young children, fine motor skills can be developed by sliding down snakes and climbing up ladders. Research has shown that the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, both of which are responsible for complex thought and retention of memory, profit from these activities.

And keeping the brain stimulated can help delay degenerative diseases associated with age, such as Alzheimer’s and various other forms of dementia.

Going hand in hand with relaxing, laughing and sharing family time comes a decrease in stress levels and blood pressure – and that, in turn, is good for your overall heart health and reduces your risk of serious disease.

So go ahead and bust out the Scrabble or chess set. It’s good for you!

FACT, FICTION AND FANTASY MOVIEMAKERS SELDOM LET THE FACTS GET IN THE WAY OF A GOOD STORY, EVEN IF HISTORY RECORDS EVENTS WELL SUCH AS IN MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS – BUT WHEN THE PROJECT IS AN ANIMATED 3D MOVIE, SUCH AS WONDERLAND, THEY CAN LET THEIR IMAGINATIONS RUN RIOT.

WELCOME TO MARWEN

1 MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS

History relates the tale of Mary Stuart, played by Oscar nominee, Saoirse Ronan, well.

Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie) is Queen of England and resists Mary’s attempts to overthrow her. Cue much drama – with great costumes and powerplays. After all, her very existence threatens the reign of Elizabeth and questions her power.

Without being a spoiler (this is historical fact after all!) Mary ultimately fails and is condemned to years of imprisonment and ultimately faces execution.

After all, her very existence threatens the reign of Elizabeth and questions her power.

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Actor Steve Carrell (The Office) is known as a funny-man but has had critics sitting up and taking notice of some rather serious acting in Welcome to Marwen, Mark Hogancamp (Carell) viciously attacked by a group of white power/Nazi thugs. To cope with his post-traumatic stress he sets up tableaus of action figurines photographing them.

His town of Marwen is wondrous and in his imagination it’s a place where he can be heroic since his alter ego is a brave World War II pilot, Captain Hogie. By means of technology-driven special effects, the movie blends these plastic figurines and the actors in a unique way.

WONDER PARK

Animated 3D movies have evolved from the history of stop motion animation pioneered by Walt Disney and his Mickey Mouse character last century.

Wonder Park builds on this legacy of fantasy, with a plea for children not to lose their innocence and imagination too young. June is an imaginative girl who, with her mother’s input, makes up a richly detailed fairground theme park and all its characters, a place called Wonderland.

But life intervenes and she has to grow up, putting her childish fantasy world behind her ... until one day she stumbles over an old rollercoaster car while out on a walk. Suddenly, she’s in Wonderland with all her imaginary friends. It wouldn’t be a worthwhile movie without some sort of battle, in order for good to triumph over bad – and in this case, Wonderland is under threat by the Chimpanzombies ... and is in danger of being lost forever.

“It was made in such an easy way, all the vocals recorded on the sofa, a lot of it recorded at home.”

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E N T E R TA I N M E N T

THE BLACK ALBUM

WEEZER American rock outfit Weezer is taking to the road to promote their new album, hitting 22 American cities to generate sales for their 12th studio release titled The Black Album.

The tracks on the record were all composed entirely on piano by band front man Rivers Cuomo – and the four-piece ensemble appear like shiny ninjas, in liquid black, on the album cover. Four of their previous releases have celebrated colour in the shape of the Blue Album, Green, Red and White.

To date, two tracks have been pre-released: Can’t knock the hustle and Zombie Bastards, both of which have received good airplay and critical reception – just as their cover version of Toto’s anthemic Africa did last year.

So why is the band called Weezer? It was the nickname given to lead vocalist / guitarist Cuomo in his school days on account of his asthma.

GRATITUDE

BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWICH Benjamin Francis Leftwich, the English singer/ songwriter from York, announced his new album release which hits stores mid-March.

Gratitude follows this year’s EP release, I Am With You and joins his catalogue of previous material released on the past studio albums Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm and After The Rain.

STILL ON MY MIND

DIDO March marks the first quarter of 2019 and it’s also when English hitmaker and vocalist Dido releases her first album in a few years.

It’s also her fifth album, following up Girl Who Got Away released in 2013, but most music enthusiasts will remember her for her hits White Flag, Sand in her Shoes, Thank You and Here With Me. Much of Still On My Mind was written and recorded in England as “a result of the fruitful and incredibly natural production/songwriting partnership” with her brother Rollo, who contributed extensively to all of her previous releases. “It was simple, I only wanted to make another album if it was with him,” the 46-year-old Grammy-nominated singer noted in a statement. “It was made in such an easy way, all the vocals recorded on the sofa, a lot of it recorded at home.”

Still On My Mind is said to carry a “dance and electronic music sensibility,” an ambiance that can be heard on its spiralling, synthpop-leaning lead single, Hurricanes. Fans of her special sound, which she credits to her years growing up listening to her father’s Irish music, will not be disappointed.

THE FORK, THE WITCH AND THE WORM CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI A wanderer and a cursed child.

Spells and magic.

And dragons, of course.

Welcome back to the world of Alagaësia.

It’s been a year since Eragon departed Alagaësia in search of the perfect home to train a new generation of Dragon Riders. Now he is struggling with an endless sea of tasks: constructing a vast dragonhold, wrangling with suppliers, guarding dragon eggs and dealing with belligerent Urgals and haughty elves. Then a vision from the Eldunarí, unexpected visitors and an exciting Urgal legend offer a much-needed distraction and a new perspective.

This volume features three original stories set in Alagaësia, interspersed with scenes from Eragon’s own unfolding adventure.

Included is an excerpt from the memoir of the unforgettable witch and fortune-teller Angela the herbalist.

THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR

JAMES PATTERSON From the world’s bestselling thriller writer – three chilling stories in print for the first time. The House Next Door (with Susan DiLallo): Married mother of four Laura Sherman was thrilled when her new neighbour invited her on some errands. But a few quick tasks became a long lunch – and now things could go too far with a man who isn’t what he seems ...

The Killer’s Wife (with Max DiLallo): Six girls have gone missing.

Detective McGrath knows the only way to find them is to get close to the suspect’s wife ... maybe too close.

The Witnesses (with Brendan DuBois): The Sanderson family has been forced into hiding after one of them stumbled upon a criminal plot.

Or so they think. No one will answer their questions. And the terrifying truth may come too late ...

SAPIENS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF HUMANKIND

YUVAL NOAH HARARI Planet Earth is 4.5 billion years old.

In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it. Us. We are the most advanced and most destructive animals ever to have lived. What makes us brilliant?

What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens?

In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we’re going. Sapiens, first published in Hebrew in 2011 and then translated into English, is a thrilling account of humankind’s extraordinary history – from the Stone Age to the Silicon Age – and our journey from insignificant apes to rulers of the world.

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DISCLAIMER: All books featured here are supplied by Penquin Random House South Africa

MAR/APR 2019

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FISHING |

N O T T I N G H A M E S TAT E

THE

BEST

OF

BOTH WORLDS

Awaiting the evening rise, silhouetted against yet another glorious African sunset.

Does life get any better for a fisherman?

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AFRICA IS BLESSED WITH SOME PHENOMENAL FISHING LOCATIONS – AS WELL AS AMAZING WILDLIFE. CRAIG THOMASSEN PROVIDES A BRIEF REPORT ON ONE SUCH VENUE WHERE HE WAS ABLE TO BOTH WATCH ELEPHANT AND CAST A LINE.

A

sk anyone about fishing in Zimbabwe on South Africa’s northern border and their response will be one of two things: Kariba … and tiger fish.

But this beautiful country has more to offer than the admittedly large manmade body of water and the fearsomely toothy fish.

A short distance westward of the main border crossing at Beit Bridge, where South Africa’s N1 crosses the sand and waters of the Limpopo river and becomes Zimbabwe’s A6 to Bulawayo, lies Nottingham Estate.

There was no hesitation in accepting the invitation to visit the private game and citrus farm in southern Zimbabwe. The farm covers 20 000 hectares of mostly indigenous, untamed bush, with plenty of wildlife, including elephants, hyena and leopard.

Crocodiles and hippo too!

We had been invited to test the waters and the visitor offering at Nottingham Estate’s Fishing Camp.

But don’t let the simple name fool anyone: it was far from the rustic, no-frills accommodation which the name ‘Fishing Camp’ conjures up.

RIGHT TOP: The dexterity with which elephants can use their trunks to pick up oranges never fails to amaze guests.

MIDDLE: Taking time out to split an orange open to get at the succulent segments inside was one of the many baboons who visit this spot near Fly Camp.

BOTTOM: Can anyone say camouflage? An eland blending into the background with its dun colouring.

MAR/APR 2019

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FISHING |

N O T T I N G H A M E S TAT E

LEFT: Proof that this was one which didn’t get away – a nice sized bass.

There are seven sturdy chalets, all of which overlook the water of the Mashilichokwe dam – which was to be our piscatorial playground for a few days. The dam itself is around seven kilometres in length so there are ample sites to select. Don’t have your own boat? No problem, you can hire one of theirs which is conveniently moored at the jetty, just a short walk from the chalets – and under shade cloth to protect you from the fierce UV rays too!

The fishing retreat is a haven – really peaceful and set amongst some big trees on the water’s edge. Nottingham Estate’s website reports that these are large, well-established Mopani trees.

(But no worms were spotted in the trees … although they are a rather delicious snack when dried – a bit like biltong!) And there are the distinctively shaped Baobab trees elsewhere.

The dam has plenty of structure in the form of rock outcrops and sunken timber. Some world class large mouth bass have been caught in the dam, including the current farm record of a fish which was landed and tipped the scales at a healthy 7.8kg’s.

Our recent visit coincided with the post spawn period, which consequently made it a bit difficult to locate big fish. That minor

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frustration aside, we had quality fishing anyway, with a number of good size fish being landed.

Those we caught were in excellent condition, and fought very hard, taking their fair share of line and tugging away on good runs, interspersed with rapid direction changes. We also had some good fun targeting Niloticus bream on small spinners and light tackle, and managed to catch a few quality specimens.

There are seven sturdy chalets, all of which overlook the water of the Mashilichokwe dam – which was to be our piscatorial playground for a few days.

As much as most anglers would like to spend every waking moment attached to a rod, there needs to be a bit of downtime – and this is where Nottingham Estate’s other charms were revealed.

In the evenings we were treated to dinners at the lodge, or at Fly Camp.

Being a working citrus farm, there are

plenty of oranges which are not export or commercial quality. These alleged low grade oranges are dumped to feed the elephants. There graceful, slow-moving pachyderms were plentiful – and obviously love their doses of vitamin C, coming down to feast on them in large herds. Additional sightings of Africa’s largest antelope, the eland, were also enjoyed along with the ever entertaining warthog – or as any foreign tourist remembers from The Lion King: “Pumba!” Needless to say the baboons couldn’t resist the lure of juicy fruit either. The view from the escarpment genuinely resembled a scene from The Lion King. It helped that the area is lit up at night to maximize the viewing.

This trip was something really different for us, with some amazing birdwatching, great game viewing and excellent bass fishing. Nottingham Estate is one of those special destinations which should be on any keen bass fisherman’s and outdoorsman’s agenda to visit. And it needn’t be just a ‘boy’s weekend away”: with the pool and all the game viewing, the family can go along too. Nottingham Estate are happy to lay on game drives, bush walks and even tours of the historic bushman caves which have some amazing rock art dating back hundreds of years.

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T E C H N O LO G Y

TRACING YOUR ROOTS WANT TO KNOW HOW DEEP YOUR FAMILIAL ROOTS GO OR WHERE YOUR HERITAGE AND ANCESTRY START? DAVID BOWMAN WINKLED OUT A FEW SELECTIONS.

ANCESTRY Discover your origins through photos, stories, historical documents and many more search features. With the Ancestry app one can explore, preserve, share and collaborate with friends and family and get notified of new hints and comments from others. Ancestry Hints TM automatically finds records, photos and stories that sync seamlessly to your account. You can also add family members to the family tree from Facebook. The software is easy to use, with an extensive list of search features and links the connecting threads of one’s family very easily.

MYHERITAGE This is a popular app for exploring your ancestry – allowing you to build your family tree and test your DNA. One user traced direct ancestors back 11 generations to the mid 1500s! There are already 93 million users on the platform who enjoy a secure and private family tree search. It includes a genealogical search engine, and fully integrated DNA testing to discover and uncover your roots and ethnic origins. It starts with the new user filling in information about known relatives, and the matching technology will automatically find new information in the huge collections of 8.5 billion historical records and 3 billion family tree profiles.

FAMILYSEARCH TREE FamilySearch Tree makes it easy and convenient to document and build a family tree. Learn something new about your ancestors and their life stories and important events. One can easily add new life details, photos, stories and audio recordings for your relatives and share these in person or on social media platforms. You will always have the information with you, as the app works without internet access. It is the best way to find and share meaningful, family stories that can make an impact on your own life and the lives of your loved ones.

ROOTSMAGIC Now it’s possible to have the family tree at your fingertips and carry it wherever you go. The award-winning desktop genealogy software makes research, organising and sharing very easy – as well as painlessly putting your family history files on your device through iTunes or Dropbox.

You can choose the view you prefer from pedigree, family, descendant or individual view for quick exploration. A cool feature is browsing by surname and given names, ancestors by name or record number and viewing media, notes and sources for people, families and events. There is a perpetual calendar, date calculator and relationship calculator included in this app.

MAR/APR 2019

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RESPONSIBILITY |

S T R AW S

TH

E L AST

ST

R AW

The 1970’s saw a revolution with new materials replacing old, outdated and outmoded ones. So the paper straw was ditched in favour of the plastic straw.

66 w w w .t o p s a t s p a r. c o . z a

ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS IS NO LONGER THE PRESERVE OF THE GREEN FRINGE. IT IS MAINSTREAM AND GATHERING MOMENTUM EVERY DAY. PLASTIC DRINKING STRAWS ARE JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF JOE AND JANE PUBLIC TAKING A STAND AND SAYING “NO MORE” – AND CORPORATES ARE INCREASINGLY ECHOING THAT STANCE.

I

t’s the proverbial last straw which broke the camel’s back: an idiomatic phrase which depicts a beast of burden being overwhelmed by an intolerable load.

In explanation, Wikipedia states: The [idiom] ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’, alluding to the proverb “it is the last straw that breaks the camel’s back”, describes the seemingly minor or routine action that causes an unpredictably large and sudden reaction, because of the cumulative effect of small actions.

This metaphor is particularly apt since Tsogo Sun last year decided to ban plastic straws from all its hotels nationwide. It is just one of many local examples of restaurants, bars and cafés which refuse to serve patrons drinks with the plastic tubes. Why? Because the impact that straws have in the almost overwhelming tide of everincreasing plastic pollution in both the ocean and on land has become too big to ignore.

Getting people to change their behaviour is difficult. It’s like trying to turn an oil tanker: it takes a long time! But you know that things are changing when entire cities ban the use of plastic straws – which Seattle did in July 2018, and New York City has pledged to do the same by 2020. Every day more than 500 million plastic straws are used in the United States alone!

It’s been well documented that these little plastic items end up in landfill or making their way by means of storm water drains and rivers out to sea, having an increasingly shocking effect on marine life. Scientists have rung

increasingly loud alarm bells about not just the amount of visible plastic in the ocean but the micro-plastics and plastic particles which are appearing in the human food chain: tiny microscopic amounts which have been ingested by fish and which people, in turn, are eating.

So what’s the story of the straw?

National Geographic wrote a piece and referenced its inventor, a man by the name of Marvin Stone who was in the cigarette business, making paper holders or tubes for the shredded tobacco. The story goes that Stone was enjoying a mint julep one sultry southern American day when the piece of dried rye grass straw he was using to suck it up disintegrated.

Disgusted, Stone figured he could design something better – and being in the paper industry, that was the material he used.

Apparently he wrapped strips of glue-daubed paper around a pencil to create his drinking tube.

Stone filed a patent and registered his radical new-fangled drinking instrument in 1888. Two years later his company was mass producing drinking straws.

And that suited everyone just fine for almost 100 years. The 1970’s saw a revolution with new materials replacing old, outdated and outmoded ones. So the paper straw was ditched in favour of the plastic straw. It took 40 years – one generation – for people to realise what a disaster plastic in general had been. It also took a new, younger, generation to rise up and not just protest but take action.

LEFT: The Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town has produced this handy graphic to illustrate the impact plastic has on the marine environment.

See the full graphic by visiting: www.aquarium. co.za/content/page/ straws-suck MAR/APR 2019

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RESPONSIBILITY |

S T R AW S

Molly Steer is a young Australian girl living in Cairns, Queensland, who started her Straw No More campaign to play her part in saving the Great Barrier Reef from plastic pollution. In 2017, at the age of just nine, she motivated a plastic straw ban at her school. “The Great Barrier Reef is our backyard, it’s our playground.

I wanted to do something to help.”

She then took to the media, talking to reporters on newspapers, radio and television stations – and soon

other schools in Cairns got on board. This slip of a girl did a TED talk and before long the Straw No More campaign gained momentum, being adopted by schools in South Korea, New Zealand, England and even America.

Plastic straws have a purpose for people with disabilities and limited mobility, or those recuperating in hospitals but as Steer says, most of us don’t NEED them. “All you need to do is make the decision to stop. Simple.” Her goal is to get schools to stop using straws, bars, shops, cafés and restaurants to stop providing them and for people to make the decision to stop using them. There are alternatives.

Roman philosopher and

dramatist, Seneca puts it well: “It is not the last drop that empties the water-clock, but all that which previously has flowed out; similarly, the final hour when we cease to exist does not of itself bring death; it merely of itself completes the death-process. We reach death at that moment, but we have been a long time on the way.”

Plastic straws, with their negative impact on marine and bird life, in not breaking down and in being of negligible practical use, in being made from a non-renewable resource in the form of crude oil, have had their time.

“Straws really do suck,” is Molly’s mantra. Hopefully, in her lifetime, the world really does see the last straw.

WHAT’S THE ALTERNATIVE? Carry your own – which is possibly easier for women to do than men since they already have handbags holding a myriad items. But some innovative entrepreneur will no doubt come up with a way to possibly attach it to a cell phone because then men could carry re-usable straws too!

Paper: They’re not what they used to be. The modern version of the paper straw is more sturdy and won’t get soggy quickly.

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Borosilicate glass: It won’t shatter, doesn’t affect the taste of your drink and is dishwasher safe. It’s yours to use again and again.

Metal: Stainless steel or copper makes a style statement as well as being hygienic.

Bamboo: It’s natural, smooth and can be used many, many times. The ultimate eco-friendly recyclable item.

Back to basics – use your mouth ...

Humans survived for millennia by drinking without straws.

LIFESTYLE |

PHONE

GETTING THE NUMBER RIGHT EMILY POST WAS THE DOYENNE OF GOOD MANNERS AND PROPER ETIQUETTE, PUBLISHING HER FIRST BOOK ON THE TOPIC IN 1922. ALMOST A CENTURY ON, HER GUIDE IS NOW INTO ITS 19TH EDITION. TIMES HAVE CHANGED BUT THE APPRECIATION OF ETIQUETTE REMAINS – EVEN IF THE ISSUES AND SOCIAL SITUATIONS ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

B

usiness is not nearly as formal as it used to be.

People are not expected to wear suits and ties – or stockings – to work anymore.

With flexible working hours and so much self-employment or entrepreneurship now the order of the day, meetings are frequently conducted either via Skype or Facetime from the comfort of one’s home office or in the vibey surrounds of a coffee shop ... with free Wi-Fi for laptops, naturally.

United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been quoted as saying that “Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.”

And he’s right. It might be clichéd but it’s still true that people might not remember what you said, but they’ll certainly remember how you made them feel. So, if someone feels socially awkward – even if it’s in a coffee shop or a casual restaurant, they’ll remember it.

“Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.”

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The word etiquette is rooted in French and literally means a tag or label. It became popular around the mid-1700’s when it was acknowledged as a social code, a way of behaving within the norms of contemporary social convention – and that applies to all levels of society. The etiquette of ordering a drink in a working man’s pub in the 1800s or an upmarket cocktail bar in the 2000s will differ – where you would shout out your order in one, you would (hopefully) discreetly summon a waiter or the bartender in the other.

So what are some examples of modern good manners?

The obvious one is cell phone etiquette. If the call is interrupted or disconnects for whatever reason, the person who made the call is the one who redials. It really is not a good idea to leave your phone on the table – even if it is on silent – and never face up. The non-verbal message sent is that whoever is on the other end of the phone is more important than what is currently going on.

If two people are having a conversation, it’s really not socially acceptable for someone to look down and check their messages, Twitter feed or start typing while one party is talking. If you’d excuse yourself from the table to go to the

ABOVE: Mobile devices and wireless handsets have become ubiquitous but there are still a set of rules or good manners which apply to their use while in company.

bathroom, do the same to send a text or take a call. It’s only polite.

Calling to let someone know you’re late is a good thing but it still doesn’t excuse being late ... build in a bit of time to get there early. If it’s a genuine emergency or circumstance beyond your control, that’s understandable.

Voicemails – always keep them as brief as possible. Don’t try and deal with whatever issue you want to speak to the person about.

Identify yourself, briefly state why you’re calling, leave a number and possibly the time if it’s appropriate and then ring off. “Hello. It’s Bob Jones of Acme carpet cleaning here. My number is 12345. I’d be grateful if you could return my call when it’s convenient. Goodbye.”

Short, simple and to the point.

It goes without saying that talking loudly while on the phone is a no-no – as is taking or making a call while in an elevator. Bottom line: nobody wants to hear what you have to say.

Emily Post might have died in 1960 before mobile phones took over the world but she would have had a plan to teach people to be polite and considerate about their use. “Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use,” she said.

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NEXT MONTH

in the next issue of

HOW BROAD IS THE VALLEY? The renaissance of the Breedekloof HOPS is not just something the Easter bunny does... it’s a crucial ingredient in beer.

CLEAR AND CONCISE: Vodka

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

W W W .T O P S AT S P A R . C O . Z A

CONGRATULATIONS TO PREVIOUS ISSUE’S WINNER OF ANNABEL FRERE’S HELP! THERE’S A GUEST AT MY TABLE COOKBOOK:

Leatitia du Toit from Sedgefield MAR/APR 2019

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LO O P D O P |

LANKVERGETE PAADJIES LANGS JAARIN EN JAARUIT WAS ONS DAAR DEUR ONS GROOTWORDTYD. SO HET DIE WÊRELDKAART GELOOP. DIE HOOFSTAD WAS RUSTENBURG, ’N IMPOSANTE DORP. IN BOSHOEK SE TYD WAS DIE WÊRELD NOG WYD EN DIE OË BLINK EN OOP. SOOS DIE BOSPAADJIES KRONKEL, WAAR KATLAGTERS KONKEL, HET DIE WÊRELDKAART GELOOP. DIE HART WAS NOG HEEL EN DIE VREUGDE TE VEEL EN DIE HEMEL NET HIERBO; EN BY HARDEKOOLVURE, IN DIE MIDDERNAGURE, KON JY ALS WAT MOOI IS GLO.

Address: Cnr Ennis & Oosthuise Streets, Ermelo Tel: 017 819 7519 Business Hours: TOPS at SPAR Mon-Fri: 07h00 - 19h00 Sat: 07h00 - 19h00 Sun: 08h00 - 14h00 TOPS Customer Care Tel: 086 031 3141

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S

o luister ek vanaand na Koos Doep se “Boshoek” en besef daar is soveel universele waarhede. Soveel gedeelde verlange. Ons almal oorvleuel maar eintlik met herkenbare emosies en herinneringe. Dit maak my verlang na Modderfontein.

My kindertyd se Modderfontein lê kort voor Rustenburg in Noordwes. In die Magaliesberg in. Koos is ook gebore in Rustenburg en sy Boshoek is ook iewers naderby.

Ek kon nog nooit dig en musiek maak nie, maar ek kan net soos Koos ook verlang na dit wat was.

Modderfontein se pad loop hom dood in die berg. Ek was ses jaar oud die eerste keer dat ek dié paradys in is. Minder as twee uur van Johannesburg af het ons deur ’n drif deurskynende bergwater onderdeur ’n hangende reusevaderlandswilg gery. Tot by ’n oopgekapte stuk gelykgrond waar die tente opgeslaan moes word onder witstinkhout en raasblaar.

Blouape loer deur die blare ...

Voetpad-af kry jy die fontein van modder wat deur gekoekte varings borrel. Onder ’n blaredak van moepels en wildevy stap jy kaalvoet tot by die Brekfisgat. Groot ronde rotse koester ’n swemgat in die middel. Vol koel, rooiswart water wat lyk of dit ’n onderwêreld wegsteek. Kaalgat spring jy in en jou asem spring uit. ’n Waterval stort skuimwit in die donker water in. Jy gaan lê onder hom en spoel jou siel skoon. Die Brekfisgat was die Brekfisgat oor hy so naby die kamp was, jy kon voor brekfis

jouself in die koue bergwater gaan toets het.

Skuins links op was die luiperdboom. ’n Dikke wildevy met ’n stam wat oopgetrek het in die middel en eertyds huis was vir ’n luiperd en haar kleintjies ...

Ons stap op berg toe.

Aasvoëlkrans toe, grootste vergaderplek van die bedreigde kransaasvoëls. ’n Brandwag skree, sy bobbejane spaander.

Kuifkophoutkapper “krrrrrr” onverpoos terwyl die kwêvoël “kwê”. Op pad vat ons die kloof op tot by die Tweelinggate. So genoem oor daar twee identiese gate is. Met rotse. Ons spring af.

Seil deur die lug. Gil van lekkerte ...

Bergwaterterapie.

Sononder se kant soek ons ’n gelykte. Slaapsakke rol oop. Soek knoppiesdoringstompies. Braai tjoppies. Van knoppies tot tjoppies.

Later loop lê en kyk ons vir meer sterre as wat meeste mense in ’n leeftyd sien. Verbeel ons ons weet alles. Vroegoggend koffie.

Skerpioene onder die slaapsak.

Jaarin en jaaruit was ons daar deur ons grootwordtyd. So het die wêreldkaart geloop. Die hoofstad was Rustenburg, ’n imposante dorp. Maar ons was maar min daar. As die grootmense besluit het op inkopies, het ons koers gekies. Berg toe. Gate toe. Paradys toe. Volledig met duwweltjies, vuurdorings, pofadders, skerpioene en perdebye. Sonder gehapte appels. Net koeltebome en bergwater. Vlakvark en ribbok. Die blaf van ’n bobbejaan. Elke dag groter as gister. Vredigheid ...

Modderfontein was die perfektheid van kindertyd.

Dit is nie meer deel van my nie.

Dalk is dit goed so, want ek onthou dit soos dit was. Die lewe loop mos aan. Die wêreldkaart verander, maar soos Koos Doep klaarmaak met sy lied voel ek ook ... “tog dwaal my hart soms nog alleen / met lank-vergete paadjies langs daarheen.”