Cheers - March/April 2014 (Vol.11)

ry a t en m i pl m co

Mar|Apr 2014 | 11 brought to you by

T

Taste America, drink Bourbon

Wine from the thirsty red soils of the Kalahari: Orange River Wine Cellars

A matter of scale,

Sustainable seafood’s robot register

Having a frothy Beer on Tap

Stomping, snipping singing

&

SOUTH AFRICA’S WINE FESTIVALS

win!

• a copy of Nina Timm’s Easy Cooking • an exclusive Durbanville Hills red wine selection

t

www.topsatspar.co.za

Observer status,

The TOPS at SPAR Fundis in action

OGILVY CAPE TOWN 62895/E

Who says a beer can’t be flavoured?

New flavoured beer.

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

contents 62

The blondie Best Choice Anchovy

32

66

16 4 EDITOR’S LETTER

Getting to know you, TOPS style

6 NEWS

TOPS at SPAR’s store of the year, a record-breaking YouTube ad for Bell’s, Barrels & beards, new ARA and CWG heads and more

14 TINUS TALKS

38

Harvest 2014 Update

16 LIQUID ARTERY IN AN ARID LAND

Orange River Cellars’ wines

22 STATE OF GRAÇA Going strong 3 decades on

28 PULLING PINTS Beers on tap

32 STARS & STRIPES

42

Red, white and true blue American Whiskey

22 Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 1

contents cont...

36 WATER OF LIFE

win

H2O’s role in whisky

35 WIN - FIVE PRIZES OF

Durbanville Hills’ bespoke red wines up for grabs

40 FESTIVITIES GALORE Wine festivals from the Breede to the Jukskei rivers

42 EXPERT OPINION

Watching the Fundis sip & spit

46 THE WHEELS GO ROUND

57 TOPS NOSH Step-by-step Paella

62 DINNER DIVA Light bites

64 WOODEN IT BE NICE? The key to the perfect braai fire

66 GREEN, ORANGE & RED

Gadgets, goodies and must-have doo-dads

50 ENTERTAINMENT

The latest books, CDs and DVDs

Editor | Fiona Mc Donald fiona@integratedmedia.co.za Art Director | Megan Knox megan@integratedmedia.co.za Advertising | Shayne Dowling shayne@integratedmedia.co.za Riaan Kriel | riaan@integratedmedia.co.za PR & Promotions | Julia Andrade julia@integratedmedia.co.za

Sustainable seafood initiative

Photography | Julia Andrade and Thinkstock.com

70 NEXT ISSUE

Contributors | Tinus van Niekerk , Anél Potgieter, Emile Joubert, Gerrit Rautenbach, Clifford Roberts, David Bristow, Samarie Smith & Dean Jones.

What to expect from Issue 12

71 GROCERY LIST

A handy planning guide

72 LOOPDOP

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

Umdloti’s happy daze!

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

Promoting prosperity one bike at a time

48 THINGAMAJIGS

Publisher | Shayne Dowling shayne@integratedmedia.co.za

stockists:

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

win

Yuppiechef.com & Mantality.co.za

a copy of Easy Cooking

COMPETITION TERMS & CONDITIONS

pg52

Competition submissions should reach us no later than 11 April 2014. The Prize/s is as indicated, no alternatives or cash will be provided. Six months’ supply equates to one case of product per month.

52 BOOK GIVEAWAY

The decision of Integrated Media will be final and no

Nina Timm’s Easy Cooking

correspondence will be entered into. Under no

64

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

48 2 www.topsatspar.co.za

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.

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

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Editorial Fiona McDonald

Nelspruit

fiona

In the latest TOPS at SPAR flyer which was stuffed in my letterbox a week or two ago, there was a drinktionary slogan at the top of one of the pages that had me chuckling: Vino-memo ‒ making a mental note to buy a divine wine again. don’t do that often enough – and

That flyer is sitting on top of a pile of

frequently find myself metaphorically

papers on my desk as I write this, and I

in front of a shelf full of wine

pamphlet, packed with special deals and

scratching my head while standing bottles, hoping and praying that some

distant remembrance will come to me.

(It never does, of course!)

have to say that it’s a very handy little

price shakers on everything from beer,

pre-mixed vodka and cranberry cocktails to wine, whisky, gin and vodka.

Its eight pages of useful information

– and probably the most beneficial

Drinktionary

Vino-memo ‒ making a mental note to buy a divine wine again thing about it are the two pages devoted to the Fundi selection of wines. I spent time with the panel of expert tasters,

watching them sip and spit their way through just shy of 100 wines. And I

have to say that watching a wine tasting panel is never going to rank up there with tickets to a World Cup cricket, rugby or soccer final… But it was

interesting because of the rigour of the process which you can read about in this issue (Page 52). This group of

individuals are keenly aware of the

responsibility resting on their shoulders and the TOPS at SPAR customer is

in their mind with every mouthful of wine tasted.

TOPS at SPAR impress me because

you, the consumer, are what drive 4 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

them. Keeping you happy, supplying

you with great products at the best price possible in a convenient location is their

motivation. No-one embodies this more tangibly than Nick de Clerq, the

20-something manager of TOPS at

SPAR The Grove store in Nelspruit.

TOPS at SPAR The Grove was

judged the best TOPS at SPAR in the country – and when you speak to de

Clerq it’s obvious why: he eats, breathes and sleeps customer satisfaction. He

reads about a product in Cheers’ news

pages and he’s onto the folks at TOPS at SPAR head office wanting to know

when they can supply it! Staff training

is number one for him and he’s willing to do everything to provide his

employees with as many skills as possible – so that the customer’s

experience is the best it can possibly be.

His goal for 2014 is to attend a wine

course to learn more about wine, taking a few members of staff with him – again, so that they can be more

knowledgeable in recommending wines to their regulars.

Well done to the team at TOPS at SPAR

The Grove for a richly deserved honour.

Cheers to that!

Fiona

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

News

news news news news andries

Fusion, not confusion South African producers frequently show the rest of the brandy-distilling world a

clean pair of heels at international spirit competitions.

THINK PINK

For many folks, Valentine’s Day is just a marketing gimmick. Who likes being

Estate Wines, Andries Burger, has been

roses, chocolates or making reservations at

appointed the new Chairman of the Cape

restaurants just because it’s February 14?

Winemakers Guild, taking over the reins

regardless of what day it is, is Pongrácz Rosé, with two beautiful gift pack options

and the good news is that the popular Brandy Fusion event is once again going ahead in Cape Town and Johannesburg and in May and June respectively.

Showcasing the best brandies around ‒ 50 of them! ‒ along with the top distillers in the country, the event is part education and part entertainment. Masterclasses are held every hour and include things like chocolate and brandy pairings or food and brandy matching.

The venue for the Cape Town event is the International Convention Centre from 22 to 23 May while the Sandton Convention Centre hosts Brandy Fusion in Johannesburg on 5 and 6 June.

Tickets are R195 per person and include 15 beverage coupons, two coffee coupons

Award-winning winemaker of Paul Cluver

pressurised into paying over the odds for

One thing which seduces and woos,

Locals are genuinely spoiled for choice

Burger’s the Guild’s man from Jeff Grier of Villiera Wines.

“I see my role as chairman as an extension of the goal of the Cape

to choose from ‒ one is ‘With Love’ while

Winemakers Guild, to guide the Guild in its

the other is ‘Fireworks’.

quest to further knowledge and expertise in

Pongrácz is a delicate, blush pink in colour which suits any occasion ‒ from

ensuring that South African wines are rated amongst the best in the world. It is also

sunset picnics while listening to music at

important that we continue to strive for

Kirstenbosch or the Durban Botanical

improvement in our industry and that we,

Gardens to an intimate dinner for two.

It’s a Méthode Cap Classique, made in the

through projects such as the Guild’s Protégé Programme, nurture and create

traditional French Champagne methods, so

leaders for the future,” said Burger,

offers up delicate yeasty notes along with

winemaker at Paul Cluver since 1997.

ample lip-smacking flavour.

Supporting him on the Guild’s Management Committee are new vice chairman Miles Mossop of Tokara, whilst David Finlayson of Edgebaston serves another year as treasurer. Louis Nel of Louis Wines is the Guild’s official Cellarmaster for 2014 with David Nieuwoudt of Cederberg Private Cellar responsible for the Guild’s technical workshops and marketing.

The Cape Winemakers Guild comprises

and a 400ml crystal brandy balloon glass.

45 of South Africa’s most respected

Tickets are available from Computicket.

winemakers with the single minded vision

Pre-bookings for the Master

to elevate the standing of the South African

classes are via Facebook

wine industry through their on-going

www.facebook.com/finebrandyfusion.

commitment to transformation and the

Book soon to avoid disappointment.

production of world-class, quality wines.

6 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

what’s happening

M

Y

CM

New Sheriff in town

We’ve all seen the tag lines and footnotes on adverts for alcoholic beverages: ‘not for sale to MY

CY CMY

K

persons under the age of 18’.

Yes, it’s required by law but it was initially adopted by alcohol advertisers as a sign of responsibility.

ARA, or the Association for the Responsible use of Alcohol, is the organisation whose mission it is to reduce alcohol-related harm by means of combating misuse and abuse of alcohol as well as the promotion of responsible use of such beverages.

The new chief executive of ARA is Osborn Mahanjana, former director of corporate affairs at a top pharmaceutical company. “I’m looking forward to the challenges,” Mahanjana said.

“I’ve joined at a time when the alcohol industry is being met with a number of new legislative policies and frameworks which will remain a top priority for us in 2014. In addition, we will continue our work to reduce alcohol-related harm through combating the misuse and abuse of alcohol beverages and promoting their responsible use.”

ARA chairman Jeffrey Milliken welcomed Mahanjana, saying he brought a wealth of experience with him, particularly regarding regulatory matters. “In addition, Osborn’s background is not from the alcohol industry meaning he brings a fresh perspective to the issues we deal with.”

ARA members includes major alcohol manufacturers such as SAB, wine companies such as Distell, KWV, Douglas Green Bellingham, Pernod-Ricard, E Snell & Co and Brandhouse ‒ along with TOPS at SPAR and other liquor retailers.

charlie

C

osborn

news news news news

few days

marked the beginning of the single malt

before Christmas,

category as we know it today, he pushed the

surrounded by

global development of William Grant & Sons’

his family after a

brands, whilst spearheading the acquisition

brief illness.

of an American import house, the first of its

He was renowned as

the man behind the

Glenfiddich distillery at night.

kind in the industry, moving control of distribution and sale into company hands.

phenomenal growth of

The company’s chief executive, Stella

what was initially a small,

David, said, “Charlie brought an incredible

family-run company in

energy to his life’s work. When one looks at

the Scottish Highlands

the way he always maintained the integrity

into one of the world’s

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

leading producers of Scotch whisky.

Charlie Gordon as he was known to all he

of our Scotch whiskies whilst at the same time innovating new brands such as Hendricks Gin and Reyka Vodka, it is easy

met, was a charming man with a larger

to see why he was so highly regarded

International memorial services were held

than life personality which, coupled with

throughout the world.

in both New York and Scotland to mark the

long-term vision and perceptiveness, took

passing of Charles Gordon, the man who

William Grant & Sons to be the world

New York and Glasgow were a celebration

gave the world Glenfiddich Scotch whisky.

renowned company it is today.

of long and fruitful life and of a man

Gordon, the Life President of William Grant & Sons, died in New York just a

His passion and innovative nature led him to launch Glenfiddich internationally which

“The commemorative services in

who contributed so much to the global spirits industry.”

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 7

News

news news news news Whisky lovers all over South Africa are

Stick your neck out

being well served by organisers of the

who doesn’t conform to the norm. He’s a

WHISKY LIVE NEWS Whisky Live festival.

They have added Nelspruit to the list of

Michael Bucholz is one of those winemakers laidback, casual but nonetheless astute character. He’s urging fans of Obikwa

venues and are continuing to innovate,

Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to stick

adding a host of smaller, more intimate

their necks out while enjoying the range of

whisky events throughout the country.

pocket pleasing wines.

These Whisky Live showrooms are going

“Be adventurous,” he says. “With

to be held at Durban’s Sun Coast Casino

refreshing pear and peach notes and an

on April 25 and 26, Emnotweni Casino in

undertone of woody spices, this fruity

Nelspruit on May 16 and 17, and at the

Chardonnay is a flexible wine that can jazz

Cape Sun in Cape Town on 19 and 20 June.

up even the simplest meals.” He personally

As the mailer states: “The idea behind the FNB Whisky Live Showrooms is to

enjoys his wines with a good, old-fashioned toasted sandwich!.

create a platform for master distillers and

“Be a little bit more adventurous in

local whisky legends to engage with

the kitchen during 2014. Why not try the

discerning whisky lovers.”

The idea is to have premium whiskies, bespoke mini-tastings, and an intimate environment just like the first ever festival which was held in a small marquee at the V & A Waterfront a decade ago.

Watch the press for details.

Obikwa Chardonnay with a Gouda, ham and apple toastie? Make it in a snackwich toaster or try it out at your next bring & braai.”

And with days getting shorter and cooler, he advocates prolonging summer by drinking tangy Obikwa Sauvignon Blanc.

“It’ll add a touch of summer to any meal ‒ like pizza.”

“Making a caprese pizza is easy and a really quick fix when unexpected guests come knocking. Using a store bought pizza base, just add roasted tomatoes, soft mozzarella cheese and bake for about 10 minutes. To jazz it up, add dollops of basil pesto and fresh basil leaves,” he says.

For more information visit www.obikwa.com, join the OBiKWA tribe on Facebook or follow them on Twitter @ObikwaWines.

8 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

news news news news Overland Bottle Store in Klerksdorp. Hilda,

hilda

who has a keen interest in gardening, will be given access to a mentor as part of her prize. The mentor will help her to create the garden of her dreams.

The national competition, open to all Windhoek fans living in South Africa, invited consumers to purchase a Windhoek beer and SMS the 12 digit batch code on pack to 32329 or enter online at www.

DREAMS BECOME REALITY

A Klerksdorp woman, Hilda Voges was notified recently that she was the first

Windhoek beer fan to win half a million rand in the Windhoek “The Right Stuff Challenge”

“I never knew it that a single phone call could change one’s life,” “I never knew it that a single phone call could change one’s life,” says Hilda who purchased her winning bottle from the

purebeersociety.com. Their names then went into a draw to stand a chance to be one of two winners kick-start their passion with R500 000 cash.

Alan Roberts, Windhoek Marketing Manager said: “We’re delighted that we’ve managed to help Hilda pursue her gardening interest. We hope that this campaign will inspire others to follow their passion.”

Previous winners have done just that. In early 2013 Windhoek changed the lives of Adelaide Hlongwane, an unemployed woman from Pretoria who used her prize to start a transport company after buying a Toyota Venture.

Hlongwane used her cash to make her ambition to start her own business a reality.

Along with her husband, who was unemployed at the time, she started a taxi business. She also bought her parents a

ide adela

house and set aside money for her children’s education.

Fellow Pretoria resident Wikus Visser used his winnings to donate to a mission, build a house for his domestic worker as well as indulge his photography hobby by buying some top-of-range equipment ‒ and then publishing a coffee-table book!

juan-pierre

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s

The third winner Juan-Pierre Smit of Cape Town decided to invest in his future, having always dreamt of becoming a lawyer, his winnings allowed him to enrol for a law degree.

COGNAC ROYALTY

Cognac remains a massively aspirational product for South African lovers of all brandy. If you belong to the social group recognised as “swaggers”, this is one to try and lay your hands on: The Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal.

It’s hailed in the press release as “a majestic experience”, coming as it does from the 300-year-old house of Fine Champagne Cognac, with its ties to French royalty, Rémy Martin. It’s described as “the perfect example of Fine Champagne Cognac.”

The Cognac house wants to grow its share of the luxury market in South Africa, particularly in terms of VSOP and XO, so the blend includes 65% Grande Champagne and 35% Petite Champagne grapes and nearly 240 different eaux-de-vie aged in oak barrels from four to 20 years.

The name is significant, derived from the year ‒ 1738 ‒ when King Louis XV of France gave Rémy Martin special permission to plant new vines on his land, despite a nationwide ban to that effect. His leniency in this regard was attributed to the provenance and quality of the cognac.

Appropriately, the 750ml glass bottle also differs from the norm and is more bulbous with a longer neck. A distinctive lozenge-shaped medallion with the historic number of 1738 is stamped on the shoulder, while the iconic image of the Centaur throwing a javelin appears in gold ink directly below the embossed mark. A parchment-style rectangular label enhances the finish of the copper neck foil and a real cork closure adds to the premium image.

Swaggers can expect to hand over a good few buffaloadorned Randelas for the privilege of being able to brag about this Cognac!

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 9

News

news news news news Tugging heart strings

Giving the lie to the old adage that ‘bad news sells’ is the latest Bell’s whisky television advert ‒ The Reader ‒ which became the most viewed South African liquor ad in less than two weeks!

Notching up a whopping 900 000 YouTube views, the ad overtook the previous “title holder”, the Amstel ‘Chef’ advert which had clocked up 265 000 views in seven months. As a further compliment the Bell’s clip was picked up by popular international sites such as Buzz Feed, Fast Company, and Adsoftheworld.

Bell’s Whisky’s new television ad, initially flighted over the first weekend in February, undoubtedly got people talking. It’s a real tug at the heart strings vignette while being uniquely South African because illiteracy among the older population remains a very real probem in this country.

THE ELDERLY MAN’S MISSION AND GOAL? TO READ HIS SON’S BOOK! “This touching story of perseverance stays true to the values and spirit that the Bell’s brand has become known for,” says Thandeka Ngqumeya, Bell’s Whisky brand manager. “The slogan “Give that man a Bell’s!” is a phrase that has become synonymous with acknowledging exceptional achievement, especially when people go to great lengths to do something for someone else.”

Executive creative director at King James, the ad agency tasked with conceptualising the ad, Devin Kennedy said they strove to create a storyline that “would engage and inspire South Africans across the board”.

“We don’t normally talk about the good stuff and the great things people do to make life better for themselves and their families, which is why campaigns such as these are such a focus for us. They are opportunities for us to salute all the unsung heroes for their exceptional character,” said Gavin Krenski, marketing and innovations director at Brandhouse, distributors of Bell’s Whisky.

“We wanted to tell a story that hadn’t been told before. One that is uplifting and that celebrates the spirit of a true Man of Character. And while we were absolutely thrilled with the end result, we’re blown away by how an ad, which was aimed at a South

jkl

African audience, has captured the imagination of the world,” Kennedy said.

10 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

And if you’d like more

‘behind-the-scenes’ footage:

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X

no f e A bc D

The Reader:

http://youtu.be/VteDp3IK-60

uvw t s r pQ

ghI

M

If you haven’t seen it, follow this link to view it:

http://youtu.be/wkE-cbwhhNA

what’s happening

news news news news HAIRY OR SCARY?

always need to be a little different to get

One of the more oddball traditional in the

attention and so the Barrels & Beards was

South African winelands takes place in Bot

born. One can’t be too ‘fancy pants’ about

River every harvest: all the winemakers

wine,” said chairman of the Bot River wine

hang up their razors for the duration of the

route, Penny Verburg. “It’s there to be

harvest – only to have a beard competition

enjoyed and what better way to celebrate

on Saturday, April 5.

the end of harvest and all the hard work

The Bot River Barrels & Beards is an utterly unique and fun-filled celebration of winemaking.

Themed ‘The Good Old Way’, the 2014

that’s gone into it?”

The venue is The Old Shed at Anysbos Farm on the Swartrivier Road, off the N2 and starts at 5pm. A shuttle service

event features barrel tastings of the latest

(departing from the Botrivier Hotel) will be

cool-climate, quality wines from this unspoilt

available on the evening in support of

Winelands pocket and a raging beard parade

responsible drinking.

and ‘formal’ judging of the boldest beard in

Seating is limited to 200 guests and

Bot River. Guests will also indulge in a

tickets go fast! They’re R270 a head and

terroir-to-table three-course dinner of

include complimentary barrel tastings of

unique tastes and produce from the area,

the 2014 wines, a souvenir wine glass,

accompanied by foot stomping

dinner, music entertainment and real

entertainment by a lively marimba band and

country hospitality.

the ever-green boereorkes, Die Stoepsitters.

For more information or to book contact

“By virtue of where Bot River is located,

Nicolene Heyns at nicolene@botriverwines.

between Hemel en Aarde and Elgin, we

co.za or call 082 852 6547.

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 11

News

news news news news In the first issue of Cheers magazine published two years ago, we noted that TOPS at SPAR had gone from nowhere to the biggest liquor retail chain in the country in the space of 10 years. It has done so because of the people behind TOPS at SPAR as well as the service their stores provide.

Motivation STORE OF THE YEAR 2013

staff is that of customer care while cashiers and merchandisers then proceed to learn more about up-selling to customers. Still on

eneral Montgomery gained fame

the drawing board, but it’s something he’s

and international renown for his

vowed to action within a year or two, is to

strategic vision during the Battle

improve the wine knowledge of his team.

of Al Alamein, one of the most important of

“I want them to learn more about wine so

the desert campaign during World War II.

that they can relate to our customers and

He once said his definition of leadership

service their needs better.”

was: “The capacity and the will to rally men

The astonishing thing about this is that

and women to a common purpose and

Nick de Clerq doesn’t have the benefit of

character which inspires confidence.”

years and years of experience behind him.

Recently South Africa mourned the

He’s young ‒ just 23 years old ‒ but he’s as

passing of one such inspirational leader and

enthusiastic and energised as a Duracell

man of character: Nelson Mandela. Both

bunny! He’s as proud as punch of the

common people and world leaders alike

recognition which TOPS at SPAR granted

sang his praises loudly. One thing which

the store ‒ but he was quite confident they

shone through strongly was his humility and

were going to win.

his desire to uplift people. He provided inspirational leadership and led by example.

On a somewhat more modest scale, the

“I knew that if we actioned everything we needed to and put in place the promotions I’d highlighted, we were in with a good

Group but he’s certainly one of the most dynamic and proficient!

“He sets incredibly high standards for

manager of TOPS at SPAR The Grove in

chance,” he said. He’d paid attention to the

himself and for his staff ‒ and it’s

Nelspruit, Nick de Clerq is inspiring and

guidelines provided by SPAR’s Group

commendable. His passion and enthusiasm

uplifting his team. Not only has this shop been

Liquor Executive Mark Robinson (Pictured

has rubbed off on everyone who works

judged the single best TOPS at SPAR in the

with Nick above right).

with him and he really inspires his team

country, but it has won Best of Nelspruit

“I’d encourage all at TOPS at SPAR and the

while also empowering them.

awards for customer service for the past three

SPAR Group to visit this store if they ever

years in a row. And it’s achieved these honours

find themselves in Nelspruit!” Robinson said.

us in the SPAR Group are very proud of.

because De Clerq believes in motivating his

He remarked that Nick de Clerq might be

Winning the Store of the Year is a well

17-strong team of employees, sending them

one of the youngest managers in the SPAR

deserved honour for all the effort he’s put in.”

off on a variety of training courses.

“The better the staff are, the better the customer is served,” De Clerq maintains.

The most fundamental training course for 12 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

“Nick runs a TOPS at SPAR store that all of

Congratulations to all at TOPS at SPAR The Grove in Nelspruit.

Tinus talks

Pick of the bunch

tinus

With the South African grape harvest kicking into high gear in February all indications at the time of going to press are that 2014 is going to be a good vintage but smaller than the bumper 2013 one. The reason for this was a nice cold winter in the Western Cape, coupled with a higher than average rainfall that resulted in good soil water content and with an initial even bud burst, a very cold and wet September and lower temperatures in October. Budding was somewhat uneven and in the end was up to 10 days later than usual. enerally speaking there was

grape harvest for 2014. As with most

by French vignerons (in France),

some grape rot in some of the

places in the Boland, picking started two

négociants, supermarket and

producing regions, particularly

weeks later than normal also because of

independent traders, journalists and

amongst white grapes, for

colder, windy conditions during the

sommeliers, and were conducted sighted

example Chenin Blanc, but this was less of a

flowering period. But Burger remained

and unsighted depending on the purpose

factor in the unirrigated dry land vineyards.

upbeat about the fruit quality, prouncing

of the occasion. A few times corresponding

Some downy mildew was also noted in

himself happy with the pH readings that

wine styles from Bordeaux, the Côtes du

places. Uneven berry size became evident

stemmed from the cool temperatures

Rhône, Chile, Australia and the United

with the later ripening wine grapes, and

experienced between berry-set and

States were also presented.

interestingly enough larger berries

ripening. One good thing for farmers in

I’ve done similar benchmark tastings for

developed, despite the smaller harvest. In

this region which was hit by late frost in

a number of years but these last occasions

this regard an increase in Chenin Blanc

September 2013 was that the wine grape

turned out to be special. It is becoming

bunch weights of between 18% to 28%

varietals were not yet physiologically far

abundantly clear that the quality

between 2013 and 2014, for respectively

developed, with most damage limited to

improvement of South African wine is

dry land vineyards and vines under

the table and raisin grape farmers.

increasingly acknowledged internationally

irrigation, was measured in certain

Overall 2014 seems to be a vintage

and our wines are making a statement

producing regions. The one good thing was

requiring careful fruit selection and one

wherever wine is seriously served. These

that there was notably less wind damage

where viticulturists needed to be alert and

conclusions do not only apply to the actual

than in previous years.

dedicated with regard to their vineyard

sensory appreciation and enjoyment of the

management practices. 2014 will prove to

wines but especially also recognizing

Manager of Viticultural Services at Orange

be a year testing the mettle of both

and admitting that the improvement

River Cellars, reported a 20% smaller wine

viticulturist and winemaker.

and innovation in viticultural practices

In the Northern Cape, Henning Burger,

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

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

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Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

TASTING ABROAD

translating into more acceptable wines

I’ve participated in a number of tastings

than ever before.

in France, Holland and Belgium during the

More specifically the stronger realisation

past six months at which a scrupulous

that good wine originates from the

selection of different types and styles of

vineyard, the importance of diligent pH

South African wines, across all price levels,

management, better wooded white wine,

were assessed. The events were attended

smarter use of lees contact programmes,

Tinus van Niekerk

imaginative blends, softer tannin textures, the emphasis on style and not power, the appropriate bottle ageing of the superior red and white wines before commercial release, and the better balancing of alcohol into the wine’s flavour personality, as well as capturing natural sweet fruit in wine styles, regularly came under discussion.

Without exception the regime of preparing and serving wine correctly, regardless of the moment, came under scrutiny, the most interesting of which was the following: Full-bodied white wine showing good structure and prominent mouthfeel should be served cool, not chilled. In fact, the question was asked why South Africans like to present all white wines so highly chilled.

The same applies to elegantly wooded white wine.

Full-flavoured red and white wine must be served at the same temperature which invariably should be around 17̊C.

It is becoming abundantly clear that the quality improvement of South African wine is increasingly acknowledged internationally

Winery

The fourth element It stretches 350km from end to end with evocative winery names like Grootdrink, Kakamas and Keimoes. Samarie Smith takes a closer look at the winery located in amongst the arid surrounds of the Kalahari.

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Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

Orange River Wine Cellars

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 17

Winery

arth, wind and fire are the

Schroder embarked on a project to build

built and aptly named Groblershoop,

– but the fourth is the one

needed water from the Great Gariep to

represented by the four surrounding

three elements known to all which adds life to the dry,

dusty and arid Northern Cape and

makes the vines hang heavy with sweet ripe grapes: the meandering watery artery of the Orange River.

A thriving wine industry is somewhat

unexpected in these surrounds. After all, wisdom would have it that vines need

cool climes – not semi-dessert where the mercury in the thermometer frequently nudges 40-degrees in mid-summer!

The Orange River, also known as the

Great Gariep with its source in Lesotho, ran through this region for centuries on

its way to the Atlantic ocean on the west

coast. Although renowned for its extreme climate, the land offered little hospitality.

It was in 1883 that a missionary called

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Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

the Upington canal to channel much-

battling farmers. That sowed the seed of future success.

Fast forward 80 years. Orange River

Wine Cellars was born on the 23rd of December 1965 with the aim of

Grootdrink, Kakamas and Keimoes, as regions. This conglomeration makes up the pillars of the Orange River Wine Cellars (ORC), the largest winery in sub-Saharan Africa.

producing table grapes. Within a year the

NOWADAYS

was commissioned allowing farmers to

wine cultivars are only suited to cooler

Orange River Scheme Irrigation Canal

ORC has literally crushed the fallacy that

irrigate their vines on a natural gravity-

climates by growing their average annual

feed basis. This cost-effective solution made agriculture more viable and a

decision was made to expand the farming

portfolio to include wine grapes to unlock additional value. In 1968 the first wine grapes were harvested, bringing along with it the discovery of an untapped agricultural gem – wine.

Before long four new wine cellars were

crush of 5 182 tons in 1968, to a healthy 150 000 tons a year to date. With some 17 000 hectares under vine and

approximately 900 grape farmers playing their part, this is no small endeavour.

A SENSE OF ORIGIN

The Northern Cape province, with

Upington as its epicentre, is a warm and

Orange River Wine Cellars

Ostriches thrive in the hot, dry country while almost every day delivers a breathtaking sunset over the Orange River.

There’s a fresh vista everywhere you look.

welcoming place that’s easy to love. One

majestically along its horizon; a river that

to grape varieties. Various microclimates

hospitality and down-to-earth charm of

rock formations and soft red sand dunes

eddies also contribute to the unique

its people. A welcoming glass of wine served up with a hot-off-the-braai,

fat-dripping skilpadjie (minced liver wrapped in caul fat), followed by

Kalahari biltong-sushi is not unusual.

And it’s not unknown for a leg of

snakes through this thirsty land, past which grace the cover photograph of many a coffee table book. And don’t

drop over a meandering 26km course.

marketing manager of ORC. “Both

Augrabies waterfalls offering a 122m

The vinous landscape stretches over

handed over for the return journey. This

distance before the next oasis of green

pleasure in sharing good food, good wine and good company.

Despite their wine successes, visiting a

Blouputs and one can travel quite some seeps into sight. And through it all runs the

rivery artery which cloaks its banks in green, ideal for sundowners on a river cruise.

local winery would’ve been the last thing

INSIDE ORC

and surrounds 10 years ago. That list

quality grapes. The area’s clean, dry air

on a “to-do” list when visiting Upington

Quality wine can only be made from

would have been headed by the Kalahari

nurtures healthy and disease free vines

desert, with oryx and quiver trees poised

“Colombard and Chenin Blanc are the

signature grapes and represent the bulk

350km between Groblershoop and

is the home of real people who take

characteristics of the ORC wines.

forget the awesomely powerful

springbok and a basket full of homemade treasures from local farm stalls to be

along the river banks with its islands and

of our vineyards”, said KoosVisser, the perform well in the alluvial river soils

and under the sunny climate. We get yields of between 35 to 40 tons per hectare from which we make good

Marketing manager Koos Visser spreads the message of Orange River Wine Cellars’ wines as far afield as China and the United States.

planted in a variety of soils, appropriate Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

koos

cannot help but be overwhelmed by the

www.topsatspar.co.za 19

Winery

wine.” Those are the sort of yields which would have farmers in Stellenbosch and Paarl gagging on their Chardonnay!

As with any business, strategy is

important. “Our business strategy

harnesses a philosophy that values both the industry as well as the people

involved”, said Visser. “ORC is a

co-operative cellar responsible for 900 farmers who supply us grapes. Our

responsibility does not stop at their

produce but extends to our employees

and their families. Our main objective is to unlock value for them and make their farming business sustainable.”

Visser further explained that wine

exports were presently small as they

didn’t undercut prices to the detriment

of their producers. “Every bottle of wine

We have a young and dynamic winemaking team who’re committed to showing what can be done. impact has been dramatic in improving the fruit quality. We also have a young and dynamic winemaking team who’re committed to showing the wine world what can be done.”

“Maintaining prices in a competitive

must be sold at profit.”

market remains one of our greatest

practices has also contributed immensely

away. On the other hand, it is quite a

Investment in their viticultural

of late. “We have six viticulturists

working with our farmers – and their 20 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

temperatures can fluctuate by 25 degrees!

Along with frost, floods and predators

forms just another day at the ORC office, but this is nothing serious,” Visser joked.

JEWELS OF THE DESERT – THE FACTS

In the past 12 months many awards have come ORC’s way. The Orange River

Cellars White Muscadel 2012 came out tops against the best muscadel wines

from Spain, France and Portugal and was chosen as one of the top 10

Muscadel wines in the world, winning a gold medal at the annual Muscats du Monde competition in France.

Back on home soil, the same wine was

won gold at the annual SA muscadel Awards with the red Muscadel

prevailing as the overall winner.

“Our standard is good enough for the

challenges where wine is still literally given

public and apparently also good enough

challenge to see a young vine through its

honour. Our climate assures opulent

first winter when night and daytime

for the international judges. It’s a great flavours and great quality,” said Visser.

Orange River Wine Cellars

Opposite: Table grape trellises are set high off the ground in order to keep precious bunches as cool as possible. This page clockwise from above: Intended for uncomplicated enjoyment, Orange River Cellars’ wines have even won a label award competition; Ducks wander the vineyard, feeding on potentially damaging snails; spiky leaved succulents stand in stark contrast agains the red Kalahari soil backdrop.

“The juicy sweetness of the white

Muscadel is like sunshine in your mouth!”

After walking away with the top

The past decade has seen a significant shift from quantity to quality.

honours and being crowned the Best

with cheese boards at fun get togethers.

particular emphasis being given to each

the Best Value guide 2014 is also packed

favourite; more intense with a lovely

sparkling, dessert and fortified wines.

received a merit award, the red muscadel

gooseberry and granadilla, they partner

Value Cellar in 2013, the 2014 edition of with ORC wines. The Colombard 2013 2012 and white jerepigo NV both

achieved four stars. The white muscadel

The Chenin Blanc also remains a

bouquet of summer fruits such as braaied fish perfectly.

Primarily noted for its success with

2012, Sweet Hanepoot NV, red jerepigo

aromatic, dry whites, in the past few years

2013, Nouveau natural sweet 2013, Brut

Sauvignon, Ruby Cabernet and Pinotage

NV, Cape Ruby 2012, Natural Rosé

Sparkling 2013 and sparkling rosé were also included.

Traditionally planted as base wine for

brandies, Colombar has certainly found a

home here, producing clean, light-bodied, off-dry wines for everyday drinking. Its

freshness and citrusy aroma pairing well

red varieties like Shiraz, Cabernet

are also gaining traction. The Ruby

Cabernet is ideal with venison, rich in

coffee-mocha aromas with bright red fruit while the Pinotage is more berry and

plum driven and pairs well with pasta.

The past decade has seen a significant

shift from quantity to quality with

category, from dry to semi-sweet,

The beauty is not just in the wines but in ORC’s philosophy of never pretending

to be anything more than just a group of cellars consistently producing the best

wine possible at the best price. It is thus

no surprise that ORC was recognized as the Best Value Winery in South Africa in 2013 and can now proudly hold its

head high as one of the best Muscadel producers in the world.

For further enquiries or planning a visit, contact 054 337 8800 or visit their mobi site open your cellphone http://www.orangeriverwines.mobi Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 21

Wine

Graça

Singing,dancing sharing Singing,dancing & sharing

‘What do you call someone who arrives at a braai without a bottle of wine? Persona non- Graça!’ It’s a corny joke but still raises a chuckle from those with fond memories of the wine associated with seafood, fun, friends and good times. Fiona McDonald reviews the growth of one of South Africa’s perennial favourites, Graça, over the past 30 years. ime sure flies when you’re having fun,”

said former brand manager Brian Glass, the man who had the genuine

pleasure of introducing Graça to

legions of South African wine drinking fans. Now

retired and – like a lead character in a romance novel

– sporting distinguished graying temples, Glass shared his memories of launching Graça in 1983.

“It’s a very simple story: We had absolutely no

budget for marketing so we made sure that all our reps basically drank Graça on to the market!” said Glass, only half-joking. One of the anecdotes he

recalled about the squat-bottled, Portuguese Vinho

Verde-styled wine is that he and colleagues roamed the

docks in Cape Town, scrounging discarded fishing nets,

marker buoys and other detritus, along with bag loads of

white sand shovelled off local beaches. “We then distributed

these to the various liquor outlets in order for them to set up marketing displays, complete with plastic lobsters.”

The concept was to have the laughing, singing, sharing, dancing wine

associated with seafood – and it went down a treat. So much so that when

the time came for the “promotional material” to be returned to Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery (SFW – the creators of Graça) the store owners refused,

making the Graça displays almost permanent because their customers loved the informal vibe!

The point Glass was keen on making was that Graça was a wine with

personality and a vibrant sense of fun, from day one. “It’s something that is

almost lacking in a lot of wines nowadays,” he said. And he’s quite right too.

Almost everyone has a Graça story to tell – even if it’s just remembering one of their quirky adverts, such as setting the lobsters free!

With production colleagues Colin Frith, Duimpie

Bayly and Wouter Pienaar on the winemaking side,

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 23

Wine

“The plan was to make a wine that everyone could drink ‒ those who preferred dry wine, those who preferred sweeter wine, and even those who preferred red wine.”

anything else around. Following on from the acidic nod to the Vinho Verde

stylistics, it was also decided to include

some Portuguese on the label – so Graça used to be branded Casa do Ouro

(meaning from the House of Gold) and Vinho do Mesa – or wine of the house.

While marketing staff were delighted

Glass and the marketing team worked

was a dry wine, a fruity wine or even an

to leverage South Africa’s strong

was unlike anything else available locally

them to enjoy it.”

founding origins from Vasco da Gama

hand-in-hand on creating a wine that at the time.

“My function was to find something

that people would drink – that didn’t fit into the biggest category at the time,” said Frith. And that category was

Premier Grand Cru. Nowadays that’s

acknowledged as a nefarious construct of a white blend. But Graça’s purpose was also to push the boundaries of

introducing the wine drinking public to

“other grapes” without even knowing it, as well as to solve a production problem

off-dry wine. All we wanted was for

And enjoy it they did. Graça quickly

became a household favourite – after all, it was the wine for sardinos or

langostinos, to enjoy with friendinos…

That was the original marketing and

advertising slogan before it became the laughing, singing, dancing and sharing

wine, Glass revealed. The fallout of that

slogan was that he became known in the trade as “Brian Glassino, your friendino from Stellenboschino”!

Virtually every other bottle of wine on

that SFW had.

the market at that stage had a long neck

Semillon but there was lots planted.

make the bottle unique, again unlike

“In those days no-one was using much

Sauvignon Blanc was another one.” It

seems almost ludicrous to think that varietal labelling of wines as Sauvignon Blanc,

Chardonnay or Semillon Blanc wasn’t a feature of the wine world in the 80’s!

“The plan was to make a wine that

everyone could drink – those who

preferred dry wine, those who preferred sweeter wine, and even those who

preferred red wine. The residual sugar

level was around 7g per litre while the acidity which the Semillon and

Sauvignon Blanc contributed, added

freshness and succulence. And it worked incredibly well. It just grew and grew every year.”

One of the reasons for its popularity

was that it was never pigeonholed. “We allowed consumers to decide whether it 24 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

and a conscious decision was taken to

association with Portugal, both in its

and Bartholomew Dias to the influx of

Wine

There are precious few wines on the local market which encapsulate or embody a similar sheer joie de vivre!

Portuguese expats from neighbouring

Mozambique after the 1975 revolution, the Portuguese trade authorities took a dim view of it.

There was a huge court case involving

Graça with many experts called upon to

testify. Portugal wanted SFW to cease and

desist but the Stellenbosch winery was able

dumpy bottle was shrink-wrapped in

much of the legal wrangling took place –

typically quirky artwork, cartoons and

show that that the bottle – over which

either yellow, blue or green sleeves with

was theirs to use. “We were able to prove

graffiti covering it. Each one tells the

that the bottle shape used was that already

story of special times South Africans

in use for Monis Sherry – and was

have shared with Graça - like the

something we’d already been making and

unforgettable 1995 Rugby World Cup

bottling for decades.” But the Portuguese

and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to

wording was quietly dropped from the

home-grown moments like the

label in a spirit of appeasement.

Lambertsbaai Kreeffees.

Glass recalled that Southern Sun was

Since you can’t keep a good thing

one of the biggest buyers of Graça –

down, Graça spawned other wines - like

hotel chain.”People knew what the wine

and a bambino 375ml edition, which

which created its own problems for the

the strawberry pink, softly sweet Rosé,

cost in their local supermarket or liquor

when launched was sold complete with a

store so took a rather dim view of being

birth certificate! And all the trucks

charged R3 per bottle in the hotel… They

transporting the cases of wine sported

felt they were being ripped off!”

massive “Baby on Board” branding!

Not that it affected sales. Graça

became a sensation, selling one million litres annually – and then two million

litres and peaking at three million litres.

“Something all Graça friendinos have

in common is a love for laughter, fun

and good times spent with friends – and that’s really what Graçafication is all about,” says Jackie Olivier, Global

Marketing Manager Premium Wines

for Distell said at the 30th anniversary launch last year.

A range of festive birthday sleeved

bottles of Graça were released into stores in November, accompanied by the

Graçafication social media campaign on Facebook and Twitter. The familiar 26 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

That quirky irreverence and sense of

Memories and milestones Graça was launched in 1983 by

Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery (SFW).

A trendsetter from the start, Graça was the first South African white wine to be made in the Portuguese Vinho Verde style. It went on to become one of SFW’s biggest success stories in the ‘80s.

Graça broke the million litre barrier in August 1988 and went on to pass 1.5 million litres in March 1989.

It reached the two million litre mark in 1990.

(Source: A Magic Blend. SFW 1925 2000, Romi van der Merwe)

fun, along with an oh-so-drinkable wine, is what made Graça the success that it’s been. There are precious few wines on the local market which encapsulate or embody a similar sheer joie de vivre!

Long may the Graçafication continue.

Beer

28 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

draught

Pulling a pint There’s more to ordering a pint of draught at a bar than meets the eye.

Shayne Dowling takes a personal look at what goes into this rite of thirsty passage.

t’s a ritual known to almost all bar flies. One which is so common

that we don’t even think about it or consider precisely what goes

into pulling the perfect pint. It all begins with the glass – always clean. In most good pubs it’ll be freshly rinsed right

before the beer is served. Placed under the spigot at just the right angle, the

beautiful amber liquid runs smoothly

into the glass, foaming slightly to form a beautiful head. And with a deft tilt, the

pint is finished off and placed before the thirsty patron, beautiful white froth topping it off. Cheers!

Draught (or, if you’re American, draft)

is naturally associated with beer from a tap – which is correct because for

centuries beer or ale was served directly from a barrel, cask or keg. Its origin is from the old English word ‘dragen’

which meant ‘to carry’. Over time this

morphed into drag and draw and then draught – and the natural association was with serving or drawing a beer.

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 29

Beer

dennis

But is there a difference between beer in a bottle or can and the brew dispensed via a pump? The natural person to ask was all round beer guru and evangelist, Denis Da Silva, SAB’s Trade Brewer.

Some brewers claim that draught tastes better than bottle beer. This is because there is less, or no pasteurisation that causes heat damage to the brew. The subsequent influence of pasteurisation is that the beer appears to taste less fresh.The benefit of pasteurised beer is that it has a longer shelf life.So, it’s a balance between freshness and shelf life,. A brewer cannot have both and needs to seek the balance

What are the requirements of a draught beer vs bottled?

It depends on whether the beer has been pasteurised or not ‒ and how it’s done. Some brewers won’t pasteurise their beer but then face the

for the target consumer. Compare it to milk.

challenge of microbiological and colloidal

You could have it straight from the cow,

stability of their beers. By some

warm and unpasteurised with little or no

international standards, genuine draught

shelf life, or refrigerated and pasteurised

cannot be pasteurised but brewers can

consequently longer shelf life. The shelf life

with a limited shelf life or even as UHT

sterile filter their beer. That means they

includes colloidal stability (the difference

(ultra-high temperature) pasteurised milk

filter out the beer spoilage micro-organisms

between a beer remaining clear or going

with extra-long shelf life and no need for

that would normally be destroyed using

cloudy) and microbiological stability (where

refrigeration. It’s still milk but they differ in

pasteurising. They then fill their beer

the quality deteriorates over time and

taste due to the pasteurisation techniques.

into sterile containers under sterile

begins to develop off flavours due to

packaging conditions, for example MGD

contamination).

(Miller Genuine Draft) and Castle Draught in bottle.

The flavour stability of the beer will wane

What are the challenges with draught?

over time: it loses its freshness and

Most brewers, large and small ‒ including

drinkability. Fresh beer is always best! To

There are many! Far more so than

craft brewers,will flash pasteurise their

retain flavour stability of draught beers, one

draught beer en route to a clean and

needs experienced and well-qualified

There’s the need for dispensing equipment

sterilised keg. This guarantees the

brewers, backed up with the right

that requires capital and ongoing

appropriate shelf life whilst the keg is not

technology and equipment.

maintenance including regular cleaning. It’s

connected to the tap. Bottle beer is

with bottled or canned beer.

got to be hygienically clean to avoid quality

normally tunnel pasteurised or cabin

Most research I can find seems to

problems. The limited shelf life of the beer

pasteurised which requires more time and

point to draught beer being

once the keg has been connected to a tap

more effective pasteurisation with a 30 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

almost exclusively unpasteurised?

is probably the single biggest challenge.

draught

The more the volume per tap served in an outlet the better it is for beer quality.

Storing kegs in a cold room is another, as is the ongoing training of bar staff in handling draught equipment ‒ especially pouring and serving. Bar staff come and go in South Africa and not many see it as a career, so there’s a need for continuous training. Each outlet should have a draught champion who is passionate about draught and the equipment.

At Newlands brewery and most of our other SAB breweries in major cities, a weekly Draught Academy is run, where we address these challenges and train bar staff outlets.

What is filtering and what difference does it make?

The choice of whether to filter or not lies with the brewer. Most will choose to do so as it removes residual yeast from the beer and it’ll be visually more appealing to the consumer. Some are not filtered, for example weiss mit heffe (wheat beers with yeast). Most beer drinkers enjoy this as part of the style of the beer.

Filtration’s been around for a long time. In fact, most alcoholic beverages are filtered,

clarity problems later on. The ideal would

Keep the party clean

If you’re aiming for the perfect draught, the first step is to ensure you glasses are spotlessly clean.

A FEW TIPS TO REMEMBER: Never wash your glasses in the same water as your food dishes or cutlery. Grease, fat or food residue not only looks terrible but can certainly affect the taste and quality of the beer.

Try and dry the glasses upside down on a corrugated tray or board. This allows air to circulate inside the glass. In a bar environment do not use a towel unless you’re positive that it has only been used on glasses.

And even this is not ideal as it’s difficult to keep the towels clean and lint free.

Store your beer glasses at counter height or lower. Grease, cigarette smoke and cooking odours tend to rise. Save your overhead racks for other glasses ‒ cocktails and liquor based drinks are not affected in the same way as beer.

be to retain these low temperatures throughout the value chain all the way to the consumer; from refrigerated warehouses, delivery to outlets in refrigerated trucks and storage in cold rooms to maintain optimal freshness and drinkability. But one needs to be realistic about costs and environmental impacts.

What about propulsion methods ‒ the way the beer gets into the glass. How is it done?

It varies from hand and foot driven piston pumps to gas cylinder driven systems. The most common gas used to dispense draught beer is carbon dioxide, CO2, as this is the same gas present in the beer which is produced naturally by the yeast during fermentation. Brewers can mix gases like nitrogen and CO2 for kegs that are stored in cold rooms to avoid carbonation of the beer and to produce a better foam on top of the beer with a tighter foam head and smaller bubbles.

Very fine bubbles result in a “cappuccino” like foam which can change the mouthfeel of the beer and make it smoother drinking ‒ like Castle Milk Stout on tap.

including wine.

Is the flavour of draught vs bottle Chilling: just how important is

noticeably different?

temperature and how does it affect the end product?

Yes, but you need to be a good or experienced beer taster.

Temperature is important. Once

Consumers would enjoy drinking more

fermentation’s complete, beer is

draught beer as its freshness contributes to

allowed to mature at very low

the drinkability and moreishness of it.

temperatures for final flavour development.

Research has shown that consumers

It is normally chilled again before filtration

intuitively prefer fresh beer to ageing beer

which will result in the precipitation of

and, given the choice, will consume more

compounds that can filtered out to avoid

fresh beer than older beer.

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 31

American whiskey

Whiskey ‘n rye It’s a scene almost as iconic as the mesas and buttes of Monument Valley: the saloon doors swinging open and a bottle of whiskey sliding down the counter to yet another dusty, thirsty cowboy. But the story of American whiskey goes back to before the West was settled.

Fiona McDonald reports.

n 2009 the stills at Mount

Vernon, George Washington’s estate in Virginia, flowed with

spirit again – more than 200 years

after ceasing production.

Before his death in 1799 George

Washington, the quintessential American

pioneer president, was one of the country’s most successful distillers. His Mount

Vernon spread boasted its own grist mill, still house with 50 mash tuns and five

copper stills – the smallest of which had a

capacity of just under 500ℓ. The distillation was handled by John Anderson, the son of Washington’s Scottish farm overseer,

James Anderson, along with six slaves.

According to surprisingly detailed

records which have survived, the recipe for Washington’s Mount Vernon whiskey comprised 60% rye, 35% corn and five

percent barley. In the year of his death, the estate produced 50 000ℓ of whiskey and produced a whopping profit of $7 500, according to Michael Jackson’s book,

32 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

Bourbon Whiskey, the definitive world guide.

– and lots of it. Consequently a decision

rebellion is notable for the fact that it

representative of the style of the spirit

domestically produced item – whiskey

government raised its armed forces to

Washington’s whiskey is

that would have been distilled in the late 1700’s. It provides a snapshot of American whiskey’s origins and

was taken to enact the first tax on a

– in 1791. It led to the whiskey rebellion which lasted three years.

Writer and world whiskey expert

development – a tale involving settlers,

Dave Broom presented a lecture on

raw materials available locally.

Live festival. He said farmers realized the

taxation, war, pioneers and using the One of the largest settlements in

America at the time – and still the

largest – New York, was originally called New Amsterdam. That should provide an indication of the predominance of

Dutch settlers who’d based themselves there – along with Germans too. Both

these nationalities had a long tradition of distilling so it was only natural that they would have continued to do so.

They blended corn, because it was

grown locally by the indigenous Indian

population and rye, because they knew it and used it to bake their traditional

breads. Barley was less successful as a crop in those early days.

REVOLUTION

From 1775 to 1783 the American

colonists fought a war of independence

against the British, aided by the French.

(Take note: that’s important and crops

up later!) The American revolution as it came to be known, established the new nation’s independence but it also

financially hamstrung the country.

With taxes on imported items as high

as could be tolerated, Washington and his government needed to raise money

became the first time that the federal

quell the growing opposition which it

did with a 13 000 strong show of force in Monongahela, Pennsylvania.

What many farmers did was to simply

American Whiskey at the 2011 Whisky

up stakes and move elsewhere – in this

benefits of processing their raw material

into areas which were beyond the reach

– corn. Farmers could get 50c for a

bushel of corn but there was a glut of it

and transport was expensive. Getting it to market would cost them more than

the price they could realise. By distilling

case, over the Appalachian mountains of the federal government – such as

Kentucky and Tennessee which remain to this day, the heartland of the

American whiskey distilling tradition.

Because of the financial and logistical

it and making whiskey, it was also easily

support of the French during the

valuable product – worth around two

(before the same French Royal family

transported to market and a more dollars for the same bushel of raw

material. “Makes more sense to distill, doesn’t it?” was Broom’s summation.

By 1794 the opposition to the whiskey

tax had taken on a violent edge and even led to armed insurrection. The whiskey

Tennessee whiskey

American war of independence, in 1785 had their respective heads lopped off in the French Revolution of 1789…) a large county was named after the French Royal family – Bourbon.

Whiskey made in that county was

transported in barrels emblazoned with the area of origin – and that’s how the American spirit became synonymous

“What is the difference between Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey?”

with being called Bourbon.

we asked Dave Hughes.

“None!” was his short answer.

“Bourbon can be made anywhere in the USA.” “There is no distinct style because most distilleries produce their own individual style.”

Some distilleries make a big deal about sour mash, he said. “In fact, all Bourbon is sour mash.”

According to law, Tennessee whiskey is straight Bourbon whiskey produced in the state of Tennessee.

What does set it apart, however, is the local practice of using the Lincoln County Process ‒ of filtering new make spirit through sugar maple charcoal prior to maturation.

Irish settlers had a profound imfluence

The impact of the influx of Scots and

on American distillation. The Scots began arriving after being forcibly

displaced from the Highlands in the late 1700’s while the Irish potato famine

caused thousands of people to flee to

America around 1840. They brought their skills and knowledge of the

distilling process along with them.

Historic records from 1810 reflect

that there were 2 000 registered

distilleries and that by 1850 this had

grown to 5 000 registered potstills in

Pennsylvania alone. So what happened?

Why is it that American whiskey Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 33

American whiskey

production slumped so dramatically?

It started in the mid-1800s with the

and two decades ago.”

When it came to American whiskey,

Names and dates: 1783

‒ Samuels family tradition established.

Civil War when many men went off to

Broom said: “Rye gives power, corn the

They’re the oldest Bourbon distilling

halt. Just a few decades after that the

lightness.” Most modern American

commercial amounts. Around 100 years

fight and production almost ground to a temperance movement kicked in and

Prohibition was proclaimed. It lasted

until 1933. During Prohibition most of

the distilleries went out of business – and those that managed to keep their doors

open and the stills flowing were producing limited amounts of medicinal alcohol. The Irish and Scots had stepped into the void

and the market got used to drinking their

whiskies. Other contributory factors were the Depression and World War II. MODERN INFLUENCES

roundness and wheat the delicacy and

whiskies are a blend of all three. American whiskies are unique in that they don’t use

just one yeast strain – as in Scotland. Each

family but before 1840 didn’t produce later in 1943 Bill Samuels Sr. shied away from the family recipe, creating a bourbon that was smoother and less bitter. The result? Maker’s Mark, which

distillery jealously guards its yeasts. That’s

incidentally is one of the few American

American whiskey is created. Four Roses,

distinctive “e” in whiskey, as a mark

where much of the complexity in modern established in 1888, has five different

strains – because it used to be owned by

whiskies to be spelled without the of respect to the family’s Scots/Irish ancestry.

The same year ‒

1783 ‒ saw the

Seagrams which also owned four other

first commercial distillery in Kentucky

but the yeast strains were retained… It’s

banks of the Ohio river. Evan Williams

distilleries. The other four shut their doors

begin production in Louisville, on the

now in the Japanese Kirin stable.

bourbon is still one of the main names in

“Strain K provides a spice, while O

bourbon today.

Elijah Craig is credited with ageing

Stuart Ramsay wrote the following in his

offers bold fruits. Strain Q is quite floral

book: He noted that there has been a

strain is lightly fruity,” Broom said. It is

that this Baptist minister opened a

different percentages of rye, corn and

Heaven Hill ‒ in 1789.

overview of American whiskey in Jackson’s resurgence in interest in American whiskey since the 1980s. People tired of the mass production and dumbing down of the

product began rediscovering complexity and quality of aged American whiskey

Dave Broom echoed those sentiments in

his Whisky Live lecture in Johannesburg.

He said American whiskey is one of the most exciting – and fastest growing –

segments of the international whiskey

market. It’s certainly the most innovative

– and one of the biggest areas of innovation

while F is more herbal and finally the V

by playing around with these strains and wheat that deliciously unique whiskies are being produced in America.

“If you try and wrap your head around

the intricacies of all that you’re bound to end up with a headache,” Broom

conceded. “But what a nice headache! It’s that sort of complexity that makes American whiskey so exciting.”

the spirit ‒ although there’s some dispute about that. Not in dispute is distillery in Georgetown, Kentucky ‒ In

1795 the Beam family

established their distilling tradition. The surname Beam was derived from the German surname Boehm but no-one quite knows when it was Americanised.

Jim Beam remains a strong American whiskey brand to this day.

Between

1861 and 1865 the

Civil War was fought between the north and the south. A man who’d struck it rich in the California Gold Rush, Major Benjamin Blanton, made the mistake of

is that of yeast strains.

tying his fortune up in Confederate War

rush whiskey. For those of us who drink

fell. Blanton was broke but a few years

“You’ve got to remember that you can’t

and write that’s an immensely frustrating

thing because we want the new stuff to see what’s happening. But whiskey takes 10 or 20 years to be ready – and when it’s experimental, it might work…and it

might not! So what we’re seeing now is

the result of experiments conducted one 34 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

Bonds ‒ and losing it all when the south later set himself up in a Kentucky distillery which later became the famous Stagg Distillery which nowadays produces Blanton’s.

(Information courtesy of www.cocktails.about.com/od/history/ tp/bourbon )

wi n

Durbanville Hills

Durbanville Hills bespoke red wine box

Five lucky Cheers readers stand the chance to win a bespoke box selection of five Durbanville Hills red wines valued at R900 each!

The scenic view of Table Mountain, Table Bay and the rolling hills from Durbanville Hills Wines’ cellar is more than just a beautiful location. It’s at the very heart of why the wines produced here are rich in character, flavourful and exceptional.

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

how to enter

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

Drink Responsibly.

Sep|Oct 2013 Vol 08

www.topsatspar.co.za 35

Water & whisky

the

liquid heart of whisky

A rare resource provides the foundation for the dram. Clifford Roberts unravels some of the mystique around water in whisky.

isge beatha – or Water of Life was the rather

optimistic name early distillers baptised the

production of whisky, in the malting

distillate.

And let’s not forget, the splash or

block of ice accompanying a tot or two,

which experts suggest should be filtered mineral water rather than the

chlorinated stuff from municipal taps.

What would Johnnie Walker be

Tamdhu without the River Spey or the without Lochan Doire-Uaine?

Even from early on, distillers

written on the label. The remainder is

emphasised the importance of a water

distilleries so preciously guard. Almost

of water varied widely and contributed

any photograph of a distillery one might encounter will include the rippled

source; that the properties and flavours powerfully to the final dram.

But, as the late Don Paul points out

surface of a glistening pool or stream,

in his book My Whisky Companion,

the Tennessee distillery that makes Jack

purity, clarity and softness” of water in

where it is visible. Some however, like

Daniel’s or the Taiwanese distillery that makes Kavalan single malt, get their

water from natural subterranean wells

while whisky marketing “rests on the

the production processes, others say its effects are nominal.

Glenmorangie chief distiller Dr Bill

– the former from a limestone cave, the

Lumsden says of all flavours in his

from the Shue-Shan Mountains.

Springs contributes maybe only five

latter from a natural reservoir of water Water too is used early in the

36 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

Company thought to safeguard their purity, purchasing 650 acres of

surrounding woodland to protect its

future, and ensure that Glenmorangie would always retain its unique, distinctive character.”

Similarly, the Grant family sought to

and promptly bought 1200 acres of land

Highland whisky of Dalwhinnie

derived from springs and lakes that

Glenmorangie that in 1989, the

extracting sugar; and, in cooling the

grist is mixed with hot water as a way of

ingredients.

percentage of alcohol; it’s what is

important are the Tarlogie Springs to

protect the Robbie Dhu spring that

without the water source at Cardhu,

Every bottle of whisky contains a

Glenmorangie’s marketing material: “So

and mashing for example, where malt

amber liquid so widely enjoyed today as whisky. Water is one of its main

much valued, if one is to go by

brand, the water from the Tarlogie

percent. That five percent however is

allowed them to produce Glenfiddich surrounding it.

It’s an easy conclusion to reach that water filtered by nature lends a particular taste unique to its path.

by Clifford Roberts

“Our uniqueness starts with the

water,” Jack Daniel’s master distiller Jeff

Arnett is quoted in Dave Broom’s book,

The World Atlas of Whisky. The whisky

The romantic notion of whisky has

producing states of both Tennessee and

given rise to fantastic legends around just

resulting in plenty of mineral-rich water

In one, Japanese whisky co-founder

Kentucky sit atop a limestone belt,

the water of distilleries.

said to give distinctive taste to brands

Masataka Taketsuru apparently searched

bourbon. Down Under too, limestone

ideal site for his Miyagikyo distillery, at

like Woodford Reserve and Wild Turkey water is used by the Great Southern

distillery in Albany, Western Australia, for making Limeburner’s single malt.

Perhaps unconvinced by the sceptics,

Don Paul himself chooses in a chapter

for three years before coming upon the

the convergence of two rivers. The story

goes that his mind was made up when he finally walked into the stream, scooped up some icy water and drank.

Josie’s spring supplying Speyside’s The

on the topic, to hold in his mind glorious

Glenlivet since 1859 is famous for its

Scotland. With every sip he conjured up

pumps 300 gallons from it – and it has

memories of whisky and, in this case, the heather, misty mountains and

sparkling water that appeared “as if

someone had taken a cloth and polished it up”.

steady flow. Some days the distillery never dried up.

hard vs soft

Distilleries often refer to the qualities of water used in the making of their whisky as being “hard” or “soft”. The hardness of water refers to the amount of dissolved minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium it contains. Soft waters are generally used in the making of most Scotch whiskies, with exceptions to include Glenmorangie, while hard limestone water is a key ingredient of bourbon.

The Islay distillery of Bruichladdich

gets its water from three sources – the Bruichladdich loch for mashing; the

Bruichladdich burn for condensing; and the Octomore spring for bottling.

Lagavulin, on the same island, is

supplied by two lochs at Solum, where the water is dark and peaty.

Water has an interesting part to play in

the spread of the early Canadian whisky tradition. Dave Broom describes in his Atlas, the development of Canadian

whisky as having “delineated by water, following the flow of the St Lawrence River and the lakes that feed it”.

Yet one of the most astounding stories

relating to water in whisky belongs to

the Scandinavian distillery of Braunstein, possibly the only one whose water source is provided by melted icebergs from the Greenland ice cap.

Now there’s a story to share over a wee

dram...

Sources: The World Atlas of Whisky by Dave Broom, published by Mitchell Beazley (2010); My Whisky Companion by Don Paul, published by The Cigar Club of South Africa (2005); www.lochlomonddistillery.com; www.whiskiesofscotland.com; www.jackdaniels.com; www.bladnoch.co.uk; http://nonjatta.blogspot.com.

With every sip he conjured up the heather, misty mountains and sparkling water that appeared “as if someone had taken a cloth and polished it up”.

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 37

Party on, Wine times

Wine festivals have bloomed over more than a decade and there’s no sign of it letting up. Cliord Roberts reports.

38 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

Harvest 2014

Wine!

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 39

Wine times

Just a sip of the iceberg hen it comes to

This isn’t a list of all wine festivals, not by a long shot. Nonetheless, you had better start with your push-ups.

hand it to the

(www.muratie.co.za) happens on March 1.

Spaniards. The land

that gave us Fernando Torres casts a giant shadow on most other modern attempts,

Muratie Harvest Festival On March 15, there’s the Wellington wine harvest festival (www.harvestfestival.co.za), with a trio of themes ‒ New Fashioned Boere

especially when it comes to wine

Bazaar, Top Chill and Wilder as die Wildtuin.

The Festa della Filoxera, ranking as a

at Solms Delta (www.solms-delta.co.za) was

celebrations and certainly on our shores. pitch-perfect raspberry in the face of a

world awash in also-rans, must be a sight

to behold. Giant phylloxera bugs made of

cardboard and wire, slowly plod down the high street in Catalonia’s San Sadurni

through the smoke of fireworks that light up their brightly coloured thoraxes.

In La Rioja, a northern region of the

Iberian peninsula that’s famous for its

red wine, the good people of Haro erupt with bonhomie around harvest time and

The Cape rural music and wine festival inaugurated at the Franschhoek farm in 2008.

The next Oesfees hits the stage on March 22.

The inaugural Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo Celebration of Bubbles takes place in Sandton on March 29&30 ‒ a showcase of local and international Cap Classique and Champagne producers.

RMB Winex (www.winex.co.za), directed

by Michael Fridjhon, it runs shows in White River, Mpumalanga March 15 & 16; Polokwane July 24 & 25; Bloemfontein July 31 & August 1; and, in Sandton on October 29 to 31. (www.goodfoodandwineshow.co.za) takes

end, everyone hugs each other in true

Durban October 24-26, and Johannesburg

Mediterranean fashion and goes off in jolly mood to watch a bullfight.

It seems not much has changed since

the ancient Grecians tossed sloppy wine lees at targets as part of jollifications in

honour of Dionysus. If local politicians weren’t such an uptight bunch and

volunteered as said targets, an enterprising soul might easily spark a revival of the game right here. Alas, such hilarity is doomed too for the currency rate of

exchange these days means there’s barely

wine to spare in any case. The name of the game, dear Abba, is sell, sell, sell.

40 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

Cape Rural Music & Wine Festival, Solms Delta

The Good Food & Wine Show

literally chuck buckets of the stuff at

each other. Drenched and purple at the

Wellington Wine Harvest Festival

Fran Bast schhoek ille F estiv al

spectacle, you have to

place in Cape Town May 29 to June 1; July 31 ‒ August 3.

Robertson Wine Valley marks the 10th anniversary of the Wacky Wine weekend (www.wackywineweekend.com) on June 5-8.

The Calitzdorp Port Festival (www.portwinefestival.co.za) in Calitzdorp takes place this year on June 14&15.

Celebrating with the French and selling wine at the same time, the Franschhoek Bastille Festival (www.franschhoekbastille.co.za) runs on July 12 & 13.

Also marking a decade this year will be Durbanville’s Season of Sauvignon (www.durbanvillewine.co.za). The event

e al rati Mu Festiv est arv

traditionally is held in October.

H

Calit

zdor

From the Free State to Mpumalanga, Gugulethu to Soweto, there’s a whole lot of sippin’ going on.

The Gugulethu event traditionally takes place in the vibrant township in late May while Soweto’s socialites come out in droves in the glorious Spring weather in September to enjoy the Highveld wine showcase.

And you can understand why. Until

recently, an ordinary bloke could only

The official source, Robertson wine route

manager Elizma Botha, says the

organisation doesn’t publish sales figures.

Visitor numbers however, went from an

estimated 2 500 people at that first event to a peak of 19 200 during the 2010 Fifa

World Cup. Still, even at slightly reduced numbers and seemingly unperturbed by a rise in cost-of-living, Wacky Winers last These days you can hardly toss a

usual, everyone plays their cards close to

landing on lodgings for rent. The

known soon after the Robertson Wine

Valley Association launched its Wacky Wine Weekend in 2004, following it

with Wine on the River, Robertson Slow, Hands-On Harvest and a doodad in

Gauteng – something was definitely up.

Jacaranda-lined streets without it

doubled since 2003, to 68, while the number of walk-in visitors to the

tourism office went from 205 then, to

around 15 000 last year. Some 24% were ascribed to Wacky Wine alone.

No surprise then that the cash cow

has taken to grazing in all manner of

abbreviated list of South African wine shows

price of petrol headed for who knows

and festivals alongside this article. Online,

you’ll find good advice on how to make the most (survive?) of the coming season.

A short while ago in 2010, a masters

student from Potchefstroom did us all a favour, reviewed the literature and

conducted some research, which was then published for all to see. Elize-Mari

Joubert’s dissertation concluded that the

climes and a good thing too. With the where, we can put off riding bumpers of

the 1% for a while longer. From the Free State to Mpumalanga, Gugulethu to Soweto, there’s a whole lot of sippin’

going on. And we haven’t even touched on those crowded stalls at the ABSA

KKNK arts festival, Cultivaria in Paarl

and the Hermanus Whale Festival either.

Stellenbosch Wine Festival promised a

Wacky Wine Festival – one of the biggest

“bigger, better and bolder” experience

contribution of an estimated R29.9-

clearly hasn’t lost the will to throw a

of its kind - made a “positive economic

million” to the local greater Robertson area.

Punters injected R15.4-million by buying accommodation, wine and the like, while

the cost of extra staffing and marketing saw

TOP Sow S as S Life eto W PAR sty le F ine & est iva l

number of guesthouses in the town has

The result is worthy of your pity for the

loyal festival groupie. Just take a look at the

d Goo The Wine & Food ow Sh

year blew a record in cash.

branded wine glass down the town’s

their emaciated chests. But all must have

s

producers toss in their R6-million share.

venture a very inaccurate guess as to how much money wine festivals made. As

rt Fe

Xxxxxx tival

clifford

Of course, two wine events which shouldn’t be overlooked in any festival round-ups are the TOPS at SPAR wine events, held in Gugulethu and Soweto respectively.

p Po

this year. The granddaddy of wine routes party. Still, it’s no Barrel Racing in

Botriver – the closest thing you’re likely to find to some of the bug-lined, wine tossing spectacles up north.

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

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 41

il P e n d o c k

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Ne

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Ti n us v

an

TOPS at SPAR

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Ch

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Tongue testers v M el

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Wine can be so frustrating and yet so thrilling.

Consumers are frequently baffled by the wonderful variety and array of labels positioned on the shelves, not quite knowing whether delight or horror lies ahead. Fiona McDonald reports on the most recent TOPS at SPAR fundi tasting.

TOPS at SPAR didn’t

can you ever truly trust that person again

chain by not knowing what their

about their honesty and integrity?

they have engendered that most fragile of

to a vinous analogy, TOPS at SPAR is

– trust.

Fundis – the panel of six tasters which

The latest TOPS at SPAR promotional

get to be the country’s biggest liquor retail or will there forever been a level of doubt

flyers which accompanied the quarterly

customers wanted. In just a dozen years

was appropriately headed sip-tippers! And

human emotions among their clientele

“To be trusted is a greater compliment

than to be loved,” wrote Scottish author George MacDonald. And that he was

trusted as a great writer is not in doubt as

Well, to adapt that relationship of trust

encouraging its customers to trust its

weeds through a large array of wines to

JRR Tolkien and WH Auden lauded his

work and influence while GK Chesterton said MacDonald’s books “had made a difference to my whole existence”.

Once any relationship of trust has been

frayed, dented, called into question or

possibly even betrayed, there’s no going

back. It’s like having a cheating partner: 42 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

in TOPS at SPAR drinktionary terms, a

sip-tipper is defined as “an individual who inspires you to drink the best wines”.

Having been the proverbial ‘fly on

select a suitable line-up of wines that can

the wall’ at the selection process

of trying to find a good bottle of wine at

SPAR Group Liquor executive Mark

be trusted, removing the stress and strain

other – more famous – writers cited him as a decent price. an inspiration. Authors such as CS Lewis,

selection that hit store shelves in February

conceptualised and driven by TOPS at Robinson late last year,

The panel weeds through a large array of wines to select a suitable line-up that can be trusted, removing the stress and strain of trying to find a good bottle at a decent price.

Fundis I can attest to the rigour of the tasting.

And monitoring the whole process are

The trusted palates participating were

two independent auditors. Prior to the

wine consultant; Neil Pendock, a

to make certain that the wines poured

Tinus van Niekerk, TOPS at SPAR’s mathematician by profession and a wine

writer and taster by desire; Ntsiki Biyela,

winemaker at Stellekaya in Stellenbosch, and wine writers Melvyn Minnaar,

tasting, they inspect the line-up of wines

firstly securing adequate supplies and

TOPS at SPAR’s selection is

they read out their scores and

interesting to quantify…

All the wines were served blind, at the

ideal tasting temperature – with the

white wines served a few degrees cooler than the reds. They had also been

divided up into categories ahead of the tasting. So, for example, all the

Chardonnays were tasted together,

similarly so were Chenin Blanc or white blends, Pinotage, Shiraz, Cabernet

Sauvignon and other broad classes.

But that’s just one aspect of the process.

producer or range.

– in terms of vintage, grape variety and

The collective experience and knowledge Zalze in November would have been

deciding that the points won the day.

Once the selection has been finalised, the

scrupulously blind – and the tasters

gathered at the tasting bench at Kleine

retired to their corners with the auditors

match up with the list supplied to them

Samarie Smith of Die Burger and former

WINE magazine editor Christian Eedes.

possible fault. Ultimately, they both

certainly do not pull any punches when comments for the auditors. One of the red wines, for example, had its fans as well as detractors. In the pro-corner

some of the panel came out in favour of

TOPS at SPAR crew swing into action,

delivery schedules to ensure that the wines are in all stores by the due date – but also getting their marketing department to

develop the appropriate material, printing up hundreds of thousands of flyers and

also placing adverts in newspapers across the country!

And all of this happens so that Mrs

the wine, trying to land punches against

Jane Bloggs knows that when she wraps

The verbal jabs of those in the other

selection, she can trust that she won’t be

those who disagreed with their opinion.

corner, defending why they believed the wine deserved a lesser score was something to watch. They

cited a lack or fruit, balance

her hand around one of the Fundi

disappointed by what TOPS at SPAR

have placed on the shelf. Trust is indeed a great compliment.

or disharmony or even a

As an aside for those who don’t

necessarily know the distinction between serving wines ‘sighted’ or ‘blind’,

sighted means what it infers – with sight of the label so that the taster knows they are drinking a

Chardonnay from Producer X. It is

often believed that tasters tend to be influenced by their background

knowledge and perceived reputation of

the wine in this sort of scenario. Tasting wines blind – means that all the taster

has to go on when making a judgement is the wine in the glass. No price

information and no area of origin is given so they cannot be prejudiced

against a Chardonnay from Worcester, Elgin or Elim versus one from a more

fancied area such as Stellenbosch, Paarl or Franschhoek.

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 43

World Bicycle Relief

A bicycle made for 3

A bicycle like a diamond David Bristow went ride-about in Zambia with a bunch of Yanks, most of them from the Midwest, and tamed a very rare kind of cycling beast.

Photography by David Bristow. frica gets to people in many

different ways, and people get Africa in about as many. I remember a

French journo who couldn’t pack fast

enough to leave. He told a long-winded story about how Scorpion nags

Crocodile to take him across a swollen

river. Crocodile relents and as they

approach the bank Scorpion stings him in the eye. “Owwwwwwww! What was that for,?” cries Crocodile. “That’s

Africa,” shrugs Scorpion and scuttles off.

Then there’s me, born here and will

david

delivering a “super bike” around Zambia, I signed in blood.

A call to Professor Google informed

me WBR was based in Chicago and was

site which aims to be the country’s go-to, free, repository of GPS’d MTB tracks.

the love child of FK Day and his wife Leah Missbach Day. FK is, with his

brother Stan, co-founder of the high-

tech bike parts manufacturer SRAM. FK and Leah started WBR after a posttsunami trip to Sri Lanka convinced

46 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

the shear big-heartedness of it. The idea

was simple: a bicycle made with modern technology, super strong materials and

love, which could be a game changer in parts of Africa beset by troubles.

They had first discovered the need for a

They rushed there to give what help they

trip Africa Rides, a two week visit

webmaster of www.dragontrax.co.za, a

something they call a Buffalo Bike, for

and Lesotho for the sheer joy of it. Call

World Bicycle Relief (WBR) and their

experience having ridden and written

So next they went out to Africa where

they and their team developed

tough-as-buffalo-hide bike when in 2005 a

mountain bike clear across South Africa

out about a group calling themselves

“The Spine of the Dragon.” He’s also the

most was a new kind of bicycle.

die here happy. Once I rode my

me Gump [if you like]. So when I found

David Bristow has buckets of MTB

them that what the Third World needed

tsunami had devastated parts of Sri Lanka. could, and found the local Asian-made

bikes could not cope with the heavy work required. And so was born an idea.

“All answers lie in the field,” Dave

Nieswander, the African director of

WBR who set up the project, would

impress on us “buffalo soldiers”. They went to Africa, Kenya specifically, to

develop and field test their baby. Then they chose Zambia as the most fertile

place to roll them out. There are many

ways a bicycle can help to break cycles of

poverty and sickness, not with what Dave referred to as BSOs (bicycle shaped

by David Bristow The Factory

The Milkmen cometh

objects), but one made with high tech and love, one tough like a pachyderm.

For example, they have teamed up

with World Vision/Rapids health care

do-gooders to provide bikes to volunteer

“People who previously had just one cow to feed the family had morphed into prosperous farmers with herds of both cows and Buffalo Bikes.”

care givers who are now able to visit

an aid organization like World Vision

with micro loans. People who previously

the meds vital for their lives. In pre-

or good people in Chicago participate in

morphed into prosperous farmers with

several Aids patients a day and deliver Buffalo days they might visit only one,

and the people were dying rapidly. We

rode about and saw peasant farmers who, a year before had been on death’s door, their families dying of Aids and

starvation. Now they were healthy,

happy and their fields were burgeoning.

We know intuitively the bicycle is the

most efficient machine ever made, and some would add the most satisfying.

WBR has got data from years of field testing, complete with pie charts and

tables. They reckon a bike, even a beast weighing a hefty 23kg, can carry a

person five times further than a person walking, and carry a load 10 times

heavier. That’s a lot of extras in a place

buys them at cost and distributes them,

the annual Wrigley Field 100 miler and raise sponsorship to buy bikes. To date

they have raised millions of dollars and

bought tens of thousands Buffalo Bikes.

Several times each year WBR invites

them on an event called Africa Rides to see how the programme rolls, and to hand out bikes they have sponsored.

School pupils and their parents sign a

had just one cow to feed the family had herds of both cows and Buffalo Bikes.

Each place we stopped we heard

stories from the local people whose lives had been transformed by the humble bicycle. And we told them ours. We

rode with songs in our hearts and we sang: “We are the Buffalo soldiers,

(Come) from the heart of America …”

Africa got to us all, me the local yokel,

contract, that they will achieve certain

as well as these big-hearted people from

on. First on the list are girls, starting

from Corinne, 10, to Nancy, substantially

attendance levels or the bike is handed with those living furthest away from

school. We visited homes and saw how

this had liberated girls from the grinding drudgery of labour and discrimination

the heart of America. They ranged in age older but game as any young chicken. I reckoned it must be something in the water of Lake Michigan.

Much like a diamond, a Buffalo Bike is

ingrained in traditional societies.

forever. Okay, it may need a replacement

school, to work, or to the local clinic.

small dairy farms. As the sun rose we

they have on the people who own them,

we were greeted like liberators, with lots

loaded with milk urns weighing up to

where most people walk, or ride bikes, to We rode dusty tracks to schools where

of singing, dancing and food. Lots. No Buffalo Bike is ever given away. Either

We rode down tree-lined lanes to see

saw farmers, mounted on Buffalo bikes 90kg, make their ways to the local milk

collection point. They bought their bikes

part or three over time. But the effects

and the many more who depend on them, will indeed last forever.

Story first published in FullSus, a monthly mountainbiking newspaper. www.fullsus.co.za) Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 47

W.SPA R.

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INE 141

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Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

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17 Bodum Pavina Double Wall Small Two Piece Glass Set ‒ R220, Mantality.co.za 16 True Utility® Scarab 5-in-1 Keyring Multi-tool ‒ R120, Mantality.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11 www.topsatspar.co.za

49

Entertainment

Sights & sounds

music

There’s nostalgia in the form of Ole Blue Eyes’ cd as well as new material from the current Queen of contemporary music, Beyoncé. And there’s more in store on the DVD and book front too. Julia Andrade looks at them all.

cd’s

Beyoncé ‒ R149 Beyoncé wasn’t exactly quiet during the first 11 months of 2013 ‒ new songs trickled out regularly and she appeared on albums from the-Dream, Kelly Rowland, and husband Jay-Z. But the December 13 release of her fifth album was a surprise. It contains the elegant ballads “Rocket” and “Heaven” ‒ the low-slung and playfully risqué boogie of “Blow” and a new version of it as well “Bow Down” (titled “Flawless” with a guest appearance from writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie).

Beyoncé co-wrote and co-produced the majority of the material along with the likes of Hit-Boy, Pharrell, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and Miguel.

Mike and the Mechanics: The Singles ‒ R139 Gathering the singles from the Mike Rutherford-led group from their initial beginning to the 2013, Singles: 1986-2013 features their well-known songs “Over My Shoulder,” “The Living Years,” and “Word of Mouth.” This is a concise collection for fans and newcomers alike. With two discs packed with some of their best songs, it’s a must-have!

Frank Sinatra: With Love ‒ R59 Sinatra worked with many talented artists such as George Gershwin, Billy May, Johnny Mercer and Nelson Riddle during his time with the Capitol and Reprise labels ‒ which has been combined in the second release from the new Sinatra Signature Collection as: Sinatra, With Love. Get this CD and you will have ‘the world on a string’ as it were. With 16 classic love songs spanning his 60-year career, including the well known ‘The way you look tonight’ featuring on this disc, what more could you ask for?

the PAPER

CORNER The Tombs: By Clive Cussler and Thomas Perry ‒ R145

big championships and comes only

an usual form of schizophrenia, Viktor reluctantly agrees to take on her therapy in a final attempt to uncover the truth.

Treasure hunters Sam and Remi

fifth, he turns on everyone around

Fargo are contacted by a scientist

him and destroys everything he has

Eat Right for Your Body Type:

By Anjum Anand ‒ R170

who thinks he’s found clues to the

ever wanted. Barracuda is the huge

Anjum Anand believes the key to

location of Attila the Hun’s legendary

new sucker punch of a novel from

sustainable, healthy weight-loss does

tomb. But no sooner have the couple

Christos Tsiolkas, author of the

not lie in modern Western science or

arrived in Germany, than the

phenomenal bestseller The Slap.

diet experts but in the Indian system

scientist is kidnapped and his lab ransacked. Racheting up the tension with each new chapter, The Tombs is an exceptionally inventive thriller from the master of adventure.

Barracuda: By Christos Tsiolkas ‒R240

50

But when he melts down at his first

beautiful stranger who suffers from

Therapy: By Sebastian Fitzek ‒ R145 Twelve-year-old Josy has an inexplicable illness. She vanishes without a trace from her doctor’s office during treatment. Four years later, Josy’s father, psychiatrist

of Ayurveda ‒ the oldest and most holistic medical system on the planet.

In this groundbreaking diet book, Anjum shows how to work out your body type, the foods you should eat (or avoid) and how to combine them into delicious recipes for every meal.

Daniel Kelly has one chance to escape

Viktor Larenz, has withdrawn

his working-class upbringing. His

himself to an isolated North Sea

Subliminal: By Leonard Mlodinow ‒ R185

astonishing ability in the swimming

island in order to deal with the

In Subliminal Leonard Mlodinow

pool is destined to transform his life.

tragedy. When he is paid a visit by a

reveals the hidden power of our

dvd’s

cd’s, dvd’s & books

Game of Thrones (season 3) ‒ R299 In the third season of the highly acclaimed HBO hit drama

series, the Lannisters are barely holding onto power after a savage naval onslaught from Stannis Baratheon, while

Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) ‒ a competition that could change Panem forever.

stirrings in the North threaten to alter the overall balance

Gravity ‒ R119

of power in Westeros. Robb Stark, King in the North, is

Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock)

facing major calamity in his efforts to build on his victories

is a brilliant medical engineer

over the Lannisters while beyond the Wall, Mance Rayder

on her first shuttle mission,

(played by Ciarian Hinds) and his huge army of wildlings

with veteran astronaut Matt

continue their inexorable march south. Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen ‒ reunited with her three fast-maturing dragons, attempts to raise an army to sail with her from Essos, in hopes of eventually claiming the Iron Throne.

Kowalsky (George Clooney) in command of his last flight before retiring. But on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes.

The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone ‒ tethered to

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ‒ R119

Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning

nothing but each other and spiralling out into the blackness, they must work together to survive; now adrift in space.

the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the

unconscious and how it shapes our

lives of five young people trying to live and

experience of the world. Almost everything

love in a world on fire. Individuals are

we do ‒ who we marry, who we vote for,

pushed to make terrible choices. And, as

how we handle money, even what we think

the events of this single morning unfold,

we remember about our past ‒ is largely

one woman is at the centre of it all.

driven by the mind’s subliminal process and not by our conscious awareness, as we have long believed.

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

being a student become all consuming.

The Dogs of Littlefield: By Suzanne Berne ‒ R240 Littlefield, Massachusetts, named one of the Ten Best Places to Live in America, is proud

Gabriel’s Redemption:

By Sylvain Reynard ‒R145

of its fine schools, its girls’ soccer teams, its leafy streets and quaint village centre. But,

Professor Gabriel Emerson has left his

when sociologist Dr Clarice Watkins arrives

The Shadow of the Crescent Moon: By Fatima Bhutto ‒ R240

position at the University of Toronto to

in Littlefield to study the elements of ‘good

embark on a new life with his beloved

quality of life‘, someone begins poisoning

Fatima Bhutto’s stunning debut begins and

Julianne. Together, he’s confident that they

the town’s dogs. The Dogs of Littlefield is a

ends one rain-swept Friday morning in Mir

can face any challenge. But Julianne’s

wry exploration of the discontent

Ali, a small town in Pakistan’s Tribal Areas

graduate program threatens Gabriel’s plans

concealed behind manicured lawns and

close to the Afghan border. It chronicles the

for their life together as the pressures of

picket fences of darkest suburbia.

DISCLAIMER Please note that prices of all books, cds and dvds are recommended retail prices and are correct at the time of going to press. They are, however, subject to change at the discretion of suppliers, without any prior notice. All books featured here are distributed by Penguin Books SA. Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 51

Recipe book

Simple yet tasty

Available GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ at TOPS at SPAR and ON PG71 FOR YOUR SPAR stores FULL GROCERY LIST

Call the TOPS HOTLINE 0860 313 141

The South African food blogging scene would have been poorer had Cape Town food enthusiast Nina Timm decided to stick with her chosen profession as a speech therapist.

Instead, legions of fellow foodies can now page through her recipe book, Easy Cooking from Nina’s Kitchen, published by Struik Lifestyle. t all started at her mother’s knee.

Nina Timm acknowledges that her greatest formative food

influences were her mother and

grandmother, both excellent home cooks who knew that life’s problems could be solved with a favourite meal prepared

with an abundance of love. Following in their footsteps seemed a natural

progression, in spite of her slight career detour via speech correction!

Her emphasis has always been on the

enthusiasm and enjoyment of preparing food for others to sample – the social side of food.

It was her husband who nudged

Timm to share her wealth of knowledge with a broader audience, especially since

got the hang of things. Not only that, but she was soon being nominated for higher honours and in 2012 was named Blogger of the Year by Eat In magazine.

Afrikaans radio listeners will also recognise

her two children were confidently

her name from Thursday mornings on RSG

made it easy and she established a

news with an eager audience.

toddling into the world. The internet website – www.my-easy-cooking.com.

“For a computer novice like me, it was

quite a challenge,” she acknowledged, but like baking, through trial and error she

when she happily shares recipes and foodie Anyone who likes fuss-free,

unpretentious and straightforward

delicious food should consider adding this to their recipe book library.

ARTICHOKE, POTATO & CHEESE TART

“Very rich and very tasty”, says Nina. “The cheesy crust goes perfectly with the robust artichoke and potato filling. Really a very filling meal!”

INGREDIENTS:

non-stick cooking spray. Place all the

For the crust:

ingredients in a food processor and pulse

250ml cake flour

until a dough starts to form. Refrigerate the

250ml grated strong mature Cheddar

dough for about 20 minutes. On a lightly

cheese

floured surface, roll out the dough, then

125ml soft butter

press it over the base and sides of the tart

5ml mild mustard powder

dish. Set aside until needed.

For the filling: 30ml cooking oil 2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed 2.5ml smoked paprika 6 jumbo or extra-large eggs a pinch of salt and pepper 1 x 250g tub plain cream cheese 125ml cream or milk 250g strong Cheddar cheese, grated 180g marinated or roasted and quartered artichokes

52 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 180̊C. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions and potatoes with the paprika until soft and lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly.

Combine the eggs, salt, pepper, cream cheese, cream or milk and Cheddar cheese and carefully pour into the crust. Evenly spoon the onions and potatoes over the egg mixture and arrange the artichokes on top.

Bake for 30‒40 minutes or until the filling feels firm to the touch. Allow to cool slightly on a wire rack. Serve for lunch topped with

METHOD:

shavings of Parmesan cheese alongside a

For the crust: Spray a 25cm tart dish with

fresh rocket salad. Makes 1 medium-sized tart

Giveaway

JACOB’S LADDER BEEF

METHOD:

“This is my brother’s favourite dish when he

Remove and discard most of the fat from

cornflour. Serve the brisket with the gravy

visits my parents, so we all know that we

the brisket. Season the brisket with salt and

and vegetables of your choice, such as

will be eating this beef at some stage

pepper and place in a stainless-steel oven

whole or mashed potatoes, green beans

during the long December holidays.”

dish. Mix the remaining ingredients and

and carrots. Enough for 10-12 people. The

pour over the brisket. Cover the dish with

leftover meat can be used in sandwiches or

INGREDIENTS:

foil or a lid and marinate in the fridge for a

even frittatas.

2kg deboned brisket or 2.5kg brisket

few hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to

on the bone

180̊C. Roast the meat for about 2 hours,

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

remove the foil or lid as soon as the meat is

1 litre 100% peach juice

tender, and roast uncovered for a

100ml soy sauce

further 10‒15 minutes. Remove

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

the meat from the dish and allow

250ml good-quality mild chutney

it to rest for at least 10 minutes

A few sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped

before carving into thin slices. If the leftover juices are very watery, boil to reduce or thicken with a little

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 53

Giveaway

enter now!

To qualify, send in a postcard or e-mail clearly marked Cheers Book Giveaway and containing your name, ID number, physical address (not a PO Box please!) along with a contact telephone number to qualify for the random draw. Entry deadline is Friday, 11th April 2014.

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

EMERGENCY CHOCOLATE AND PEAR DESSERT

“We all have those days in our kitchens and in our lives when we need to take a short cut to get through to the other side!” says Nina. “The ideal is to prepare your meals with care, taking your time, but sometimes there’s no other way than just to look in the food cupboard for inspiration. This dessert is as old as the hills, and was originally made with peaches. I prefer pears, because they are softer and there’s no need to struggle with peaches that try to escape from the dish when you cut them.”

INGREDIENTS: 1 x 410g canned pears (drained) 6 Romany Cream Original Chocolate biscuits 60ml port or sherry 2 egg whites 100ml castor sugar

in an ovenproof dish with the hollows facing upwards. (I always cut a very thin slice off the bottom to create a level base so that they don’t slide around in the dish.)

Place a Romany Cream into each hollow and pour a little port or sherry over each biscuit. Bake in the oven for about 10

win

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

minutes or until the biscuits are soft.

Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then beat in the castor sugar a tablespoonful at a time. Remove the pears from the oven and drop a dollop of meringue on top of each biscuit. Return to the oven and bake for 5 minutes or until the meringue is golden. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enough for 6 people.

Variations: The pears can be replaced with canned peaches. You could also fold 125 ml desiccated coconut into the meringue after it has been beaten. The dessert can be made ahead of time up to the meringue stage. Make

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

the meringue as soon as your guests are ready

METHOD:

for dessert and bake until the meringue is

Preheat the oven to 180̊C. Place the pears

golden ‒ baking time is literally just 5 minutes.

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 55

TOPS Nosh

fiesta time

Silwood Kitchen

Paella might seem to travellers to be the quintessential Spanish dish ‒ but to a Spaniard, it’s essentially a regional dish from Valencia. Julia Andrade snapped the pics.

he modern origins of this dish can be traced back to the mid-19th century, to the eastern coast of Spain ‒ or Lake Albufera near Valencia. In recent years this city has become famous for hosting the America’s cup sailing competition as well as the Formula 1 Grand Prix.

And the term Paella comes from the large, circular shallow pan that this mixed rice dish is cooked in, traditionally made by men over an open fire fuelled by pine branches and cones during fiestas.

There are essentially three types of paella ‒ Valencian, seafood and mixed. The true Valencian paella is made of white rice, green vegetables and then various meats which include chicken, duck, rabbit and even snails, along with green beans and seasoning. As the name suggests, seafood paella substitutes seafood such as fish, prawns, mussels and calamari for the meat ‒ and also loses the green veggies.

Mixed paella is the dish which doesn’t conform to the previous two descriptions ‒ it can contain prawns as well as chicken and chorizo sausage, for example.

All of this food heaven was made possible hundreds of years ago when the old Roman irrigation systems were improved by Moorish farmers ‒ which led to bountiful rice harvests. As a result the folks living in the greater Valencia area began eating more rice, often whipping up casseroles of fish, spices and rice for religious festivals and large family get togethers.

This recipe provided by Silwood kitchen serves four.

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 57

paella

TOPS Nosh

step by step

METHOD:

step 1:

If using fresh mussels, remove the beards, scrub and rinse well then ‒ while still wet ‒ place into a saucepan. They should fit snugly in a single layer. Cover and heat on a medium heat for approximately 5 minutes or until the mussels have opened. Discard any that don’t open.

If using frozen mussels in their half shell, they’re already cooked so skip this step.

step 2:

Make a sofrito (Spanish flavour base) by sautéing the onions in oil until soft. Add the garlic, tomatoes and paprika and cook over a medium heat until well reduced. Season with salt, pepper and a touch of sugar.

step 3:

Add the chorizo and cook for 2-3 minutes.

step 4:

Then add the rice and red peppers, stir for approximately 1-2 minutes, until the rice is translucent.

INGREDIENTS:

1 chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

step 5:

Add the stock and saffron and bring

1 onion, chopped

100g calamari‒ sliced

30ml oil

100g fish ‒ cut into finger-like strips

2 cloves garlic, crushed

8 prawns ‒peeled and deveined

1 tin chopped Italian tomatoes

1 lemon, cut into wedges

5ml smoked paprika

125ml frozen peas

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

8-10 mussels

sugar

1 orange, segmented

80g chorizo sausage, sliced

8 calamata olives, de-pipped

Season the fish, prawns and calamari with

1 red pepper, cut into diamonds

20ml parsley, chopped

salt, pepper and lemon juice; add to the

a pinch of saffron, soaked in 5ml water

SPECIALISED EQUIPMENT:

750ml light chicken or fish stock

26cm paella pan or

salt and black pepper

casserole dish.

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

step 6:

Season the chicken pieces and add to the rice, simmer for 10 minutes.

step 7:

pan, pushing the pieces into the rice.

1 cup rice

58 www.topsatspar.co.za

to the simmer.

Allow to simmer for another 10 minutes.

continued on pg60

step 4

step 7

Silwood Kitchen

step 5

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 59

TOPS Nosh

step 8

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

continued from pg58 step 8:

Lastly, add the peas and mussels, cover and allow to heat through on a low heat for 5 minutes. The liquid should have almost evaporated by this stage and the rice should be cooked through.

step 9:

Arrange the orange segments and olives on top, remove from the heat, cover and allow to stand for 5 minutes.

dean

Serve in the pan, garnished with chopped parsley.

60 www.topsatspar.co.za

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

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

enjoy

Blogspot

Trending topics

anél

For too long we have all looked on the darker side of things. Now is the time to tap into a more modern and lighter style of doing things.

Here are a few suggestions by celebrated food blogger Anél Potgieter. on Appetit magazine listed the “Blondie” as one of the food

trends last year and I can only

concur. This is decadence with

a capital D. For too long chocolate

brownies ruled the dessert roost – in all shapes and sizes … yet I dare to

re-introduce the Cinderella cousin … the Blondie!

For dessert snobs, blondies have always

been a pale imitation of their darker

inspiration. But now the fairer-hued bar is coming into its own. In New York,

Stellina sells a Dirty Blondie with peanut butter and toffee. And in San Francisco, Black Jet Baking Co. adds brown butter

and Maldon sea salt to set a new standard

for what the classic un-brownie should be.

These are simply so sexy, sassy and

delicious. I added all my favourite stuff … like white chocolate (you can give me

white chocolate anyday and anytime – just LOVE it) along with pistachio nuts. And because I was in an Easter mood, I added

The blondie Prep time:15 mins Cooking time: 35 mins Total time: 50 mins Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS 2 eggs

some marshmallow Easter eggs. This is my

175g demarera sugar (or Muscovado sugar)

moment. Try it!

100g butter ‒ melted

most adorable sweetie thing at the

1tsp vanilla essence 100g flour ½tsp baking powder 50g pistachio nuts 100g white chocolate ‒ cut into very small pieces

As addictions go, zoo biscuits are not the worst in the world. Food blogger Anél Potgieter admits they gave her life meaning and purpose.

BLOG: lifeisazoobiscuit.com TWITTER: @anelp 62 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

3-4 marshmallow easter eggs, cut into small blocks Sprinkle of Maldon salt Garnish: Raspberries Crème Fraiche

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 180̊C. Beat the eggs till foamy. Add the sugar bit by bit. Beat for about 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla essence and then add melted butter, a little by little while beating. Mix the flour and baking powder and add it to the egg mixture. Fold in with spoon, taking care not to overwork the mixture. Add the pistachio nuts, white chocolate and marshmallow eggs. Line a 20cm x 20cm baking tray with baking paper. Add the dough and sprinkle with a bit of Maldon salt. Bake for 35 minutes at 180̊C. Let it cool before serving with fresh raspberries and a dash of crème fraiche.

lifeisazoobiscuit I just love fresh fish. But I’m “no fuss fish” person. I’m not one for

Prep time: 15 mins

those complicated fish recipes: the simpler, the better. Just baked

Cook time: 30 mins

or grilled with some subtle flavourings of lemon and herbs or

Total time: 45 mins

even cooked whole over the coals. That’s my preference.

One of my most memorable meals ever was a fishy one. I had a dreadful case of bronchitis while on a trip to Istanbul in Turkey.

As I recall, I was feeling particularly sorry for myself while ambling along the Bosphorus River when I smelt this amazing aroma... A local fishing boat was moored alongside the pier and the fishermen were selling freshly grilled fish on ciabatta bread, with just a squeeze of lemon juice. A bite ... and at that moment I felt so much better and I knew someone loved me.

It’s important to source your fish from someone who really

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS 2 small whole fish

Green - Best Choice, Orange - think Twice, Red - DON’T BUY www.wwfsassi.org.za

2 cloves garlic, sliced Olive oil for drizzling over the

1 bunch of spring onions

fish and at the bottom of the

Olive oil

baking tin

250g cherry tomatoes

¼tsp dried origanum

100g calamata olives

1 lemon, sliced

White pepper for seasoning

Juice of one lemon

Salt for seasoning

Baked Mediterranean fish knows their stuff ‒ and for me, that’s Julie Carter of Ocean Jewels in Cape Town (http://www.oceanjewels.co.za/ 083 582 0829).

Check out her website and subscribe to her mailer. She has a

METHOD: Preheat oven to 200̊C. Pat fish dry with kitchen towel. Make small incisions into fish, placing the sliced garlic in the slits and fill the fish

genuine passion for fish and is determined to sell only the

belly with olives, spring onions and sliced lemon. Drizzle with olive

freshest fish possible.

oil and season with origanum, salt and pepper. Add the rest of the

I visited her stall at the Neighbourgoods Market at the Old

ingredients to the pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Biscuit Mill this past Saturday and she recommended I sample

Bake in the over for 20 minutes with foil on. Turn the oven onto grill,

two little Pangas (Pterogymnus Laniarius its Latin name ‒ orange

remove the foil and squeeze the lemon juice over before grilling for

on the sustainable fish list). I decided to combine these Pangas

5-10 minutes. Serve with a fresh salad and bread. Enjoy!

with genuine Mediterranean flavours of olives, origanum, tomatoes and lemon. It’s a dish that reminds me of Turkey ‒ and all the wondrous colours, sights, sounds and smell of the Mediterranean. It makes me feel loved and happy.

Call the TOPS HOTLINE 0860 313 141

Available GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ at TOPS at SPARPG71 and ON FOR YOUR SPAR stores FULL GROCERY LIST

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 63

Tuis Nywerheid

Voorbereiding is die sleutel tot enige sukses ‒ van ’n rugby wedstryd tot ’n werks geleentheid of ’n troue. Mens moet fiks wees, weet hoe om aan te trek en seker wees die hart is reg vir die man of vrou. En die selfde giet vir ’n braai.

Vat vvlam lam

64 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

Emile Joubert WATTLE EN ROOIKRANS indringerboomspesies van Australië, so

wil ek graag net ’n beroep

om jou groengewete leed aan te doen. Dis

braaihout aangepak word,

mens kan soveel brand as wat jy wil sonder

doen op diegene wat na die

ook die hout wat gewoonlik by die garage

land se Grondwet kyk. Kan die doodstraf

gekoop word, en wattle en rooikrans is die

wat nat of klam braaihout aan

die werk, maar jy weet daar’s iets beter om

tog maar nie heringestel word vir mense

houtweergawe van die Kia-motor: dit doen

niksvermoedende braaiers verkoop nie?

die draai.

Blitz staan en rook en siss en sug voordat

mooi gevormde kool wat goeie hitte afgee,

gevoel wat niemand verdien nie. Sak en

groot hoop kole as jy drie sarsies braai het,

Die gesig van ’n hoop hout wat bo ’n pak dit vrek, laat mens met ’n wanhopige as, letterlik.

Droë hout, ’n behulpsame vrou in die

kombuis, sonskyn en ’n glasie koue

Die houtsoorte brand vinnig uit en laat ’n maar verbasend vinnig afkoel. Maak dus ’n sê nou maar eers wors, dan tjops gevolg

MARCO SCHMIDT|WIKIPEDIA.ORG

Altwee houtsoorte is voortspruitend in

oor die onderwerp van

Above: Dichrostachys cinerea Sicklewood (sekelboom) in flower. Below: Wingerdstompies.

deur braaibroodjies.

Chardonnay is die fondamente van ’n

KAMEELDORING EN SEKELBOOM

als in die lewe gaan en soos my buurvrou

hard, aangesien die bome in droeërlandsdele

suksesvolle braai, maar soos dit maar met

Nou praat ons. Hierdie hout is dig gevorm en

altyd sê, is hout nie sommer net hout nie.

in die Noorde en Namibië groei. Die gevolg is

houtvoorstelle mag nie dieselfde wees as

ná ’n halfuur in hopies as verander nie. Dis

byvoorbeeld, kan mens seker ’n koekhou

wees versigtig dat jy nie jou reputasie as

rugbypale,terwyl piesangboom ’n

warm hout te verbrand nie.

mag verseker...

HARDEKOOL

Kaaps, maar hier is meer styl as substansie.

Hy is skaars, maar ons Kapenaars ruil ’n

Wingerdstompe is nogal poreus, so jy gaan

goeie boks wyn vir ’n streepsak of drie

nie die wêreld aan die brand braai nie tensy

hardekool. Dis ’n bielie van die Bosveld-

jy ’n hoop kole so groot soos Leeukop

hout en presies wat die naam sê: deksels

maak, maar dan loop staan en verander als

hard en vrek warm. Drie middelmoot

weer in as.

Ek skryf uit ’n Kaapse oogpunt, so my

’n baie warm vuur en lekker ferm kole wat nie

vir ander landsdele nie. In Pretoria,

perfekte kole vir rooivleis ‒ veral steak ‒ maar

van ’n vuur maak met gebreekte

braaier beskadig deur hoender of vis op die

kookwater stel kole in KwaZulu-Natal

emile

stompies is genoeg om ’n trekos mee te

Acacia, cross section, commonly known as Wattle.

braai en die volgende oggend krap jy net

braai immers sy snoek vir agt minute “want

die as van die kool af dan maak jy koffie

dis hoeveel braaihitte jy uit ’n hoop

soos ’n Italianse barrista. As jy vir die eerste

wingerdstompe kry”. En ja, jy braai lekker

keer met hardekool braai, wees versigtig en

vis, sosaties en dun tjops, maar kwalifiseer

beplan wanneer jy wát gaan braai.

nie as ’n ernstige braaikool nie.

Máár, soos dit met die braaikultuur gaan,

Writer and PR guy Emile Joubert was a finalist in the Men’s Health Braai King competition, uniquely qualifying him for this column.

Johann Krige van Kanonkop se wynplaas

WINGERDSTOMPIES

is niks voorskriftelik nie. Braai wat jy wil net

Die oulike kronkel-vorm van die

waarop jy gemaklik voel. Ons is mos

wingerdstompie is tog so oulik en tog so

Braaibroeders. En nie nat agter die ore nie.

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 65

Responsibility

66 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

sustainable seafood

saving our seas Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 67

Think Twic e

- Ha ke

Responsibility

There’s lots more fish in the sea’ ‒ or so the expression goes ‒ but are there really?

Fiona McDonald looks at the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative ‒ Sassi for short.

having a massively detrimental effect and

once the most bountiful fishing grounds

it’s what has happened to fish stocks the

Vikings sailed and fished there in the first

potentially harming an entire ecosystem, world over.

Wars have been fought over fish –

Sweden and Britain had numerous

steenbras, galjoen or

even 74’s – when was the last time you saw

in the shoals of cod. But it was the advent of

Kingdom – with tasty, flaky cod

invariably the fish that was battered and Atlantic have collapsed in dramatic

fashion and for the past 30 years there’s been both a ban and a concerted effort

to allow the fish to breed and replenish.

American author Mark Kurlansky

that is that all of these fish are on the

World, 1997. It’s a fascinating read and

Initiative (Sassi) watchlist, meaning that these fish are in danger.

Sassi uses a traffic light system which is

easy for people to relate to: fish on the

green list are OK, on the orange list are

those that are potentially in danger and on the red list… well, there’s no way you

should ever be offered those in a restaurant because they are severely threatened.

Increasingly, local retailers and restaurants are buying into the sustainable seafood

initiative and only sourcing green list fish.

It’s an indictment of us as the human

race that our scientists know more about the surface of the moon than they do about the ocean floor. Elephant and

Kurlansky’s book details how the strides

be the national dish in the United

1970s, over cod. Fish and chips used to

devoted an entire book to cod: Cod: A

South African Sustainable Seafood

stretching back as far as the 16th century. that man made in developing sailing vessels

those in a restaurant or fish shop? It’s been years, right? And the reason for

century – and there’s certainly records

clashes, some as recently as the mid-

deep fried. But cod stocks in the North usselcracker, white

going. There’s historical evidence that

Biography of the Fish That Changed the details how the Grand Banks off the

north-eastern coastline of America were

Increasingly, local retailers and restaurants are buying into the sustainable seafood initiative and only sourcing green list fish.

Best Choice Herring

and catching methods hardly made a dent modern industrial methods – trawling,

sonar to locate schools and factory ships –

which saw catches hit 300 000 tons annually by the 1960s. In 1968 records reflect that a

staggering 800 000 tons of cod were caught in one year – but then things started to tail off dramatically. At that point just about

every fish-loving nation in the world was sending vessels to plunder the waters –

Spain, Portugal, America, Canada, Korea, Japan and China.

The cod stocks were deemed to have

collapsed in the 1990s, with stocks

estimated to be just one percent of what they were in 1977.

It’s all too easy to say that we’re not

affected, that cod is not a fish that we ever see in South Africa. But did you know

that even in our waters, our most valuable fish resource – the hake – is under threat?

Hake, Kingklip and even cob/kabeljou are on the orange list nowadays. There are

many in conservation circles who believe

that the abalone or perlemoen is virtually a lost cause due to poaching and that the

authorities, try as hard as they might, are of little use.

Growing up in KwaZulu-Natal, bag

rhino poaching is on the increase with

limits on shad – also known as elf in the

the alleged benefits of their horns. It’s

That was because stocks of this formerly

hundreds of rhino being slaughtered for a cause which has mobilised many campaigns in South Africa and

abroad. But if there’s one example of over utilising a single resource and 68 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

Cape – were five fish per angler per day.

plentiful fish were under threat – even 30 years ago! And yet the irony is that

dieticians and nutritionists the world over are emphasising that fish should form a

sustainable seafood greater part of a healthy diet – because all those Omegas and essential fatty acids that fish contain are good for us!

Sassi, which falls under the umbrella of

the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – an organisation which takes the lead in

conservation of wildlife and endangered species, was formed in 2004. Sassi’s

Don’t buy - Shark Think Twice Abalone

website states it best: “ The ocean provides

their maximum”, Sassi reports.

Formed in late 2004, Sassi aims to be an

easy way for everyone in the chain – from

those whose livelihoods depend on fish, to

restaurateurs and consumers, to understand

that every effort needs to be made to try and halt any further depletion of fish stocks.

SASSI has three primary objectives: to

us with tremendous and often unseen

promote voluntary compliance of the law

acts as a vast highway for commerce, it

consumer demand away from over-

economic, social and cultural benefits; it provides a place for recreation and,

importantly, it supplies food or income

for 2.6 billion people worldwide. Today, however, the ancient tradition of fishing

through education and awareness; to shift exploited species to more sustainable options and also to create awareness around marine conservation issues.

Everyone should take responsibility

has in many cases left in its wake

for being aware of what the status of a

ecosystem whose balance has been

ask your waiter not only what the

dangerously depleted fish stocks and an

Best Choice Anchovy

are either “over exploited or exploited to

sufficiently tipped to jeopardize the

existence of a number of key species.”

The United Nations’ Food and

Agricultural Organisation report of 2010

reported that 85% of the world’s fish stocks

fish is. Next time you’re in a restaurant, linefish of the day is – but whether it’s on the green, orange or red list.

Alternatively, use your phone to access the sassi website (www.wwfsassi.co.za) and check for yourself.

Text the name of the fish to the number 079-499-8795 to get an immediate response telling you whether to tuck in, think twice or avoid completely. For more information about SASSI, you can visit the SASSI website at www.wwfsassi.org.za. Or email SASSI at sassi@wwf.org.za.

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 69

what to look out for next issue One tequila, two tequila, three tequila ‒ more!

The spirit of Mexico Putting cork in it ‒ From the space shuttle to the latest in paint technology How do you like them apples? ‒ Cider grows in popularity brought to you by

www.topsatspar.co.za

Congratulations to last issue’s winners LAMPEDUSA BOOK WINNERS:

1. Vera Grimm (Olivedale, JHB) 2. Magdalene Abrahams (Kuilsriver, Cape Town)

enjoy your spoils!

70 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

Call the TOPS HOTLINE 0860 313 141

Grocery list TOPS at SPAR

Available at TOPS at SPAR and SPAR stores

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

Groceries

Available from TOPS at SPAR Liquor 60ml port or sherry

Available from SPAR Dried Spices/Herbs/Stock salt and black pepper 2.5ml dried origanum

1 x 410g canned pears

12-18 prawns

1l 100% peach juice

2 chicken breasts

100ml soy sauce

2kg deboned brisket or

250ml good-quality mild chutney

2.5kg brisket on the bone

5ml vanilla essence

100g chorizo sausage

Baking/Dry goods

7.5ml smoked paprika

1 box of Romany Cream Original

a pinch of saffron

Chocolate biscuits

5ml mild mustard powder

100g white chocolate

5 cups light chicken or fish stock

Fresh Fruit/Veg/Herbs/Spices bunch of thyme 30 ml parsley

3-4 marshmallow easter eggs, 100ml castor sugar 175g demarera sugar

Frozen goods 1 cup frozen peas

For garnishing Raspberries Crème Fraiche

(or Muscovado sugar) 300g flour 2.5ml baking powder

1 bunch of spring onions

2 cups rice

4 cloves garlic

50g pistachio nuts

1 large red pepper 1 orange

Dairy

3 lemons

200g butter

250g cherry tomatoes

125ml cream or milk

5 onions

10 jumbo or extra-large eggs

2 large potatoes

375g grated strong mature

Cans/Jars/Bottles/Cartons Olive oil

Cheddar cheese 1 x 250g tub plain cream cheese

Meat/Fish/Poultry

75ml oil

2 small whole fish (Green SASSI listed)

200g calamata olives

200g fish (Green SASSI listed)

180g marinated or roasted artichoke

12 mussels in the half shell

1 tin chopped Italian tomatoes

200g calamari

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

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

www.topsatspar.co.za 71

Loopdop Gerrit Rautenbach

En toe ontdek ek Umdloti... gerrit

Mens vergeet nie maklik die eerste keer wat jou hart ’n bietjie vinniger geklop het nie. Gooi warm see water en son by en dis ’n perfekte resep! at die jaartal was maak nie saak

waens wat so in ’n laer getrek gestaan het.

nie, maar in daardie jaar was ek

Ek dink Coert Steynberg het hulle nog

in

nou

gegiet. Ons het gekyk en gehoor en

hedendaagse graad vyf. En daar was ’n

herbeleef hoe die daad gebeur het, maar

geskiedenistoer vanaf my eie persoonlike

ons nou nie laat intimideer deur feite nie.

Laerskool

Ons was net in standerd drie, eintlik.

standerd

Louw

drie.

Geldenhuys

Dis

na

die

bloeddorstige Zoeloeland.

Warm seewater is maar net een van Umdloti se aantrekkings.

Wat daar gebeur het onthou ek min van,

Die volgende oggend het ons almal by

Nee wag, ek moet verduidelik. Zoeloeland

maar ek onthou toe ons terug by die toerbus

Umdloti se getypoel gaan swem. Soos die

was toe lankal nie meer bloeddorstig nie,

kom, het Wilma wat in my klas was en op die

towenaars dit wou hê het Wilma voor my

maar dit was ’n geskiedenistoer wat ons sou

bank voor my in die bus gesit het, net voor

uitgehardloop. So omkyk-omkyk het sy die

gaan wys het waar Andries Pretorius en Piet

my die trappe bestyg. Op daai oomblik woer

wal misgetrap om plonsend in die poel te

Retief en al daai snare baklei het. Sodat ons

een van die outjies van voor af by die bus uit,

beland. Sy het skuimend uit die water

die handboeke beter kon verstaan, sien...

stamp haar wild en sy land reg in my arms

opgekom en haar oë het myne gevang.

Ek weet self nou nie hoe geïnteresseerd

wat ‒ van hoe en waar weet ek nie ‒ reg

Duidelike angs sinjaal dat sy nie kan swem

ek en my beste pel Herman was oor die

gestaan het om haar te vang. Daai sawwe

nie. Ek duik in. Hand om die sawwe lyfie

slagvelde wat moes gedoen word nie, maar

lyfie het my ’n bietjie laat vergeet van

swem ek haar uit.

vir ons was dit een grote avontuur weg van

bloeddorstige riviere en so. Ek het haar hand

Ons sit op die wal met ons voete in die

die huis. Ek en hy het nie veel geweet van

styf gevat. Sy het my so aangekyk en haar

water. Sy vee die seewater uit haar gesig en

Bloedrivier nie, maar ons was bloedbroers.

hand weggeruk.

die trane uit haar oë. Sy laat sak haar hande

“Jy! Jy kan nie my hand vashou nie.”

en dan kruip die een naaste aan my in my

agterbank in die bus gekry. Saam met Pierre

Na ’n draai by Dingaan se Umgungundlovu

rigting.

en James het ons ingeburger vir die

waar die towenaars moes sterf is ons verder

“Jy... Jy mag my hand vashou.”

avontuur van ’n leeftyd. Voor ons het ’n paar

tot by die see. Tot by die skoolkampterrein

Umdloti is vandag nog een van my beste

girls gesit, maar aan hulle het ons ons g’n

by Umdloti. Vir die res van die reis het Herrie

flenter gesteur nie. Ons was die manne en

en trawante se grappies op my dowe ore

die manne was wat getel het.

geval. Want daar was ’n ander towenaar in

Ek en Herrie was betyds en het die

Iewers langs die pad het ons Bloedrivier gaan bekyk. Daar was sulke nagemaakte

my kraal. Ek kon nie verstaan hoe Wilma skielik so mooi geword het nie...

plekke.

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

72 www.topsatspar.co.za

Mar|Apr 2014 Vol 11

shanta

Umdloti TOPS at SPAR

Shanta Naicker is your Manager at the Umdloti TOPS at SPAR Address: Shop 1, Main Road, Umdloti , KwaZulu-Natal Tel: (031) 568 1088 Fax: (031) 568 1402 Email: umdloti2@retail.spar.co.za Business Hours: TOPS at SPAR Mon - Fri: 09h00 - 20h00, Sat: 08h00 - 17h00 & Sun: Closed.

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