December 2013 issue

the month the

December/January

enjoyed where wine is

printed on recycled paper

All the reading matter that matters this festive season

e e fr py co

the month

from the OPINION editor

About the front page A quick flip forward to read Russell Brand’s view on government and corporate collusion on the opinion page will put this month’s front page picture into perspective. Oil has been discovered in East Africa in the past five years, and the big oil companies are surveying the region for places to dig it up. Taken as part of Annie Buckle’s trip to the gorillas, this picture says it all: the vulnerable child stands in the foreground with potentially vast, untapped wealth behind him.

Reading matter?

Obviously it does...

W

The Team Publishing Editor: David Foster 084 827 3986 david@themonth.co .za Lead Contributor : Brett Garner 083 2600 453 brett@themonth.co .za

ith the festive season upon us, and the sun finally out, the temptation in the DecemberJanuary edition of The Month is to celebrate the closing of another year with loads of advice about what’s good out there and where the ‘fun’ is. Yet, in compiling reading matter that matters to the ‘discerning’ reader – engaging Western Cape locals or visitors who live healthy, informed lives, are big consumers of media, educated ‘global citizens’ who embrace technology and innovation, yet love sport, entertainment and lean towards free-range and all things organic at the same time – we need to find a balance, to remain relevant.

So you won’t find syrupy advertorial nonsense in The Month as we try instead to offer a guide to good living – and do it in an accessible and humorous way, having an opinion and digging a little here and there.

Brett enjoys some Fishwives and suggests a delicious recipe to go with it, and Natascha enjoys a trip downtown to discover a new take on ‘theme dining’ at Stardust. Opinions flow thick and fast on parenting, the law and politics (careful, now...) - we offer a guide to wine buyers (like me) who don’t want to look dumb in the local wine shop, go ‘impenetrable’ with Annie Buckle in Uganda and enjoy tremendously the musings of Russell Brand as he shakes up the establishment overseas. What’s On in Hermanus for kids, over the holidays nearer the city and where to find those difficult Christmas gifts for the family is all here – plus (across the page, and now even more famous after her encore request at the Franschhoek Big Music Night), we chat to the delightful Bonita Nuttall on life, the universe and everything else that matters beyond reading.

Marketing and Ad vertising: Samm Bain 082 875 9683 samm@themonth.co .za Journalist: Natas cha Herboth 071 633 2415 natascha@themonth .co.za Design by Tricky T: design@trickyt.co.za Contributors: Jim Waite jim@themonth.co.za Allude Fiche allude@themonth.co .za Ryan Lawrence bamboobeach@wh ale

mail.co.za

Feiran Griede feiran@themonth.co .za

Enjoy!

David

www.themonth.co .za Also join us on Fa cebook or follow us on Twitter at The_ Month

Publishing Editor

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The Month offers businesses, areas & nodes brand-specific ‘wraps’ to house The Month’s editorial as well as advertising pages.

This unique concept offers businesses the privilege of taking ‘ownership’ of the publication and the ability to distribute copies directly to clients or distribution points of choice.

the month the month the month the

NOVEMBER 2013

the PeARL VALLeY

MOVEMBER 2013

SPRING 2013

The CJW ProPerTy

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PEARL VALLEY GOLF ESTATES

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Go to www.themonth.co.za to book your advert or to read the online issue DECEMBER 2013

the month

PERSONALITY advertising Bonita taking a breather when climbing Kilimanjaro in 2010

The only place and moment we have is

right now

Nuts you! about

Natascha Herboth meets the inspirational Bonita Nuttall and finds out that thinking good thoughts this festive season might just be the key to a happy life

M

ost of us would like to find out who we really are and what our purpose in life ought to be. Reading numerous self-help and inspirational books often leave us none the wiser, so The Month is excited to share, that maybe, just maybe, we’ve found the person who knows the answer. Think of it as a gift from us to you this Christmas...

When I Google Bonita Nuttall, I find out that she has worked for Carte Blanche, Mnet, that she was a presenter on “Fever” and “Meet the Fan” and also that she co-presented the SAFTA Award-nominated “Gillman Make us Famous Dude!’’ with Mark Gillman, 5 FM and Levis Original Music.

An inspirational speaker, a voice artist and even a Master of Ceremonies, I find further that she completed her Meta-NLP and Neuro-Semantics Practitioner qualification in Australia and that she has branched into self-actualisation and development coaching.

‘Quite impressive,’ I think to myself, but there is another reason I have been looking forward to meeting Bonita. Because, just like me, she hails from a town whose name few can pronounce and can’t find on a map. Whereas my home town will remain a well-kept secret, Bonita reveals hers: Vereeniging. She also reveals that her parents uprooted her family when she was eight years old to live in America for 2½ years. “After that we moved to Johannesburg and then lived all over, just to end back at Vereeniging!” Even though Bonita and I are so very different, we have one more thing in common at least - my family did exactly that as well.

With her bubbly personality it’s easy to understand that Bonita has always had a performing streak. She admits that she was never really academic in school, but didn’t do too badly either. “I took part in all the musicals I could and I loved orals… but hated maths and history”, she says laughing.

After years of working in various job positions, Bonita confesses that she is still learning to identify herself. Even though she studied acting and directing after school, it was

And what better time to do inspire people than during Christmas? Without much thought, Bonita shares her insight, saying that what ever has happened in your life this last year, you should try to let it go. “You should always forget about the past. And although I am not saying you shouldn’t plan ahead - don’t forget about the ‘now’. The past and the future are illusions we create in our minds that don’t exist; we only create them to give meaning to our lives.” It’s always easier said than done, she explains, but most of us identify ourselves with what we do, “but that is not really who we are. The only place and moment we have is right now so be very conscious of right now and be aware of what you think, feel, say and do. These are the only four personal powers we have in life.”

• •

a path not really meant for her, something many of us also go through. Taking time out, Bonita did a sabbatical and immigrated to Australia with her partner and 5½ year old step-son. “It was the shortest immigration known to mankind, as it only lasted for two months, but it was there that I decided to complete my Meta-NLP and Neuro-Semantics Practitioner qualification at least.”

Having not heard of that qualification before and I ask her to explain. “It’s the philosophical and psychological aspects mixed together in one to bring about personal mastery” she says, and adds that she’d like to do some business and personal coaching next year - giving people a blueprint on how they should get to where they need to be. “I like to say that I am an inspirational speaker, not a motivational one, because it’s much better to inspire people.”

• •

www.bonitanuttall.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonita. nuttall Twitter: https://twitter.com/BonitaNuttall www.bonitanuttall.blogspot.com

the month

WINE

the month When Fishwives Rule

Brett Garner discovers a Sauvignon Blanc that’s destined to scale the culinary heights

Recipe A Mediterranean feast - whole baked fish with origanum, lemon, olives and tomatoes

By Anél Potgieter (whose blog ‘lifeisazoobiscuit’ was recently announced the winner of the 2013 Eat Out DSTV Food Network Produce Best Food Blog of the Year Award)

A

nswering my phone on a blustery Cape summer’s day, I battled to hear the caller clearly but got past the customary introductions by assuring him that I was familiar with the marketing programme tied to his product and would certainly be interested in trying it. “Perfect!” he concluded after taking down my delivery address and then signed off with “Expect a bottle of chilled Fishwives shortly.”

At least that was what I heard, or thought I’d heard, before the wind drowned out all but the final click that preceded the dial tone. A bottle of fishwives, I thought, now that’s a thing.

Turns out I got it just about right, but completely wrong, all at once. The caller was Patrick Robertson, who, together with his partner Ed Thomas and the team at Buitenverwachting, has produced a friendly, and very refreshing, Sauvignon Blanc called the Fishwives Club.

As varieties go, South African Sauvignon Blanc is generally a safe bet – whether as an inexpensive house wine or as a more noteworthy estate offering, albeit that the latter generally doesn’t leave you much more than a tip for the parking guard if you’re trading a leopard. Of course there’s a huge difference between an attractively priced house wine and an attractively crafted estate Grand vin…

According to SAWi (the South African Wine Index – www. sawineindex.com), varietal Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, light to medium bodied wine that exhibits either a fruit-driven or earthy flavour profile. ‘Fruit’ here means grassy, green pepper, melon, grapefruit, lemon, fig, olive, gooseberry and/or asparagus while ‘earthy’ tends to mean herbal, vegetal, herbaceous, tobacco, gun smoke, flinty or steel.

The reason it’s often chosen as a house wine is that, according to SAWi, it tends to go well with goats milk cheese, or cheeses with herbs; (lighter) meat dishes with herb-infused sauces; duck; salty snacks; spicy foods; salads; vegetables (with asparagus being a classic pairing); stews (such as the local classic, Waterblommetjiebredie) and seafood.

It’s here that Patrick spotted a bit of a gap in the local market.

Keen to keep his leopards for the main course, he and Ed set about creating something that would be comfortably priced as a house wine, but compete for the kind of attention generally afforded a first label. And in case those not in the know were likely to remain that way, he dressed the bottle with a delightful label featuring a lady perched on a fish.

The seafood theme is big when it comes to this wine.

“It goes with seafood as

DECEMBER 2013

It goes

with seafood as

delightfully as a Gucci clutch-purse with matching stilettos delightfully as a Gucci clutch-purse with matching stilettos,” Patrick laughs, before adding “So we’ve been told!” and letting slip that a major local franchise known for its seafood and pastas has stocked up to the max for December.

I tried this with a portion of Reuben Riffel’s Chilli Salted Squid (ordered as a take away in Franschhoek) and will happily add my name to the list of winos who’re likely to dedicate a space or two in the wine fridge to it. There’s a herby sense to it and overt lime and gooseberry notes that complement the inherent acidity of the variety.

If you tend to think of an entry level talking, eating, drinking, laughing, singing, sharing wine as a slap in the face with a dead fish, you’re sure to recognise the Fishwives Club Sauvignon Blanc as a cut above the rest. In fact, it brought to mind a slice of lemon wrapped round a large gold brick.

Serves: 2 Preparation time: 15 minutes Baking + Grilling Time: 30 minutes Ingredients 2 Small whole fish - I used Panga +/- 500g each 2 Cloves garlic sliced Olive oil for drizzling over the fish and at the bottom of the baking tin 1/4 t Dried origanum 1 Lemon, sliced Juice of one lemon 1 Bunch of spring onions Olive oil 250g Cherry tomatoes 100g Calamata olives White pepper for seasoning (I love white pepper with fish) Salt for seasoning Method 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Preheat oven to 200 °C. Pat fish dry with kitchen towel.

Make small incisions into fish, placing the sliced garlic in the slits + fill the tummy of the fishes with olives, spring onions and sliced lemon.

Drizzle with olive oil and season with oreganum, salt and pepper.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and drizzle again with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 20 minutes with foil on or closed.

Turn the oven onto grill, remove the foil + squeeze the lemon juice over and grill for 5-10 minutes.

Serve with a fresh salad and bread.

the month

WINE

On a Platter

For most people with a love for the grape, choosing a wine can be daunting. So, after this year’s launch of the 2014 Platters guide, where a lot of canapé conversation was around consistency and the consumer, we thought it a good idea to do a report card of which labels have consistently impressed the wine gurus of the ‘go-to’ handbook over the last ten years. Listed by style or variety, 394 5-stars have been awarded during that time, 80 alone in the 2014 Platters Guide. We hope the following will make wine-buying a little easier this festive season.

Chardonnay

white blends

Jordan and Hamilton Russell have been the more consistent

While not as big as its Red counterpart, there have been 25 serious

players - especially in the past four years.

players in this category earning a whopping 13 and 12 5-stars in 2014 and 2013 respectively. This seems to be where all the refined palates are

Chenin Blanc Jean Daneel and de Morgenzon are the only estates that have performed in both halves of the past decade. Beaumont has been

gathering to quaff. De Morgenzon’s first year in 5-star also presented us with the White wine of the year whilst Cape Point, Tokara and Nederburg are the most consistent labels in this category.

cabernet sauvignon

the most consistent in the past five years with four 5-stars.

pinot noir

The average Joe’s everyday Red choice has seen remarkably few farms being awarded 5-stars in the past 10 years. Among the 15 labels that

This category is lead by Newton Johnson having had 5-stars each

have, Boekenhoutskloof is the clear leader, with Cederburg (well known

year since the 2010 edition.

for its spectacular whites) and Ernie Els, (popular for their Red blends), being 2014 rookies.

port style With only five serious players in this category, Bo Plaas and de Krans are regular one (if not two) 5-stars winners. KWV and Axe Hill are also back in the limelight with some brilliant results since 2008.

red blends 36 Labels have been awarded 5-stars in the past ten years – but only three labels have been awarded three 5-stars during that time. This category, therefore, seems to be wide open and a bit ‘hit and miss’ but Ernie Els, Kaapzicht and Sadie Family fly the consistency flag.

semillon Constantia Uitsig owns this category with 5-stars in 2009 and 2014, but with all the changes at Uitsig, we are unsure about the future so watch this space!

shiraz

cabernet franc

The Platters 5-stars in this category have been dominated by Warwick who has received 3 of the 5-stars awarded in the past 10 years.

pinotage Considering it is loved by most of South Africa’s rugby mad, red meatloving masses, we were somewhat taken aback by how small this category is. The first 5-star was awarded in 2009 to Simonsig with Beyerskloof and Chamonix (both 2011 and 2013) being the only winners of two 5-star awards over the period.

sauvignon blanc One of the biggest movers off the supermarket shelves is still a relatively small club compared with the white blends. 16 labels were awarded 5-stars with the first half of the decade seeing only one award a year before an explosion of 22 5-stars in the last five years with notable labels being Tokara, Graham Beck and Kleine Zalze (better known for their Chenin’s). Cederburg and Mulderbosch made their presence felt for the first time in 2014.

24 labels have been awarded 48 5-stars over the last ten years.

Boekenhoutskloof, Saxenburg, Mullineux have won four each and Hilton, Rust en Vrede, Stark Conde and Sijnn are the newly crowned 5-star recipients. Its’ comforting to see that four 2013 awardees repeated their success in 2014.

unfortified Along with Port Style, this is one of the most consistent categories in Platters with Fleur du Cap the consistent choice showing seven consecutive years of achievement - followed closely by Nederburg.

15 labels have performed in the past ten years, with Delheim and KWV getting their maiden awards in this edition.

mcc The first 5-star in this category was handed out in 2011, which was surprising. Klein Constantia and Silverthorn (ex-Steenburg winemaker) the 2014 recipients.

brandy The surprise of 2014 is the new Brandy category that has managed in its first year to almost beat the MCC’s 10 year performance! Seven 5-stars were shared between Boplaas, KWV, Oude Meester and Van Ryn.

the month

the month

FOOD

A special kind of

Quote: “Oven baked and served in traditional tagine earthenware pots, the sweet and spicy Beef Tagine is a savoury combination of dried apricots and beef stewed in saffron, cinnamon, ginger, paprika and crushed pepper”

magic

Always up for anything, The Month visits Stardust – the Woodstock restaurant known for its theatrical dining experience. And what an experience it is…

H

earing the word “Stardust” always makes me think of the movie by the same name starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Claire Danes - angels falling from heaven, witches trying to retain their beauty, a charming man on a mission, floating ships and magic at every turn. I love that movie! So it was with utmost curiosity that I embarked on a journey to the homonymously named Woodstock restaurant hoping that I wouldn’t have to relearn my personal connotation of the word.

Oven baked and served in traditional tagine earthenware pots, the sweet and spicy Beef Tagine is a savoury combination of dried apricots and beef stewed in saffron, cinnamon, ginger, paprika and crushed pepper

DECEMBER 2013

Not familiar with the Woodstock area at all, my companion and I first drove past the restaurant because we were looking for a building that screams “theatrical dining” – whatever such a building would look like.

Finding it, the building is not much to look at from the outside (it doesn’t look like a restaurant at all, in fact) and it seems really, really old; well looked-after, but old nonetheless.

Now dying of anticipation, I can’t believe my eyes as I step into the building. Wow, what a surprise! To my utmost delight I realize the restaurant has exactly the same look and feel as the movie - minus Pfeiffer and Danes, of course. With an upside-down piano hanging from the roof, an antique feel to the whole building, wonderful music playing in the background and a stage catching your immediate attention, it feels as though you have stepped into another world.

Originally a bank built in 1902, this historic building was for sale when husband and wife team, Lionel (or ‘Yuda’ to his friends) and Rachel Liepaz, were looking to move their restaurant from Rondebosch when their rented premises became too small. And, as the saying goes, it was love at first sight. Now proud owners of one of the 100 oldest buildings in Cape Town, they set out to make it perfect and built everything to suit their needs - yet kept the history of the building alive. Deciding to build his restaurant around the existing features, Lionel kept most of the old bank vaults that are now kitchen, pantries and storage areas. With plenty of room, he opted to create an ‘upstairs’ area for those who enjoy the atmosphere but don’t want to be in the middle of the action downstairs - and another room will soon be the so called ‘man-cave’ for those who don’t want to be part of the action at all, yet prefer to watch sports on TV enjoying the delicious food. Catering for a third group, a deck area with panoramic views of Table Mountain will keep the crowds entertained during summer.

Even though the new premises only opened about a month ago, it already feels as though this building was made for the restaurant with its history fitting the Stardust profile perfectly by adding that extra bit Oven

baked and served in traditional tagine earthenware pots, the sweet and spicy Beef Tagine is a savoury combination of dried apricots and beef stewed in saffron, cinnamon, ginger, paprika and crushed pepper” of magic. The waiters, who double as the performers, are mostly students studying some form of the performing arts and use the restaurant as a platform to gain valuable experience and exposure. The entire evening is spontaneous as it is always the crowd that determines the flow of the evening - Lionel admits that his staff always have an idea of how the evening and the shows should start, but they never know how it ends!

“We go with the flow. The choice of music and what performance will take place at what time is dictated by the crowd. The crowd even decides what time we close – if everyone is having a great time, we stay open till very, very late!”

Although nothing beats the atmosphere, the food is divine. Their menu has a Moroccan flair adapted to suit South African taste and the signature dish is the Moroccan stew - oven baked and served in traditional tagine earthenware pots that comes in Seafood, Chicken or, my favourite, the sweet and spicy beef - a savoury combination of dried apricots and beef stewed in saffron, cinnamon, ginger, paprika and crushed pepper.

I am suitably impressed with Stardust and very happy to say that it lived up to my definition of the word. It is clear that every evening promises to be a spontaneous one filled with laughter, good food, friendly staff, a great vibe and most importantly - Magic!

the month

FOOD

Water Water (not) everywhere Why wait for the Third World War, when you need to fight for your water rights today, asks Jim Waite?

I

don’t know about you, but I like fresh mountain spring water. In fact, I like it that much that I’m prepared to trek from Cape Town to the Franschhoek pass, avoiding the plethora of cyclists, breakfast runners astride their Harleys and even the odd baboon on the way, so that I can fill my four five-litre plastic bottles dutifully each month. That the bottles once carried a pig-manure fertiliser for the strawberries in the planter on my balcony isn’t important; after all, green is green.

What is important is that nothing beats fresh water, save getting that same water for free.

I stopped at a local eatery at the foot of that same pass recently to catch my breath, walking up and down the pass is tiring work – especially with four five-litre plastic bottles to contend with – and overheard an animated rant from a table close-by. Turns out that a village old-timer had forked out close to a hundred grand on sinking a borehole in his back garden when he happened upon an article by village lawyer, Anton Kilian, about the insecurity of his investment.

From what I could glean, the agricultural community isn’t terribly au fait with something called the ‘National Water Act’, which determines the legality of water use, and to make matters worse, the Department of Water Affairs seems equally inept.

According to the Act, the legality of surface water use is based on what happened with that water during the period between 1st October 1997 and 30th September 1999. Naturally, farmers are concerned that the Department may restrict their current use.

When the old-timer mentioned that he had a ‘Water Use Certificate’ for his borehole, his table companion shouted something about the fork and went on to point out that the certificate simply indicates that they know

about the borehole. He mentioned the fork a number of times. He also complained that to get a licence it’s often necessary to show that some form of ‘empowerment’ has taken place, although it’s not a legal requirement.

Sensing that things were getting a little too complicated to make sense of by mere eavesdropping, and concerned that a fork may well be thrown my way, I resolved to call Anton later for comment.

Historically, it seems, there was no limit on the period of water use and water use rights were basically seen as a perpetual right connected to property. The Act brought an end to this perpetual use and now limits licences issued to a maximum term of 40 years. What now often happens is that the term of use after the issuance of a new licence, following the transfer of water use rights, is limited to a term of 10 years. “Farmers should regularly appeal against these licences as it is not possible to develop on such limited terms,” said Anton, and added that disputes with the Department are common and generally raised at a tribunal. Since the presiding officer had resigned in mid-2012, many appeals had been delayed.

It all sounds pretty hopeless. “What should a guy like that old-timer do?” There was a moment’s silence before Anton replied reassuringly, “Get a lawyer!”

In reality, the

Water Use Certificate means nothing when it comes to determining the legality of water use

the month

OPINION TRAVEL

the month

A Little Town

A Whole lot of Fun Ryan Lawrence weighs up Hermanus as an adventure destination

A

s a Hermanus local for over 12 years and a single father of two, many people ask me what the big attraction is with this little coastal town and, when my kids were young, my answer was always the same; it’s a great place to bring up children.

To stay metres from the beach, minutes from town and a short drive from the Hemel en Aarde valley in a place where migrating whales come every year without fail to frolic in the bay are idyllic childhood memory-makers.

Yet, as time has moved on and my children grown up, a need for greater mental and physical stimulation has become the order of the day to keep myself sane, and them busy.

So, I began to investigate the alternatives offered in this area for families that didn’t involve wine tasting and whale spotting.

To my surprise there is a lot to do here, more than I could’ve imagined. Some of them still do involve wine tasting and whale spotting, of course, but with a difference.

Rather than stand on a cliff gazing at the whales, you can hop onto a kayak and paddle around the bay observing these giants on their ‘turf’ - obviously from a safe distance. My kids loved every second and passed out early enough that evening for me to chill on the couch with a glass of Pinot noir (my kind of wine-tasting).

We mountain-biked through trails in the valley, then ditched our bikes for four-wheeler quad bikes and buzzed around the back of a few wine farms and koppies kicking dust and dirt everywhere for a day. We zip-lined through the trees in the forest

Pictures supplied by Walkerbay Adventures (wbadventures@hermanus.co.za) and Heaven and Earth Trails (karl@heavenandearthtrails.co.za)

My kids loved every second and passed out early enough that evening for me to chill on the couch with a glass of Pinot noir (my kind of wine-tasting) and enjoyed it so much we booked my boy’s next birthday party, there and then.

There’s beautiful nature to be found in Hermanus at the Fernkloof Nature Reserve.

Here you can hike along the edge of the mountains observing the abundant birdlife and fynbos on the way to a stunning (and refreshing) fern-lined waterfall. We have done this walk many times over the years and it is always an unforgettable experience.

The Kleinriver Lagoon flows right into the sea from time to time and is a must for the adventurous family outing. Here you can swim safely in the waves at the blue flag Grotto beach or kite surf along the lagoon while spotting flamingos. On the other side of the lagoon there’s a unique wine tour by kayak with lunch to follow.

Since the age of two my daughter has been horse crazy and now, as a teenager loves nothing more than to mosey through the picturesque trails of the wine valley on horseback with her Dad stopping off every now and then for a sip of ice-cold Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay.

So, gone are the boring old days of getting in your car and rushing from wine farm to wine farm to just taste wine. With a bit of thought, there is adventure out here in Hermanus that not only get the juices flowing and the heart racing but calms the nerves with fine wine and fresh homemade food. Seize the day!

DECEMBER 2013

the month

TRAVEL

Anneka Buckle comes face to face with the King Silverback in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

H

ave you ever heard the saying, three legs are better than two? Well, as five new friends, who had recently been thrown together for the very first time, we were soon to find out why. We were about to witness the magnificent Mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, on the southwest corner of Uganda, East Africa.

After a 5am wake up call, bananas for brekky and a very bumpy ride in our 4x4 to a soaring 3000m above, we met our porters. Our faces were as green as the mountain landscape surrounding us and our porters rapidly handed us sturdy, wooden walking sticks for support. With our third leg steady, suddenly, we were transformed into venturesome trekkers.

It would be foolish not to invest in one of the one the young porters for the ultimate trekking experience.

The enviably cool collective of leaders understand the labyrinth of Bwindi just as well as the Mountain Gorillas and will freely impart their impeccable knowledge with you. Even the most preposterous question, like “Can I feed the Gorilla a banana?” (yes a member of our group did ask..) will be answered with a fun, educational response.

“An adult male can eat up to 20kg of food a day, enjoying a delicacy of eucalyptus leaves, bamboo and bark.”

Aside from the spontaneous compulsion to ask a question about one of Africa’s most endangered species, the only other thing that can break the eerie silence of Bwindi is the deafening alert call for Safari Ants. Having followed instructions to tuck trousers tightly in socks, these nifty, pinching soldiers were ready for attack. With an almighty push from our porters, we ran past them to safety. There was no time to waste, for the first group of Mountain Gorillas, known as the Mishaya group, had a story to tell us on arrival.

After almost three hours of trekking, we found King Silverback, Mishaya sitting on his rump, looking a bit subdued. He was wounded with a large, open gash on his back that he would gently pick and clean between his chomping on leaves. It was a sad sight to see and the trackers informed us that just two days before he was attacked by wild Mountain Gorillas who tried to steal the females from his group. Mishaya won the battle but as

There was an

unspoken understanding between us for just half a minute before the spell was broken as he sauntered on to round up his group - leaving us, but

leaving us elated nonetheless

a caution moved his group on a further 8km for security. To be so physically close to the largest of all great apes was one thing but to get such a rare insight into the harsh reality of life as a King Silverback brought us even closer.

With Mishaya heavy in our thoughts, we heard part deux of our visit to Bwindi would be totally different. The Kahungye group has 26 members, with four King Silverbacks, notoriously vocal and known for their regular chest pats and charging. Two hours into our trek, we found a gorilla nest, intricately woven and still warm. An amazing treat to see - we knew we were close. The next hour was an intense and sweaty exercise, crawling on our hands and knees to keep up with the extremely active group. We fell over more times than Bambi on ice but never backed down for fear of missing them. Even the Green Viper spotted close by didn’t slow down the pace.

We saw twelve gorillas in total, coming head to head with a King Silverback at the end. There was an unspoken understanding between us for just half a minute before the spell was broken as he sauntered on to round up his group - leaving us, but leaving us elated nonetheless.

Besides a unique opportunity, Gorilla trekking is also being part of a program that educates the local people about the benefits of conservation for them - its success uncertain. So visitors are encouraged to support this valuable initiative by bringing home a number of hand-carved memories that, let’s hope, is not the only gorillas future generations will know!

the month

OPINION

the month

Russell Brand’s call for revolution alarms some but resonates with others

Why be complicit in this ridiculous illusion?

M

ost Month readers, I’ll assume, didn’t read the 4500-word essay in the New Statesman written by recovering drug and alcohol addict, reputed womaniser, comedian, TV and radio presenter and actor, Russell Brand, when he was asked recently to guest edit an issue of the UK’s leading political magazine.

Many, I’m sure, have since watched the exchange with Jeremy Paxman on the BBC’s Newsnight show where he argues that the prevailing political system in the UK no longer caters for the needs of the majority.

Some may be seeking a refund recently since his six sold-out local shows were cancelled after he was banned entry to South Africa for not having the mandatory two blank pages in his passport.

Whichever you are, his words may have resonated with you. And although the UK hacks have been out in force to discredit him, he has struck a chord with many who know nothing of his celebrity. I’ll briefly tell you why I think this is.

When Brand says he doesn’t vote, Paxman asks him how, then, he has any authority to talk about politics. To which Brand replies that the “pre-existing paradigm .. is quite narrow and only serves a few people (and hence)

Brand is not criticising democracy but rather what democracy has become. Most of the people who criticise his opinion have a vested interest in the maintenance of the system. They say the system works - what they mean is ‘the system works for me’ SEPTEMBER 2013 DECEMBER

you have a disenfranchised, disillusioned, despondent underclass that are not being represented by that political system - so voting for it is tacit complicity with that system” Paxman argues that people get power by being voted in, Brand that there are hierarchical systems in place that have been preserved through generations.

In a democracy, says Paxman, that’s how it works. Tom Chivers, on his Telegraph blog, defends the current system claiming that in most of the world, humans have never had it so good. “There is more food per head of population, despite population growth. We live longer.

We are less likely to die violently” For this, he says, “we have to thank the two institutions than Brand most reviles: democracy and capitalism.”

I think Chivers reads him wrong. Brand is not criticising democracy but rather what democracy has become.

Most of the people who criticise his opinion have a vested interest in the maintenance of the system. They say the system works - what they mean is “the system works for me”.

He says the political system really just administrates for large corporations and ignores the population that it was voted in to serve. “We shouldn’t destroy the planet, shouldn’t create massive economic disparity, we shouldn’t ignore the needs of the people.”

But here’s the rub – all three are the result of the same thing. Government is no more “government of the people, by the people, for the people” as Lincoln’s Gettysburg address proposed – it is now government for big business. Because big business controls government the planet gets destroyed in the name of growth and there’s massive economic disparity.

Washington DC is the fastest growing city in the Russell Brand at the Anonymous ‘Million Mask March’ protest in London, as seen in the Huffington Post

US - not because it makes anything worth having, but because it has seen a massive growth in lobbying expenditures by business. Companies that barely had a presence in Washington in the past now send lawyers, lobbyists and executives to influence government policy.

New research published in the journal Climatic Change suggests the climate crisis of the 21st century has been caused largely by just 90 companies, which between them produced nearly two-thirds of the greenhouse gas emissions generated since the dawning of the industrial age.

The Guardian reports that company bosses award themselves bumper bonuses over the last year whilst workers saw an average rise of just 2%. Despite the “huge disparity between rich and poor, welfare is slashed while Cameron and Osborne go to court to defend the rights of bankers to continue receiving their bonuses” says Brand.

These are the legitimate issues of the people that are not being addressed by the prevailing political system so it is hard to argue with Brand. “You can well understand public disturbances and public dissatisfaction when there are not genuine changes and genuine alternatives being offered. I say when there is a genuine alternative, a genuine option, then vote for that. But until then, pfffft, don’t bother. Why pretend? Why be complicit in this ridiculous illusion?”

the month

advertising book review

The 160-page guide is anchored by an 11-page collection of Winelands maps. And it’s here that the wheels came off my bus.

Wineroute Jim Waite is reminded that men and maps are seldom friends, no matter how good the map…

W

ine writer, Mike Froud’s ‘My Wineroute South Africa’, published by MapStudio, is one of those indispensable little guides that’s sure to find a place next to the latest edition of Platter’s in many a foreign wino’s hands.

As a guide it gives a useful, albeit rather brief, overview of the local winescape and goes on to list South Africa’s top 100 wine producers according to the South African Wine and Cellar Classifications (2013), of which Froud is the manager. There’s also an A-Z directory of all local wine producers, details of the various wine routes and info offices, major events and places to eat and sleep.

The 160-page guide is anchored by an 11-page collection of Winelands maps. And it’s here that the wheels came off my bus.

Having read a handful of the full-page entries on the ‘Top 100 Cellars’, I decided to put the guide to the test by travelling from Franschhoek to Worcester, to stop for a late afternoon drink at the KWV Brandy Cellar. I hadn’t noticed that the KWV entry in the ‘Top 100’ section was for the wine producer in Paarl, and it wasn’t until the Brandvlei Dam that I finally realised why the Bert and Ernie voices on my TomTom kept telling me to make a U-turn. Desperate for a little peace I opened the book to the map on page 150, tried to focus on the tiny print and pulled the chord on the GPS. I was never a fan of Sesame Street.

There are few things as thrilling to a man as knowing he is the master of his own destiny, or destination, in my case. As I followed the R60 and crossed over to the adjacent page, I was in my element.

The Cape Winelands are truly a magnificent sight and the roads in the Western Cape are a delight. At Graham Beck vineyards it dawned on me that one thing I’ve never done with my GPS is to mount it upside down. Turning the map book the right way up I realised that I’d strayed onto page 151, east of 150, and that I was now a stone’s throw from Robertson.

Heading the mantra of Bert and Ernie, I did a quick U-turn and stopped in to see if Bubbles Ferreira and the Graham Beck team would part with more than a tasting portion of their Brut Zero. With time to kill in the cool interior of the tasting venue, I flicked back to the ‘My Wineroute’ KWV entry and gave the Wine Emporium staff back in Paarl a quick courtesy call – explaining that I’d be a little late and pop by the next day.

Driving home a little after closing, I reflected on the day’s events.

‘My Wineroute South Africa’ is no GPS, and as such has a number of obvious limitations if you intend to use it to direct all your travels. But as a source of easily-accessible wine info it’s pretty good. And, if you should ever stray further afield than I did, you could turn to pages 140 through 149 and find a place to spend the night!

Why you need • We call our Head of Operations “Drill Sergeant” • The Steve Jobs wanna be is in charge of creative • Our reach extends from Parow to Pitsonderwater • In the words of Tina Turner, “We’re simply the best”

Marketing & design

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Get in touch: info@trickyt.co.za Tel:021 867 1707 the month

girls’ trends

the month

Christmas

shopping e c n e r diffe with a

Natascha Herboth visits the Root 44 Market at Audacia on the R44 between Stellenbosch and Somerset West

C

hristmas shopping is the only thing I absolutely dislike about the festive season. By the time I finally have a moment to hit the shops two weeks before Christmas, either most of the unique gifts have already been bought by someone else or the prices have gone up. And as if this isn’t stressful enough, I have an additional problem this year: all

The Taste of Christmas

No hassle, no clichéd gifts and I didn’t even have to break the bank to pay for it all the gifts I buy must be small, light and fit into my travel bag as this year I’m celebrating Christmas with my entire family overseas.

My hunt for something different, usable, memorable and small-ish begins with a visit to one of the most famous local markets in my area – Audacia - or the ‘Root 44 Market’. Wandering through the stalls, I feel like I’ve hit the Christmas shopping jackpot and want to buy my own Christmas gifts at nearly every stall. From gifts for the little ones, right through to the perfect present for grannies, the market really has something for every age and every taste. After numerous walks back to the car and back to the stalls, I am very pleased with my bounty and have successfully managed to complete my Christmas shopping in one single day – a record, I believe!

For Grandparents there are beautiful clay ornaments made by Ladi’s Art from Grabouw.

The next stall presents handmade exquisite wood DECEMBER 2013

and beaded jewelry, made by husband and wife team Reg and Dona – ideal for Mum’s and Aunts. For the younger boys: laser cuttings made from wood. Choose a few awesome aeroplanes and dinosaurs that come unassembled in small plastic packets so boys not only get an awesome gift, but they actually have to build it themselves to make the end product –perfect! For the young ladies I find something just as cool: unique and pretty fashion jewelry, headbands and scarves. And for Dad’s and Uncles who want to help build aeroplanes, there’s huge packets of biltong and droewors for them to munch on instead.

If you don’t feel like crowded shops, stressed people or overpriced items, then visit your local markets (see the ‘What’s On’ guide for more) – you’re sure not to go home empty handed. I can’t wait for everyone to unpack their gifts and am confident that my presents will exceed their expectations this year. No hassle, no clichéd gifts and I didn’t even have to break the bank to pay for it all.

And there’s still time to treat yourself to some delicious smelling food or quench your thirst on a fresh fruit smoothie. So even if you end up eating all day and buying things for yourself – all the more reason to hit the markets this season!

markets The Month has found a few markets in the wine lands, Cape Town and surrounds. Be sure to keep your eye on our “What’s On?” pages for just a few specific market dates and feel free to inform us of any other markets we might not yet know about – The Month loves food, wine and good times!

If there is one thing that announces the arrival of the Christmas Season in my family, it is my mom’s home-made Eierlikör. With a recipe passed down from my greatgrandmother to my granny, to my mom and now me, Eierlikör always reminds me of Christmas: the smell, the taste, the time spent with family and unforgettable memories. Even making the drink at home is a family event not to be missed.

Eierlikör might be similar to the English Eggnog but nothing comes close to the real deal, to our family recipe. It’s delicious, creamy, very drinkable and really easy to make. All you need is: 12 egg yolks 250gr icing sugar 1 tin Evaporated milk (like Ideal) 600 ml Brandy, as per taste

Method

First beat the egg yolks and icing sugar in a mixing bowl to form a frothy liquid and then slowly stir in the icing sugar, followed by the evaporated milk. Gently add brandy (depending on your taste) then pour the whole mixture into an empty, clean bottle with help of a funnel.

Lastly... Enjoy!

• • • • • •

Root 44 at Audacia Blaauwklippen market at Blaauwklippen Country Craft market at Southey’s Lazy Day Market at Laborie Bay Harbour Market in Hout Bay The Doilie market in Durbanville

the month

GUYS’ trends

How would our youth really enjoy spending their lives if their choices were their own, and not based on societal and parental admonishments – ‘you need to get an income, get your foot on the property ladder, get a pension, etc?’

All retch and no vomit!

Feiran Griede tackles parenting with some advice for our youth

M

y niece is 22 and lives in the UK. A bubbly, intelligent girl, with a degree in Human Geography, she can’t find a job. So she can’t buy a house, can’t get on the property ladder, can’t have the things she wants. Oh well that’s it then - doomed to poverty and unhappiness. How I envy her.

What a fantastic opportunity the age of austerity affords our youth. They can bleat on about how it is economically tougher for them (and it is – when I graduated my ‘paid-for’ degree in 1987 I walked straight into a well-paid job. Today, student debt and an insecure, or poorly paid, job is more normal) or they can grasp something – they are only doomed to ‘poverty’ because they measure happiness within a flawed framework, with used-up beliefs.

They are prisoners of the Zeitgeist – the spirit of the age, the dominant school of thought that typifies the culture of a period of time. If my niece had been born when I was, her mother would have fed her formula, not breast, milk - such was the prevailing conventional wisdom. Had she have been born a mere 40kms across the English Channel, property ownership would not have even have featured in her notion of future happiness remaining, as it does today, de rigueur in France.

They are doomed not because it’s tougher for them but because they measure their happiness in terms of

security – houses, gadgets and money – and they have learnt that from us. Despite what the US constitution says about ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’, the goal of life is not, however, happiness - but meaning.

As Jungian psychologist James Hollis says, to find meaning we need to shed the ego’s desire and suffer the uncertainty of not knowing, of not having security.

“The savannas of that suffering provide the context for the stimulation and attainment of meaning.” What an opportunity our youth have - an opportunity to achieve psychological and spiritual maturation. Ironically, the one-third of British under-35’s who have given up hope of independent living, and have moved back in with their parents, have made the easy choice - the choice to remain unconscious, infantile and dependent. The excitement to suffer a lack of security is surely preferable to the suffering of a banal existence.

The philosopher, Alan Watts, would have asked my niece the question: What would she do if money were no object? How would our youth really enjoy spending their lives if their choices were their own, and not based on societal and parental admonishments – ‘you need to get an income, get your foot on the property ladder, get a pension, etc’ – I wonder?

Even though our youth, deep down, want to be painters, poets, writers, live an outdoor life, ride horses, surf, whatever - the conventional wisdom says you can’t earn money that way. So they look for a job they don’t

like doing “in order to go on living - that is to go on doing things they don’t like doing, which is stupid. Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way” says Watts. “What is absolutely senseless is to spend time doing things you don’t like - and then to teach your children to follow in the same track - it’s all retch and no vomit - it never gets there!”

And David Bainbridge in the Guardian gives the view of the employer; “We want sparky people with a fascination for how the world works and an ability to balance hard work and fun, but increasingly adolescence is seen as an opportunity to stuff a curriculum vitae.

Young people should do things because they enjoy them, not because they fear for their financial future.”

So we make money our object and employ ‘magical thinking’ to justify it – if I have money, I have choice and can then spend my life doing what I want. Let me give you some advice, kids, - that day never comes. Rather, find something you can be interested in and become a master of it - you’ll earn from whoever else finds it interesting. How many times have you wished you could spend your life being the master musician you are spending your money on listening to?

The belief framework is outdated. Rather than completely wasting their lives in the pursuit of money, my niece and her generation have an opportunity to find the meaning ours hasn’t. How I envy them!

the month

WHAT’S OPINION ON

R/ DECEMBrEy janua

the month

Eat, drink and be merry cape markets.co.za

2013/4

Franschhoek Village Market (Franschhoek)

The market has become very popular and as such has grown to accommodate a lot more traders of very high quality.The market now offers visitors a feast of produce,delicious deli items, indigenous artwork and craft items, the chance to have a child – friendly outing and the opportunity to experience country living at its tastiest. At this market you could buy anything from hand-made artisan crafts to exotic foods.

Contact: janitaeigelaar@gmail.com / phone: 021-876-2431 29 Huguenot Road, Franschhoek Open Every Saturday morning from 9am till 2 pm.

ROOT 44 Market (Stellenbosch)

Blaauwklippen Market (Stellenbosch)

Weekly food and craft market at Blaauwklippen Wine Estate between Somerset West and Stellenbosch.

Dates & Times: Sundays 10am-3pm. Dogfriendly.

Contact details: Hugo Le Roux – marketarchitect1@gmail.com Century City Natural Goods Market (Century City)

The Century City Natural Goods Market is a monthly outdoor market, held on a village green in Century City.

Market Dates & Times: Last Sunday of the month (summer months only) 09.00 – 2.00pm Location: Central Park, Park Lane in Century City (follow Intaka Island signs) **Market will be closed on last Sunday in December Sunday 26 January 2014 Sunday 23 February 2014 Sunday 30 March 2014 Sunday 27 April 2014 Contact & Enquiries: Email: naturalgoodsmarket@gmail.com Tel / Fax: 021 531 2173 Country Craft Market (Somerset West)

The Country Craft Market is held during the summer months at Southey’s Vines, 186 Main Road, Somerset West.

Dates & Times: Twice a month on Saturdays (some exceptions and with additional dates in December). 9am-2pm.

Contact Details: Please contact Gill at +27 (0)21 852 6608 or Lesley +27 (0)21 843 3287.

Durbanville Craft Market (Durbanville)

Monthly craft market held under the age old Oaks in the beautiful gardens of the National Heritage, Rust en Vrede Estate, Durbanville.

Monthly on 1st Saturday of the month.

8.30am-2pm. Extra dates in December.

Rust en Vrede Estate, Wellington Rd Cape Town 7550 Contact Details: Angela Hillier 021 981 4681 / 072 8679911 information@durbanvillecraftmarket.co.za

Set within the lush, picturesque Stellenbosch vineyards on Audacia wine farm, this market offers something fun and entertaining for everyone, even if the weather doesn’t play along! From funky clothing and accessories, to vintage arts and crafts, to gourmet sweet treats and scrumptious comfort food, handmade jewellery, craft beer, and a wide range of thoughtful ‘take home’ gifts and trinkets, we’ve got it all!

Take a leisurely stroll through our wide range of stalls while the smooth sounds of live jazz float through the air. A FunZone is set up where kids can play to their heart’s content, while comfortable tables and chairs provide a welcome place to park off and relax – inside or out. Website: www.root44.co.za Stellenbosch Organic Farmers Market (Stellenbosch)

Now relocated off the Annandale road outside Stellenbosch (between R44 and R310), on the Spier Wine Farm, you are greeted by the placid grazing of a Nguni herd, as you drive in toward the new site of the Stellenbosch Waldorf School.

From pasture-reared chickens which come from less than 5 kms away, to local processed and preserved foods, cheeses, yoghurt, goats milk cheese, nuts and dried fruit, olives and oils, the market strives to become a one-stop, organic shopping destination. And with the abundance of farm fresh air, it’s an outing not to be missed. Contact Details: Open from 09:00 to 14:00 every Saturday, if you need more information call 082 969 5757.

Stellenbosch Slow Market (Stellenbosch)

A popular fresh goods and gourmet produce market in Stellenbosch.

On every Saturday 9am-2pm (rain or shine) at Oude Libertas (Oude Libertas Estate, Oude Libertas Road, Stellenbosch). Hold an additional special Christmas Night Market in December.

Contact Details: admin@slowmarket.co.za or call 021-8868514.

The Marketplace at Hathersage Farm

Festive Ideas Market

Themed markets at varying intervals during the year (previously a bi-monthly market).

Venue: Hathersage Farm, Gordon Road, Somerset West Contact: Sharon at info@tomarketwithlove.co.za

The annual Festive Ideas Market at Simondium’s Country Lodge will run from 30 October – 3 November 2013, featuring more than 130 exhibitors showcasing their innovative and original gift ideas.

The Simondium’s Country Lodge is located on the R45 between Paarl and Franschhoek.

The Treasury Market sells a hand picked selection of gorgeous handmade goods. It is hosted at the Oude Libertas in Stellenbosch alongside the Stellenbosch Slow Market on the first Saturday of every month.

DECEMBER 2013

Treasury Market (Stellenbosch)

Dates & Times: First Saturday of the month.

9am-2pm. Special dates in December (Christmas Market) Location: Oude Libertas, Stellenbosch Contact: cecile@treasurymarket.co.za Wild Clover Lazy Daze Market (Stellenbosch)

The Wild Clover Market is an informal space for local artisans and producers to share their goods, with its beautiful landscape and against the backdrop of the Simonsberg and Table Mountain. On offer is a delightful selection of goodies to browse, try and buy; things to eat and crafts for your home or as special gifts.

Contact: +27 (0)21 865 2248 When & Where: Every Sunday from 10am4pm (rain or shine).

Wild Clover Farm, on R304, Stellenbosch Willowbridge Slow Market (Tygervalley)

A fresh goods and gourmet produce market held in the Willowbridge Mall courtyard (Tygervalley) When: Every Saturday 9am-3pm (rain or shine) Where: Willowbridge Lifestyle Centre, Northern Suburbs Contact: For more information, visit www. slowmarket.co.za Woodmill Lifestyle Market (Stellenbosch)

Food and craft market in Stellenbosch, focusing on lifestyle products, including clothing designers, ceramics, artists, jewellers etc.

There will be wine farms and a micro brewery.

Yummy things to eat from Lebanese to Italian to Indian, breads and pesto’s etc. All this while being entertained by live music.

When: Held on the last Friday evening of every month. Contact the organisers for specific dates.

Where: The Woodmill, Vredenburg Road, Stellenbosch (off Adam Tas).

Family Market (Kleinmond)

The market offers a wide variety of fresh produce, crafts, home decor, jewelery, antiques, books, wood, ice, frames and arts, food and flora.

Dates and times: Saturdays and Sundays, 9hoo – 15hoo Location: Off Harbour Road (Turn right into the Yard), KLEINMOND Contact: battsjessica@gmail.com Fernkloof Farmers Market (Hermanus)

This market has RELOCATED to the Montessori School yard in Hermanus. Follow the signs at the Eastcliff Spar.

Every Saturday morning from 7.30 – 11.30 am.

Enjoy a “unique outdoor deli experience in the beautiful Fernkloof Nature Reserve, where you can buy good, wholesome, local fresh produce, direct from the source”.

Over 30 traders offer some of the best foods from the Overberg region.

Telephone: 072 883 3894 More info: Fernkloof Farmers Market listing (Overberginfo.com) infohermanus.co.za – info and images.

Gabrielskloof ‘Favourite Things’ Market (Botrivier)

Annual Christmas market held at Gabrielskloof

in Botrivier.

Free entry Contact: +27(0)28 284 9865 Greyton Morning Market (Greyton)

Wonderful village market on every Saturday morning (rain or shine) at the Greyon Village Centre.

It starts at 10am and runs until about midday (or until sold out).

Delicious fresh produce from the area, including jams, cheeses, organic vegetables and a mouth-watering variety of edible treats.

Website: www.greyton.net/ Organiser: Desiree Kingwill – (028) 261 1809 Hermanuspietersfontein Market (Hermanus)

This food and wine market is on every Saturday from 9am-1pm at the Hermanuspietersfontein Estate, near Hermanus.

We trade every Saturday of the year, no matter what the weather. Come and browse the food tables. Wine tasting is free. There is really something for everyone. Come and join the hundreds of regulars and make new friends Saturdays 9am-1pm.

Summer Markets in Cape Town

Cape Town’s two summer markets look to bring weary mall-goers a fresh take on shopping just in time for the holiday season. The Cape Town Summer Market (formerly the Adderley Street Night Market) is billed to transform Government Avenue in the Company’s Garden from Saturday, 14 to Monday, 30 December (excluding Christmas and Boxing Day), while the Langa Quarter Summer Market invites residents, locals and tourists alike to experience the vibrancy and culture of the Mother City’s oldest township from Friday, 20 to Tuesday, 24 December 2013.

• Cape Town Summer Market (14 – 30 December) • Langa Quarter Summer Market (20 – 24 December) Tickets: Entry into the Cape Town and Langa Quarter Summer Markets is free. Visit www. mothercityliving.co.za/cape-town-markets/ Click through to the events for more information.

the month

WHAT’S ON

Eat, drink and be merry

in the Mother City this festive season

MCQP

NOV-april 2014 Galileo Open Air Cinema at Kirstenbosch.

Wile away the midweek blues with a unique and invigorating outdoor experience at the Galileo Open-air Cinema at Kirstenbosch each Wednesday from November 2013 to April 2014. Each week cinephiles can grab some popcorn (or other yummy gourmet treats from the exhibiting vendors), settle down on the lush lawns at this historic greenway and see firm favourites, cult classics - like the (original) Star Wars and Back to the Future - and ultimate chick flicks, such as The Notebook, Mamma Mia and so much more. Tickets: Tickets are available three weeks prior to each film screening via Webtickets.co.za or at the door on the day (subject to availability), and costs vary according to ticket type. Click through to the event for more information.

NOV-feb 2014 Hope at Paul Cluver Summer Concert Series Support the Thembalitsha Foundation

and enjoy top tunes by local and international artists at the Hope at Paul Cluver Summer Concert Series in the wine estate’s magical forest amphitheatre from November 2013 to February 2014. This season’s line-up will no doubt keep patrons enthralled and is set to feature first-rate acts, including US-born folk singer Suzanne Vega, crafty one-man-band Jeremy Loops, MacStanley, The Parlotones and many more. Bring along a picnic, some cushions and blankets and make yourself comfortable for an outdoor experience like no other. Tickets: Tickets are available via Computicket.com and Computicket outlets, and costs vary according to the artists. Click through to the article for more information.

14 DECEMBER The (queen) mother of all annual gay and lesbian parties touches down at the Cape Town Stadium in Green Point for an intergalactic jol on Saturday, 14 December 2013. The Mother City Queer Project, better known as MCQP, gears up for its 20th anniversary and promises to be bigger and better than before! This proudly Capetonian party – this year’s theme is ‘Space Cowboys’ – is as massive as it is memorable, and is billed as the biggest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) event in Africa.

Tickets: Tickets are available via MCQP.co.za. Click through to the event for details on ticket prices.

MCQP in Cape Town.

27 NOV-16 dec Wavescape Surf Film Festival (27 November – 16 December)

Barrel rolling onto the Mother City’s summer social scene from the end of November to mid-December, the annual Wavescape Surf Film Festival features more than just movies devoted to big wave hunters and epic surfing legends and luminaries. The three-week celebration also includes an art surfboard exhibition and auction, an innovative ocean-inspired presentation-based slide night and so much more. Though, as always, the highlight of the wave rider fest is the FREE open-air movie screening on Clifton Fourth Beach.

In other words, get stoked and start reading more about scheduling. Tickets: While many of the Wavescape Surf Film Festival events are free, including the screening on Clifton Fourth Beach, individual films will cost R35p/p to R40p/p, and entrance to the slide night will run you R100p/p. Tickets are available at the door of each venue.

31 jan 2014 SUNSET CONCERT WITH GERRIE PRETORIUS AT DURBANVILLE HILLS

Enjoy a glass of Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc, as you watch the sun setting over Table Bay and Table Mountain with a memorable performance by Gerrie Pretorius on Friday, 31 January 2014 - all in aid of the Môresterretjies crèche.

The crèche is a day-care centre for the children of farm workers in the Durbanville area. It was established by community groups including Durbanville Hills’ member farmers, Kenridge NG Church and social services organisation, BADISA. Proceeds from the evening’s ticket sales will help fund the crèche, where trained teachers take care of the well-being and early learning development of children between the ages of three and five.

The performance of Gerrie Pretorius, one of South Africa’s most versatile singers, will include all the songs that he has become so popular for. Bring your own picnic blanket (no chairs allowed) as well as your own picnic basket, or pre-order one from the Durbanville Hills restaurant (which includes a bottle of Durbanville Hills’ Merlot Rosé) at R310 per couple.

The picnic option for the little ones is charged at R75 per child. The restaurant will also have chicken burgers available at R35 each. Durbanville Hills’ wines will be on sale as well as hot chocolate, coffee, tea and cold drinks.

Date: Friday, 31 January 2014 Time: Gates open at 18:00 and the concert starts at 19:30 Price: R120 per person and bookings can be made at www.webtickets.co.za Entry is free for children under 12 To pre-order a picnic basket or for more information, contact Simone Brown on 021 558 1300 or info@durbanvillehills.co.za

PICNIC TO MUSIC @ PALMIET VALLEY ESTATE PAARL

Bring your picnic basket & celebrate boxing day on the lawns, whilst being entertained by the mediterranean duo (stanislav angelov & petrus de beer). Cheese platters available on pre- order. Cash bar at venue (no beverages to be brought in). Date: 26th December 2013 Time: 3pm – sunset. Entry: R100 / person (all tangueros welcome). Booking essential: mistydebeer@gmail.Com or call 079 302 15 86

26

NOV-april 2014 Old Mutual Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts The Kirstenbosch hills liven up with the sound of music every Sunday from November 2013 to April 2014 for the annual summer sunset concerts in Cape Town’s historic botanical gardens. Each year, hordes of music lovers pack picnic baskets and blankets for the chilled out live music sessions on the sprawling greens. This year, patrons can enjoy a mix of performances, from the classic tunes of Oliver Mtukudzi, Mango Groove and Johnny Clegg to the pop and rock acts of Jack Parow, Jimmy Nevis and Fokofpolisiekar, to name just a few. What’s more, some concerts will have childcare facilities, so moms and pops can rest assured that their kiddies are in good hands.

Tickets: Tickets are available via Webtickets.co.za and costs vary according to the performer; concessions do apply. Click through to the event for more information on the line-up and costs.

THE FINE PRINT The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Month or its affiliates. Having said that, we generate practically all of the material printed in each edition ourselves; please don’t reproduce any part of it without the Editor or Publisher’s permission (we’re generally quite generous – so just ask).

The Month subscribes to the South African Press Code and if you feel we’re not living up to that, please call the Press Ombudsman on 011 484 3612. We regard our sources as reliable and verify as much of what we print as we can, but inaccuracies can occur and readers using information in The Month do so at their own risk.

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OPINION PROMOTION

The Home of Pierre Jourdan

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VINTAGE TASTING MENU 6-Course Dinner Menu* Served Tuesdays - Saturdays.

R 595 per person, incl. wine.

CONTACT US RESTAURANT E restaurant@cabriere.co.za T 021 876 8500 TASTING ROOM E hospitality@cabriere.co.za T 021 876 3688 Haute Cabrière located on Franschhoek Pass (Lambrechts Rd/R45) Franschhoek Valley, 7690

* offered in addition to a la carte menu

S 33° 54’ 51.63”

E 19° 8’ 7.90”

www.cabriere.co.za

SEPTEMBER 2013 DECEMBER

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PROMOTION advertising

Professional & harmless control of pest birds guaranteed - INVISINET™ bird netting - REPEL-A-BIRD™ Stainless steel bird spikes - BIRDSURPRISE™ mechanical trip wires Every installation is guaranteed

021 794 7871 | www.birdproofing.co.za

Dr Schalk du Plessis B.Ch.D (Stell) Pr No. 054 000 0507989

SUMMER IS BACK!

We Offer:         

Cerec Crowns (In only one visit) Inlays and Veneers Dental Implants Metal free Dentistry Teeth Whitening Endodontics Home Visits Oral Hygiene And many more

JOIN US FOR OUR DELICIOUS PICNICS AND WINES, THE PERFECT INGREDIENTS FOR A MEMORABLE, LAZY-DAY-OUT IN WINE COUNTRY. GOURMANDS RAVE ABOUT OUR PICNICS AND KEEP COMING BACK – YOU WILL TOO. FOR FAMILIES, WE CREATE DELICIOUS CHILDRENʼS PICNICS THAT ARE DESIGNED BY PARENTS WHO ʻGET ITʼ.

For more information or quotes please contact us at: Tel: 021 876 3070 Mobile: 079 546 9266 (for emergencies only) Email: drduplessisdental@gmail.com

OPEN 365 DAYS A YEAR FROM 9AM TO 5PM. TO BOOK CONTACT VISIT@WARWICKWINE.COM OR 021 884 4410 ON THE R44 BETWEEN STELLENBOSCH & PAARL

Address: 1 Kruger Street, Franschhoek, 7690 (Next to the Ivy) www.tripadvisor.com

Facebook: WarwickWineEstate Twitter: Love Warwick Wine @WarwickWine

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PROMOTION

Award Winning Wines

Function & Conference venues

Accommodation

All-day breakfast, freshly baked artisan breads, mouthwatering lunch menu, daily blackboard specials, Sunday buffet roast

Monday – Saturday: 7:30am – 5pm | Sunday & Public Holidays: 8am – 4pm All hearth loaves are baked on the premises and available for sale in our bakery.

021 874 8155 | lust@vnl.co.za | www.lust.vnl.co.za DECEMBER 2013

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Natalie Campbell, Hugo le Roux

SOCIAL Harry Joubert, Georgina Constable

With the summer holidays finally here, most of us now have plenty time to visit wine farms to enjoy all they have to offer. But with the list of the farms as long as it is in the Western Cape, which places do you choose?

The Klink Wine Tourism Awards, held on 13 November, made that decision much easier for us: South Africans where given the chance to vote their favourite farm in specific categories, all votes were tallied and the Klink Wine Tourism Awards brought us 15 winners. Visit http://winetourismsouthafrica.co.za/klink-results/ to find out whom South Africans have voted for.

Maresa Fourie, Corli Els

Jenny Prinsloo, Jan Laubscher, Alana Ridley

The stakes are high

Kicking off the Cape Town Racing Summer Season, the first ever Lanzarac Ready to Run Stakes, held on 23 November, quickly made everyone’s heart beat faster – who would have thought that a horse named Captain America would win the main race? Well, with a name like Captain America, we should have guessed. What a fun-filled, heart-stopping day!

Migon du Plessis, Michelle Gericke, Tracey Randle

Sabrina Bunn, Erik Neethling, Ian Zamzis, Natalie Wittwen

The annual Roberston Wine on the River has become a festival not to be missed.

Held this year from 17 - 19 October along the stunning Breede River all wine lovers once again grabbed the chance to indulge in good food and superb wine.

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PROMOTION

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PREMIUM SECURITY | PROPERTY | HEALTH CLUB | RESTAURANT | WINE | EQUESTRIAN | EVENTS | PRE-SCHOOL

LIFE WORTH

LOVING

FLAVOURS OF PROVENCE

R 5,995 m

BORDERING BUCK & ZEBRA RESERVE

R 8,5 m

Beautiful home with vibrant styling from the moment you enter with its statement staircase, selection of floor finishes and detailing. Offers 4 en-suite bedrooms, double volume ceilings and glass finishes allowing light to filter throughout the home. Open plan living with two fireplaces, pool and gourmet kitchen with integrated appliances.

Superlative quality throughout this majestic North living home. Offering 4 spacious bedrooms, a study, formal lounge and TV lounge, open-plan dining and gourmet kitchen. Large covered patio leading to a to pool and views of the reserve. A perfect family home, the property sports 3 Garages .

FRENCH ELEGANCE

EXCEPTIONAL VALUE

R 4,4 m

This neat double storey home offers 4 bedrooms and convenient staff accommodation. Stunning gardens and beautiful finishes throughout with open plan living including an enclosed braai room. A peaceful corner of the estate with spectacular views of the reserve and the Simonsberg Mountains.

Modern Country Style North facing home offering 4 bedrooms and a pool.

Open plan kitchen and dining room with separate cosy lounge and fireplace, leading to the covered patio and pool with neat garden. Airconditioning and lovely level of finshes throughout. Ideal location near play park and olive grove.

Val de Vie Estate is nestled in the Paarl-Franschhoek Valley | 35 min from Cape Town and International Airport Property Sales on Show & Open 7 days a week. +27(0)21 863 6101 | property@valdevie.co.za www.valdevie.co.za DECEMBER 2013

R 3,2 m