Val de Vie Magazine - Summer 2012

M A G A Z I N E

SUMMER CLASSIC

THIS SEASON IT’S THE DRESS BUY YOUR OWN

ISLAND TASTE OF FRANSCHHOEK

THE ART OF INVESTING

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JEREMY CLARKSON RYK NEETHLING ARTHUR GILLIS

SUMMER 2012

R39.95

Shop 1, High Constantia Shopping Centre, Main Road Constantia 7806, Cape Town, JHB Showroom call 082 411 9588 Shop 1, High Constantia Shopping Centre, Main Road Constantia 7806, Cape Town, JHB Showroom call 082 411 9588

VAL DE VIE | CONTENTS

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FIRST WOR D

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THE IT L I S T Don’t be seen without IT this summer

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ZEN AND FLY-FISHING It’s skillful but peaceful, stylish and strangely sexy; and suddenly everybody is trying it! So let fly...

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THE ART OF INVESTING As capitalism crumbles and investments dry up, those in the know are returning to art as the aesthetic investment

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CLARKSON’S ODE TO 911 Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson describes his love-hate relationship with the Porsche 911 and finds one he loves!

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CHANGE OF LIFESTYLE Ryk Neethling swaps sport’s star status for modern businessman and a new role in a new environment

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VEUVE CLICQUOT MASTERS Who was lucky enough to witness the most prestigious polo game on the planet?

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THE SMARTER HOUSE Lights that follow you around the house, mood music from the ceiling, curtains that open to command... So how smart is your house?

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ON TH E COVE R

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MODELS MARIA PAYMAN/ ICE MODELS (LEFT), VANESSA MARAWA/BOSS MODELS (CENTRE), NINDHI/3D MODELS (RIGHT) PHOTOGRAPH JACQUES WEYERS CREATIVE DIRECTOR PAUL KERTON STYLING ISABELLA NIEHAUS HAIR MARY GOUVEIA MAKE-UP ALGRIA FERREIRA Val de Vie

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PASHION - THIS SUMMER’S CLASSIC This season the dress is the thing. The colour, length or fabric is immaterial, just be sure to wear it well

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HOW TO BUY AN ISLAND Yes, you can buy an island, and realise the ultimate dream of the rich and famous

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TASTE FRANSCHHOEK Founder of Rossouw’s independent restaurant guide, J P Rossouw takes us on an epicurean journey

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CAPTURING THE MOMENT It’s been a busy season full of fun, love, style and celebration at Val de Vie’s top events

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VALLEY LIFE What’s in the Wineland’s in the upcoming months

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INSIDE THE HEAD OF… Athur Gillis CEO of Africa’s largest hospitality group

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E D I T O R PAUL KERTON paul@luxemedia.co.za A R T D I R E C T O R LOUISE TOPPING marielouisetopping@gmail.co.za E D I T O R I A L A S S I S TA N T MEIKE MANN info@luxemedia.co.za C O N T R I B U T O R S ANDREW FRENCH, JACQUES WEYERS, MARIA PAYMAN, VANESSA MARAWA, NINDHI, ISABELLA NIEHAUS, ALGRIA FERREIRA, MARY GOUVEIA, JEREMY CLARKSON, RYK NEETHLING, MEIKE MANN, SHONA BAGLEY, WERNER RYKE, JEREMY BROWNE, JUSTIN PATRICK, TAMLIN WIGHTMAN, ANGELA SIMPSON, BLANE VENTER, GARY HIRSON, CATHERINE BOWEN, CARLA GERSIE, JACQUES VAN ZYL, SVEN JURGEN, BEEZY BAILEY, PAUL DU TOIT, MARIE VERMEULEN-BREEDT, ARTHUR GILLIS, FARHAD VLADI C O P Y E D I T O R ARINA WILSON arinaw@mweb.co.za JO KROMBERG kromberg@vodamail.co.za A D S A LE S SIMONÉ DE WET A N D M A R K E T I N G simone.dewet@valdevie.co.za P R I N T E D B Y PAARL MEDIA www.paarlmedia.co.za P U B LI S H E D B Y LUXE MEDIA info@luxemedia.co.za www.luxemedia.co.za LUXE MEDIA is a bespoke publishing company specialising in lavish upmarket books and magazines www.luxemedia.co.za ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in an electronic system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, digital or mechanical, including scanning, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher and the copyright owners as featured.

I AM THE NEW NIKON 1 V1. I am built from scratch.

I capture images before and after you‘ve fully pressed the button, so you will never miss a moment again. I am a small system with interchangeable lenses and innovative features, an electronic viewďŹ nder, and a super high-speed autofocus system. I am a new era of imaging. www.nikon.co.za

VAL DE VIE | LETTER

CHUKKA Khans

FIRST WORD Welcome to this edition of Val de Vie magazine in which we embrace the wonderful PaarlFranschhoek Valley in all its splendour. Val de Vie is beginning to resemble a vibrant village with the Polo Club restaurant and lounge bar as its hub, providing casual yet delicious dining in an exceptional setting. Our award-winning winery has found recognition for its exceptional wines with over 11 different Rhône varietals celebrating a noble southern French heritage. Earlier in the year we celebrated the launch of Ryk Neethling’s blended red, which was an instant success. Ryk has joined Val de Vie as the new marketing director and is making a big contribution in positioning the estate as a world class destination.

The estate is abuzz with building activity as scores of THE MAGAZINE IS AN families from around the globe make use of good buying ECLECTIC MIX. THE FEATURE now and building opportunities to ON ART INVESTMENT CAUGHT relocate to the estate. We also receive thousands of guests a MY ATTENTION. year to various events, sporting matches, weddings, wine and whiskey tastings and social gatherings and we’ve had a marvelous year so far. Prestige polo matches included the Veuve Clicquot Masters, the BMW polo classic, and recently the Blackberry Pink polo. The estate was the wedding choice of socialites and celebrities including JP Duminy. Ladies with marriage on their minds should book for the upcoming Célébrer, Estée Lauder wedding workshop that provides incredible insight into planning and surviving a wedding, from a host of expert dress designers, stylists, caterers and other experts.

The magazine is an eclectic mix. The feature on art as an investment caught my attention. One of my favourite artists is Marie Vermeulen-Breedt who loves to portray the special relationship between horse and man, and who’s honest approach and way with light and colour is exemplary. The real beauty of art is one gets to enjoy it as it appreciates over time.

Jeremy Clarkson expounds on his love-hate relationship with the Porsche 911 and admits to finally falling in love with one; while slightly less speedy is the tranquil sport of fly-fishing, something that is gaining real popularity everywhere. JP Rossouw takes us on an epicurean journey through Franschhoek, and every time I visit I am amazed at the choice of places to eat and the high standards of cuisine and service available.

Apparently, this year the dress is making a comeback in all it’s many elegant forms, and with that a wave of fresh femininity.

I hope your summer journey will bring you to our lovely corner of the continent where you can celebrate life with us.

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Martin Venter Group Chairman 6

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the it list

DON’T BE SEEN WITHOUT IT THIS SUMMER

S TYLE I CO N Former Editor of House & Garden Magazine, Paul Duncan, believes that many SA interior designers are better than their European and American counterparts.

Proof lies in the super-styled pages of his lavish new tome, STYLE ICONS - Top South African Designers & their Interiors. Just out.

Random House Struik R330 192 Pages

S T I L L OR S PA R KL ING ?

From the latest collection by Jenna Clifford, green tourmaline neckpiece and ring handcrafted in solid white gold with diamonds (top). A collection of signature engagement rings (below) handcrafted in solid white gold with semi-precious stones.

POA, www.jennaclifford.com 011 523 6600

feminine

B ES T KEP T S EC R ET I TA L I AN FLAI R Luxuriously feminine and enveloping, designed in refined Hollywood style. Roberto Cavalli does it again with The Clivia, in four colour variations.

POA, www.robertocavalli.com 021-464-5400

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Born in Beirut, Elie Saab has made a major impact on the fashion world with his signature celebration of femininity. His new perfume will make any woman feel sexy and loved.

R1 150 90ml, available at Edgars, Woolworths, Stuttafords and Foschini

VAL DE VIE | SHOPPING

ULT I MAT E C OMPA CT The brand new revolutionary Nikon 1 range of cameras are the world’s fastest, smallest and lightest. This next generation pioneers amazing photography with ground-breaking new shooting modes that mean you’ll never miss a moment again. Moving photos like children are captured with ease and photos become living images. The lenses are unique - designed with portability and movie-making in mind.

Nikon 1 J1 R6 499 (inc VAT), Nikon 1 V1 R8 999 (inc), www.nikon.com

boy toy HELI PA D Slow day at work? Use your iPhone or iPad to control this full-on helicopter and be the star of any open-plan office. With remarkable maneuverability you can use it to deliver memos to the in-trays of your underlings.

Children will delight at the sheer simplicity and ease of flight.

Griffin HELO, R699 available from Apple iStore. www.myistore.co.za

MI ND I NT O GEA R The mind-reading Prius X Parlee bike uses telepathy to change gear. The rider wears a special “neuron helmet” that uses eletrodes to pick up neuro signals and send instructions to an electronic gear changer. Says design house Deeplocal “The system uses an off-the-shelf brainwave reader”. Awesome! www.toyotapriusprojects.com

J ET PROPE L L ED So you need to get to a meeting in Hong Kong and then back to Cape Town for breakfast and on to a romantic dinner in Paris? Who you gonna call? Execuject will propel you to a new level, literally, providing a full menu of air services from charter, maintenance, sales and VIP hospitality all the way. enquiries@execujet.co.za +27 (0) 11-516-2466

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B E L L E DU JOUR A sophisticated classic with cuir leather, intricately woven handle and woven leather bow is the Gucci Bella medium Tote Bag. Deliciously decadent for those with an eye for exquisite detail.

Gucci - Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton; V&A Waterfront, Cape Town R18 760 www.gucci.com

S OA P OP ER A O H SO HAN D S O ME Horological excellence combines with the pinnacle of the jeweler’s art. The latest minute repeater with a perpetual calendar boasting 158 baguette diamonds totalling 5.27 ct. Complete with the “cathedral” gongextra long gongs producing voluminous sound.

Ref 5073. POA, www.patek.com

D E F EN CE O F THE R E A L M Stalwart Defender drivers will quake in their CAT boots at the sight of this Land Rover DC 100, the trendy, sexy, version of their sit-up-and beg farmer’s utility vehicle. Once Evoque hysteria has died down, this is next. www.landrover.com 10

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Stinking hands from chopping garlic? Wash them with Sagaform’s Edge stainless steel soap. Iron in the steel reacts with the sulphides that cause the obnoxious odours, forming small amounts of iron sulphide (an odourless solid), which washes away while you rub the steel bar. This is not a joke, this is science.

R230, www.sagaform.com

VAL DE VIE | SHOPPING

TA B L E TA L K A tribute to Charles Renie Mackintosh, this Renn Side Table is made of solid walnut with a clear glass top. The perfect platform for a seasonal gin & tonic or glass of wine. OKHA Solid walnut R9 462; solid oak R11 627.46 www.okha.com

WHI T E MI S C H IE F Mont goes Blanc for Summer with their outstanding new commemorative collection of bright whites. iPad holder and fountain pen. shown here.

POA, www.montblanc.co.za

L I GHT READIN G The Etoile standing lamp has a naturally oiled solid walnut or oak base with copper or brass stem and drum shaped cotton shade.

R6 658.51 (inc VAT), www.okha.com

CO P P ER B O TT OMED Just launched, this elegant bowl named Sling Man - is one of a new range with a copper finish by Carroll Boyes, called the Fire Collection. The perfect colour was created to resemble pink gold.

POA, www.carrollboyes.co.za

B L U S HIN G PINKS

B OUR B ON HI T S T OWN

After the success of Polo’s boys’ collection, Polo introduces a new girls’ range. Girls will look charming in blushing pink, with the golfer dress a firm favourite.

POA, www.polo.co.za

Hand dipped with a red wax, Maker’s Mark has been making its presence felt on the streets of South Africa recently, with its inimitable bottle and recipe of corn, malted barley and winter wheat instead of rye, for smoother flavour. www.makersmark.com Val de Vie

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ZEN AND THE ART OF FLY-FISHING

FLY-FISHING HAS BEEN THE ULTIMATE GENTLEMAN’S SPORT FOR CENTURIES. FOR SOME, IT VERGES ON A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE. THE SPORT IS ATTRACTING AN UNPRECEDENTED RENAISSANCE WITH CELEBRITIES, WOMEN AND FAMILIES DONNING THEIR WADERS

TEXT MEIKE MANN PHOTOGRAPHS JEREMY BROWNE

WHILE THERE ARE STILL THOSE WHO SWEAR UPON THEIR UBERtrendy Louboutins that they will come no closer to fishing than poking sushi around with a chopstick, true adherents of fly-fishing cannot get enough. Eric Clapton – less renowned for his fly-fishing hobby than for his late 70’s drug habit – told Vanity Fair that “fishing” would be how he’d most like to die.

And fly-fishing’s famous fans don’t end there. After filming the 1992 movie version of A River Runs Through It, Brad Pitt was hooked. During his presidential campaign, Barack Obama promised he’d return to Montana and learn fly-fishing if he won the election, which he promptly did during his last summer break. In The African Fly-fishing Handbook (Random House Struik) Cyril Ramaphosa even admits to being “addicted to the sport”. And, in November 2010, Oprah dipped into the waters of fly-fishing while on a trip to the Yosemite National Park.

What is most surprising, however, is how much popularity the sport is gaining among the wealthy and slightly less wealthy alike. “The number of fly-fishers has increased exponentially,” says Bill Hansford-Steele, the Godfather of fly-fishing in Africa and author of many books on the subject. “Nowadays, women and whole families are an integral part of what was once an exclusively gentleman’s domain.”

Steele estimates that women now make up 30% of fly-fisher numbers and, with South Africa’s first ever women’s fly-fishing team recently participating in Wales.

Fly-fishing and the fairer sex are undoubtedly becoming better acquainted.

“IF FISHING IS LIKE RELIGION, THEN FLY-FISHING MUST BE HIGH CHURCH” So what, exactly, is this hobby’s appeal? “Calling fly-fishing a hobby would be like calling brain surgery a job,” James Hensall, a doctor with a penchant for the sport, admonishes with a grin. “Fly-fishers are usually the ‘brain-workers’ of society, and fishing on the banks of a stream, or under the shadow of an over-hanging tree, gives you permission to just be,” he explains.

Is it this almost godly peacefulness that makes angling so alluring? There is, undoubtedly, a certain Zen to be found in the art of fly-fishing. As Tom Brokaw, American NBC news anchor, quipped: “If fishing is like religion, then fly-fishing must be high church.” And in a world of ever growing to-do lists and deadlines, an all-season pass to relaxation does indeed sound like a level of previously unknown holiness.

Admittedly, though, there’s a fine line between fishing and just standing thigh-high in water like an idiot – but how is a beginner supposed to know it?

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VAL DE VIE | FLY-FISHING

Fly-fishing in Val de Vie’s Berg River

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VAL DE VIE | FLY-FISHING BEST FLIES FOR WESTERN CAPE FRESHWATER FISHING

GOLD-RIBBED HARE’S EAR Steele believes that “In any of its forms, the GoldRibbed Hare’s Ear is truly one of the world’s greatest flies. Almost every African fly-fisher will use it at some time”. An immensely old pattern, it is known in both wet and dry forms and lures trout and indigenous yellowfish successfully.

Lazy fly-fishing at Val de Vie

“If you want to catch a fish, then you must think like a fish,” says Steele, “and a mature fish more than likely has less intelligence than the average farmyard hen.” The best maxim, he says is “to find the fish, be quiet, keep low, dress quietly and give the fish what it wants. Do this and you’ll soon be catching trophy sized specimens.” And, he continues, don’t be overwhelmed by the thought of tackle. “Fishing tackle is, in essence functional: it should do a job, do the job well and be reliable. The very best fly-fishers carry very little.”

Luckily, South Africa boasts some of the world’s most spectacular locations in which to do so. The Drakensberg mountains in KwaZuluNatal are home to an impressive collection of crystal clear dams and rivers where there are plenty of bass and trout to be caught. Of course, Dullstroom in Mpumalanga is renowned for its abundant trout and aspirant fly-fishers will find themselves in good company among more experienced anglers. However, for slightly less commercial options, the Western Cape offers fly-fishing opportunities that are appealing precisely because of their isolation and solitude. The Boland especially offers great fishing destinations such as Bo La Motte Farm in Franschhoek, Welbedacht Nature Reserve in Tulbagh, Val de Vie in Paarl, and Gaikou Lodge and Malvern Manor Country Guest House, both in Swellendam.

Of course, no fly-fisher – experienced or otherwise – goes fishing without the hope of catching the elusive ‘big one.’ Steele laughs at this. “Everyone loves to catch a whopper,” he says “but some believe you need access to the best waters, or a lucky break, or even a doctorate in Ichthyology – and it’s just not true! Catching big fish is indeed a specialised business, but it is also one that anyone can master.” And with that, a somewhat Zen fishing idiom comes to mind: bragging may not bring happiness, but no man having caught a large fish goes home through an alley.

DDD (DUCKWORTH’S DARGEL DELIGHT) “If there was a prize for the most useful African Fly developed – the DDD would win it hands down” Steele says. Originally designed as a dry fly it can also be used deep with slow-sink lines to lure trout, yellowfish, bream and bass.

Essential reading by Bill HansfordSteele: African Fly-Fishing Handbook and Fishing Flies for Africa

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Fly-fishing was initially developed as an angling method to catch salmon and trout. In modern times, the method has been adapted to include pike, carp, bass and, in South Africa, most species of indigenous yellowfish.

Fly-fishing rods are a lot lighter than standard fishing rods, while the lines used are heavier and are sometimes even tapered. At the end of the line is an almost weightless ‘fly’, which acts as the fish lure.

In order to fly fish you will need a rod, reel, fly line or two, some leader and tippet materials, flies, a net and outdoor accessories like a good hat, scissors and fly boxes.

Know the difference between wet and dry flies. Dry fly-fishing is the type most often portrayed in pictures of the sport, and is considered to be the “purer” of the two forms by some. This type of fly-fishing is done with a fly that

From the African Fly-Fishing Handbook by Bill Hansford-Steel (Random-House Struik)

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will float on the surface of the water, luring fish to hit the surface before they can be reeled in. A wet fly is one that goes underwater and generally moves around in the current to attract fish.

In his seminal work on fly-fishing, Still Water Angling, Dick Walker lists five essentials for success: find the fish; avoid frightening the fish; use the right tackle; choose the right time; and choose the right fly.

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This little dry fly was designed specifically for use in the mountain streams of the Western Cape, although it works well on the trout of other areas too.

PEACOCK AND BLUE WOOLY BUGGER The most popular version of the Wooly Bugger in Africa, (luring trout, bass, bream, yellowfish, and catfish) this fly is used in both still water and rivers.

“This is an extraordinarily successful fly and also very forgiving in terms of retrieve.” Steele says.

FLY AND BOOK COVER IMAGES COURTESY OF STRUIK

GRIZZLE HACKLE

FIVE THINGS EVERY BEGINNER SHOULD KNOW

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RAB (ROUGH AND BUOYANT) A great dry fly for both trout and yellowfish, which “floats very well, and sits right up on the surface” says Steele. Distinctly South African versions also exist, such as the Mark Mackereth RAB.

Let us introduce you to the unsurpassed LIFESTYLE that is Val de Vie

val de vie plots priced from R600k | off plan homes from R1.995m | completed homes from R3.2m email property@valdevie.co.za or ph 021 863 6101 or 082 55 333 96 our on-site sales office is open seven days a week from 10am - 5pm

THE ART OF INVESTING %7 +03&%0 )'3231-)7 '691&0) %68 -7 1%/-2+ % '31)&%'/ %7 % :%0-( %2( 09'6%8-:) -2:)781)28 348-32 %2( 8,) 86)2( 83;%6(7 7944368-2+ 0-:-2+ %68-787 %7 34437)( 83 320= ±&9=-2+ ;,)2 (=-2+² -7 '6)%8-2+ )<'-8)1)28 %2( ()1%2( TEXT ANDREW FRENCH

rt has never been taken seriously as an asset class by serious investors since it neither generates income nor pays dividends while you own it, the money is only ever realised when you sell it. And with serious collectors hanging on to their prize paintings for an average of 27 years, art can often cost money in terms of insurance, storage, transport and the odd very expensive accident, like when owner Steve Wynn stuck his elbow through Le Rêve, a $139 million (£88m) Picasso. There are some very obvious differences between a Picasso and shares in Google. Art is far less liquid than stocks: you can’t simply call a broker and sell a Picasso tomorrow.

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VAL DE VIE | ART SMART

However, as millions of pensioners in the West have seen their savings evapourate and investors scratch their heads wondering where to squeeze a premium from contracting capital, art is once again enjoying a renaissance. Good art never depreciates.

Even Old Masters are making a comeback as Old Money seeks a safer haven. Although the recent global trend towards supporting “living artists’ as opposed to “only buying when dying” has turned the art world upside down and filled collectors and investors with renewed excitement and vigour. Especially with the addition of well-to-do families who are feeling the pinch and selling off priceless family treasures under the radar at a

bargain price, creating a lucrative sub market. For those with an eye for aesthetic beauty, and a bargain, the time has never been more right to indulge in your passion and start a collection.

As advertising guru turned self-confessed art-aholic, Charles Saatchi, advocates; “Buy what you love and the money will take care of itself`”. This way, you at least get to enjoy a work of art while it is appreciating in value.

Main: Beezy Bailey’s The End Of Winter, part of Icon-Iconoclast his tribute to Mandela featuring classic news photographs screen printed in oil over landscapes.

Left: The unmistakable style of William Kentridge, South Africa’s best known artist.

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Not many can afford $100 million for a platinum skull encrusted with 8 602 fine diamonds, fashioned by media darling Damien Hirst, but most can afford to start a collection however modest. You can pick up signed prints by greats like Roy Lichenstein and Keith Haring for between US$5 000-10 000, and something quirky by Jerry Garcia or John Lennon for the same price. Andy Warhol original signed prints start slightly higher at $50 000 upwards, but you can still pick up one of his sketches for $6 000. The main items from the classic Warhol or Lichenstein archive though will set you back tens of millions.

Photography has fast become a collectible and valuable genre with values creeping up. The most expensive photograph to date was sold in February 2007 and was Andrew Gurky’s “99cent II” diptych that fetched over $3million. Oddly enough, it was sold at a Contemporary Art auction and not as part of a photography exhibiton. Erotic photography has always captured the imagination and Helmut Newton, who died in 2004, remains the master of the decadently undressed, his work constantly hitting the $70,000 mark.

HOME-GROWN TALENT

Marlene Dumas’ Barbie (with pearl necklace)

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South Africa’s most famous living artist is William Kentridge. His charcoal etchings are dark and moody with only a hint of relief in the form of blue or red pastel, often depicting the pain and anguish of the human condition. An R8 000 etching from his formative period would now fetch half a million.

The nation is awash with talent whether it be the classic styles of Marie Vermeulen-Breedt, the essential quirkiness of Beezy Bailey or the modern touches of Paul du Toit or Marlene Dumas, with her exquisite haunting faces. Dumas is South African born but lives in Amsterdam and has quickly gained an international reputation.

WHEN A COLLECTION OF MY PAINTINGS CAME UP FOR SALE AT A RIDICULOUS PRICE, I BOUGHT THEM ALL BACK. IT WAS MY BEST INVESTMENT EVER &))>= &%-0)=

The inimitable style of Paul du Toit 18

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Firth Street Gallery describes her work as the “painterly gestures of Expressionism while combining the critical distance of conceptual art with the pleasures of eroticism”. The relationships between art and female beauty, and between historical art models and twentieth-century supermodels, are recurring themes of hers.

Each artist has made their mark in what is a very small but powerful domestic market as well as internationally. Marie Vermeulin-Breedt paints from her studio on a farm just outside Pretoria. Famous for her stunning portraits and landscapes she once saw the other side of the business when she opened a gallery in Laguna Beach, Los Angeles. She hated every minute of it and says; “Running a gallery is such hard work. You have to start over every month.”

Beezy Bailey’s style is classic with a pop art twist. And always a sense of humour. Icon-Iconoclast, his latest exhibition, went on show recently at Johannesburg’s Everard Read Gallery, and was a sell out. The collection, which centred around classic news photographs of Nelson Mandela screen printed in oil over moody South African landscapes, had all the ingredients of a must-have for investors and collectors – Nelson Mandela, one of the most recognisable icons on the planet, combined with the eccentric talent of Beezy Bailey and a selection of classic, memorable news photographs by Sunday Times’ lensmen Benni Gool and legendary Drum magazine snapper Bob Gosani.

Ironically, Beezy has just bought a collection of his own paintings. Says Beezy, “A woman who bought 40 of my paintings died of cancer in the USA. The paintings came up for sale at a ridiculous price so I bought all forty of them back. It’s very comforting to know that the best investment I’ve made all year is buying my own art.”

VAL DE VIE | ART SMART aul du Toit, who has made his name with his signature childlike multicoloured faces has seen his prices sky-rocket as a result of a deliberate and uncanny two-year strategy. “My wife, who was then in financial planning, drew up a two year plan and said ‘stop wasting your time windsurfing and get painting’”.

Paul only sleeps four hours a night and is very proactive and productive. With no formal training he claims to have modelled himself on a hybrid of a number of very successful artists, developing his own signature style of modern heiroglyphics combined with disjointed multicoloured faces. “I spend hours studying the art markets and researching and targetting networks and buyers,” he says, and he certainly knows how to control the business side of art. His big break though came when CNN featured him on an arts programme focusing on Cape Town. During his short interview he had the presence of mind to wear a T-shirt with his web-address emblazened across it. When the programme aired to 10 million viewers the phones started ringing and they haven’t stopped since (see table below). “I got calls and log-ins from Japan, Russia, Isreal, America; the CNN programme exposed me to collectors around the world that would have taken years to reach.“ The result is a phenomenal rise in the price and status of his work. Which will only continue upwards. Hot Tip: Paul is just about to break into America in a big way, which should see him reach a new plateau.

There is much healthy competion and often friction between artists and dealers as they compete for clients, so beware. There are some unscrupulous practises that do go on but if you research what you like, talk to genuine enthusiasts and surround yourself with known experts you can’t go far wrong. Also, don’t be afraid to approach the artists themselves. They lead quite solitary lives and are often very approachable. You might get an invite to their studio, a personal assessment of their work and the inside track on new work. And you will certainly get a better price from them than you would at a gallery.

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HOW T O B UY

RI SI N G P R ICES – PA U L D U TOI T

1 Explore art magazines,

AVERAGE PRICE FOR STATED YEAR (RANDS) 2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

%INCREASE IN VALUE OVER 12 YEARS

500 x 600 mm

23 000

26 000

28 500

32 000

40000

55 000

1,209%

100.75%

800 x 800 mm

28 000

32 000

42 000

48 000

50000

72 000

1,100%

91.67%

900 x 1 500 mm

38 000

42 000

54 000

75 000

75000

101 000

381%

47.63%

400 x 1 220 mm

25 000

30 000

35 000

40 000

45000

60 000

179%

29.83%

500 x 1 950 mm

27 000

35 000

42 000

50 000

60000

80 000

196%

39.20%

1 400 x 1 200 mm

43 000

45 000

50 000

60 000

85000

125 000

1,289%

107.42%

2 400 x 1 500 mm

70 000

75 000

125 000

150 000

175000

255 000

467%

51.89%

PAINTING SIZE

AVERAGE GROWTH PER ANNUM

galleries, exhibitions, and auctions without buying to gauge value and what you like 2 Once you have decided on a painting make sure it is authentic. Expensive art works may need expert analysis 3 if you are a pure art collector rather than a dealer there are no taxes on resale 4 Look for a new talent that is on the way up. The price should be affordable but set to rise 5 Buy early for biggest returns

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T HE HOR SE W H ISP E R E R Marie Vermeulen-Breedt has been painting for 35 years. Famed for her portraits and landscapes Marie Vermeulen-Breedt is nothing if not diverse.

Horses, children, landscapes, interiors, she paints with inctricate detail and subtlety combined with broader strokes. Renowned for her mastery of light and a rich unique palette she is particularly fond of her interiors which she refers to as “portraits by ommission” in that they say much about the person who is absent. “I’m often drawn to interiors that are not especially beautiful” she adds and her passion is for the very ordinariness of the setting - the tables, chairs, rugs and loving personal effects. She can become fascinated and slightly obsessed by an environment. Her other love is horses, which form a big part of her life. “They are the most beautiful creatures to paint” says Marie who had a serious riding accident at age 16 and has never really again. But she did marry “PAINTING IS A ridden a horse breeder and trainer so JOURNEY IN WHICH the connection remains strong.

I VISIT THE SAME “I love seeing them running at CANVASSES OVER the bottom of the garden and AND OVER” I visit the stables everyday. No matter what settting they are in it is always physical. Painting is often a journey in which I visit the same canvasses over and over. It’s a journey that never really ends and I’m often drawn to rework canvasse that I thought were finished a long time ago. “Her landscapes are often bathed in late afternoon sunshine which brings a calming influence. When she paints portraits she likes the subject to sit and won’t copy from a photograph, with the exception of Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo and Thabo Mbeki. “It was impossible to have them sit for me, but I’d met them and had a strong visual sense of their public personas.”

Marie Vermeulen-Breedt specialises in painting horses. she thinks they are the most beautiful animals to paint

TOP 10 BIG GE ST A RT SA L E S 2 0 1 0 this was the work that set the season alight, sparking a lengthy bidding battle before selling to a telephone bidder.

3. £51.6 million

1.£68 million Picasso Nude, Green

Leaves and Bust Christie’s, New York, May 4 One of a series of highly prized, intimate portraits Picasso painted in1932 of his lover, Marie-Thérèse Walter, this painting was always going to fly. Four years ago, Le Rêve, was about to be sold for $139m (£88m) when its owner, Steve Wynn, stuck his elbow through it by mistake.

2.£65 million Giacometti Walking Man 1

Sotheby’s, London, Feb 3 Estimated at £12m to £18m, 20

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Chinese vase Bainbridge Auctioneers, Ruislip, Nov 11 Discovered in Pinner, northwest London, this rare, flashily decorated porcelain vase, probably made for a palace of the Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century, epitomised the taste of China’s new rich.

New York, Nov 8 Experts are puzzled how this painting, the most expensive in New York’s recent contemporary art sales, made more than Warhol’s trademark soup can paintings in the same week of sales.

5. £29.7 million J M W Turner Modern Rome

— Campo Vecchio Sotheby’s, London, July 7 The flow of treasures from Britain’s stately homes continued unabated when this painting, from the collection of the Earl of Rosebery, sold for an artist’s record to the J Paul Getty Museum.

6. £22 million Sir Lawrence AlmaTadema The Finding of

4. £39 million Andy Warhol

Men in Her Life Phillips de Pury & Co,

Moses Sotheby’s, New York, Nov 4 Highly prized when painted in 1904 but rejected when offered for nothing to British museums in the Sixties.

7. £2.4 million John Robert Cozens

9. £692,000 Rubens? Portrait of a

The Lake of Albano and Castel Gandolfo Sotheby’s, London, July 14 The star lot from a collection formed by fertility doctor, Prof Ian Craft, this panorama saw David Thomson, pay a quadruple estimate.

Bearded Man Bonham’s, London, April 28 Catalogued as a 19th-century painting in the “manner of Rubens” with a £1,500 estimate, this sold to dealer Philip Mould, who believed it to be a genuine Rubens but has yet to exhibit it as such.

8. £2.3 million Frank Auerbach

Mornington Crescent Summer Morning Sotheby’s, London, June 28 Auerbach, who will be 80 next year, has been enjoying a recession-proof price boom.

10. £187,250 Ged Quinn, Jonestown

Radio Sotheby’s, London, Oct 15 A good investment by White Cube gallery’s Jay Jopling, who bought it for £20,000 in 2005, this was only the third painting to appear at auction.

CLARKSON’S ode to the HIS LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PORCHE 911 IS LEGENDARY. FINALLY JEREMY CLARKSON FINDS ONE TO LOVE TEXT JEREMY CLARKSON PHOTOGRAPHS PORSCHE

s you may know, I have always loved the Porsche 911, in much the same way that I have always loved Peter Mandelson, mouth ulcers, Greece, marzipan, caravanning holidays, the smoking laws, British Telecom, pointlessly complicated gadgets, tea before four, Piers Morgan, sweet white wine, ramblers, liberal democrats, beards, the Boeing 777, global warming scientists, average speed cameras and, I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this one before, the feel of a cow. In other words, I have always rather disliked the 911.

Jokingly, and mainly to make them go away, I always tell fans of the breed that my dislike is based principally on the fact that James May and Richard Hammond both have one. But this isn’t true. James and Richard both have trousers, but I have no problem with those.

I’ve also argued that my dislike stems from the fact that it’s really a squashed Beetle and as a result, was designed by Hitler. But this isn’t really true either, if I’m honest. So is it the styling then; the look of the thing? No actually. If you look at Porsche’s recent efforts with the Coxster, the push-me-pull-you Boxster - which should really be called the Palindrome - the woeful Cayenne and that wheeled gargoyle known as the Panamera, we have to be grateful they don’t ever change the basic shape. And anyway, I rather like the sit up and beg windscreen and those eager West Highland terrier headlights. Most of all though, I’ve come to like the size. As other cars have swollen and

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become fat, the 911 has remained fairly small. That’s a good thing.

No, the problem is the location of that engine.

Putting it behind the rear wheels is as wrong as trying to invade Russia when you haven’t closed down the Western Front. It can’t work and it looks like belligerence to endlessly try to overcome the inherent problem rather than simply giving up and starting again. Yes, putting the engine at the rear means you have more weight over the back wheels so off the line, when the tail of a car squats, that means more grip, less wheelspin and quicker acceleration.

Lovely. You will arrive at the corner in front of your adversary... but then what? You will turn the wheel, there will be no weight over the front wheels, you will understeer, and if you lift off to correct that, the nose will pitch down, the rear tyres will lose grip and any attempt to correct the resultant slide will be pointless because the engine’s in the back acting like a giant pendulum.

If you see a corner coming up in an early 911, the best thing you can do is follow these two steps: 1 Undo your seat belt 2 Get in the back I don’t remember what sort of 911 I drove first, but I’d heard so many horror stories about the wayward handling that I didn’t dare go more than 4 mph. Which meant I had more time to examine the ridiculously basic dashboard, and the heater controls which appeared to be connected to nothing at all.

Porsche GT3 RS 3

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VAL DE VIE | DRIVING

911

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THE FIRST TIME I DROVE A 911 ON A RACE TRACK WAS EXTRAORDINARY. BECAUSE I WAS A NEW BOY BACK THEN AND HAD NO IDEA HOW TO HOLD A SLIDE IN A CORTINA, I WAS PETRIFIED.

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Porsche GT3 RS 3

The first time I drove a 911 on a race track was extraordinary. Because I was a new boy back then and had no idea how to hold a slide in a Cortina, I was petrified. I felt it would be safer to try to set a lap time on a bear.

As the years wore on, I drove many different 911s and never had a single moment to worry about any of them. But that’s because I knew what would happen if I went near the limit and consequently stayed very far away from it. In much the same way that your mother always stays very far away from the edge of a cliff.

Eventually and thanks to Tiff Needell’s kindly encouragement, I did learn how to make a car slide and hold it there. But even when I’d been doing it week in and week out for years, I still never dared try it in a 911.

I’d hit a cameraman. Or a tree. Better to say I didn’t like them and drive something else. But then the day came... and it was easy. It was brilliant.

Because I no longer felt intimidated by 911s, I could start to drive them quickly, which meant I was less likely to be hit by the blizzard of spittle from jealous onlookers.

Despite this advantage, I still didn’t like the interior, the heater still didn’t work, and the cars that worked well on the track really didn’t work at all on the road. Plus, by this stage, Porsche had started making an almost unbelievable number of variations. You had the Carrera, and the Carrera S, and the Carrera with four-wheel drive, or no roof, or fat wheel arch extensions or a combination of all three. It was all designed, I thought, to make Porsche

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The new GT3

©Top Gear Publications – BBC

owners even more dull. As the beginning of this year dawned, I admired the way the cars looked, and the size they’d become. I admired too the way many of them drove but like them?

No. My prejudice was too entrenched for that. But then along came the new GT3 and I won’t dwell on the whys and the wherefores, but I loved it. Not liked it. Loved it.

It had a stupid front splitter that was so low it could give a spider a haircut, scaffolding instead of rear seats and an idiotic rear spoiler which could very obviously be adjusted. No. No. No. Having a rear spoiler that can very obviously be adjusted means that someone, one day is going to ask why. And then you’ll have to tell them. And they’ll think you are mad. However, despite the aesthetic shortfalls, and the fact it is a 911, this is a great car. It goes round roundabouts like nothing I’ve ever driven. In a test of pure handling and grip, it would be a match for anything.

And it only costs £86,000. That’s just shy of half what you’d pay for a Ferrari 458. Half. I was so enamoured of the GT3, I thought I’d try some more 911s, so I started with the GT3RS. With different inlet and exhaust manifolds, this develops 15 more horsepower, the wheels are wider, so’s the track, and it weighs 55lb less too. You “BUT THEN ALONG can cut another 22lb if you specify a £1,268 lithiumCAME THE NEW GT3 ion battery instead of the standard lead-acid item but I wouldn’t do that because a) you won’t notice the AND I WON’T DWELL difference and b) again, someone, one day will ask why.

ON THE WHYS AND Which is always irritating.

THE WHEREFORES, I didn’t like the RS at all. The GT3 rides properly.

BUT I LOVED IT. NOT This doesn’t. The GT3 has a radio and a brilliant LIKED IT. LOVED IT.” satnav. This doesn’t. The GT3 has door handles. This

doesn’t. And, worst of all, the GT3 can be used in Britain, and this cannot. No really. It is fitted with tyres that don’t work below 10 degrees centigrade. Which means, now that we know global warming is nonsense, they don’t work here at all, ever.

I took it for a spin, in the rain in early May, and on several occasions, it was very nearly just that. A horrid car. Made for track-day enthusiasts. Or as we know them: bores. I then tried a 911 Turbo convertible. And this was fairly nasty as well for reasons Richard Hammond explained. The 911 is supposed to be a sports car. Fitting a turbo tries to turn it into something it is not - a supercar. It felt loose and wobbly. So it seems then that the GT3 is not an indication that after all these years, Porsche has got it right. It’s just proof that if you keep on churning out endless variations of the same thing, one day, you’ll get one of them right. In short. The million monkeys have finally come up with The Merchant of Venice.

Porsche 911 Carrera S

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FIRE COLLECTION Coming Soon

www.carrolboyes.com 路 www.facebook.com/Carrol.Boyes 路 www.twitter.com/carrolboyes

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VAL DE VIE | LIFESTYLE

from cityscape to paradise FOR OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST, RYK NEETHLING, 2011 HAS BROUGHT A MAJOR TRANSFORMATION IN HIS LIFE. SWITCHING FROM THE COMPETITIVE WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL SPORT TO THE EQUALLY COMPETITIVE WORLD OF BUSINESS. IN THE PROCESS HE HAS RELOCATED FROM URBAN CITYSCAPE TO THE PARADISE THAT IS VAL DE VIE...

TEXT PETER KNIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY MARK CAMERON

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Ryk finds that wine is a serious business

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THE PAARLFRANSCHHOEK VALLEY IS LIKE NO OTHER PLACE I HAVE VISITED. EVERY MORNING I AM SO THANKFUL TO BE LIVING HERE.

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Did you find it hard adapting to the so-called “real” world of business from the world of professional sport? No not really. I retired from international sport not because I had to, but because I felt that I had achieved more than I ever thought was possible in the pool and that I wanted to pursue some of the opportunities that I had passed on due to my training and competition commitments. After I graduated from university I made a point to get some good work experience in the US and worked for a commercial real estate brokerage and development company, so getting back into business was a smooth process really.

You have made a major change of lifestyle, what was the trigger that prompted you to change?

I didn’t want any more opportunities to pass me by and I wanted to prepare myself for the next chapter in my life.

What made you decide to settle at Val de Vie? - Since the first time I set foot on the estate I felt that it was a very special place. I travel a lot but the Franschhoek Valley is like no other place I have ever visited.

Every morning I am thankful for this opportunity to live and work surrounded by this beauty.

VAL DE VIE | LIFESTYLE

What about the Paarl-Franschhoek valley do you find particularly envigorating and pleasing? Its natural beauty, the people and the variety of things to do. I don’t think I will be able to do everything in my lifetime!

Given that it’s ok these days for men to cleanse, do you have a “grooming routine”. No, I am definitely not a metro sexual. I keep clean but spend the minimal amount of time getting ready.

What else besides swimming do you do to relax or to seek the thrill of adventure? I am just about to start taking mountain biking seriously. I also enjoy fishing, running and photography. Whatever the challenge, I am always up for adventure and trying new things.

With clothes, do you have a certain favourite look that works for you? Is there anything you look bad in? Anything that is comfortable and not too flashy. It is hard for me to find clothes that fit, so when I find a look, I usually stick with it.

What is your main business role at the moment? Marketing Director of Val de Vie, working on real estate sales and new developments, wine, the Polo Club Restaurant, the magazine, polo and events. I also have two swimming academies (Pretoria and Paarl) and four learn-to-swim franchises.

Do you have any animals in your life? No. Not at the moment.

Do you miss the world of sport and the competitive edge or can you find the same sort of vibe in business? - Through my academies I am still involved in sport, but business provides plenty of opportunity to be competitive and I love it.

Do you feel that warm, fuzzy feeling when you are returning to Val de Vie after a business trip? Absolutely. I have been travelling a lot the past 15 years but Val de Vie has become my home now.

Would you, at some stage in your life, like to start a family? Yes, definitely although I can’t see it happening in the very near future.

What qualities do you look for in a woman partner? Somebody who is confident, independent and smart.

Could you describe your daily routine, or is every day different?

One of the great things about my life is that every day is different. I try to exercise at least once every day and then I start the day which can range between marketing wine, property, our restaurant, swimming schools, doing motivational talks to corporates or attending events for sponsors.

How are you on social media- Facebook and Twitter? What do you think is good and bad about it? I am on Facebook and Twitter. It is a good way to keep in contact with your friends and fans, but you also open yourself up, and can attract a lot of abuse if you are not careful.

Just like traditional media, it can work for you if you handle it right but can also turn against you.

Looking back over your career to date, is there anything you would have done differently? Maybe one or two things towards the end of my career, but it is technical swimming stuff. I am very proud of the way that I handled myself throughout my career and I know that I made the most of my opportunities. I have no regrets, no “what if” thoughts.

In terms of cars, what do you drive and what would you prefer to drive if you already don’t have your dream car? I drive a Mercedes C200 and have done for about five years. It suits my lifestyle perfectly.

What is your idea of a perfect summer holiday? Somewhere with good weather, a nice beach, not too crowded and that has great wine.

Could you describe the Val de Vie ‘Ryk Neethling’ wine that you blended with Harold Versfeld, the winemaker? It is a delicious, very easy drinking red, that goes well with Kudu, beef and lamb. But it is equally delicious on its own.

SUPERIOR AWARD-WINNING WINES Inspired by the acclaimed vintages of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Val de Vie wine estate has fast become recognised for its exceptional wines, with the most comprehensive collection of Rhône varietals in South Africa. In September Wine Of The Month ranked the Val de Vie Shiraz ‘08 as its number one wine. Head winemaker Harold Versveld joined forces with Ryk to produce a winning red blend and says; “I was astounded by the way Ryk approached the whole blending process, with great intent and purpose. From the outset he knew what style of wine he liked and what style should be linked to his name.”

We invite you to visit the estate and discover our fine wines at the historic tasting room.

They can also be ordered directly from our website and delivered across South Africa.

If you’d like to find out more about our wines, we’d love to hear from you: wine@valdevie.co.za Tasting room trading hours Monday to Sunday 10:00 – 16:00

PRODUCE YOUR OWN WINE Val de Vie offers corporate clients and its residents the unique opportunity to produce their own wines. Winemaker Harold Versfeld assists in selecting your own grapes, followed by the exciting process of blending, bottling and labeling your own boutique wine.

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Veuve Clicquot MASTERS

THE MOST GLAMOROUS POLO EVENT OF THE YEAR WAS A MAGNET FOR THE STYLE ELITE, CELEBS, FASHIONISTAS & MOGULS

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30 Polo Players 31 Lindiwe Suttle 32 Lieschen Botes, Warren Windsor 33 Bjorn Steinbach, Lee-Anne Summers, Thulane Hadebe, Rosie Motene 34 Jasna Zellerhoff, Jean-Marc Lederman, Vanessa Marawa 35 Caroline Schulze, Vanessa Haywood 36 Lucy Kenny, Jessica Ferreira 37 Alyssa Buettgen, Lindsay Lombard, Lauren Smith 38 Michael Roy, Sianna Wu, Bjorn Steinbach, Jasna Zellerhoff, Ross Twisted, Anina Malherbe, Malcom Kluk 39 Gretha Scholtz, Jessica Donde 40 Leigh van den Berg 41 Ross McDowell, Pollyanna Townsend-Rose, Melanie Martin, Jennifer Bonar 42 Mike Minkley, Karen Balestri de Verrand, Martin Venter, Gavin Kanigowsky, Tessa Moxon, Joseph Bronn, Gavin Watson, Matthew Moxon 43 Jenna Dover 44 Michelle Reitz, Terra Smith, Jessica Webb, Delfina Ladeira, Michelle Bajurny, Nicole Hart 45 Pawel Kanigowski, Karen Balestri de Verrand 46 Polo Players 47 Bjorn Steinbach, Sandra Jorge 48 Julia Freemantle, Jessica Webb, Sarah Martin

HOUSES GET SMART AS TECHNOLOGY EXPLODES, HOUSES ARE BECOMING EVER MORE INTELLIGENT, IMPROVING SAFETY, CONVENIENCE AND EFFICIENCY. SMART TECHNOLOGY GOES DOMESTIC TEXT DAVE STEWART PHOTOGRAPHS PAM GOLDING

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n the ‘50s the common idea of a smart house was to have a comical sci-fi robot running around doing the washing and ironing, making tea, opening and closing curtains and other mundane chores; allowing the nuclear family to enjoy more quality leisure time together in the garden.

The robot never really caught on and it wasn’t until the ‘70s when a Scottish company developed X10 technology that houses started becoming really smart.

The X10 system piggy-backed on existing house wiring to connect domestic appliances with a series of remote controls, keypads and transmitters. The reaction time ranged from the promised split-second to extremely slow depending on the “chatter” along the cables, but X10 did take smart technology to a new level and really defined the smarter house.

Today, with the explosion and miniaturisation of sophisticated technology, together with the proliferation of WiFi, there is nothing a smart house cannot do.

Want to tap into your security cameras at the house in Claremont from the villa in Mauritius? Use your cell phone. Want your favourite TV programme or rock band to follow you from bedroom to living room to study? Punch a button. Want to conserve energy and extract every last kilowatt from every dying ray of golden sunshine to heat and light your house? Easy.

The list is endless. Convenience and efficiency are the watchwords of this modern system and as more and more people are demanding smarter homes, the cost is coming down. Of course you can go to excess but a basic smart system involving heating, lighting, security and a handful of domestic slave devices is now relatively inexpensive. And the savings in terms of energy and wastage can quickly outweigh the costs.

SMART PEOPLE NEED SMART HOUSES You don’t have to be a Billionaire like Bill Gates, who’s “Pacific Lodge” styled family house in Seattle, overlooking Lake Washington, is possibly the world’s smartest yet. It is a 40,000 sq foot mansion hewn into the side of a hill, that took seven years to build.

Visitors to the Gates’ household are first surveyed before being given a microchip upon arrival. This small chip sends signals throughout the house, and regulates each room’s temperature and other conditions according to preset user preferences. Lights automatically come on when you enter a room and fade when you leave. Speakers

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Monitor all systems in the entire house from your couch with a super remote-control.

are hidden beneath “porous” wallpaper to allow music to follow you from zone to zone. Portable touch pads control everything from the TV and entertainment systems to temperature and lighting, which brighten or dim to fit the occasion and mood, or to correspond with the outside light. The chip keeps track of all that you do and makes adjustments as it learns your preferences.

When two different chips enter the same room, the system tries to compromise on something that both people will like.

SMARTER PETS TOO It doesn’t end there. Wealthy people with pampered pets or horses can also choose smart kennels or stables whereby the lighting and temperature are monitored and food or medication is made available at critical times. It sounds over the top but if you are a top polo player with 16 ponies needing attention, you need all the help you can get.

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SMART HOUSES ARE THE DWELLINGS OF THE FUTURE. AND THE FUTURE IS NOW

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VAL DE VIE | PROPERTY

Concealed music speakers in the ceiling and behind ‘porous’ wallpaper, and controlled heating and lighting, create the right dining room ambiance whether for family, business or romance.

If the sunset gets too bright, the blinds will glide across the window, or the window itself will darken

Modern WiFi eliminates the need for messy cables and wires

There are any number of smart home products that deliver various domestic duties. You can literally devise a system to suit your needs and budget. The main areas of focus though are: Security cameras can track your home’s interior and exterior even if it’s pitch-black outside and transmit visuals to anywhere in the world; alerting your security company if you are not around yourself.

A video door phone provides more than an alert and call to action – you get to see who’s at the door. Some even take a photograph or record video of visitors.

Motion sensors send an alert when there’s unwanted movement around your property, and they can tell the difference between pets and burglars.

Locks and doors can be opened with scanned fingerprints or a four-digit code, eliminating the need to fumble for house keys in pockets and handbags.

Audio systems distribute the music from your

iPod or CD player to any room in the house with cleverly concealed speakers; matching your mood.

Channel modulators take any video signal – from a security camera to your favourite TV programme – and make it viewable on every screen in the house or even your smart phone.

Remote controls, keypads and tabletop controllers are the means of activating the smart home applications. Devices also come with built-in web-servers that allow you to access key information online.

Subtle security systems can monitor every zone of the house, inside and out and respond on their own

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“At Guardian Development Projects we understand the emotive nature of building a dream home.

We provide that vital independent and professional service to plan, lead, organise and control the management of projects and programs, from inception to reality.”

The private residential market is typified by the quest for unique designs and exclusive luxury which are often beyond the client’s desired budget. We offer real solutions to maintaining a budget without compromising the look and feel of the home.

Our turnkey offerings include complete project management, delivery support and design services through all phases of the development process. We evaluate the brief with regard to time, cost and quality, devising a procurement solution to suit individual needs. At the same time we administer a suitable contract between the respective parties, ensuring that a binding legal agreement is in place.

We offer consistently high standards of services, on appointments ranging from modest homes to luxury residences.

Please visit our offices at The Polo House, 268 Les Lions Street, Val de Vie Estate, Paarl, 7646.

T: +27 83 641 8887 F: +27 (86) 665 1813 info@guardianprojects.co.za www.guardianprojects.co.za 36

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VAL DE VIE | PROPERTY

At Val de Vie the homes are getting smarter by the day

LOCAL EXPERT At Val de Vie, Leonhard Jones of Guardian Development Projects is the resident expert who can make your house very smart and design a system tailor made to suit your individual needs and your budget.

Guardian Projects: 083 641 8887 info@guardianprojects.co.za www.guardianprojects.co.za

SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE

EFFICIENCY

Who wouldn’t love being able to control lighting, entertainment and temperature from their couch?

Home networking can also provide peace of mind.

Whether you’re at work or on vacation, the smart home will alert you to what’s going on, and security systems can be built to provide an immense amount of help in an emergency. For example, not only would a resident be woken with notification of a fire alarm, the smart home would also unlock doors, dial the fire department and light the path to safety.

Smart homes also provide some energy efficiency savings putting various devices at reduced levels of functionality. Domestic appliance can literally go to “sleep” and wake up when commands are given.

Electric bills go down when lights are automatically turned off when a person leaves the room, and rooms can be heated or cooled based on who’s there at any given moment. A smart homeowner will find heating bills reduced by about one-third compared to the notso-smart house of comparable size next door. Also, it is incredibly useful to track how much energy each appliance is using and command it to use less.

Other examples of cool smart home tricks include: Light a path for nighttime bathroom trips Instantly create mood lighting for romantic evenings with that special someone Programme your television so that your children can only watch certain programmes at certain times Access all your favourite DVDs from any television in the home Have your thermostat start warming the bedroom before you get out of bed so that it’s nice and toasty when you get up Turn on the coffee maker from bed

SMARTER SOLUTIONS FOR THE ELDERLY Technology promises tremendous benefits for the elderly living alone. Smart homes can notify elderly residents when it is time to take medicine, alert the hospital if the resident falls and track how much the resident is eating. If the elderly person is forgetful, the smart home would perform tasks such as shutting off the water before a bath overflowed or turning off the oven if the cook had wandered away. The system works out much cheaper than a full-time nursing home.

ANGELA VAN BREDA FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS

SUPERIOR FINANCIAL PLANNING For a personalised approach to financial planning we provide independent honest, fair advice, matching available financial resources with financial needs for death, disability, employment and retirement.

info@angelavanbreda.co.za 021 674 5030 Authorised Financial Services Provider

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© 2011 Estée Lauder Inc.

esteelauder.co.za Join us on facebook: www.facebook.com/EsteeLauderSA

VAL DE VIE | PASHION

SUMMER CLASSIC THIS SEASON’S KEY ITEM IS THE DRESS. ANY COLOUR, ANY LENGTH, ANY FABRIC AS LONG AS IT’S A DRESS. NO JEANS OR TROUSERS ALLOWED. PHOTOGRAPHS JACQUES WEYERS STYLING ISABELLA NIEHAUS

MODELS NINDHI/3D MODELS, MARIA PAYMAN / ICE MODELS, VANESSA MARAWA/BOSS MODELS MAKE-UP ALGRIA FERREIRA-WATLING HAIR MARY GOUVEIA FROM INFIDELS STYLING ISABELLA NIEHAUS

MARIA Long dress by Stefania Morland with collar detail POA; shoes R925, Errol Arendz

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VAL DE VIE | PASHION

VANESSA long dress with adjustable straps R1 995, Slate; platform shoes R1 290, Errol Arendz NINDHI short coral bubble dress R645, Slate; shoes R2 750, Kobus Dippenaar MARIA long dress POA, Stephania Morland, shoes R925, Errol Arendz.

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THE DRESS IS YOUR MOST VERSATILE PIECE OF SUMMERWEAR. DRESS IT UP OR DOWN, CASUAL OR SMART. BE BRAVE WITH COLOURS AND TEXTURES

NINDHI short strappy dress with leather trims R7 600, Errol Arendz; shoes R2 750, Kobus Dippenaar VANESSA ankle length tight fitting dress in animal print R1 500, Philosophy; shoes R1 390, Errol Arendz.

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VAL DE VIE | PASHION

VANESSA short body hugging dress R 1 200, Philosophy MARIA long knitted petticoat style dress R1 500 House of Fashion NINDHI short layered dress in greys and gold POA, Stefania Morland.

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opposite page MARIA short fringed dress R 995, Slate; shoes R1 390, Errol Arendz. this page NINDHI pink and brown colour dye dress R 3 900, Philosophy MARIA black and white polka dot R1 995 Slate.

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VAL DE VIE | PASHION

TIGHT FITTING OR LOOSE, LOW CUT OR HIGH, THE DRESS CELEBRATES THE RETURN TO FEMININITY. BE SEXY AND SENSUAL. GO ON, CAUSE A STIR!

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NINDHI short purple bubble dress R 745, Slate MARIA black dress with bling fringing R4 800, Kobus Dippenaar; shoes R 1 390, Errol Arendz VANESSA sequin black dress with low back and strap detail R5 200, Kobus Dippenaar.

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Contact details: SLATE 021 914 14448 ERROL ARENDZ 021 461 1385/ 021 423 7973 PHILOSOPHY 021 671 7661 KOBUS DIPPENAAR 021 423 7810 HOUSE OF FASHION 021 422 4479 STEFANIA MORLAND 021 422 2609

At Vodacom Shop we offer you a range of services, products and deals that will suit your unique style.

Visit any of the stores below to get the most out of your connection.

vodacom.co.za Get connected at the following stores: Vodacom Shop Tygervalley Vodacom Shop Bayside Vodacom Shop Kenilworth Vodacom Shop Pinelands Vodacom Shop Century City Vodacom Repairs Tygervalley

Tel: 021 914 2460 Tel: 021 557 8022 Tel: 021 671 8873 Tel: 021 532 0710 Tel: 021 552 7423 Tel: 021 914 2910

Data stores near you: Vodacom Sanlam Vodacom Shop N1 City Vodacom Cape Gate Vodacom Shop Paarl Mall Vodacom Shop Golden Acre

Tel: 021 949 9792 Tel: 021 595 1311 Tel: 021 982 6781 Tel: 021 863 4247 Tel: 021 419 8424

Tygervalley Data Store Canal Walk Data Store Bayside Data Store Cavendish Data Store Zevenwacht Data Store Sandton Data Store

Tel: 021 914 9743 Tel: 021 555 3580 Tel: 021 557 5397 Tel: 021 674 5314 Tel: 021 903 0815 Tel: 011 784 4283

ISLAND LIFE THE IDEA OF OWNING YOUR OWN ISLAND HAS TO BE THE ULTIMATE DREAM OF ANY PROPERTY OWNER. TEXT SVEN JURGSON PHOTOGRAPHS FARHAD VLADI

t was Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis who is credited with instilling into public consciousness the concept of the island as the ultimate getaway; and today’s high-profile island-owners include Ted Turner, Brooke Shields, Bjorn Borg, Nicholas Cage, Charles Heidsieck, Malcolm Forbes and Sol Kersner.

In the past 35 years, Island agent Farhad Vladi has sold over 1,200 islands and has a worldwide database of over 10 000 exotic and often eccentric escapes. The most expensive island that Vladi brokered was Norman Island in the British Virgin Islands that he sold for R78million, but he has sold many lesser islands for less than R200 000. The cheapest island he ever sold was a 500 square metre rock on Lake Charlotte, Nova Scotia for a mere R9 750.

Farhad Vladi was still a university student, working towards a doctorate in Economics, when he made his first island deal: “I’d spotted a newspaper article saying that a tropical island in the Indian Ocean had been bought for just two thousand dollars. Nothing! But it really captured my imagination and it was this small news snippet that completely changed my life. I knew from that moment on that I just had to have an island of my own.”

Vladi wrote to the Seychelles Bulletin newspaper to say that he was planning a visit to the Indian Ocean in the hope of buying an island.

Unfortunately, most of his capital was used up just getting there.

This was in the days before low-cost air travel and the Mombasa to Bombay steamer was the only way. When he arrived, the cheapest deal he was offered was Cousine Island, an idyllic palm-fringed, white sanded

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paradise but the R650 000 price tag was far more than he could afford.

Today the island is owned by a South African businessman, who turned it into a luxury holiday resort. Disappointed, Vladi returned home to Germany where, to cut his losses, he approached a prominent Hamburg businessman to see if he was interested in buying an island. The man bought Cousine Island together with two others - sight unseen - and paid Vladi five percent commission; which was the start of his amazing lifetime business. His favourite saying is, “You don’t have to be a millionaire to own your own island! Indeed if you can afford a car you can afford your own island.” And in the last 35 years, billionaires have been joined by those of more modest means, in recognising that a private island is the only reliable means of escaping the crowds and pressures of modern living.

The majority of Vladi’s transactions have been between R1.3 million and R5.2 million with the average price being around R1,95 million. The largest Island he ever sold was the 3 000 hectare Eigg Island on the west coast of Scotland; then there was the large and ultra-expensive island Musha Cay in the Bahamas complete with, arguably, the most luxurious resort in the world (approx 150 acres for R400 million). One of the last untouched paradises in the Seychelles, Therese Island, was also on the market (150 acres) for R34 million. But the island with the oldest existing deed is Long Coco Cat, in the Caribbean waters of Belize, a snip at R2.3million. The same price as a luxury one-bedroomed apartment in central Cape Town.

Here is a selection of current mini paradises on offer to whet your appetite.

VAL DE VIE | LIVING B ON E F I SH C AY Size: approx. 13.5 acres Price: US$ 14 500 000 Location: Abacos, Bahamas This unique 13-acre island is located in the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas and takes its name from its interesting shape and the amount of bonefish in this region. Over the past seven years this formerly deserted island was turned into a first-class luxury getaway. Five buildings totalling 15 000 square feet were constructed of the finest materials imported from Europe and the United States. The entire complex is hurricane-proof. The property is fully air-conditioned, and Bone Fish Cay generates its own electricity and has its own desalination plant. All communication services (telephone, fax, internet) are provided. A newly and very solidly built jetty and several boats are included with the island.

MOTO MEUTE Price: US$ 1 350 000 Size: Approx. 1.6 acres Location: In the lagoon of Tahaa, French Polynesia This is the textbook circular “dream island” in the lagoon of Tahaa with views of Bora Bora! It has that certain island romance as if Robinson Crusoe were sharing the magnificent sandy beaches, crystal-clear waters, palm trees and superb vistas.

There is a wonderful Polynesian-style shuttered bungalow already on the island with one large room, a kitchen, large terrace and sheltered barbecue area. area. The place to revel in the magic of the South Pacific!

I L H A SAPO E IR A Size: approx. 0.67 acres Price: US$ 399 000 Location: 50 miles South of Rio in the direction of Angra dos Reis The island is located 10 minutes by boat from the mainland, gas station, town centre, yacht club. It includes three small private beaches facing idifferent directions, fresh water piped from a natural spring, bamboo bar, storage rooms, a variety of fruit trees including bananas, papayas, and avocados.

On one side the island is mostly flat but the other side has a hill surrounded by trees to ensure privacy. A dock can be built to moor boats that require depth, while smaller boats are docked right onto the sandy beaches. The island is situated in a large bay surrounded by other islands, making the waters very calm and clear. The island views include other islands, the mainland and an uninterrupted view of a spectacular waterfall cascading over the mountains. The crystal clear waters are excellent for boating, swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving, fishing, jet skiing and sailing. The area is very safe, quiet, relaxing and beautiful.

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T HE DÄMMA N LIGH T H O U S E Price on request Size: approx. 0,14 acre + lot on mainland Location: Kalmarsund A highly unique property, developed by carefully renovating and modernizing an old open-water lighthouse - there is nothing quite like it in the world! Operated as a luxury hotel and conference centre, it can be returned to a single family residence. The secluded location offers tranquillity and silence interrupted only by the sound of the waves.

TES S ER A IS LA ND Price: US$ 4 500 000 Location: Lagunna di Venice, Italy Beautifully located in the Venice Lagoon and just five minutes by water taxi from the bustle of St Mark’s Square, Venice’s waterways and cultural and historical heritage. Tessera is probably the only part of Venice that isn’t sinking and offers spectacular views of the city. An 18-century villa boasts a vine-covered loggia and a cultivated garden with roses, pines, magnolia, palm tress and fruit tress. The villa and outbuildings were renovated in 1985 to a very high standard. A boat and boathouse are included in the sale.

L I TTL E I RO N S IDE IS LA N D Price: US$ 975 000 Size: 1.3 acres Location: Thousand Islands, St. Lawrence River, New York This is one of the finest island retreats in the Thousand Islands region. The waterfront house features five bedrooms and six bathrooms and is currently configured to sleep 11. The great room features a massive stone double-sided fireplace that opens into the large screened-in porch. The kitchen is modernised and includes a large pantry and laundry on the same level as the bedrooms. There are two additional cottages each with a bathroom and 5 additional beds. A 375 sq ft floating dock is used for recreational purposes.

K A ULBA CH IS LA ND Price: US$ 14 500 000 Location: Nova Scotia, Canada Kaulbach Island is peaceful, private and sheltered. The Island is part of the drumlin formations along the south coast of Nova Scotia etched by glaciers millions of years ago, leaving behind a fifty-seven acre island, now transformed into softwood forests and meadows. To walk the perimeter of the island you will cover a mile of shoreline. The island hosts a magnificent Cape Cod style-home with 11 000 square feet of luxurious space. Other major features are a double garage with chef’s quarters, a beach cottage, farmhouse, utility outbuildings and a solid pile-driven wharf with deep anchorage – everything you need is here, including a motorboat and a sailboat.

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CAPE THOROUGHBRED SALES

Cape Thoroughbred Sales Invites you to attend the

CTS PO Box 1108 Wellington, 7654 Tel: +27 (0) 21 873 0734 Mobile: +27 (0) 82 465 4020 Fax: +27 (0) 86 558 0546 E-mail: amanda@cthbs.com

Cape Premier Yearling Sale I

t #PPL * Thursday 26th & Friday 27th January 2012 Cape Town International Convention Centre 300 select yearlings on offer chosen by an International inspection panel.

Experience the 2012 Cape Racing Carnival, from 7th - 29th January, the unforgettable Lifestyle of the Cape Summer, featuring world class racing, stunning fashion and fantastic entertainment.

Enjoy our famous races: J&B Met G1, Investec Cape Derby G1, L’Ormarin’s Queens Plate G1, TBA Paddock Stakes G1, Klawervlei Majorca Stakes G1 and Cape Flying Championship G1.

Don’t miss the thrill and excitement when Cape Town comes to life.

TASTE

FRANSCHHOEK

FRANSCHHOEK IS – BY A COUNTRY MILE – THE SOUTH AFRICAN TOWN WITH THE MOST RESTAURANTS PER SQUARE METRE. AS A FRENCHFOUNDED VILLAGE, FOOD AND WINE IS TRULY IN ITS GENES. TEXT JP ROSSOUW

o this day it lives up to its heritage with aplomb, offering guests wonderful gourmet experiences, from simple cafés to the grandest fine dining, and everything in between.

Many great restaurants are located on the pretty main road, but as South African wineries have developed, a number of fantastic and beautifully located eateries have been established on the historic wine farms of this scenic valley.

T

To appreciate the full spectrum of Franschhoek’s food, repeat visits are in order. To get you started, here’s a meander through some of my favourites for a taster of what’s in store. This dining itinerary begins at the Paarl entrance to the valley and moves into and through town, then up the Pass out to Villiersdorp.

Polo Club restaurant, Val de Vie

Fyndraai at Solms-Delta Fyndraai at Solms-Delta

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First stop is Val de Vie’s excellent POLO CLUB restaurant set in an exquisite estate, boasting an easy-going but delicious café menu at lunchtime.

At night things get slightly more formal – read kudu carpaccio with roast fennel to start followed by baharat lamb rump on sautéed potato. The selection of wine is well chosen as you’d expect from a celebrated winery with a variety of awardwinning Rhône varietals. Lunches are very children friendly and the overall ambiance is casual, friendly and romantic. Eat and watch polo on Wednesdays and Sundays.

vetkoek. Many of the herbs and vegetables are grown on the property and the colourful menu is a delightful melange of tastes. Don’t worry, if the ingredients are unfamiliar, the plates are solidly based on comfort cuisine.

PIERNEEF at La Motte Estate is a showpiece restaurant where the indigenous cuisine of the Cape is re-interpreted and given pride of place. Named after the famed painter, there is a wonderful gallery of his works on the property, along with a “farm shop” that stocks luxury food and cooking items.

While Pierneef is a sophisticated dining space, and the plates are works of art, it is by no means stuffy.

There’s a patio menu of easy eating choices and simpler meals. It is a very family-friendly space.

Another quality winery eatery, but altogether casual, is MÔRESON’S BREAD & WINE. As the name suggests, it’s about the basics – all very well done. For summer’s days they have a delightful courtyard under trees; while the interior takes the form of a country kitchen complete with cats and jars of preserves on the shelves.

Daily plate meals offer really hearty eating, of flavour there is no shortage.

Next, is one of the most interesting wineries in the Cape, home to one of the most traditionallythemed restaurants. FYNDRAAI AT SOLMSDELTA boasts a glossary of terms on the back of the menu, describing all the fabulous flavours of the Cape used in the dishes, like: boegoe; frikkadelle; katballetjies; koeksister; slaphakskeenjies and Pierneef Le Bon Vivant

Le Bon Vivant

VAL DE VIE | FOOD & WINE

ALLORA is one of a chain of Italian restaurants and there is so little Italian eating in Franschhoek.

This is a reliable option for those basics we all love, including pizza – but the main reason it’s included is for the fantastic olive shed on the property where you can select from dozens of olive oils and olivebased products from the surrounding farms. There’s also a small outdoor café here for tasty sandwiches.

GRANDE PROVENCE takes us back to finer dining, with attractive modern-meets-classic French décor on a wine farm that also boasts a very good art gallery. Service is very good and well able to guide you through the menu where there is no conventional sequence of starter, main and dessert: you choose whatever takes your fancy in the order you prefer. Try a caramelised eel and foie gras terrine or stick to a slow-roasted lamb neck with crushed peas...

MON PLAISIR is très French – a real bistro menu served by a veritable Frenchwoman and cooked by her Francophile husband. It’s up the hill at Chamonix Winery, home to some of the Cape’s best Pinot Noir, which is most suited to the duck dishes, like the confit and cassoulet.

Be prepared, however, for a languid meal. In continental tradition, they like to ease you into a very long lunch.

Fittingly, FRENCH CONNECTION marks the beginning of the main road’s restaurant strip and it’s a very reliable café-style eatery where you can enjoy baguette sandwiches, delicious burgers and steak frites with café de Paris sauce, plus a very well-priced wine list. Lovely street-side seating allows people-watching, but it also has a garden patio which is great for more private meals.

Le Bon Vivant Then you have the SALMON BAR, which sits inauspiciously down a side alley but is home to Franschhoek’s best coffee and absolutely fabulous soups. The breakfasts and sandwiches are very good (from the in-house bakery) and they have a number of specialist salmon dishes, including gravadlax and sushi. This is a great anytime option.

LE BON VIVANT says it all, yet this gem is often overlooked because it’s located just off the main strip. In a lovely old house with a tranquil garden for daytime eating, Dutch chef Pierre Hendriks presents very creative cuisine of a

Grande Provence

Reuben’s high standard: try the chef’s “surprise” five course menu for full impact – but also highly recommended is the oysters “three ways” for sure-fire delight.

REUBEN’S is a justly famous name for great bistro-style eating, the signature style celebrates the chef’s proudly Franschhoek heritage. The courtyard is a fabulous space for lunch, while the interior sets a contemporary scene that’s easy to return to and the wine list is really good. Try as he might, diners won’t let him drop his chilli salt squid from the menu.

Allora Le Bon Vivant

Haute Cabrière

Haute Cabrière

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VAL DE VIE | FOOD & WINE

“

THE GRILL ROOM IS THE PLACE IF YOU’RE IN THE MOOD FOR A GREAT PIECE OF MEAT.

”

THE COMMON ROOM at Le Quartier Français is the first of the two restaurants at this renowned guest house, and its a winner – really tasty, everyday comfort cuisine (the signature dish is roast chicken to share) presented beautifully and much of it in tapas-sized portions for mixand-match eating. The risotto is good and for something that fuses Dutch with South African, try the springbok “bitterballen” - desserts are fantastic too. At THE TASTING ROOM, the famed fine diner, the chef’s menu changes regularly and presents the exciting, cutting-edge cuisine rooted in local and seasonal ingredients. There is no à la carte here, you’re seated, and after drinks are ordered, you are in for the chef, Margot Janse’s, journey into tastes... and what a journey: this is international quality cuisine with very friendly service to add even more value. Franschhoek’s finest dining.

Up the road, RYAN’S KITCHEN is a newcomer, occupying the front room of a pretty guest house. The style is casual contemporary, with an open “show” kitchen so that you’re entertained even before you sample the team’s creations – contemporary food with a couple of fancy twists.

Chef Ryan is a whizz with game meats.

THE GRILL ROOM is the place if you’re in the mood for a great piece of meat. There’s an in-house meat locker and butchery (a great option for take-home prime rib eye, fillet or sirloin) and the restaurant is lovely inside and out. A private room is perfect for groups or business lunches. The theme is upmarket grillhouse, happily far removed from any “ranch” cliché and the service is solid.

Ryan’s Kitchen Haute Cabrière

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Take a right at the end of Main Street and you’ll find CAFÉ BONBON – one of the finest breakfast, brunch and lunch options in town. It’s set on a beautiful garden property next to an interiors and décor shop; there’s an oversized

The Common Room

Café Bonbon table in the rustic-chic dining room for a relaxed social, complete with fireplace, while the patio is absolutely bucolic. The menu features many health options, also great for coffees and baked treats.

Drive up the Pass Road to HAUTE CABRIÈRE, recently renovated and refreshed. It’s one of the most romantic restaurants in the country, a cosy, cathedrallike space with views on to the cellar. The estate is well-known for its sparkling wines and Pinot Noir and these lead the menu – because here the food is tailored to match the wines. So if you are in the mood for romance, this is the place.

A bit further up the Pass, LA PETITE FERME lives up to its name as one of the smallest boutique farm wineries. The style is country cottage and the homely, easy-eating food will please most comers.

Trout is a speciality and there’s a kids’ menu plus a lovely lawn to stretch out on after a long lunch.

The Common Room

Grande Provence

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FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP Established in 1982

Background

Optimum Expands to the Western Cape

As an independent financial services provider since 1982, we strive to provide our clients with the best possible financial advice and solutions for their individual needs on every aspect of comprehensive financial planning.

Optimum's Head Office is situated in Gauteng, with over 10 000 clients countrywide. Optimum's vision is to become the leading Financial Services Provider in South Africa [and internationally], and after entering into a transaction with a dynamic Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Investment Holding Company, we are now expanding the Brand by opening additional offices nationally, starting in the Western Cape.

The main purpose of financial planning is to create financial independence for clients during all phases of their lives. Financial independence produces a certain lifestyle, and it is the uniqueness of each person's lifestyle which calls for a financial planner to bring certain matters and circumstances into careful consideration when planning financial independence.

We are excited to become part of the Western Cape family and look forward to building new professional relationships with the Val De Vie readers.

Our focus is to develop and protect your wealth by offering advice and transparent guidance in estate planning, risk cover, investment planning, retirement provision, estate planning and tax benefits.

We also offer professional services in short term insurance with attention to motor and household insurance, and specialised services in commercial, marine, aviation and personal liability insurance.

Ryk Neethling - Brand Ambassador As a good friend and client of Optimum, we appointed Ryk Neethling as Optimum's Brand Ambassador in the second half of 2010.

Ryk is not only a world renowned Sportsman, but an innovative Entrepreneur and has formed an integral part of Optimum's Business by assisting in all our marketing initiatives.

Ryk will also play a significant role in our Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future plans.

Louwrens Smith (CEO), Ryk Neethling and Werner Swanepoel (Marketing Director), at Val-De-Vie.

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www.optimumgroup.co.za

An Authorised Financial Services Provider - FSB Licence No: 8143

distinctive knowledge shared with passion

CAPTURING THE MOMENTS IT’S NO FUN IF WE CAN’T SHARE IT WITH YOU…

BMW International Polo

BMW INTERNATIONAL POLO Polo is an incredible aphrodisiac, and it always attracts a sensational crowd, whether families picnicking on the lawns, celebrities gossiping in the corners or delectable young ladies and handsome, dashing horsemen sharing the ultimate social vibe.

When there’s polo at Val de Vie then Val de Vie is the only place to be.

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VAL DE VIE | PEOPLE

K Day

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K-DAY K-Day was a spectacular open-air concert on the hottest day of the year, with some of the hottest local bands and singers performing, including Freshly Ground, Arno Karstens, Danny K, among many others.

Hosted by divine Elana Afrika and the effervescent KFM 94.5 crowd, the thousands of fans were hosed down at regular intervals and it proved to be one of the major events of the year.

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Ryk Neethling Wine Launch

RYK NEETHLING WINE LAUNCH When Ryk Neethling and head winemaker, Harold Versveld, got together we knew there was going to be trouble! Luckily what transpired was a divine new Ryk Neethling red wine to add to the wineryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stable of winning wines. The prestige Blackberry sponsored launch attracted its fair share of desirable fillies, including Nico Panagio , Roxy Louw, Christi Panagio, Sianna Wu, Jessica Webb, Sarah Martin... And the lovely Lindt promo girls.

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VAL DE VIE | PEOPLE

The wedding of JP Duminy & Sue Erasmus

The loving couple after the ceremony

Style was everywhere

With best friend Habana

The first dance

BEAUTIFUL WEDDING SA cricketer JP Duminy and long-time girlfriend Sue Erasmus hosted their beautiful winter wedding at the spectacular Val de Vie Estate just outside Franschhoek on the 25th of June.

On their big day they shared their joy on Twitter. Sue tweeted “On my way to the chapel to get married. Best day of my life.”

Duminy tweeted Bryan Habana saying how being a married man is a very “special feeling, I am now part of an elite group”.

Other cricketers present at the wedding, included Francois du Plessis, Morné Morkel, Mark Boucher, Robin Peterson as well as Graeme Smith.

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VALLEY LIFE COME DOWN TO THE PAARL-FRANSCHHOEK VALLEY FOR WINE, FOOD, MUSIC, MARKETS AND OTHER WINELAND FUN THIS SUMMER...

FOOD FESTIVALS Take your pick of the Season’s most inviting festivities

FRESH PRODUCE MARKETS Find the best food, wine and organic gems at these quaint Saturday markets

2 – 4 DECEMBER Cap Classique & Champagne Festival Franschhoek Monument Lovers, epicures, Champagne aficionados, merrymakers, curiosity cats and anyone who simply loves the good life will be heading to Franschhoek for this “Magic of Bubbles” festival.

021 876 2861

Stellenbosch Slow Food Market Oude Libertas Estate, Oude Libertas Road Every Saturday, 09:00 – 14:00

2 – 4 DECEMBER Apricot Picking at De Krans Robertson From 24 Nov to 4 Dec, bring your own container to pick your own apricots at De Krans Wine Cellar, situated along the upper reaches of the picturesque Gamka River Valley near Calitzdorp. And whilst you are there enjoy a barbeque lunch.

044 213 3314

Hathersage Market Gordon Road, Somerset West Every second and last Saturday of the month, 09:00 – 14:00

3 – 4 DECEMBER Crayfish & Seafood Festival Sport Grounds, Paternoster This annual festival includes snoek braais, seafood poitjie kos and of course delicious crayfish. The day’s focus is on seafood, however there is a beer garden and arts and craft stalls with sea shells and ornaments.

Jenni 083 692 2201 ONGOING The Screening Room Franschhoek Le Quartier Français’ intimate 40 seat movie house shows nightly films, in and out of season. Enjoy a glass of selected wines and snacks and see a free movie.

Sunday night’s Supper Club, eat at Le Quartier’s informal Restaurant The Common Room and watch a movie. Booking advised.

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Holden Manz Wine Estate Farmers’ Market Franschhoek Twice a month on Saturdays, 08:00 – 15:00

Laborie Lazy Days Market Laborie Wine Farm, Paarl Every Saturday 09:00 – 13:00

MUSIC From relaxing rural tunes to local and international rock legends 5 NOVEMBER– 13 FEBRUARY Kyknet Backsberg Picnic Concert Series Backsberg Estate, Paarl Backsberg, in association with Kyknet, announces the return of its picnic concert series featuring a superb musical line-up of South Africa’s best-loved artists.

Backsberg is the perfect summer outing for a leisurely afternoon spent with family and friends. www.computicket.com 14 JANUARY - END MARCH Rural Cape Music Saturday Sunset Supper Concerts Solms Delta, Franschhoek 021 874 3937 www.solms-delta.co.za

FESTIVALS Some of the nation’s best festivals happening right on your doorstep 14 NOVEMBER Voor-Paardeberg Annual Wine Fair Paarl Limited tickets for this event, so book your place early. Enjoy live music for the entire day while you experience tasting some of the pre-released wines. There will be more than 40 wines to taste from different producers.

021 869 8339 17 – 21 NOVEMBER The Cape Town Spoken Word Festival Baxter Theatre, Rondebosch Includes storytelling, performance and movement poetry as well as some interesting acts such as beat box masters providing the soundtrack for poets and to enhance stories.

021 438 2595

VAL DE VIE EVENTS October 30: Val de Vie Fun Run, 5km and 10km November 4,5: Célébrer Luxury Wedding Workshop February 25 2012: Veuve Clicquot Masters Polo Tournament 25 – 27 NOVEMBER Cape Town Festival of Beer Hamiltons Rugby Club Green Point A gathering for beer enthusiasts, connoisseurs and those just wanting to learn more about beer.

Set against the scenic backdrop of Table Mountain. A variety of food stalls provide sustenance and there is secure parking for all. Public tickets for each of the three days at R50, gates open from 17:00 on 24 November and 12:00 on Friday and Saturday.

26 NOVEMBER Winelands Film Festival Spier, Stellenbosch Ten day programme of timely and fascinating films that evolve organically from the programming process. A host of special events, tributes and symposia are in the works. While its perspective is clearly global, the Festival is also a showcase and forum for the South African film industry.

083 792 4320 2 – 4 DECEMBER Paarl Festival of Lights Paarl Paarl hosts the annual Festival of Lights for the Drakenstein Community with local artists performing, stalls, merry-go-round and more. Fabulous family fun that won’t break the bank.

021 863 3555

VAL DE VIE | DIARY POLO CLUB RESTAURANT Bring the family to Val de Vie’s superb Polo Club Restaurant Polo Club Restaurant Treat the little VIPs Polo Club Restaurant, Val de Vie We invite our “Little VIPs” to have fun with a pony ride (weather permitting), a meal and a drink at only R60!

Share a relaxing afternoon in beautiful surroundings with delicious easy-going dining and, of course the iconic pizza, at a very affordable price. Executive Chef, Dewald Hurter provides a sensational café offering to suit all tastes at lunchtime, and an inspired evening dinner menu.

Whether you’re walking, running or socialising in between chukkas, the area ensures fun-filled days for the whole family 10 – 13 NOVEMBER Animal To Hell and Back MTBf De Hoek holiday resort Oudtshoorn, Paarl Proved to be a very popular event with the mountain bike fraternity and is now firmly established as an annual cycling event, but not for the faint hearted.

044 871 4455 11 – 13 NOVEMBER Wines2Whales MTB Race Somerset West 3-stage race across 13 wineries, 26 private farms, six mountains, beautiful historic roads and passes, as well as exquisite nature conservation areas before finishing near Walker Bay in the picturesque town of Hermanus.

021 883 2413 Stillwater Sports

11 MARCH Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour Cape Town Central The largest timed cycling event in the world. Attracting in excess of 35 000 cyclists each year, this prestigious event is definitely a unique experience for participants and spectators alike.

021 681 4300

PHOTOGRAPHS: VAL DE VIE

SPORTING EVENTS

19 NOVEMBER Global Diabetes Run / Walk Green Point, Cape Town Take part in this superb Diabetes Run/Walk. Not only will you be creating awareness but you will also be encouraging the low cost physical activity of walking. There is something for everyone.

021 425 4440

The Célébrer Luxury Wedding Workshop Val de Vie in association with Célébrer and Estée Lauder, is marking a brand new concept in high-end wedding planning for the bride-tobe in South Africa. Top wedding experts will all be under one roof, sharing their valuable industry expertise, offering a very personalised and unique workshop. This luxury wedding workshop in association with Estée Lauder will be hosted by Val de Vie. We will lavish the ladies with fine foods, wine, and pampering gifts and fully equip them with a superior wedding strategy, empowering them to take charge of their special day.

From Estée Lauder sharing secrets to the best beauty regime in the run up to a wedding, top fashion designers such as Kobus Dippenaar and celebrity stylists such as Marelize de Clercq giving advice on fashion and styling, through to the top wedding planners, stationary designers, cake designers, chefs to the stars, décor specialists and honeymoon planners; all will be under one roof, for two days only.

CAPE ARGUS

16 – 19 DECEMBER Cape Bonsai Kai Show at Kirstenbosch Newlands The show will display over 100 trees of the highest standard – with the concentration on exciting indigenous trees. There is also an education table and demonstrations on how to design bonsai and how to maintain and care for them. Open daily from 09:00 – 17:00 Dorothy Franz 021 797 8972

Bookings: Contact Val de Vie Events: 021 863 6191 or 072 72 655 21 or email events@valdevie.co.za Ticket price: R550 per person. November 4th, 5th.

Val de Vie

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VAL DE VIE | LAST WORD

inside the head of…

ARTHUR GILLIS MD FOR AFRICA’S BIGGEST HOTEL GROUP – AND A BUSY MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER, ARTHUR EXPLAINS SUCCESS, FAILURE AND ECONOMIC MELTDOWN

Being MD of Africa’s largest hospitality group, I am motivated business-wise by the challenge to create the right kind of opportunities to benefit every one of the 14 000 employees in the group, and every guest who stays with us. We are committed to service excellence and providing the best guest experience possible.

The business environment is constantly changing – technology, trends and tastes change over time but fundamentally, hotel guests want what they’ve always wanted – which is a fresh room, excellent and efficient service, comfort and safety. And that will never change.

We haven’t made that many mistakes in business but we have sometimes been sucked into the negative external energy prevailing at the time. And we have learnt from that.

I’m very optimistic about the future of South Africa and Africa in general. Across the network of our hotels and through the thousands of people who make up the Protea family, I see the beauty and potential of Mzansi* every day. In fact I’m more than optimistic.

And with regards to the new world order – change is the only constant in the world. Nothing new there.

People talk about the China phenomenon but there is no such thing as a phenomenon in economics. It’s either good business or it isn’t and China is here to stay.

Whether or not the Euro has a future, in our amateurish view, is dependent entirely on whether or not any sovereign debt defaults or countries withdraw from the currency, but we are simple purveyors of beds, so please consider our views with caution.

South Africa is a globally recognised tourism destination and our market is now growing in popularity with exciting new feeder markets from the Far East and South America.

The private sector should have a far greater stake as to how Brand South Africa is promoted and sold internationally. This is our industry and we need to have a seat at that table.

If I were to invest R1million today I would invest it in more training for our staff. You can never do enough training.

In South Africa there is a well-documented over-supply of hotels in major metro areas. However, those that are appropriately capitalised with the right fiscal planning and long term strategies in place will see this cycle through.

The global financial crisis has reaffirmed my belief in doing business based on the collective wisdom of the talented team at Protea Hotels.

To switch off and relax I spend time with the people who count.

My family is incredibly important. It is everything to me.

I do not believe that the Euro-zone is doomed. It certainly has the potential to collapse but I’d like to think that wise heads will prevail and economic prudence will return as that is what really matters.

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OUR MARKET IS GROWING WITH EXCITING NEW FEEDER MARKETS FROM THE FAR EAST AND SOUTH AMERICA

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The secret of running a successful hotel business is having a brand with strong equity that is well managed, with talented staff at every level to deliver on the brand promise and meet our guests’ needs.

Hoteliers generally make three common mistakes; They pick the wrong location, they are the wrong brand for that location and they do not have the brand correctly capitalised.

Being the driver of the winning car at Le Mans is a personal fantasy of mine but, they are not looking for elderly hoteliers as drivers at the moment, unfortunately. *”Mzansi” is slang for the South African vibe

ACCOLADES UÊÊÊ- ViÊ£ nn]Ê ÀÌ ÕÀÊ >ÃÊLii Ê À Õ«Ê > >} }Ê ÀiVÌ ÀÊ> `Ê ÀiÊ recently Chief Executive Officer for Africa’s largest hotel group, Protea Hotels.

UÊÊÊ*À Ìi>Ê >ÃÊÌÜ ViÊLii ÊÛ Ìi`Ê vÀ V>½ÃÊ i>` }Ê Ìi Ê À> `Ê>ÌÊÌ iÊ World Travel Awards.

UÊÊÊ/ iÊV «> ÞÊ >ÃÊ> à ÊÌÜ ViÊLii ÊÛ Ìi`Ê- ÕÌ Ê vÀ V>½ÃÊ/ «Ê Ìi Ê

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Val de Vie

Brand in the South African Sunday Times/Markinor Top Brands Survey.

UÊÊÊ ÀÌ ÕÀÊ ÃÊ>Ê } ÞÊà Õ} ÌÊ>vÌiÀÊ Ì Û>Ì > Êëi> iÀ°ÊÊ iÊÜÀ ÌiÊ a best-selling book on service excellence, entitled “Juiced! How to Succeed Through Spectacular Customer Service” co-written with Mike Lipkin.