Wine Extra May 2016

FOR WINE LOVERS, NOT WINE SNOBS

WineExtra MAY/JUNE 2016

WHY GO ORGANIC? TASTE TEAM

GOODLUCK OFFICIAL SA MEDIA PARTNER

SENSATIONAL CINSAUT

CHEF SCOT KIRTON - MORE ALCOHOL IN WINE - DELETE DRUNK TEXTS

Contents DECEMBER 2015 MAY/JUNE 2016

Editor’s letter Editor’s letter

5 5

Interview Special Report

2522

Competition 12 Questions

3538

Florence Letoaba Organic wine: What is it? Why should you care?

Win a Van hamper with Carl VanRyn's Der Merwe Wine Extra and Van Ryn's Brandy Bad Information Booze and Than Now You’re Why Wine Hason More Alcohol Into the Spirit 40 Dementia - Is the Acidity WineNot Cooking 2825 Ever - Expensive Winein Might Interview Zubrówka Bad Teeth?

Drinking Chef Nic van Wyk - Steak 12 Questions 36 Befor asYour Great as You-Think It Is - A Goodluck’s Jules andTartare Ben Red Wine at Can Room Temperature?

Andrew Gunn: Proprietor of New App Now Delete Those You're Doing it You All Wrong - Charity Iona Vineyard Drunk Texts Sent - Italians Now You’re Wine Auction Share Go toAbout Paris Want Their Kids toto Learn 30 Cooking Attack Into the Spirit 38 WineVictims in School Chef Scot Kirton - Pan fried Sipsmith London Dry Gin scallops and Asian barbequed 14 Taste Team pork Robertson's on the River Taste Wine Team 14

Table Talk Table Talk

8 8

Sensational Cinsaut

Livin' Livinthe TheLife Life

3032

Fashion MeetsWeekend Wine My Yellow

Special Report What is Natural Wine?

22

We’ve Been We’ve Been Drinking Drinking

Get out Our pick out of the very best Get

39 41

3437 viticultural-based Our pick of the events. very best

1707 Reserve White Neethlingshof Owl2013 Post 2013

viticultural-based events.

DECEMBER 2015 WINE EXTRA 3 3 MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA

Published by: The Wine Show PTY Ltd, Unit 31 Westlake Lifestyle Centre, Westlake Drive, Cape Town, 7966 wine-extra.co.za wineshow.co.za

MANAGING EDITOR: MARYNA STRACHAN maryna@wine extra.co.za

GRAPHIC DESIGN MARK FREEBS

info@markfreebs.com

WEB SERVICES TRACEY VAN NIEKERK

tracey@mutsami.co.za

ADVERTISING SALES TRISTAN RICHMOND

Tristan@wineshow.co.za

Subscribe online at: www.wine-extra.co.za

Official S.A. Media Partner:

The publishers regret they cannot accept liability for errors or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of all trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts not exceeding 100 words in total from any one issue to be used for the purpose of fair review.

www.wineshow.co.za

4 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

Editor’s letter T

he corporate CSI that we support at the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show is the Institute for the Blind, now known as Kaleidoscope. I was recently fortunate enough to be invited to one of their ‘Dinner in the Dark’ events, which was hosted at the Langverwacht function venue near Stellenbosch.

MARYNA STRACHAN

I’d heard of these dinners before and was beyond excited to experience it for myself. The evening saw us seated at round tables of 10 in the darkest of black rooms. No light emitting devices were allowed in; cellphones and even watches that had lights or glow in the dark numbers were handed in at the entrance.

Each table had their own dedicated waiter who was either blind or partially blind.

maryna@wine-extra.co.za Follow us on Twitter @WineExtra @MadgesLife

Once seated, you had to feel your way around your space, identifying your eating utensils, finding the wine and pouring it into your glass without spilling and that after identifying whether it was white or red. When the starter arrived, you had to spear your fork all over the plate to try and get food onto it and then let your senses take over to work out what you’d been served – smell, taste, touch. The same with the main.

As the volume of the chatter in the room intensified, so also did we become more tactile with each other, touching the person next to you to ensure you get their attention – something you’d usually affirm with eye contact. To say I was enlightened is an understatement.

To imagine living my life in the ‘dark’, not being able to see the happy, loving faces of my children and partner, the beauty of nature, a spectacular sunset or the gentle smile of my mother…

The work, love and dedication that is shown by the people from Kaleidoscope is nothing short of phenomenal and their ambassador, Hein Wagner (interviewed in our September 2015 issue) is a true inspiration. If you can get to one of their ‘Dinner in the Dark’ events in your city, then do yourself a favour and go, or be sure to visit their stand at any of the upcoming TOPS at SPAR Wine Shows this year to show your support. Check out their website at www.kaleidoscope.org.

My eyes have certainly been opened.

Regards,

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 5

“LIFE’S A CABERNET” at the 2016 TOPS at SPAR Wine Show and you’re invited!

A glorious pourformance awaits wine lovers with some of South Africa’s best cellars taking centre stage.

Come one, come all … it’s time for The Greatest Show Unearthed at the TOPS at SPAR Wine Show!

Alcohol Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18 6 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

Alcohol Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18 MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 7

TableTalk This month: Why Wine Has More Alcohol Than Ever Expensive Wine Might Not Be as Great as You Think It Is A New App Can Now Delete Those Drunk Texts You Sent Italians Want Their Kids to Learn About Wine in School

Why Wine Has More Alcohol Than Ever

I

n the 1970s, actor-turnedPaul-Masson-wine-pitchman Orson Welles admonished, “We shall sell no wine before its time.” These days, Welles might say, “We shall sell no wine before it’s practically a distilled spirit.”

A new study from the University of California found that the alcohol content in the majority of wines, both white and red, sold in the world over the last decade

8 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

is, on average, 0.42% higher than claimed on the label. That number may seem small - who’s getting drunk on 0.42% extra alcohol? but it is an example of the steady increase in wine’s alcohol content in recent years.

James T. Lapsley, Ph.D, a Professor of Viticulture at the University of California, Davis, who co-authored a 2011 paper on the subject for the Journal of Wine Economics, tellingly titled

“Too Much of a Good Thing?”, claims that the grape sugar levels in wine have increased between 7 and 10 percent over the past few decades.

“A 10% increase in sugar concentration would result in 10 percent more alcohol,” says Lapsley. “I don’t think that has a huge health impact.” As long as you drink moderately (a glass or two daily), that's likely true, though metabolizing ethanol in

TableTalk alcoholic beverages produces acetaldehyde, a toxic chemical thought to be a carcinogen in humans.

So what does sugar have to do with a wine’s alcohol level? During the process of fermentation, natural yeasts in the environment break down the sugars in the juice released by the grapes when crushed. The yeasts then convert the sugars into alcohol as well as carbon dioxide, which generally dissolves in the bottle. Likewise, the longer a grape ripens, the more sugar it’s apt to develop. When there’s more sugar, the yeasts have more to convert, which results in more alcohol.

Don’t blame the grape, though, for the rise in alcohol. Instead, says Seattle-based certified sommelier Yashar Shayan, the rise can at least in part be attributed to the consumer. “People like it,” he says. “They may claim they don't, but they do.”

It’s not dissimilar from how people say they want to avoid sweet foods, “but then they consume plenty of cola, ketchup, and other processed foods which are loaded with sugar,” says Shayan. “The consumer likes the sweetness.”

are inexpensive and tasty, a winery has to use cheap grapes. Unfortunately, those cheap grapes will make lousy wine—they are cheap for a reason. To make these wines taste good, the winery will add a grape concentrate called Mega Purple to the vat.

Mega Purple and its close relative Ultra Red not only impart more colour, they can also introduce additional sugar.

When this occurs during fermentation, those sugars can convert into slightly more alcohol. Also, higher alcohol content can mitigate a wine’s acidity and adversely affect its flavour profile. “You start to lose acidity, which you need to make a wine balanced, or not taste like alcoholic grape juice,” says Elizabeth Schneider, a certified sommelier and co-host of the podcast WineforNormalPeople.com.

“High-alcohol wines will seem hot going down, like a shot,” she says. “Without the mitigating forces of acidity or tannin, which are sometimes diminished in the over-ripening process, you get a wine that is all fruit and alcohol.” That said, some industry veterans predict a sea change in upcoming vintages, with a general trending-down of alcohol percentages.

Mark Aselstine—the founder of Berkeley-based Uncorked Ventures, a wine of the month club— points to the dominance of wine reviews published

by The Wine Advocate and its founder, lauded critic Robert Parker, for pushing the trend of higheralcohol wines by often rewarding them with high scores.

A gradual shift in consumer taste, or at least in markets whose palates have developed toward more nuanced wine, is likely to drive the decrease in alcohol. A larger part of the market is becoming more discerning.

“Parker, generally speaking, enjoys higher-alcohol content in his wines than the higher acidity and more austere versions of generations past,” says Aselstine. “As his reviews became more and more popular, and as retailers increasingly used scores to do their jobs for them, vintners started trying to hit that style with at least some of their offerings.”

Another reason for the downturn can be attributed to the winemakers and their own proclivities.

“I think it’s because winemakers are making a concerted effort to become better farmers,” says Sonoma County-based sommelier Christopher Sawyer. “They're really trying to optimize the grapes and not over-accentuate the sugar, while paying more attention to acidity by taking more time per vineyard, per site, to maximize the fruit quality.”

Many wine professionals point to climate change as helping heat up the “hotter” wine trend. The warmer the weather, the more sugars in the grape that are converted to alcohol during fermentation.

The economic climate is another contributor to alcohol percentages. To mass-produce wines that

Though the lower-alcohol wine trend is already in motion, Wallace says it “really won’t be obvious for another 5 years. Things progress really slow in my trade.”

Orson Welles might agree...

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 9

TableTalk

Expensive Wine Might Not Be as Great as You Think

C

an’t tell the difference between a glass of your average plonk and a R300 bottle of wine? Don’t worry, you’re far from being alone.

A study conducted by a psychologist at Hertfordshire University revealed that when asked to distinguish between inexpensive and expensive wines, people guessed correctly just about half of the time, reports wine writer Mike Peterson for Quartz.

In other words, most people would have the same level of success in guessing a wine’s value if they skipped the taste test and just flipped a coin instead.

Experienced drinkers and wine experts may be able to differentiate between expensive and inexpensive wine, but perception trumps a taste test for the average drinker.

Peterson notes that in a 2008 study, enjoyment of 10 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

wine was proven to be greatly impacted by how much people are told the wine costs. What’s more, the effect can be physically proven - when drinking wines believed to be more expensive, participants had increased activity in the region of the brain associated with pleasure.

You can’t necessarily trick yourself into believing that you paid more for a bottle of wine than you see on your receipt. However, Peterson advises taking a few steps to get as much enjoyment as you can from your wine, no matter the price tag.

Always pour your wine in a clear and classy decanter before serving, something Peterson calls a "wine perception steroid." Then, serve wine in smaller, high-end wine glasses to allow for utmost enjoyment. If you allow your imagination to take control, it probably doesn’t matter if you spent R40 or R400 on the bottle, if you know how to present the wine correctly.

TableTalk

A New App Can Now Delete Those Drunk Texts You Sent

P

raise the app gods – there’s now a way to retract drunk or embarrassing messages after you’ve sent them.

That’s right, thanks to a new free messaging app called Privates and its nifty ‘Recall’ button, humanity is one step closer to avoiding those mortifying social awks when you realise you’ve sent something you really shouldn’t have.

Because whether it’s that Pinot Noir-induced declaration of love you sent to that new beau/onlyactually-met-once-on-Tinder-but-I-think-he’s-TheOne-guy, or that angry rant you fired off to your ex about how you know they’re still using your Netflix account, we’ve all sent some regretful texts in our time… Not to mention pics, ahem…

But, before you get too giddy, dial down the victory dance a touch because there is one small caveat – the recipient needs to have not opened the message first. So the longer you leave the message out there, the less chance you have of retracting it.

And sadly, there’s no app to wipe something from someone’s memory - well not just yet, anyway.

However, this next-generation app – which is currently only available on iPhone, although the developers promise Android and Windows versions soon - also offers suped-up security in several other ways.

Top of the list is screenshot protection technology, which stops people forwarding, copying or saving your messages. It also features industrial-strength encryption to keep out hackers, and protects messages even after they’ve been read. Just make sure to unplug your phone when viewing a message, as this prevents people from using external tools to make unauthorised copies – so now you know.

It even gives you the option to choose how quickly your messages self-destruct, and three different security settings - Mild, Wild, and Insane - to control the security and length of expiration of every text, video, or photo you send.

Sounds like app heaven. If only it would let us take back bad dates, goofball comments and those drunken dance moves IRL, too….

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 11

TableTalk

Italians Want Their Kids to Learn About Wine in School

A

longside sprouting beans and lentils, winemaking has been an occasional feature of science classes for Italian children for decades. Now, a piece of legislature is asking for a more structured space for wine in Italian classrooms - teaching its history and role in Italy’s culture.

That’s why Dario Stefàno, a senator with the group Sinistra Ecologia Libertà (“Left Ecology Freedom”), has drafted a bill to get Italian children, aged six to 13, to learn about wine in primary schools, with one hour a week dedicated to “wine culture and history.”

While some found the proposal to be funny, it’s a serious endeavor.

With nearly 5 billion liters produced in 2015, Italy is the world’s largest producer of wine. Every region in the country has wineries, making wine a common thread of the national story.

“We have more vines than churches,” Stefàno said, explaining that, unlike other traditional products (such as oil), wine production is something all Italians identify with, regardless of their regional

12 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

TableTalk provenance. The bill, which he presented on March 24, notes how winemaking is an integral cultural part of Mediterranean cultures as well as a large source of employment (1.25 million jobs).

He doesn’t discount the fact that it might get more students interested in pursuing a career in the gastronomic field, or in tourism, which are now, despite their relevance in Italy’s economy, hardly encouraged among students.

Stefàno says he does not want to teach children winemaking but rather use wine as a way to “add to the cultural baggage taught in schools related to food education.”

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 13

14 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 15

TasteTeam Sensational Cinsaut

Whether you choose to spell it with the silent ‘l’, or without, Cinsau(l)t is making a comeback. One of the ‘parent’ varietals of our proudly South African, Pinotage, it is no wonder why one can pick up on so many of its nuances. It was the boys from the Swartland who really started to put this cultivar back on the map and nowadays we are seeing more and more of this icon making its return. Traditionally this varietal is grown in hotter climates as it has a thicker skin. In France, Cinsault (also known as Hermitage), is grown widely and considered to be an important varietal in the Languedoc-Rousillon region where it is traditionally blended alongside Grenache and Carignan.

From left to right: Radford Dale Thirst 2015, by Radford Dale, RRP: R130 Eenzaamheid Cinsaut 2015, by Eenzaamheid Wines RRP: R90. Osbloed Rooiperd Openbaring, by Osbloed, RRP: R250. Neil Ellis Groenekloof Cinsaut 2012, by Neil Ellis, RRP: R275. Adoro Naudé Cinsault 2014, by AdoroWines , RRP: R250. Leeuwenkuil Cinsault 2014, by Leeuwenkuil, RRP: R45.

16 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

TasteTeam Radford Dale Thirst 2015 RRP: R130; www.thewineryofgoodhope.com

Daisy says: The nose on this Cinsaut was bursting with red fruit, mixed in with a whiff of caramel. It evoked the same memory as opening my beloved Grandmother’s scarf drawer and the perfumed scent of musk and wild flowers that would envelop me. This is a wine that has been made with as little human intervention as possible, so there is an almost cloudy appearance to its red liquid when poured into the glass. On the palate there is an earthiness, accompanied by flavours of cherry, dried strawberry and cocoa powder. Why not try something against the norm and drink this alongside something sweet? I think it would pair lip-smackingly well with a berry pavlova.

Charlotte says: Such a cheerful colour, light and faint with a definite glossy Jelly Baby look to it. A juicy, childlike nose, with strawberries and cream and green apple twizzle stick aromas

Daisy Knowles Daisy hails from the North-West Province, having grown up in Mafikeng. She spent five years in the UK, or (y)UK as she terms it, before returning to SA in 2001. She now lives and works in the fairest Cape. A most personable Personal Assistant by day, she dabbles with wine courses on the sideline to keep the brain in check and enjoys practicing the art of wine drinking at any and every chance she gets.

that take me straight back to times of bright lights, clowns, candyfloss and merry-go-rounds. The childhood carnival memories fade away on first sip though, as you realise this wine is more serious than a gigantic stuffed teddy bear and may be more refined than it initially let on. One of my local favourite restaurants, 96 Winery Road, is legendary for its delicious Duck & Cherry Pie and I know that a glass of this would be lip smackingly good served alongside it.

“If you walk into the shop looking for something interesting and easy to drink, don’t look any further.”

Eduard says: If you walk into the shop looking for something interesting and easy to drink, don’t look any further. You will not go wrong by taking this beauty back home with you. Cool it down a bit and enjoy as your first glass for the evening at any occasion; braaivleis and fine dining included. Usually, when we do a tasting, the first wine in the line-up will not be too impressive, but this one really surprised me as being drinkable and, yes, smooth. The tannins are soft and in the background with the fruitiness, showing a fair bit of cherry sweetness that is nicely balanced out with good acidity. It leaves you with long notes of spiciness and white pepper.

Definitely one to buy and drink.

vice was Turkish Delight - those that come in the red box - and we used to scoff this down whilst listening to a story over the radio around 6pm, on the floor in her little home-made potpurrifilled granny flat. This wine has such a beautiful rose colour that takes me back to those very moments. It has flavours of dusty nutmeg and cinnamon, with watermelon and juicy berries, giving a good balance to the wine. Although it doesn’t have a good length to it, it is a wonderful summer wine for hot afternoons. Serve chilled with good friends around.

Maru says: The ‘Thirst’ Cinsault for the evening left us all impressed. This varietal not only adds perfume and spiciness when blended, but also holds up on its own when made well. Notes of sour cherry and pepper reminded me of Cherry Coke. It’s a teeny bit tart and subtle enough to not offend the senses. A proper ‘Vins de Soif, or, a ‘wine to quench one’s thirst’ (a term I literally learnt just now). Insert ‘Smiling Face With Heart-Shaped Eyes’ emoji here.

Guest Taster Cara says: This is a light and delightful wine with a beautiful cranberry pink colour. I initially picked up a somewhat vinegar like smell, but upon tasting, it was very smooth on my palate with lovely smoky oak flavours. I would personally like to enjoy this again with the accompaniment of a cigar as, upon sipping the wine, my mind conjures up visions of smartly dressed men, discussing the problems of the world in a smoking room, each puffing away on a Cuban.

Ilze says: My gran and Elvia basically raised me for the first part of my life, whist my mom was at work. My gran’s

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 17

Charlotte Spicer Charlotte is known amongst her friends and exasperated family as a professional “Intoxicologist”. She has worked in the wine and spirits industry for a number of years now. Apart from enjoying the odd glass or two of wine, she is partial to a wee dram of whisky and also likes to think she puts Nigella to shame in the kitchen – but doubts that she could lick her spoon that seductively…

Eenzaamheid Cinsaut 2015 RRP: 90; www.eenzaamheidwines.co.za

and the complementary elements of soft, tart, juicy and sweet all come together nicely to create a dynamic and lengthy finish. Fair warning though, watch out for this beautiful rose’s thorns - too many glasses of this would make anyone feel like a prick in the morning.

Eduard says: Concentrated sweetness, cherries and white chocolate greet you at the word go. When you sit back and relax, the conversation in the glass includes aromas of cinnamon as well as a hint of mixed herbs and cherries.

Definitely red cherries. It is soft, nearly sweet and flowing on the aftertaste with good tannins and a strong acidity to bind all the elements in the wine. I would gladly put the label of ‘drinkable’ around the neck of the bottle, one to enjoy.

Daisy says: A translucent ruby-red in the glass, this wine was appealingly fruit forward with red plums, dark berries and a subtle hint of dried autumn leaves vying for your attention. The acidity seemed a little prominent on the first few sips, but this toned down and married pleasingly with flavours of mulberry, redcurrants and soft cinnamon spice. After having spent a little time in the glass and being subjected to a few swirls, a lovely component of rosemary and dark chocolate presented themselves.

Paired with a ripe goats cheese and warm ciabatta bread, this proved a scrumptious duo to kick-start an evening with friends.

Charlotte says: Like a beautiful bright red rose, aromatic and heady with its bright ruby hue, this wine’s freshness appeals instantly. Aromas of fresh Morello cherries and homemade fruit cake add interesting layers of flavour

18 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

“I would have Eenzaamheid with a bunch of my closest friends. Wait... did I just make an oxymoron?”

Ilze says: This wine has such an intriguing colour. A bit trippy, because at first I get white pepper and green pepper on the nose and then, when I tasted it, it was as if I was sucking on a red rose petal. I also got intense Berry Blazes Liquifruit, black forest cake, Himalayan sea salt and oyster shell flavours. Very weird, but I liked it. I would think this is a foodie wine and with it being such a zingy and fresh wine, I would pair it with a meaty snoek braai. I would probably drink way too much of this!

TasteTeam Maru says: If this wine was a season, it would be autumn. Its colour is reminiscent of falling crimson-coloured leaves. Its nose stirs up aromas of smoky oak and peppery meat with a dab of something more perfumey. It ends somewhat sweeter and fruity than what its nose lead me to believe. All in all a very pleasant experience. I would have Eenzaamheid with a bunch of my closest friends. Wait... did I just make an oxymoron?

Guest Taster Cara says:This wine makes me think of sorbet fun and I can imagine freezing it and enjoying licking away at it on a hot summer day. It has a refreshing and fruity smell with prominent kiwi and strawberry flavours, yet it’s dry and smooth on the palate. I think it would pair nicely with a freshly prepared Thai dish.

Osbloed Rooiperd Openbaring RRP: R250; www.osbloed.com

Daisy says: With its look-at-metwice label of a young naked woman

TasteTeam on a horse with wavy hair cascading beneath her shoulders, you get the impression that you’re in for something a little different with this wine. Wholly vegetative in the most pleasing way on the nose, you are greeted with intense aromas of honeybush fynbos, fresh raspberries and freshly-picked mushrooms. On the palate, red fruits burst forth and a pop of a delicate sweetness flows over your tongue, enhanced further when you take a bite into something savoury. There was a lovely whiff of a fruit tea that also played around in the glass. I felt the need to drink this alongside puff pastry parcels with a slightly spicy, creamy mushroom filling.

Charlotte says: Some of my fondest memories come from our time in Portugal, the underrated gem of the Mediterranean and a welcome escape from the usual dull grey landscape of England where I grew up. The experience of watching the fresh sardines being pulled from the ocean’s edge and thrown directly onto the waiting fires, turned expertly by these old withered women, whose eyes were tightly closed against the billowing smoke, is one that I am immediately transported back to when I enjoy this wine. These simple sardines, served on paper plates with wedges of lemon and a simple tomato salad, was even to this young girl, the epitome of gastronomic delight - even more so for my parents who washed down theirs with multiple carafes of the local light red wine, giving me a taste if I asked nicely enough. I say it takes a good wine to inspire a 20year old memory, so look forward to buying a case of this and reminiscing even more.

Maru Fourie named after the ship on which her grandmother was born, and not the internet cat, normally finds herself wrangling in a wild herd of mobile app developers. When she's offline, she experiments with wordplay, adventure games, cooking, guitar and a sporadic amount of trail running.

Eduard says: The colour in the glass takes me all the way to a dusty sunset in Egoli, flaming orange, turning into a fiery red flowing to a dark heart. The nose picks up directly from the forest floor full of leaves and dampness as well as a good shot of sweetness and cherry. The first taste was quite frank with a hint of bitterness, but overall the acidity binds the flavours to keep the wine together in the glass. Bold and loud, the family member that needs all attention focused on them during Granny’s birthday dinner. Pair it up with a nice sundried tomato salad and a full bodied lamb curry.

gets dull, this is the bottle you would pull out of your arsenal to liven up the conversation... As befits its name and beautifully designed cover art, the wine inside is way more fiery than the other Cinsaults we had during the evening. Think slow-cooked leg of lamb, seasoned with rosemary on the nose and a sharp finish. Parental guidance is advised.

Guest Taster Cara says: In the glass, this wine is like an eye-catching Ruby jewel. At first I picked up a fairly obvious ammonia smell, but that was quickly replaced upon the first sip, with a savoury lamb flavour on my palate. I imagine this wine to be a great accompaniment to a spit braai or some perfectly pink lamb chops.

“As befits its name and beautifully designed cover art, the wine inside is way more fiery Neil Ellis Groenekloof than the other Cinsaut 2012 Cinsaults we had…”

RRP: R275 ; www.neilellis.com Ilze says: This reminds me of a ruby grapefruit - the colour that is. It has this ruby red alongside some orange peel colour to it. The nose is reminiscent of acetone and shows promise of minerality; but don’t be put off by this.

The palate shows nice juicy strawberries combined with herbaceous infused twangy flavours. The image of a gorgeous Spanish woman pops into my mind and she is serving a hearty Mediterranean feast..

Maru says: This is the one with the interesting backstory… When the discussion around the dinner table

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 19

Eduard Rosenstrauch works as a media liaison for SuperSport. He loves all sports and spending time with his family. He likes the smaller wine farms, not the impersonal tasting rooms of the big guys. Whilst he doesn't have a favourite cultivar or wine, he rather focuses on the characteristics of each wine, not caring whether it's red, white, pink or bubbly.

Daisy says: This Cinsaut was totally appealing from the first sip. I didn’t really want to focus on it, I simply wanted to sit in a quiet space and revel in its sheer deliciousness. Red and black cherries do the Tango inside your mouth, whilst a delicate hint of purple flowers and toffee apple make for an alluring flavour profile. After a little time in the glass, secondary aromas of books in an old library float up, transporting me back to my time at school in England where we would sit around a large mahogany table, in the beautiful library... Very nostalgic. A serious, yet ever-so-easy drinking wine, this is actually one to save for a special occasion - like surviving another tough day at work.

“Snow White may have downed a few too many glasses when she started singing to birds, and I’m sure that Elsa would’ve been hesitant to let this one go.”

Charlotte says: Did you know that they call Disney land the “happiest place on earth”? I wonder if they offer this by the glass? Like Pocahontas, with her big doe-eyes, this is exotic, innocent, intense, yet gentle. Snow White may have downed a few too many glasses when she started singing to birds, and I’m sure that Elsa would’ve been hesitant to let this one go. I’m not sure if it’s the beautiful, heady, full flavour of this wine, swirling with its dark fruits and spices, that makes me want to put on a ball

20 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

gown and tiara and twirl gleefully. What I do know is, my own Prince Charming can buy me a bottle for extra brownie points any day.

Eduard says: Quality with a pinch of the exotic. The mingling hues, with lighter shades of red on the edge, flows together into a deep ruby heart full of promises for a good quality brew in the glass. The nose hits you with a double sweetness dose of cherry jam and a taste that is direct and to the point. Good tannins work with the acidity to give you an extra long, spicy aftertaste of white pepper, keeping the taste buds busy.

Sit back, drink, enjoy and know that you have something special in the glass.

Ilze says: What a precarious colour – dark ox blood. It is also very perfumey and has a sophisticated nose. It reminds me of Mia in Californication, Hank’s exwife’s prospective daughter in law – a little unstable and crazy, but likeable.

Yum, yum! Such a nice rich red fruit taste with a sweet punch in the face at the end, exactly like a scene where Mia punches Hank in the face whilst she is having sexy time. Drink this on your own, with someone, anytime, anywhere – just drink it damn it! It’s so good!

Maru says: The Neil Ellis turned my current understanding of Cinsault on its head. It’s meatier on the nose, darker on the eye and stronger on the palate when compared to the rest of the evening’s lineup. For a brief moment, I could smell purple Chappies in the mix… But don’t let that fool you - it does taste extremely good. Also, I probably wouldn’t try to blow bubbles with it. (Mmm, ‘Did You Knows’ on wine labels could be a killer idea).

TasteTeam Guest Taster Cara says: This wine was a lot more robust than the others in the lineup. The nose was upfront and packed a punch of richness. On the palate I got lovely dark coffee flavours that lingered long after. I would gladly pair this with a Sunday roast with beef Wellington and a rich, hearty gravy..

Adoro Naudé Cinsault 2014 RRP: R250 www.adorowines.co.za

Daisy says: Taking you immediately to a field of purple flowers upon first sniff, this wine even tastes like the colour purple – if flavours could be colours.

There was the faintest fizz on the first sip, almost as if it were teasing your tongue, and then flavours of blackskinned grapes, vanilla and cranberryinfused dark chocolate showed themselves, reaching into every corner of your mouth and driving you to take the next sip. This is a wine to either pull out during a braai with your dearest friends, or simply to enjoy over dinner with a loved one: it simply craves to be matched to an appreciated occasion.

TasteTeam Pair it alongside your favourite steak, with a balsamic and red onion reduction for sheer and utter yumminess.

Charlotte says: The bright raspberry red colour matches and complements the lively, fruity aromatics that leap out of the glass. Turkish delight, pomegranate and strawberry Fizzers all abound and definitely get my mouth watering to dive into the glass. Deep, savoury meatiness and wild herbs come forward to add detail and poise, proving that you should never judge a book by its cover as, sometimes, the hidden personality is worth taking a second look, or in this case, sip.

“If I had to describe it in one sentence it would be a sexy blonde with a PhD - gorgeous and not to be underestimated.”

Eduard says: The heart is quite dark, but the edge is playing around in the light, changing colours from dark orange to rusty, even a hint of purple to nearly ruby red. Sweet, sweeter, sweetest describes the nose – Turkish delight rolled in Albany dark chocolate and a marshmallow easter-egg in the mix.

The nose and taste is actually quite far removed from each other. First off, the acidity trips your palate and makes a high speed donut with burning rubber on your tongue, but then it turns quickly into a very soft and enjoyable spiciness and white pepper lingering in the back of the throat.

Ilze van den Berg is an avid fan of all things aesthetically pleasing and gastronomically satisfying, Ilze describes herself as a self-proclaimed nerd, book worm and quintessentially quirky.

Ilze says: I really enjoyed this wine. With its dark ruby red colour and its sweet candy nose, it immediately got me excited. It has a slight fizz to it and is filled to the brim with rose water, strawberries, plums and Turkish delight. This is then complemented by a salty taste and rosemary, which definitely indicates great balance and elegance. If I had to describe it in one sentence it would be a sexy blonde with a PhD - gorgeous and not to be underestimated.

Leeuwenkuil Cinsault 2014 RRP: R45; www.leeuwenkuilfv.co.za

Maru says: The label does not lie. The vineyard from where this parent of Pinotage originates, is old. Its fragrance reminded me of oranges and roses. I detected a bit of effervescence on the tongue, but not alarmingly so. The finish has a hint of sweetness to it. Much like a 50-something adult human, this wine possesses a certain worldliness, with a little childish sparkle in the eye.

Guest Taster Cara says: I loved the purple colour of this wine. To me, this wine personifies ‘raspberry fun’! It has a light and fruity aroma, followed through on the palate by delightfully smooth raspberry oak flavours. I would go as far as pairing this with a rich dessert as it reminds me of the grape-flavoured Fizzpop lolly pops.

Daisy says: If you close your eyes and smell this wine, you are transported to the image of pink flowers pushing through damp earth after the rain. If you can imagine a sprinkling of crushed cranberries surrounding the flowers, then you are able to grasp the aroma.

It was initially tart on the tongue and then flavours of red cherries and spun sugar intertwined themselves with soft Christmas-like spices of nutmeg, clove and cinnamon. Secondary notes of dried orange peel and dark cocoa powder revealed themselves and I felt that this wine was light enough in style to be enjoyed by even the most novice red wine drinker. It would make a wonderful companion to both your main meal and dessert. Serve it with a freshly baked red apple pie with dollops of cinnamoninfused whipped cream or crème fraiche.

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 21

TasteTeam Charlotte says: I think people overestimate being distinctive. By all means, show your personal style with some select fashion choices, but at some point, taking any fashion trend too far just makes you look like a bit of a prat. This wine highlights why sticking to the classics should always be a good idea. Much like a good pair of jeans, or a classic black stiletto, this lovely wine may not shout and scream at you, but after the first glass, you realise that being average doesn’t necessarily make you boring. I will stick to this classic any day.

Eduard says: The whirlwind run-around of a kids’ party awaits the nose – soft strawberry with cream soda fizzers, caramel for the young ones and the full aroma of coffee for the parents.

And don’t forget the marshmallows!

All swirling together in the glass for a tasting made to be interesting. The tannins jump around like a three year old on a jumping castle, but I was pleasantly surprised with the lingering aftertaste, soothing the palate with the sweetness of cherries and leaving you with an aromatic spiciness to fill your soul. This is definitely one to treasure and share with your friends at the next birthday party.

Ilze says: One of my all time favourites!

A deep ruby red colour fills the glass and the nose is infused with fresh thyme, olives and lemon rinds. This wine seems to have this unique sour citrus skin taste to it, and combined with raspberries and fig flavours, blows your mind. It is elegant and velvety and has a spicy element to it. It would maybe pair well with a good fishy dish or a creamy chicken something.

22 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

Maru says: This one really stood out It has a smidgen of smoky cedarwood on the nose that would have tricked me into believing this was a Cabernet Sauvignon if I’d tasted blind, which, in my mind, would be the polar opposite of a Cinsault. It is surprisingly smooth and firm with a lingering raspberry sherbet flavour on the finish. If ‘elegantastic’ was a real word, I would use it to describe the Leeuwenkuil Cinsault. And may I add that Cinsault has become my new favourite cultivar?

“I was pleasantly surprised with the lingering aftertaste, soothing the palate with the sweetness of cherries and leaving you with an aromatic spiciness to fill your soul.”

Guest Taster Cara says: If I could date a wine, this would be the one I’d say ‘yes’ to. It’s tasteful and classy. I detected a citrussy, oyster-like smell on the nose, but these flavours are very balanced and elegantly smooth. I thought this wine was very enjoyable and could drink it every evening. I would imagine it would pair well with most foods, but reckon seafood would be a particularly good match.

Guest Taster - Cara Gilbert-Blamire - She considers herself to be a very old soul who enjoys all the precious and important things in life. Cara has been very fortunate to have traveled and lived all over the world and on her journey through life, she has met the most amazing people and drunk a lot of different wines. But, for her, Cape Town has been the best place to live and it is in the Mother City that she has had some of the best wines ever!

CAPE WINE ACADEMY Leaders in Wine & Hospitality Education

Introducing you to the wonders of wine – for everyone who wants to learn more about this fascinating subject! Wine knowledge is an asset whether you are pursuing a hobby or enhancing your knowledge for a career.

The Cape Wine Academy offers a range of entertaining and educational wine courses for members of the public, travel & tourism industries. Tailor-made wine tasting events are available for corporate groups. Our courses are held in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Durban and other areas on request.

Tel: Stellenbosch +27 21 889 8844 Gauteng +27 11 024 3616 Email: info@capewineacademy.co.za www.capewineacademy.co.za

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 23

Special Report

Organic wine: What is it? Why should you care?

By Caro Feely. Caro is an accredited wine educator, author and organic winegrower.

A

ll wine is organic, isn’t it? It’s a myth some would like you to believe.

A few years ago a study by Wine Intelligence showed that regular wine drinkers didn't understand or care about organic wine, despite caring about organic food.

24 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

For a wine drinker there are 2 key reasons to buy organic wine: • For health • For the taste A consumer watchdog magazine in France recently found that the average pesticide residues in a basket

Special Report of 92 wines bought off the shelf, was around 300 times the level allowed in drinking water in France.

Some systemic pesticides are so toxic they state do not enter the vineyard for 48 hours after using them.

They can kill a grown man if he receives the spray in his face, as was sadly the case of French winegrower, Yannick Chenet - dead at 43 year old.

About a year ago a prefectoral decree in France outlawed farmers spraying near schools within 20 minutes of school opening or closing, a knee jerk reaction to a class and their teacher ending up in a hospital emergency ward after a farmer sprayed nearby. A few weeks before, also in South West France, a high profile estate lost a landmark case to an employee claiming damages for serious health problems since working in the vineyard less than 24 hours after one of these sprays had been done. They are now in organic conversion. The level of cancer in school children in a very famous winegrowing area in France is 5 times the national average.

Why spray such toxic chemicals at all? 8% of vineyard land in France is now farmed organically.

These farms would not be organic if they could not produce a healthy crop.

Cancer, Parkinsons and Alzheimers are increasing at alarming rates. Why? The answers are in our agriculture and our industrial food production. For more details on this, read Maria Rodale's 'Organic Manifesto'.

Grapes are one of the highest pesticide residue food products. If there is only one thing you demand organic within your diet as a wine lover, it should be your wine (although eating organic is recommended too for the same reasons laid out here).

For the second part, the taste, it is a personal matter but a 12-year research project funded by the EU, at Geisenheim University in Germany, is comparing biodynamic wine (like organics plus) with organic wine as well as conventional wine. In multiple blind taste tests biodynamic beat the organic and both beat the conventional. This research programme is based on the Riesling grape. Other studies have found that polyphenolic substances, the natural

flavour compounds found in wine, and antioxidants that fight cancer, are higher in the organic wines than in the conventional wines.

Top wines in the world; the likes of Domaine Romani Conti in Burgundy, Chateau Pontet Canet, Chateau Latour and Chateau Palmer in Medoc to mention a few practice organic and biodynamic methods.

Other reasons to care Extending beyond personal interests of health and taste there are other reasons why wine lovers should care about organic wine – the health of the land, the quality of our water and biodiversity as well as the health of farmers.

For the health of the land: The kind of farming you encourage with your purchases today defines the planet you will leave for future generations.

Extensive erosion from herbicides, toxic salinity in the soil from chemical fertilisers, lack of biodiversity as a result of pesticide and herbicide use destroy farmland. As important chemical farming is slowly poisoning our water sources, a key reason for the cost of water treatment and provision rising rapidly in recent years. In France 98% of the water sources are polluted with pesticides, mostly from agriculture. Pesticides also kill bees and other pollinators that are critical to the survival of the human race.

For the health of farmers: Studies have linked significantly high levels of cancer among vineyard workers in the US with vineyard pesticides. Organic farming is more labour intensive and more costly, but its benefits far outweigh the added cost. As a high profile marine scientist in France said recently; 'I only eat organic, because I can't afford the cost of a cancer treatment.' Yes; organic is more expensive; but it is the real cost of the production, those choosing conventional are pushing the true cost to future generations and to their future medical bills.

Organic certification costs money too. It is ironic that those not polluting have to pay (to be certified) whereas those polluting our environment don't.

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 25

Special Report Combatting climate change: A hot topic at the moment is climate change. A living organic soil can sequester many times the amount of CO2 than a compacted conventionally farmed soil. If all the farmland in the world was converted to organic, we would solve our CO2 emission problem.

So if organic wine is important how do you recognise it?

There are some bona-fide organic farmers who are not certified, but this is no good to you unless you know them personally and have checked their farm yourself as they cannot tell you on their label. In the European Union it is illegal to mention the word organic anywhere on your product unless you are certified by one of the approved certification bodies.

The same is true for South African producers.

It is a long road to become organic and certified.

This is not something easily done, just for marketing purposes. It is true commitment financially, physically and mentally. Three years of organic conversion are required for vines.

All wines with the European leaf logo are guaranteed organic winemaking not just organic in the vineyard. Since 2012 organic winemaking rules guarantee the end consumer lower sulphites and far fewer entrants than those accepted in conventional wines. Overall, you are guaranteed a purer wine with less additives in the winemaking process. If a

26 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

wine fails the winemaking, no mention can be made of organic, even if it has been farmed organically.

The WHO (World Health Organisation) recommend a maximum of sulphites of 0.7mg per kg of body weight per day. So a man of 100kg should have about 70mg per day. At legislated EU levels for conventional wine that means an average person reaches the maximum at just over a third of a bottle of white wine. Some countries have way higher levels than the EU. For example, Australia has a limit across most wines of 250mg/l and USA of 350mg/ l (more than double the EU for red wines) per litre.

At these levels just a single glass will put a large man over his sulphite limit.

To take a concrete example: for red wine the EU norm is 150mg/litre the new organic wine rule is 100mg/litre. For biodynamic Demeter it is 70mg/ litre. With certified organic dry wine you can enjoy two glasses and stay well within the recommended level. Organic rules and wine labelling rules are very stricly enforced in Europe and South Africa, so buying these wines not only ensures less food miles, but also offers labelling certainty.

Caro Feely's books 'Grape Expectations' and 'Saving our Skins' offer a personal perspective and human story on what it takes to follow your dream and on organic farming. Ch창teau Feely is an organic vineyard, wine school and luxury accommodation near Bordeaux in France.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Goodluck They must be one of SA’s most successful pop duo’s and are currently surfing the most fantastic of waves on the local and international music scene. Wine Extra met up with Goodluck’s Jules and Ben at Steenberg to chat about their music and, of course, wine.

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 27

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Goodluck is one of SA’s hottest current music sensations. Where did it all begin?

having any single breakthrough radio airtime. It’s all happened through word-of-mouth and gigs.

Jules: Ben and I were in an Afro-pop/rock outfit together before, but Ben had always had a passion for electronic music and one day he just said to me that he felt he’d like to explore the option as there are so many clubs out there and that he reckoned we should get more live music into the club scene. I agreed and we managed to get a residency at a club called Karma lounge in Camps Bay. We played there every Sunday for a whole year whilst exploring our ‘sound’. After that time people were demanding that we put an album out and the rest was history! It was all very organic and it just kinda happened, piece by piece. We didn’t even have a name when we started and created our first set in less than two weeks.

You both clearly enjoy the odd glass of wine?

You’ve travelled a lot with Goodluck. Where is your main international fan base?

Jules: Our next biggest market is the Netherlands, but the UK and Germany aren’t far behind and we’re definitely growing in popularity in Asia too.

Ben: I was brought up around wine. My parents are really enthusiastic about wine so we spent many weekends doing family trips and outings into the winelands. By the time I was 16, I was pretty much up to speed with the various blends and grape varieties. I wasn’t allowed to swallow though, but it really instilled a passion for wine. I never really got caught up in the hype of certain estates. For me, I like what I like and I’m not going to be bought over by a label or brand. I’ve certainly tasted enough of those wines to know that it’s not about the label, but about the wine on the inside.

Have you had any amazing experiences that involved wine?

Ben: We’ve had some hectic travels. Just last year we did France, Switzerland, Seychelles, India, Singapore, Bali, Zambia, Dubai and Norway.

Ben: We had a private client who flew us to Verbier in Switzerland. He’s a massive wine lover and threw a dinner party and we were invited to perform. At the dinner there were some amazing wines being served, but the one that stands out was a Chateau Mouton Rothschild.

Jules: We’re very fortunate that our music has translated so well to other countries. We have some solid fan-bases and have managed to do this without

Jules: Someone in the room told us that the market value for that wine was R100,000 per bottle and we were given one to enjoy. It was amazing. The dinner

28 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

GOODLUCK

party itself was so glamorous and while we weren’t actually invited to join the dinner, we were in the background and we were served baguettes and frites and drank this amazing wine alongside the most simple of dishes, but it was utterly sublime.

Have you had an embarrassing experience after a glass or two too many?

Ben: It must have been the best pairing I’ve ever had. It was such a memorable night. We also drank Cristal Rosé and vintage Dom Perignon.

Jules: Let’s just say most of it ended up on the steps of the Nando’s in Putney…

Ben: Yes, Jules had a ‘great’ experience with some sangria in London…

Do you visit wine farms?

Jules: It was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience… A pinch-me moment.

Ben: I don’t get all swept up with it. It’s not about whether you’re a connoisseur and dissecting the wine. It’s about enjoyment and if I enjoy a wine, no matter what it is, then I’m happy.

Ben: We recently had a great experience when we were in Tulbagh for a writing session. We stayed on this amazing little guest farm and the creative block hit. We had traipsed our whole studio out to this farm and after four days we just weren’t getting anywhere, so we found some activities to do. We popped into Krone and had an incredible tour of the estate and saw the bottling process.

Jules: I’m less of a fundi than Ben. I love bubbly, it’s definitely my favourite when it comes to wine. My favourite is Veuve Clicquot. I love the taste, it’s very elegant.

Jules: They showed us these new screw-in corks, which were quite impressive. To see these wine vaults with layer-upon-layer of bubbly stacked deep into the cellar was pretty cool. We left there inspired

What is your wine philosophy?

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 29

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW and managed to get stuck into some serious writing.

Another favourite wine farm for me is Delaire Graff.

It’s the most beautiful setting I’ve ever been to.

My favourite white wine is the Angel’s Tears from Grande Provence.

Ben: We also love Bramon in Plett. But it’s important for us that there’s a good food element too as food and wine really go together. Tokara is also lovely and I think Stonewall is also really special. It’s very small, but that forms part of its charm.

30 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

If a wine were to be made in your honour, what would it be and what would it be called?

Jules: We’d definitely call it ‘Get Lucky’, because that’s the kind of wine people will buy. A lot of people drink wine for fun reasons. I think it should be a sparkling wine and it must be organic, Fairtrade, bio-dynamic and all of that good stuff.

Ben: I love Semillon, so I definitely think there should be Semillon in the wine.

GOODLUCK If you were to seduce the love of your life, which wine would you pour?

Ben: I think it would depend on the time of year and also the location. It’s going to be the wine that I love at that particular time. If it’s winter and we’re at Kol-kol, which is this amazing cabin in the middle of nowhere, with a storm raging overhead and a big log-fire, it would be a smooth and fruity red. If it were summer it’s most likely to be a bottle of bubbly at a quiet spot and a beautiful sunset. Every year I find new wines that I fall in love with, so depending on what’s rocking my world at that particular time, that’s what I’ll be opening.

Jules: For me that Cristal Rosé that we had in Switzerland was simply outstanding and if I wanted to really pull out all of the stops then that would be the wine I’d choose. It was so tasty and a real experience..

You’ve sampled many international wines throughout your travels. How would you say, our SA wines compare to their international counterparts?

Jules: Our wines are some of the best in the world.

We know that because wherever in the world we go, we get asked to take wine along, people talk about our wines and it makes us really proud to go to another country and know that people enjoy South African wine.

Ben: We’re taking a slightly different angle on it. It’s basically going to be a hybrid of what we’ve already been doing.

Jules: We’re going to be touring through Europe for a big part of their summer from May until August.

We’re also going to Asia, Vietnam and Mauritius.

Fortunately we have a manager now, which is helping us a lot as there is just so much that has to be done behind the scenes, but this frees us up to focus a lot more on our creative side.

Ben: It’s taken a long time for us to get the right team behind us, but we’re certainly getting there.

We’re also redoing our studio to uplift the space where we have to be creative in..

Goodluck's thoughts on the Steenberg Chardonnay Brut MCC:

“Ben: I love the richness of the flavour on this wine alongside the freshness and zestiness that is brought on by the sparkles."

"Jules: It’s such a nice fruity and summery bubbly.

Definitely very uplifting.” www.steenbergfarm.com Price: R160

Ben: I think we have very distintive robust characteristic to our wines that you simply don’t get anywhere else. South African wines shout at you.

They shout when they’re shit and they shout when they’re good, but whether you’re a connoisseur or not, you’ll find that most of our wines are enjoyable.

What’s next for Goodluck?

Jules: 2016 is such a big year for us with so much going on. We’ve been convinced to do a new album despite starting off the year determined to not do an album and focus on releasing singles only. After receiving input from our fans and our record label, everyone was in agreement that they wanted an album, so that’s it. We’re pushing to get it released in September.

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 31

Scot Kirton - You can train someone to cook, but you’ll be fortunate to find that special breed of individual who will willingly volunteer to become a professional chef in a top kitchen. Besides the physical demands associated with sleep depravation, lifting industrial equipment, excessive heat, noise, confusion, stress and unrealistic deadlines, there is also a consistent hypercritical audience ready to judge each element on the plate.

S

cot Kirton, Head Chef at the internationally acclaimed La Colombe Restaurant is one of these chosen few individuals. He entered the kitchen at Haute Cabriere restaurant in Franschhoek in 2001 with no training and quickly worked his way up to sous chef over 4 years.

In 2006 he embarked on a stint at the acclaimed Savoy Grill in London, one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants where he gained a 2 year crash course in the art of blaspheme and ‘the perfect plate’.

At the end of 2007 Scot returned to SA and joined SA’s top chef Luke Dale Roberts as sous chef at La Colombe, from there has was appointed as Head Chef of the iconic River Café in 2009 and at the end of 2010 followed in the footsteps of esteemed chefs Franck Dangerous and Luke Dale Roberts by

32 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

becoming Head Chef of La Colombe.

The restaurant, one of SA’s evergreen favourites recently moved premises, now being located on Silvermist Organic Wine Estate at the top of Constantia Nek. The new venue with sweeping views of the Constantia Valley, Hout Bay and the restaurants very own organic gardens is the perfect venue for Scot to weave his magic and treat guests to unexpected delights.

Experience and humility has taught him to celebrate the absolute best seasonal ingredients revealing clean, balanced flavors on the plate. He comments: “You have to cook from your heart and believe in the dish you are creating. Anything is possible, and this the philosophy we celebrate at La Colombe.”

PAN-FRIED SCALLOPS AND ASIAN BARBEQUED PORK

top of jar with muslin cloth to allow to breath and leave to ferment in a cool, dark place for 1 month.

INGREDIENTS - ASIAN BARBEQUE • 250ml Tomato sauce • 115ml Sesame oil • 250ml Light soy sauce • 4 Sticks lemongrass • 1 Lemon (juice and zest) • 1 Onion • 50ml Honey • 4 Star aniseed • 1cm Ginger Roughly chop lemongrass and onion and swet in pot with sesame oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and allow to simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

INGREDIENTS - SWEETCORN PUREEI • 8 Sweetcorn • 100g Butter • 400ml Chicken stock • 300ml Cream

INGREDIENTS - KIMCHI • 1 White cabbage • 1 Garlic head (peeled) • 1 Spring onion • 1tbs Korean chilli powder • 2tbs Castor sugar • 125ml Fine salt Chiffonade cabbage and mix with salt.

Allow to stand overnight to release water from cabbage. Rinse 3 times in water and squeeze out all water until dry. Make a paste of the garlic, ginger and spring onion. Add sugar and Korean chilli powder and mix into paste.

Massage into cabbage and tightly pack into a console jar and make sure the liquid rises above the cabbage. Cover

Cut corn off cob and sweat with butter over low heat until soft. Add chicken stock and reduce to glaze. Add cream and bring to boil. Blend and pass through chinois. Add salt to taste.

INGREDIENTS - PORK BELLY • 1kg Pork belly • 6 Juniper berries • 200g Rock salt • 50g Castor sugar • 1 Bay leaf • 10g Sage • 2lt Canola oil

• • • • •

3 Sticks lemongrass (chopped) 200ml Sake 200ml Mirin 1lt Fish stock 00ml Cream

Sweat onion, ginger, star anise and lemongrass in pan with butter. Add sake and mirin and reduce to glaze. Add fish stock and reduce to glaze. Finally add cream and reduce by ¼ . Strain sauce and season.

Assembly: Pan-fry scallops in oil in a hot pan. Cover pork with Asian barbeque and heat in the oven. Heat the puree and sauce in separate pans. Plate.

Pair it with AA BADENHORST WHITE BLEND 2010 wwww.aabadenhorst.com Price: R300 per bottle

Blend salt, sugar, bay leaf and sage together to form a cure for the pork.

Rub 35g of the cure onto pork belly and allow to cure overnight. Cover pork with oil and seal dish with tin foil. Cook at 130°C for 3 hours or until soft.

INGREDIENTS - GINGER AND LEMONGRASS VELOUTE • 11 Onion • 1 Star anise • 3cm Ginger • 10g Butter

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 33

V INOTRIA EXCLUSIVE

Proudly representing Ornellaia in South Africa

VINOTRIA 34 WINE EXTRA OCTOBER MAY 2016 2015

I M P O R T E R S

F I N E

A N D

I T A L I A N

D I S T R I B U T O R S

W I N E S

A N D

O F

S P I R I T S

T H E B EST OF ITALY DELIV E R E D TO YO U R D O O R BEST OF THE NORTH 6 wines including

PIEDMONT Braida Bricco dell’Uccellone Vietti Nebbiolo Perbacco VENETO Zenato Ripassa Giusti Asolo Prosecco Brut FRIULI Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio La Tunella Ribolla Gialla Col de Bliss

R2250 MI XED CASE

BEST OF THE CENTRE 6 wines including

TUSCANY Luce della Vite Luce Super Tuscan Talenti Brunello di Montalcino Roccapesta Morellino di Scansano UMBRIA Lungarotti Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio ABRUZZO Masciarelli Villa Gemma Rosso MARCHE Velenosi Pecorino Rêve

R4250 MI XED CASE

BEST OF THE SOUTH 6 wines including

SICILY Donnafugata Mille e una Notte Tasca d’Almerita Rosso del Conte Tascante Nerello Mascalese CAMPANIA Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi PUGLIA Cantina Albea Lui Nero di Troia Feudo di Santa Croce Primitivo LXXIV

R3250 MI XED CASE

VINOTRIA.CO.ZA 40 Top Italian Wineries, 250 Italian Wines For more information contact 021 852 3590 | sales@vinotria.co.za

OCTOBER MAY 2016 2015 WINE EXTRA 35

Livin’thelife

by Maryna Strachan

My Yellow Weekend Champagne or locally produced MCC has become increasingly popular over recent years, however I consider myself to be one of the people who get most excited about bubbly. No, really!

36 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

Livin’thelife I

t is therefore no surprise then that I’m that person who diarises the annual Veuve Cliquot Masters Polo as soon as the date is released around October each year. It’s simply my absolute favourite and everything gets planned from my outfit to entertainment for the kids the next day as Mommy’s head is bound to be a little bit fuzzy…

got to meet Veuve Clicquot’s Business Development Manager, Edouard Dordor, a very charming and eloquent Frenchman who shows all the flair you’d come to expect of an ambassador for any of the LVMH brands.

Our small delegation was lucky enough to be the first in South Africa to try the brand new Veuve Cliquot Rich, which is a slightly sweeter Champagne and is made to drink with a block or two of ice and accompanied by either sweet pepper, cucumber or pineapple slices, each drawing out a different and surprisingly refreshing flavour profile from the actual wine. For someone like myself who is a purist, it seemed a little strange at first, but I really see the twist in the tale here and

“... I knew I was in for a REAL treat and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. ”

It was when I received an extra-special invitation this year from the Veuve Clicquot team to join them for their ‘Yellow Weekend’ that I knew I was in for a REAL treat and I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

The weekend started off with lunch on a glorious summer day at Umi restaurant in Camps Bay. Here I

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 37

Livin’thelife was pleasantly intrigued. You can get your hands on a bottle from selected venues across Cape Town.

The following day was the BIG one. Having been to all of the previous Veuve Cliquot Masters Polo events in Cape Town, I knew that class, style and sophistication were at the order of the day and therefore the outfit had to fit the bill. The theme was set as ‘Bright and Bold Polo Chic’ and I knew whose number to call.

Upon arrival at Val de Vie’s polo club, we were greeted by the team from Ferrari and I was introduced to my driving instructor, Lorenzo Grana who had flown in especially from Italy.

Veuve Cliquot and Ferrari enjoy a world-renowned reputation and both brands are universally praised for their modern approach, foresight for the future, and for their lifelong quest for excellence.

“You have to look like a richbitch, darling”

My elegant couture outfit was a fantastic turqoise blue creation by top South African couturier, Jacques Lagrange. A French lace top, adorned with coulour-matched beads that took 3 months to apply and a swath of turquoise ostrich feathers was teamed with a French silk pencil skirt and finished off with sparkly shoes that made me feel just like Cinderella. In Jacques’ words, “You have to look like a rich-bitch, darling”, and I did! I was even nominated as one of the best dressed on the day and felt like a million dollars.

Now let me be very clear, I love cars and I love driving. Fast. But I had never driven a supercar before and whilst I was super excited, I was also pretty nervous.

I was handed the keys to a brand new Ferrari FF. The FF is completely unique in the Ferrari stable in the sense that it is a four-seater, however don’t be fooled, this car is by NO means a family sedan. With the same sleek, modern design as is expected from any ‘Prancing Horse’ machine, the FF was originally designed for families and with 4x4 capabilities, it is considered to be a perfect hybrid for inner city

Maryna with couturier, Jacques Lagrange

38 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

Livin’thelife

families who enjoy trips to the Alps, traversing slippery roads to enjoy their skiing holidays.

It’s still a Ferrari in every way. It is sexy and sleek and once you press the button to start the 6.2L V12 engine, the roar confirms this. I might have even felt a bit of a twinge in my nether-regions…

Setting off for the drive, the car is tight. I chose to drive in manual as I have used paddle shifts before and wanted to get a better feel for the car. As we slowly ambled our way out of the estate to some open roads, I got aquanted with the car. It’s spacious interior was impressive and the fact that my 6’2” partner wasn’t squashed in the back came as a big surprise.

Once on the open road I could really get to grips with the car and put my foot down. At first I was somewhat cautious, but when Lorenzo proceeded to shout “This is Italian car! Push, push, PUSH!” (add your own Italian accent), I took it as my sign to really, well, push. Asif in the blink of an eye, we’d

excellerated to 220km/h when mere seconds ago, I was seemingly pottering along. More tingling in my nether-regions…

With the smoothest of transitions in the gearbox, the engine roaring and even whining just before I geared up around 8,000rpm, it was utterly exhilirating. I’d decided there and then that I should have one, however, at a starting price tag of R6,086,000, I might have to dream on.

After the drive, I needed a little something to calm my nerves, which was just as well as we arrived back to the polo club to a glass of Veuve Cliquot. Aaaah!

The beautiful clubhouse was awash with yellow and all of the beautiful people who had come out to play and we swiftly made our way through the crowds, celeb-spotting and taking in the glorious fashions.

After a quick makeup touch-up at the Mac counter and an application of Moroccan Oil, I was ready to take on the polo and we soon found our spot from where we were ideally seated to watch the world MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 39

go by whilst savouring glass upon glass of Veuve Cliquot and mouth-watering snacks. I was in my happy place.

Polo fans enjoyed an exciting 12-goal polo tournament with top national and international players competing. Team Seven Oaks won the opening match - playing for third place in the tournament - against Shimmy Beach Club, while Fifth Chukka representing Veuve Clicquot won with an amazing score of 7 – 3 against One Zone Polo representing Julius Bär in the riveting main game.

After all of the formalities had concluded and the trophies handed over to the various winners,

40 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

guests made their way to the Shimmy Beach Club afterparty where top DJ’s played their favourite tunes to an excited crowd. Needless to say, the Veuve kept flowing and as the sun set to what was yet another awesome day in Africa, we danced the night away.

It was at this point that I should wake up from my dream, all blurry eyed, but fortunately it was all reality. Once again, I realise just how lucky I am to be ‘Livin’ the Life’ and whilst I did wake up the following morning with a somewhat blurry head, I had the biggest smile, all thanks to a wonderful yellow weekend with Veuve Cliquot.

We’ve Been Drinking Neethlingshof Owl Post 2013

T

he Neethlingshof estate in Stellenbosch, owned equally

by Distell and LUSAN, takes its name from its one-time 19th century owner, Marthinus Laurentius Neethling, who served as mayor of Stellenbosch and was also a member of the old Cape Parliament.

Neethlingshof ’s reserve tier, formerly Lord Neethling, has been renamed The Short Story Collection. Drawing attention to the winery’s rich and varied narratives, the three-limited edition wines in the collection each focus on a specific aspect of the estate’s philosophy or history.

They are made exclusively from hand-picked grapes.

The Owl Post, a single-vineyard Pinotage, draws attention to t h e e s t a t e ’s i n t e g r a t e d p e s t management that forms part of the winery’s focus on production integrity to reduce its dependence on pesticides. Owl posts have been placed strategically throughout the vineyards.

This wine has been produced from dry-land vines established in deep red soils that is rich in organic material and amply feeds the roots. Planted in 1997, the vines are established on northwesterly-facing slopes, 120m above sea level, in soils originating from decomposed granite. The vines are grafted onto nematode

and phylloxera-resistant rootstock Richter 110 and are trellised on a five-wire system.

The grapes were harvested in midFebruary, at 26.5° Balling, yielding around 8 tons/ha. After destalking and crushing, yeast was added to the mash and fermentation commenced in stainless steel tanks. While the juice was still fermenting, it was transferred to 300-litre oak barrels (60% Hu n g a r i a n a n d 4 0 % F re n c h ) where it completed fermentation.

Malolactic fermentation took place in the same barrels. The wine was matured in the oak barrels for a period of 15 months.

The colour of this wine is a beautiful dark red. On the nose, ex p e c t t o f i n d r i p e f r u i t a n d banana aromas with a background of vanilla oak, whilst the palate is both rich and velvety with ripe fruit and vanilla flavours.

This wine can as easily be enjoyed n o w, b u t w i l l d o w e l l t o b e matured for another 10 years, in which time it is sure to evolve and develop to include rich flavours and complexity. However, if you were to open it, be sure to pair this wine with red meat dishes and game, especially hearty stews and casseroles.

Cellar door price: R195 www.neethlingshof.co.za

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 41

12

Questions Each month Wine Extra asks some rather pertinent wine industry related questions to some of the key players. Here’s what they have to say…

Carl van der Merwe – one of the newest members of the

Cape Winemakers Guild, is a highly accomplished winemaker at DeMorgenzon. He has excelled as general manager and winemaker at DeMorgenzon with an impressive collection of accolades, particularly for the estate’s flagship Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, as well as the Maestro White. DeMorgenzon’s selection as one of the world’s top 100 wineries by the International Wine and Spirits Magazine in the USA is another feather in his cap.

1. Selling wine to China and the Far East. Are you

I wish the industry received more support. Wine businesses

engaging?

in general are not profitable enough. There is a large cross section of labour within the wine industry earning low

I spent time in China working a harvest in an effort to gain

salaries, and the businesses cannot afford to pay more. The

more knowledge on the market. It’s a massive market and

answer to this malady should not only be in the enforcing

tricky to succeed in. For now, DeMorgenzon is growing its

of minimum remuneration, but also a support of market

business in more traditional wine markets, and seeing very

opportunities that will fuel the sales and image of South

good growth especially in the USA. We are by no means

African wine in key export markets

against selling wine in the East, but we are focusing on where we have some footprint and where we see a large capacity for growth. We will enter the Chinese market once we have found the correct partner.

2. Local & International wine competitions.

Worthwhile or waste of marketing budget?

We find them worthwhile. One needs to select the competitions one enters carefully, as well as the wines one puts forward. There is a degree of subjectivity, but our best wines always perform well and we use the gold and trophy results in securing exposure from PR and sales.

4. What’s the next BIG wine trend?

3. What would happen if SA wine received

South African Chenin Blanc will see continued success and

meaningful support from government?

recognition and South African white wines will continue to

42 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

12 QUESTIONS be seen as world class. I think there will be an increase in

9. What will a ban on alcohol advertising, in all its

producers who choose to specialise and focus on what they

proposed forms, mean to the wine industry?

do best. I am fascinated by lean production…running tight, focused and streamlined businesses that waste little, are highly

I think sales will suffer. Premium product will continue to do

creative and driven towards being profitable. I think we will

well.

see more businesses like this in the future.

10. You get to run WoSA for 12 months and nobody 5. Global warming and local wine production. What’s

can argue or complain about your decisions. What

going to happen?

are you going to do?

Vintages are getting earlier. Vineyards adapt and I don’t

Place more focus on our best wines.

believe that wine quality will decrease. We have seen two very early, hot and dry vintages. The wine quality is awesome.

11. You get to change one thing about the SA wine

Varieties that benefit from longer hang times are not reacting

industry by just clicking your fingers. What are you

as well as varieties where some greenness or unevenness can

going to change?

aid in quality and freshness.

Addressing the dignity, alcoholism and pay scale of the 6. Bulk exports. Sustainable or insanity?

workforce.

All wine producing countries produce bulk wine. South Africa needs to laud their best wines more and focus on the small percentage which constitutes the best. Lead with the best and the bottled production of quality wine will increase. I think the answer here is better branded, better marketed and better sold premium products, which will support the image of South Africa as a quality wine production area.

7. What is the best way to educate new wine drinkers about the product?

Spending time in the market.

12. What will the SA wine industry look like in 20 years' time?

Robust, diversified and multi-skilled with strong exposure 8. Our farm workers. Fair treatment or ticking

in many different markets, with success and recognition of a

time-bomb?

number of different wine styles. Greater recognition for our best wine producing areas..

We don’t have a militant farm worker base. They enjoy their work but in the long term we need to pay them more.

Businesses need to be profitable to achieve this.

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 43

Into the Spirit Zubrówka

The legend of Zubrówka begins in northeast Poland, deep in the remote and fabled Bialowieza Forest. This ancient primeval woodland is the last fragment of one of the great forests that cloaked Europe six thousand years ago

Zubrówka is the original Bison grass vodka. It is one of the most famous and best-selling Polish brands the world over and has a rich authentic history spanning 600 years. It derives its unique taste from extracts of rare Bison grass and is produced in a distillery in Bialystok in a time honoured tradition which takes at least 60 days.

APPLE PIE MARTINI • 50ml Zubrówka • 2 Bar spoons of Honey • 50ml Apple Juice • 10ml Monin Cinnamon Syrup • 30ml Double Cream Float Shake Zubrówka, honey, apple juice and cinnamon syrup, strain into a martini glass. Pour double cream into a Boston and shake. Gently pour cream over a spoon into the martini glass to create a float. Dust with ground cinnamon and a bison grass blade.

Retail price R320 per bottle Available from liquor stores nationwide. http://zubrowka.co.uk 44 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

Get Out Caption head: How did winning the Miss Universe pageant in 1992 shape you into the person you are today?

May/June 2016

+

This month: The Riebeek Valley Olive Festival It’s Carnival Time with Cab Franc Treat Mom at La Petite Ferme this Mother’s Day Breakfast brunch and high tea at Webersburg this Mother’s Day Shiraz & Charcuterie at Anthonij Rupert Let Nederburg Take Care of Mother’s Day Much More.....

+

+

+

+

+

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 45

Get Out

CAPE TOWN

The Riebeek Valley Olive Festival: In case you missed it last year you certainly have no excuse to miss out this year. The annual Riebeek Valley Olive Festival takes place over the weekend of 7 and 8 May (10am to 5pm daily), and you’re sure to find anything olive related – perfect for the olive enthusiast! From olives to olive oils and olive inspired produce this promises to be a feast for the senses. Sample a wide range of olives from local South African Olive producers. Not forgetting the superb wines in the area too. The perfect excuse to stock up!

Artisanal beers, an abundance of hearty local food and live entertainment are the perfect ingredients to what promises to be an unforgettable weekend. An Olive Passport, valid for the entire weekend, will give you access to the participating wine farms. Your passport costs R125 per person and includes a complimentary tasting glass. Book online via www. webtickets.co.za or on the day at any of the participating venues. Children under 18 enter for free. A complimentary shuttle service will be available for the duration of the weekend. Don’t just stay for the day, but make a weekend of your experience. With a vast selection of accommodation establishments to choose from in the valley you’ll be sorry you didn’t. For more information contact Riebeek Valley Tourism on 022 448 1545 or mail olivefestival@gmail. com.

It’s Carnival Time with Cab Franc: The first Cabernet Franc Carnival in 2015 gave wine makers and fans the opportunity to experience the varietal from 13 of the best-known producers in South Africa. On Saturday, 21 May 2016 from 11:00-17:00, the event will take place again at Avontuur Estate between Stellenbosch and Somerset West, with 16 wineries participating to show off their pride and joy and make it easy to taste and buy the wines directly from the winemakers. The Carnival is combined with the first-ever Cab Franc Challenge where the top 6 examples will be chosen by a reputable judging panel prior to the Carnival and made available for tasting and purchasing at three tutored tastings during the day. The very popular public “vote” will once again take place at the Carnival and will give an interesting perspective on the differences between expert and amateur palates. The participating wineries are: Avontuur Estate, Cape Chamonix, CK Wines, Doolhof Wine Estate, Druk-My-Niet Estate, Hannay Wines, Hermanuspietersfontein, KWV, Lynx Wines, Mitre’s Edge, Ormonde Vineyards, Raats Family Wines, Romond Wines, Whalehaven, Warwick Wines. Tickets cost R120pp (R170pp if you want to include a seat in one of the tutored tastings), which includes the tastings and a tasting glass. The three tutored tastings can only accommodate a maximum of 20 guests per sitting and costs R50pp extra.All tickets & the tutored tastings can be booked at winery@ avontuurestate.co.za or at 021 855-3450. For information visit www.avontuurestate.co.za .

Breakfast brunch and high tea at Webersburg this Mother’s Day: Historic 18th Century Stellenbosch wine estate, Webersburg, celebrates Mother’s Day with a scrumptious breakfast brunch and a special Moms High Tea at Webersburg’s SugarBosch Bistro on Sunday, 8 May 2016. The leisurely breakfast brunch menu starts off with a beautifully laid out continental table with an array of freshly baked breads and pastries, charcuterie and local artisanal cheeses, homemade muesli and rusks with yoghurt and fresh fruits. The hot breakfast menu has a selection of breakfasts to choose from including French toast, a fluffy omelette, Eggs Benedict and a Chef’s special breakfast. Brunch can be booked at an all-inclusive rate* of R160 per person and is available between 08:00 and 11:00. High Tea at Webersburg has been specifically planned around moms this Mother’s Day and incorporates a display of delicious treats such as decadent double chocolate brownies, shortbread with white chocolate & lavender, mini savoury quiches and smoked salmon pancake roulade, to simply name a few. Tea and coffee will be served and this special High Tea is available at R250 per person from midday until 15:00. Both the breakfast brunch and High Tea can be enjoyed overlooking the magnificent dam and vineyards at Webersburg, while simply enjoying the company of loved ones. Bookings are essential. To reserve your Mother’s Day breakfast brunch, High Tea or accommodation please contact 021 881 3636 or email Webersburg at info@webersburg.co.za. *One cup of coffee/tea and a glass of freshly squeezed juice is included. All other beverages not included.

46 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

CAPE TOWN Treat Mom at La Petite Ferme this Mother’s Day: Leading Franschhoek wine estate, La Petite Ferme, has a beautiful Mother’s Day lunch planned for all moms with a glass of bubbly on arrival and a complimentary meringue gift. Guests can choose from the tasteful à la carte menu. Live entertainment will set the mood while lunch starts at 12:00 on Sunday, 8 May 2016. The restaurant radiates a contemporary-rustic menu which simply reflects the creative energy of La Petite Ferme and is accompanied by a beautiful surrounding landscape. Open for lunch seven days a week from 12:00 to 15:30 and Thursday to Sunday for dinner from 19:00 to 21:30, be sure to book your Mother’s Day lunch early to avoid disappointment. To make your Mother’s Day restaurant reservation contact 021 876 3016 or email restaurant@lapetiteferme.co.za. For accommodation bookings and inquiries contact accommodation@lapetiteferme.co.za or for general inquiries email info@lapetiteferme.co.za

Shiraz & Charcuterie at Anthonij Rupert : Shiraz and Charcuterie; a culinary match made in heaven! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to experience these taste sensations at this year’s Shiraz & Charcuterie at Anthonij Rupert Wyne in Franschhoek on Saturday, 28 May (12pm to 5pm). The perfect excuse to sample Anthonij Rupert Wyne’s range of Shiraz wines, which include the Anthonij Rupert Syrah, the Cape of Good Hope Riebeek’s Rivier Shiraz and Protea Shiraz. Joining these wines will be a selection of SA’s finest Syrahs paired with mouth-watering charcuterie and other delicious artisanal fare. Participating producers, amongst others, include Rust en Vrede, Waterford, Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines, Hartenberg Estate, Simonsig and Thelema. Perfectly suited to the colder months, savour your glass of Shiraz with one of the delicious winter inspired dishes on offer. Choices include a traditional French onion soup served with Gruyere croutons, or a succulent braised lamb arancini with homemade tomato chutney. Keeping it Rhône inspired the Toulouse sausages with braised lentils are sure to be a hit! The perfect food and wine pairing taste sensation. Tickets cost R180 per person and are limited, so pre-booking is recommended. Your ticket includes entry as well as tastings of the wines on show. Book directly via www.webtickets.co.za. For more information contact DnA Event Management on info@dnaevents.co.za or 084 207 3820.

Let Nederburg Take Care of Mother’s Day: IShe's your first teacher and might be the person you still turn to for advice.

Sometimes it's hard to put into words just how much she means in your life, but take her somewhere special and she'll know just what you are trying to tell her. There's no better place than Nederburg to say it for you this Mother’s Day. Nederburg’s new assistant white-wine maker, Chandré Petersen, and her mom, Sheryl, will be there too. The Red Table restaurant, in Nederburg’s historic manor house, will be laying on a gastronomic feast, prepared by chef Edmore Ruzoza. There will be a wide selection of Nederburg wines, offered by the glass and by the bottle. Chandré, who is also former Cape Winemakers' Guild Protégé, will be close by to tell you more about the wines, and help with any pairing suggestions. To top it off, every mother will be treated to a surprise gift from Nederburg. Lunch on Mother’s Day will be served from 12:00 at R350 per person (wine and service charge excluded). Booking is essential, and full payment is required to secure a booking. Kids are also catered for, at around R50 per head. Please call 021 877 5155 to make a booking, send an e-mail to theredtable@nederburg.co.za, or book online at http:// dishfood.co.za/events/mothers-day-at-the-red-table/

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 47

Get Out

CAPE TOWN

Celebrate dad this Father’s Day at La Petite Ferme: Multi-award winning boutique wine estate, La Petite Ferme is enticing dads with a hearty winter meal this Father’s Day, Sunday, 19 June 2016. Dads will receive a glass of red wine upon arrival while the delicious lunch begins at 12:00 and finishes at a leisure 15:30. Upon leaving, each dad will receive a special gift from La Petite Ferme to say thank you. To make your Father’s Day lunch reservation call 021 876 3016 or email restaurant@lapetiteferme. co.za. For accommodation bookings and inquiries contact accommodation@lapetiteferme.co.za or for general inquiries email info@lapetiteferme.co.za Forage for fungi at Delheim Estate: TBlusher, porcini, boletus, pine rings... Mother Nature’s elusive delicacies are waiting to be unearthed at the legendary Delheim Wine Estate, when it opens its private forest to avid fungi foragers during its annual Wild Mushroom Hunts on 16 & 17 June and 1 & 2 July. These ex-cep-tional excursions are led by Delheim’s Nora SperlingThiel and seasoned field expert Gary Goldman, aka the Mushroom Fundi, and will see intimate groups honing their foraging feelers in search of these ‘wild wonders’. With mushrooms able to deliver both death and delirium, Gary will give the group some important guidelines and pointers to follow before they trot off into the woods for the ‘silent hunt’. After an invigorating morning in the forest, amidst towering pine trees and indigenous flora, the tranquil tinkling of the stream and bird call, a content group will head for the estate’s restaurant where the chopping boards will come out for a 3-course lunch featuring mushrooms in all their finery. There are only 40 spots available per day as Delheim treasures a delicate balance between sharing their ‘family passion’ and protecting their natural habitat. The Delheim Wild Mushroom Hunts start at 10am in the Vat Cellar and tickets cost R650 per person. A ticket includes a Delheim bottle of wine and two glasses to take home; the insightful lecture on mushroom identification over a cup of coffee and rusks; the forest forage, as well as the mushroom-inspired lunch and a glass of Delheim wine. All you need to bring is a sharp pair of eyes, comfortable walking shoes and a warm jacket! Advance bookings are essential and given the intimate nature of these hunts, no group bookings are allowed. Book your tickets on Computicket. For more information call 021 888 4607/079 735 3257 or send an email to restaurant@delheim.com.

Get your happy on at Taste the Helderberg 2016: Get your gourmet and grape groove on at the 2016 Taste the Helderberg showcase when this winter blues-busting food and wine affair celebrates the talents and tastes unique to this thriving region on Wednesday evening, 15 June 2016. This sensory showcase of all things Helderberg serves up a treasure trove of the finer things in life with more than 100 premium wines to sip on and dishes from eminent local chefs and artisanal producers to warm the cockles. The NH Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West is set to be transformed into a one-stop wine route of home-grown happiness with more than 25 prominent wine producers who will share their wines with a cosy crowd. These include the likes of Bilton, Ken Forrester Wines, Longridge, Lyngrove, Peter Falke, Somerbosch, Vergenoegd and Waterkloof Estate. Food lovers are also in for a royal treat at this year’s Taste the Helderberg, now in its 8th year, where a delicious smorgasbord of sumptuous delights ranging from signature dishes to decadent sweets will perk the most jaded palates. Limited tickets for Taste the Helderberg 2016 are available at the cost of R100 per person. The ticket includes a wine glass and the opportunity to taste some of the best wines in the country. Numerous restaurants will tempt the taste buds with mouth-watering portions of their popular dishes, which will be on sale throughout the evening. Enthusiasts can get their happy on in the Helderberg from 17:00 to 21:00 and are encouraged to come straight after work to make the most of the evening. For more information on Taste the Helderberg 2016 visit www.wineroute.co.za or call 021 886 8275. Tickets will also be available at the door but note that they sell like hotcakes.

Wine Plus at Hermanus Fynarts: For the third year, Hermanus FynArts, from June 10 to 19, will present a specialised wine programme in a series of tastings and talks. Each year Wine Plus features specific thematic offerings, presented by well-know personalities in the wine industry. This year the programme is an interesting blend of old and new, with once again a focus on the local. Adding to the French thread of the festival, will be brandy and bubbly tastings. A special tasting, ‘The Critics’ Choice’ will be a fun event during which well-know wine writers nominate a single ‘best wine’. Wine Plus is a series that showcase what the organisers describe as the “excitement that define the current state of local wine”. The series is curated by Melvyn Minnaar, a wine and arts writer, who has invited well-known personalities to present the various sessions. Informative, not too technical, and framed by a fine selection to taste, each event of 45 minutes is a stand-alone, it has proven popular since its inception two years ago. All events will be presented at The Marine. Booking is open. For more details or to book, visit www. hermanusfynarts.co.za.

48 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

CAPE TOWN Eikendal warms up with Winter Pizza & Wine Pairings: Chilly days call for serious comfort therefore Swiss owned Stellenbosch Estate, Eikendal, has tweaked its popular Pizza & Wine Pairing experience with new wintry taste sensations that will beat the winter blues one sizzling bite and sip at a time. From now until the end of June, food and wine lovers can tuck into a wholesome threesome of thin-crust mini pizzas, each packing a pleasing punch with flavours unique to the season and masterfully paired with just the right estate wine to perk up the palate and mood. The pizzas are freshly prepared by the resident Cucina di Giovanni restaurant, celebrated for its Italian fare with a sumptuous twist. Eikendal is not only renowned for its internationally acclaimed wines of great fruit purity and finesse as it also features a myriad of family-friendly attractions ranging from the exceptional to the exhilarating. Leisure activities include wine tastings and languid lunches; wildlife viewing and enlightening cellar tours. Outdoor fanatics can get hooked on fly fishing at glistening dams or set foot for a fynbos hike before settling in for a cosy sleepover at the charming Eikendal Lodge, where quality meets tranquillity. The lip-smacking Winter Pizza & Wine Pairing action goes down a treat in Eikendal’s tasting room Tuesdays to Sundays between12:00 and 16:00 and it costs R50 per person.

Note that there is a 20 minute waiting period as the pizzas are freshly prepared...thus more time for you to wine-down with a glass of Eikendal’s finest. To book for this winter pairing experience contact Eikendal at Tel: 021 855 1422 or send an email to info@eikendal.co.za.

Soup, Sip and Bread: The Soup, Sip and Bread festival is back in the Durbanville Wine Valley from 3 to 5 June 2016. The festival will once again include the participation of 12 prestigious wine farms that make up the Durbanville Wine Valley. Altydgedacht, Bloemendal, D’Aria, Diemersdal, De Grendel, Durbanville Hills, Hillcrest, Klein Roosboom, Meerendal, Nitida, Groot Phizantekraal and Signal Gun will each be celebrating the start of winter with a unique offering of wines, soups, artisan breads, winter inspired culinary treats, live music and special dining experiences. Each winery has its own charm with superb entertainment for adults and children alike. Festival goes can look out for the barrel special at each participating farm which will include great wine deals and specials – the perfect opportunity to stock up on Valley favorites. The festival has partnered with Uber to get all guests to and from the festival safely and in style! All new users can sign up with the promotional code: Durbanville16 in order to receive a free first ride valued at R150. To request your ride, simply download the free application for iPhone, Android, Blackberry 7, Windows Phone, or visit the mobile site: m.uber.com. A detailed festival program and information on ticket sales is available on www. durbanvillewine.co.za..

The Table Bay Celebrates the Seasons: Buoyed by the success of its first Valentines Sensory Dinner in February, The Table Bay will be hosting four seasonally inspired, senses-evoking dinner experiences as part of an exciting journey to create a signature fragrance for the hotel with Cape Town based bespoke fragrance perfumer, Tammy Frazer. Each dinner, hosted personally by The Table Bay’s Executive Chef Jocelyn Myers-Adams and perfumer Tammy Frazer, will be a sensory meander of tastes, flavours and scents. The seasonally-inspired dinners will be spectacularly paired with invigorating fresh and natural scents to enhance the flavours of the food and complete the sensory experience for guests. The scents will be delivered in various ways to accentuate how they are perceived while complementing the flavours and aromas of the food. From a cool hand towel and a hand dip to a fragrance-spritzed stick of candy floss and vapour, the way in which the scents are delivered will be carefully planned to enhance the experience. Three courses will be presented with three fragrance accords at each of the four sensory dinners, with MyersAdams and Frazer working closely on the scent notes that will feature in each meal. The 12 fragrance accords, aligned with the seasons and The Table Bay’s emphasis on local sourcing and fresh produce as interpreted in Myers-Adam’s unique way, will ultimately make up the signature Table Bay fragrance. Guests can book for one, or all four sensory experiences. The dinners will be staged at The Table Bay’s lavishly furnished Atlantic on 07 May, 04 June, 27 August and 29 October 2016. To preserve the intimate and interactive atmosphere of the dinners, places will be so booking is essential. Cost per person is R450. For more information or to book, contact the hotel’s reservations team on TableBayDining@suninternational.com or 021 460 5988.

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 49

Get Out

GAUTENG

LIFE’S A CABERNET AT THE GREATEST SHOW UNEARTHED The TOPS at SPAR Wine Show is back with a bang this May: TFrom Merlot to Malbec, Pinot Noir to Pinotage, The TOPS at SPAR Wine Show presents South Africa’s top wine labels all under one roof. Back in Jo’burg for its 11th consecutive year the event engages wine lovers of all ages and ilk to try and buy the country’s best bottles directly from wine producers.

Themed The Greatest Show Unearthed for 2016 the event will channel a vintage burlesque experience while expertly blending hundreds of fine wine exhibitors, edu-taining activities, food and festivity between the 12th and 14th May. Highlights not to be missed include two popular Wine Theatres that present a series of interactive tasting talks hosted by industry experts and wine personalities. Performance artists add to the jolly atmosphere while visitors are invited to vote for their favourite wine producer in the “People’s Choice Awards” and stand a chance of winning wine for a year. Tickets can be purchased pre-show for R160 from www.wineshow.co.za or at the door for R180. Price includes a crystal tasting glass, all tastings, access to both Wine Theatres and a map to help navigate the show.

Details:

- Dates: Thursday 12th May – Saturday 14th May 2016 - Time:

o 16h00 – 21h00 (Thursday & Friday)

o 12h00 – 21h00 (Saturday)

- Venue: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg

Mosaic at the Orient Launches Roots & Shoots : Roots & Shoots is the name of award-winning chef Chantel Dartnall’s autumn/ winter menu for 2016 at Mosaic at the Orient, South Africa’s current Restaurant of the Year. It again features her signature Botanical Cuisine using only the best seasonal produce with Dartnall taking her cue from nature. The menu also includes dishes inspired by her travels in the past year to South East Asia, including visits to top restaurants in Singapore, Laos and Vietnam.

There is a choice of four Roots & Shoots menus – the Grande Degustation, the Market Degustation as well as the Pescatarian and Vegetarian options. Diners can partake of the connoisseur and enthusiast wine pairings as well as a non-alcoholic pairing with drinks specially chosen to complement the meal, from home-made nasturtium lemonade and a beetroot, cucumber and ginger smoothie to a geisha blossom infusion. Restaurant Mosaic, which proudly celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, was recently voted by The Diners Club® World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy to be included as one of the top restaurants in The Diners Club® 50 Best Discovery Series. It was the only South African eatery to be included from the six top restaurants for the Middle East and Africa region.

50 WINE EXTRA MAY 2016

GARDEN ROUTE A luxurious Mother’s day at Lakeside Lodge & Spa: Lakeside Lodge & Spa, five-star picturesque estate near Sedgefield has an elegant Mother’s Day lunch planned on Sunday, 8 May 2016. The fine dining establishment, Benguela Brasserie & Restaurant, situated on the estate is offering diners a two or three course meal, created by Executive Chef Kelly-Anne Pietersen. The lodge overlooks the Swartvlei Lagoon and sets the scene for a sophisticated yet relaxed dining experience. Lunch will be served at 12:00 and guests can choose 2 courses for R350 per person or 3 courses at R395 per person. To secure your Mother’s Day reservations, please contact 044 343 1844 or book online. Bookings are subject to availability. For more information, please email info@lakesidelodge.co.za or visit their website.

KZN An 80’s Revival at Sky : It is a fair bet that when executive chef, Shaun Munro conjured up his retro menu; he did not foresee the popularity in “food nostalgia” that followed. But clearly Munro was on to something with his poetic depiction of the power food has to bring memories flooding back – “because memories are priceless”. Munro’s modern take on 80’s inspired cuisine coupled with the decade’s top musical hits has proven to be the perfect combination for jaded palates tired of new tastes in the cosmopolitan, foodie city of Durban. The desire to try something old - the foods of our childhood - repurposed and repackaged for a modern-day dining experience at Tsogo Sun’s exquisite Sky Venue. Located on the 31st floor of Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani hotel, guests are expected to relish the burgeoning nostalgia food scene, taking them through the highlights of memory lane dining. The delectable three-course buffet dinner, a popular draw card for guests, boasts an impressive spread of seafood, curries, grills and vegetarian options. The playfully disco- themed cuisine includes dishes such as Rhythm of the Night Chicken Roulade, DJ’s Delight- vegetarian starter option, Mirror Ball Vegetable Phyllo Parcels and Groovy Fish Grill. The monthly event transforms Sky Venue into an 80’s themed bash, whisking guests off on a journey through the hits of yester year. Durban’s popular “old skool” DJ, Trevor Williams completes the scene with his pick of 80’s hits. It is bound to take revelers back in time to enjoy an evening packed with boundless fun, entertainment and excitement. Guests can look forward to welcome drinks on arrival.

Date: Saturday, 30 April 2016 Venue: Sky Venue, Southern Elangeni & Maharani Complex (Maharani Tower) Cost: R420 per person including dinner The fun begins at 7pm.

For bookings, please contact Garika Ramdarie on 031 362 1300 or email garika.ramdarie@tsogosun.com LIFE’S A CABERNET AT THE GREATEST SHOW UNEARTHED The TOPS at SPAR Wine Show is back with a bang this June : From Merlot to Malbec, Pinot Noir to Pinotage, The TOPS at SPAR Wine Show presents South Africa’s top wine labels all under one roof. Back in Durban for its 5th consecutive year the event engages wine lovers of all ages and ilk to try and buy the country’s best bottles directly from wine producers.

Themed The Greatest Show Unearthed for 2016 the event will channel a vintage burlesque experience while expertly blending hundreds of fine wine exhibitors, edu-taining activities, food and festivity between the 2nd and 4th June. Highlights not to be missed include two popular Wine Theatres that present a series of interactive tasting talks hosted by industry experts and wine personalities. Performance artists add to the jolly atmosphere while visitors are invited to vote for their favourite wine producer in the “People’s Choice Awards” and stand a chance of winning wine for a year. Tickets can be purchased pre-show for R120 from www.wineshow.co.za or at the door for R140. Price includes a crystal tasting glass, all tastings, access to both Wine Theatres and a map to help navigate the show.

Details: Dates: Thursday 2nd – Saturday 4th June 2016 Time: 17h00 – 21h00 (Thursday & Friday) 12h00 – 21h00 (Saturday) Venue: Sibaya, Durban

MAY 2016 WINE EXTRA 51