Luke Dale Roberts needs no introduction on these pages; we’ve written about the near-legendary chef twice and the accolades keep rolling in for him and his Test Kitchen.  He could have spent December basking in the afterglow of his Chef of the Year award; instead he was putting the finishing touches to his brand new venture situated right next to the existing restaurant, The Pot Luck Club.

We were a group of 5 lucky friends visiting the restaurant recently; all huge fans of The Test Kitchen.  We could order almost all the dishes on the small menu; we were not missing out on a single plate!

This is no ordinary plate of food served to the unexpected visitor, or food just anyone can  contribute to a pot luck club; Chef Luke’s small plates are carefully developed by him and his team – individual dishes are even named after them: “Ash’s Tuna Tartare” (R60) was one of our favourites along with “Ivor’s crispy duck spring roll” (R30).  “Ash” is of course Sunday Times Young Chef of the Year for 2011; attesting to the calibre of staff in Luke’s kitchen.

The crispy curried celery leaves (R20) were eaten with gusto by The Navigator.  Yes, he ate leaves and he loved it!  The leaves were crispy, not overly spiced and not oily at all, just incredibly fragrant, even refreshing on the palate.

There were firm favourites among us:  we all agreed the steamed scallops with grapefruit (R60) were simply exquisite; with the grapefruit adding a most interesting zing to the dish.  I thought (at that moment) that it would be my dish of the evening…then the Pork Rib (R60) made Chinese style with dark beer and doenjang glaze arrived: a triumph of balance between sweet and meaty had us licking our fingers.  The crispy pork belly (R45) with Luke’s XO dressing had The Navigator smiling from ear to ear and five of us all reaching for the last morsel on that plate.

I can write a whole paragraph about the smoked beef fillet (R80); you know it’s smoked, so it will be fantastic but noooo, they added the most elegant, rich and decadent black pepper and truffle “café au lait” sauce (take note “sauce” is far too common a word to describe it).  I will eat that fillet 7 days a week and still lick the plate, every time.

There’s also dessert: Wesley’s tapioca, passion fruit sorbet and toasted coconut (R45) and Fresh summer berries with fig leaf ice cream (R50).  The cocktails are different and wonderful;  the wine list hip and happening – all not outrageously priced.

Décor is clean and understated , service is efficient and Chef Luke wanders out from behind the kitchen counter chatting about the food.  This is the pot at the end of the rainbow and it’s filled with plates of heaven.

www.thepotluckclub.co.za

021 – 447 2337

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Sounds rather obscene that title, doesn’t it?  Well, there’s nothing obscene about this little hole in the wall burger joint in Gardens.  Its the sort of place you’ll never find on your own, you need someone to tell you about it, and where it is.

The Dog’s Bollocks is an industrial looking eatery in a side street of Gardens.  Just off Hope Street, lies Roodehek Street.  Its a narrow one way with industrial looking garages and the odd business.  At 17:00 in the afternoon, one of those industrial looking garages are opened up, and the Dog’s Bollocks opens.  If you’re looking for silver service and white linen you’re going to be seriously out of luck.  The decor is wire outdoor furniture (so you can play noughts and crosses on your bum when you get up), there’s no cutlery or crockery, and the only washable item around (other than your hands) is the glass tumbler you are given if you order wine.

There’s only one thing on the menu – hamburgers.  No fries, just hamburgers.  And the winelist?  3 options. Dry Red, a lighter Dry Red and Dry White.  It comes in a papsak and the cardboard outer making it look like olive oil.  You get 1.5 liters for R50 and (this coming from someone who’s rather particular about what wine he drinks) the wine is actually rather palatable – at least the lighter style Dry Red was – a 2011 Shiraz/Cabernet blend.

There’s a burger for everyone, from 1950′s style Sliders to Cheese Burgers.  Various styles of chili sauces are also available.  The price?  R50 to R55.  All burgers are prepared to order by Nigel (the owner and only employee), so you wait a few minutes.  It’s worth it though.  The burgers are huge, there’s loads of flavour (the patties are cooked on coals, so you get that barbecue smokiness and char on the patties) and the ingredients are fresh.  The meat quality is good, and the patties are not dense (a pet hate of mine).

We went on a very quiet Thursday evening, the first week of the new year.  The place was dead and we were the only patrons there. However, once everyone is back at work the place apparently pumps, and you can wait quite a while for your burger.  So be warned – get there early.  It is a rather nondescript place, but that hammie might just blow your mind.

The Dog’s Bollocks
6 Roodehek Street
Gardens

We can hardly believe the year is done.  Another week or so and we are going to be forced to think consciously about getting the year right when we write a date down.  It’s therefore time for a recap of a few of the things we discovered and enjoyed in 2011.

Where we’ll always feel at home

The Vineyard Hotel in Newlands, Cape Town hosts regular wine events, some of the coolest in the Cape.  During the winter months The Vineyard gives you the following for R550:  Entrance to the wine event, a 3 course dinner at The Square Restaurant, a room for the night and a full buffet breakfast the following morning.  You can’t make this up – it really is as good as it sounds.

Dining out – with all guns blazing

We dine out often.  A LOT actually.  But we don’t fine dine as often as you might think – firstly because the prices are prohibitive for regular feeding and secondly because if you do something too often, it takes some of the pleasure away from doing it as a special treat.  2 of the highlights of our culinary year was the Gourmand Menu at Luke Dale Roberts’ Test Kitchen and lunch at Waterkloof Restaurant under Gregory Czarnecki. What stood out for us of Luke’s menu is the perfect marriage of fusion cuisine with our local ingredients and the excellent wine pairings.  We had Diemersfontein Pinotage (we HATE coffee Pinotage) with gammon and it was a triumph.  Gregory plated us dishes that was so pretty we didn’t want to eat it, with flavours that just boggled our minds.  Both venues are also remarkable, with us always making sure we were seated at the kitchen counter in The Test Kitchen in order the see the action.  Waterkloof Restaurant is of course known as the glass box – views of the their amazing vineyards and a hint of ocean.  We cannot wait for Luke’s new Pot Luck Club to open – we already have reservations!

Of Bacchus and his favourite tipple

Glen Carlou has been producing two of our favourite wooded Chardonnays for more than 20 years and with the release of their new unwooded Chardonnay they’ve firmly entrenched themselves on our Top 3 Unwooded Chardonnays list.  This is the ideal summer wine: delivering bags of flavour without that heartburn-inducing acidity.  Lovers of both wooded and unwooded Chardonnay will enjoy glass after glass!  Available only from Glen Carlou Estate at R78 per bottle.  This is, without a doubt, our Wine of the Year.

The most overused phraze in consumer driven writing is probably “value for money”; a difficult concept when describing wine , as it is such a personal experience.  Vondeling is one of those estates where you can heartily throw the term “value for money” at them and it will always be true.  A small winery from the Voor Paardeberg area, they produce 6 white wines, 3 red wines and a sweet wine.  The wines are all great, with our favourites being the 2 Mediterranean blends, the unwooded Petit Blanc (blend of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier) and the wooded Babiana (the same as the Petit Blanc but with a dash of Grenache Blanc added).  They retail for R39 and R95 respectively and over deliver at the price.

See if you can lay your hands on a bottle of Jean Daneel 2003 Signature Chenin Blanc; Wine of the Year in the 2005 Platter Guide.  You will be amazed by the enduring freshness of an 8 year old wine that has developed remarkable complexity over time.  For anyone who thinks South African White Wines cannot age we say you’ll drink your own words!

Our Favourite Wine Events

If you’re a wine geek, like we are, look no further than The Swartland Revolution.  In actual fact, if you are a human being, look no further than The Swartland Revolution.  It is by far the best wine event you can attend – 2 days of intensive wine tasting, partying, eating and socialising.  There’s something for everyone – the wine geek, the wine novice, the party animal and the wallflower.  It truly is a fantastic event – you can read about the 2011 event day 1 here and day 2 here

There’s also the Franschhoek Champagne and MCC Festival (unsurprisingly also organised by DnA Events, the same organisers of the abovementioned Swartland Revolution) Taste your way through the best MCC’s produced in South Africa and some of the greatest Champagnes in the world, all in a classy setting over 3 days in November.

Sticking to the bubbly theme, there’s also the Wine Concepts Finer Things in Life Champagne Festival held at the above mentioned Vineyard Hotel.  You get to taste some of the best Champagnes available in South Africa all under one roof, whilst swallowing oysters the size of your fist.  We had an amazing evening here, and can’t wait for the next one.

What is in a word?  Waiter, waitron and service ambassadors

We’re both extremely focused on quality service, be it in a retail environment, hotel or restaurant.  We are forever looking for service experiences where we will be wowed (alliteration not intended!) We frequent a few places regularly, and the main reason for it (other than a good quality product) is the exceptional service we receive whenever we are there.  The 3 stand out venues for service in Cape Town is most certainly in our book Societi Bistro, La Mouette Restaurant and the Planet Restaurant at the Mount Nelson.

Home is where the heart (and the stove) is

We do occasionally eat at home and we do prepare our own meals, with The Navigator perfecting home made pasta – not a feat to attempt at the height of summer as all that turning-of-the-handle can be pretty sweat inducing.  Our favourite pasta dish is a simple one: Richard Bosman chorizo sliced and pan fried (to release all the oil), add a few cherry tomatoes and add the freshly cooked pasta to the pan.  Garnish with rocket or basil leaves – easy and incredibly fragrant.

We now source most of our meat products (including Richard Bosman’s bacon and other charcuterie) from Frankie Fenner; so easy, just order and collect.  When in Napier, we buy mutton (not lamb but stuff that actually taste like meat) from the local butcher.  Fresh produce from the Hope Street Neighbourhood Goods’ Market is a requirement for people like us who do not cook much – the potatoes stay fresh for weeks and taste like proper potatoes.  In view of the latest (in a long line) of trust abuses by Woolworths, we’ve decided to (try to) avoid shopping there; let’s see how long our resolve (and disgust) lasts.  We prefer to purchase wine directly from the Estates but in cases of emergency (and to buy champagne) we love the selection offered by Sue and Neil Proudfoot at Wine Concepts on Kloof Street.  They stock CWG wines at reasonable prices, are always ready with advice and will even order your favourite tipple when requested.  It is no surprise that their sister outlet, Wine Concepts in Newlands, hosts our favourite tasting event of the year: The Finer things in Life Champagne Festival.

Easy living and lazy days

Beautiful Cape Town makes it easy to forget you have to work for a living with ample opportunities to play tourist in your own city.  We rediscovered the Red Open Top Bus Tours (they’ve even added a canal tour by boat to their 2 existing routes).  The Table Mountain Cable Car now offers pre-booking of tickets online.  Living in the CBD and walking everywhere gives you a unique perspective on our City and leads to interesting discoveries.

Places where we’ve been known to laze our days away at are amongst others Brewers and Union with their delicious craft beers and pulled pork sandwiches. These guys do not allow an inferior product to enter their premises and have lately added a sommelier who has “beefed” up their wine list offering.  The stoep at El Burro in Green Point is ideal for lazy summer afternoons whiled away with good Mexican Food (no oily Mariachis or oily food allowed) and decent tequila cocktails.  The Long Table Restaurant at Dombeya/Haskell Wines offers dining under generations-old trees with an incredible view of the Golden Triangle of Stellenbosch’s vineyards.  Add exquisite Reds from Haskell and imports at reasonable prices from New Zealand and Australia and you have to call a taxi when the sun has set.

There has, of course, been many more wines we’ve savoured and restaurants we’ve enjoyed visiting and will continue to do so.  We are lucky to be living in the Cape Winelands, where good wine and good food go hand-in-hand.

As the sun sets on another year we’re excited about 2012 ahead, we’re looking forward to the new year and everything she has in store for us.  We’ll be keeping you updated on our progress as we continue our intrepid journey honouring Bibesia and Edesia; the Roman godesses of Food and Drink.

Tammy Botbyl and Peter Weetman of Societi Bistro, in conjunction with their partner at Jonkershuis at Groot Constantia, Chris Coetzee, have opened Societi Brasserie on the border of Tokai and Constantia in Forest Glade House.

Inspired by classic Brasseries this unpretentious space includes a huge bar, kitchen counter dining, al fresco dining in the walled garden and an intimate bar. Retaining the ethos of Societi Bistro, seasonal products are locally sourced and much emphasis is placed on small local artisanal producers.  The chicken and eggs are free range and pork is sourced from Happy Hogs as at Societi Bistro.

We had the pleasure of having breakfast at the newly opened Brasserie last week and yes, we were impressed. The space is beautiful and continues the welcoming embrace of Societi Bistro.  We felt right at home, making the trek from the City Bowl absolutely worthwhile.

The Navigator was very impressed with his Eggs Benedict (R68) – a huge portion with two of everything –  and my Bacon & Egg Chiabatta (R50) was a stand out with the bun being soft and not chewy (a pet hate). The menu also includes Eggs in any style with toast (R36), Croquet Monsieur (R65) and a myriad other options including pastries and cereals (R28 – R54 for home-made granola with fresh fruit and yogurt)

Service is of the usual high standard we’ve come to expect from Societi Bistro: warm, friendly and efficient.  The Brasserie is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 9pm.  Please make a reservation as they are full already!

We’ll be dining at the Brasserie soon – more feedback to follow.

www.societi.co.za

021 712 1363

Shop 1, Forest Glade House, Tokai Road, Constantia.

Waterkloof: say the name out loud and anyone in the vicinity will immediately start talking about nouveau riche from Pretoria or that High School being in the news for all the wrong reasons…now there is a new Waterkloof on the block, on the slopes of the Schaapenberg, embraced by the Hottentots-Holland and Helderberg Mountains.

You won’t find any nouveau riche on this farm; it’s not one of those pretty lifestyle farms that so many foreign investors set up in SA.  This is a proper farm, with chickens, sheep and of course, vineyards.

When the friendly folks at Waterkloof invited us around for a visit, we never thought it would be a 5 hour marathon…and we enjoyed every second of it!  The enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable Farm Manager (Christiaan) took us on a tour of the farm; a “tour” is the wrong description; it was more of an eye-opening experience: Waterkloof is farmed according to biodynamic principles by people who care and know what they’re doing.

The fancy definition of Biodynamic Agriculture is: a method of organic farming that emphasizes the holistic development and interrelationships of the soil, plants and animals as a self-sustaining system. Biodynamic farming has much in common with other organic approaches, such as emphasizing the use of manures and composts and excluding of the use of artificial chemicals on soil and plants. Biodynamics was one of the first modern ecological farming systems and is considered to be one of the most sustainable.

All the scientific wording in the word does not prepare you for Waterkloof’s approach: we’re talking having chickens scratch around in the vineyards to ensure the soil is loose and aerated while their poop adds vital nitrogen to the soil.  They’re using horses (yes, the four-legged working horse kind) to work in their vineyards to avoid the inevitable soil compaction caused by tractors and other heavy machinery.  The aim is to have a tractor-free farm in the near future!  Sheep roam freely in the vineyards, keeping the cover crop short and adding their vital nitrogen contribution to the soil.  Speaking of cover crop: it’s planted to keep the insects (and possible pests) off the vines.  We spotted a raptor perch for birds of prey who hunt burrowing rodents…and the list goes on.

Christiaan showed us his planned earthworm farm for the vegetable garden he is planning with Chef Gregori Czarnecki for the fabulous Waterkloof Restaurant.  They’re taking the idea of sustainability one step further with the garden on the farm.  The newly acquired calves will also be raised to provide milk while the sheep well, they will make a vital contribution to the restaurant menu.

Speaking of Chef Gregori: what a guy! What a Chef!  Born and trained in France, he has worked all over the world in Michelin-Star restaurants as a chef and consultant.  He was finally lured to SA by a woman in 2008 – we shall forever be thankful to her…  Chef Gregori was involved in the Waterkloof project from inception; he designed the kitchen and decided from the beginning to use local produce where possible.  Salmon trout is sourced from Lourensford just around the corner; while a very special matured cheddar cheese is made by James Healey, especially for the restaurant.

Chef Gregori sent us food that he believed showcased the restaurant and the wines; we were blown away by the beautiful presentation that was only exceeded by the incredible flavours on our plates.  The Navigator said that it was the best “fine dining” food he’s had in South Africa!  Flavours from all over the world were in perfect synergy on our plates – a feast for the eye and taste buds.  We’re talking roasted cucumber, monk fish, ginger infused fresh apples…Go eat there, experience the food for yourself; you will be making the trek out to Somerset West again and again.  Prices are reasonable for the excellent food: 2 courses R190 and 3 courses R230 or try the 6 course Degustation Menu at R490 including wine pairing.

Waterkloof makes wine too!  With a philosophy that the wine must be a reflection of the farm, they have a few wine collections: The flagship Waterkloof Sauvignon Blanc (R155) made from a single situated at the highest point on the farm (300m above sea level); Circumstance (R85 – R155) also from higher elevation vineyards but generally with more fruit expression; Peacock Ridge (R70 – R90), mainly produced from the vineyards on the lower, more protected slopes.  The Circle of Life Range (White and Red blends both R120) are remarkable as they tell the tale of the circle of production and plant life on the farm.  I loved the Circle of Life White Blend and the Circumstance Sauvignon Blanc (R90); coming from a person not known for her love of Sauvignon Blanc, this is high praise indeed!  The Navigator enjoyed the Circumstance 2008 Chardonnay (lightly wooded R90) and the Circumstance 2009 Chenin Blanc (saw a spot of new oak R90) and they both paired exceptionally well with the food of Chef Gregori.  There is also a Peacock Ridge and False Bay range to complete the beautiful collection.

One thing that struck me about Waterkloof was that all the staff we spoke to, have been employed at Waterkloof since Paul Boutinot re-developed it in 2008.  This is the real deal: a farming enterprise that doesn’t just give lip service and practices what they preach. What is good for the farm, is good for the restaurant, is good for the wine and it is good for the people…it will be good for you too.

 www.waterkloofwines.co.za

Sir Lowry’s Pass Road, Somerset West

021 – 8581292

Plenty of bleak looking revolutionaries awaited us at breakfast on Saturday morning. We ducked out at 12 the night before, but others decided it’s a good idea to go into day 2 with only 2 or 3 hours’ worth of sleep and a hangover. (Read about Day 1 here) The breakfast burgers and coffee sorted everyone out quickly, however, and we stepped into the 1st seminar of the day – Mullineux Magic. The Mullineux’s are having a great time of it, with 3 five star wines and 2 four star wines in the 2012 Platter. Whatever your feelings are of the Platter’s ratings, the wines speak for themselves.

The seminar was hosted by Tim James – a big supporter of the Swartland – who wasted no time in telling us how the Mullineux’s (Chris and Andrea) brought respectability to the area (and the 1st woman!), after party animals Eben Sadie and Adi Badenhorst settled there. He referred to Charles Back’s Spice Route as the first of the new wave of producers to enter the Swartland in 1997, who employed Eben as his wine maker. Eben escaped and the rest is history. Chris Mullineux made wine at Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards before moving to the Swartland, with wife Andrea, a Californian export, joining him to establish the Mullineux brand.

We tasted the components of the Mullineux White – Chenin Blanc from 2 different soil types (decomposed granite and schist), Viognier and Clairette Blanche. Each brought something unique to the blend. Decomposed granite is a very sandy soil type, but about one and a half meters deep a layer of clay is found, acting like a big sponge and supplying water to the vines. The Chenin Blanc grown on it gives the blend richness and texture. Schist is a type of slate, so the soil is quite rocky. The Chenin Blanc grown on the schist adds phenolics to the blend. Viognier adds a fruity edge, but can be so dominant that it never makes up more than 10% of the final blend. The Clairette Blanche is a pretty neutral wine, but Andrea referred to it as adding a waxy texture to the final product. Tasting the final product one could see how each component adds its worth, creating synergy and making the blend better than the sum of its parts.

Moving onto the reds, we tasted the 2009 Syrah, a 100% Syrah from 3 different soil types (schist, granite and red clay). Schist gave the final product texture and structure, the granite added perfume and femininity and finally, the red clay adds mid palate and weight. Chris said that in the past they crowed about how blending of reds is the way to go in the Swartland, but have since realized that it might not in fact be the case, with only the maiden 2008 having a dash of Mourvedre. They had been searching for single vineyards that they could bottle as a separate label, but found it difficult as often they were missing something (a mid-palate for instance). The search is however over. We were introduced to 2 single soil type bottlings, one from granite soils (named unsurprisingly the Granite Syrah) and the other from Schist soils (ahem.. the Schist Syrah). As with the blended Syrah, the Granite is quite feminine and perfumed, while the Schist is dense and brooding. These 2 wines are not single vineyards, but are single terroir wines, most definitely creating a serious talking point for wine geeks. The one thing that stood out for me about the reds is the level of freshness they showed. I am not a fan of warm climate reds as they tend to be jammy. The new wave producers of the Swartland pick earlier and on taste, not necessarily at phenolic ripeness, and it totally removes that jam.

We ended the seminar with a quick tasting of the Mullineux Straw Wine. Made from 2 Chenin vineyards, the same grapes that are used for the White is simply put down to dry under the trees. Freshness is very important for this sticky, so the 2 vineyards used are the ones with the best acidity. The wine is 30% sugar, but with the acidity in place, it is not cloying. We did indeed taste the sun.

A quick break for pizza and beer (we chased those with a bottle of bubbly at the Royal Hotel) was followed by the Expert Opinions seminar. Jorg Pfutzner, Michael Friedjhon and British wine writer Jamie Goode showed us a few of the wines they think would inspire us. I am not going to bore you with tasting notes, but here’s the line-up of wines – put this in your pipe and smoke it, counter Swartland revolutionaries and non-believers!

Jorg’s selection:

Matassa Blanc 2008 from Cotes Catalanes, Roussillon in France
Terroir Al Limit L’Arbossar 2007 from Priorat in Spain (Eben Sadie’s other venture)
Niepoort Batuta 2007 from Douro in Portugal

Jamie’s selection:
Le Soula Blanc 2006 from Cote de Fenoullides, Roussillon in France
Domaine Romaneaux-Destezet Syrah 2010 from Arlebosc, Northern Rhone in France
Arianna Occhipitini Frappato 2009 from Vittoria, Sicily in Italy

MF’s selection:

Domaine Gayda Chemin de Moscou 2008 from Brugairolles in France
Domaine Mathieu Cuvee Marquis Vignes Centenaires 2007 from Chateauneuf du Pape in France
Chateau Beaucastel 2005 from Chatexuneuf du Pape in France

Quite a selection and some very interesting wines for us wine geeks to get excited about. The theme that ran through this tasting was how fresh these warm climate wines all are. The Sicilian and Roussillon wines were firsts for me (even though MF thought the Sicilian was so full of brett (it was!) that it smelled like a dead rat (it didn’t!). Read about Brettanomyces here

We ended off the 2011 Revolution with a feast at Bar Bar Black Sheep (lamb on a spit and some other healthier goodies) and the wine flowed like… well… we felt like proper revolutionaries. The street party (open to the public) followed, and one could taste wine from all the members of the Swartland Independent. There are some fantastic artisan wines out there and your eyes will be opened when you taste them. Live a little; don’t keep drinking the same tried and tested wines you know well – introduce your palate to something different from the Swartland.

That was that for us for another year. This is by far the best wine event on the calendar. It caters for the wine geek, the party animal, the amateur wino, the expert wino and everyone in between. All you need is an open mind, a willing liver and an appetite. We made new friends, caught up with old ones, and partied up a storm. The only criticism that I can level at the 2011 event is that it was slightly over subscribed and that caused long, slow queues at the first night’s braai and the mid-morning beer and pizza break. I can understand the need to grow the event, but I hope the organisers resist the urge to grow more. I reckon 200 tickets should be the limit. That said, I wouldn’t miss the 2012 edition for the world!

www.theswartlandrevolution.com

La Motte Estate in Franschhoek has been voted the South African winner of the Great Wine Capitals (GWC) Best Of Wine Tourism Awards for 2012. We visited a few farms who entered the competition this year (unfortunately not La Motte, some other lucky bloggers and tweeters got there before us) and you can view our comments and experiences here.

The Great Wine Capitals is a Network of nine major global cities in both the northern and southern hemispheres, which share a key economic and cultural asset: their internationally renowned wine regions. The Global Network’s mission is to encourage the economic, academic and cultural development in each of the cities via exchanges and joint projects, especially in the area of wine tourism.

La Motte, with a history dating back over three centuries, was declared the winner in the Arts and Culture category for its impressive art museum that houses the Rupert family’s extensive collection of artworks by 20th century South African master Pierneef and other artists. However, what clinched the overall win for the winery was its consistently high performance across other categories it had also entered.

As the Best of Wine Tourism title holder for 2012, La Motte joins such iconic names in wine, such as Spain’s Bodegas Campo Viejo of Rioja, acclaimed for its wine and architecture; the famous 13th century Château d´Agassac of Bordeaux in France; the 900 year-old Dievole of Florence, Italy; Vinothek Bingen am Rhein in Germany that serves as a special visitor centre at the gateway to the Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Quinta do Portal, representing four estates in the Douro, Portugal; the lofty Bodega Atamisque, 1 300 metres above sea level at the entrance to the Uco Valley in Mendoza, Argentina; luxury resort, Meadowood of California’s Napa Valley, which boasts a three-star Michelin restaurant; and specialty boutique guides, Appellation Central Wine Tours of Christchurch, New Zealand.  They should be on all wine lovers’ bucket list to visit.

GWC’s members, in addition to Cape Town-Cape Winelands, include Mainz-Rheinhessen (Germany), Bilbao-Rioja (Spain), Bordeaux (France), Florence (Italy), Mendoza (Argentina), Porto (Portugal), San Francisco-Napa (United States) and New Zealand’s Christchurch.

Coming a very close second in South Africa was Biodiversity & Wine (BWI) champion Waterkloof that won in the Architecture and Landscapes category but also scored highly across a number of other categories.

Other regional winners were Delaire Graff Lodges & Spa, situated on Helshoogte Pass near Stellenbosch, for offering the best accommodation for the second consecutive year; Waverley Hills, between Tulbagh and Wolseley (Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices, also for the second consecutive year); Tokara of Stellenbosch (Wine Tourism Restaurant) Solms-Delta of Franschhoek (Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences) and Waterford Estate in Stellenbosch (Wine Tourism Services). Waterford is a previous Wine Tourism Services winner.

Last year’s South African winner was Steenberg Vineyards. Steenberg chose Zelda Petrus, who is now responsible for front-of house cellar door sales, to fly to California to learn more about wine sales and marketing in the famous Napa Valley. She was hosted by Trinchero Family Vineyards and the San Francisco/Napa Valley chapter. We attended the awards ceremony last year, see our impressions here.  She says her experience was invaluable, she wants to return soon to learn more about the Napa way of doing things…

Speaking on behalf of the Cape Town and Cape Winelands chapter of GWC, André Morgenthal, who is also communications manager for Wines of South Africa (WOSA), confirmed that both the number and quality of this year’s entries had been higher than last year’s. This was despite the protracted downturn, which could have left producers feeling apathetic. “We are heartened by the growing support for the competition and the confidence and optimism this reflects amongst local wineries about what they have to offer visitors and wine lovers.

“There is an increasing recognition that wine tourism is a powerful tool in deepening the relationships established with consumers and not only on a face-to-face basis. It adds value, greater meaning and continuity to their engagement with wine lovers, particularly via social media channels.Wine lovers thirst for information that tells them what makes each winery unique. It helps them plan their visits and share their experiences with others. They want to understand what sets one producer apart from the next, not only in terms of their wines but also the ethos and lifestyle that lies behind each winery.”

He also said a recent online analysis conducted by Acceleration Media, showed that South Africa enjoyed a positive online reputation among international internet users. Many of the conversations focused on the country as a tourist destination.

This year’s judges included wine tourism specialist Margi Biggs; lifestyle and wine journalist Joanne Gibson; Joan Isham, the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI) extension officer; Marilyn Martin, former head of the SA National Art Gallery; architect Alex Robertson; food, wine and lifestyle journalist Myrna Robins; JP Rossouw, food critic and author of the annual Rossouw’s Restaurants guide, and landscaper Johan van Papendorp.

Congratulations to everybody at La Motte! Oh and by the way, their wine is awfully good, too.

Winners and first and second runners-up in each category were:

ACCOMMODATION
1 Delaire (see our review of Indochine restaurant here)
2 Grande Provence
3 Steenberg Hotel (see our review of Bistro 1682 and preview of the Magna Carta)

ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPES
1 Waterkloof
2 La Motte
3 Tokara

ART & CULTURE
1 La Motte
2 Delaire
3 Solms Delta

INNOVATIVE WINE TOURISM EXPERIENCES
1 Solms Delta
2 Spier
3 La Motte

SUSTAINABLE WINE TOURISM PRACTICES
1 Waverley Hills
2 La Motte
3 Waterkloof

WINE TOURISM RESTAURANTS
1 Tokara Restaurant
2 Rust en Vrede
3 Waterkloof

WINE TOURISM SERVICES
1 Waterford
2 Steenberg Vineyards
3 Grande Provence

www.greatwinecapitals.com

www.la-motte.com

Ask any beauty pageant contestant what the capital city of Peru is and you’d probably get answers ranging from “is Peru a country?” to “Is that not the suburb between Bellville and Goodwood?”  You don’t need a high IQ to enjoy the delights of Peruvian cuisine; heck you don’t even have to strain your brain to pronounce the name of their staple protein “quinoa” when searching for the restaurant that is simply called “Keenwä” (being the phonetic spelling).

Knowing nothing about Keenwä, except that they serve Peruvian cuisine, have a new chef and are situated on the Fan Walk in Cape Town, we visited with dear friends and fellow adventurous foodies, Ishay and Jelle.  What an eye-opening experience it was!  The restaurant is cosy and intimate but not in that “sitting on your strange neighbour’s lap” kind of way.  Our waiter Cristiano (a student from Columbia on sabbatical in SA) was extremely knowledgeable about Peru and its cuisine and patiently explained the dishes more than once with some hilarious Spanish lessons in between.  By the way, we’ve been pronouncing “chicken” in Spanish wrong all these years – it’s not “pollo” as it’s spelt but pronounced “podjo” (end of free Spanish Lesson number 1 for the day).

So often restaurants serving non-local or exotic cuisine are hellishly expensive and it is justified by the scarcity factor of their food.  I’m happy to report that this is not the case at Keenwä with Starters priced from R45 – R70 and Mains R65 – R150.  The Starter and Main portions are generous and not what we expected at all.  Reading up on Peruvian food influences after chatting to Cristiano, it is interesting to see the Asian influence (they do of course, share the Pacific Ocean, so it’s quite obvious) with the abundant use of soy sauce.  The primary influences are of course Amerindian and Spanish, but do not expect oily blast-the-top-of-your-head-off Tex-Mex style food either.  Ingredients are fresh and the food can never be called “heavy”.

Tiradito a dos Tiempos (ceviche with 2 spicy sauces) & Trio de Causas (mash potato with 3 toppings)

The most well-known dish from Peru is probably Ceviche and Keenwä serves 4 versions of this delectable starter – try the Ceviche Keenwä (R70) that sports added prawns and passion fruit to the usual cubes of fish and lime juice.  I loved the presentation and flavours of the Trio de Causas (R55).  It’s mashed potato with 3 toppings: beetroot & tomatoes, shredded chicken with mayonnaise and spinach with tuna.  This was easily the most beautiful dish of the evening.

Pescado a lo Macho (hake with a spicy sauce) & Lomo Saltado (strips of beef sautéed with soy sauce)

You have 12 options to choose from when it comes to Mains: the Pescado a lo Macho (R80) is described as grilled hake on a spicy seafood sauce, for the brave ones.  The Navigator loved the fish and he didn’t even have to be brave, as the spicy sauce was served on the side!  The Lomo Saltado (R95) looks like a typical Asian style spaghetti and beef strips dish but surprises with the fresh burst of flavour from the tomatoes and onions it is sautéed with.  I will be back to try the Sopa Criolla (R70) – an interesting sounding mince soup from Lima with poached egg and spaghetti).

Keenwä is also busy opening a bar space on their top floor where their unique cocktails can be enjoyed with a beautiful view of the city.  With exotic names like Pisco Sour (R50) and Machu Pichu (R45) you are in for a treat as they are made with Peruvian spirits.  Pisco is a strong, colourless grape brandy widely consumed in Peru; it is very strong and makes for some mean cocktails!

“Foreign cuisine” can sound daunting at the best of times: you have no idea what to expect, you don’t know if you are having the “real deal” and, most of all, you don’t know if you will be getting your moneys’ worth.  At Keenwä you are getting food beyond expectations at reasonable prices.

We reluctantly left the warm cocoon of Keenwä vowing to return soon to sample more of the delights that Peru has to offer…and for a few more Spanish lessons from Cristiano.

www.keenwa.co.za

50 Waterkant Street, Cape Town

021 – 4192633

My memories of “local cuisine” is often coloured by mother’s attempt at bobotie; made with that orange box “curry powder” that contained more turmeric than actual curry.  Her milktart and vetkoek were delicious but unfortunately she never attempted koeksisters, leading me to lament that I had a “deprived childhood”.  Perspective changes with age, but these classic mostly Malay-inspired dishes are part and parcel of our South African food heritage, as local as braaivleis and putupap.  We all have our favourites and our pet hates, we grew up on this food and we all lay claim that so-and-so makes the best traditional dish…

It was thus with a small amount of trepidation that we accepted the ever-stylish Nicolette Waterford’s kind invitation to join her at Blaauwklippen Wine Estate latest restaurant aptly named “Cape Kitchen”.  We were in for quite a surprise: Executive Chef Hanelé Rabè has remodelled those time-old classics that we love and steered them firmly into the 21^st century.

Curried mussel soup (R50) is served with a dainty vetkoek on the side while a smoked snoek fish cake stands proudly next to green mango chutney (R50).  The vetkoek was not oily (a pet hate) and the mussel soup had that just-right curry flavour; testament to a Chef who knows how to balance flavours.  The SA ostrich industry are being supported with a starter salad of smoked ostrich and rocket beautifully complimented by pineapple crisps, peppadews and masala spiced macadamia nuts (at R70 the most expensive starter).

The Cape Kitchen offers a variety of Mains priced from R90 to R120; from venison Wellington with onion and garlic slaphakskeentjies and pampoenpoffertjies on the side to the contemporary styled vegetarian macadamia nut bobotie with basmati rice, warm cucumber salad and sambal.  This dish deserves a special mention, as The Navigator ordered and scoffed it without even offering me a taste!  The bobotie was baked in a rooti, giving it a puff pastry texture while the macadamia nuts gave extra crunch to the dish.  The standard chicken pie of your grandmother has been zooted up and evolved into a crispy duck pie served with grilled duck breast and vegetables.

The pan fried line fish (Kob, on the day we tasted it) on carrot purée with a biltong nage (a fancy name for a fancy sauce) was the most beautiful dish (R115)!  It looked good and tasted even better – the biltong nage was a clever departure from heavier sauces that could kill the taste of the fish.

Reading the dessert menu is where we I got all misty-eyed; with Cape Brandy pudding with gooseberry confit and almond ice cream (R50) and melktert cheesecake served with a koeksister and butternut-orange sorbet(R45)…we’ve sure come a long way on the food evolution trek!

Cape Kitchen at Blaauwklippen is open for dinner from 19 October 2011, Wednesdays to Fridays from 7pm; lunch only for groups and by special arrangement.

www.blaauwklippen.co.za

021 – 880 0133

Asian food must be my favourite cuisine; the flavours are as diverse and sometimes as mysterious as the continent it takes its name from. We’re not talking watery Thai Green Curry or oily Chow Mein here, but rather fresh, contemporary and stylish Asian cuisine.  Indochine, situated at the Delaire Graff Lodge & Spa offers just that: modern Asian Fusion inspired cuisine presented with a contemporary flair.

We visited Indochine for lunch on a beautiful late winter’s day and the view driving up to the restaurant (and whilst visiting) was simply spectacular.  I suspect they can serve jelly with custard and still have people flocking there just for the view!

Using produce mainly sourced from organic farms and the on-site greenhouse, Chef Jonathan Heath and his team manage to conjure up flavours that are lively, aromatic and robust whilst still maintaining a style of cuisine that is synonymous with vitality and good living.  It’s exotic without being scary; the chilli is tempered when necessary and fiery when expected.

I chose tuna laksa (R90) as a starter.   Laksa is a spicy type of curry noodle soup from Malaysia and Singapore; the Indochine version is a visual feast of seared tuna, nori egg roll and butternut prepared in ways my mother could never imagine.  The flavour, when the soup was poured, was almost overwhelming in its aroma yet it never overpowered the “solid” ingredients.

The Navigator decided on the Pad Thai style beef salad (R80) after recently falling in love with Pad Thai and Indochine’s take on this traditional Thai dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs was anything but traditional: the noodles were crispy and some of them were green! The whole dish was served on a thin layer of jelly that packed the usual chilli punch of Pad Thai; in one word: incredible.

We chose the ever reliable Colmant Brut Reserve MCC (R245) to accompany the extraordinary food and exceptional view.  The friendly sommelier Christo Deysel, a former colleague of The Navigator, was a fountain of knowledge throughout our meal; explaining the new kitchen expansion and giving us the low-down on the menu (and some of the Chef’s secrets).  Service from our waiter Benny Nkabi was unobtrusive, slick and without any hiccups.

After the incredible starters we were ready for dessert but had already ordered our Mains: Pork belly (R145) and Tamarind sirloin (R135) with a few side dishes of Makhani eggplant (R40) and Grilled Mushrooms (R45) recommended by Christo .  We simply had to make space for some of the best food we’ve had in quite a while…  My sirloin steak was perfectly prepared, served with sago (yes, sago, but not as you’ve seen it before!) and topped with a tamarind sauce with that just-right level of tartness.

The Pork belly was so beautiful on the plate; I elbowed The Navigator out of the way to get several photographs of it before he tucked in!  The dish is prepared with 7-spice and served with a vivid red pepper paste – the sweetness of the red pepper was a perfect foil for the rich and spicy pork belly.  The pork belly was neither fatty nor dry – testament to a brilliant chef.

After such an incredible meal we simply could not order dessert but were presented with a “taster” plate of all the desserts on the menu by Chef Jonathan.  All desserts are priced at R65 each.  We tasted coconut and banana sponge with kumquat sorbet and banana gravel, tonka bean rice pudding, Chai ice cream with praline and hazelnut liqueur jelly, rose and orange cheese cake with citrus mousse and plum wine sorbet, 5-spice malva pudding with banana-toffee ice cream and our unanimous favourite: White chocolate and banana spring rolls served with banana liqueur, chocolate-praline ice cream and nut fudge.  My advice to all diners: Remember to leave space for dessert!

Delaire Graff Estate is synonymous with luxury and our meal was a perfect testament to the Estate: our food was decidedly different and delicious, the service was excellent and the view leaves you staring into the distance not wanting to take your leave.

Goldilocks could have been speaking about Indochine when she said: The food is not too cold, not too hot; it’s just right.

Indochine at Delaire Graff Estate

www.delaire.co.za

021 – 885 8160