Tag Archives: Diemersfontein

Wellington Wine Walk: Day 2 not just about Wines, but about Coffee, Gin, and Country food too!

Just over a week ago my school friend Jenny Stephens and I spent two days on the Wellington Wine Walk, a guiding service offered by our school friend Elaine Wegelin and her colleagues Katrin Steytler, and Carol-Ann Jeffrey.

Jenny, Elaine, and I grew up in Wellington, and sat on the same school benches at three Wellington schools. Having left Wellington after Matric 50 years ago, it was not just an eating and drinking adventure, but it was a catch-up of how our hometown has grown and developed in this time. Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 48 of Level 1, 7 November 2020.

 

Saturday 7 November 2020, Day 48 of Level 1, Day 226 of Lockdown 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for starting our day with the first sign of the sun in two days, and the luck of being able to do our walking sections throughout the day without any rain; for a lovely breakfast at Dunstone Restaurant; for being shuttled to VillaMar at the other end of Wellington, for an informative coffee tasting; for a winetasting at Doolhof Wines, at the end of Bovlei; for a sunny walk alongside the Kromme River to Welvanpas Family Vineyards for lunch and a winetasting; for a walk to close to Bosman Family Vineyards, a wine producer, and the largest producer of ‘stokkies’ (new vines created by grafting onto Rootstock) in Africa; for being shuttled back to our car at Diemersfontein, picking up our purchases made at our different stops in the past two days; for safely returning to Cape Town; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 46 of Level 1, 5 November 2020.

 

Thursday 5 November 2020, Day 46 of Level 1, Day 224 of Lockdown 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for a warm windy day, ahead of a wet weekend; for an early start, joining Brian Van Hansen on a visit to The Beach House in Hout Bay for breakfast while Brian shot photographs for the guest house website; for meeting The Beach House owner Sylvie Wrankmore, proudly showing me her rooms, and her fabulous vegetable garden; for sitting with Brian to select the best pics of our shoot on Tuesday; for a quick walk to Bakoven; for a short and sweet client meeting; for fetching Jenny Stephens and driving to Wellington, where we left our car, and were fetched by Elaine Wegelin, school classmate and Tour Guide on our Wellington Wine Walk, with whom we have had anxious discussions about the forecast weekend rain over the past few days; for our lovely accommodation at Cascade Manor outside Paarl, with an olive oil tasting, followed by dinner with other walkers in our group; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

Homespun by Matt offers electrifying Tasting Menu, Fun Dining Fine Dining at excellent value!

 

Three weeks ago I was privileged to experience the new Homespun by Matt Secret Supper Club, which is offered on Monday nights, a dinner of 15 courses which I was blown away by, it being of an international standard, making Homespun one of our country’s top restaurants. Last week I returned  with my friend Stuart Bailey, to experience the 7-course Tasting Menu which is served from Tuesday to Saturday evenings, finding it to be a dinner at an extremely generous cost, and to be another evening of Fun Dining Fine Dining.

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Little interference in making Springfield wines, focus on pH and balance of its wines!

opendoor-entranceYesterday I attended two tastings of the Robertson-based Springfield Estate wines at OpenWine Pair Shop on Wale Street, a central tasting facility offering a selection of South African wines. I was impressed with the personality of co-owner Jeanette Bruwer, which came through in the evening tasting in particular! She introduced her wines in a consumer-friendly fun and natural manner. Continue reading →

Restaurant Review: Ouland Royale Baroque Barn a visual and taste treat in Plett!

imageI was recommended to try Ouland Royale on the outskirts of Plettenberg Bay, on the way to the airport.  Even when arriving outside the building, I could not imagine what a taste and visual treat was inside what is called the Baroque Barn. It was as close to perfect as one can get, and it was a shame Continue reading →

WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 11/12 October

WhaleTalesTourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

*   The Penny Ferry is to be reintroduced in the V&A Waterfront on 1 November, connecting the main shopping centre side to the more commercial and business side at the Clocktower. The ride will cost R5. The ferry stopped opening in 1997 when the swing bridge was constructed.  The Penny Ferry service was officially relaunched by Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom earlier this week.

*   The judging for the 2014 Diners Club Winemaker of the Year has been completed, and the winners of the 34th annual competition will be announced next month. In evaluating the nominees, it was ‘the heart and soul of the winemakers that stood out strongly‘, dominating the quality of the wines they made.  The Winemaker of the Year entered in this year’s theme category of White Blends, while the Young Winemaker of the Year was evaluated on any red wine. Judges included Dave Hughes (panel chairman), Beatriz Machado from Portugal, retailer Carrie Adams, Nomonde Kubheka (wine judge and educator), Christine Rudman (wine judge), Colin Frith (GM of Hazendal), and Margaret Fry (Director of Cape Wine Academy). (received via media release from African Sky Media)

*   At the International Spirit & Wine Competition held in London recently, five South African wines won Continue reading →

Restaurant Review: Piazza Italia the restaurant Italians go to in Cape Town!

Piazza Italia Long Table Whale CottagePiazza Italia appeared on our latest list of Restaurant Openings, and it was a Facebook message from Davide Ostuni, Puglia Cheese mozzarella producer by day and Chef at Piazza Italia by night, that encouraged me to try it out last night.  The restaurant has two Italians in the kitchen, a genuine Italian menu (without pizza), and Italian patrons eating there, a vote of confidence in a restaurant which has only been open for a month.

The restaurant belongs to Theresa Pearman, who comes from the jewellery industry, and fashion designer Pietro Giannuzzi, who had a dream to open a restaurant in which they could welcome and entertain their friends, bringing their dining room to the restaurant.  Neither of them have prior restaurant experience, giving them a refreshing approach to owning the business, and not having any preconceived ideas about restauranting.  Pietro only recently met Davide, and Theresa described the two men as being ‘soul brothers’, having a ‘bromance‘ about  Italian food.  I have only met Davide briefly at Burrata some time ago, and have been to see the Puglia Cheese factory, shown around by Davide’s wife Ursula. I had forgotten that Davide and Ursula owned five Italian restaurants in London, before moving to Cape Town, Continue reading →