La Motte |

Last Monday I attended The Sommeliers Selection 2018 tasting of the top-scoring wines at Tokara Delicatessen, driving through from Cape Town on a rainy day. My two favorites I tasted were Arra Shiraz 2015, as well as Trizanne Reserve Syrah 2017. The top wines in the tasting were selected by top Sommelier members of the South African SOmmeliers Association, and the Black Cellar Club. (more…)

Tags: Almenkerk, Anthonij Rupert Wyne, Arra, Aurelie Jullien, Babylonstoren, Bellingham, Blind tasting, bloggers, Boschendal, Botha Kelder, Bottega Family Wine, Cape Point Vineyards, Cape Town mead company, Cavalli, Chris van Reenen, Chris von Ulmenstein, D'Aria, Darielle Robertson, Darling Cellars, De Grendel, Druk-my-Niet, Eikendal, Ernie Els, Franschhoek Wine Valley, Fryer's Cove, Glen Carlou, grangehurst, Guy du Toit, Hartenberg, Hidden Valley, Highlands Road, Holden Manz, Isliedh, Jan Harmsgat, Joakim Blackadder, Ken Forrester, KWV, L'Avenir, La Chataigne, La Motte, Laborie, Le Riche, Lothian, Mira Weiner, mitre’s edge, Mont Blois, Neethlingshof, paul Wallace, Perdeberg cellar, Pierneef, pinopasso, Pippa Pringle, Protea, Reinher behrens, Shannon, Slanghoek, Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch brewing co, Stellenbosch Vineyards, The FMC, The High Road, The Sommeliers Selection, Tokara DeliCatEssen, Trizanne, Val de Vie, Villiera, Vrede en Lust, WhaleHaven, WhaleTales blog, wildehurst, Windfall, Wines, Zevenwacht

At the conclusion of The Business of Wine & Food Tourism Conference held at Spier over the past two days, the seven South African winners of the 2016 Great Wine Capitals Best of Wine Tourism Awards were announced. (more…)

Tags: Adelaide, Alex Robertson, Andre Morgenthal, Bilboa, Bordeaux, Boschendal, Cape Town, Cape Winelands, Cape Winelands District, Chris von Ulmenstein, Creation, Delaire Graff, Dr von Schlicht, Eat Out, Eric Bulpitt, Fyndraai, Grande Provence, Joan Isham, La Motte, Mainz, Marilyn Martin, Mayor, Mendoza, Napa, Napa Valley, Overture, Peter Veldsman, Philip Engelen, Porto, Reuben Riffel, Rheinhessen, Richard Carstens, Rioja, Rust en Vrede, Samarie Smith, San Francisco, Tom Heinemann, Topsi Venter, Valparaiso, Vergelegen, Waterford, Waterkloof, WhaleTales blog, WOSA

platters_wine_guide_2017 A number of records were broken last night when 94 wines and one brandy were awarded 5 star status at the launch of the Platter’s by Diners Club South African Wine Guide 2017 at the Table Bay Hotel, a new venue, the event having been held at the Mount Nelson for years. The colour of the 2017 Platter’s Guide is Harvest Green. (more…)

Tags: A.A. Badenhorst, Alex Dale, Alheit, Angela Lloyd, Artisinal boutique winery, Beaumont, Beeslaar, Bellingham, Bloemendal, Boplaas, Bosman family, Botanica, Cathy Marston, Cathy van Zyl, Chamonix, chardonnay, Chenin balance, Chris von Ulmenstein, Christine arid an, Dave Swingler, David & Nadia, David Biggs, Delaire Graff, Delheim, DeMorgenzon, Diemersdal, Diner's Club, Donkiesbaai, Edgebaston, Fable, Fiona McDonald, Flagstone, Fleur du Cap, Fram, Glenwood, Greg de Bruyn, Gregory Mutambe, Groot Constantia, Hamilton-Russell, Haskell, Hennie Coetzee, Hermanuspietersfontein, Iona, Joanne Gibson, Jordan, JP Rossouw, Kaapzicht, Keermont, Klein Constantia, Kleine Zalze, La Motte, La Vierge, Laibach, Meerlust, Meeyl Weaver, Moreson, Mount Abora, Mount Nelson, Mulderbosch, Mveme Raats, Nederburg, Newton Johnson, Olifantsberg, Opstal, Perdeberg, Platter's Wine Guide, Porseleinberg, Restless River, Reyneke, Richard Kershaw, Ronnie B Sons, Sadie Family, Samarie Smith, Shannon, Skaap, Spice Route, Spioenkop, Stellar, Stellenbosch Vineyards, Table Bay Hotel, Thorne & daughters, Tim JMes, Tokara, Trizanne, Vondeling, Warwick, WhaleTales blog, Winnie Bowman

Franschhoek is celebrating the best of its white wines, Rosés, and MCCs at Franschhoek Summer Wines, to be held at Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards tomorrow (Saturday 6 February) from 12h00 – 17h00. (more…)

Tags: Akkerdal, Anthonij Rupert Wyne, Bellingham, Black Elephant, Boschendal, Chris von Ulmenstein, Dieu Donne, Franschhoek Summer Wines, Glenwood, Grande Provence, Haute cabriere, La Chataigne, La Couronne, La Motte, La Petite Ferme, Le Lude, Leopard's Leap, Lynx, MCC, Morena, Plaisir de Merle, Rickety Bridge, rose, Rupert & Rothschild, The Franschhoek cellar, WhaleTales blog, white

I have been to The Plettenberg hotel a number of times to eat at its former Sand and now renamed Seafood restaurant. Given that the hotel is five-star graded, a Relais & Chateux property, and under the supervision (long distance) of Eat Out Top 10 Chef Peter Tempelhoff, my expectations are high of the restaurant in being the best in Plett, yet sadly are (more…)

Tags: Annemie Parker, Annette de Villiers, Anthonij Rupert, Beyerskloof, Boschendal, Bouchard Finlayson, Bramon, Buitenverwachting, Camps Bay, Chris von Ulmenstein, Constantia, Eat Out Top 10, Elgin, Elim, Franschhoek, Garden Route, Graham Beck, Grant Parker, Hamilton-Russell, Jacques Bruere, Krone, L'ermitage, La Motte, Louis Kruger, Luka, Moet & Chandon, Newstead, Packwood, Peter Tempelhoff, Plettenberg Bay, plettenvale, Pommery, Radford Dale, Relais & Chateaux, Robertson, Sand, seafood, Stellenbosch, Swartland, The Crags, The Plettenberg, Veuve Clicquot, Villiera, Vriesenhof, Walker Bay, WhaleTales blog

Earlier this year I was shocked to see that the La Motte Culinary Director (and wife of its red wine maker Edmund Terblanche) as well as Kokkedoor judge Hetta van Deventer had reviewed De Warenmarkt for Eat Out. Now it appears from the new Eat Out 2016 magazine that she reviewed a number of Franschhoek and other Boland restaurants (many on wine farms too) that are in direct competition with Pierneef à la Motte restaurant!

At the time that I saw the De Warenmarkt review by Van Deventer I (more…)

Tags: Aileen Lamb, Babel, Babylonstoren, Bastille Festival, Boland, Bosmans, Chris Erasmus, Chris von Ulmenstein, Clos Malvern, Clos Malverne, Culinary Director, Cuvee, De Warenmarkt, Delaire Graff, Eat Out, Edmund Terblanche, Franschhoek, Fyndraai, Genku, Grande Roche, Haute cabriere, Helena's, Hetta van Deventer, Hussar Grill, Jane Broughton, Kitchen at Maison, Kokkedoor, La Motte, Le Bon Vivant, Leopard's Leap, Michael Broughton, Michelle Theron, Oppie Dorp, Paarl, Pierneef a la Motte, Restaurant at Grande Provence, Rossouw's Restaurants, Simonsig, Solms Delta, Somerset West, Stables at Vergelegen, Stellenbosch, Terra Mare, terroir, Towerbosch, Tripadvisor, WhaleTales blog

It could have been a disaster, changing the venue from the Mistico Equestrian Centre outside Paarl to the SunEvents Centre at GrandWest two days prior to the 17th Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards 2015 today. It turned out to be the best Friday the 13th disaster for New Media Publishing, organizers of the Eat Out Awards, described by many as the best Eat Out Awards ever! (more…)

Tags: Abigail Donnelly, Aileen Lamb, Alison McCutcheon, Arno Janse van Rensburg, Bennie Masekwameng, Bertus Basson, bistro 13, Bryan de Carvalho, Camphors at Vergelegen, Cape Town, Carmen Muller, cellars Hohenhort, Chef's Warehouse & Canteen, Chris Erasmus, Chris von Ulmenstein, Claudia Walters, David Higgs, DWEleven-13, Eat Out, Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp, Eric Bulpitt, Five Hundred, flies, Foliage, Foodsters, Franschhoek, Friday 13th, Gauteng, George Jardine, Greenhouse, Gregory Czarnecki, Hetta van Deventer, Indochine, Jackie Cameron, Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine, Jason Lilley, Jason's Bakery, Jenna Lowe, John Shuttleworth, Jordan restaurant, Kristi Lowe, La Colombe, La Motte, Le Quartier Francais, Liam Tomlin, Liz McGrath, Lloyd Jusa, Luke Dale-Roberts, Marthinus Ferreira, Mercedes Benz, Michael Broughton, Michael Coke, Mistico Equestrian Centre, Mosaic Restaurant at The Orient, Nederburg, New Media Publishing, Nic van Wyk, Old Town Italy, Overture, Pete Goffe-Wood, Peter Tempelhoff, Pierneef a la Motte, Pot Luck Club, Rainbow Productions, Restaurant at Newton Johnson, Restaurant at Waterkloof, Restaurant Awards, Richard Carstens, Rossouw's Restaurants, Rupert & Rothschild, Rust en Vrede, Scot Kirton, Siba Mtongana, Somerset West, Stellenbosch, SunExhibits Centre, terroir, The Boiler Room, The Kitchen at Maison, The Pot Luck Club, The Tasting Room, The Test Kitchen, Tokara, Views, Virgil Khan, WhaleTales blog, Woolworths Sustainability Award

Chef Michael Deg of Delaire Graff Restaurant must be a happy man, with the news that the restaurant has been named the Best Winelands Restaurant in our country, in the 2016 Great Wine Capitals Global Network Best of Wine Tourism Awards!

The news must be even more joyous for Chef Michael, given that he was excluded from the Eat Out Top 20 Restaurant (more…)

Tags: Andre Morgenthal, Art and culture, Best of Wine Tourism Awards, Bordeaux, Boschendal, Cape Town, Casablanca, Cavalli, Chris von Ulmensten, Creation, David Collins Studio, Delaire Graff Restaurant, Eat Out, Great Wine Capitals Global Network, La Motte, Mendoza, Michael Deg, Napa, Porto, Rheinhessen, Rioja, Rossouw's Restaurant Guide, San Francisco, Valparaiso, Villiera, WhaleTales blog, Winelands, Winelands Restaurant

Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

* DA Leader Mmusi Maimane has challenged President Jacob Zuma to ‘show leadership’ by repealing the visa regulations, which are costing the country in Tourism arrival declines. Maimane said that an inter-Ministerial committee meeting will take too long to show results.

* The City of Cape Town has been accused of waiting more than three years before it brought a review application about the proposed (more…)

Tags: Bascule Bridge, Bettie Cilliers-Barnard, Candybox, Candystick, Chris von Ulmenstein, City of Cape Town, City Sightseeing South Africa, Clocktower, DA, drawbridge, Food, harbour, Irma Stern, Jacob Zuma, La Motte, La Motte Museum, Maggie Laubser, Mmusi Maimane, Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, Rembrandt and Rupert Art Foundations, SAS Somerset, southern hemisphere, tourism, Two Oceans Aquarium, V&A Waterfront, visa regulations, Whale Cottage Portfolio, WhaleTales, Wine, Winelands Toll Project, Wired Communications

Vicky Cristina’s is the name of a movie made by Woody Allen. Now a Spanish style restaurant with the name of the movie has opened in Camps Bay. Vicky Cristina’s tapas bar y restaurante españo is inexpensive, has an upmarket interior, and good service.

Vicky Cristina’s took over the space from Sofia’s on the upper level of the Camps Bay Promenade, above Pick ‘n Pay, a few months ago. It has sister restaurants in Johannesburg and Durban. The owner of the (more…)

Tags: Boschendal, Camps Bay, Camps Bay Promenade, Chris von Ulmenstein, De Toren, Freixenet, Graham Beck, Haute cabriere, Javier Bardem, Ken Forrester, La Motte, Layla, Meerlust, Moet et Chandon, Mulderbosch, Nick Ochse, Penelope Cruz, Pongracz, Rupert & Rothschild, Scarlett Johannson, tapas bar, Terbedore, The Chocolate Block, Tony Ward, Veuve Clicquot, Vicky Cristina's, Whale Cottage Portfolio, Woody Allen, Yvonne