Tag Archives: pinotage

Tulbagh Wine Route needs marketing, must extend its tasting times!

Staying in Tulbagh for a wedding this past weekend afforded me the opportunity to visit some of the better known wine estates in the area.  What is surprising is that almost all wineries close on Saturdays at 2 pm, and are not open on Sundays.  Tulbagh promotes itself as a wedding destination, so most visitors to the town would only have two or three hours before a Saturday afternoon wedding to visit the Tulbagh wine estates, and therefore many visitors would not be able to visit them all.

A handy Tulbagh Valley and Village Map with tourist attractions, including the 13 wine estates in Tulbagh, was made available to us at Rijk’s Country House.  An interesting note on the Manley’s website indicates that Tulbagh was previously known as a white wine region, but the earthquake in 1969 changed wine production to red wine (the connection is not explained), and the region now produces fine red wines, Shiraz in particular.

Rijk’s Private Cellar

We stayed at Rijk’s Country House on our first night, and therefore the winetasting at the Rijk’s Private Cellar the next morning was a must.  We had been welcomed with a most generous glass of Shiraz at Rijk’s Country House on arrival, so we were familiar with it on arrival at the tasting room.  I asked the charming Lucilia Turner which were the signature wines, and she said that the Pinotage and Chenin Blanc win the most awards, yet most associate Rijk’s with Shiraz.  I admired Lucilia for her ability to chat, pour and sell her wines to all the visitors, without offending anyone.

The tasting room is extremely functional looking, with a counter in a vast room, creating an echo as it is not filled with enough furniture.  The furniture is wooden tables and chairs, and a far corner has some couches.  Lots of certificates for prizes won by the wines are against the wall.  There is no marketing information about the Rijk’s wines at all to take away, other than the price list.  A folder on the counter contained interesting information about the history of the wine estate, and technical details about the wine-making.   Johan Wiese is the viticulturist, and Pierre Wahl the winemaker.  Günter Brözel, ex-Nederburg, was a consultant to the setting up of the cellar, which was completed  in 1999.

The 136 ha property was bought by Neville Dorrington twenty years, and was named Rijk’s after Rijk Tulbagh, the Governor of the Cape between 1751 – 1771.  The wine estate produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Pinotage, Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc.

The tasting fee is R 10 per wine tasted, but the fee is waived if one buys Rijk’s wines.  One can taste a large selection of wines – Rijk’s Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (R90), Chenin Blanc 2008 (R90), Chenin Blanc Reserve 2007 (R160), Chardonnay 2006 (R90), Chardonnay Reserve 2007 (R160), Fascination 2008 (R120), Iceberg Red 2004 (R70), Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (R120), Pinotage 2006 (R130), Shiraz 2005 (R130), The Crossing 2006 (R80), Bravado 2004 (R120), Rijk’s Estate Syrah 2007 (R250), and Rijk’s Estate The Master (R250.

Rijk’s Private Cellar.  Tel (023) 230-1622. www.rijks.co.za  Monday – Friday 10h00 – 16h00, Saturday 9h00 – 15h00

Saronsberg Winery

I had previously tried the Saronsberg Shiraz, which had come highly recommended, but really did not like it.  I had been recommended on Twitter to visit Saronsberg, and decided to do so, notwithstanding my feelings about the Shiraz, and I am so happy that I did, as this wine estate is completely out of the ordinary, with a very modern tasting room, which seemed a surprise to find in Tulbagh. 

Great care and lots of money appear to have gone into the building, set at the edge of a pond, with interesting looking sculptures by Angus Taylor in the garden attracting one’s attention immediately.  In fact, as one drives in, the sculpture with a stone on its head attracted attention to something different to  expect.   The path leading to the tasting room gives earthiness through a stone walkway, but is very uncomfortable to walk on.  The tasting room is a triple story open plan building, a surprise interior when one enters it.  Downstairs is the tasting room, with a Paul du Toit painting facing the tasting counter.  The two staff members were hard pressed to serve everyone, and seemed disinterested in answering all the questions.  I was referred to the website to find out more about Saronsberg and its owner Nick van Huyssteen, the staff only knowing that he is an entrepreneur from Pretoria, and a property developer, who bought the land from Twee Jonge Gezellen in 2002, naming it Saronsberg after a local mountain.  The tasting room was completed in 2003, and the first grapes were harvested in 2004.  Van Huyssteen is about to open an art gallery near or in the Old Biscuit Mill, the staff said.  A Grand Piano is also in the tasting room, and the wine tasting assistant told me that it is used for events, if they are asked very nicely to host them in their venue.  There are also two long wooden wine tasting tables, surprising with the Philippe Starke ghost chairs placed around them.

Upstairs, over two levels, are the works of art from Van Huyssteen’s private collection, including three by Christo Coetzee, as well as works by Jan Vermeiren,  Walter Battis, Norman Catherine, and other artists.  It would have been helpful to have had a pamphlet about the art collection, to explain more about the artists and their paintings and sculptors. 

The tasting fee is R 25 for an unspecified number of wines, and is waived if one buys Saronsberg wines.   I asked the tasting assistant what their signature wine is, and he said that 50 % of their production is Shiraz, it being the only red wine that they produce. The Paul du Toit painting is depicted on the Provenance wine labels.  The winemaker is Cape Winemakers’ Guild member Dewaldt Heyns, and the wines are sold under the following labels:

·         Saronsberg – one can taste Chardonnay 2008 and Viognier 2009, costing R85 each, Shiraz 2008 costs R 150, Full Circle 2008 (a Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre and Viognier blend) costs R 195 and Seismic 2006 (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec blend) costs R 170.  Seismic has won an impressive collection of awards, while the Shiraz has also performed well at the Veritas and Michelangelo Awards 2010.

·         Provenance includes in its range Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R60), Shiraz Rosé 2010 (R45), Shiraz 2009 (R95) and Rooi 2009 (R95) 

·        Nick & Forti’s has three wines, but the Shiraz 2006 and Epicenter Red 2006 are not available for tasting, yet can be bought at R75 each. The Viognier 2008 is available to taste, and costs R65. The name for this sub-brand is made up of Van Huyssteen’s name as well as that of Forti Mazzone, the owner of Pretoria restaurant Ritrovo Ristorante.

·      Saronsberg MCC Vintage Brut costs R120 for the 2007 vintage

Saronsberg’s pay-off line is “A Passage to all senses”, and “Discover – Listen – Breathe – Feel – Taste” is the mantra of this estate.

We left, feeling disappointed that the wealth of art and investment in Saronsberg is not matched by the tasting assistants, who were functional wine pourers and payment takers, but did not spontaneously volunteer one piece of information about their wines.

Saronsberg Winery, Tel (023) 230-0707 www.saronsberg.com   Twitter: @Saronsberg  Monday – Friday 8h30 – 17h00, Saturday 10h00 – 14h00.

Manley Private Cellar

We stayed at Manley’s Wine Lodge on our second night of the weekend, and the manager Alicea was sweet enough to offer to do a wine tasting with us on Sunday, as we had run out of time on Saturday.  She did add that she was not a professional wine assistant, being employed to run the guest house.  The owner of the wine farm is David Ovenden from London, who visits regularly.

We were recommended the Shiraz, which covers 2,9 ha of the farm, Cabernet Sauvignon makes up 1,75 ha and the Merlot, Pinotage Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc a hectare each.  The Shiraz has a 4-star rating by Platter and an International Wine Challenge silver.  Alicea said that the Shiraz 2007 and Pinotage 2009 are the best sellers, each costing R85, as do the Merlot 2008 and Cabernet Sauvignon 2008.  A Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 blend costs R80, Thatch House Red 2009 R 50, and Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2010 blend R65.  The Tasting fee costs R 25 for an unlimited number of wines, but is waived if one buys any wine.

The tasting room is very unimpressive, with a cottagey look, with three small wooden tables.  Bigger groups can do the tasting outside.  Big blow-up posters of each of the Manley wines decorate the wall.   On weekdays one can be lucky to have the winemaker Stefan Hartman do the tastings, while on Saturdays it is done by Theo.

Manley Private Cellar, Tel (023) 230-0582. www.manleywinelodge.co.za  Monday – Friday 9h00 – 17h00, Saturday 10h00 – 14h00.

Montpellier

We popped in at Montpellier on our way back from Saronsberg, and were surprised to see so many cars on the estate.  We could not find the tasting room open, it having a note to say that it closes at midday on Saturdays. Clearly they had a function at the wine estate.  We saw a sweet-looking chapel in the vineyards some distance away as we were driving towards Montpellier.

Montpellier.  Tel (023) 230-0656. www.montpellier.co.za  Monday – Friday 9h00 – 16h00, Saturday 9h00 – 12h00 

Other wine estates in Tulbagh

·          Drostdy Hof Wines : Tel (023) 230-0203. www.drostdyhof.co.za  Monday – Friday 10h00 – 17h00, Saturdays 10h00 – 14h00

 

·         Lemberg is a Boutique Winery, started in 1978 by Janey Muller. Now the winemaker is Henk du Bruyn.  Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, Shiraz and Pinotage.  Tel 082 749 7585. www.lemberg.co.za  Monday – Friday 9h00 – 16h00, Saturday  10h00 – 14h00

 

·         Theuniskraal Wine Estate was bought by the Jordaan family in 1927, and is associated with Riesling, even though it also makes Semillon Chardonnay , Bouquet Blanc, Prestige and Rosé.  Tel (023) 230-0687. www.theuniskraal.co.za . Open Monday – Friday 9h00 – 12h00 and 13h00 – 17h00, Weekends 10h00 – 12h30.

 

·         Tulbagh Winery was founded in 1906, and produces a wide variety of wines: Chenin Blanc, Colombard/Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rosé, Dry White, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Pinotage, Shiraz/Pinotage, Dry Red, Klein Tulbagh Range, and Paddagang Fortified Range.  Tel (023) 230-1001. www.tulbaghwine.co.za  Monday – Friday 8h00 – 17h00, Saturday 9h00 – 13h00.

 

·         Twee Jonge Gezellen Estate –  The House of Krone offers underground MCC cellar tours. Tel (023) 230-0680. www.houseofkrone.co.za   Monday – Friday 11h00 and 15h00, Saturdays 11h00.

 

·         Waverley Hills Organic Estate offers organic wines and olive products.  Tel (023) 231-0002. www.waverleyhills.co.za  Monday – Saturday 10h00 – 16h00, Sunday 11h00 – 15h00.

 

·         Schalkenbosch – Edenhof Wines. Tel (023) 230-0654. www.schalkenbosch.co.za  Tasting by appointment.

 

·         Blue Crane Vineyards Tel (023) 230-0823. www.bluecrane.co.za  Tasting by appointment.

 

·         De Heuvel Wine & Olive Estate Tel (023) 230-0350  www.deheuvelestate.co.za  Monday – Friday 9h00 – 17h00, Saturday 9h00 – 14h00    

 
 
 

 

Generally marketing is not a strength of the wine estates in this region, characterised by extremes in the estates presenting themselves – from the unexciting Rijk’s and Manley tasting rooms, to the avantgarde and colourful Saronsberg.  In general all wine estates were guilty of not providing brochures or any marketing collateral for visitors to the Tulbagh wine estates to take home, bar a little pamphlet at Saronsberg.  All wine estates were on the Tulbagh map, but this just provides contact details and opening hours.  The Tulbagh Tourism brochure does not even list all the wine estates, probably because it costs to be listed in it. Saronsberg is the only Tulbagh wine estate to be on Twitter, it would appear.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com   Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Blog with passion, Food & Wine Bloggers advised

Food and wine bloggers should blog with passion, they were told by both wine blogger Dusan Jelic and food blogger Linda Harding, who addressed the first meeting of the Food & Wine Bloggers’ Club of 2011 and which was held at Pigalle Restaurant.   It was the largest attendance in the nine-month history of the Bloggers’ Club, and representatives of food and wine PR companies, food bloggers, wine bloggers, wine estates, and even the author of “Pinotage’, the only book written about this wine variety, UK-based Peter May, attended.

Dusan Jelic introduced the bloggers to wines he had brought along from Wederwill (12°C  and 17°C) and Avontuur (Vintner’s Blend Rosé and their Brut).    Dusan started working as the Social  Networking and Media Manager of wine.co.za in May last year, and he embraces Facebook, blogging and Twitter for the company, spending about 9,5 hours daily with social media.  His company’s website is the most comprehensive data base of wine information in South Africa, it was said.   He gave bloggers the following tips:

1.  Always be honest in what you say and write. One’s “reputation is priceless”, he said.

2.   Wine education is important, and should be constantly improved.  Dusan praised the Cape Wine Academy, as being a top-class institution, and its courses at three levels.  He himself is currently studying for his Diploma.  

3.   Dusan advised social media users to ‘don’t drink and Tweet’.  He warned that it “reveals deep fears and thoughts”, and gives away more about oneself than one would have wanted to.

4.   Have integrity, because you will be found out.  Dusan quoted winemaker Abrie Bruwer of Springfield, who has not released one of his 1999 wines, because it is not ready yet.  It could have been launched and earn revenue, but the brand would have suffered.  One cannot fake passion and work ethic, Dusan said.

5.   Trust your palate – Dusan explained about the different wine evaluation methods used, including the Decanter score out of 100, and the South African score out of 20.  Platter uses stars.   He said one should respect those wine drinkers who are able to express what they can smell and taste in a wine.   As one develops one skills, one will be able to smell and taste specific fruits.  Dusan advised one to be relaxed when tasting a wine:  “wine is a living thing”, he said, and advised that it was acceptable to ‘slurp’ one’s wine when tasting it, to bring in air.

6.   Do not be a freeloader.  Freebies must be acknowledged in blogging.  Give the sponsored brand credit, but also point out its weaknesses, if relevant.

7.  Do not write monotonously, approach an evaluation positively, and present the aspects which need to be improved.

8.   However, in contrast, Dusan said that one should not be a “people pleaser” in one’s blogging, as one would not have credibility.

Dusan was asked which wine blogs he reads regularly, and his list includes Simon Back from Backsberg, and Emile Joubert from Wine Goggle, both previous speakers at Food & Wine Bloggers’ Club meetings.   He said that wine tasting was the beginning, but the ultimate was the pairing of wine and food.

Linda Harding is a bubbly blogger, who only started her blog Squashed Tomato, based on the title of a book she read as a child, in May last year.  She is an intern for Eat In and Eat Out, and works in tasting rooms too.  She described herself, highlighting that it is important to read other bloggers’ blogs, to get to know them and their personality, and that will determine who one will follow on Twitter and whose blogs one will read, she said.  Linda is a Sagittarian, and her star sign defines who she is.  She describes herself as a “flexitarian” as far as her eating goes, eating anything, especially seafood, but she once was a vegetarian!   Linda only started cooking four years ago, and blogs about her recipes, which are quick and easy to do and do not need expensive ingredients.    She started off using her cellphone camera, and has ‘progressed’ to a “mik en druk”, she laughed. 

From input gleaned from other food bloggers, Linda presented a list of food trends for 2011:

1.  Food markets are increasingly the source of purchase, away from supermarkets

2.   Eating out will increasingly be for lunch on weekends

3.  Fruit-based desserts will become increasingly popular

4.  Restaurants serving all-day breakfasts are on trend

5.   Meat will increasingly be bought from butchers who have personal relationships with the farmers that supply their meat

6.  Serving tapas in restaurants is a strong trend

7.   Good value for money quality offers will be a success formula for restaurants.

8.   Meat-free Mondays will grow in support

9.   Artisan bakers will receive increasing support

10.  Greater awareness of food origin and reading of pack labels.

Linda sees Twitter as an important networking tool, and it reflects what one is passionate about.  To be re-tweeted by Spit & Swallow, with their more than 6000 followers, is first prize, she said.   Linda advised bloggers to ‘write for what you want, for what you enjoy, and not for what you think others want’.   She also advised one to read other blogs regularly, and to evaluate their layout and photographs.  To build relationships and to receive support and traffic, bloggers must give by commenting on others’ blogposts.   One should use one’s own photographs, where possible.   Images are vital, as ‘one eats with one’s eyes’.  Spelling mistakes are unforgivable, especially as most blog platforms have a spellchecker.   One should become a real person on Twitter, sharing not just business information (such as a new blog post), but allow one’s personal side to come through as well, she advised.   Keeping awareness on Twitter throughout the day is vital, due to the volume of Tweets one is exposed to, but she advised against retweeting one’s blog link more than once a day.

The Food & Wine Bloggers’ Club was formed to allow food and wine bloggers to meet other more established bloggers, to learn from them but also to network with them.  There is no formal blogging course, and the Food & Wine Bloggers’ Club assists in growing the body of knowledge about blogging, through the sharing of information.   It also is an opportunity to taste good wines, and to sample good restaurant food.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com  Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Wine News: Allée Bleue tickled pink at launch of new Brut Rosé

Last week Allée Bleue launched its first sparkling wine, the Brut Rosé 2009, and dressed up its lunch venue in pink, in contrast to its blue corporate colour.  Flowers on the tables were pink, pink and white balloons decorated the entrance to the venue, and GM Wolfgang Leyrer wore a pink jersey in honour of the event.

The new Brut Rosé is made from 53% chenin blanc and 47% pinotage, and has “delicate flavours of strawberries, rose petals and candy floss”, according to the tasting notes.  The wine spent 10 months on the lees.  Only 6000 bottles have been made. 

Using the colour and flavour descriptions as a cue, the food and wine journalists and bloggers invited to the celebration of the new bubbly were treated to a most wonderful lunch:

*  The starter was a Trio of Salmon, with wasabi cream, beautifully presented.

*  The main course was Chicken Supreme and prawns in a saffron sauce

*   The most beautiful of the three courses was the strawberry dessert, a strawberry pannacotta surrounded by fresh strawberry slices

For the past 18 months Allée Bleue GM Wolfgang Leyrer has been driving the development of the wine estate, now the largest venue in Franschhoek as far as weddings go, and he was proud to announce that 50 weddings have been booked for the season ahead already, held in their new Grand Hall, which was launched in March and can seat 300 guests.  The new Brut Rosé will largely be used for wedding events, and will only be sold on the estate, at R89,50.

Winemaker Van Zyl Du Toit introduced his new Chenin Blanc 2010, made from Walker Bay and Franschhoek grapes, which was also served to the guests, costing R39.  It is so new that it still has to be labelled.   A Rosé 2010 was also served with the lunch, with a distinctive deep pink colour, and a dry taste.  It costs R32. 

A new chef Glen Ferris has been appointed for the Bistro, and he is currently doing an exchange at Schwarzer Adler, a Michelin two-star restaurant in the Black Forest in Germany.

Allée Bleue is a wine estate to watch, as it is constantly moving ahead with new developments, within a culture of German excellence.  The owners of the wine estate are the Dauphin family from Germany.

Allée Bleue, R45, Franschhoek. Tel (021) 874-1021 www.alleebleue.com Twitter: @AlleeBleue

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.comTwitter: @WhaleCottage

Restaurant Review: The Grillroom – restaurant, butchery and vinoteque all in one

The Grillroom opened on the main road of Franschhoek, not far from the Huguenot Monument, in a historic building belonging to Franschhoek property mogul Trevor Kirsten, almost two months ago.   The owner of the restaurant is Franschhoek restaurateur Matthew Gordon, who owns Haute Cabriere, French Connection (with Kirsten as well), and is a co-owner of Cotage Fromage on Vrede & Lust wine estate.   It opened as a unique one-stop restaurant, butchery and vinoteque.

The building has an L-shape, and allows the restaurant to be divided into three separate sections – the main restaurant section has about 10 tables, and a welcoming fireplace for those cold Franschhoek winter nights.  The butchery section is much smaller, whilst a private dining room upstairs can seat about 16 guests.  The Vinoteque is also upstairs.

The restaurant interior is sparsely decorated, with some black and white photographs.  Red light fittings dominate.   Raw brickwork gives the restaurant a cosy informal feel, not as gourmet as some of the other restaurants on the same road in this gourmet village of note.

Before we looked at the menu, we are told about an extensive list of non-steak specials, mainly seafood ones, which seemed to contradict the “steakhouse” feel of the restaurant.   The no-nonsense menu is a large A3, and introduces the restaurant: “It is a restaurant that takes pains to source the finest meat and age it to perfection.  Only the freshest fish and shellfish from the sustainable list is served.  Each plate is masterfully created for your enjoyment.  Match this with a winelist of international standards and friendly, informed staff.   All our beef is aged for a minimum of 2 weeks before delivery to us.   We then wet age it in a vac pac for a further week before it gets put onto your plate.  We only deal with one producer and our meat is fully traceable to its source to guarantee quality”.

The starter list offers a choice of eight starters, including a “modern day king prawn cocktail with avocado and spicy cocktail sauce” (nice generous portion of juicy prawns, 3 slices of avocado, and too many leaves, tasty cocktail sauce); salmon sashimi; mussels, chicken liver pate and Grabouw wors with chakalaka (a surprise!).  Four salad options are offered, ranging from R 48 for a roasted butternut, beetroot, tomato and chickpea salad with humus, to R78 for a seafood style salad.

The mains are served with delicious crispy thin cut French fries (a Gordon speciality, I have been told, with his mussels), baked potato with sour cream, black mushroom couscous, or savoury rice.  In addition, stir-fried vegetables were also served.  Fillet steak is served in 200 g and 250 g cuts, at R115 and R135, respectively, sirloin and rump R98 for 300 g, 300 g Hanger steak at R88, a 500 g T-bone costs R115 and a 300 g Rib eye steak R105.  A range of sauces can be ordered for an additional R18.  A choice of bastings and of rubs is offered, according to the menu, but was not asked by the waitress (we only saw this after we had left).  My rump steak had a strong peppercorn taste to it, and burnt my mouth when I bit onto the peppercorns.  I expected it to be served plain.   My colleague’s spicy chicken stirfry dish, a special, was to her liking, and was not too strongly spiced. 

Venison is also served, two springbok dishes cost R 125 and R 135.  Beef, ostrich, lamb, chicken and vegetarian burgers are offered, costing R65 – R95.   A list of favourites, such as duck (R125), lamb shank (R95), veal chop (R130), ribs (R110), baby chicken (R95) and calamari (R90) can also be ordered.   Fish is treated as a daily special, but Norwegian salmon is regularly available at R130, as is a mussel dish.  Subject to availability, prawns, crayfish, langoustines, and seafood platters can be ordered.   Dessert choices are limited to creme brulee, chocolate mud cake, pear tart tatin, chocolate spring rolls, at about R40, and a cheese board.

An A3-sized winelist offers an impressive selection of 160 wines, about half of them being from Franschhoek.   The list has a very brief description of the cultivar offered, and lists the region in which the wine is made.   Unfortunately the vintages are not denoted.   All 15 wines-by-the-glass are from Franschhoek wine estates, and are most reasonably priced at about R 25 for the red and white wines.  I was offered a tasting portion of the Eikehof Shiraz first, without asking, and then a generous glassful was poured.  Champagnes are stocked, ranging from R 395 for the Tribaut Brut Rose to R995 for the Bollinger Special Cuvee. Cap Classiques are reasonably priced between R140 – R240, Sauvignon Blancs cost R95 – R250, Chardonnay R90 – R350, Shiraz R95 – R950, Cabernet Sauvignon R95 – R795, Merlot R125 – R285, and Pinotage R120 – R495.  A range of dessert wines is also available. 

The Butchery of The Grillroom  sells 3-week aged beef to take home.  Fillet costs R143 per kg, rump and sirloin R80 per kg, Boerewors R48 per kg, Rib Eye steak R84 per kg, hangar steak R58 per kg, and T-bone steak R88 per kg.   The Vinoteque sells all the wines that are on the winelist, as a wine shop, and restaurant patrons are invited to select a wine from it for their meal. 

The Grillhouse will give locals and visitors to Franschhoek a different style of wining and dining – no-nonsense in an unusual building – historic on the outside, and modern facebrick inside , with friendly staff.   It is a big space to fill.  One wonders how all the restaurants in the village will keep going in winter, when we were one of only 2 tables on a cold wintry mid-week evening.

A request for a photograph to be e-mailed to me for the review was actioned immediately that evening, which is commendable.  A follow-up visit for a cappuccino and pear tart tatin (requested with real cream) over the Franschhoek Literary Festival allowed me to try a dessert, and to meet Dominic Dear, the GM of the restaurant, with a professional and very friendly touch.   The Head Chef is Geraldine White, previously from Dieu Donne in Franschhoek.

The Grillhouse, Heritage Square, Huguenot Street, tel 021 876-2548.  www.thegrillroom.co.za (no content).

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com.