We received an invitation via the The Peninsula All Suite Hotel PR company Communication Services Africa (CSA) to try out their monthly Wine&Dine evening, which they had paired with Nederburg.  It reflected the diversity of the food offered at the hotel’s Sunset Restaurant, paired with the diverse range of Nederburg wines.

We were welcomed with a glass of Nederburg Brut, which we serve as the welcome drink at our Whale Cottage guest houses in summer.  We sat in the lounge area, and met the other guests sitting at our table, including the very bubbly hotel GM Chris Godenir, later joined by his wife Alison, Megan Drury of CSA and her partner Kris Erasmus, and Xandre Redelinghuys from Food24.  Chris  is a cheeky character, with many jokes up his sleeve, and has run the hotel for 12 years.  Kris is a financial services consultant by day, and a The Journey counselor privately.  With this combination of guests at our table, the discussion became very lively but also spiritual, including past lives, quite unexpected.

Wim Truter is the white wine maker at Nederburg, reporting to Cellar Master Razvan Macici, and was a good speaker in representing his brand. In introducing Wim, Hotel Chris said that Nederburg had been a faithful on restaurant winelists in the past, but had lost this standing. Nederburg is now focusing on getting back to where it once was on winelists, and must be hoping that its sponsorship of MasterChef SA will help.  Wim worked in Australia’s Barossa Valley and the Californian Napa valley before he joined Nederburg. He said that Nederburg is a big brand made with passion, with a tradition in winemaking which goes back to 1791. They are showcasing the focus, attention to detail, and innovation in their winemaking.  The Winemaster’s Reserve is their core range. Continue reading →