On Monday I stopped at the Robertson Small Hotel for a bite to eat and a cappuccino, where Monica van Niekerk of Paul René MCC came to greet me, she having been surprised at the hotel with a stork party for the imminent birth of her daughter. She contacted her husband Henk, and he in turn contacted me, inviting me to a tasting of their sparkling wines. Continue reading →
Tag Archives: Wine Concepts
Tracy van Maaren Wines presents its portfolio of fine boutique wines!
Last night I attended the first Tracy van Maaren Wines Trade Tasting, representing a handful of select fine boutique wine estates, held at Auslese. Each of the wine estate’s wines offered for tasting was personally paired with a canapé designed by Chef Harald Bresselschmidt of Aubergine.
Tracy started her wine career by working as PA to Dana Buys at Vrede en Lust. She then moved into the clothing industry, but regretted this move. She returned to the wine industry, working at Jordan. Almost nine years ago she started her company, her first wine clients being Vriesenhof, Raats, and Catherine Marshall. She represents her clients’ wines in the ‘mid to top restaurants’ and independent retailers (e.g. Caroline’s, Wine Concepts, and Vino Pronto) in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, with Paarl and Franschhoek.
Auslese is a renovated house, available to rent for functions, about two blocks from Aubergine. It has a smallish kitchen, and the space was cleverly used to set up tasting tables for nine brands, with Pol Roger (Churchill’s favourite champagne) represented in the entrance hall by Great Domaines’ Derek Kilpin and
their brand new French import Morgan Delacloche.
Arriving at about 18h30, there was no crush, and one could get to easily taste the wines and food pairings, chat to the wine representatives, and to the invited guests, which included John Maytham of Cape Talk, Mark Bland of Expresso, Mandi Jarman of Aquila, Chef Vanessa Marx and her colleague Rumby of Dear Me, Catharina’s Manager Ronel Smidt, sommelier and consultant Jörg Pfützner, John and Lynne Ford, and Mike Duggan of Wine Concepts. Continue reading →
WhaleTales Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines: 30 October
Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines
* Airbus has used research conducted by The London Sleep Centre to widen its seats to 18 inches (45,72 cm), the perfect seat size which allows passengers on long-haul flights to sleep more comfortably and enjoy a deeper sleep.
* The Cape Town Partnership is displaying its work at 6 Spin Street from 6 – 12 November. Entrance is free. (received via media release from Rabbit in a Hat Communications)
* Top Stellenbosch chefs are putting the wine town and its food and wines on show today at Summer Place, a ‘pop-up collaboration of restaurants, wine producers, art, music and fashion’. Every wine on show is paired with a signature dish by Christian Eedes. Chefs on show are Bertus Basson of Overture, Michael Broughton of Terroir, George Jardine of Jordan Restaurant, Christiaan Campbell of Delaire Graff Estate, and Grégory Czarnecki of Waterkloof restaurant, all on the Continue reading →
Gourmet Food and Wine evenings will warm up winter!
One of the exciting things about winter is that a number of restaurants are offering excellent value Gourmet evenings, with top wine makers presenting their wines, paired with special dishes prepared by the chefs of the restaurants. It is a shame that some of the dates clash.
The Pavilion at The Marine Hotel, Hermanus
6 May: Bouchard Finlayson Winery
3 June: Paul Cluver Wines
1 July: Klein Constantia Wine Estate
5 August: Creation Wines
2 September: Hamilton Russell Vineyards & Southern Right
The 5-course dinners, paired with wines, cost R 320 per person. Tel (028) 313-1000
The Grand Café Camps Bay
11 May: Peter Falke Wines
15 June: Stellekaya
13 July: Haute Cabriere
The 3-course food and wine pairing dinner costs R300. Tel (021) 438-4253 NOTE THAT THE RESTAURANT IS CLOSED UNTIL END JULY, CONTRADICTING THE NOTICE ABOUT THE PAIRINGS THEY SENT
The Grand on the Beach
18 May: Antonij Rupert Wines
22 June: Ernst Gouws & Co
20 July: Peter Falke
The 3-course food and wine pairing dinner costs R300. Tel (021) 425-0551
Bosman’s, Grande Roche Hotel, Paarl
27 May: AA Badenhorst Family Wines with winemaker Adi Badenhorst
10 June: The House of Krone with winemaker Matthew Krone
22 July: Glen Carlou with winemaker Arco Laarman
26 August: Backsberg with winemaker Guillaume Nell
3 September: Nederburg Auction Pre-dinner with cellarmaster Razvan Macici
28 October: Raats Family Wines with winemaker Bruwer Raats
The 5-course meal with wine, coffee, canapés and petit fours costs R690. Tel (021) 863-5100
The Garden Room, Mount Nelson Hotel
29 April: Vergelegen with winemaker Andre van Rensburg
27 May: Bouchard Finlayson with winemaker and owner Peter Finlayson
24 June: Neil Ellis Wines with owner Neil Ellis
29 July: Groote Post with winemaker Lukas Wentzel
26 August: Rust en Vrede with winemaker Coenie Snyman
30 September: Deetlefs with winemaker Willie Stofberg
28 October: Boschendal with winemaker Lizelle Gerber
15 November: Moreson with winemaker Clayton Reabow
9 December: Boekenhoutskloof with winemaker Marc Kent.
The 7-course dinner costs R 395 per person with matching wines. Tel (021) 483-1000
Chenin Wine Bar and Restaurant
26 May: Ernie Els Wines
Cost is R 100. Tel (021) 425-2200
Buitenverwachting
28 April: Buitenverwachting winemaker Brad Paton
Cost of the 5-course meal is R460. Tel (021) 794-3522
Nobu at One&Only Cape Town
29 April: Stark-Condé Wines
Cost of the 7-course meal is R R480. Tel (021) 431-5111
What’s On, Watson Street
7 May: Fleur du Cap winemaker Christoff de Wet
Cost of the 6-course dinner and wines is R300 per person or R500 per couple. Tel (021) 422-5652
Marika’s, Gardens
9 May: Mischa and Eventide
6 June: Barton Wines winemaker JP Geyer
4 July: Nabygelegen with winemaker James McKenzie
Cost of 5-course dinner and wines is R 200. Tel (021) 465-2727
1800°C Grill Room, Cape Royale Luxury Hotel
7 May: Hartenberg Estate
2 June: Morgenhof
7 July: Warwick wine estate
4 August: La Motte Wine Estate
Cost of 4-course dinner with welcome drink and wines R335. Tel (021) 430-0506
Casa Nostra, Sea Point
28 May: Fairview
2 July: Klein Constantia
Cost of 4-course meal R230. Tel (021) 433-0187
Bergkelder, Stellenbosch
30 June: Fleur du Cap Unfiltered
Cost of 5-course meal, Wine and Flavoured Salt tasting by Craig Cormack of Sofia’s is R400. Tel (021) 809-8025
French Toast
22 June: L’Avenir Vineyards
6 July: Constantia Glen
3 August : Diemersdal
7 September: Creation Wines
5 October: Rustenberg Wines
Cost of 3-course Tapas and wine pairing R 220 per person. Tel (021) 422-3839.
24 August: Overgaauw vintage port pairing (with David van Velden) with food, R80. Tel (021) 422-3839
Café BonBon, Franschhoek
8 June: Jacoline Haasbroek from My Wyn
22 June: Haut Espoir
4-course dinner and wine pairing R195 per person. Tel (021) 876-3936
La Mouette, Sea Point
8 June: Arco Laarman from Glen Carlou
4-course French theme dinner R240 per person. Tel (021) 433-0856
Swiss & Austrian Social Club, Sea Point
11 June: Waverley Hills Organic Wines
5-course dinner paired with five wines R250. Tel (021) 434-8405
Fork
19 July: Joubert-Tradauw
9-course emal paired with wines R225. Tel (021) 424-6334
15 on Orange
21 July: Warwick wines
6-course meal paired with wines R295. Tel (021) 469-8000
Knife Restaurant
27 July: Glenwood Wines
4-course meal paired with wines R220. Tel (021) 551-5000
Warwick Wine Estate
22 and 29 July: 4-course dinner paired with Warwick wines, celebrating Stellenbosch Wine Festival. R390. Tel (021) 884-4410
The Class Room, Hermanus
12 August: Rust en Vrede
3-course dinner paired with wines R195. Tel (028) 316-3582
Harvey’s at Winchester Mansions
3 August: Avontuur Wine Estate
5-course dinner paired with 7 Avontuur wines R345. Tel (021) 434-2351
5 October: Luddite
5-course dinner paired with 6 Luddite wines at R345 per person Tel (021) 434-2351
Sinn’s, Wembley Square
25 August: Durbanville Hills with winemaker Wilhelm Coetzee
4-course dinner paired with 4 wines R225. Tel (021) 465-0967
Pure Restaurant, Hout Bay Manor
24 September: Groote Post wine estate
5-course dinner paired with wines R 260. Tel (021) 791-9393
96 Winery Road
28 September: Van Ryn’s
4-course dinner paired with Van Ryn’s brandy R320. Tel (021) 842-2020
Cassia Restaurant, Nitida wine estate, Durbanville
30 September: Nitida wines
4-course dinner paired with Nitida wines R 300. Tel (021) 976-0640
Bayside Café, Camps Bay
30 September: Beyerskloof Wines
5-course dinner paired with Beyerskloof Wines R 175 per person. Tel (021) 438-2650
Clos Malverne, Stellenbosch
28 October: Clos Malverne wines
5-course dinner paired with Clos Malverne wines R 445. Tel (021) 865-2022
La Residence, Franschhoek
18 November: Waterford Wines with winemaker Francois Haasbroek
6-course Dinner paired with Waterford wines R 800. Tel (021) 876-4100
The Vineyard Hotel
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Friday 13 May |
Schalk Burger & Sons |
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Friday 27 May |
Warwick & Vilafonté |
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Friday 10 June |
West Coast Wines with Tierhoek |
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Friday 24 June |
Stellakaya with Ntsiki Biyela |
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Friday 1 July |
La Motte |
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Friday 15 July |
Solms Delta Wine Estate |
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Friday 5 August |
Dombeya Wines with Rianie Strydom |
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Friday 19 August |
Catherine Marshall Wines |
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Friday 2 September |
Meerlust Wine Estate |
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Friday 16 September |
Favourites from Wine Concepts |
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Friday 7 October |
Hermanuspietersfontein |
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Friday 21 October |
Wines from the Swartland (Kloovenburg, Babylon’s Peak) |
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Friday 28 October |
Constantia Valley Wines
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The dinner costs R 250 per person. Tel (021) 657-4500.
Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage