Daily Archives: April 2, 2012

Sir Robert Stanford wines & Madre’s Kitchen

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The last stop on our Overberg exploration weekend was Madre’s Kitchen in Stanford.  Madre’s is situated on the Sir Robert Stanford wine estate, so of course it made sense that before we got stuck into lunch, we first did a Sir Robert Stanford wine tasting.  Oh yeah…

The tasting room was honestly one of the prettiest I have seen to date.  Check it out

We got to sample two of their wines.  First their 2010 Sauvignon Blanc which sells for R85 a bottle.  And then their 2009 Shiraz which sells for R180 a botte.

The sauvignon was very easy drinking and I can highly recommend it while we’re still enjoying the last glimpses of summer.  But the real star for me was the shiraz.  I don’t know what’s been going on lately, cause normally I really don’t like shiraz.  But I’ve stumbled upon some really beautiful ones in the last 2 months.  It’s a really nice surprise.

You won’t really find these wines back in Cape Town, but if you email Alta at wines@robertstanfordestate.co.za she can organise to get your wines delivered to you.  Nice & easy.

Now Madre’s Kitchen has the most inviting outdoors dining area.  With vines draped over head…

And duckies & geese playing along side you…

I really can’t think of anything better.  Wait wait… I spoke to soon… freshly baked plaas brood with full fat butter, now that trumps everything. :)

That’s about enough for me… but shame, what about everyone else?

Madre had planned a very special menu for our group and we were treated to a full 3 course spread.   At that point I figured there’s no use fighting it anymore.  I had already stuffed my face with so much food over that weekend, what difference would 3 more courses make? ;)

From left to right: Baked camembert in vine leaves, roast chicken in Hanepoort sauce and then some totally irrisitable chocolate tart with fruits & homemade ice cream.  Yum!

In between meals I also quickly popped into the little decor shop which is also part of Madre’s.  This little place is like a treasure chest of wonderful little goodies:

Make a point to check it out if you’re there…

So this brings us to my final pot belly update for the weekend.  The damage looked a little like this:

At that point I was so full, it felt like the food was actually pushing into my lungs! hehe.  My poor little body just didn’t know what to do with it all anymore…

But hey, a little extra suffering in the gym is a small price to pay for such an amazing weekend away.   I have to say a huge thank you to Nomonde from Cape Town Routes Unlimited (CTRU) for letting me tag along for the ride. And then also to Bjorn Steinbach,Tanya Nefdt, Roxanne Cloete, Clayton Morar and Zane Maqetuka for being such fantastic travel companions.  Mwah!

Hopefully I’ve been able to share a few new things with you guys and that you’re now planning your own little trip out to the Overberg area.  Happy exploring. :)

xxx

Beer tasting @ Birkenhead

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So what the most logical thing to do after a very relaxing river ride?  A beer tasting of course! ;)

The Birkenhead Brewery is situated just outside of Stanford on the R326.  It’s a small micro brewery which also owns the title of being the first brewing estate in the Southern Hemisphere.

Before we got stuck into the fine selection of beers on offer, we got to have a look around the beautiful estate.  As you’ll see from this pic, there’s definitely nothing “micro” about it:
Now if you’re not into beer, no stress.  You can just pop in for a hearty pub lunch or a yummy Sunday buffet spread.  The estate is also the home of Walker Bay Vineyards wines and there’s lots and lots of space for the kiddies to run around and play.

The brewery produces 6 different beers:

  • Honey blonde (6% alc.):
    - Malty with a sweet fruity finish and a touch of honey.  Low in bitterness with a honey aroma.  I guess this one can be best described as a “ladies beer” and can be enjoyed with a slice of lemon.
  • Pilsner (3.5% alc.):
    - A distinctive pilsner with a slighty bitter after taste.
  • Premium Lager (4.5% alc.):
    - Primarily malty, lightly hopped.  Slightly sweeter than your average lager.
  • Birkenhead Pride (4.5% alc.):
    - Full malt flavoured style made with the best English hops.  Biscuity with a dry nutty finish.
  • Chocolate Malt Stout (4.5% alc.):
    - Strong espresso coffee with hints of chocolate, complemented by tangy bitterness and a dry nutty finish.
  • Black Snake (10% alc.):
    - A Birkenhead creation made from Brandy, stout & Honey Blonde ale.  This one’s not for the faint hearted…

We got to taste 5 of the 6 cause it seems the Black Snake is quite a hot seller and they were totally out of stock on that baby.

My favourite by far was the Premium Lager.  I could see myself easily sipping away on one of those on a hot summer’s day.  And I don’t even like beer. :)

Master brewer, Benson, was there to take us through the different beers:

And then we did a brewery tour where he took us through the entire beer making process from brewing, and fermenting…

All the way through to the bottling process:

This machine can bottle about 400 beers per hour. Impressive.

I must say, I now know way more about beer than I ever thought I would care to know.  But I reckon it’s going to give me a bit more cred with die manne. ;)   Plus it was actually really nice to get out of my “wine comfort zone” and try something different.

Wanna organise your own tasting and/or brewery tour?  Contact them on:

  • Tel:  028 341 0183
  • Email: chrisb@birkenhead.co.za

xxx