Bubbles & great company at the WineStyle Summer Wine Party

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Karisa

Cape Town can be a bit of a temperamental diva sometimes… just look at this weather I woke up to on the day I was supposed to rock a well thought out white ensemble consisting of the cutest lace shorts and pretty blouse:

Ja hey… that’s wasn’t gonna happen… It was jeans and a flippen jersey for me…

But you know what, this certainly was not going to stop me from having a great time at the WineStyle Summer Wine Party – I just wasn’t going to win a prize for best summer white outfit, and I could totally live with that as long as I had copious amounts of wine at my disposal.

The party went down at Simon’s restaurant on the beautiful Groot Constantia wine estate. It might have been cold & rainy outside, but it was nice & cosy inside, which made for perfect wine drinking conditions (yes yes, I do realise that one can pretty much make any conditions “perfect wine drinking conditions”, but hey it makes for a better story OK).

Being a Fri evening after a looooong work week, the gang (consisting of Clouds, Leigh, Chelle & myself) decided we’d focus our energies on the bubbly options, and this way properly celebrate the start of the weekend…

To kick off we started with the fancy stuff, a 2009 Vintage Cuvée MCC from GM & Ahrens in Franschhoek. They make their bubbly in small quantities only – in fact, only 250 cases are available with 6 bottles each (at R345 per bottle). You have to register to be eligible for a case and if none are available, they’ll put you on the waiting list. And get this, once you’ve been given a case #, that will be your unique case # for as long as you decide to keep refilling that order (and I’m sure you will be). FYI – case 71 is currently up for grabs… #justsaying

Loved that the GM & Ahrens gentlemen really got into the spirit of things with their touch of French flair… magnifique!

Next up was the lovely Brut Nature MCC by Saltare Wines from the Stellenbosch wine region. They say it spends a minimum of 18 months on the lees (which refers to deposits of dead/residual yeast & other particles that drops to the bottom of a vat after fermentation) and they don’t add any sugar or sulphur once it’s disgorged (that’s the process of removing the lees). The dates of bottling & disgorgement are actually printed on each label so you can confirm exactly how long each bottle had spent on the lees. As I understand it, the longer on the lees, the better.

Wine cellar price per bottle – R140 (R120 each if you buy a case of 6)

Villiera is a Stellenbosch wine farm I know quite well, they make some really nice Sauvignons & Chenins, and I’ve also sampled their Tradition Brut NV MCC which I quite enjoyed. Here however we got to try two MCCs in their range which I haven’t tried before. The first was their Starlight Brut NV which is a “light” MCC with just under 10% alcohol (compared to the usual approx. 12%). The second was their Tradition Rosé Brut NV, a lovely pink bubbly made from a mix of Pinot Noir, Pinotage & Chardonnay.

I see both sell for R105 per bottle on wine.co.za (and they’re apparently just over R80 from the cellar), so it’s a really great deal. Both are also really fresh & drink-sum-morish, which explains why we lingered here for quite some time… (and purchased a bottle or two/three)

The last in my “MCC cravings extravaganza” was an extra special 2008 MCC from High Constantia called the Clos Andre:

The bottle reminded me of a very sexy, curvy lady… Kim K eat your heart out… And if I recall correctly, the lady said they sell for around R220 per bottle (from the cellar). You can also find them at speciality wine shops like Caroline’s as well as the Pick ‘n Pay in Constantia Village.

Now bubbly tasting is a tough job and soon we needed some refueling… I got myself some tasty fish & chips from Simon’s, we grabbed a big table and settled in for an evening of great laughs & conversation.

A huge thanks to Kalinka, the gorgeous lady from WineStyle who organised the event and looked after us so well on the evening. This was the perfect way to end of a rainy Friday and my tastebuds have now been awakened to a whole new range of MCC options I didn’t even know existed. Mission accomplished for sure.

Me with Kalinka

Oh and keep an eye out folks. There should be a Winter Wine Party on the cards again this year. So expect a red wine marathon for the next one…

xxx

Summer wine party at Groot Constantia

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Karisa

Wait wait wait… “Summer”, “wine”& “party” all in the same sentence!? Now that’s what I’m talking about…

WineStyle Magazine will be throwing this little shindig at the beautiful Simon’s restaurant at Groot Constantia from 15 – 16 March and you’re not gonna want to miss out.

I mean imagine this: a great glass of wine in hand, tasty food to snack on from Simon’s, live music in your ear holes, all while chilling under the trees and soaking up what’s left of this amazing summer weather.

I attended their Winter Wine party last year and had an absolute blast. But I can only imagine that great weather is going to make it even better…

At last year’s Winter Wine party…

You’ll be able to sample various great wines, chat to the wine makers, and maybe even pick up some wine making tips if that’s your thing. And on the food side there will be a menu of tapas, gourmet picnic snacks and charcuterie boards on sale. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Here’s all the details you need to know:

Venue: Simon’s restaurant – Groot Constantia
Dates: 15 & 16 March (Friday 4-10pm & Saturday 12-10 pm)
Capacity: 500 people per day
Tickets: R100.00 per person attending (includes a glass & free tasting). Hop on over to Webtickets over here to get yours.
Dress code: Come dressed in Summer whites – and you may win some prizes…

See you guys there.

xxx

If you’re looking for a wedding venue, Molenvliet’s pretty great

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Karisa

A few weeks ago I attended a beautiful wedding at the Molenvliet Wine Estate which is situated between Stellenbosch & Franschhoek on the R310 Helshoogte Road.

At the time, the name of this wine farm didn’t ring any bells, I didn’t think I had ever heard of the place before (or ever sampled any of their wine). It was only afterwards I realised that I’d actually seen the name on a piece that Cape Town Magazine did back in December about the Top 10 wedding venues in Cape Town. (Things were a bit slow in the office OK and I caught myself reading some weird things, I’m certainly no wedding obsessed chicka )

But I could definitely see why Molenvliet made that list, they really do have quite a special setup when it comes to weddings. Basically you start off with the ceremony in a leafy area at the top of the property. Then you take a leisurely stroll down to the reception venue, passing through the shade of some big trees, then down through the vineyards with the Drakenstein and Simonsberg Mountains making for the most impressive backdrop.

We had cute little umbrellas to help with the sun and they also have golf carts for those who have “too much life experience” to still manage the walk.

The reception venue is beautifully nestled in between the vineyards at the bottom of the property, with a big wooden deck on the outside which makes for the perfect spot to enjoy cocktails and canapes while the bridal couple have their piccies done.

I’m not sure how many guests were at this particular wedding, but it was a sizeable group. The Molenvliet website states that they can comfortably accommodate up to 250 guests, banqueting style with a dance floor. So that’s pretty good if you have a big family and every damn third cousin twice removed or whatever has to attend.

Oooh and I can also confirm two things: 1. The wine is good and 2. the food there is amazing. So Molenvliet ticks all the boxes.

If you happen to be in wedding planning mode and you’re looking for a great winelands venue. I can totally recommend looking into this one. And congrats on the engagement!

xxx

A revolution & a street party… sounds like fun

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Karisa

Photo credit: taken from the Swartland Revolution Facebook page

On Sat I’m heading out to the lovely Riebeek Kasteel to join in the fun of the Swartland Independent Street Party, a party which is held to wrap up the 2012 Swartland Revolution.

Riebeek Kasteel is just under 90km outside of Cape Town and the drive takes just over an hour. If you haven’t yet experienced the beauty of the Riebeek Valley, this is definitely one drive you just have to do at some point.

So what’s this Swartland Revolution all about? Well this will be the first time I’m joining in on any of the celebrations, but as I understand it, it’s a 2 day wine fest aimed at creating awareness of the Swartland wine region. Normally one would sign up for the entire weekend. Then you would take part in various wine tasting sessions, award ceremonies, an expert wine talks, as well as a big BBQ on the Fri eve, some breakfast burgers on the Sat and then a big festival feast lunch. It all then finishes off with a bang in the form off a mean street party (this is where I’m joining in) which is open to everyone and for only R100 you will get to taste wines from 23 Swartland wineries. The party also includes various food stalls and live music and you’ll be able to buy wine at cellar door prices. There’s also talk of an after party… hell yeah.

The lovely folks over at Batonage are “revolution veterans” by now and they’ve kindly put together a very helpful survival guide to the weekend over here (read it, there’s some great tips). It’s too late to join in for the full weekend, but as I mentioned, the street party on Sat is open to all. You can buy your tickets via Webtickets over here or you can apparently get them at the door. I also think you’ll battle to still get accommodation BUT organising transport I would say is a very good idea, because drinking & driving is just plain stupid. The revolution folks have got a great contact for transport from Cape Town to the street party & back again and you can check out all the details for that over here.

So to summarise:

What? Street party!!!
Where? Riebeek Kasteel – go for the transport option.
When? Sat, 10 Nov from 14:30 to 17:00 (but then there should still be some after party fun)
Cost? R100 – probably best to sort our your tickets via Webtickets before hand.

So who’s joining me?

xxx

Celebrating Global Champagne Day like true ladies of leisure with Taittinger & The Table Bay

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Karisa

Last Friday I took a half day’s leave (because I knew this was going to be a damn goodie) to join the folks from Taittinger SA at the beautiful Table Bay Hotel to celebrate Global Champagne Day… a day which to be honest, I didn’t even know existed, but was very very happy about because as everyone knows, after diamonds & shoes, champers is a girl’s best friend! Especially if it’s the fancy French kind all the way from the picturesque Reims region in viva la France (I popped in for a visit there a few years back – absolutely stunning)…

Our lovely host, Linette Cox (she from Taittinger SA), had commissioned an incredible cake creation from baking magicians, Charly’s Bakery. It took me a while to spot it, even though it was pretty big, because at first glance it looked like a real Magnum sized bottle of bubbly. Just check this out:

How freakin’ amazing is that??? It’s clear to see why Charly’s remains the go-to-people for cakes. The detail was seriously impressive…

BUT not only did we have this baby to dig into, we also had free reign over the High Tea area. I’ve raved about the High Tea at the Table Bay before here on MLAWCT, but I must say, they really outdid themselves this time round. These are just some of the incredible creations which were on display:

I of course started off with my vegetables… i.e. the icing carrot on that yummy carrot cake…

They even had these really awesome strawberries wearing freakin’ tuxedos!!!

How do you like my date? He’s pretty suave I tell you…

These guys have taken dipped strawberries to the next level for sure. Same goes with koeksisters, theirs comes with gold leaf daaahlings:

: Jislaaik… maar dis flippen fancy ne…

All these beautiful things were thanks to the Table Bay’s total sweetheart of a pastry chef, Chef Robbie:

Beware ladies… a man who specialises in sweet treats will do serious damage to your bikini plans. Code red! Back away!

Celebrating with us was the gorgeous Irma G from Heart 104.9fm and some of my favourite blogger ladies:

And after lots and lots of bubbly & high tea overindulgence, it was time for the official cutting of the champagne cake. I for one was very excited to see what the cake inside looked like…

: Linette doing the honours… and a ha! The famouse Charly’s wicked chocolate cake inside… Mmmmmmm

I have to say a HUGE thank you to Linette, Taittinger SA and the Table Bay for such a great afternoon away from the office. I finally left there at 7pm, and that was simply because I had an engagement party to get to. So a very successful afternoon indeed.

And hey, if you’re also a big champers fan, why not join Taittinger at the James Bond themed “Finer Things in Life” French champagne festival later this month, brought to you by Wine Concepts:

What to expect: More than 20 cuvees from premium and boutique Champagne Houses, James Bond motorcars past and present and live music playing theme songs from James Bond movies. Hot and cold finger food will be served. Oysters, Cheese, Sushi and Chocolates will also be on offer. Generous prizes for lucky ticket holders and a charity auction for a private movie, dinner and stay at the 12 Apostles hotel in aid of St Luke’s Hospice.

Date/time: Fri 23 Nov 2012 from 6pm to 9pm

Where: At the Vineyard Hotel & Spa

Cost: R360 for early bird (still availalbe); R400 normal price

Tickets: Available through Wine Concepts stores or Webtickets over here.

I say cheers to that!

xxx

Diemersfontein’s Pinotage on Tap – still one of my favourite wine fests

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Karisa

This year’s Pinotage on Tap festival on the lovely Diemersfontein Wine Estate (as usual) did not disappoint.

Some people might have thought that the R320 ticket price sounded a bit steep, but when you look at everything you get for it, you realise that you’re actually getting a pretty damn good deal…

First off, you get to spend a long, lazy day in the winelands, soaking up some sun and taking in lots of fresh air:

Then upon arrival you’re kitted out with an awesome goodie bag containing: a wine glass, a bottle of water, some snacks to line that stomach, food tickets for later on in the day and a schedule of events. So basically all the stuff you need to survive the day.

: The cookies was from “Die Koekie Hoekie” – my friends joked that it sounded like the red light district in Benoni or something. hehe.

A BIIIG part of you day then simply involves this:

Yup, they weren’t kidding about the “on tap” part. These barrels were stationed all over the festival area and you literally just put your glass out for a refill whenever you felt like it. No limits, no questions asked. #bliss

Important to note: If you don’t like pinotage, there’s also some white wine you can opt for. But there’s a smaller supply of that.

Other things to do include watching some live acts, like this year they had Dave Fergusson aka Lonesome Dave and Gerald Clark & band to name a few. Or you can ride the mechanical bul, take drunken piccies on the poor hippo statue (if you manage to dodge the security guard) and eat, eat & eat some more!

Then at 3pm they opened the chocolate fountain area – the highlight of my day for sure:

Hell yeah… can anyone say “sugar rush”?

To work off all that energy, everyone headed back to the main area to watch one of my favourite live SA bands, Good Luck:

Who had eveyone on their feet…

Now it’s always easy to spot a “POT virgin” – they are usually the people wearing white. Wearing white to POT is probably the worst idea ever… Why? Well I’ll just let the evidence do the talking:

Major… fail…

It’s dark colours all the way baby. That’s how the pros do it. A huge thanks to the ladies & gents at Diemersfontein for another awesome festival. And a big cheers to next year!

xxx

PS. No drinking & driving at POT. They have busses that run from CT and back. Or you have some options to stay the night. So its super easy.

Amazing experience at the Franschhoek Kitchen on the Holden Manz Wine Estate

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Karisa

I’ve been wanting to tell you guys about this place for a few weeks now… just kept getting side tracked for some reason… but finally, here goes!

My friend Darryn, he who pretty much wins every single competition he enters (yes yes, I know, very annoying) won an amazing 3 course meal for two at the Franschhoek Kitchen which is on the beautiful Holden Manz wine estate, situated just a little bit outside the Franschhoek city centre. I was very lucky to be his plus 1 for this truly special treat and came fully prepared, loose fit pants and all…

The restaurant is an absolute stunner and you just know you’re going to have an amazing time when you sit down and you’re told “have whatever your heart desires”. Yes please!

Beautifully elegant…

It was really pouring down outside, which was a slight bummer, but they had the fire going inside so it was nice & cosy and the cold weather also meant it was the perfect conditions to sip on their ”voluptuous” premium red wine, the Big G 2009. The Big G is a 50% Cab Franc and 50% Cab Sav and has a really great dark ruby colour. It’s both fruity & spicy with a touch of dark chocolate and it certainly went down like a treat.

: The elephant on the logo (just fyi) links back to the fact that the area used to be inhabited by these gentle giants way back in the day.

Now executive chef, Cheyne Morrisby, according to his Twitter profile has actually made Kate Moss eat and is the giver of many food orgasms. I have to say, that sounded pretty damn impressive to me, and I was very very excited to start digging in.

For starters both Darryn and I couldn’t resist the sound of the grilled tiger prawns with lemon & pea risotto and garlic croutons (R65 for starter portion / R140 for main):

This was absolute perfection. Period.

Then for mains, Darryn copied me again and we both had the crisp duck breast with watermelon, sweet miso, sweet potato puree and a red wine & star anise syrup (R155):

Loved the presentation. It was very interesting and it also made it easier for you to get all the different elements in with each bite.

I will admit… I was a little nervous ordering the duck. You see when I travelled through France a few years back I pretty much ate only two things over the 3 weeks I was there: Duck & chocolate fondant. The French just seemed to have mastered these two dishes and I wanted to consume as much of it as possible before heading back home. Since then I’ve at least had some fondants which matched up, but on the duck front, things have been quite disappointing. BUT… I am happy to report… that this duck dish kicked those Frenchies’ butts… hard.

For dessert, Darryn opted for the special of the day - cheesecake with salted caramel sauce:

But of course I had a taste… That salted caramel sauce worked so incredibly well with the cheesecake. This was very tasty.

My chocoholic side instantly zoned in on the 70% Belgian chocolate mousse with salted caramel (R48):

It was so deliciously rich & I really enjoyed all the little sprinklings of things: salted caramel, coconut, pistachio crumbs & I think the other one was biscuit crumbs.

I just have to show you a close up of the texture of that mousse:

It’s so smooth & glossy, it kinda looked fake… mmmmmm, sooooooo good.

So by all the “beautiful, amazing, incredible” references above, it should come as no surprise that my Miss K Kiss-o-Meter rating for the Franschhoek Kitchen @ Holden Manz is:

The service made us feel like total VIPs, the setting was breathtaking and the food… well I had to have a 4 hr afternoon nap afterwards. Nuff said.

Next time you feel like heading out to the winelands, do try to pop in. Call them on 021 876 27 29 to make a reservation.

xxx

The Millhouse Kitchen opens on the Lourensford Wine Estate

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Karisa

Last Thu eve Clouds, Darryn and I headed out to Somerset West for the opening of new restaurant The MillHouse Kitchen which has found its home on the Lourensford Wine Estate.

At first I was worried about outgoing traffic, driving back from there at night and all that good stuff, but the invite said the following:

“Please join Chef Bjorn to celebrate the opening of The Millhouse Kitchen. There will be BUBBLES, WINE & plenty to TASTE from our MENU.”

Now how could one say no to that?

But seriously, I’m so so glad I decided to check it out, because this is going to be a popular hotspot for the summer months to come, I can feel it… Firstly, the Lourensford Wine Estate is grand, elegant and alluring. The kind of place you can easily spend a lazy sunny afternoon, sipping away on a beautiful glass of wine while taking in your surroundings. The Millhouse Kitchen fits snug between the trees, overlooking the lush green Lourensford lawns, with the Helderberg Mountains creating an impressive backdrop. Its wooden outside deck I can picture totally packed with folks wanting to enjoy a good meal while soaking up some rays…

You see what I mean?

Now The Millhouse Kitchen is actually part of the Societi Bistro familly in a way – you see Chef Bjorn is the nephew of Peter Weetman, owner of Societi Bistro (and a few other great CT dining spots) - and I have to say the interior does have that same warm, rustic, country kitchen feel to it. Its comfy & casual but with a touch of luxury. My kinda place.

Upon arrival we got to try their “Rhino’s revenge” cocktail made with Jack Daniel’s Honey:

Drinking for a good cause? Easy peasy! Jack Daniel’s Honey flavour btw is quite yum and I’ m not normally a whiskey fan…

After that we changed over to some Lourensford Merlot and dug into a seriously awesome spread of charcuterie, cheeses, breads & dips. My version of heaven!

This is totally random and very much off topic, but how cute is their kitty wallpaper?

Been considering doing a feature wall with wallpaper in my bedroom for a while. Not saying I’ll go for kitties. But I’m definitely in a wallpaper appreciation zone at the moment…

OK – back to the food. The Millhouse Kitchen menu has some strong French & Italian influences. Sample portions of some of their signature dishes circulated through the crowd so we could get a little taste. I don’t have any pictures for you unfortunately because the food just moved way too fast. But what I can tell you is that the following knocked my socks off (OK – I wasn’t wearing socks, but if I was, boy they’d be hanging off one of the trees outside ):

Mushroom risotto: black truffle oil, slow roasted tomatoes & rocket. (R48 for a starter portion and R70 for a main)
Grilled prawns: pea, lemon & marscapone risotto with pangritata* (R130)
Pork belly: buttered mash, braised red cabbage, apple & bacon sauce (R90)

Then their pizzas are also good: thin crust, crispy with tasty fresh & locally sourced toppings which pop with flavour. I did however spot a wild mushroom and truffle oil pizza (R75) on their menu…. Mmmmmm… truffle oil… seriously, just give me a bottle of that stuff, I’d be a happy chappy.

So, Millhouse Kitchen is open from Tue to Sun for breakfast, lunch & dinner. They have some great breakfast options, just so you know. Think a full house consisting of 2 eggs of your choice, bacon, grilled field mushrooms, roasted tomatoes & toast for only R55. Or an Eggs Florentine for only R45. Then of course freshly bakes goodies, omelettes and more. I also see that they have a special kids menu for those with little ones.

They will definitely be seeing me again. That mushroom risotto in particular is calling my name… and how rude of me would it be not to answer, right?

You can contact Millhouse Kitchen on: 021 847 2328 or info@millhousekitchen.co.za

xxx

* Pangritata (according to my Google research) is an Italian invention and a substitute for parmesan cheese, sometimes referred to as “the poor man’s parmesan”. It’s usually made up of modest ingredients like breadcrumbs toasted in olive oil, garlic, chilli and seasoned with sea salt.

Gorgeous by Graham Beck is exactly as the name says…

Posted on September 3, 2012 by Karisa

When my dear friend Clouds had a birthday last week but decided to be all “oh I don’t really worry about birthday celebrations”, I just had to intervene. I mean did she not know that a birthday is the perfect excuse for the girls to get together for a good drink & skinner session? I was like, right lady, we are celebrating this whether you like it or not… And not only that, we’re going to do it in style dammit!

Because Clouds is a girl who really loves her bubbly, I figured the relatively new (it’s been open for about 7 months) Gorgeous by Graham Beck bubbly bar on the Steenberg Wine Estate would be the perfect spot. I had read about it on Eat Out and have been dying to check it out for a while. So I was really glad that I finally had a solid reason for getting my butt over there.

Now Gorgeous is just soooo beautiful. You can either sit at the bar or slump back onto a comfy couch in one of the semi-private booths, which is what we opted for.

To drink, you can order either by the glass of per bottle. They have both non-vintage & vintage bubbles to choose from. In their non-vintage selection your options are the Graham Beck Brut NV, Brute Rose NV & Bliss NV. All R40 per glass or R200 for a bottle. In their vintage selection your options are the Brut Zero 2005, Blanc de Blanc 2008 & Brut Rose 2008. All of these are slightly pricier at R65 per glass or R325 for a bottle. Or you can really splash out and opt for their Cuvee Clive ’05 which they refer to as a “Icon tier” Methode Cap Classique. With this baby you’ll be paying R100 a glass or R500 for a bottle.

Don’t like bubbly and don’t want to feel outta place? No stress, you can also select from 2 Graham Beck white wines as well as 2 reds. We were feeling in a bit of a pink drink mood, so we opted for the Brut Rose NV:

Cheers ladies! Leigh, me, the birthday girl, Carmen & Elona.

To avoid getting so tipsy that you have to take a little unfabulous nap on the couch, I suggest trying some canapes as well. The snacks are made by the Catharina’s restaurant next door and you can shoose between things like Saldanha Bay Oysters, Thai Ostrich Tartare, Sugar Cured Grilled Salmon Trout and Vanilla Panna Cotta, all ranging from around R18 – R30 per portion.

We went for the cheese board (R55) as well as the Watercress & Goats Cheese Risotto Croquettes (R25):

Even the food is beautiful… and very tasty.

Now I don’t normally run around taking pictures of bathrooms. But the ladies room here was just so stunning I actually had to go back to my seat to get my camera. This is what I want my bathroom to look like one day:

That’s seriously nice, right?

We were having such a great time, just chillin’ and chatting, we ended up staying until dinner time. So we decided some more food was in order. It was then we discovered they do a weekly food & bubbly pairing special and this week’s was spicy seafood soup paired with a glass of Bliss NV for R55:

Firstly I had never tried the Bliss variety MCC before and it was so good I bought a bottle to take home (then you get it at cellar prices, so I only paid R105). And then I don’t normally even eat seafood soup, but after having a little taste of Leigh’s, there was no way I was missing out. It was absolute perfection.

This was such a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I would say this is not a “ja, maybe go check this out sometime” kinda place, this is a “go now because your soul needs it” kinda place. Seriously, go now!

En route back to the car we stopped for a while to take in some of the beauty of the Steenberg Estate. It really feels like you’re far far out of town, in the middle of nowhere, with just vineyards as far as the eye can see, but really you’re only in Tokai and not that far from the bustling city centre. So it makes this such an easy outing…

Important things to know:

Gorgeous is open 7 days a week from 11am to 10pm
They don’t accept bookings. So you just rock up.
You can contact them on: 021 713 7177 or info@gorgeousbygrahambeck.co.za

xxx

The Big Bottle wine festival was BIG

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Karisa

So after my big chow down at High Tea last Sat, instead of going home for a much needed afternoon nap (you know that saying magies vol ogies toe), I went to go check out the Big Bottle Festival which was taking place at The Cellars-Hohenort Hotel in the picturesque Constantia Valley. It was a tough one though, not gonna lie, my eyelids were soooo heavy and my stomach was soooo full… but I’m very glad I sucked it up and pushed through, cause this festival was pretty damn awesome.

This is only the 2nd year that the Big Bottle festival has taken place. I didn’t attend last year’s, but heard a lof of good things about it. So when my friend Darryn won some tickets and asked me to tag along, I was a happy chappy. The session we attended would have cost R400 pp, so that was a pretty sweet saving. Thanks again Darryn! Now I can spend that money on my first love… shoes…

Now the Cellars-Hohenort hotel is seriously stunning, let me show you what I mean:

It is also the home of The Greenhouse, Eat Out’s top restaurant in SA and a dining spot I’ve been dying to try out. I just need to save up a little. So maybe that R400 I saved should rather go towards my savings for this… hmmmm… nah, that’s just crazy talk.

So the name of the festival should give away the fact that there were BIG bottles of wine on show. But how big you ask? Well…

This big bitches!!! hehe

The smallest bottle on show was a Magnum which is 1.5 litres (compared to your standard bottle which is 750ml) and the sizes went up to a Nebuchadnezzar which is 15 liters or about 20 bottles of wine!

For more info on bottle sizes – hop on over here, Wikipedia explains it quite well. Here’s also a really good visual of all the different bottle sizes:

Thanks, I only really need one bottle… now which one will it be… hmmmm.

I also did a cork comparison – this is a standard cork vs a big ass bottle:

I think this bottle was a Jeroboam (a.k.a. Double Magnum – 3 litres)

Anyways, being at a 5 star hotel with the top restaurant in SA obviously meant that everything was top notch daaahlings. There were 40 top SA wineries on show who all brought out the “big guns” in not only the big bottles but also some seriously impressive vintages. I had a few 1999 vintages which blew my hair back. That was clearly a really great wine year. Then they served canapés & sample plates from SA foodie legends like Peter Templehoff from The Greenhouse, Luke Dale-Roberts from The Test Kitchen, Rudi Liebenberg from Planet at the Mount Nelson, Roland Gorgosilich from Bosman’s at The Grande Roche Hotel and Reuben Riffel from Reuben’s restaurant. Now that’s a pretty intimidating list of chefs right there… would love to see these guys on a pro Masterchef showdown…

I’d say definitely keep an eye out for this one next year. Just FYI – There were 3 sessions you could attend. The one we attended was called the “Walk Around” and as I mentioned above cost R400 pp. Then they had two sessions the day before:

One was a Champagne Tasting session at R1250pp:
- Hendrik Snyman, an expert champagne importer & Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) producer took folks through a tasting involving some very rare bubbly.
Then there was a fine dining experience at R1850 pp:
- Executive chef at The Greenhouse, Peter Templehoff, designed a 5 star, 5 course dinner accompanied by perfectly paired fine wines.

That’s quite a lot of money to fork out, I know, but from what I heard it was well worth it. So maybe a good idea to start putting some monies away for next year if you want to splash out.

Right, have a great weekend everyone!

xxx

My Love Affair with Cape Town…

Just random fun in my mother city

Category Archives: Wine appreciation