A tanker in one of the wonderful sunsets we see
in winter
Midwinter
brings a touch of peace to the hectic life we usually lead. We went to one of
our favourite wine-producing areas, Midwinter brings a touch of peace to the hectic life we usually lead. We went to one of our favourite wine-producing areas, Robertson and its near neighbours Montagu and Bonnievale, with members of our wine club and had an enjoyable weekend visiting some of our favourite farms with good friends – and spent some time doing some essential sorting at home. But, a luta continua, as some say, and the pace is hotting up again, more of which next week, with members of our wine club
and had an enjoyable weekend visiting some of our favourite farms with good
friends – and spent some time doing some essential sorting at home. But, a luta continua, as some say, and the
pace is hotting up again, more of which next week
Mimosa Lodge, Montagu Once a year Lynne organises a trip to some part of our rich Cape winelands for members of our wine club the Oenophiles. Last year we stayed at Laborie’s in Paarl, the previous year we were in Wellington at Dunston and this year we ventured to Montagu to stay at Mimosa Lodge. Montagu has lots of good accommodation but, nowadays, not so much wine, so the weekend featured some trips through the pass to Robertson and Bonnievale. Montagu is a lovely old country town filled with beautifully restored houses and lots of pub restaurants
Lunch at Melissa's, Du Toitskloof winery; supper at Ye Olde Tavern, Montagu The trip to Montagu takes about 2 to 2½ hours and we wanted to stop along the way at Du Toitskloof winery near Rawsonville to buy some of their Nebbiolo, an Italian grape that produces wildness and richness in this cherry and spice supple red wine. It was also a chance to stop for some lunch
Lunch at Melissa's, Du Toitskloof winery; supper at Ye Olde Tavern, Montagu The trip to Montagu takes about 2 to 2½ hours and we wanted to stop along the way at Du Toitskloof winery near Rawsonville to buy some of their Nebbiolo, an Italian grape that produces wildness and richness in this cherry and spice supple red wine. It was also a chance to stop for some lunch
Tasting
the wines of De Wetshof and Arendsig Saturday morning in Montagu dawned fair
but chilly and we set off for our first appointment for a splendid tasting at
De Wetshof in Robertson. There are major road works on the road through the
Montagu pass which will last up to 3 years as they are remaking the road, which
was washed away in floods in recent years and they are also widening it, so
blasting takes place twice a week, when the road is closed for a few hours.
There is a stop and go procedure but we only ever had to wait about 2 minutes
at the stop this weekend. SO if you plan to travel in that direction, do check
out the situation so that it doesn't delay you
A bubble or two at Graham Beck, then lunch at Nuy on the
Hill Sunday morning in Montagu was warm and
sunny at last and, after breakfast and checking out, we all wanted to explore
the town a little. The Breyten Breytenbach festival was on and we headed for
the art exhibition at the gallery in the KWV premises in town. Lynne was also
on a crusade to find some fresh country eggs. There was some interesting art in
the centre and there was a session going on in a back hall with a writer so we
had to shush. There were some breathtaking quilts on display upstairs. Then we
were off to Graham Beck winery to taste some of their MCC bubblies
Lunch from the winter menu at Haute Cabrière, Franschhoek Last Tuesday, we headed off to Franschhoek
and it was the first of three visits we will be making in the next two weeks.
We had been invited to come and sample the winter menu of the new(ish) chef
Dennis Strydom, who took over at the beginning of the year. It was another
glorious Cape winter day
Recipe
of the week - Clam chowder This
is an old winter favourite and we usually make it with tinned clams found in
the supermarket. But this time Lynne found some raw frozen clams at a seafood
wholesaler and wanted to try it using them. If you want to make this super rich, you can
add a cup of cream. We find this to be rich enough.
2
tins of clams - 4 rashers of fatty bacon, cut into small lardons - 1 T olive
oil - 20 g butter - 1 large onion, finely chopped - 1 stick of celery, finely chopped - sea
salt - 2 or 3 large potatoes, cut into 1 cm dice - 1.5 Tblspns flour - 1 cup of
clam juice - 1.5 cups full cream milk - 1 T fresh thyme leaves - 1 fresh bay
leaf - Tabasco sauce - Worcester sauce -
freshly ground black pepper - 1 cup water - dry sherry
Drain
the clams but KEEP the liquid aside.
Mince the clams if they are large. Fry the bacon in the oil until it is
brown and crisp. Add the butter and the onions to the pot and season with some
salt. Fry for five minutes until the onions are transparent. Add the celery and
fry for another five minutes. Add the
potato and fry together for 5 minutes. Then add the flour and stir well to
incorporate it. Add the clam juice and then quickly stir in the milk. Make sure
there are no lumps and everything is incorporated. It will start to thicken. Add
the thyme, the bay leaf and a good grinding of black pepper. Add more milk or
any remaining clam juice if it gets too thick or the water if it is too creamy.
Cook until the potatoes are soft but not falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir
in the clams. Season with salt and more pepper if necessary and add a dash of
Tabasco and Worcester sauce to your taste. Serve with crisp bread rolls. You can also add
a dash of sherry to the pot just before serving. Add a sprinkling of chopped
parsley for some colour. Should serve 4
If
you can get fresh or frozen clams you will need 1 kilo or 900g of them. Put
into a deep pan with a cup of water, 2 T dry white wine and bring quickly to
the boil, covered. Steam for 7 to 8
minutes then remove any that have opened properly and set aside. Put the lid on
and give the rest another 2 to 3 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Keep
the liquid from the pot and strain it well to remove sand and any shell
fragments. A coffee filter works well. When the open clams have cooled, remove
them from their shells and mince them. Then use them and the liquid as
instructed above.
MENU's Wine of the Week, Arendsig Blok A9 Cabernet
Sauvignon This
lovely juicy red wine is exactly what Cabernet Sauvignon should taste like; you
could use it in a classroom to showcase it.
But it also has so much more. Lots
of cassis (blackcurrant) fruit, great minerality, good wooding that doesn't
overtake the wine, soft chalky tannins from the chalky soil it is grown
on. A food wine and a wine with good
aging potential. Available from the farm at a very reasonable price. You are
getting quality that could cost three times as much, and often does. Go and try it for yourself. Also available
from fine wine merchants. Arendsig means Eagle View. R115 from the farm
7th July 2016
Phones: +27 21 439 3169 / 083 229 1172
/ 083 656 4169
Postal address: 60 Arthurs Rd, Sea Point
8005
Our Adamastor
& Bacchus© tailor-made Wine, Food and Photo tours take small groups (up to 6) to specialist
wine producers who make the best of South Africa’s wines. Have fun while you
learn more about wine and how it is made! Tours can be conducted in English,
German, Norwegian and standard or Dutch-flavoured Afrikaans.
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