KWV The Mentors Red Wine Maker, Izele van Blerk There is a very dedicated Wine Team at KWV. It starts in the vineyards with Chief Viticulturist Marco Ventrella sourcing the finest grapes and watching over vineyards of KWV’s grape suppliers. Marco Ventrella, KWV's Chief Viticulturist Once in the cellar, the grapes go to the various
Boschendal in the Groot Drakenstein Valley Boschendal is such a wonderful place to visit as there is just so much to do and see. The beautiful old homestead and its surroundings and wonderful gardens. Breakfast at The Deli Breakfast at The Deli where there is a great choice on the menu and also an array
Boschendal Manor House, the majestic Groot Drakenstein as backdrop Always something new and exciting from Boschendal. Especially in Heritage month where, by tradition now, a whole roast pasture fed Aberdeen Angus ox is roasted over coals. The beef is pasture fed and prepared by Boschendal’s Cattle manager, Jason Carrol. In celebration of National Heritage Day,
Yoga & Wellness Retreat When Friday 26 August to Sunday 28 August 2016 Venue Boschendal Price R2560 per person sharing and R3460 per person not sharing Boschendal Farm is hosting a Yoga & Wellness Retreat with Viktor van der Kleij from 26-28 August. Guests can look forward to an engaging weekend of yoga, healthy food
The Simonsig wine making team, from left Charl Schoeman, Debbie Thompson, Cellarmaster & Owner Johan Malan & Hannes Meyer Wine-lovers will once again be given a rare chance to taste and buy older vintages of wines made on the Simonsig Estate, one of Stellenbosch’s best-known and lauded wine farms. The fourth Simonsig Vintage Wine Day
Alida Ryder's Steak sandwich with whipped goat’s cheese butter Alida says: “Listen, let’s not beat around the bush here. This sandwich is all that and then some. If I do say so myself. There’s just something about a steak sandwich, isn’t there? All that grilled, beefy goodness on good bread? Who could resist. And even
KWV 10 Year Old Potstill Brandy As a child growing up on a wine farm, KWV 10-year-old Potstill Brandy was part of my parent’s drinks cupboard. Often enjoyed by my father in a huge tank of a brandy balloon. He would place it on the table and never swirl it or heat it with his
Oldenburg Vineyards Situated at the top of the Banghoek on Helshoogte Pass, Oldenburg Vineyards, is a very special place to visit. Surrounded by towering mountains and looking down to the Groot Drakenstein Valley, a gentle country lane gets the mood right as you approach Oldenburg and once there, the mountains tower over you giving an
Dianne Bibby's Milk Soak Chocolate Sheet Cake Dianne says: “Sheet cake. Simple, honest and ‘un-floppable’. Not surprisingly, this Milk-soak chocolate sheet cake is one the 5 most requested cakes in the Bibby kitchen. This is the kind of chocolate cake where things can get a little out of control. Let’s take a moment. It starts
Justine Wall's Roasted Red Pepper & Cannellini Bean Dip Justine says: "I am rather undecided what the best name for this little dish is: it is a sort of hummus, but has so many other lovely bits in it that have settled on calling it a dip- it’d be perfect with fresh vegetables, but, as
Vergeneoegd Harvest Lunch in the Cellar I have spoken before of the hugely successful outdoor Harvest Lunches being served on Vergenoegd Wine Estate, Thursday, Friday and Saturday during the months of February and March. There was a little wrinkle last week as there was a gentle rain on the one day and the lunch was
Mulderbosch Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2015 I read an article on the Internet recently, which said that winemakers make the best Olive Oil. I think it is a pretty broad-brush generalisation, there are some excellent oils produced by wine producers and Mulderbosch is one of them. The olives for the Mulderbosch EVOO 2015 come from
The Vergenoegd Farmstead One of the most exciting innovations in the wine lands this summer is the Harvest Lunch at Vergenoegd Wine Estate. Vergenoegd has recently changed hands and the new owners have set about turning it into one of the tourist destinations on the wine routes. The Vergenoegd Harvest Lunch Long Table The Harvest
Elegant bottles, elegant wine Vergenoegd Winery known for generations as a producer of fine Stellenbosch Wines has a new owner and a whole new energy is to be found there with an exciting experience for both adults and children. Blend your own Olive Oils, Teas, Coffees & Red Wine from the Estate You can have
Belfield Farm Homestead I remember the really early days of vines being planted in Elgin and the thought then that this could be a viable wine appellation was just so unusual. And as they say ‘baby look at me now.” Mike Kreft in his vineyards Cool both in terms of fashion and especially cool in
The Home of The Imibala Trust Bright Street, SomersetWest The Imibala Restaurant is an integral part of the Imibala Village in Bright Street, Somerset West. The driving force behind the business is the Imibala Trust, which focuses on changing lives of the school-going children. The Imibala Trust Computer Centre How does one “change lives” in
The Imibala Gallery Bright Street Somerset West There is always something new and exciting out of Imibala in Somerset West. Diane Harper, the curator of the Imibala Gallery, has mounted a Willie Bester Exhibition that opens on 24th October. She tells me that Strijdom van der Merwe has started his installation The Red Tree in
Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc Steen op Hout 2015 Mulderbosch was a wine we had on our restaurant wine list in the mid 1990s and I remember being so amused at the name of the Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc Steen op Hout. The 2015 is the vintage currently available. Bush Vine Chenin Blanc The vineyards from which the
Douglas Green Sunkissed Sprizzo For 73 years, the personal touch of Douglas Green has lived in the eponymous range of wines made with the same intuition that began this progressive wine brand in 1942. Douglas Green wanted to sell good, expressing the grape at even handed prices to his customers. Today this tradition has kept
Pierce Synnott's Como’s ham-and mozzarella Empanadas What is an empanada? It is essentially a delicious, crisp, half-moon of pastry, puffed with a savoury meat or vegetable filling. Moving from Ireland to South Africa in 1997, Pierce Synnott was ready to put a career in tourism behind him and, above all else, was inspired by the
Corder Family Vineyards Cool Climate Chardonnay 2014 Ian and Anette Corder have a mantra – more time on the vine = superior flavour in the wine. They are of course helped by where they farm. The Elgin Valley is known as the ultimate cool climate wine appellation. Cool mist over Corder Family Vineyard Cool Climate
KWV 20 year old Potstill Brandy KWV took the coveted title of Best Brandy & Cognac Producer in the World at the 2015 International Spirit Challenge (ISC) function in London last night – the first time in the ISC’s 20-year history that a brandy not a cognac has won. KWV’s 20-year old brandy,
Nicole Dupper, Executive Chef, outside Imibala Restaurant & Deli I visited the Imibala Restaurant in Somerset West last week to have a try out of Nicole Dupper’s new Winter Menu. Nicole specialises in bistro style meals, a number of them old favourites of hers, but all of them real nostalgia food, comfort food
Madame May-Eliane de Lencquesaing of Glenelly EstateCape Wine Auction Ambassador Glenelly Wine Estate in Stellenbosch played a major part in the The Cape Wine Auction with May-Eliane de Lencquesaing being one of the Auction Ambassaors. The auction raised over R7 million in its first year for winelands education and this year over R10