A sublime day out

Every year, December is welcomed in the most superb fashion – with the Franschhoek Cap Classique and Champagne Festival.This year, I have TWO sets of FOUR tickets to give away. Tickets for Saturday 3 December have already been SOLD OUT, so if you want to indulge in heavenly fizz this weekend, you want to get in on this action.

I am giving away:

One set of 4 tickets for Saturday 3 December, and
One set of 4 tickets for Sunday 4 December.

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Rosé Rocks

For such a pretty, beautifully hued and generally cheerful-looking wine, rosé in South Africa has had a really strained relationship with consumers over the past decade or so. I’m not pointing fingers or laying blame but I suspect we’d all agree that this is largely due to two reasons: sugar and volume. I sincerely mean no offense to any producer but sugary sweet pink wines and pink wines in big boxes have – in the minds of many – set the tone for rosé consumption in SA. OBVIOUSLY not exclusively, but it’s a connotation that has been pretty dominant.  Pair that perception with the idea that rosé is for girls, and you’ve essentially shoved your average rosé consumer into a pretty tightly defined box. Today though, I say to you, rejoice! For rosé is riding its own little wave of revolution – and we are all better off for it.

I may have mentioned previously my pained personal relationship with the rosy liquid; a definite case of “It’s not you, it’s me”. For years I avoided any and all wines which I even imagined had a hue of blush in it. This aversion was not because of anything wrong with rosé as such – not cultivar or style, not even sugar or bulk. It was all based on one week in 2006 where I was immersed in pink wine. As part of my honours degree, we completed a sensory training course at the Stellenbosch University Department of Food Science. The subject for that year was rosé wine. I spent a full week tasting, evaluating, studying, spitting, swirling and accidentally swallowing pink wine – from 8AM to 5PM. Five full days. The aim of the course was to teach us about the basic principles of sensory evaluation by training the group as a sensory panel. So we spent the days familiarising ourselves with the typical rosé characteristics, comparing each aroma and taste with the actual foodstuff, and then went into painfully detailed scoring processes. The wines were dead average. Dead boring. Dead awful.

I am not even moderately exaggerating when I tell you that for nearly 6 years I refused to even taste pink wines. At wine outings, I’d simply let the blush bottles pass me by. I wouldn’t even sniff it. I was traumatised. Academically the experience was fantastic. Practically, I was ruined.

Now, anyone who has ever read a word I’ve written has probably garnered that I pride myself on not being a judgmental wine drinker (or writer). Like everyone, I have my preferences, but I’ll try anything once and give all wines a fair chance to impress or inspire me. So when I ventured into the world of wine writing, I realised I could not be a credible wino if I ignore an entire style of wine. I reconciled with the pink monstrosity I’d so battled with for years and I can tell you now, I could not be happier.

Anyone who has paid a modicum of attention to what’s happening in your local wine shops will probably have noticed significant growth in contents of the pink shelves. Not only are there more rosé wines being produced, but styles are lighter, more Provençal and undoubtedly more delicious. SA has seen rosé consumption treble between 2007 and now – it is the fastest growing local wine category. And it’s not just here that the pinkies have been moving and shaking. Both USA and UK show double digit growth figures in the category and – shock! horror! – last year the richest of the rich in the New York Hamptons ran out of the precious pink nectar.

It’s a brilliant food wine (not sure if you should pair white or red with that meal? How about pink. Ding ding ding! We have a winner.). Pink MCC has also increased dramatically with winemakers exploring new styles and cultivars. And you know, the pink bubbles are often more expensive (even arguably, more delicious?) than their white counterparts.

Doubtless then that now is a terrific time to introduce SA’s first exclusive rosè wine competition. Conceptualised and brought to life by Clare Mack and her team at Spill Brand Communications, the Rosè Rocks competition was born. I was tickled pink (sorry…) to be invited to judge the competition. We were chaired by the brilliant Allan Mullins and the judging panel consisted of myself, Tinashe Nyamudoka (the head sommelier at The Test Kitchen), Neil Pendock, Malu Lambert (freelance food & wine journo) and Praisy Dlamini (winemaker at Zonnebloem). The judging went down yesterday and was completed as a blind tasting. All the results will be audited by Grant Thornton to ensure transparency and results the public can have confidence in.

We tasted around 160 odd entries and I was both impressed and slightly relieved to find that the majority of the entries were dry and off-dry. A relatively small amount of sweet pinks were entered. There were also a good amount of MCC entries (and what a treat it was to judge those). The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on the 30th of September. As everything was tasted blind, not even the judges knows who came out tops. There will be a Top 10 announced for the still wines as well as one overall winner, and a Top 3 MCC wines and also one overall winner.

This may have been my first formal competition judging experience, but it was an excellent one. Scores were tallied, results discussed and the top wines were re-tasted to ensure that a deserving winner was picked. I’m counting the days until the embargo lifts and I can quiz the organizers about the identities of my personal favourite picks, because I will definitely be stocking up.

Most importantly, the interest in this competition has been immense, boding well for a summer of superb rosè sales and consumption alike. If you are someone who (like I was) simply does not rate rosè, I urge you to take a fresh look at what’s happening in this category. In fact, I will struggle to take you seriously as a wine drinker if you don’t at least try. And the idea that pink wines are for ladies is so last year. I’d refer you to the brosè movement and tell you that real men can pull off drinking pink drinks.

I’ll be spending my summer sipping away on some cool rosè, feeling pretty pleased to be back in the pink.

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Nederburg Estate, Paarl

Are you (like myself) a professional procrastinator? Or did the speed with which 2015 took off leave you reeling and not noticing the days ticking by towards the 14th of February? Is Januworry posthumously eating away at your February budget? Or are you just not that good at the morantic missions associated with the month of luuuuurve? Never fear. You can still save your heart-shaped-candied bacon. Picnics are still THE romantic go-to activities. And Nederburg has an excellent one lined up for tomorrow. (Pssssst…and because they have such huge lawns, they still have space available…if you book now!)

The Red Table at Nederbug is dishing up a fantastic al fresco Valentines dining experience until Sunday the 15th of February. They are lunch only, with one exception on Valentine’s day where evening picnics are a go.

The picnic consists of a generous amount of delicious cheeses, preserves, crackers and bread, two salads (one with butternut, beetroot and feta and the other a spectacularly fresh mango salsa styled salad), a mouth-watering individual quiche and a delectably decadent chocolate brownie which may or may not be laced with love potion, because I definitely fell for the chocolate treat on the spot. I wish I could have paid more attention to the details of each treat but I was too preoccupied with depositing said treats in my mouth.

Each picnic also comes with a bottle of Nederburg Premiére Cuvee Brut, a perfect picnic bubbly: crisp, fresh and delicious.

Picnics are R250 pp (order and pay 24 hours in advance) and you can book on 021 877 5155 or email The Red Table directly. Space is still available thanks to the expansive lawns, but don’t leave booking a moment longer as bookings are filling up fast.

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Vreedsaam

Op pad Franschhoek toe vanoggend het my gedagtes aanhoudend gemaal oor my “to do” list. E-posse om te stuur, vergaderings om te reël, verslae om te skryf. Soos dit klaarblyklik die moderne mens betaam, kon ek my kop nie sover bring om rustig te raak nie, al was ek op pad na ‘n bederfie; ‘n paar uur uit my dag om rustig te raak en iets spesiaals te geniet. Nie lank nadat ek my plek by die restaurant – op die ‘glaskas’ stoep wat uitkyk op ‘n bewolkte, koel Franschhoek dag – ingeneem het nie, het die gedruis in my gedagtes begin verdwyn.

Ek is altyd op soek na ‘n storie. Dit is altyd lekker om iets te skryf oor ‘n aangename ervaring; ‘n ete of ‘n wyn, ‘n uitstappie of ‘n gebeurtenis. Maar dit is altyd beter wanneer daar ‘n storie is. Almal het vandag iets om te sê, maar nie almal het ‘n storie om te vertel nie. Hierdie verskynsel loop natuurlik oor in die wynbedryf. Almal het ‘n brand. Almal het iets om te verkoop (dit is immers baie se brood en botter). Maar wie vertel regtig nog ‘n storie?

Min het ek verwag dat ek by La Motte se Winelands tee ‘n storie sou kry. Tee? Beslis. MCC? Ja, hoekom nie? Watertand lekkernye? Verseker. Maar ‘n storie? Die storie agter die tee ervaring is die eg gasvryheid van die Kapenaars van ouds: altyd ‘n blink, blikpot koffie op die stoof of ‘n teetjie reg om te trek. ‘n Warm verwelkoming vir vriende, familie en vreemdelinge wat oor die kombuisdrumpel trap.

Die tee spyskaart word aangebied saam met ‘n skatkissie vol feite oor die gebruike rondom tradisionele tee en gasvryheid. Van die gebruiklike bediening van konfituur – gepreserveerde konfyt gemaak van heel of groot vrugte stukke – tot Boerejongens en Boeremeisies (appelkose of rosyntjies ingelê in brandewyn). Daar is ook notas oor die verskeie teesoorte: wit, swart, rooi en rypgemaak. En natuurlik, ‘n bietjie meer oor die ‘soet sopie’ wat gebruiklik aan gaste gebied is tydens middagete, namiddag kuiers en aandete.

Die tee ervaring bestaan uit ‘n bordjie met fynproewer lekkernye: ‘n gerookte forel pannekoek bedryf met gebraaide kappertjies en roomkaas, biltong soes (dis die properse Afrikaans vir ‘choux pastry’), ‘n sjokolade truffle, ‘n amandelkoekie (en dis die mooi woord vir ‘n macaron) en jou keuse van wat op die koek spyskaart vir die dag is. My knieë het lam geword vir die rooi fluweel koek.

Die liplek-lekkernye word bedien met of jou keuse van tee (‘n formidabele boks met minstens agt verskeie geure word vir jou gebring om te beloer), koffie of die moderne ekwivalent van ‘n gasvrye drankie: Méthode Cap Classique. Die soet sopie keuses sluit in Amarula, Van der Hum likeur, peperment likeur of La Motte se Straw Wine. Ek het beide die MCC en Straw wines gekies. Die MCC is verfrissend, appelgeure en geroosterde amandels met ‘n prikkelende suur en fyn mousse. Die Straw wine het intense gedroogde sultana geure met n treffende soetsmaak sonder om aan jou keel te kleef en ‘n skimp na geblikte perskes.

Tussen die aanhoudende gejaag van afspraak na afspraak, taak na taak en doel na doel vergeet ons om stil te staan en die wêreld bietjie in te asem. Ons ontneem onsself die kans om af te skakel en die gasvryheid van ander te geniet. Pierneef á La Motte se Winelands tee is ‘n intieme bederfie. Geniet dit saam met vriende of familie, of knyp ‘n uur of twee vir jouself af daarvoor. Ontspan. Haal asem. Bederf jouself.

Die La Motte Winelands tee is Dinsdae tot Sondae beskikbaar vanaf 09:00 – 17:00 teen R145 per persoon. Besprekings is noodsaaklik. Kontak [email protected] vir meer inligting.

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A Particularly Gorgeous Meme Example

I have a soft spot for memes.  I love them. They tickle my funny bone in the best way and they are EVERYWHERE.  Condescending Wonka, Bad Luck Brian, Skeptical Baby, Grumpy Cat… the list is endless. If you’re not sure what I’m on about, do click over to the Memesly.com list of popular memes. But be warned, you may lose hours of productivity…

With the rise of meme hilarity on the internet, people have (as one does on the internet) started making their own memes. Meme generators are everywhere, where you can choose or insert an image and add a caption. Knowing this, I did a little giveaway on the SuperFANS mailing list. We were generously given 5 more double sets of tickets to pass on to deserving SuperFANS (in addition to our previous Magic of Bubbles giveaway). And the winners were chosen through trial by meme!

Here are a few of the best entries I received. A fantastic exercise in MCC driven creativity.

First up was a classic Doge meme:

Then a spectacular cat gif, which really clinched the tickets for the entrant:

A touch of Gatsby never hurt anyone:

And a bit of wrestling action, underlining the important difference between Champagne and our local offerings:

Batman educating Robin on that selfsame difference:

And finally, Ned Stark pointing out important MCC drinking etiquette:

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Magic of Bubbles

Summer is upon us, dearest winos and readers, and few things are as summery and refreshing as the Magic of Bubbles. Whether your taste is expensive and French or divine and local, we are heading into bubbly season. And there’s no better place to get your fizzy on than at the Franschhoek Cap Classique and Champagne Festival.  The festival takes place on the lawns around the Huguenot Monument on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November. Read on, because I have two double tickets to give away…

The festival promises to be nirvana for those who seek the pleasure of bubbles. Not only will classic French Champagne – the likes of Piper Heidsieck, Champagne Guy Charbaut and Veuve Clicquot – be represented, but also some of the best MCC South Africa has to offer: Pierre Jourdan, Morena, Môreson, La Motte, Boschendal, Leopard’s Leap, Noble Hill, Plaisir de Merle, Anthonij Rupert Wines, Graham Beck Wines, Krone, Pongracz, Simonsig, Steenberg and Villiera. A veritable who’s who of the precious liquid.

Some of Franschhoek’s star restaurants will also be there to ensure festival goers are well fed with delicious menus. Bread & Wine, The Salmon Bar, Haute Cabrière, Le Franschhoek, L’Ermitage, Restaurant at Grand Provence and Mont Rochelle are only a few of those who will be fuelling the hungry Champagne-seekers.

The theme of this year’s festival is Black & White, with the focus on parasols and panama hats. There is even a ‘Best Dressed’ competition, with the best dressed couples on Friday and Saturday walking away with a 2-night safari at Ngala Safari Lodge.

Is your mouth watering yet? Are you thirsty for some luxurious treats? Tickets are R200 pp and are available through Webtickets. But how about you try your luck instead? The fabulous folks from MasterCard and the festival have given me TWO DOUBLE TICKETS to give away for entry to the festival on SUNDAY 30 NOVEMBER. To enter, you need to:

1. Comment on this post and describe to us why you love the precious, fizzy liquid this festival is all about. Be creative, put your heart into it and make me feel the love. Best entry wines.
2. Share this post on Twitter and/or Facebook. You can share the link in your own tweet, or copy and paste the one below:

The Magic of Bubbles awaits! Enter to win double tickets to the #FHKBubby festival http://bit.ly/1xd3SQD

Competition closes Friday 14 November, winners will be chosen and notified via email/Twitter. Please note, tickets will not be transferrable for the Saturday, so ensure you are available the Sunday.

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