cheers - july/august 2014 (vol.13)

complimentary

Coff ee wines | Bottle stickers | W

inter beer | Nederburg Auction @

40 | Sherry | w

ww

.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 | 13

brought to you by T t www.topsatspar.co.za

Jul|Aug 2014 | 13

win!• One of THREE unique

Glenmorangie discovery hampers worth R1 650

• Copies of Donovan van Staden’s

Gourmet Safari• a Noah DVD or

NOW 67 CD

A sticky situationDecoding wine bottle stickers

Dark delightHeavier winter brews

Going green: turning old chip oil into biodiesel

Grain whisky in blends

complimentaryJul|Aug 2014 | 13

brought to you by T t www.topsatspar.co.za

• One of THREE unique Glenmorangie discovery

hampers worth R1 650

A sticky situation

turning old chip oil into biodiesel

MOCHA-STYLED WINEScoffee cats Nederburg

AuctionFABULOUS

AT 40

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18.

Who says a beer can’t be flavoured?

New fl avoured beer.

OG

ILVY

CA

PE T

OW

N 6

2895

/E

62895-Flying Fish 275x210.indd 1 2013/10/29 9:40 AM


Who says a beer can’t be flavoured?

New fl avoured beer.

OG

ILVY

CA

PE T

OW

N 6

2895

/E

62895-Flying Fish 275x210.indd 1 2013/10/29 9:40 AM

contents

1

4 EDITOR’S LETTERDistant recall

6 NEWSSir Alex Ferguson sells off part of his

wine collection for millions, Windhoek’s new lager commercial keeps it real,

more international kudos for Van Ryn brandy, the country’s cocktail champs

compete and so much more...

14 TINUS TALKSSweetly sentimental over gateau

16 ROASTED BEANS ’N COCOAWake up and smell the...wine!

22 BEST-DRESSED BOTTLESThe tale of the medal stickers

26 COFFEE, WHISKY AND CREAM

Doing it the Irish way

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13 www.topsatspar.co.za

30 DARK & STRONGBolder, fuller brews

34 VOTING FOR VALUESetting your whisky sights

a little lower

38 JEREZ, XEREX OR SHERRY

Spain’s sherry is all the rage

43 FABULOUS AT 40Four decades of the Nederburg Auction

14

38

22 BEST-DRESSED BOTTLESThe tale of the medal stickers

26

30

43

26 16

30

win 50 Stand a chance to win

a copy of the Noah DVD or NOW That’s what I call

music 67 CD!

Publisher | Shayne [email protected]

Editor | Fiona Mc Donaldfi [email protected]

Art Director | Megan [email protected]

Advertising | Shayne [email protected]

Jess Nosworthy | [email protected]

PR & Promotions | Ashley [email protected]

Photography | Julia Andrade and Thinkstock.com

Contributors | Tinus van Niekerk , Teresa UlyateEmile Joubert, Gerrit Rautenbach, Cliff ord Roberts.

Head Offi ce | Cape TownTel: 021 685 0285

Suite WB03 Tannery Park23 Belmont Road, Rondebosch, 7700

Postal Address: PO Box 259, Rondebosch, 7701

Printing | Paarl Media Cape

Published by | Integrated Media for TOPS at SPAR

TOPS at SPAR | Jess Tivers, Group Promotions & Advertising Manager - Liquor

COMPETITION TERMS & CONDITIONSCompetition submissions should reach us no later

than 08 August 2014. The Prize/s is as indicated,

no alternatives or cash will be provided. Six months’

supply equates to one case of product per month.

The decision of Integrated Media will be fi nal and no

correspondence will be entered into. Under no

circumstances shall Integrated Media, TOPS at SPAR,

SPAR or its appointed representatives and the prize

donors be liable to anyone who enters these Prize

Draws for an indirect or consequential loss howsoever

arising which may be suff ered in relation to the Prize

Draws. By entering these competitions you make

yourself subject to receiving promotional information.

Entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms

and conditions. Prize Draw Rules: The prize draw is

only open to consumers who must be over 18 years

of age and resident in South Africa. Employees of

Integrated Media and TOPS at SPAR, SPAR and their

respective advertising, media and PR agencies, as well

as the family members, consultants, directors,

associates and trading partners of such organisations

and persons are ineligible for the draw.

SPAR Good Living items are available at your nearest TOPS at SPAR and SPAR outlets.

www.topsatspar.co.za and www.spar.co.za

Utique: www.utique.co.za Entrepo: (021) 448 7192

stockists:

48 THINGAMAJIGSGewgaws, gadgets and whatnots

50 ENTERTAINMENTThe movies, CDs and books to try

71 GROCERY LISTStocking up made simple

72 LOOPDOP Bothaville se trekker

2 www.topsatspar.co.za Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

win a copy of

Gourmet Safari

pg52

contents cont...

52 RESERVATIONS IN THE BUSH

Raising safari fare to gourmet heights, a new recipe book from

Donovan van Staden

57 TOPS NOSHSilwood Kitchen’s take on

coff ee & cake

62 TIS THE SEASON Blogger Teresa Ulyate shares

some recipes

64 WINTER EN WILDSVLEIS

Emile Joubert se braai raad

66 FUEL FROM FAT SPAR’s local Biofuel connection

68 NEXT ISSUEWhat to expect from Issue 14

64w

in 69 Stand a chance to win a Glenmorangie Hamper

to the value of R1 650!

48w

in48


a copy of the Noah DVD or NOW That’s what I call

music 67 CD!

Publisher | Shayne [email protected]

Editor | Fiona Mc Donaldfi [email protected]

Art Director | Megan [email protected]

Advertising | Shayne [email protected]

Jess Nosworthy | [email protected]

PR & Promotions | Ashley [email protected]

Photography | Julia Andrade and Thinkstock.com

Contributors | Tinus van Niekerk , Teresa UlyateEmile Joubert, Gerrit Rautenbach, Cliff ord Roberts.

Head Offi ce | Cape TownTel: 021 685 0285

Suite WB03 Tannery Park23 Belmont Road, Rondebosch, 7700

Postal Address: PO Box 259, Rondebosch, 7701

Printing | Paarl Media Cape

Published by | Integrated Media for TOPS at SPAR

TOPS at SPAR | Jess Tivers, Group Promotions & Advertising Manager - Liquor

COMPETITION TERMS & CONDITIONSCompetition submissions should reach us no later

than 08 August 2014. The Prize/s is as indicated,

no alternatives or cash will be provided. Six months’

supply equates to one case of product per month.

The decision of Integrated Media will be fi nal and no

correspondence will be entered into. Under no

circumstances shall Integrated Media, TOPS at SPAR,

SPAR or its appointed representatives and the prize

donors be liable to anyone who enters these Prize

Draws for an indirect or consequential loss howsoever

arising which may be suff ered in relation to the Prize

Draws. By entering these competitions you make

yourself subject to receiving promotional information.

Entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms

and conditions. Prize Draw Rules: The prize draw is

only open to consumers who must be over 18 years

of age and resident in South Africa. Employees of

Integrated Media and TOPS at SPAR, SPAR and their

respective advertising, media and PR agencies, as well

as the family members, consultants, directors,

associates and trading partners of such organisations

and persons are ineligible for the draw.

SPAR Good Living items are available at your nearest TOPS at SPAR and SPAR outlets.

www.topsatspar.co.za and www.spar.co.za

Utique: www.utique.co.za Entrepo: (021) 448 7192

stockists:

48 THINGAMAJIGSGewgaws, gadgets and whatnots

50 ENTERTAINMENTThe movies, CDs and books to try

71 GROCERY LISTStocking up made simple

72 LOOPDOP Bothaville se trekker


win a copy of

Gourmet Safari

pg52

contents cont...

52 RESERVATIONS IN THE BUSH

Raising safari fare to gourmet heights, a new recipe book from

Donovan van Staden

57 TOPS NOSHSilwood Kitchen’s take on

coff ee & cake

62 TIS THE SEASON Blogger Teresa Ulyate shares

some recipes

64 WINTER EN WILDSVLEIS

Emile Joubert se braai raad

66 FUEL FROM FAT SPAR’s local Biofuel connection

68 NEXT ISSUEWhat to expect from Issue 14

64


a Glenmorangie Hamper to the value of R1 650!

48

win

48

Whi

ch w

hisk

ey is

best f

or the perfect Irish? pg 26

fiona

memoriesYou know you’re getting old when you can look back and remember when things started...

Editorial

Fiona McDonald

reparing this issue for print has

brought on a wave of nostalgia. The

memories started fl ooding in with

the story about Irish coff ee. My preference

was always for Kahlua coff ee ‒ but then

that was when I was in my 20s and hadn’t

really cultivated a taste for whisky. The

sweeter edge that Kahlua gave the frothy

concoction was more to my liking.

Yet David Donde’s challenge to a group

of us was to try and fi nd the ideal mix of

coff ee, whisky and cream ‒ and he and the

team from Truth coff ee bar in Cape Town’s

Buitenkant Street really put us through our

paces. We must have sampled at least 10

diff erent versions before settling on the

best combination. Not that we drank all the

Irish Coff ees ‒ just sampled them and rated

them for fl avour.

Crucial to the exercise was not losing the

coff ee fl avour, which sparked off another

memory: that of being around when the

fi rst ever “coff ee-styled” red wine was

released by Wellington winery,

Diemersfontein, more than a decade ago. It

created a tsunami in wine circles! People

either loved it or hated it. There was no

middle ground… I still hold the position

today that while it’s not necessarily to my

taste to drink wine that is reminiscent of

coff ee but that it’s a valid style, just as much

as any other style of wine is.

In the early days of the “coff ee-styled”

wines there was a very vocal lobby which

said they should be banned; that the

www.topsatspar.co.za Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 134

Wh

Wh

Wichh

w

Fiona McDonald is a trained journalist who has spent the last 20 years writing about

wine ‒ and more recently, about whisky too.

fl avour came from wood and yeast ‒

and not the grape. Which is 100% correct

‒ but is that any reason not to like it? I’ve

always held the view that anything which

opens a door and provides a glimpse of a

broader enjoyment of wine should be

welcomed and embraced. I know of many

people who have had a little light bulb go

off in their heads when smelling those

wines for the fi rst time. The look of sheer

joy on their faces when they said: “I get it...

coff ee!” It’s the fi rst step towards a greater

world of wine. If they can get coff ee, with a

little bit more practice perhaps they can get

berries, or cigar box, herbs or any of the

multitude of aromas which are discernible

on wine. The wine world is full of potential

and it needs something to trigger that

interest and desire to learn more.

And it’s that feeling of adventure and

excitement which I experienced as a young

wine writer close on 20 years ago when I

was invited to my fi rst ever

Nederburg auction. It was a

genuine thrill and I will never

forget that fi rst one in the 90s...

I was a reporter on The

Mercury newspaper and

was fl own down to Cape

Town and literally wined

and dined in fi ne style all weekend.

Those were the days when an invitation

was as rare as hen’s teeth ‒ and one really

had to make an eff ort with one’s outfi t. Just

like the Rothmans Durban July 20 years ago,

a hat for ladies was quite the thing. (I think I

still have the two that I bought for both

events kicking around somewhere ‒ both

having only been worn once or twice!)

Hat’s off to a trip down memory lane

during this issue.

Cheers, Fiona

Whi

ch w

hisk

ey is

best f

or the perfect Irish? pg 26

fiona

memoriesYou know you’re getting old when you can look back and remember when things started...

Editorial

Fiona McDonald

reparing this issue for print has

brought on a wave of nostalgia. The

memories started fl ooding in with

the story about Irish coff ee. My preference

was always for Kahlua coff ee ‒ but then

that was when I was in my 20s and hadn’t

really cultivated a taste for whisky. The

sweeter edge that Kahlua gave the frothy

concoction was more to my liking.

Yet David Donde’s challenge to a group

of us was to try and fi nd the ideal mix of

coff ee, whisky and cream ‒ and he and the

team from Truth coff ee bar in Cape Town’s

Buitenkant Street really put us through our

paces. We must have sampled at least 10

diff erent versions before settling on the

best combination. Not that we drank all the

Irish Coff ees ‒ just sampled them and rated

them for fl avour.

Crucial to the exercise was not losing the

coff ee fl avour, which sparked off another

memory: that of being around when the

fi rst ever “coff ee-styled” red wine was

released by Wellington winery,

Diemersfontein, more than a decade ago. It

created a tsunami in wine circles! People

either loved it or hated it. There was no

middle ground… I still hold the position

today that while it’s not necessarily to my

taste to drink wine that is reminiscent of

coff ee but that it’s a valid style, just as much

as any other style of wine is.

In the early days of the “coff ee-styled”

wines there was a very vocal lobby which

said they should be banned; that the


Wh

Wh

Wichh

w

Fiona McDonald is a trained journalist who has spent the last 20 years writing about

wine ‒ and more recently, about whisky too.

fl avour came from wood and yeast ‒

and not the grape. Which is 100% correct

‒ but is that any reason not to like it? I’ve

always held the view that anything which

opens a door and provides a glimpse of a

broader enjoyment of wine should be

welcomed and embraced. I know of many

people who have had a little light bulb go

off in their heads when smelling those

wines for the fi rst time. The look of sheer

joy on their faces when they said: “I get it...

coff ee!” It’s the fi rst step towards a greater

world of wine. If they can get coff ee, with a

little bit more practice perhaps they can get

berries, or cigar box, herbs or any of the

multitude of aromas which are discernible

on wine. The wine world is full of potential

and it needs something to trigger that

interest and desire to learn more.

And it’s that feeling of adventure and

excitement which I experienced as a young

wine writer close on 20 years ago when I

was invited to my fi rst ever

Nederburg auction. It was a

genuine thrill and I will never

forget that fi rst one in the 90s...

I was a reporter on The

Mercury newspaper and

was fl own down to Cape

Town and literally wined

and dined in fi ne style all weekend.

Those were the days when an invitation

was as rare as hen’s teeth ‒ and one really

had to make an eff ort with one’s outfi t. Just

like the Rothmans Durban July 20 years ago,

a hat for ladies was quite the thing. (I think I

still have the two that I bought for both

events kicking around somewhere ‒ both

having only been worn once or twice!)

Hat’s off to a trip down memory lane

during this issue.

Cheers, Fiona

Cheers Magazine.indd 1 2014/06/12 11:46:16 AM


News

news news news newsTELLS A STORY

Two issues back Cheers carried a story on the growth of

cider’s popularity in South Africa. One of the people quoted in that article was

Rudolph du Toit, the national marketing manager of Tells.

“Tells has led in innovative packaging,”

du Toit said, explaining that the cider

named after William Tell, the legendary

archer who shot an apple off his son’s

head, was until recently only available in

PET plastic packaging.

Du Toit said the product had been

incredibly well received. “After a host of

local and international tastings we kept

meeting the same response: ‘It’s a superb

cider, but can’t we buy it in glass?’” he said.

“The call from the export market to switch

to glass was also a major motivator for us

to make the change,” he said, explaining

that the glass packaging would be

introduced on the local as well as European

Union and United States markets. “Tells

will still be available in PET, but only for

large events and festivals where glass is

not allowed.”

South Africa’s fl agship specialty pot still

distillery clinched a double gold and two

gold medals at the 2014 San Francisco

World Spirits Competition. Highest

honours went to the Van Ryn’s 15 Year Old,

with the 12 Year Old and 20 Year Old also

winning gold.

All submissions were judged blind by

panellists drawn from leading hotels and

restaurants, as well as top media houses.

Now in its 14th year, the competition

attracted a record number of entries from

63 countries.

Global spokesperson for the

Stellenbosch-based Van Ryn’s distillery,

Rapula Pitsoe, said the results were an

important affi rmation for the brand in one

of the world’s biggest and most discerning

spirits markets.

Since 2004, Van Ryn’s has won the

UK-based International Wine &

Spirit Competition’s Worldwide

Best Brandy title fi ve times, and

the International Spirits

Challenge Best Brandy

Trophy, four times. It is also

a regular winner of gold

medals at the annual Concours

Mondial de Bruxelles.

Van Ryn’s Collection Reserve brandy has won consistent critical acclaim in both the United Kingdom and Europe ‒ and has now straddled the Atlantic Ocean and begun appealing to palates in the United States.

Seeing stars... and stripes


News

news news news newsTELLS A STORY

Two issues back Cheers carried a story on the growth of

cider’s popularity in South Africa. One of the people quoted in that article was

Rudolph du Toit, the national marketing manager of Tells.

“Tells has led in innovative packaging,”

du Toit said, explaining that the cider

named after William Tell, the legendary

archer who shot an apple off his son’s

head, was until recently only available in

PET plastic packaging.

Du Toit said the product had been

incredibly well received. “After a host of

local and international tastings we kept

meeting the same response: ‘It’s a superb

cider, but can’t we buy it in glass?’” he said.

“The call from the export market to switch

to glass was also a major motivator for us

to make the change,” he said, explaining

that the glass packaging would be

introduced on the local as well as European

Union and United States markets. “Tells

will still be available in PET, but only for

large events and festivals where glass is

not allowed.”

South Africa’s fl agship specialty pot still

distillery clinched a double gold and two

gold medals at the 2014 San Francisco

World Spirits Competition. Highest

honours went to the Van Ryn’s 15 Year Old,

with the 12 Year Old and 20 Year Old also

winning gold.

All submissions were judged blind by

panellists drawn from leading hotels and

restaurants, as well as top media houses.

Now in its 14th year, the competition

attracted a record number of entries from

63 countries.

Global spokesperson for the

Stellenbosch-based Van Ryn’s distillery,

Rapula Pitsoe, said the results were an

important affi rmation for the brand in one

of the world’s biggest and most discerning

spirits markets.

Since 2004, Van Ryn’s has won the

UK-based International Wine &

Spirit Competition’s Worldwide

Best Brandy title fi ve times, and

the International Spirits

Challenge Best Brandy

Trophy, four times. It is also

a regular winner of gold

medals at the annual Concours

Mondial de Bruxelles.

Van Ryn’s Collection Reserve brandy has won consistent critical acclaim in both the United Kingdom and Europe ‒ and has now straddled the Atlantic Ocean and begun appealing to palates in the United States.

Seeing stars... and stripes

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13 www.topsatspar.co.za 7

what’s happening

news news news news

Shaking, stirring and straining ‒ contestants in action during the Cape fi nals.

The Mother City’s mixologists spent two

days being put through their paces by

the judges, World Class 2013 global

finalist Nick Koumbarakis, SA’s current

number one mixologist Travis Kuhn and

Gareth Wainwright.

Possibly the hardest task the

contenders faced was the cocktails

against the clock which required them to

produce five perfect cocktails ‒ in under

five minutes! Speed and efficiency were

judged, along with their product

knowledge and technique.

Contesting the final will be Jeff Lopes

and Simphiwe Ngcobo, both of

Johannesburg’s Michelangelo Hotel;

Brent Perremore and Assaf Yechile of

Cape Town’s Orphanage Cocktail

Emporium while Steven Saunders of The

Oyster Box and Haroon Haffajee of Harry’s

Cocktail Bar represent KwaZulu-Natal. A

wild card entry was granted to Marson

Strydom of Buena Vista Social Café in

Cape Town.

MIXING AND flaringCape Town hosted the third round of the World Class regional fi nals ‒ with the global fi nal taking place in London and Glasgow in July and August. The aim of the competition is to fi nd the world’s best barman.

Shaking, stirring and straining ‒ contestants in

Here’s Simphiwe Ngcobo’s runner-up cocktail:

CasablancaINGREDIENTS: 50ml rum20ml ginger liqueur40ml apple juice1 tsp fresh ginger3 dashes bitters20ml lemon juice

Served on an ice sphere in a brandy balloon with a rum vapour. Garnished with sherried pears and apples.

g


News

news news news news

BEWARE the Scorpion!It’s not often a gin distiller goes tromping into a Venezuelan rainforest to fi nd new ingredients ‒ but that’s exactly what Master Distiller Lesley Gracie did to create a truly unique special edition gin for Hendricks, the Kanaracuni gin.The unique botanical ingredient used in the gin is called Scorpion Tail ‒ but the sting in

this tail is that just 560 bottles will be available worldwide!

Like an intrepid adventurer of yore, Gracie and global ambassador David Piper trekked into

the rainforest in Venezuela with renowned explorer, Charles Brewer-Carias and expert

botanist, Francisco Delascio ‒ and her tiny but trusty 10-litre alembic still! Pierce tested a

variety of plants, distilling them while in the jungle. The Scorpion Tail delivered the most

intriguing result, providing a complex deep green note which is a natural fi t with Hendrick ’s

style of gin. She ultimately prepared 8.4-litres of Scorpion Tail concentrate and transported it

back to the distillery to tinker with the balance of the resulting blended distillate.

“The fl avour profi les complement each other seamlessly producing a fi nished gin which

is recognisable as Hendrick’s but evidently diff erent with deeper fl oral, spice and green

character,” Gracie said. “From start to fi nish, the creation of such an intriguing one-off

concoction has been an incredible experience for me. Here’s hoping there will be many

more adventures to come in pursuit of the extraordinary!” she added.

news news

SWEET WINTER WARMERMuratie’s Ben Prins Cape Vintage 2009 is a

delicious heart-warming winter companion which celebrates the historic Stellenbosch winery’s rich heritage in the form of one of

its legendary characters.Prins was the Muratie winemaker from 1957 until 1987 ‒ a “hard-working,

no-nonsense kind of man” the Melck family, now owners of the wine farm tell.

“He was quiet, contemplative and exceptionally particular, both a

perfectionist and a traditionalist ‒ as unique as the wines he made.” He was known aff ectionately as Barefoot Ben

because he didn’t believe in any ‘unnecessary novelties’ like shoes… The Muratie Cape Vintage Port, which

became synonymous with Muratie many years ago, was fi rst produced by George Paul Canitz in the 1940’s, more than 70

years ago. Ben Prins arrived at Muratie in 1957, just before GP Canitz died, and the

Muratie Cape Vintage Port tradition continued during the 30 years while Ben was at Muratie, and still continues today.

The fi ery sweet and rich wine is from a single vineyard planted during Prins’ time, in 1965. The traditional Port varieties Tinta Barocca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Francesa and Souzao are ‒

unusually ‒ all planted in the same block. The tasting notes refl ect fl oral notes of

violets and roses along with fl avours of ripe black cherries, dark chocolate and

sweet spice and fi ery alcohol fortifi cation. Perfect as a fi reside companion.


News

news news news news

BEWARE the Scorpion!It’s not often a gin distiller goes tromping into a Venezuelan rainforest to fi nd new ingredients ‒ but that’s exactly what Master Distiller Lesley Gracie did to create a truly unique special edition gin for Hendricks, the Kanaracuni gin.The unique botanical ingredient used in the gin is called Scorpion Tail ‒ but the sting in

this tail is that just 560 bottles will be available worldwide!

Like an intrepid adventurer of yore, Gracie and global ambassador David Piper trekked into

the rainforest in Venezuela with renowned explorer, Charles Brewer-Carias and expert

botanist, Francisco Delascio ‒ and her tiny but trusty 10-litre alembic still! Pierce tested a

variety of plants, distilling them while in the jungle. The Scorpion Tail delivered the most

intriguing result, providing a complex deep green note which is a natural fi t with Hendrick ’s

style of gin. She ultimately prepared 8.4-litres of Scorpion Tail concentrate and transported it

back to the distillery to tinker with the balance of the resulting blended distillate.

“The fl avour profi les complement each other seamlessly producing a fi nished gin which

is recognisable as Hendrick’s but evidently diff erent with deeper fl oral, spice and green

character,” Gracie said. “From start to fi nish, the creation of such an intriguing one-off

concoction has been an incredible experience for me. Here’s hoping there will be many

more adventures to come in pursuit of the extraordinary!” she added.

news news

SWEET WINTER WARMERMuratie’s Ben Prins Cape Vintage 2009 is a

delicious heart-warming winter companion which celebrates the historic Stellenbosch winery’s rich heritage in the form of one of

its legendary characters.Prins was the Muratie winemaker from 1957 until 1987 ‒ a “hard-working,

no-nonsense kind of man” the Melck family, now owners of the wine farm tell.

“He was quiet, contemplative and exceptionally particular, both a

perfectionist and a traditionalist ‒ as unique as the wines he made.” He was known aff ectionately as Barefoot Ben

because he didn’t believe in any ‘unnecessary novelties’ like shoes… The Muratie Cape Vintage Port, which

became synonymous with Muratie many years ago, was fi rst produced by George Paul Canitz in the 1940’s, more than 70

years ago. Ben Prins arrived at Muratie in 1957, just before GP Canitz died, and the

Muratie Cape Vintage Port tradition continued during the 30 years while Ben was at Muratie, and still continues today.

The fi ery sweet and rich wine is from a single vineyard planted during Prins’ time, in 1965. The traditional Port varieties Tinta Barocca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Francesa and Souzao are ‒

unusually ‒ all planted in the same block. The tasting notes refl ect fl oral notes of

violets and roses along with fl avours of ripe black cherries, dark chocolate and

sweet spice and fi ery alcohol fortifi cation. Perfect as a fi reside companion.


what’s happening

news news news news

The new look branding was showcased to a group of invited guests at

Chef Quentin Spickernell’s restaurant in Hout Bay, Quentin at Oakhurst.

The idea was to reveal the wine’s new look alongside food which

refl ects the brand’s tagline “pure country wines”. Brand manager Louis

van Brakel explained that the change came in the wake of a new

positioning which sees the brand rooted in an unspoiled,

wholesome but sophisticated country environment.

Naturally, pride of place goes to its place of origin, the historic

home in Tulbagh.

Spickernell’s meal began with sweet potato and

macadamia fritters served with mango, charred corn, coconut,

lime and crispy ginger salad, matched with the 2013 vintage of

Drostdy-Hof Adelpracht Special Late Harvest. Next up was roast

rack of lamb partnered with Drostdy-Hof Pinotage, while

fi sh-eaters were served roast loin of kingklip with a lemon and

hazelnut crust and Drostdy-Hof Chardonnay 2013. Dessert was

deliciously refreshing rose, pistachio, date and apricot frozen

nougat, paired with Drostdy-Hof Natural Sweet Rosé

(non-vintage).

The new face of Drostdy-Hof

A fi rm fi xture on the South African wine fi rmament, Drostdy-Hof took a calculated risk to have more than just a nip and tuck ‒ opting instead for a facelift in revitalising its packaging.

That’s the spirit!

There’s a special prize awarded to the best

student of the brandy module in the Cape

Wine Master’s programme run by the Cape Wine Academy.

And this year the person with the best theoretical and practical knowledge

was Nina-Mari Bruwer of Robertson.

The Mont Blois Wine Estate winemaker,

who is married to the manager of the

sixth-generation family farm, received top

marks for the exam on brandy making as

well as the brandy tasting exam during the

course of her certifi cation.

“With such erudition and a love for

brandy, she has just what’s needed to tell

more South Africans about our exciting,

internationally acclaimed brandies and

what makes them so worthy of attention

by connoisseurs,” said Cape Wine Academy

MD Michelle Grimbeek. Naturally, pride of place goes to its place of origin, the historic

home in Tulbagh.

macadamia fritters served with mango, charred corn, coconut,

lime and crispy ginger salad, matched with the 2013 vintage of

Drostdy-Hof Adelpracht Special Late Harvest. Next up was roast

rack of lamb partnered with Drostdy-Hof Pinotage, while

fi sh-eaters were served roast loin of kingklip with a lemon and

hazelnut crust and Drostdy-Hof Chardonnay 2013. Dessert was

deliciously refreshing rose, pistachio, date and apricot frozen

nougat, paired with Drostdy-Hof Natural Sweet Rosé

(non-vintage).

MD Michelle Grimbeek.

Marie Bruwer and Marlene Bester


News

news news news newsCROWD

SOURCED SCOTCH

In an unusual exercise, The Glenlivet got its loyal customers to decide on a new

expression of the popular Scottish whisky ‒ and now it’s in South Africa.

No fewer than 37 countries were in on the exercise with thousands of votes

ultimately cast to choose The Glenlivet Guardian Chapter limited edition single

Scottish malt. The quest was begun in September 2013

when three expressions (Exotic, Classic and Revival) were selected for a global tasting

tour. The task was for consumers to taste and vote for their favourite. It’s the fi rst time in

the distillery’s 190 year history that someone other than the master distiller would decide

which whisky would be bottled.South African malt lovers were given the

chance of having their say at the 2013 FNB Whisky Live festival in Johannesburg,

joining other afi cionados from London, New York, Mumbai and elsewhere in doing so.

Proud South African brand manager for The Glenlivet, Mandla Holomisa, described

the Guardians’ Chapter as having the typical fruitiness of The Glenlivet but with

added rich, warm spicy notes which are reminiscent of moist fruitcake and candied apple with an orange marmalade tang too.

“We’re pleased with the enthusiastic response we received ‒ especially in

South Africa,” Holomisa said.

news news

SEEING REDFans of red wine know that Cabernet Sauvignon is considered the king of reds ‒ but they should also be aware that its kissing cousin, Cabernet Franc is now also muscling into the spotlight.Somerset West winery Waterkloof and

Oldenburg, a winery in Stellenbosch’s

Banhoek, are the two latest producers to

release their Cabernets Franc to local

acclaim. For Waterkloof it’s a fi rst while

Oldenburg has established a good track

record for the wine over the past fi ve years.

“This silky newcomer encompasses a style

of Cabernet Franc, rarely found outside the

Left Bank of Bordeaux. It purrs with pure

elegance, allied with intensity and purity and

is an exceptionally versatile food wine,”

shares Waterkloof proprietor Paul Boutinot.

An Englishman of French descent Boutinot

bought the farm in 2003 for its particular

location that had absolutely specifi c

circumstances, which meant it had the

potential to make fi ne wine.

Winemaker Nadia Barnard credits not

only the vineyard’s location on the slopes of

the Schapenberg just four kilometres from

the chilly waters of False Bay but also the

biodynamic farming methods. So no

conventional pesticides or fertilisers ‒ not

even tractors! The vineyards are worked by

large white Percheron horses. “This is to

ensure that we harness the best of nature in

the most natural way when producing our

unadulterated wines. We aim to express the

terroir in each bottle,” she said.

Another winery close to the see is

Durbanville Hills which

overlooks Table Bay ‒ and it’s

just released its 2012 Cabernet

Sauvignon.

Winemaker Wilhelm

Coetzee describes the

wine as soft and fruity

with blackcurrant, mocha,

sweet vanilla and hints of

cedar wood on the nose.

The palate is smooth with

silky tannins and dark

berry fruit fl avours.

He suggests it be drunk

with roast lamb, gourmet

beef burgers or

mature cheese.

www.topsatspar.co.za Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

Nadia Barnard


News

news news news newsCROWD

SOURCED SCOTCH

In an unusual exercise, The Glenlivet got its loyal customers to decide on a new

expression of the popular Scottish whisky ‒ and now it’s in South Africa.

No fewer than 37 countries were in on the exercise with thousands of votes

ultimately cast to choose The Glenlivet Guardian Chapter limited edition single

Scottish malt. The quest was begun in September 2013

when three expressions (Exotic, Classic and Revival) were selected for a global tasting

tour. The task was for consumers to taste and vote for their favourite. It’s the fi rst time in

the distillery’s 190 year history that someone other than the master distiller would decide

which whisky would be bottled.South African malt lovers were given the

chance of having their say at the 2013 FNB Whisky Live festival in Johannesburg,

joining other afi cionados from London, New York, Mumbai and elsewhere in doing so.

Proud South African brand manager for The Glenlivet, Mandla Holomisa, described

the Guardians’ Chapter as having the typical fruitiness of The Glenlivet but with

added rich, warm spicy notes which are reminiscent of moist fruitcake and candied apple with an orange marmalade tang too.

“We’re pleased with the enthusiastic response we received ‒ especially in

South Africa,” Holomisa said.

news news

SEEING REDFans of red wine know that Cabernet Sauvignon is considered the king of reds ‒ but they should also be aware that its kissing cousin, Cabernet Franc is now also muscling into the spotlight.Somerset West winery Waterkloof and

Oldenburg, a winery in Stellenbosch’s

Banhoek, are the two latest producers to

release their Cabernets Franc to local

acclaim. For Waterkloof it’s a fi rst while

Oldenburg has established a good track

record for the wine over the past fi ve years.

“This silky newcomer encompasses a style

of Cabernet Franc, rarely found outside the

Left Bank of Bordeaux. It purrs with pure

elegance, allied with intensity and purity and

is an exceptionally versatile food wine,”

shares Waterkloof proprietor Paul Boutinot.

An Englishman of French descent Boutinot

bought the farm in 2003 for its particular

location that had absolutely specifi c

circumstances, which meant it had the

potential to make fi ne wine.

Winemaker Nadia Barnard credits not

only the vineyard’s location on the slopes of

the Schapenberg just four kilometres from

the chilly waters of False Bay but also the

biodynamic farming methods. So no

conventional pesticides or fertilisers ‒ not

even tractors! The vineyards are worked by

large white Percheron horses. “This is to

ensure that we harness the best of nature in

the most natural way when producing our

unadulterated wines. We aim to express the

terroir in each bottle,” she said.

Another winery close to the see is

Durbanville Hills which

overlooks Table Bay ‒ and it’s

just released its 2012 Cabernet

Sauvignon.

Winemaker Wilhelm

Coetzee describes the

wine as soft and fruity

with blackcurrant, mocha,

sweet vanilla and hints of

cedar wood on the nose.

The palate is smooth with

silky tannins and dark

berry fruit fl avours.

He suggests it be drunk

with roast lamb, gourmet

beef burgers or

mature cheese.

www.topsatspar.co.za Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

Nadia Barnard


what’s happening

news news news newsThe normally sleepy town of Franschhoek in the Western Cape comes alive whenever there’s a festival – and true to the town’s Gallic roots, they celebrate every possible occasion they can!

Franschhoek Uncorked takes place over the

weekend of 27 and 28 September,

coinciding with the onset of spring – as well

as the release of the new vintage wines

from local producers.

There’s ample opportunity to responsibly

sample local wines and the various cellars

and wineries join in the festivities by

offering specials on their wines, valid for

the weekend only. There are art exhibitions,

food and wine pairing and a host of other

activities planned.

Uncorked Weekend Passes cost R120 a

head, available from www.webtickets.co.za.

Visit www.franschhoekuncorked.co.za

for further details and a list of

participating farms.

Wine down in Franschhoek Sweet global glory Nederburg pioneered dessert wines in

South Africa. Former cellarmaster Günter Brözel made the first example of noble late

harvest in 1969 – before the style even existed in the country! So it should come as

no surprise that Nederburg’s 2011 Winemaster’s Reserve Noble Late Harvest has won an International Wine Challenge

trophy in London.The wine is made from grapes affected

by so-called noble rot, or botrytis cinerea, an unsightly fungus which partially dries

out the grapes, concentrating the sugars in each berry. It’s this concentration which makes the wine so special – and with so little liquid left in the grape to vinify, the

resultant wine is quite pricey!It’s not the first time a Nederburg noble

late harvest wine has won acclaim. With rich flavours of honey, tangy apricots,

raisins and ginger, the 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 vintages of the Winemaster’s Reserve Noble Late Harvest were each

rated five stars in Platter’s South African Wine Guide. The 2012 vintage was also South

Africa’s only trophy winner at the International Sweet

Challenge in Australia and a gold medallist at the 2013 International Wine & Spirit

Competition (IWSC).Cellar master Razvan

Macici, who has earned many leading awards

for his dessert and other wines, including the title of Diners Club

Winemaker of the Year, suggests serving it with

fruit-based desserts, liver pâtés and blue

cheeses. “It’s terrific on its own and even makes a delicious

substitute for dessert.”


News

news news news news

SHAKE & BAKE The Good Food and Wine Show takes place in Johannesburg from July 31 to August 3 at the Coca-Cola Dome. This year’s big celebrity draw card is the Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro ‒ all the way from New York.

The Good Food and Wine Show has a number of their cooking personalities on hand to meet gastro groupies. The Spice Prince Reza Mahammad will be joined by Masterchef Australia’s larger than life food critic Matt Preston as will local sensation, Siba Mtongana of Siba’s Table renown. Tickets are on sale now on www.computicket.com. Ticket prices from: R125 per adult, R50 per child under 12 and is free for children under three. See www.goodfoodandwineshow.co.za for more information.

“Not all beers have the courage and tenacity

to keep saying no, but for almost 100 years,

Windhoek has done just that. By sticking to

our principles, by saying no when it counts,

we believe we have continued to produce a

beer Made of the Right Stuff that people

with high standards can say yes to,” says

Windhoek marketing manager Alan Roberts,

from Brandhouse Beverages.

Germans, Hermann Ohlthaver and Carl List

quit their banking jobs in order to fulfi l their

dream of brewing a beer which was

uncompromisingly pure and world class. That

was in 1920. During World War II when the

right ingredients were unobtainable, they

stopped production rather than compromise.

Chief Creative, Ross Chowles, from The

Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town, says: “With

this television commercial, viewers are shown

fi rst-hand what Windhoek has always been

made of and will continue to be made of:

malted barley, hops and water, and nothing

else. It’s a simple but bold statement.”

As Art Director, Andrew Lang adds, “We

wanted to tell a no frills story that takes beer

lovers to the heart of why they love Windhoek.

Unlike many other beers, Windhoek can really

talk about the intrinsic quality of its beer and

that’s its strength. Windhoek does not need to

use gimmicks or smoke and mirrors to

convince people to drink it. This honesty ‒ and

the purity of its ingredients ‒ is refreshing in a

world full of nonsense.”

The full-length advert can be viewed on

the www.purebeersociety.co.za website.

POSITIVELY NEGATIVEWindhoek Beer has taken a number of diff erent angles for their television advertisements over the years. Who can forget Louis Gossett Jnr ensuring the guys kept it real? In their latest campaign they say no: no to frills and fuss and yes to purity.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

LandskroonCheersAd_fnl_2014_pths2.pdf 1 2014/06/25 10:13 AM

Talk about profi lers and you automatically think of folks working

for the FBI who catch criminals... but the House of Johnnie Walker has

launched an innovative online whisky profi ler that helps match your

perfect fl avour.Check out the website

www.meetyourmatchsa.co.za to see the work done by Johnnie Walker and former South African chef of the year,

David Higgs. The Saxon Hotel’s executive chef has used molecular gastronomy along with visual and sound stimuli to create this online

whisky profi ler.“We understand that every off ering

from the House of Walker is as distinct as the people who drink it. From the

spicy tingle of Red Label to the sweet and honeyed tones of Gold Label

Reserve, each one is unique. With this in mind we set about creating Meet

your Match to help whisky enthusiasts discover their taste profi le and

identify their perfect match,” says Brandon Weaver, Johnnie Walker

brand manager.

Meeting your

match


News

news news news news

SHAKE & BAKE The Good Food and Wine Show takes place in Johannesburg from July 31 to August 3 at the Coca-Cola Dome. This year’s big celebrity draw card is the Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro ‒ all the way from New York.

The Good Food and Wine Show has a number of their cooking personalities on hand to meet gastro groupies. The Spice Prince Reza Mahammad will be joined by Masterchef Australia’s larger than life food critic Matt Preston as will local sensation, Siba Mtongana of Siba’s Table renown. Tickets are on sale now on www.computicket.com. Ticket prices from: R125 per adult, R50 per child under 12 and is free for children under three. See www.goodfoodandwineshow.co.za for more information.

“Not all beers have the courage and tenacity

to keep saying no, but for almost 100 years,

Windhoek has done just that. By sticking to

our principles, by saying no when it counts,

we believe we have continued to produce a

beer Made of the Right Stuff that people

with high standards can say yes to,” says

Windhoek marketing manager Alan Roberts,

from Brandhouse Beverages.

Germans, Hermann Ohlthaver and Carl List

quit their banking jobs in order to fulfi l their

dream of brewing a beer which was

uncompromisingly pure and world class. That

was in 1920. During World War II when the

right ingredients were unobtainable, they

stopped production rather than compromise.

Chief Creative, Ross Chowles, from The

Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town, says: “With

this television commercial, viewers are shown

fi rst-hand what Windhoek has always been

made of and will continue to be made of:

malted barley, hops and water, and nothing

else. It’s a simple but bold statement.”

As Art Director, Andrew Lang adds, “We

wanted to tell a no frills story that takes beer

lovers to the heart of why they love Windhoek.

Unlike many other beers, Windhoek can really

talk about the intrinsic quality of its beer and

that’s its strength. Windhoek does not need to

use gimmicks or smoke and mirrors to

convince people to drink it. This honesty ‒ and

the purity of its ingredients ‒ is refreshing in a

world full of nonsense.”

The full-length advert can be viewed on

the www.purebeersociety.co.za website.

POSITIVELY NEGATIVEWindhoek Beer has taken a number of diff erent angles for their television advertisements over the years. Who can forget Louis Gossett Jnr ensuring the guys kept it real? In their latest campaign they say no: no to frills and fuss and yes to purity.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K


Talk about profi lers and you automatically think of folks working

for the FBI who catch criminals... but the House of Johnnie Walker has

launched an innovative online whisky profi ler that helps match your

perfect fl avour.Check out the website

www.meetyourmatchsa.co.za to see the work done by Johnnie Walker and former South African chef of the year,

David Higgs. The Saxon Hotel’s executive chef has used molecular gastronomy along with visual and sound stimuli to create this online

whisky profi ler.“We understand that every off ering

from the House of Walker is as distinct as the people who drink it. From the

spicy tingle of Red Label to the sweet and honeyed tones of Gold Label

Reserve, each one is unique. With this in mind we set about creating Meet

your Match to help whisky enthusiasts discover their taste profi le and

identify their perfect match,” says Brandon Weaver, Johnnie Walker

brand manager.

Meeting your

match

what’s happening

news news news newswhat’s happening

news news

At the Hong Kong sale hosted by famous

auction house, Christie’s, one bottle,

a methuselah (6ℓ), of 1997 vintage Domain

de la Romanée-Conti was sold for £94 815

(R1.7 million) while the top lot in London

was also Romanée-Conti, this time a

magnum (1.5ℓ) of the 2002 vintage which

sold for £16 450 (R296 000).

Ferguson began collecting wine,

specifi cally fi ne Burgundy, in the 90s after

being introduced to excellent French wines

during a talent scouting trip to France in

1991. He said his enjoyment grew, along

with his knowledge, as he collected ‒ and

that his wine hobby served as a useful

distraction from the pressures of being

manager of one of the world’s best football

clubs. “It gave me a balance in my life that

helped me in dealing with the intensity and

demands as manager of Manchester

United,” a Telegraph article stated.

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news

Sir Alex Ferguson

Hammertime for FergieManchester United football team had a dire season in 2014 but former manager Sir Alex Ferguson scored big in both Hong Kong and London recently. Fergie put up a portion of his wine collection for sale ‒ and raked in $3.8 million (R38 million) for the 257 lots which went under the hammer in Asia! The second auction, held in London in June raised £400 000 (R7.2 million).

Tinus talksti

nus

Pudding in a glass“A thousand cups of wine do not suffi ce when true friends meet, but half a sentence is too much when there is no meeting of minds.” ‒ Chinese proverb


t saddens me that there is little

appreciation or even recognition of the

fact that South Africa produces some of

the world’s best sweet wines ‒ and that’s

across the saccharine stratum, from

muscadels, special and noble late harvests

to ports and jerepikos. Alas, most of the

time dessert wine is served as an

afterthought at the table, during a special

event only, or as a “warming up” elixir. The

worst fact of all is that they are generally

readily available and not expensive!

Those of us in the wine fraternity who are

utterly passionate about all diff erent styles

of wine made from the grape agree with

even the most entry level consumer ‒ that

the pairing of food and wine is important.

The fi rst guideline is to ensure that the food

and wine do not overshadow each other,

but for them to rather complement or

contrast each other. There is absolutely no

doubt that there is as much a place for

dessert wines at the table and it needn’t

only be at the end of the meal. The cardinal

sin would be for one to mask each other’s

unique aromatic and fl avour characteristics.

The biggest handicap for sweet wines is,

in my opinion, a lack of imagination,

appreciation and understanding of dessert

wine, or sweeter wine in general. When

pairing food, we’re essentially

complementing or contrasting four sensory

elements ‒ smell, taste, touch and intensity.

The way any dish is prepared, cooked and

presented will aff ect these components

which are the aromas (fruity, fl owery,

grassy, herbaceous, earthy); the taste

impressions (sweet, acidic, spicy, sour,

bitter, hot, burning); palate weight, body or

substance (light, medium, full, heavy); and

the fl avour intensity and concentration (a

weak, subtle, moderate, strong mouth feel

experience).

The old rule of ‘red wine with red meat’

frequently sees the dinner party host/

hostess or chef pairing a dry red wine such

as Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon with

grilled or roast meat because of their fuller

bodies and mouth feel and pertinent

fl avours ‒ and the view that the protein in

the meat will tame and balance the tannins

in the wine. The opposite would be to serve

a carefully selected dry wine, or even a red

muscadel or Cape tawny with lightly seared

tuna or a slab of foie gras with a mildly

sweet red wine sauce.

As an accompaniment to spicy, strong-

fl avoured dishes, most people would opt

for a more neutral wine with a higher or

noticeable acidity ‒ like a tangy and tart

Riesling with a Malay-style curry, for

example. The adventurous and innovative

thing to do is to serve such spicy food with

a natural sweet such as hanepoot, or a

white or pink port style wine. But

remember to ensure that these sweet

wines are always served chilled.

Any number of wine farms now off er

chocolate and wine tastings. Naturally,

desserts are signature dishes when it comes

to sweeties. Just think of how good

a trio of dark chocolates would taste with

an older vintage of red muscadel. Trust me,

it’s a decadent experience!

I’m not afraid to admit that I have a party

trick which wins friends and fans ‒ and it’s

ridiculously easy. One of my favourite

sweets I discovered in France: chocolate

gateau. It’s light, easy to prepare and can

be served with ice cream, diff erent creams

and even afternoon tea, but that’s not

usually my choice!

Here’s the recipe which is seriously not diffi cult to master:

Chocolate gateauINGREDIENTS:

100g dark chocolate

100g butter

50g cornfl ower

3 eggs

5g sugar

METHOD:Melt the chocolate and butter together in a

bain-marie. Beat the eggs and sugar

together until creamy and light. Then mix

all the ingredients together, before fi lling

a non-stick cake pan. Bake at 180̊C for

20 minutes.

Et voila!

Tinus talks

tinu

s

Pudding in a glass“A thousand cups of wine do not suffi ce when true friends meet, but half a sentence is too much when there is no meeting of minds.” ‒ Chinese proverb


t saddens me that there is little

appreciation or even recognition of the

fact that South Africa produces some of

the world’s best sweet wines ‒ and that’s

across the saccharine stratum, from

muscadels, special and noble late harvests

to ports and jerepikos. Alas, most of the

time dessert wine is served as an

afterthought at the table, during a special

event only, or as a “warming up” elixir. The

worst fact of all is that they are generally

readily available and not expensive!

Those of us in the wine fraternity who are

utterly passionate about all diff erent styles

of wine made from the grape agree with

even the most entry level consumer ‒ that

the pairing of food and wine is important.

The fi rst guideline is to ensure that the food

and wine do not overshadow each other,

but for them to rather complement or

contrast each other. There is absolutely no

doubt that there is as much a place for

dessert wines at the table and it needn’t

only be at the end of the meal. The cardinal

sin would be for one to mask each other’s

unique aromatic and fl avour characteristics.

The biggest handicap for sweet wines is,

in my opinion, a lack of imagination,

appreciation and understanding of dessert

wine, or sweeter wine in general. When

pairing food, we’re essentially

complementing or contrasting four sensory

elements ‒ smell, taste, touch and intensity.

The way any dish is prepared, cooked and

presented will aff ect these components

which are the aromas (fruity, fl owery,

grassy, herbaceous, earthy); the taste

impressions (sweet, acidic, spicy, sour,

bitter, hot, burning); palate weight, body or

substance (light, medium, full, heavy); and

the fl avour intensity and concentration (a

weak, subtle, moderate, strong mouth feel

experience).

The old rule of ‘red wine with red meat’

frequently sees the dinner party host/

hostess or chef pairing a dry red wine such

as Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon with

grilled or roast meat because of their fuller

bodies and mouth feel and pertinent

fl avours ‒ and the view that the protein in

the meat will tame and balance the tannins

in the wine. The opposite would be to serve

a carefully selected dry wine, or even a red

muscadel or Cape tawny with lightly seared

tuna or a slab of foie gras with a mildly

sweet red wine sauce.

As an accompaniment to spicy, strong-

fl avoured dishes, most people would opt

for a more neutral wine with a higher or

noticeable acidity ‒ like a tangy and tart

Riesling with a Malay-style curry, for

example. The adventurous and innovative

thing to do is to serve such spicy food with

a natural sweet such as hanepoot, or a

white or pink port style wine. But

remember to ensure that these sweet

wines are always served chilled.

Any number of wine farms now off er

chocolate and wine tastings. Naturally,

desserts are signature dishes when it comes

to sweeties. Just think of how good

a trio of dark chocolates would taste with

an older vintage of red muscadel. Trust me,

it’s a decadent experience!

I’m not afraid to admit that I have a party

trick which wins friends and fans ‒ and it’s

ridiculously easy. One of my favourite

sweets I discovered in France: chocolate

gateau. It’s light, easy to prepare and can

be served with ice cream, diff erent creams

and even afternoon tea, but that’s not

usually my choice!

Here’s the recipe which is seriously not diffi cult to master:

Chocolate gateauINGREDIENTS:

100g dark chocolate

100g butter

50g cornfl ower

3 eggs

5g sugar

METHOD:Melt the chocolate and butter together in a

bain-marie. Beat the eggs and sugar

together until creamy and light. Then mix

all the ingredients together, before fi lling

a non-stick cake pan. Bake at 180̊C for

20 minutes.

Et voila!15Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13 www.topsatspar.co.za

Tinus van Niekerk

Tinus van Niekerk is TOPS at SPAR’s wine consultant and has been instrumental in

refining the grocery chain’s wine offering. But wine is not the only thing that

fascinates this Northern Cape-bred nature lover. He’s as au fait with bush lore, animal

behaviour and geology as he is about wine.

Just think of how good a trio of dark chocolates would taste with an older vintage of red muscadel. Trust me, it’s a decadent experience!

A few months ago, I prepared three such

gateaux and served them at an occasion in

the south of France accompanied by Orange

River Cellars 2002 Red Muscadel, a Boplaas

Cape Tawny (port), a De Wetshof Noble Late

Harvest and a 1963 Quinta do Noval port.

This was a heavenly experience with the

French guests, some winemakers, two chefs

and a few trade people, absolutely besotted

with the quality, the richness, etherealness

and elegance of the South African wines.

Adding to the atmosphere was music from

the old masters, great conversation and

jollity with the decision taken that we should

repeat the experience and include a

Sauternes, France’s famous noble late

harvest wine, next time.

Our feast ended with everybody

endorsing the Chinese proverb: “A

thousand cups of wine do not suffice when

true friends meet, but half a sentence is too

much when there is no meeting of minds.”

During winter time in South Africa

tradition dictates that dessert wine will be

served at any possible opportunity,

especially next to the fireplace which

induces many a story to be told. After all

everybody loves a good story, and if you

want to sell your wines to customers, and

your ideas to friends, you’ve got to recognize

the importance of great storytelling. In

essence wine marketing is concerned with

emotions. Why? Because often consumers

buy a brand, like wine, for its emotional

benefits, as opposed to purchasing a

product for functional reasons.

Wine is a lifestyle commodity with a deep

well of emotions to draw from. Savouring

that port or muscadel will quickly bring

home this realization.


Wine


Wine

catsThey do say that imitation

is the sincerest form of fl attery ‒ but Wellington winery Diemersfontein

unwittingly spawned an entirely new category of wine which the public

have fallen in love with: coff ee-styled wines.

So does that make all the wannabe emulators

of the original coff ee cats rather than

copycats? questions Fiona McDonald.

coff ee & chocolate


t really set a cat among the proverbial pigeons when it was

launched in 2004: Diemersfontein’s 2003 Pinotage had a distinct co� ee aroma and � avour that found immediate praise and enthusiasm among the wine drinking public.

Of course, the purists were all for protecting the reputation of Pinotage, South Africa’s unique grape which was developed in 1926 by Abraham Perold who crossed Pinot Noir with Cinsaut. � e traditionalists felt that Pinotage had a hard enough time trying to win friends and in� uence people – particularly foreign wine writers who criticised it as tasting of rusty nails or burned rubber.

� e fact of the matter is that people loved it because it was a delicious, drinkable style of wine – and they couldn’t get enough of it. And what many wrote of as a “� ash in the pan” trend has gained more and more fans

and followers and having been around for a decade, it’s even winning over its critics.

Instead of the co� ee phenomenon lasting � ve minutes, it has instead created its own little niche within the red wine category, with numerous winemakers creating unique examples of not just Pinotage, but Merlot, Malbec, Tinta Barocca and even Port-style wines. At one of the country’s biggest wine shows, the annual RMB Winex festival held in Johannesburg, Cape Town and now Polokwane, the Diemersfontein Pinotage 2009 beat out all comers to be adjudged the wine of the show by popular vote.

And to think it actually happened by accident during the 2003 harvest at Wellington’s Diemersfontein… Bertus Fourie was the winemaker at the time, and had a bumper crop of Pinotage to deal with. He decided to put into action some research he’d conducted during his Masters in Oenology studies at the University of Stellenbosch a few years earlier – a combination of a speci� c commercial yeast for fermenting the grape juice, with the maturation of the wine in a stainless steel tank lined with specially toasted oak staves. � e result was the turbo-boost of co� ee and chocolate � avours that created an instant sensation.

Speaking about the two styles of Pinotage that Diemersfontein is renowned for, with one being the serious, traditionally styled Carpe Diem and the other the cheerful mocha toned example, owner David Sonnenberg is on record as saying that he feels like “the parent of two teenage daughters – one is a classically trained violinist who dresses modestly and pulls the crowds in the exclusive concert halls; the other, a mini-skirted and occasionally provocative pop star who wows the younger generation but has fans of all ages.”

Fourie later moved on to the KWV which launched Café Culture in 2007, and subsequently followed it up with the sparkling sensation, Choc Mousse, a � zzy, bubbly-style wine made from co� ee Pinotage. By the turn of the decade, just three years after the launch, Café Culture was selling more than 100 000 litres annually.

And after again moving on to yet greener pastures, Fourie created his own Barista brand which is going down

Wine


t really set a cat among the proverbial pigeons when it was

launched in 2004: Diemersfontein’s 2003 Pinotage had a distinct co� ee aroma and � avour that found immediate praise and enthusiasm among the wine drinking public.

Of course, the purists were all for protecting the reputation of Pinotage, South Africa’s unique grape which was developed in 1926 by Abraham Perold who crossed Pinot Noir with Cinsaut. � e traditionalists felt that Pinotage had a hard enough time trying to win friends and in� uence people – particularly foreign wine writers who criticised it as tasting of rusty nails or burned rubber.

� e fact of the matter is that people loved it because it was a delicious, drinkable style of wine – and they couldn’t get enough of it. And what many wrote of as a “� ash in the pan” trend has gained more and more fans

and followers and having been around for a decade, it’s even winning over its critics.

Instead of the co� ee phenomenon lasting � ve minutes, it has instead created its own little niche within the red wine category, with numerous winemakers creating unique examples of not just Pinotage, but Merlot, Malbec, Tinta Barocca and even Port-style wines. At one of the country’s biggest wine shows, the annual RMB Winex festival held in Johannesburg, Cape Town and now Polokwane, the Diemersfontein Pinotage 2009 beat out all comers to be adjudged the wine of the show by popular vote.

And to think it actually happened by accident during the 2003 harvest at Wellington’s Diemersfontein… Bertus Fourie was the winemaker at the time, and had a bumper crop of Pinotage to deal with. He decided to put into action some research he’d conducted during his Masters in Oenology studies at the University of Stellenbosch a few years earlier – a combination of a speci� c commercial yeast for fermenting the grape juice, with the maturation of the wine in a stainless steel tank lined with specially toasted oak staves. � e result was the turbo-boost of co� ee and chocolate � avours that created an instant sensation.

Speaking about the two styles of Pinotage that Diemersfontein is renowned for, with one being the serious, traditionally styled Carpe Diem and the other the cheerful mocha toned example, owner David Sonnenberg is on record as saying that he feels like “the parent of two teenage daughters – one is a classically trained violinist who dresses modestly and pulls the crowds in the exclusive concert halls; the other, a mini-skirted and occasionally provocative pop star who wows the younger generation but has fans of all ages.”

Fourie later moved on to the KWV which launched Café Culture in 2007, and subsequently followed it up with the sparkling sensation, Choc Mousse, a � zzy, bubbly-style wine made from co� ee Pinotage. By the turn of the decade, just three years after the launch, Café Culture was selling more than 100 000 litres annually.

And after again moving on to yet greener pastures, Fourie created his own Barista brand which is going down

Wine

18 www.topsatspar.co.za Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13 Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13 www.topsatspar.co.za 19

coffee & chocolate

Coffee-styled wines:Diemersfontein PinotageKWV Café CultureBaristaKWV Choccochino ShirazDe Krans Tinta Mocha (Tinta Barocca)De Krans Original EspressoBoplaas Tinta ChocolatBoplaas The Chocolate Cape Vintage PortBoland Kelder CappupinoccinotageSchalk Burger MeerkatVrede & Lust Mochalate MalbecStellenbosch Hills Polkadraai Pinotage-MerlotDGB Rib Shack RedDoolhof Dark LadyThe Grinder PinotageChocoholic Pinotage (Darling Cellars)Ja-Mocha Pinotage (Simonsvlei)Van Loveren Africa Java Pinotage

a storm in the American market – with the brand showing massive growth among the nation of coffee lovers!

But what is it that people love? One of the explanations given is that the world of wine is still seen as quite snobbish, with people talking a language that others don’t necessarily understand. To the novice drinker being able to distinguish raspberries and oak tannins is a stretch too far – which is why these wines work. Everyone gets coffee! From the nose all the way through to the palate – the flavour of coffee, and even chocolate or cocoa, is quite pronounced. It’s also seductive…

And that’s what is so exciting: these wines provide a glimpse through the keyhole to the greater, more exciting world of wine appreciation that awaits. It’s when these novice red wine drinkers also have an “aha!” moment and get what the fuss about wine is about. There’s many a marketer working for a wine brand who is in favour of the coffee and chocolate phenomenon because they acknowledge that it’s not a big leap from coffee red wines onto other, more traditional red wines. It’s opening the door to a whole new world of flavour for people who might otherwise have been intimidated by the idea of drinking red wine.

It’s also interesting to note that even the experts can appreciate that the wines aren’t as “pop culture” as they might have thought. In a Wineland report in 2010, Cassie du Plessis reported on a tasting conducted at the KWV with some of their production and marketing team with Pinotage Association members Duimpie Bayly

and Dave Hughes, both veteran wine judges, joining in.

The Diemersfontein Pinotage and Café Culture came out tops, followed by: Boland cappupino ccinotage; Barista, KWV Choccochino, Schalk Burger Meerkat, Vrede & Lust Mocholate Malbec, Cathedral Cellar Pinotage (non-coffee flavour), Stellenbosch Hills Polkadraai Pinotage-Merlot, DGB Rib Shack Red and Doolhof Dark Lady.

Chief KWV winemaker at the time, Richard Rowe, said: “What I learnt from this, is that one shouldn’t only pursue coffee flavours. The wine should also be smooth and generous. The answer is palatability.”

And after 11 years of coffee-styled wines there’s absolutely no doubt that the market is loving the delicious flavours – and yes, palatability, of this style of wine. Long may it last!

You may have heard of a “good bottle of wine”, but what about a “good box of wine”? Introducing the Carnival range – an affordable,

everyday drinking wine that can stand the sternest test at any dinner table. Crafted to be simply delicious, the Carnival range delights

with its fruity notes and great quality. There is a wine for every palate from dry to sweet. Find it at a TOPS at SPAR or SPAR store near you

in its striped packaging, reminiscent of days gone by. The next time you want to have some fun, put a cork in it and open a box instead.

For your nearest TOPS store, phone our share call number 0860 31 3141 or visit topsatspar.co.za

TBW

A\H

UN

T\LA

SCA

RIS\

DU

RBA

N\3

4726

\LEF

T


Bottle Art

here’s seldom a wine producer who objects to sullying his bottle’s perfection with a sticker or

two or three. Speak to any and they will tell you: stickers sell! Those little adhesive additions to the outside of a bottle of wine make all the difference between being noticed on the shelf and being overlooked.

They stand out on the shelf – the bottles with stickers attached. Perhaps just one, possibly two.

But those which really catch the eye are the ones festooned with medals and awards.

Fiona McDonald decodes the sticker scenario.

what wine to choose for tonight’s dinner party, the weekend’s braai or a last minute birthday gift appreciates that a bottle with something that sets it apart has the edge. Consequently they’re more likely to place their hand around its neck and walk off to the checkout with it.

SO WHAT DO THE VARIOUS LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL SYMBOLS OF RECOGNITION MEAN?The biggest local competition is Veritas with 1 792 entries in 2013. It awards bronze, silver, gold and double gold medals – or 682, 526, 166 and 68 of each type last year. It’s basically South Africa’s national wine show and draws the most entries. It’s a “for the industry, by the industry” event although a few international judges participate. It’s considered an “authoritative quality wine

Sticky medals

That’s because the consumer appreciates it as a vote of confidence, a symbol of recognition. Some competition or tasting panel somewhere has deemed the contents of a particular bottle worthy of either a bronze, silver or gold medal. Sometimes it’s a star rating, a commendation or even a trophy. But the person standing in front of a vast array of wines, not necessarily knowing


Bottle Art

here’s seldom a wine producer who objects to sullying his bottle’s perfection with a sticker or

two or three. Speak to any and they will tell you: stickers sell! Those little adhesive additions to the outside of a bottle of wine make all the difference between being noticed on the shelf and being overlooked.

They stand out on the shelf – the bottles with stickers attached. Perhaps just one, possibly two.

But those which really catch the eye are the ones festooned with medals and awards.

Fiona McDonald decodes the sticker scenario.

what wine to choose for tonight’s dinner party, the weekend’s braai or a last minute birthday gift appreciates that a bottle with something that sets it apart has the edge. Consequently they’re more likely to place their hand around its neck and walk off to the checkout with it.

SO WHAT DO THE VARIOUS LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL SYMBOLS OF RECOGNITION MEAN?The biggest local competition is Veritas with 1 792 entries in 2013. It awards bronze, silver, gold and double gold medals – or 682, 526, 166 and 68 of each type last year. It’s basically South Africa’s national wine show and draws the most entries. It’s a “for the industry, by the industry” event although a few international judges participate. It’s considered an “authoritative quality wine

Sticky medals

That’s because the consumer appreciates it as a vote of confidence, a symbol of recognition. Some competition or tasting panel somewhere has deemed the contents of a particular bottle worthy of either a bronze, silver or gold medal. Sometimes it’s a star rating, a commendation or even a trophy. But the person standing in front of a vast array of wines, not necessarily knowing


competitions

23

guideline” and is also the country’s longest running event, having been started in 1990.

Competing for the title of the most authoritative event is the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show, an event begun in 2002 by the erstwhile WINE magazine. In 2014 it attracted 1 040 entries, awarded 28 trophies, just 37 gold medals, 121 silvers and 469 bronzes. To be awarded a coveted trophy, a wine must score an average 98 points out of 100! For gold the threshold is 90 and above, silver is 80-89 and bronze is 70-79.

Show chairman Michael Fridjhon states in his introduction to Icons 2014, the book containing information on all the winning wines: “� e role of the wine judge is not to replace the consumer’s responsibility for buying what he or she likes and wishes to enjoy. It is to o� er an assessment of what – in the trained taster’s opinion – are the qualitative intrinsics of a youthful bottle, sampled years before the wine is at its peak. Since show judging is done blind – in other words, free of the marketing hype and the in� uence of a producer’s label – it is as good (or bad) as the quality of the palate which passes judgement.”

He also makes the point that show judging “can only comment upon what is evident in a young wine: potential”. “We are able to review the comparable merits of what has been submitted… for the judges’ consideration, to benchmark the wines in a particular class, one against the other, to identify the � nest bottles, at that time, and in that place.”

And that’s the way that most competitions work – with the wines judged against their peers, blind. So a Shiraz, for example, would not be tasted versus a Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s like for

like – so Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Pinotage and others are all tasted as separate categories.

One notable di� erence to this is the Platter Guide. It makes the point that it is NOT a competition, it is a Guide. And with the Oxford Dictionary de� nition of a guide being: “a person who advises or shows the way” or “a directing principle or standard. A book providing information on a subject” it is apt then that the wines submitted to Platter are sampled by experienced tasters – but with sight of the label. In other words, Taster ABC will know that he is tasting a Merlot from Stellenbosch producer Wonderful Wines, for instance, and will make an assessment of whether it deserves a 1, 2, 3, 4 (or more) Star rating.

Should the taster deem it potentially 5 Star worthy – the highest on the Platter quality scale – he needs another Platter taster to concur with his judgement. Finally, all potential 5 Star wines are tasted by the full Platter tasting team – but this is done blind. So once again, all the Shirazes are tasted alongside each other, all the Merlots – and so forth. Only when the majority agree that the wine is worthy of 5 Stars, is it awarded that rating. With the 34th edition of the Guide published in 2014, just 80 wines – out of nearly 7 000 South African wines assessed – received the ultimate accolade. So you can see why a producer would want consumers to see that his wine was rated 5 Stars by Platter!

Other local competitions exist, notably the Michelangelo awards which is judged by an international panel, SA Top 100, Terroir Wine Awards, Classic Wine Trophy and Winemakers Choice Diamond Awards. � ere are also a range of category speci� c events for Chenin

The role of the wine judge is not to replace

the consumer’s responsibility

for buying what he or she likes

with the Oxford Dictionary de� nition of a

Competing for the title of the most

Call the

TOPS HOTLINE

0860 313 141

Available

from SPAR

and TOPS

at SPAR

stores


Bottle Art

Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage, Methode Cap Classique, Port, Bordeaux-style blends, Muscadel, Cape Blends and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The “biggies” when it comes to international events are the Decanter World Wine Awards, International Wine & Spirits Competition, International Wine Challenge, Mundus Vini and Concours Mondial de Bruxelles.

The 2014 staging of the Decanter World Wine Awards attracted in excess of 14 000 entries from all over the world. In 2013, of 32 international trophies awarded, four of them went to South African wines! Wines are all blind tasted by country, category, area and also price point. So a Chardonnay from Elgin would be tasted with other Chardonnays at the same price level. On the final day of judging, the gold medal winning South African wines are pitted against each other in order to win regional category trophies. Once a wine has won a regional trophy it is then lined up against other countries’ regional trophy winners. So South Africa’s best Chardonnay would compete against an American, French, Australian, New Zealand, German, Italian, Austrian or any other country’s regional trophy winning Chardonnay to be deemed worthy of the International trophy.

As with Decanter, the International Wine & Spirit Competition and the International Wine Challenge judging sessions reach consensus based on discussion. This means that everyone on the panel scores the wine – and then defends their position, either pointing out good or bad qualities. The panel debates the merits of each wine before agreeing on a score or medal that reflects the panel opinion.

The panel debates the

merits of each wine before

agreeing

on a score or medal that reflects the

panel opinion.The International Wine Challenge is

held in London with a range of international judges tasting the wines while the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) judges the South African entries in South Africa, using local judges. The IWSC reasoning being that local judges are well versed in local styles and more attuned to the unique qualities of a Sauvignon Blanc from Elim versus one from Stellenbosch, and thus able to make an assessment of the differences.

The International Wine Challenge (IWC) has to be one of the fairest competitions in that there are numerous checks and balances built into the system. During week one, panels don’t score the wines but simply decide whether they make the quality cut-off for a medal, a commendation or deserve to be rejected. Week two is then spent assessing what level of medal – gold, silver or bronze the wines from round one should get. They can also be rejected at this stage…

During both week one and week two, wines kicked out go into the safety net of highly experienced and qualified

super-jurors, notably Masters of Wine Tim Atkin, Peter McCombie, Sam Harrop along with competition founder Charles Metcalfe and Oz Clarke. They have the discretion to overrule the panel and reinstate wines for judging during week two, based on their expert knowledge and years of experience.

By contrast, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, is run according to European OIV (L’Organisation International de la vigne et du vin – or International Organisation of Vine and Wine) rules. Wines are tasted blind, one at a time, they are categorised and flighted according to type but no information is given to the panel. So the only information provided is that the wine is white, red, rosé, still, sparkling or sweet. There is no indication of grape variety, country, or style. There is also no discussion whatsoever, if anything, silence is encouraged. Tasting notes are not a requirement at this competition with boxes being ticked to arrive at a final score.

To quote Mr Fridjhon again: “The kind of benchmarking exercise the show represents is more than a freeze-frame valid only for a brief moment in time.” He writes that it is “a recognised talent scouting enterprise” – and all the various expert tasters, at a variety of competitions and panels are the ones who have sought out the gems worthy of recognition.

That’s what the stickers on bottles mean…

(Declaration: The author judges at Decanter World Wine Awards, International Wine Challenge, International Wine & Spirit Competition, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Classic Wine magazine panels and tastes for the annual Platter wine guide.)


Winter warmer


Winter warmer


Irish coff ee

“Cream as rich as an Irish brogue; coffee as

strong as a friendly hand; sugar sweet as the tongue of a rogue; and whiskey smooth

as the wit of the land.” That was the original

recipe for Irish Coffee, according to

its ‘inventor’, Joseph Sheridan.

Dark delightt was a chilly, wet and generally wretched winter’s evening when a batch of passengers disembarked from America. To cheer them up and warm them Sheridan added a tot of Irish whiskey to their co� ees. Apparently the passengers

asked if they were drinking Brazilian co� ee – to which Sheridan apocryphally replied that it was Irish co� ee.

And so the legend was born: and it quickly travelled back Stateside with those passengers where it became famous at the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco. � e American innovation was the � oating of the cream atop the co� ee, rather than stirring it into the mix.

Cape Town a� cionado David Donde of Truth Co� ee bar is someone who lives, eats, breathes, sleeps and dreams co� ee! Talking to Donde is like having an individual masterclass on the topic. He can wax lyrical about origin of the beans – perhaps why his � rst Cape Town co� ee establishment was called Origin… Or about green bean roasting, happily explaining the concept of ‘� rst crack’ and ‘second crack’. And don’t get him started on the topic of milk – because he will tell you all about what happens to the milk proteins if the liquid goes above 85˚C. � ere’s a reason why the term ‘sweet spot’ exists.

The story goes that Sheridan was a head chef in Foynes, County Limerick, in Ireland’s Mid-West province of Munster. In 1942 ‒ when this famous drink fi rst appeared ‒ Foynes port was the fi rst point of arrival for the Pan-Am fl ying boats from the United States, predating the modern Shannon international airport.

david

www.topsatspar.co.za Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 1328 www.topsatspar.co.za Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 1328

Winter warmer

Some months ago, he decided to rope in a few folks to see if he could improve on the tried and tested recipe for Irish Co� ee – and in typical Donde fashion, it was done exhaustively. Along with restaurant critic JP Rossouw and his brother Jacques, wine writer Neil Pendock and I were the tasters.

“� e idea is to get to the perfect Irish Co� ee,” said Donde. “As simple as that.” Except that it turned out to be anything BUT simple! We should have known what we were letting ourselves in for when he briefed us that “the � rst rule is that the rule book is being thrown out the window!

“� is drink that we all think of as Irish Co� ee: how far can we go once we’ve thrown the rule book out?” was his challenge to the assembled palates.

MECHANICS� e task involved quite a few variables – the � rst step being the co� ee. We settled on three options: an espresso, a double espresso and a bog-standard Americano. Both forms of espresso had water added to bulk up the volume su� ciently. � e other thing was that the sugar was removed from the equation in order that the co� ee and whisky � avours weren’t masked.

� en there was the whisk(e)y: lined up where Jameson’s Irish whiskey, an American whiskey in the shape of Woodford Reserve Bourbon, a smoky, peaty Scottish malt whisky – Ardbeg, and then a Speyside malt, � e Macallan 12 year old. Rounding out the spirit side of things was the South

African, 3 Ships 5 year old and a bit of ringer – Jack Daniels Honey Liqueur.

Even the topping didn’t escape without serious scrutiny: single cream – both unshaken and whipped, double-thick cream – also unshaken and whipped to thicken, as well as frothed milk, the kind you’d get on a cappuccino.

Donde’s direction was for each sample to be assessed in terms of co� ee � avour, whisky � avour, mouthfeel, body and an overall impression.

� e � rst order of business was to try the accepted version of Irish Co� ee – a

sweetened � lter co� ee with a tot of Irish whiskey topped o� with whipped cream. While there’s a quote that Irish Co� ee is the

ideal way to ruin two perfectly good drinks: co� ee and whiskey –

there’s another which states that Irish Co� ee contains all four essential food groups: alcohol, ca� eine, sugar and fat! My sentiments lie with the latter camp.

TOP AND TAILSOn a more serious note it was really interesting to see how each variable a� ected the overall impression of the drink.

� e single cream was too thin to make much of an impression on the enjoyment of the whole. � e unshaken double-thick cream was good but the lightly whipped double cream really hit the spot, providing a nice dense covering to the co� ee and also adding a richer, creamier mouthfeel. It was interesting to see how much harder one had to really pull and suck through the thick cream to get at the co� ee/whisky blend – and that made the appreciation of the mouthful of � avour deeper and richer.

� e milk froth was a total non-starter for two reasons; the � rst being lack of � avour and texture and the second because of the physics – the froth slid to the opposite side of the glass when it was tilted, making it almost impossible to take a mouthful of the co� ee, whisky and topping simultaneously.

� e whisky was possibly the most interesting aspect of the tasting. � e Irish (Jameson) whiskey was somewhat muted with the co� ee being the hero of the piece rather than it being a genuine partnership.

On its own Bourbon has delicious, slightly sweet, vanilla and fudge � avour – but when blended with the co� ee this came through as overtly fruity with a sort of tangy and quite hot aftertaste of alcohol burn. One of the tasters described as a Mustang muscle car “a big

There once was a head chef named Joe,

Whose thought process was anything

but slow,When chilly

passengers arrived,A warming drink

he contrived,And gave us

the Irish Coffee we now know!

www.topsatspar.co.za Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 1328 www.topsatspar.co.za Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 1328

Winter warmer

Some months ago, he decided to rope in a few folks to see if he could improve on the tried and tested recipe for Irish Co� ee – and in typical Donde fashion, it was done exhaustively. Along with restaurant critic JP Rossouw and his brother Jacques, wine writer Neil Pendock and I were the tasters.

“� e idea is to get to the perfect Irish Co� ee,” said Donde. “As simple as that.” Except that it turned out to be anything BUT simple! We should have known what we were letting ourselves in for when he briefed us that “the � rst rule is that the rule book is being thrown out the window!

“� is drink that we all think of as Irish Co� ee: how far can we go once we’ve thrown the rule book out?” was his challenge to the assembled palates.

MECHANICS� e task involved quite a few variables – the � rst step being the co� ee. We settled on three options: an espresso, a double espresso and a bog-standard Americano. Both forms of espresso had water added to bulk up the volume su� ciently. � e other thing was that the sugar was removed from the equation in order that the co� ee and whisky � avours weren’t masked.

� en there was the whisk(e)y: lined up where Jameson’s Irish whiskey, an American whiskey in the shape of Woodford Reserve Bourbon, a smoky, peaty Scottish malt whisky – Ardbeg, and then a Speyside malt, � e Macallan 12 year old. Rounding out the spirit side of things was the South

African, 3 Ships 5 year old and a bit of ringer – Jack Daniels Honey Liqueur.

Even the topping didn’t escape without serious scrutiny: single cream – both unshaken and whipped, double-thick cream – also unshaken and whipped to thicken, as well as frothed milk, the kind you’d get on a cappuccino.

Donde’s direction was for each sample to be assessed in terms of co� ee � avour, whisky � avour, mouthfeel, body and an overall impression.

� e � rst order of business was to try the accepted version of Irish Co� ee – a

sweetened � lter co� ee with a tot of Irish whiskey topped o� with whipped cream. While there’s a quote that Irish Co� ee is the

ideal way to ruin two perfectly good drinks: co� ee and whiskey –

there’s another which states that Irish Co� ee contains all four essential food groups: alcohol, ca� eine, sugar and fat! My sentiments lie with the latter camp.

TOP AND TAILSOn a more serious note it was really interesting to see how each variable a� ected the overall impression of the drink.

� e single cream was too thin to make much of an impression on the enjoyment of the whole. � e unshaken double-thick cream was good but the lightly whipped double cream really hit the spot, providing a nice dense covering to the co� ee and also adding a richer, creamier mouthfeel. It was interesting to see how much harder one had to really pull and suck through the thick cream to get at the co� ee/whisky blend – and that made the appreciation of the mouthful of � avour deeper and richer.

� e milk froth was a total non-starter for two reasons; the � rst being lack of � avour and texture and the second because of the physics – the froth slid to the opposite side of the glass when it was tilted, making it almost impossible to take a mouthful of the co� ee, whisky and topping simultaneously.

� e whisky was possibly the most interesting aspect of the tasting. � e Irish (Jameson) whiskey was somewhat muted with the co� ee being the hero of the piece rather than it being a genuine partnership.

On its own Bourbon has delicious, slightly sweet, vanilla and fudge � avour – but when blended with the co� ee this came through as overtly fruity with a sort of tangy and quite hot aftertaste of alcohol burn. One of the tasters described as a Mustang muscle car “a big

There once was a head chef named Joe,

Whose thought process was anything

but slow,When chilly

passengers arrived,A warming drink

he contrived,And gave us

the Irish Coffee we now know!


Irish coff ee

How to… Prepare your Irish Coff ee glass by pouring

in boiling water to heat it.

Empty the water out and then add a teaspoon or two of sugar, according to your preference.

Pour in black coff ee and stir well until the sugar is dissolved.

Stir in a tot of whisky.

Finally, fl oat the lightly whipped cream on top by pouring it over the back of a slightly warm spoon.

Don’t stir the coff ee once the cream has been added. The idea is for the warm, sweet coff ee and whisky to

be drunk through the cream, fi lling the mouth with all the elements of fl avour.

bruiser with a throbbing V8 engine!” Too much…

And as for the peaty, smoky Ardbeg? � e consensus was that you’d have to be insane to attempt blending it with co� ee and cream! It was just too much. Too smoky, too peaty – and would also be too expensive if trying to sell it in a co� ee shop! Neither the co� ee nor the malt were done any favours in this pairing.

When tasted on its own, as a whisky, the 3 Ships 5 year old had a light smokiness to it. In Irish Co� ee it was less o� ensive or overt than the Ardbeg had been but it still didn’t work as well as some of the others.

Donde described the Jack Daniels Honey Liqueur version as the “Jerry Springer show of the line-up…” Firstly, the honeycomb aroma jumped out of the glass before the initial sip – and the � avour was of roasted hazelnuts, slightly sour caramel and co� ee nougat. As good as the liqueur was on its own, it was too sweet and nutty with the co� ee being overwhelmed.

THE VERDICTFor the best co� ee � avour a slightly diluted double espresso is the way to go. Ironically, it was the Scottish single malt – � e Macallan – that performed best in terms of � avour and harmony with the co� ee, perhaps because it is a gentle, mellower spirit than the others tried. And the whipped double-thick cream is an absolute must.

Perhaps the best co� ee quote going was one attributed to famous American singer and dancer, Josephine Baker: “He was my cream, and I was his co� ee. And when you poured us together, it was something!”

Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13

Springer show of the line-up…” Firstly,

the glass before the initial sip – and the

slightly sour caramel and co� ee nougat. As good as the liqueur was on its own,

go. Ironically, it was the Scottish single

was one attributed to famous American


A question of taste

Just chill, brew


A question of taste

Just chill, brew


beer

31

ver wonder why you have more of a hankering for dark beer when the weather turns cool?

No doubt, the question’s come up before – as they do when evenings grow longer and the pub becomes a safe and friendly refuge from the grey cold outside.

The fact is, beer sales fluctuate across seasons and many brewers take advantage of this trend by brewing “seasonal” beers that carry more appeal than others at different times of the year. This is especially true of countries that have an even spread of cold and hot months. When it’s hot, we drink one type of beer, and when it’s cold, we do what John Milton put so succinctly: “Then to the spicy nut-brown ale”.

We’re talking here of that switch when a Castle Lager drinker chooses to order a Guinness; or a Heineken fan tries a Van Hunks Pumpkin Ale. Just like our choice of food, weather has a lot to do with it.

The answer to the question as to why our tastes change however is more complicated than a bar full of opinions might imagine. For starters, we’re

talking about a complex organ – the tongue – that has some 9 000 taste buds, each comprising clusters of between 50 and 100 cells. On top of that, our taste is linked to our other senses in ways far more intricately than we realise, and particularly to our sense of smell. Our senses feed information to our brains, sometimes from unexpected sources. We wince when we see someone accidentally whack their thumb with a hammer even though we’ve experienced no physical pain.

Also, new research published this year in the American Journal of Science says that a humble schnoz – in mint condition – can detect over one trillion different smells. Now, consider that most of our body is continuously shedding and replacing cells, while ageing too.

This microscopic, turbulent environment is responsible for our taste being both transient and malleable – pregnant women can experience surprising changes in taste; children grow out of their so-called sweet teeth; our palates become sensitive to salty or

sugary foods after cutting them out for a while; and, we blame the chefs and winemakers when its actually the air pressure that dulls our taste buds when we fly.

With something apparently so fickle, one has to wonder what truly lies behind the insuring of a nose like that of master whisky blender Richard Paterson for $1.5m (R26m) or the tongue of coffee taster Gennaro Pelliccia, for £10m (R175m).

Our taste preferences also change – you might have had a bad experience with peach schnapps as a student, and still have occasional, stomach churning reminders each time you get the mere sight of a bottle of the stuff; or you’ve acquired (or, perhaps even lost) the taste for Scotch.

Now, narrowing down our search to the relation between our senses, temperature and our brew, scientists in Belgium recently found that food flavour perception changes when temperature changes: ice-cream tastes sweeter as it warms up; ham, saltier when colder; and, beer, bitter when warmer.

We might swear by our brand of beer in summer, but when winter comes we scamper off to the arms of some other

darker specimen. Clifford Roberts attempts an explanation.

Just chill, brew


A question of taste

DO WE THEN PREFER OUR BEER LESS BITTER, EVEN SWEETER, WHEN IT’S COOLER OUT? Certainly one theory says that our bodies are programmed to seek stimulation at times when we’re less mobile. In cold, wintry months, we get out less and may be more moody as a result. We want to nest. Sugar provides an appealing spike in our emotions and some studies actually say this is the reason why sugar appeals more to populations in colder climes. � is perhaps unconscious desire for a sweet tinge to our drink could well be our internal PT instructor screaming to go for a run, although the alcoholic lullaby usually drowns him out.

� e labels of these darker brews often speak of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in their � avours, pumpkin and sweetness too. � ey’re tinged in colours you might associate with autumn or even toasty embers in the hearth. And just like we picture ourselves in that expensive new coat hanging in the shop window, that beer label surrounds us with warm and fuzzy things that shelter us from the cold and nastiness outside. One brewer actually refers to his winter brew as “Christmas cookies in a glass” – it helps that your brain is thinking about the comforts of home before that � rst sip reaches your lips.

More speci� c to our situation, consider the general use of beer in sunny South Africa, where nothing quite hits the spot on a hot summer day like an ice-cold, dew-laden brewski. It just doesn’t seem right to order our stock standard lawnmower brew when the temperature is 10 below outside.

Also, conventional wisdom says that cold constricts aroma and � avour, as well as our physical perceptions – it’s why whisky connoisseurs prefer a dash of water at room temperature, rather than ice in their dram. It makes sense then that full-bodied beers, which have more � avour and potency, will hold greater appeal for our palates.

� ere’s a good argument to be made that winter, more than any other season, represents a prime opportunity for craft beers in particular. As the season changes, beer drinkers expect to try something di� erent and winter is far less competitive than summer, as beer hunting grounds go.

Of course, we might believe that the higher alcohol in many of the darker brews warms us up, which does hold true but only temporarily. In fact, consuming alcohol actually increases the risk of acquiring hypothermia in extreme conditions. Of course, you’ll have to keep a keener eye on your intake as well, if you intend driving.

So best stay indoors then, where it’s warm, the beer is plentiful and the conversation cheap. And remember, most important of all: you might love the light while it’s there most year round, but you don’t need to be afraid of the dark.

And remember, most important of all: you might love the light while it’s there most year round, but you don’t need to be afraid of the dark.

cliff

ord

Award-winning journalist Cliff ord Roberts loves researching topics such as beer -

especially the practical side of the subject!


A question of taste

DO WE THEN PREFER OUR BEER LESS BITTER, EVEN SWEETER, WHEN IT’S COOLER OUT? Certainly one theory says that our bodies are programmed to seek stimulation at times when we’re less mobile. In cold, wintry months, we get out less and may be more moody as a result. We want to nest. Sugar provides an appealing spike in our emotions and some studies actually say this is the reason why sugar appeals more to populations in colder climes. � is perhaps unconscious desire for a sweet tinge to our drink could well be our internal PT instructor screaming to go for a run, although the alcoholic lullaby usually drowns him out.

� e labels of these darker brews often speak of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in their � avours, pumpkin and sweetness too. � ey’re tinged in colours you might associate with autumn or even toasty embers in the hearth. And just like we picture ourselves in that expensive new coat hanging in the shop window, that beer label surrounds us with warm and fuzzy things that shelter us from the cold and nastiness outside. One brewer actually refers to his winter brew as “Christmas cookies in a glass” – it helps that your brain is thinking about the comforts of home before that � rst sip reaches your lips.

More speci� c to our situation, consider the general use of beer in sunny South Africa, where nothing quite hits the spot on a hot summer day like an ice-cold, dew-laden brewski. It just doesn’t seem right to order our stock standard lawnmower brew when the temperature is 10 below outside.

Also, conventional wisdom says that cold constricts aroma and � avour, as well as our physical perceptions – it’s why whisky connoisseurs prefer a dash of water at room temperature, rather than ice in their dram. It makes sense then that full-bodied beers, which have more � avour and potency, will hold greater appeal for our palates.

� ere’s a good argument to be made that winter, more than any other season, represents a prime opportunity for craft beers in particular. As the season changes, beer drinkers expect to try something di� erent and winter is far less competitive than summer, as beer hunting grounds go.

Of course, we might believe that the higher alcohol in many of the darker brews warms us up, which does hold true but only temporarily. In fact, consuming alcohol actually increases the risk of acquiring hypothermia in extreme conditions. Of course, you’ll have to keep a keener eye on your intake as well, if you intend driving.

So best stay indoors then, where it’s warm, the beer is plentiful and the conversation cheap. And remember, most important of all: you might love the light while it’s there most year round, but you don’t need to be afraid of the dark.

And remember, most important of all: you might love the light while it’s there most year round, but you don’t need to be afraid of the dark.

cliff

ord

Award-winning journalist Cliff ord Roberts loves researching topics such as beer -

especially the practical side of the subject!

Not for Sale to Persons Under the Age of 18. Drink Responsibly.

What’s better than 100% Pure Beer? 33% more. Introducing the all-new 440ml Lager can.

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entry level

bottle. But what separates the two price segments is what’s in the bottle – and the � rst group of whiskies, while also blended whiskies, have a higher proportion of grain whisky in them.

GRAIN WHISKYWhisky writer Dave Broom had the following to say in � e World Atlas of Whisky: “Grain whisky is conceivably the most misunderstood of all whisky styles. For the majority of drinkers, column still whisky equals neutral alcohol. Grain whisky? Nothing more than Scottish vodka whose existence in a blend is simply to dilute and bulk up the malts, right? No. None of that is true. Grain has a character of its own

Buying smart“Instead of buying

that R150-plus bottle of whisky, they’re

looking at a diff erent segment of the whisky

market ‒ that of the R100-or-less whisky.”

Dave Broom had the following to say in The World Atlas of

Whisky: “Grain whisky is conceivably the

most misunderstood of all whisky styles.”

and performs a vital function within a blend. By law, grain must have � avour.

� e Scotch Whisky Act of 1988 states that it must be distilled: “at an alcoholic strength by volume of less than 94.8%, so that the distillate has an aroma and taste derived from the raw materials used and the methods of its production.”


entry level













entry level













Whisky

“In other words, although grain can be high in strength, the regulations say it must have � avour and character.”

Broom’s point of view was echoed in print by fellow whisky authority, Charles McLean who wrote the book, World Whisky. McLean said the advent of whisky blending in the mid-19th century “proved to be the making of the Scottish whisky industry.”

McLean documents that the � rst blends “were produced in about 1853 by Andrew Usher, an Edinburgh whisky merchant. His Old Vatted Glenlivet is often cited as the � rst blend and it achieved rapid popularity. Charles Mackinlay and WP Lowrie were also early pioneers, as were many well known whisky houses in the industry today, such as Johnnie Walker, Dewar’s and Buchanans.”

Also helping the cause of the swing towards a preference for blended whisky was the collapse of the French brandy industry which was brought about by – of all things – a tiny plant louse: phylloxera. � is little critter decimated the vineyards of the world in the mid-1800s and since Cognac or brandy was distilled from wine, there was a massive shortage of the spirit’s raw material.

Not only that, but McLean recounts that “drinkers rapidly adopted the lighter, cheaper and more palatable blends over the then highly variable and strongly � avoured single whiskies and Irish Whiskeys”.

“� e master blenders are important � gures in the distilling business,” wrote McLean. “� ey are responsible for the selection of whiskies for a blend – a process described by Whyte & Mackay’s Richard Paterson as ‘90% percent down

While the economic conditions might mean a bit of belt tightening,

it’s also an opportunity to expose the taste buds to

new fl avours

to instinct and a ‘feel good’ factor’.”And there’s de� nitely a “feel

good factor” as well as a certain amount of national pride attached to three of the products in this price segment: Knights, Harrier and Two Keys. All are proudly South African. Knights and Harrier fall under the Distell umbrella, being produced at the James Sedgwick distillery in Wellington which is also the brand home of � ree Ships whisky which is making de� nite waves in the global whisky fraternity. Two Keys is part of the Edward Snell & Company range, the “largest family-owned wine and spirit company in South Africa”.

In the 2013 edition of his eponymous Whisky Bible, Jim Murray writes the following of Knights whisky and scores it 87 out of 100: “Bourbony vanillas and to£ ee. A superb bite to this with a salivating sweet and oily follow-through. Wonderfully textured vanilla and caramel. It now appears to be a 100% South African whisky – a vast improvement on when it was a blend of

Scotch malt and SA grain. Bursting with attitude and vitality. When next in South Africa this will be my daily dram.”

� at’s fairly substantial praise from one of the world’s most recognised whisky experts! But this array of whisky o£ ers substantial interest. Firstwatch, for example, is a blend of Canadian and American rye and grain whiskies – which means that it o£ ers up unique � avours as rye spirit is unlike Scottish malt.

While the economic conditions might mean a bit of belt tightening, it’s also an opportunity to expose the taste buds to new � avours – with the added bonus of practising � scal responsibility at the same time!


Taste of Spain


Taste of Spain


Sherry

39

Social trendIn May, the festival of San Isidro in Spain’s capital city of Madrid was cancelled for the fi rst time in decades ‒ after three matadors came off second best to

the fi ghting bulls in the Las Ventas bullring. All three are reportedly recuperating well from their near fatal injuries... By Fiona McDonald

hat is culture? � is question was posed by animal activists after

Spain’s congress conferred ‘traditional cultural heritage’ status on the corrida – or bull� ght – in order to protect it from a European ban. Although the practice dates back 4000 years, having been popularised by the Romans during their domination of Europe, its legion of fans and supporters are waning noticeably.

And yet, if you ask anyone for an iconic image of Spain it’ll either be a matador with a owing cape or a amenco dancer! Although incredibly hard hit by the continuing economic recession, Spain is riding the crest of a wave in terms of patriotic fervour, having won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as well as Euro 2012.

But there’s another Spanish cultural tradition that is being celebrated in all the hottest and trendiest circles in London and New York – that of sherry drinking! Sherry has been deeply unfashionable as a drink for years. In South Africa, the appreciation of sherry extends to taking a bottle of “Obies” (Old Brown Sherry) along on � shing trips to stave o� the night chill!

London in particular has adopted Spanish sherry with massive enthusiasm. Tapas and sherry bars have opened in the UK capital at a rate of knots while one national retailer reports that sales of

a glug of Fino sherry, and feel your mouth all refreshed,” he reported in the Daily Telegraph in December 2013.

WHAT AND HOW?� e basic information is that sherry is a forti� ed wine – meaning that spirit is added to boost the alcoholic strength of the wine. It’s made from white, mainly Palomino, grapes grown near the town of Jerez de la Frontera in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. Although most people think sherry should be sweet – as Old Brown is – in actual fact, it’s generally made in a range of styles, from crisply bone-dry to rich, treacly and deeply sweet. (See sidebar.)

It’s a hot, dry region and the soils are quite chalky but it’s the history that’s fascinating. It was the Phoenicians who introduced winemaking to Spain in 1100 BC, the Romans who continued it when they controlled Iberia around 200 BC but the medieval Muslim inhabitants of Sicily, Malta and the Maghreb, the Moors, who introduced distilling to the region around 700 AD, ultimately giving the world forti� ed wine and brandy. It’s also the Moorish name for the town, Sherish that led to it being called Jerez and the wine style, sherry. In the mid-1500s sherry was hugely popular in Great Britain, courtesy of Francis Drake who arrived home with 2 900 barrels of the stu� after sacking Cadiz in 1587!

sherry in their supermarket wine section have increased by 33%. And part of the reason is the food that it does well with – little tapas, pinxtos and raciones of olives, jamón Ibérico or Serrano and cheese, cuttle� sh, pimentos, calamares and pulpo. One of the scienti� c reasons, according to food writer James Ramsden is that the chemical compound which makes you drool – acetaldehyde – can be found in quite high levels in sherry. “It washes out your taste canals. � at’s why you can have some olives or jamon, have


Taste of Spain

Sherry Styles:FINOThe most subtle of the styles, and the lightest, it’s dry, nutty, tangy and crisp. Having not been exposed to oxygen during its making because of the fl or layer, fi no is delicate and akin to a white wine. Best chilled.

MANZANILLABecause of the higher humidity on the coast at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, this fi no-style sherry benefi ts from a thicker fl or layer and so is typically lighter and fresher than fi no. It also displays a distinct salty tang.

AMONTILLADOAn old fi no which has lost its fl or and consequently been exposed to oxygen, developing deeper, amber colour and complex nutty fl avours. It’s also slightly higher in alcohol at 17.5% (the others are around 15%). It lasts longer because of the oxygen exposure.

PALO CORTADOAnother example of a fi no sherry which lost its fl or ‒ but it’s not as complex and aged as an amontillado but lies somewhere in between the two.

OLOROSOComplex, rich and nutty, these are sherries that don’t have the protection of a fi lm of fl or while in barrel. These wines are dry in spite of being quite rich and raisiny in aromas and fl avour. They age and last well.

PEDRO XIMÉNEZRichly sweet and like liquid Christmas cake, PX is made from air-dried grapes.

Consequently the sugar level is extremely high. The wine’s fermentation is stopped early by the addition of spirit. It’s

typically almost black in colour and sticky.

Taste of Spain

Having been forti� ed, it also meant that the wine travelled well, not going o even during long sea voyages.

Wine writer Jamie Goode reports on his website, www.wineanorak.com that “vineyards are mainly located within a triangle formed by the Sherry towns Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. � e characteristic vineyard soil in the region is known as albariza. A blinding white colour in bright sunlight, it has a high chalk content, and retains water well. In such a warm, breezy region, evaporation levels are potentially very high, so this characteristic is important.”

Goode writes that the extreme heat – the mercury regularly passes the 40˚C mark – is o set by cool winds coming o the Atlantic. “Table wines made from here wouldn’t be terribly exciting, but the complex process of Sherry production, including the addition of spirit once fermentation is complete (forti� cation), results in complex, stable wines.”

Probably the most vitally essential element to sherry production is the � lmy layer of yeasts which forms on top – the � or. “It forms spontaneously from yeasts that are abundant in the winery environment when the sherry casks are left incompletely � lled,” Goode writes. “Sherry butts (as the barrels are known) are made of American oak and usually have a capacity of 600 litres, but are only � lled to 500 litres, leaving a large air space. � e growth of the � or protects the developing wine from

oxidation. It’s thicker in the humid coastal towns in the region. In addition, the � or contributes a distinctive � avour to the wine through metabolizing alcohol to the nutty, appley compound acetaldehyde. To keep the � or healthy, casks are periodically topped up with fresh wine, to maintain the nutrients that the yeasts need to survive.”

It takes the skill of the winemaker to identify which style the di erent barrels will become once fermentation is complete. Tasting is essential to separate the lighter ones for � no sherry and the richer, deeper ones for oloroso.

SOLERA SYSTEM� e ageing of sherry is the most complex element of its production – because it involves a solera system. It’s an intricate system involving many barrels. Picture, for example, three barrels of wine: one very old. Some of the volume of this old barrel is removed to be bottled. It’s then replaced by a portion of the middle-aged wine in the second barrel. � at second barrel is in turn replenished with wine from the youngest, newest and freshest barrel. Up to a third of the volume of the barrel can be removed but generally only 10 to 15% is taken out. � is ageing and replenishing with “fresher” wine is how the complexity and � avour develops. So the � nal bottled product is actually a melange of wines from many di erent vintages.


Taste of Spain

Sherry Styles:FINOThe most subtle of the styles, and the lightest, it’s dry, nutty, tangy and crisp. Having not been exposed to oxygen during its making because of the fl or layer, fi no is delicate and akin to a white wine. Best chilled.

MANZANILLABecause of the higher humidity on the coast at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, this fi no-style sherry benefi ts from a thicker fl or layer and so is typically lighter and fresher than fi no. It also displays a distinct salty tang.

AMONTILLADOAn old fi no which has lost its fl or and consequently been exposed to oxygen, developing deeper, amber colour and complex nutty fl avours. It’s also slightly higher in alcohol at 17.5% (the others are around 15%). It lasts longer because of the oxygen exposure.

PALO CORTADOAnother example of a fi no sherry which lost its fl or ‒ but it’s not as complex and aged as an amontillado but lies somewhere in between the two.

OLOROSOComplex, rich and nutty, these are sherries that don’t have the protection of a fi lm of fl or while in barrel. These wines are dry in spite of being quite rich and raisiny in aromas and fl avour. They age and last well.

PEDRO XIMÉNEZRichly sweet and like liquid Christmas cake, PX is made from air-dried grapes.

Consequently the sugar level is extremely high. The wine’s fermentation is stopped early by the addition of spirit. It’s

typically almost black in colour and sticky.

Taste of Spain

Having been forti� ed, it also meant that the wine travelled well, not going o even during long sea voyages.

Wine writer Jamie Goode reports on his website, www.wineanorak.com that “vineyards are mainly located within a triangle formed by the Sherry towns Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. � e characteristic vineyard soil in the region is known as albariza. A blinding white colour in bright sunlight, it has a high chalk content, and retains water well. In such a warm, breezy region, evaporation levels are potentially very high, so this characteristic is important.”

Goode writes that the extreme heat – the mercury regularly passes the 40˚C mark – is o set by cool winds coming o the Atlantic. “Table wines made from here wouldn’t be terribly exciting, but the complex process of Sherry production, including the addition of spirit once fermentation is complete (forti� cation), results in complex, stable wines.”

Probably the most vitally essential element to sherry production is the � lmy layer of yeasts which forms on top – the � or. “It forms spontaneously from yeasts that are abundant in the winery environment when the sherry casks are left incompletely � lled,” Goode writes. “Sherry butts (as the barrels are known) are made of American oak and usually have a capacity of 600 litres, but are only � lled to 500 litres, leaving a large air space. � e growth of the � or protects the developing wine from

oxidation. It’s thicker in the humid coastal towns in the region. In addition, the � or contributes a distinctive � avour to the wine through metabolizing alcohol to the nutty, appley compound acetaldehyde. To keep the � or healthy, casks are periodically topped up with fresh wine, to maintain the nutrients that the yeasts need to survive.”

It takes the skill of the winemaker to identify which style the di erent barrels will become once fermentation is complete. Tasting is essential to separate the lighter ones for � no sherry and the richer, deeper ones for oloroso.

SOLERA SYSTEM� e ageing of sherry is the most complex element of its production – because it involves a solera system. It’s an intricate system involving many barrels. Picture, for example, three barrels of wine: one very old. Some of the volume of this old barrel is removed to be bottled. It’s then replaced by a portion of the middle-aged wine in the second barrel. � at second barrel is in turn replenished with wine from the youngest, newest and freshest barrel. Up to a third of the volume of the barrel can be removed but generally only 10 to 15% is taken out. � is ageing and replenishing with “fresher” wine is how the complexity and � avour develops. So the � nal bottled product is actually a melange of wines from many di erent vintages.

685T SOBS Cheers Magazine Ad FA1.indd 1 2014/06/25 4:43 PM


Nederburg Auction

43

Four decades

Hammertime!The annual Nederburg auction is one of the country’s

most sought after social events and an invitation is highly prized. But nowadays few people realise that when fi rst

held, it was open to members of the public who brought along their own picnics. Fiona McDonald reports.

Auctioneer, Anthony Barne, MW


Four decades

Günter Brözel

Carina Gous


Four decades

Günter Brözel

Carina Gous

Nederburg Auction

45

alling the Nederburg auction a circus would not be far wrong! Not that there are clowns but there is certainly a ring master

and performers and some of the producers feel the tension of having their wines under the hammer is like a high-wire act… But veteran of the South African wine fraternity, Dave Hughes, is happy to recount that the auction really is based on a circus.

“When we were planning the � rst auction all those years ago we knew we needed to be organised and e cient in setting everything up,” he said. And with circuses having to move on to a new town virtually every day, packing up and moving on and then setting up in time for the afternoon matinee meant that they were well-oiled machines.

And to this day, with the 40th Nederburg auction due to be held in September, that’s how it’s run – like an e cient, well-oiled machine.

Between 1 500 and 2 000 guests will have their every need swiftly met, probably without even realising half of the logistics required to make it appear seamlessly e� ortless. As a veteran of many Nederburg auctions I still marvel at the hundreds of details which are seen to. From the tickets texted to one’s cell phone which are then scanned at the entrance, the parking, the transfer from car to auction hall, the exhaustively informative catalogue, paddles and admin support for the bidders, the bubbly which � ows continually, the thousands of plates of food, the co� ee stations – and, the ever-present video screens which constantly update the live bidding action.

Four decades down the line the Nederburg auction is a far cry from that 1975 auction when there were just 15 wines on o� er from � ve di� erent producers, held

in a marquee on the lawns of the Nederburg manor house in Paarl. “It’s changed almost beyond recognition,” Hughes admits. “And what a lot of people don’t realise is that the � rst ever auction which preceded the event was actually a postal auction… And in the early days members of the public were able to attend. � ey didn’t get any of the fancy stu� reserved for the VIPs but they were encouraged to bring their own grub along and picnic on the lawns!”

As it has been for decades, the auction is now a ‘by invitation only’ event, restricted to members of the liquor trade, retailers, hotel and lodge owners, important local and international Distell clients and guests and, of course, the media. It’s always been intended as a trade event. Members of the public are encouraged, however, to approach their local liquor retailers to bid on their behalf. � e catalogue is available

online - www.nederburgauction.co.za – and details the various wines available.

It all started because the Nederburg cellarmaster, Günter Brözel, had made a sweet wine which the authorities at the time refused to allow! It was the � rst Edelkeur from grapes which had been infected with botrytis – what is now recognised as noble late harvest style wines. But back then there was no o cial designation or approval of that type of wine. Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery, under which Nederburg then fell and that subsequently merged with Distiller’s Corporation to form the current Distell, decided to sell this wine – and others – by means of auction.

“It was also a way of exposing the South African market to the potential for local wines to age,” said Hughes. It was the 70’s, the height of apartheid and sanctions. South Africa didn’t have a very big wine market and it was a predominantly unsophisticated one. It all started because

the Nederburg cellarmaster, Günter Brözel, had made a sweet wine which the authorities at the time refused

to allow! Bidders for SPAR in action


Four decades

It’s seen changes over the decades. Possibly the most notable was the building of a bricks-and-mortar home for the event rather than tents and marquees. “� at happened after we had a helluva storm the day before the auction one year. It blew all the tents away! � ere was a lot of scrabbling and scrambling and midnight oil burned but we were open for business the next morning,” Hughes recalled with pride.

� e Johan Graue auction hall now also serves as the home to the popular TV reality series, Masterchef! � e days of seating 1 500 people and providing them with a plated three-course gourmet meal has made way for a more relaxed two-day event which sees an army of waiters regularly doing the rounds with trays of canapés, snacks and scaled down plates of food.

CHANGEIn 2013 there was probably the most signi� cant shake-up in recent history. New auction manager Dalene Steyn took cognisance of the fact that buyer interest in the event was waning – as were the prices achieved. With the approval of then Distell CEO Jan Scannell, Steyn invited a local and international panel to select the wines. � ere was no instruction other than to set the bar as high as possible. Wine quality was the only criteria and all submissions were tasted blind.

What resulted was a more than 50% decrease in the amount of wine on o� er, from 25 444 litres to just 12 426! It was a shockingly bold move and yet produced the desired result. Sales were double the anticipated � gure – with R4.4 million paid against an estimate of R2.2 million, whereas the 2012 total (with twice as much wine) was R4.7 million.

Commentators and critics were united in their praise. Michael Fridjhon wrote in the

Daily Maverick: (� e 2013) “Nederburg auction confounded the Jeremiahs who had been predicting the demise of the Cape’s longest running and best-established premium wine event.” Producers were delighted to attain an average price-per-litre of R355 which was 91% higher than previously! (R185 in 2012.) Not only that, but most of the wine stayed on local shores rather than being shipped o� abroad as had often happened previously. South African buyers snapped up 63% of all the lots with the SPAR Group as the top buyer overall, purchasing 15.4% of everything on o� er.

In 2014 there will be 112 wines on o� er in the form of 1 932 cases making up 12 156 litres of wine, down on 2013’s 134 wines, 2 005 cases and 12 400 litres. When brie� ng this year’s tasting panel, selection convenor Michael van Deventer said “this being the 40th year of the Auction, we’re

really rooting for some diamonds.”And diamonds were found – along with

a few treasures from Distell’s wine library. Some of the rare lots which join the modern wines are some 40- and even 50-year old wines: a 1964 Lanzerac Cabernet Sauvignon, a Zonnebloem 1964 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 1964 Nederburg Port showcase the country’s vinous history.

Uiterwyk’s 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon, a Zonnebloem 1974 and 1975 Cabernet Sauvignon, an Oude Libertas 1975 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 1974 Middelvlei Pinotage make up the group of exceptional wines sharing the Auction’s birthday.

It is also only � tting that the iconic Edelkeur, which gave rise to this event, is well represented in the form of three di� erent wines: a 1979 made by Brözel, a 1993 and 2006. Adding further sweetness to the event is a 1989 Eminence natural sweet, the last vintage made by the legendary cellarmaster which is still gracious and lively, along with a 1990 vintage o� ering.

(Declaration: Fiona McDonald was a member of the tasting panel invited to select wines for both the 2013 and 2014 Nederburg Auction.)

most of the wine stayed on local

shores rather than being shipped

off abroad

Razvan Macici


Four decades

It’s seen changes over the decades. Possibly the most notable was the building of a bricks-and-mortar home for the event rather than tents and marquees. “� at happened after we had a helluva storm the day before the auction one year. It blew all the tents away! � ere was a lot of scrabbling and scrambling and midnight oil burned but we were open for business the next morning,” Hughes recalled with pride.

� e Johan Graue auction hall now also serves as the home to the popular TV reality series, Masterchef! � e days of seating 1 500 people and providing them with a plated three-course gourmet meal has made way for a more relaxed two-day event which sees an army of waiters regularly doing the rounds with trays of canapés, snacks and scaled down plates of food.

CHANGEIn 2013 there was probably the most signi� cant shake-up in recent history. New auction manager Dalene Steyn took cognisance of the fact that buyer interest in the event was waning – as were the prices achieved. With the approval of then Distell CEO Jan Scannell, Steyn invited a local and international panel to select the wines. � ere was no instruction other than to set the bar as high as possible. Wine quality was the only criteria and all submissions were tasted blind.

What resulted was a more than 50% decrease in the amount of wine on o� er, from 25 444 litres to just 12 426! It was a shockingly bold move and yet produced the desired result. Sales were double the anticipated � gure – with R4.4 million paid against an estimate of R2.2 million, whereas the 2012 total (with twice as much wine) was R4.7 million.

Commentators and critics were united in their praise. Michael Fridjhon wrote in the

Daily Maverick: (� e 2013) “Nederburg auction confounded the Jeremiahs who had been predicting the demise of the Cape’s longest running and best-established premium wine event.” Producers were delighted to attain an average price-per-litre of R355 which was 91% higher than previously! (R185 in 2012.) Not only that, but most of the wine stayed on local shores rather than being shipped o� abroad as had often happened previously. South African buyers snapped up 63% of all the lots with the SPAR Group as the top buyer overall, purchasing 15.4% of everything on o� er.

In 2014 there will be 112 wines on o� er in the form of 1 932 cases making up 12 156 litres of wine, down on 2013’s 134 wines, 2 005 cases and 12 400 litres. When brie� ng this year’s tasting panel, selection convenor Michael van Deventer said “this being the 40th year of the Auction, we’re

really rooting for some diamonds.”And diamonds were found – along with

a few treasures from Distell’s wine library. Some of the rare lots which join the modern wines are some 40- and even 50-year old wines: a 1964 Lanzerac Cabernet Sauvignon, a Zonnebloem 1964 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 1964 Nederburg Port showcase the country’s vinous history.

Uiterwyk’s 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon, a Zonnebloem 1974 and 1975 Cabernet Sauvignon, an Oude Libertas 1975 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 1974 Middelvlei Pinotage make up the group of exceptional wines sharing the Auction’s birthday.

It is also only � tting that the iconic Edelkeur, which gave rise to this event, is well represented in the form of three di� erent wines: a 1979 made by Brözel, a 1993 and 2006. Adding further sweetness to the event is a 1989 Eminence natural sweet, the last vintage made by the legendary cellarmaster which is still gracious and lively, along with a 1990 vintage o� ering.

(Declaration: Fiona McDonald was a member of the tasting panel invited to select wines for both the 2013 and 2014 Nederburg Auction.)

most of the wine stayed on local

shores rather than being shipped

off abroad

Razvan Macici Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13 www.topsatspar.co.za

Nederburg Auction

47

Mario Santana, SPAR Group

Janake Johansson


Thingamajigs

Wrapping your hands around a mug

of hot chocolate, coff ee or tea warms the heart as much as anything else.

From kettles to mugs and even glasses perfect for Irish Coff ee,

SPAR Good Living has something to suit

every taste.

1

2

Call the TOPS HOTLINE0860 313 141

Available at TOPS at SPAR and

SPAR stores

SPAR G

OOD LIVING AT WWW.SPAR.CO.ZA

1. SPAR Good Living’s red or white wine glass is ideal for an

indulgent Irish Coff ee treat 2. SPAR Good Living stoneware coff ee mugs

3. Simple yet elegant, SPAR Good Living classical white mug 4. SPAR Good Living

cordless kettle, also available in a corded version 5. Fun and funky SPAR Good

Living coff ee mugs in a range of fashion designs

3

4

5

how to make the perfectIrish co� eepg26


Thingamajigs

Wrapping your hands around a mug

of hot chocolate, coff ee or tea warms the heart as much as anything else.

From kettles to mugs and even glasses perfect for Irish Coff ee,

SPAR Good Living has something to suit

every taste.

1

2



SPAR stores

SPAR G

OOD LIVING AT WWW.SPAR.CO.ZA

1. SPAR Good Living’s red or white wine glass is ideal for an

indulgent Irish Coff ee treat 2. SPAR Good Living stoneware coff ee mugs

3. Simple yet elegant, SPAR Good Living classical white mug 4. SPAR Good Living

cordless kettle, also available in a corded version 5. Fun and funky SPAR Good

Living coff ee mugs in a range of fashion designs

3

4

5

how to make the perfectIrish co� eepg26

49

thingaCall the

TOPS HOTLINE0860 313 141


SPAR stores

SEE CONTENTS PAGE FOR A FULL LIST OF

STOCKISTS AND THEIR CONTACT DETAILS.

Jul|Augl 2014 Vol 13 www.topsatspar.co.za

useful items

6 Love Home Bio-Ethanol Fireplace, Entrepo R599.95

7 Menu Champagne Sabre , Entrepo R2999.95. 8 Entrepo

Guzzini Set of 6 Gocce Espresso Cups & Saucers R999.95.

thinga

Love Home Bio-Ethanol Fireplace, Entrepo R599.95

Menu Champagne Sabre , Entrepo

Guzzini Set of 6 Gocce Espresso

thinga

9 Egg Yolk Egg Cosy R60 & 10 Jacaranda Wood Bowls R90 each, both Quirky Me. 11 Menu POV Candle Holder, Entrepo R799.95.

12 Vintage World Map Gentleman’s Umbrella, Heart and Home 349.98. 13 Entrepo Rosendahl Soft Coff eeTea Glasses ‒ 350ml Set of 2 R299.95.

14 Entrepo Rosendahl Soft Coff ee Cup and Saucer ‒ 280ml R149.95.

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

12

1313 14

50

Juanita du Plessis: Nashville ‒ R136Since the start of her illustrious career, it has been a dream of Juanita du Plessis’ to record a full

country album in Country Music City Nashville, USA. Her dream is becoming a reality.

Juanita has been working for the past year in Nashville and South Africa. Working with some

of the best musicians in the mecca of country music, this double album took many hours and

heaps of commitment but the end product is bound to surprise even the sceptics.

True to the Nashville sound, the album comprises 32 songs, produced by Juanita and engineers, with artists such as

Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson and more featuring.

Juanita has also included two new Afrikaans country songs: As vandag my laaste dag is and As ons oud is. And keep

your eyes peeled for the new music video accompanying the album’s release.

Entertainment

CORNER

mus

ic

the P

APER

South Africans are getting over their cultural cringe and proudly taking ownership of what it means to be a child of the Republic ‒ and that includes celebrating Afrikaner heritage. People can mock but see what happens to a dance fl oor when ‘Kaptein, span die seile’ or ‘Loslappie’ starts playing!

the

the

One Step Too Far ‒ By Tina Seskis ‒ R170An apparently happy marriage.

A beautiful son. A lovely home.

Yet, one morning Emily Coleman

wakes up and walks right out of her

life, taking nothing with her except a

bit of money... not even her name.

What makes her do it? Has she had a

breakdown? Was it to escape her

dysfunctional family ‒ especially her

fl awed twin sister Caroline who always

seemed to hate her? How will she

survive? And, no matter how hard she

tries, can she ever really say goodbye

to her past? Emily has a secret. No one

has ever guessed it. Will you?

The River of No Return ‒ By Bee Ridgway ‒ R170

In the midst of battle, Lord Nicholas

Falcott suddenly jumps 200 years

into the future. Finding himself in

2003, Lord Nicholas forges a new life

as “Nick Davenant” and serves in a

time-travelling secret society known

as the Guild. But 10 years after he

jumped, Nick is told he’s being sent

back to 1815 on a vital mission. While

investigating the Guild’s enemies and

hunting for the invaluable Talisman,

he’s reunited with his sweetheart,

Julia Percy, who’s just started to

discover time-travelling gifts of her

own. But a war over the past and the

fate of the future, as well as desperate

attempts to fi nd the Talisman and

use it to avert catastrophe, promises

either to bring Nick and Julia

together or tear them apart.

cd’s

South Africans are getting over their cultural cringe and proudly

After the Silence ‒ By Jake Woodhouse ‒ R170)A body is found hanging on a hook

above the canals of Amsterdam’s old

town, a mobile phone forced into the

victim’s mouth. In a remote coastal

village, a doll lies in the ashes of a

burnt-down house. But the couple

who died in the fi re had no children of

their own. Did a little girl escape the

blaze? And, if so, who is she and where

is she now? Inspector Jaap Rykel

knows that he’s hunting a clever and

brutal murderer. Still grieving from the

violent death of his last partner, Rykel

must work alongside a junior

out-of-town detective with her own

demons to face, if he has any hope of

stopping the killer from striking again.

Their investigation reveals two dark

truths: everybody in this city harbours

secrets ‒ and hearing those secrets

comes at a terrible price.

Now That’s What I Call Music! 67 ‒ R149The biggest and best compilation around returns for another mammoth instalment of Pop hits, Indie

treats, Urban anthems and dance fl oor fi llers. The unstoppable Now brand rumbles on with No.1’s from

Rihanna, Avril Lavigne and Timbaland, and tracks from Hellogoodbye, Gym Class Heroes, Take That, The

Fray, Mutya Buena, Calvin Harris and more.

Local is baie lekker

50

Juanita du Plessis: Nashville ‒ R136Since the start of her illustrious career, it has been a dream of Juanita du Plessis’ to record a full

country album in Country Music City Nashville, USA. Her dream is becoming a reality.

Juanita has been working for the past year in Nashville and South Africa. Working with some

of the best musicians in the mecca of country music, this double album took many hours and

heaps of commitment but the end product is bound to surprise even the sceptics.

True to the Nashville sound, the album comprises 32 songs, produced by Juanita and engineers, with artists such as

Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson and more featuring.

Juanita has also included two new Afrikaans country songs: As vandag my laaste dag is and As ons oud is. And keep

your eyes peeled for the new music video accompanying the album’s release.

Entertainment

CORNER

mus

ic

the P

APER

South Africans are getting over their cultural cringe and proudly taking ownership of what it means to be a child of the Republic ‒ and that includes celebrating Afrikaner heritage. People can mock but see what happens to a dance fl oor when ‘Kaptein, span die seile’ or ‘Loslappie’ starts playing!

the

the

One Step Too Far ‒ By Tina Seskis ‒ R170An apparently happy marriage.

A beautiful son. A lovely home.

Yet, one morning Emily Coleman

wakes up and walks right out of her

life, taking nothing with her except a

bit of money... not even her name.

What makes her do it? Has she had a

breakdown? Was it to escape her

dysfunctional family ‒ especially her

fl awed twin sister Caroline who always

seemed to hate her? How will she

survive? And, no matter how hard she

tries, can she ever really say goodbye

to her past? Emily has a secret. No one

has ever guessed it. Will you?

The River of No Return ‒ By Bee Ridgway ‒ R170

In the midst of battle, Lord Nicholas

Falcott suddenly jumps 200 years

into the future. Finding himself in

2003, Lord Nicholas forges a new life

as “Nick Davenant” and serves in a

time-travelling secret society known

as the Guild. But 10 years after he

jumped, Nick is told he’s being sent

back to 1815 on a vital mission. While

investigating the Guild’s enemies and

hunting for the invaluable Talisman,

he’s reunited with his sweetheart,

Julia Percy, who’s just started to

discover time-travelling gifts of her

own. But a war over the past and the

fate of the future, as well as desperate

attempts to fi nd the Talisman and

use it to avert catastrophe, promises

either to bring Nick and Julia

together or tear them apart.

cd’s

South Africans are getting over their cultural cringe and proudly

After the Silence ‒ By Jake Woodhouse ‒ R170)A body is found hanging on a hook

above the canals of Amsterdam’s old

town, a mobile phone forced into the

victim’s mouth. In a remote coastal

village, a doll lies in the ashes of a

burnt-down house. But the couple

who died in the fi re had no children of

their own. Did a little girl escape the

blaze? And, if so, who is she and where

is she now? Inspector Jaap Rykel

knows that he’s hunting a clever and

brutal murderer. Still grieving from the

violent death of his last partner, Rykel

must work alongside a junior

out-of-town detective with her own

demons to face, if he has any hope of

stopping the killer from striking again.

Their investigation reveals two dark

truths: everybody in this city harbours

secrets ‒ and hearing those secrets

comes at a terrible price.

Now That’s What I Call Music! 67 ‒ R149The biggest and best compilation around returns for another mammoth instalment of Pop hits, Indie

treats, Urban anthems and dance fl oor fi llers. The unstoppable Now brand rumbles on with No.1’s from

Rihanna, Avril Lavigne and Timbaland, and tracks from Hellogoodbye, Gym Class Heroes, Take That, The

Fray, Mutya Buena, Calvin Harris and more.

Local is baie lekker

*cd’s and dvd’s available at kalahari.com

The Grand Budapest Hotel ‒ R141Ralph Fiennes truly steals the show in The Grand Budapest

Hotel which takes place in a fi ctional European alpine state known as the Republic of

Zubrowka. It’s 1932 and the country is on the brink of war. Young Zero Moustafa is a lobby

boy at the eponymous hotel ‒ a luxurious estate run by M. Gustave H (Fiennes), a fastidious

yet charming and extremely proper man, who spends his days keeping (intimate) company

with the hotel’s richest, oldest, and blondest guests.

When the elder Madame D ‒ whom Gustave had been a close companion to for

nearly two decades ‒ dies, Zero and his boss fi nd themselves at the centre of a storm

involving Madame D’s money-grubbing relatives, a priceless painting, and false

accusations that Gustave is responsible

for the death of the late Madame, which

land the Grand Budapest Hotel’s

esteemed concierge in prison. Zero, with

help from the bakery girl Agatha who’s

stolen his heart, seeks to break Gustave

out of jail and assist his eccentric friend

in proving his innocence.

cd’s, dvd’s & books

The Last Train to Zona Verde: My Ultimate African Safari ‒ By Paul Theroux ‒ R190“Happy again, back in the kingdom of

light,” writes Paul Theroux as he sets out on

a new journey through the continent he

knows and loves best. Theroux fi rst came to

Africa as a 22-year-old Peace Corps

volunteer, and the pull of the vast land

never left him. Now he returns, after 50

years on the road, to explore the little

travelled territory of western Africa and to

take stock both of the place and of himself.

His odyssey takes him northward from Cape

Town. Journeying alone through the

greenest continent, Theroux encounters a

world increasingly removed from both the

itineraries of tourists and the hopes of

postcolonial independence movements.

Passing the browsing cattle of the great sun

baked heartland of the savannah, Theroux

crosses “the Red Line” into a diff erent

Africa: “the improvised, slapped-together

Africa of tumbled fences and cooking fi res,

of mud and thatch,” of heat and poverty,

and of roadblocks, mobs, and anarchy. After

2 500 arduous miles, he comes to the end

of his journey in more ways than one, a

decision he chronicles with unsparing

honesty in a chapter called “What Am I

Doing Here?”

Vivid, witty, and beautifully evocative.

dvd’s

DISCLAIMER Please note that prices of all books, cds and dvds are recommended retail prices and are correct at the time of going to press. They are, however, subject to change at the discretion of suppliers, without any prior notice. All books featured here are distributed by Penguin Books SA.


Double your chance of winning! Go to www.facebook.com/CheersMag and LIKE the Cheers Facebook page.

winStand a chance of receiving a copy of either the Noah DVD or the NOW That’s what I call

music 67 CD!

enter now!To qualify, send in a postcard or e-mail

clearly marked Cheers CD/DVD Giveaway and containing your name, ID number, physical address (not a PO

Box please!) along with a contact telephone number to qualify for the

random draw. Entry deadline is Friday, 8th August 2014. The address to send it to is [email protected] or Cheers

P.O. Box 259, Rondebosch, 7701.

Noah ‒ R119Now you can make

up your own mind

about the fi lm which

caused controversy

on its release a few

months ago. Human

barbarism and

warfare have ravaged the landscape. Noah, a

peaceful man, just wants to live a righteous

life with his family. Every night, Noah has

visions of death by water, followed by

renewed life on Earth.

He’s sent word from the Creator that a

great fl ood is coming that will destroy the

world and all life. When Noah begins to

build a giant ark in order to save himself, his

loved ones and two of every species from

the impending fl ood, he’s approached by an

army of men who want to take over the boat

in an eff ort to save themselves.


Recipe book

Fancy bush tuckerBeing on safari needn’t mean smoky campfire braai fare, as detailed in Struik Lifestyle’s latest book release – Gourmet Safari by Donovan van Staden.

he name of the company he works for gives you all the information you need: Sanctuary

Retreats – and as Group Executive Chef, Donovan van Staden harnesses his years of experience to ensure a 5-Star safari experience for all guests.

Sanctuary Retreats have properties in the Okavango Delta in Botswana, the Masai Mara in Kenya, Bwindi impenetrable forest in Uganda and elsewhere – and Van Staden’s day job is to shuttle between the properties, supervising chef training and ensuring that culinary standards don’t slip an inch. Spotting elephant, buffalo, lion, rhino or cheetah might be the ultimate goal but much of the enjoyment of a bush or safari getaway is also about the relaxed repast. And with lodges so far from civilisation, maintaining standards is always a challenge.

From the biscuits which accompany guests’ coffee on the pre-dawn drive to spot game feeding and trekking to waterholes, to breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, sundowner snacks and canapés to dinner, Van Staden has compiled a collection of recipes appropriate for every eventuality.

Van Staden admits that it helps that he loves all aspects of bush life. He unwinds by indulging his hobby of photography, something he took up as a young chef working at Sabi Sands in the Kruger Park. The evidence of his love of both food and photography is plain to see in the pages of this beautifully illustrated recipe book, Van Staden’s first.

WESTPHALIA HAM AND MELON SALAD WITH A BALSAMIC REDUCTION”My take on the traditional Italian Parma

ham and melon duo,” writes Donovan.

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS:BALSAMIC REDUCTION (MAKES 200ML)750ml balsamic vinegar

250g white sugar

HAM AND MELON SALAD3 slices green melon

6 slices excellent quality Westphalia ham

Salad greens

METHOD: For the balsamic reduction, pour the

vinegar into a saucepan and bring to a

simmer. Add the sugar and reduce the

liquid until it reaches a syrup consistency.

Chef’s tip: Keep a very close eye on the balsamic mixture while it is reducing. It can go from simmer to burnt in the blink of an eye.

For the salad, wrap each piece of melon

in a slice of ham. Place three slices of ham

in the centre of the plate and arrange a

small bundle of greens on top. Neatly stack

the ham-wrapped melon on top of the

greens. Drizzle the balsamic reduction

around the salad.

Chef’s tip: Try to get some height when plating up as it adds to the presentation.


Recipe book

Fancy bush tuckerBeing on safari needn’t mean smoky campfire braai fare, as detailed in Struik Lifestyle’s latest book release – Gourmet Safari by Donovan van Staden.

he name of the company he works for gives you all the information you need: Sanctuary

Retreats – and as Group Executive Chef, Donovan van Staden harnesses his years of experience to ensure a 5-Star safari experience for all guests.

Sanctuary Retreats have properties in the Okavango Delta in Botswana, the Masai Mara in Kenya, Bwindi impenetrable forest in Uganda and elsewhere – and Van Staden’s day job is to shuttle between the properties, supervising chef training and ensuring that culinary standards don’t slip an inch. Spotting elephant, buffalo, lion, rhino or cheetah might be the ultimate goal but much of the enjoyment of a bush or safari getaway is also about the relaxed repast. And with lodges so far from civilisation, maintaining standards is always a challenge.

From the biscuits which accompany guests’ coffee on the pre-dawn drive to spot game feeding and trekking to waterholes, to breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, sundowner snacks and canapés to dinner, Van Staden has compiled a collection of recipes appropriate for every eventuality.

Van Staden admits that it helps that he loves all aspects of bush life. He unwinds by indulging his hobby of photography, something he took up as a young chef working at Sabi Sands in the Kruger Park. The evidence of his love of both food and photography is plain to see in the pages of this beautifully illustrated recipe book, Van Staden’s first.

WESTPHALIA HAM AND MELON SALAD WITH A BALSAMIC REDUCTION”My take on the traditional Italian Parma

ham and melon duo,” writes Donovan.

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS:BALSAMIC REDUCTION (MAKES 200ML)750ml balsamic vinegar

250g white sugar

HAM AND MELON SALAD3 slices green melon

6 slices excellent quality Westphalia ham

Salad greens

METHOD: For the balsamic reduction, pour the

vinegar into a saucepan and bring to a

simmer. Add the sugar and reduce the

liquid until it reaches a syrup consistency.

Chef’s tip: Keep a very close eye on the balsamic mixture while it is reducing. It can go from simmer to burnt in the blink of an eye.

For the salad, wrap each piece of melon

in a slice of ham. Place three slices of ham

in the centre of the plate and arrange a

small bundle of greens on top. Neatly stack

the ham-wrapped melon on top of the

greens. Drizzle the balsamic reduction

around the salad.

Chef’s tip: Try to get some height when plating up as it adds to the presentation.

Giveaway

GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ ON PG71 FOR YOUR FULL GROCERY LIST




SPAR stores

53Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13 www.topsatspar.co.za

METHOD: For the duck, score the skin of the breasts. (This is to stop the breasts from curling during the cooking process.) Heat the oil in a pan until sizzling hot. Place the duck breasts in the pan, skin side down, and fry until the skin is crispy. This will take about four minutes. Turn the duck breasts over and cook to your liking. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Pan-seared duck breast with a mushroom and red wine sauce and

creamy mashed potatoes

500ml beef stockPinch each of salt and ground black pepper

CREAMY MASHED POTATOES1.6kg potatoes, washed, peeled and chopped40g butter5ml Dijon mustard125ml thickened cream125ml milkSalt and ground black pepper

Serves 4INGREDIENTS:MUSHROOM AND RED WINE SAUCE40g butter1 onion, chopped85g button mushrooms, sliced125ml good red wine

DUCK4 duck breasts

10 ml cooking oil

For the sauce, use the same pan in which you cooked the duck. Add the butter, onion and mushrooms and sauté until the onion is soft. Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain the sauce and season to taste.

For the mash, place the potatoes in cold water and bring to a boil over a high heat. Boil until tender and then drain the potatoes. Return the potatoes to the saucepan and cook out some of the

moisture. Remove from the heat and mash the potatoes until smooth. Add the butter, mustard, cream and milk and use a wooden spoon to combine. Press the mash through a sieve. Season to taste.

To plate up, carve the duck breast into even slices of about 1 cm thick. Place a dollop of mashed potato in the centre of the plate and neatly arrange the duck slices around the mash. Drizzle the sauce around the outer edge of the duck breast and serve immediately.

54

Recipe book


INGREDIENTS:LAMB SHANKS4 lamb shanks

10ml olive oil

20ml balsamic vinegar

125ml good red wine

4 sprigs fresh rosemary

10 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Cooking oil for frying

4 small onions, chopped

3 tomatoes, grated

1 x 400g tin whole peeled tomatoes

Pinch each of salt and ground black pepper

VEGETABLES2 large carrots

2 large parsnips

2 medium red onions

½ butternut

15ml olive oil

7.5ml chopped fresh mixed herbs

METHOD: For the lamb shanks, marinate them overnight

in the olive oil, vinegar, red wine, rosemary and

garlic. Remove the lamb shanks from the

marinade and reserve the marinade for later.

Heat some cooking oil in a large saucepan and

brown the lamb shanks. Add the onions and fry

until soft. Add the marinade and deglaze the

saucepan. Add the grated and tinned tomatoes

and simmer for about two hours, or until the

lamb is tender and barely attached to the bone.

Season to taste.

For the vegetables, preheat the oven to

180˚C. Peel and cut all the vegetables into

bite-sized pieces. Toss the vegetables with the

olive oil and herbs. Spread the vegetables in an

even layer on a baking tray. Roast in the oven

until fork-tender. Give the vegetables a good

toss every five minutes or so.

Serve the shanks and vegetables on a bed of

couscous to soak up the sauce.

RED WINE-BRAISED LAMB SHANK WITH OVEN-ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLESServes 4

Red wine-braised lamb shank with oven-roasted root vegetables

54

Recipe book


INGREDIENTS:LAMB SHANKS4 lamb shanks

10ml olive oil


125ml good red wine

4 sprigs fresh rosemary

10 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Cooking oil for frying

4 small onions, chopped

3 tomatoes, grated

1 x 400g tin whole peeled tomatoes

Pinch each of salt and ground black pepper

VEGETABLES2 large carrots

2 large parsnips

2 medium red onions

½ butternut

15ml olive oil

7.5ml chopped fresh mixed herbs

METHOD: For the lamb shanks, marinate them overnight

in the olive oil, vinegar, red wine, rosemary and

garlic. Remove the lamb shanks from the

marinade and reserve the marinade for later.

Heat some cooking oil in a large saucepan and

brown the lamb shanks. Add the onions and fry

until soft. Add the marinade and deglaze the

saucepan. Add the grated and tinned tomatoes

and simmer for about two hours, or until the

lamb is tender and barely attached to the bone.

Season to taste.

For the vegetables, preheat the oven to

180˚C. Peel and cut all the vegetables into

bite-sized pieces. Toss the vegetables with the

olive oil and herbs. Spread the vegetables in an

even layer on a baking tray. Roast in the oven

until fork-tender. Give the vegetables a good

toss every five minutes or so.

Serve the shanks and vegetables on a bed of

couscous to soak up the sauce.

RED WINE-BRAISED LAMB SHANK WITH OVEN-ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLESServes 4

Red wine-braised lamb shank with oven-roasted root vegetables


Giveaway

Double your chance of winning! Go to www.facebook.com/CheersMag and

LIKE the Cheers Facebook page.

winStand a chance of receiving

one of two copies of ‘Gourmet Safari’,

published by Struik LifestyleSEE T&C’S ON PG 2

enter now!To qualify, send in a postcard or

e-mail clearly marked Cheers Book Giveaway and containing

your name, ID number, physical address (not a PO Box please!)

along with a contact telephone number to qualify for the

random draw. Entry deadline is Friday, 8th August 2014.

The address to send it to is [email protected] or

Cheers, PO Box 259, Rondebosch 7701.

DARK, RICH CHOCOLATE CAKE

Serves 12‒15

dark, rich chocolate cake

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 160̊C. Grease a deep baking tray. Pour the water into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the butter and oil to the water and stir until the butter has melted completely. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. In a separate bowl, sift the fl our, cocoa powder, baking powder and sugar together. Add the water mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the eggs and milk and mix. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking tray and bake for about 1½ hours, or until a test skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the pan.

To decorate, melt the chocolate in a steel bowl suspended over a saucepan of simmering water and then combine with the cream. Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake and smooth out with a spatula. Cut the cake into squares and serve.

INGREDIENTS: 250ml water100g butter

125ml sunfl ower oil250g cake fl our

25g cocoa powder5ml baking powder

500g sugar2 eggs

125ml milk

TO DECORATE200g dark chocolate100ml fresh cream

Silwood Kitchen


TOPS Nosh

‘Wake up and smell the coff ee!’ might be a commonly used expression to get people to pay a bit of attention to what’s literally under their noses ‒ but in this

context, it’s an invitation to revel in all things mocha! Photography by Julia Andrade.

Café style

METHOD:MACAROONSHeat the oven to ±140̊C. Line 2-3 baking

sheets with silicone baking paper and spray

very lightly with Spray and Cook. For the

macaroons: In a blender, blend the almonds

and icing sugar together, then sift and set

aside. Beat the egg whites. When frothy add

a pinch of cream of tartar. Add the castor

sugar and beat at high speed until a stiff

peak is formed, then add a tiny amount of

the colouring. Fold in the almond mixture

in two batches. Continue the folding until

the mixture closes on the count of 10. At

this stage if still too stiff you can add a

Coffee macaroonsMakes approximately 25-30

INGREDIENTS:MACAROONS

180g icing sugar

100g ground almonds

80g egg whites ‒ room temperature

Pinch cream of tartar

27g castor sugar

Black food colouring

COFFEE BUTTER ICING FILLING:

50g butter

100g sieved icing sugar

40g instant coff ee granules

little extra frothy egg white to slightly soften the mixture. Transfer the batter to a piping

bag fi tted with a plain nozzle. Pipe rounds about 2.5cm in diameter onto the prepared

baking sheets. Leave to rest for 30 minutes out of the fridge ‒ or until the macaroons have

developed a skin. (This step is essential as it ensures a crunchy outer shell once baked.)

Bake the macaroons for approximately 20 minutes, turning the oven temperature down to

120̊C after 10 minutes. Immediately slide the silicone baking paper onto the work surface

and rest for a few minutes before gently peeling the macaroons off the paper.

BUTTER ICING: Cream the butter thoroughly in an electric mixer, gradually beating in the icing sugar,

fl avouring, colouring and suffi cient liquid to make a spreading consistency. Assemble:

Sandwich macaroons together with butter icing

58

jarr

ed

These delicious recipes were prepared and cooked by chef Jarred Deeves , a second year student at the Silwood Kitchen in Cape Town.

www.silwood.co.za


TOPS Nosh

INGREDIENTS:COFFEE CHIFFON

30ml coff ee granules 250ml boiling water

565ml cake fl our

375ml sugar

15ml baking powder

5ml salt

125ml sunfl ower oil

5 egg yolks

250ml egg whites

3ml cream of tartar

COFFEE ICING

45ml coff ee granules

10 ml boiling water

200g butter

500g icing sugar, sifted

METHOD:COFFEE CHIFFON

Mix the coff ee granules into 250ml boiling

water, set aside to cool. Sift dry ingredients

together three times. Mix together the oil and

egg yolks, add to the dry ingredients and

enough of the cooled coff ee (+/- 220-240ml)

to form a smooth batter. Whisk the egg whites

and cream of tartar until stiff peak. Pour the

yolk mixture over the whites and gently fold

the two mixtures together. Pour into an

ungreased chiff on pan. Bake at 160̊C for

approximately 60-80 minutes until set and

cooked through. Hang upside down to cool.

TO ICE: Cut the cake in half. Spread the lower half with coff ee icing and reassemble. Cover

the cake with coff ee icing

COFFEE ICING: Mix coff ee granules with the boiling water to

form a paste. (Water must be boiling to cook

the coff ee. Do not add too much water as it

will curdle the icing.) Allow to cool. Cream the

butter until light and fl uff y. Add the sifted icing

sugar and cooled coff ee paste. Add a few

drops of water if the icing is too thick.Coffe

e chi

ffon







58

jarr

ed

These delicious recipes were prepared and cooked by chef Jarred Deeves , a second year student at the Silwood Kitchen in Cape Town.

www.silwood.co.za


TOPS Nosh

INGREDIENTS:COFFEE CHIFFON

30ml coff ee granules 250ml boiling water

565ml cake fl our

375ml sugar

15ml baking powder

5ml salt


5 egg yolks

250ml egg whites

3ml cream of tartar

COFFEE ICING

45ml coff ee granules

10 ml boiling water

200g butter

500g icing sugar, sifted

METHOD:COFFEE CHIFFON







and cream of tartar until stiff peak. Pour the

yolk mixture over the whites and gently fold

the two mixtures together. Pour into an

ungreased chiff on pan. Bake at 160̊C for

approximately 60-80 minutes until set and

cooked through. Hang upside down to cool.

TO ICE: Cut the cake in half. Spread the lower half with coff ee icing and reassemble. Cover

the cake with coff ee icing

COFFEE ICING: Mix coff ee granules with the boiling water to

form a paste. (Water must be boiling to cook

the coff ee. Do not add too much water as it

will curdle the icing.) Allow to cool. Cream the

butter until light and fl uff y. Add the sifted icing

sugar and cooled coff ee paste. Add a few

drops of water if the icing is too thick.Coffe

e chi

ffon







Silwood Kitchen





SPAR stores


Decadent Chocolate Brownies with

Coffee and Hazelnut Ice-Cream

Serves 8

BROWNIESINGREDIENTS:140g butter, plus extra for greasing

4 large eggs

350g castor sugar

140g cake fl our

75g cocoa powder

100g pecan nut halves

100g white chocolate, roughly chopped

METHOD:Preheat oven to 170̊C. Completely line a

23cm square cake tin with greaseproof

paper and butter generously. Very gently,

melt the butter in a saucepan and leave to

cool. Using a wooden spoon, beat the eggs

with the sugar in a large bowl until creamy

and smooth, then stir in the cooled butter.

Stir the fl our and cocoa powder into a large

bowl. Gradually stir in the egg mixture until

smooth, then fold in the nuts and white

chocolate pieces. Pour into the prepared

cake tin and bake for 30 ‒ 35 minutes until

risen with a slightly crusty top. Be careful

not to overcook the mixture ‒ it should be

gooey in the middle. Cool in the tin for a

few minutes, then lift the cake out in the

greaseproof paper and place on a wire rack

to cool. When completely cold, remove the

greaseproof paper and cut into 16 squares

FOR THE ICE CREAMINGREDIENTS:55g sugar

120ml water

2 egg yolks

25ml good quality coff ee dissolved in 35ml

boiling water

500ml whipping cream

50g hazelnuts, skinned

METHOD:Put the egg yolks into a bowl and whisk

until light and fl uff y. Combine the sugar

and water in a small heavy bottomed

saucepan, stir over heat until the sugar is

completely dissolved, then remove the

spoon and boil the syrup until it looks thick

and syrupy; when a metal spoon is dipped

in, the last drops of syrup will form thin

threads. Pour this boiling syrup in a steady

stream onto the egg yolks, whisking all the

time. Add the coff ee mixture and continue

to whisk until it becomes a thick creamy

white mousse. Whip the cream to soft

peak, and fold into the mousse with the

chopped hazelnuts, pour into a bowl, cover

and freeze. After about 1½ hours when the

ice cream is just beginning to set, fold

mixture again to make sure the hazelnuts

are equally distributed, freeze again. If you

don’t fold the ice cream, the nuts will sink

to the bottom.

TOPS Nosh

60 www.topsatspar.co.za

to cool. When completely cold, remove the

greaseproof paper and cut into 16 squares

500ml whipping cream


METHOD:Put the egg yolks into a bowl and whisk

until light and fl uff y. Combine the sugar

and water in a small heavy bottomed

saucepan, stir over heat until the sugar is

completely dissolved, then remove the


Blogspot

Winter has well and truly arrived, and it is time to unpack the scarves and gloves, light a fi re and enjoy delicious cold weather dishes that warm from the inside out, writes Teresa Ulyate of Cupcakesandcouscous.blogspot.com.

Seasonal satisfactionte

resa

Teresa Ulyate is the writer of Cupcakesandcousc ous.blogspot.com and

holds the bragging rights as the winner of Two Oceans’ Simple Snacking Challenge 2013.

Cupcakesandcouscous.blogspot. com

nspiration for both of these recipes was provided by the arrival of a typically chilly Cape Town afternoon. I was craving something warm, spiced

and � lling but not too heavy – so the � rst recipe to come to mind was a thick and hearty soup. Step one was to get everything ready, so I grabbed my chopping board and went about throwing some of my favourite ingredients and � avours into a pot. � is was the result – delicious carrot and coriander soup. Full of � avour and packed with healthy veggies and lentils, it also freezes well so you can store any leftovers for quick weekday lunches at your o� ce desk. Your colleagues will have menu envy deluxe! It’s easy to throw together as you don’t even have to cook the lentils – simply open a tin!

At our house, May marks the beginning of guava season, thanks to the large guava tree in our back garden. For those without the delights of a guava tree, you’re sure to see them appearing in your local SPAR supermarket soon. Why not try this lightly spiced guava crumble with its gorgeous crunchy, golden crumble topping? I’m a fan of this blend of warm spices that enhance the � avours of the fruit without overpowering them. And the addition of coconut is subtle but really complements the fruit nicely. Keep warm and happy cooking!

INGREDIENTS:15ml sunfl ower oil1 tsp ground cumin1/2 tsp medium curry powder1 red onion, chopped3 cloves of garlic, chopped700g medium carrots, peeled and sliced400g tin peeled and chopped tomatoes1 litre vegetable stock1 tin of lentils, drained (drained weight 244g)1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves (no stalks) + extra to garnishsalt and pepper to season

METHOD:1 Heat the sunfl ower oil in a pot, then add the ground cumin and curry powder and cook gently for 1-2 minutes. 2. Add the red onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. 3. Add the carrots and cook for a further 2 minutes. 4. Stir in the tin of tomatoes, then add the vegetable stock and allow everything to simmer until the carrots are just soft, stirring occasionally. This should take 20-30 minutes. 5. Add the lentils and simmer for a further 5 minutes. 6. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the coriander leaves. Use a stick blender or food processor to blitz the soup to the desired consistency. My preference is to blitz mine just until most of the carrot slices are blended in so it still has some chunky texture, but you could make it smoother if you like. 7. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve topped with a few fresh coriander leaves and some crusty bread on the side. If you’re feeling lavish you can also add a swirl of fresh cream.

Carrot & coriander soupMakes approximately 1.6 litres

GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ ON PG71 FOR YOUR FULL

GROCERY LIST



SPAR stores


Blogspot

Winter has well and truly arrived, and it is time to unpack the scarves and gloves, light a fi re and enjoy delicious cold weather dishes that warm from the inside out, writes Teresa Ulyate of Cupcakesandcouscous.blogspot.com.

Seasonal satisfaction

tere

sa

Teresa Ulyate is the writer of Cupcakesandcousc ous.blogspot.com and

holds the bragging rights as the winner of Two Oceans’ Simple Snacking Challenge 2013.

Cupcakesandcouscous.blogspot. com

nspiration for both of these recipes was provided by the arrival of a typically chilly Cape Town afternoon. I was craving something warm, spiced

and � lling but not too heavy – so the � rst recipe to come to mind was a thick and hearty soup. Step one was to get everything ready, so I grabbed my chopping board and went about throwing some of my favourite ingredients and � avours into a pot. � is was the result – delicious carrot and coriander soup. Full of � avour and packed with healthy veggies and lentils, it also freezes well so you can store any leftovers for quick weekday lunches at your o� ce desk. Your colleagues will have menu envy deluxe! It’s easy to throw together as you don’t even have to cook the lentils – simply open a tin!

At our house, May marks the beginning of guava season, thanks to the large guava tree in our back garden. For those without the delights of a guava tree, you’re sure to see them appearing in your local SPAR supermarket soon. Why not try this lightly spiced guava crumble with its gorgeous crunchy, golden crumble topping? I’m a fan of this blend of warm spices that enhance the � avours of the fruit without overpowering them. And the addition of coconut is subtle but really complements the fruit nicely. Keep warm and happy cooking!

INGREDIENTS:15ml sunfl ower oil1 tsp ground cumin1/2 tsp medium curry powder1 red onion, chopped3 cloves of garlic, chopped700g medium carrots, peeled and sliced400g tin peeled and chopped tomatoes1 litre vegetable stock1 tin of lentils, drained (drained weight 244g)1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves (no stalks) + extra to garnishsalt and pepper to season

METHOD:1 Heat the sunfl ower oil in a pot, then add the ground cumin and curry powder and cook gently for 1-2 minutes. 2. Add the red onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. 3. Add the carrots and cook for a further 2 minutes. 4. Stir in the tin of tomatoes, then add the vegetable stock and allow everything to simmer until the carrots are just soft, stirring occasionally. This should take 20-30 minutes. 5. Add the lentils and simmer for a further 5 minutes. 6. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the coriander leaves. Use a stick blender or food processor to blitz the soup to the desired consistency. My preference is to blitz mine just until most of the carrot slices are blended in so it still has some chunky texture, but you could make it smoother if you like. 7. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve topped with a few fresh coriander leaves and some crusty bread on the side. If you’re feeling lavish you can also add a swirl of fresh cream.

Carrot & coriander soupMakes approximately 1.6 litres

GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ ON PG71 FOR YOUR FULL

GROCERY LIST



SPAR stores


Hearty fare

INGREDIENTS:1kg fresh guavas

80ml (1/3 cup) castor sugar2 Tbsp water

2 star anise8 whole cloves

CRUMBLE TOPPING:75g cake fl our

50g brown sugar20g desiccated coconut

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon1/4 tsp ground ginger

60g butter, cubed

Spiced guava & coconut crumble

Spiced guava & coconut crumbleSpiced guava & coconut crumbleSpiced guava &

METHOD:1. Preheat your oven to 200̊C . Peel and

quarter the guavas, removing the seeds as

you go. 2. Place the castor sugar, water, star

anise and whole cloves in a pot, then add

the guavas. Stir gently over a medium heat

to dissolve the sugar. You’ll notice that the

guavas will start to release some juices.

Allow to boil for about 5 minutes until the

liquid has reduced. Take the pot off the

heat and put to one side. 3. To make the

crumble place the fl our, brown sugar,

coconut, cinnamon and ginger in a bowl

and mix. Add the butter then, using your

fi ngertips, rub everything together until all

the butter cubes have disappeared and the

mixture starts to clump together. 4. Grease

an appropriately sized oven dish ‒ or

individual ramekins if you prefer. Remove

the whole cloves and star anise from the

guava pot, and then tip the fruit and syrup

into the dish or ramekins. Sprinkle the

crumble mixture over the fruit in an even

layer. 5. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or

until the crumble is golden and the syrup is

bubbling up the sides of the dish. Serve

warm with vanilla custard or cream.

Tuisnywerheid


Tuisnywerheid

64 www.topsatspar.co.za Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13 6565 Jul|Aug 2014 Vol 13 www.topsatspar.co.za

Emile Joubertem

ile

Writer and PR guy Emile Joubert was a fi nalist in the Men’s Health Braai King competition,

uniquely qualifying him for this column.

uid-Afrika is ’n paradys vir iemand wat lief is om wildsvleis gaar te maak en te eet. Ek het al gewoon in jaglustige nasies, soos Noord-

Amerika en Europa. Daar betaal jagters ’n fortuin om die hele naweek deur ’n modderige woud te kruip agter ’n pieperige voël of ’n verdwaalde springhaas aan. En moenie eers van ’n kalkoen praat nie!

En as iemand wel die dag iets geskiet het, word die dier met sulke koorsagtige opgewondenheid by die huis aangebring dat die kok nie weet wat om met die ding te doen nie.

Dáár is wild ’n seldsame luukse. In Suid-Afrika is dit ’n gegewe.

Die keuses hier is ook wyd. Kaap se kant is springbok die ding. In die Oos-Kaap en Bosveld smul hulle aan koedoe en rooibok. En vlak- of bosvark.

En met die winter se kloue tans diep ingeslaan, is dit jagtyd. Wat beteken dat heelwat wildsvleis beskikbaar is – hetsy op winkelrakke of deur die vrygewigheid van ’n jagvriend. Die keuse is wyd, maar ek volstaan by my mening dat springbok die lekkerste vleis is. En spesi� ek die dier se slangvormige heel rugstring, gebraai oor die kole.

Ons is mos almal bokke vir sports ‒ en waar twee stokperdjies bymekaar kom, is daar niks beter nie. Jag en braai! Ditsem.

MAAK SÓ:Neem jou springbokrugstring van om

en by 1.5 kg en plaas dit in ’n bak. Gooi

twee stewige koppies goeie rooi wyn,

soos ’n Pinotage of Merlot, op die vleis

uit, asook ’n halwe koppie olyfolie en

een eetlepel oester- of sojasous. Vind

ook plek vir twee fyngekapte

knoff elhuisies. Laat ta nou in daardie

bak lê vir tot 12 ure. Draai hom net nou

en dan om om hom aan die volle

geurspektrum bloot te stel.

Wanneer die eetslag wink, maak ’n

vuur en sorg dat jy matige tot warm

kole het.

Braai nou daardie rugstring vir sowat

12 tot 18 minute ‒ afhangende van

hoe gaar jy van hom hou en hoe groot

die vleis is. Aangesien jy ’n voortrefl ike

braaier is, sal jy weet wanneer om die

vleis om te draai. Elke 3 tot 4 minute,

afhangende van die kole se hitte.

Smeer die vleis gereeld met die

marinade, maar nie vir die laaste drie of

vier minute van die braaislag nie. Jy wil

jou vleis droog van buite hê wanneer

hy opgedis word.

Nadat hy afgehaal is, laat die vleis vir

10 minute langs die vuur op ’n

houtbord of ander plat voorwerp staan

om te “rus”. Dit gee die vleis se sappe

kans om terug te trek vanaf die warm

oppervlak tot die dieper binneste

weefsels.

Sny nou dun skywe van daardie

pienk vleis met sy bruin kors wat in jou

mond smelt en die geur van bossies en vleis

agterlaat. Laat die mense hul eie sout en

peper byvoeg, maar hou hulle in toom.

Want in wildsvleis proe mens die geur van

die lewe.

Ek het nou die dag hierdie ding vir my

Franse pelle gebraai. Hulle heet uit

Toulouse, een van daardie land se prima

kosstreke. Wel, hulle het iets bevestig wat

ek nog altyd geweet het: ’n goeie stuk

springbok is van die perfekste vleis in die

wêreld. Die geur is nie wild en vrank nie, en

ondanks die lae vetinhoud is dit smelt-in-

die-bek-geurig indien die braaier hom

medium hou.

Bedien met gestowe sagtevrugte soos

ons boere dit doen en tradisionele geelrys,

ja, met rosyntjies.

Dis immers ons nasionale bok wat hier

gebraai word, vir vleis en vaderland.

GO TO ‘IN THE BASKET’ ON

PG71 FOR YOUR FULL

GROCERY LIST



SPAR stores

as die wildspot


Responsibility

hile it might seem a huge leap from running successful sushi restaurants to

becoming an eco-pioneer producing and promoting the use of biodiesel, for Cape Town businessman and innovator Roy de Gouveia it wasn’t a big stretch at all.

“I’m living my dream,” he said simply. “Yes, I could still be running Wakame, Wasabi and Salushi very successfully but putting everything I have, every drop of enthusiasm and effort, into BioGreen is just so much more fulfilling.”

Its website states that “BioGreen is a renewable energy company that prides itself on transparency, reliability and the determination to deliver the products and services of the highest grade to the market.” That’s typical corporate speak

which doesn’t accurately convey the commitment and genuine passion that De Gouveia and his team have for what they do. People pay lip service to ‘making a difference’ but BioGreen truly is!

And to think it all started with De Gouveia asking one of his restaurant managers what they were paying for new cooking oil – and what happened to the old, used oil. “I was looking to run my own diesel bakkie on biofuel and started researching the process.” After being given three different prices, De Gouveia realised that he needed to go into the matter more deeply.

“I was shocked! There are some deeply unscrupulous people out there! One firm buys up old oil, basically cleans it up chemically – and then goes and sells it into the poorer communities as ‘new’ oil!”

It has been decreed by government that by October 1 2015 at least 5% of all diesel fuel purchased at pumps nationwide will be biofuel derived. SPAR has got a jump on things, having run a portion of its truck fleet on biodiesel since 2010 – resulting in a saving of nearly 250 tons of carbon dioxide emissions since then! Fiona McDonald reports.

His research led him to businessman and inveterate inventor Org Nieuwoudt in George who, together with the University of Stellenbosch’s Energy Research division, had developed a patent for more efficient and effective conversion of waste oil into biodiesel.

BioGreen’s website – www.biogreen.co.za – states that “Biodiesel is made through a chemical reaction between natural oils and alcohol, followed by purification. Biodiesel can be made from nearly any naturally occurring vegetable oil or fat. The most frequently used oils by Biogreen Diesel facilities are used cooking oil and poultry fat.”

Some of De Gouveia’s pictures of the yellow buckets of used oil which arrive at the BioGreen processing facility in Cape Town are stomach churning! “It’s not a pretty sight and can be quite a stinky process,” De Gouveia conceded. Local restaurants, hotels, retailers and supermarkets sell the oil to BioGreen which then filters and cleans it, processes it chemically and produces biodiesel and glycerol and water as a waste product.

“That in itself is a potential negative,” said De Gouveia. “By 2020 the world will have six times more glycerol floating around the system than is needed!” Not that he isn’t “a-man-with-a-plan”… and is developing an organic fertiliser which goes a long way to solving his by-product conundrum.

The distribution director of SPAR’s Western Cape and Namibian operations, Solly Engelbrecht, took up the tale. “We were approached by BioGreen in 2010 and saw the merit of what Roy de Gouveia was proposing. We gave our stores the opportunity of getting rid of their used oil – something which most

FUELLING conservation


Responsibility

hile it might seem a huge leap from running successful sushi restaurants to

becoming an eco-pioneer producing and promoting the use of biodiesel, for Cape Town businessman and innovator Roy de Gouveia it wasn’t a big stretch at all.

“I’m living my dream,” he said simply. “Yes, I could still be running Wakame, Wasabi and Salushi very successfully but putting everything I have, every drop of enthusiasm and effort, into BioGreen is just so much more fulfilling.”

Its website states that “BioGreen is a renewable energy company that prides itself on transparency, reliability and the determination to deliver the products and services of the highest grade to the market.” That’s typical corporate speak

which doesn’t accurately convey the commitment and genuine passion that De Gouveia and his team have for what they do. People pay lip service to ‘making a difference’ but BioGreen truly is!

And to think it all started with De Gouveia asking one of his restaurant managers what they were paying for new cooking oil – and what happened to the old, used oil. “I was looking to run my own diesel bakkie on biofuel and started researching the process.” After being given three different prices, De Gouveia realised that he needed to go into the matter more deeply.

“I was shocked! There are some deeply unscrupulous people out there! One firm buys up old oil, basically cleans it up chemically – and then goes and sells it into the poorer communities as ‘new’ oil!”

It has been decreed by government that by October 1 2015 at least 5% of all diesel fuel purchased at pumps nationwide will be biofuel derived. SPAR has got a jump on things, having run a portion of its truck fleet on biodiesel since 2010 – resulting in a saving of nearly 250 tons of carbon dioxide emissions since then! Fiona McDonald reports.

His research led him to businessman and inveterate inventor Org Nieuwoudt in George who, together with the University of Stellenbosch’s Energy Research division, had developed a patent for more efficient and effective conversion of waste oil into biodiesel.

BioGreen’s website – www.biogreen.co.za – states that “Biodiesel is made through a chemical reaction between natural oils and alcohol, followed by purification. Biodiesel can be made from nearly any naturally occurring vegetable oil or fat. The most frequently used oils by Biogreen Diesel facilities are used cooking oil and poultry fat.”

Some of De Gouveia’s pictures of the yellow buckets of used oil which arrive at the BioGreen processing facility in Cape Town are stomach churning! “It’s not a pretty sight and can be quite a stinky process,” De Gouveia conceded. Local restaurants, hotels, retailers and supermarkets sell the oil to BioGreen which then filters and cleans it, processes it chemically and produces biodiesel and glycerol and water as a waste product.

“That in itself is a potential negative,” said De Gouveia. “By 2020 the world will have six times more glycerol floating around the system than is needed!” Not that he isn’t “a-man-with-a-plan”… and is developing an organic fertiliser which goes a long way to solving his by-product conundrum.

The distribution director of SPAR’s Western Cape and Namibian operations, Solly Engelbrecht, took up the tale. “We were approached by BioGreen in 2010 and saw the merit of what Roy de Gouveia was proposing. We gave our stores the opportunity of getting rid of their used oil – something which most

FUELLING conservation


Biodiesel

were only too pleased about,” he said. “It’s unique in that with SPAR it’s a

closed loop system,” De Gouveia said. “We don’t sell biodiesel to them. It’s their oil that we simply process and provide them with the biodiesel for their truck � eet – obviously for a fee.”

Engelbrecht admits there were a few “teething problems” especially with the vehicles being a bit sluggish in the chilly Western Cape winters “but we’ve solved the issues – it was just a temperature and heating problem – and now everything is running � ne. We’re very happy with the relationship and according to our records, by making a very simple adjustment, we’ve converted 166 216 litres of used oil and saved 235 tons of CO2 emissions!”

De Gouveia “guesstimates” that the local market produces between 2 – 2.5 million litres of waste oil monthly. But with the mandatory requirement of a 5% addition to diesel on the South African market alone, there is a need to produce 7 million litres of biofuel annually. It’s potentially a huge growth industry with the positive spin o� that used oil is no longer a headache for restaurants and other users.

“Everything we use is South African – local labour, locally fabricated equipment, local tanks and even local intellectual property!” And it doesn’t stop there: De Gouveia wants to expand his 3 000 litre a day production to include non-waste oils. “We’re looking at potentially getting a community-based seed oil farming initiative up and running in the Eastern Cape – which in turn has a spin-o� for the economic wellbeing of the community.”

Is it any wonder he turned his back on slinging sushi for a living?

FAQS:WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN EMISSIONS OF BIODIESEL AND MINERAL DIESEL? Using biodiesel instead of mineral diesel signifi cantly reduces unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter from exhaust emissions. It also virtually eliminates sulphur oxides and sulphates ‒ major contributors to acid rain. Nitrogen oxide emissions may increase slightly, but can be remedied with newer low-emission diesel engines. Roughly 400 litres of biodiesel displaces one ton of carbon emissions.

BIODIESEL AND VEGETABLE OIL. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? Biodiesel is produced through a chemical process called trans-esterifi cation which converts oils and fats of natural origin into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). Combustion of vegetable oil without conversion to biodiesel will lead to soot accumulation and deposits that may lead to power loss and engine failure.

DO I NEED TO DO ANYTHING TO CHANGE MY DIESEL VEHICLE TO USE BIODIESEL?If your car was made after 1993, the answer is no. If your car was made prior to 1993, the rubber fuel lines will probably have to be replaced. One of the major advantages of using biodiesel is the fact that it can be used in existing diesel engines without negative impacts to operating performance. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel for heavyweight vehicles that does not require any special injection or storage modifi cations.

CAN BIODIESEL WORK IN MY PETROL ENGINE? No, biodiesel can only run in conventional compression-ignition (diesel) engines!

DIESEL AND BIODIESEL. CAN I SWAP BETWEEN THEM? Yes, you can use biodiesel and diesel fuel interchangeably, as well as blended.

I HEARD THAT MY FUEL FILTERS NEED TO BE CHANGED MORE OFTEN WHEN USING BIODIESEL? Biodiesel is a solvent. It’ll clear many diesel deposits that have accumulated in your fuel tank which may initially cause fuel fi lter clogging. Continued use of biodiesel will not cause an increase in frequency of fi lter changes.

FUEL EFFICIENCY OF BIODIESEL VS. DIESEL? Virtually the same MPG rating as vehicles running on mineral diesel.

IS BIODIESEL GOOD FOR MY ENGINE? Yes, biodiesel can actually extend the life of your engine. Biodiesel has superior lubricating properties that reduce the wear of vital engine parts.

Yo-ho-ho! And a bottle of...? Rum: Tasted and rated by CHEERSCellars, cabinets, racks, crates & fridges.

The lowdown on liquor storageWhat’s the buzz on weiss beer?

what to look out for next issue

brought to you by www.topsatspar.co.za

Congratulations to all of last issue’s winners


SAVANNAH TO SEA BOOK WINNERS:1. Natasha Pieters, Durban2. Tim Walker, Port Elizabeth

THE HEINEKEN KEG WINNERS & THEIR TOPS AT SPAR STORE:1. Nhlanhla Mahlangu, Maluleke2. Phillip David Nkambule, Birch Gate3. Richard Moodley, Parklane Cellars4. Rabana Modisaemang, Vosloorus 5. Sanette van Niekerk, Langverwacht6. Desmond Nel, Ladybrand7. Sonja Steyn, Christiana8. Dee Williams, Jeff ery’s Bay9. Nomsa Mnguni, Moloto10. Debbie van der Bank, Essenwood11. Wayne Talbot, Nottingham Road12. Michael Rubin, Jeff rey’s Bay13. Sasha Reddy, Knowles14. Siphesihle Zikalala, The Fields15. Claire Erasmus, The Hill 16. Ismail Badat, Jonathan’s city square17. Gaynor Ray, Bluff Super Spar 18. Edward Geach, Meyersdal19. Kamogelo, Karen Park20. Gillian Oberholzer, Kraaifontein

BUNNAHABHAIN BUSINESS TRAVEL SET WINNER:1. Kobus Burger, Pietermaritzburg

JACK RYAN DVD WINNER:1. Neo Thebe, Ganyesa

SHAKIRA CD WINNER:1. Elizabeth Nagel, Pretoria

enjoy your spoils!enjoy your spoils!

Yo-ho-ho! And a bottle of...? Rum: Tasted and rated by CHEERSCellars, cabinets, racks, crates & fridges.

The lowdown on liquor storageWhat’s the buzz on weiss beer?

what to look out for next issue

brought to you by www.topsatspar.co.za

Congratulations to all of last issue’s winners


SAVANNAH TO SEA BOOK WINNERS:1. Natasha Pieters, Durban2. Tim Walker, Port Elizabeth

THE HEINEKEN KEG WINNERS & THEIR TOPS AT SPAR STORE:1. Nhlanhla Mahlangu, Maluleke2. Phillip David Nkambule, Birch Gate3. Richard Moodley, Parklane Cellars4. Rabana Modisaemang, Vosloorus 5. Sanette van Niekerk, Langverwacht6. Desmond Nel, Ladybrand7. Sonja Steyn, Christiana8. Dee Williams, Jeff ery’s Bay9. Nomsa Mnguni, Moloto10. Debbie van der Bank, Essenwood11. Wayne Talbot, Nottingham Road12. Michael Rubin, Jeff rey’s Bay13. Sasha Reddy, Knowles14. Siphesihle Zikalala, The Fields15. Claire Erasmus, The Hill 16. Ismail Badat, Jonathan’s city square17. Gaynor Ray, Bluff Super Spar 18. Edward Geach, Meyersdal19. Kamogelo, Karen Park20. Gillian Oberholzer, Kraaifontein

BUNNAHABHAIN BUSINESS TRAVEL SET WINNER:1. Kobus Burger, Pietermaritzburg

JACK RYAN DVD WINNER:1. Neo Thebe, Ganyesa

SHAKIRA CD WINNER:1. Elizabeth Nagel, Pretoria

enjoy your spoils!enjoy your spoils!69Sep|Oct 2013 Vol 08 www.topsatspar.co.za

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your chance of winning!

how to enter By entering you stand a chance to win one of three Glenmorangie Discovery Packs.

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of the TOPS at SPAR store at which you made any purchase from and the till slip number, along with a contact telephone number to qualify for the

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Grocery list

All ‘in the basket’ items are available at your nearest TOPS at SPAR and SPAR outlets. See www.topsatspar.co.za and www.spar.co.zaand SPAR outlets. See www.topsatspar.co.za and www.spar.co.za

Your complete list of ingredients for all the recipes in this issue.



SPAR stores

TOPS at SPAR

GroceriesAvailable from TOPS at SPARLiquor

30ml whisky

50ml rum

20ml ginger liqueur

3 dashes of bitters

bottle of Pinotage/Merlot

2 bottles of good red wine

40ml apple juice

20ml lemon juice

Available from SPARDried Spices/Herbs/Stock

10ml tumeric

1 tsp ground cumin

2 star anise

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp medium curry powder

1l vegetable stock

500ml beef stock

salt and pepper

Fresh Fruit/Veg/Herbs/Spices

23 cloves of garlic

3 red onions

5 brown onions

1 bunch coriander

5ml ginger

4 sprigs rosemary

7.5ml chopped mixed herbs

1pkt salad greens

3 tomatoes

800g medium carrots

85g button mushrooms

1.6kg potatoes

2 large parsnips

½ butternut

1kg fresh guavas

1 green melon

Cans/Jars/Bottles/Cartons

150ml olive oil


5ml soya sauce


5ml Dijon mustard

black food colouring

400g tin peeled & chopped tomatoes

400g tin whole peeled tomatoes

1 tin of lentils

Baking/Dry goods

100g brown sugar

1kg white sugar

780g icing sugar

400g castor sugar

615g cake fl our

100g cocoa powder

20ml baking powder

10ml cream of tartar

250g instant coff ee granules

20g desiccated coconut

100g ground almonds

100g pecan nut halves


100g white chocolate,

200g dark chocolate

1kg rice

1pkt raisins

Dairy

675ml cream

250ml milk

700g butter

14 eggs

250ml egg whites

Meat/Fish/Poultry

1.5kg game meat

4 lamb shanks

4 duck breasts

6 slices of ham



Loopdop

Bothaville TOPS at SPAR Nic Schuman is the Manager & Wilmi von Abo is the Owner at the Bothaville TOPS at SPAR

Address: 36 President Street, Bothaville, Free State. Tel: (056) 515 1831 Email: [email protected]

Business Hours: TOPS at SPAR Mon - Fri: 09h00 - 20h00, Sat: 08h00 - 17h00 & Sun: Closed. SUPERSPAR Mon - Sat: 07h15 - 20h30, Sun: 08h00 - 20h00. Mon - Sat: 07h15 - 20h30, Sun: 08h00 - 20h00.

gerr

itGerrit Rautenbach

wilm

i & n

ic

Die trekker van BothavilleDaar’s ’n storie ‒ en dit begin met ’n dominee en ’n Vrystaatse mielieplaas.

s jy weet van Bothaville in die

Vrystaat, dan weet jy dis die tuiste

van die Nampo-oesdag, maklik

die grootste mieliefees in die wêreld. Maar

daar is baie meer wat dié plek op die kaart

gesit het. Tog is die storie der stories een

waarvan min weet.

Hier in die vroeë 1960’s het ene jonkheer

Hubert Schalk Botha sy studies aan die

Universiteit van Pretoria se teologiese

fakulteit suksesvol voltooi en is

gelegitimeer wat hom natuurlik beroepbaar

gemaak het. Kort voor lank is Hubert se

gebede verhoor met dié dat hy beroep

word na die NG kerk op Bothaville.

Dominee Botha na Bothaville... Ja, dis ’n

teken het Hubert gereken.

Onse man van die bediening is met

vreugde en fanfare ontvang en tuis gemaak

in sy pastorie met lekker bees- en

skaaphappies uit die boerdery-kontrei

sowel as ’n mandjie vol groenmielies op die

koop toe. Hy was oorweldig oor die

gasvryheid. Hy het sommer aangevoel dat,

alhoewel hy ’n stadsklong is, hy gou goed

gaan aard in dié boeregemeenskap. Die

eerste Sondag se intreepreek het goed

afgegaan en geëindig met nog ‘n paar

welkomsê-mandjies vol mielies, pampoen,

uie en ander lekkernye.

Maandagoggend het hy besluit dis tyd om

almal eerstehands te leer ken. Met die

gemeentelys op sy pa se ou 200 Mercedes (’n

gradueringsgeskenk) se passasiersitplek is hy

daar weg vir sy eerste rondte huisbesoeke. Hy

het gereken sy gemeente het ’n groot

plaaswyk en hy sal eerste die plase doen.

Hier teen Woensdagmiddag net na twee,

vat hy die afdraaipad na Dorsfontein. Dis die

verste plaas in sy wyk. Met die inry die

plaaswerf in, het dinge eff e verlate gelyk. Dis

immers ’n Woensdagmiddag; hier behoort

geboer te word. G’n mens is te sien nie.

Dis stil, verklaar hy aan homself nadat hy die

Merc se deur agter hom toegemaak het. Net

die Vrystaatse ooswind roer die los mielieblare

heen en weer. ’n Verrimpelde hoender loop en

kra-aak kra-aak in ’n moedelose stemmetjie,

maar is ampers te lui om enigsins te skrop. Hy

loop skuil dan maar in die skaduwee van die

trekker wat windskeef voor die skuur staan.

Nietemin stap Dominee voordeur toe. Hy

voel al stowwerig hoewel hy nog kraaknuut

lyk in sy donker pak. Ferm klop hy aan die

dik ou voordeur en wag.

En wag.

Op die punt wat Dominee wil moed

opgee en die aftog blaas, vlieg die voordeur

woes oop. So woes die hortjie-blindings

kabbel dit uit teen die riff elglas langs die

deur. Eers sien Dominee niks, maar

wanneer hy sy blik laat sak, staan daar so ’n

kordaat mannetjie met bloedrooi hare,

kroontjie wild op die voorkop en groot

sproete wat sy blitsblou oë laat uitstaan.

Dominee skat hom niks ouer as ses nie.

“Hallo Boetman, is jou pappa hier?” vra

Dominee vriendelik.

“Ek het hom met die trekker weggejaag!!”

skree Boetman met ’n skor stemmetjie.

“Ha ha ha ...” lag Dominee. “En Mamma?

Is sy hier?”

“Ek het haar met die trekker weggejaag!!”

“Ouboet? En Ousus?” verneem Dominee

glimlaggend.

“Ek het hulle met die trekker weggejaag!”

“Nou sê my Boetman, wat doen jy so

stoksielalleen op die plaas?” speel Dominee

saam.

“Ek jaaaaaaag met die trekker!!!”

Freelance writer Gerrit Rautenbach is a man who knows how to spin a yarn,

having been the editor of Mooiloop and Wegbreek magazines.


Loopdop

Bothaville TOPS at SPAR Nic Schuman is the Manager & Wilmi von Abo is the Owner at the Bothaville TOPS at SPAR

Address: 36 President Street, Bothaville, Free State. Tel: (056) 515 1831 Email: [email protected]

Business Hours: TOPS at SPAR Mon - Fri: 09h00 - 20h00, Sat: 08h00 - 17h00 & Sun: Closed. SUPERSPAR Mon - Sat: 07h15 - 20h30, Sun: 08h00 - 20h00. Mon - Sat: 07h15 - 20h30, Sun: 08h00 - 20h00.

gerr

it

Gerrit Rautenbach

wilm

i & n

ic

Die trekker van BothavilleDaar’s ’n storie ‒ en dit begin met ’n dominee en ’n Vrystaatse mielieplaas.

s jy weet van Bothaville in die

Vrystaat, dan weet jy dis die tuiste

van die Nampo-oesdag, maklik

die grootste mieliefees in die wêreld. Maar

daar is baie meer wat dié plek op die kaart

gesit het. Tog is die storie der stories een

waarvan min weet.

Hier in die vroeë 1960’s het ene jonkheer

Hubert Schalk Botha sy studies aan die

Universiteit van Pretoria se teologiese

fakulteit suksesvol voltooi en is

gelegitimeer wat hom natuurlik beroepbaar

gemaak het. Kort voor lank is Hubert se

gebede verhoor met dié dat hy beroep

word na die NG kerk op Bothaville.

Dominee Botha na Bothaville... Ja, dis ’n

teken het Hubert gereken.

Onse man van die bediening is met

vreugde en fanfare ontvang en tuis gemaak

in sy pastorie met lekker bees- en

skaaphappies uit die boerdery-kontrei

sowel as ’n mandjie vol groenmielies op die

koop toe. Hy was oorweldig oor die

gasvryheid. Hy het sommer aangevoel dat,

alhoewel hy ’n stadsklong is, hy gou goed

gaan aard in dié boeregemeenskap. Die

eerste Sondag se intreepreek het goed

afgegaan en geëindig met nog ‘n paar

welkomsê-mandjies vol mielies, pampoen,

uie en ander lekkernye.

Maandagoggend het hy besluit dis tyd om

almal eerstehands te leer ken. Met die

gemeentelys op sy pa se ou 200 Mercedes (’n

gradueringsgeskenk) se passasiersitplek is hy

daar weg vir sy eerste rondte huisbesoeke. Hy

het gereken sy gemeente het ’n groot

plaaswyk en hy sal eerste die plase doen.

Hier teen Woensdagmiddag net na twee,

vat hy die afdraaipad na Dorsfontein. Dis die

verste plaas in sy wyk. Met die inry die

plaaswerf in, het dinge eff e verlate gelyk. Dis

immers ’n Woensdagmiddag; hier behoort

geboer te word. G’n mens is te sien nie.

Dis stil, verklaar hy aan homself nadat hy die

Merc se deur agter hom toegemaak het. Net

die Vrystaatse ooswind roer die los mielieblare

heen en weer. ’n Verrimpelde hoender loop en

kra-aak kra-aak in ’n moedelose stemmetjie,

maar is ampers te lui om enigsins te skrop. Hy

loop skuil dan maar in die skaduwee van die

trekker wat windskeef voor die skuur staan.

Nietemin stap Dominee voordeur toe. Hy

voel al stowwerig hoewel hy nog kraaknuut

lyk in sy donker pak. Ferm klop hy aan die

dik ou voordeur en wag.

En wag.

Op die punt wat Dominee wil moed

opgee en die aftog blaas, vlieg die voordeur

woes oop. So woes die hortjie-blindings

kabbel dit uit teen die riff elglas langs die

deur. Eers sien Dominee niks, maar

wanneer hy sy blik laat sak, staan daar so ’n

kordaat mannetjie met bloedrooi hare,

kroontjie wild op die voorkop en groot

sproete wat sy blitsblou oë laat uitstaan.

Dominee skat hom niks ouer as ses nie.

“Hallo Boetman, is jou pappa hier?” vra

Dominee vriendelik.

“Ek het hom met die trekker weggejaag!!”

skree Boetman met ’n skor stemmetjie.

“Ha ha ha ...” lag Dominee. “En Mamma?

Is sy hier?”

“Ek het haar met die trekker weggejaag!!”

“Ouboet? En Ousus?” verneem Dominee

glimlaggend.

“Ek het hulle met die trekker weggejaag!”

“Nou sê my Boetman, wat doen jy so

stoksielalleen op die plaas?” speel Dominee

saam.

“Ek jaaaaaaag met die trekker!!!”

Freelance writer Gerrit Rautenbach is a man who knows how to spin a yarn,

having been the editor of Mooiloop and Wegbreek magazines.


An award-winning blended brandy, created to ce lebrate Oude Meester ’s D iamond Jub i lee 60th ann iversary. This luminous amber brandy is noted for its rich chocolate and nutmeg nose, as well as a distinctive apricot and pineapple taste on the palate.

The premium taste and smoothness of this brandy is an embodiment of Oude Meester’s relentless pursuit of perfection - which is reflected in the brand’s d iamond symbol of exceptional purity.

808955_OM_PnP Print Ad_210x275_FA.indd 1 2014/06/25 1:18 PM

cheers - july/august 2014 (vol.13)

Documents