Main Ingredient

Isn't she lovely!?
Lynne at the Veritas Awards at the CTICC last Saturday

The 41st anniversary Blaauwklippen Vineyards blending competition lunch
The awards ceremony of the annual Blaauwklippen Blending Competition was held in the main restaurant at Blaauwklippen
Present were the top three wine clubs, the judges, and the media
https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-41st-anniversary-blaauwklippen.html

The final total at the 2024 Cape Winemakers Guild Auction and the Auction teams - the backroom girls and boys
Strauss & Co

There is a really good opportunity next week to taste many of the best White wines and Cap Classiques we produce. Get your tickets booked soon. See you there? Not to be missed if you are serious about Cape wines. And you can buy on the night at reduced prices.

The 2024 Investec Trophy public tasting at the CTICC in Cape Town
The Investec Trophy Wine Show is one of the best opportunities we have to taste some of the best wines from South Africa. There is a very large number of wines to taste and it pays to try and be selective, although one always has some favourite producers who may not have won a Gold or a Trophy, but have nevertheless consistently made superb wines and one will always stop for a chat and a taste. See the wines and winemakers at
https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2024/07/the-2024-investec-trophy-public-tasting.html

Gathering in memory of Jos Baker at Den Anker
Jos Baker was something of a polymath
Starting with a career in fashion, she turned her love of food, wine and décor into a long, successful career as a journalist. She also had a lifelong passion of maintaining, Klein Zoar, the historic 18th Century house she lived in
Klein Zoar is said to have been the home of Wolraad Woltemade, a Cape Dutch dairy farmer, who died while rescuing sailors from the wreck of the ship De Jonge Thomas in a storm in Table Bay on 1 June 1773
Read on at
https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2024/06/gathering-in-memory-of-jos-baker-at-den.html
Den Anker Restaurant, V&A Waterfront

Elim, in the heart of the Agulhas Triangle
Our route to the Agulhas Festival took us through the historic village called Elim It has its roots in wine production, something we believe that too few people know. it is appropriate that the Agulhas Wine Festival took place on an Elim estate. Read on…
https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2024/04/elim-in-heart-of-agulhas-triangle.html

I have been asked to to let people know about this.

Tokara Rare Plant Fair postponed due to severe storms
Severe weather conditions wreaking havoc in the Cape Winelands since the weekend took their toll on the extensive gardens at Tokara Wine Farm necessitating the postponement of the annual Rare Plant Fair and Autumn Open Garden.
The gale-force winds caused extensive damage to the private farm garden, especially the trees and walkways, leaving the terrain unsuitable for visitors before a full assessment can be made. The annual event, scheduled for later this month, will now take place on Saturday, 26 October 2024.
“The decision to postpone the event at Tokara was not made lightly, but was necessary due to the severe impact of the storm. The long-term damage to the trees in particular, requires a thorough assessment to guarantee the safety of our visitors. We understand the anticipation surrounding this event and share the disappointment of avid garden enthusiasts who look forward to visiting our gardens every year,” says Anne-Marie Ferreira, who is devastated that their magnificent farm garden was not spared by the storm.
The Tokara team eagerly anticipates welcoming devotees back to the farm garden in Spring.
For more information, visit www.rareplantfair.co.za

Tokara Rare Plant Fair – Rare Plant Fair Lovingly nurtured by GT and Anne-Marie Ferreira who founded Tokara over two decades ago, their private farm garden is a place of serenity where awe-inspiring landscapes are accentuated by life-size sculptures from the family’s extensive art collection.

If you are a member of a wine club, perhaps this might interest you. Or you could form one with a few wine friends to see how good you are at blending wine. It is great fun.

Blaauwklippen Blending Competition - Celebrating 41 years of the art of wine blending

Entries for the Annual Blaauwklippen Blending Competition are open, this year celebrating 41 years of the art of wine blending.

Open to all aspiring winemakers this competition is there to encourage wine enthusiasts to create a winning blend.

“Blends are a much-loved category of red wine, with so many possibilities and variations in character and style. This competition allows wine lovers to get hands-on experience in blending – a combination of science and art that captures the strengths of each varietal to create a wine that is greater than the sum of its parts,” says Narina Cloete, winemaker at Blaauwklippen.

For this year’s competition, the challenge is to create a serious Bordeaux style blend with components from a very challenging 2023 vintage. Blenders will receive 4 wines (1 x Cabernet franc, 1 x Malbec, 1 x Merlot, 1 x Petit Verdot) and all 4 components must be used in the final blend. A maximum 65 % of each Cultivar may be used and a minimum of 5% of each component must be included in the blend.

Entries are made up in the Blaauwklippen cellar according to each team’s formula and tasted blind by the judging panel which consists of some of the nation’s most astute wine personalities, along with Narina.

In addition to the trophy, the winning club earns recognition on the label of a limited-edition magnum release of their blend bottled and sold by Blaauwklippen.

To enter a blending kit can be purchased online and recipes to be submitted as per the stipulated dates. Visit www.blaauwklippen.com/bbc2024.

Important dates to diarise:

1 April : Entries open
30 April : Entries close
15 May : Blending kits will be dispatched.
31 July : Deadline for recipes.
August : Judging
6 September : Awards luncheon

Supper at Marietjie's Pub & Grill, Baardskeerdersbos
We have been to Marietjie's Pub and Grill in Baardskeerdersbos a few times. This time, it was just 7 kilometres from our accommodation, so that sorted out supper on our first night in the area. At weekends, you'll need to book; it's a popular place. Read on...
https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2024/04/supper-at-marietjies-pub-grill.html
-Pub-Grill-Baardskeerdersbos

Tasting the wines of Bouchard Finlayson
Before we left the Hemel en Aarde valley, we visited Bouchard Finlayson where John had organised a tasting for us and our English guest. The winery was fast preparing for harvest which began later that month. A taste of the Blanc de Mer 2023, a blend of 65% Weisser Reisling, with Viognier and Chardonnay that goes so well with sea food dishes and is a lovely quaffing wine as well, good on picnics. Perfumed, with sea minerality and richness of the fruit. It defies expectations on the palate, crisp, zesty and long Read on…
https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2024/02/tasting-wines-of-bouchard-finlayson.html
Bouchard Finlayson

Wine tasting at Buitenverwachting
A friend visiting from the UK wanted to visit Constantia and we decided that a tasting at Buitenverwachting would be a good start. Sarah, a recent ID graduate, now at Discovery in Johannesburg, was our wine server and very good at it too! Read on…
https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2024/02/wine-tasting-at-buitenverwachting.html