January 27, 2012
Sadly, this will be the last post on The Cru.
My journey into the world of wine over the last 5 years has been memorable to say the least.
Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting on The Cru throughout the years - much appreciated and a toast to all of you! You’ve made the journey extra special!
The decision to move on is in part due to the demands of a new job but it is mainly attributable to the fact that, whilst I still love wine and enjoy it immeasurably, I just don’t have the inclination to write about it any more. Sad but true.
I wish you all many more days, nights, weeks, months and years of glorious wine drinking!
Until we meet again…cheers!
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December 31, 2011
To all the wine perves out there have a fantastic night and all the best for the year of 2012!
The wine perk
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October 5, 2011
Today is The Cru’s fifth birthday and to celebrate I’m giving away a case of Belfield Wine and an Under the Influence Wine Tasting to one lucky reader!
All you have to do is follow me on twitter, retweet the birthday tweet and/or leave a comment below!
I can’t believe it’s been five years already - time flies.
Thank you all for joining me on this wine journey - here’s to five more years together.
Posted in The Cru 7 Comments »
July 12, 2011
[A guest review by my good friend Bar Bar Blake Sheep]
Last Saturday, some friends and I visited the much acclaimed Bar Bar BlackSheep in Riebeeck Kasteel for a birthday lunch. We booked in advance, and were really looking forward to our meal after reading some great reviews online. On arrival, the setting and atmosphere were great, and we were seated at a long table in a shaft of afternoon sunlight.
We started with a bottle of champagne, which arrived slightly warm and in need of an ice bucket. Easily remedied. In high spirits, we started to deliberate over the mouth-watering descriptions of meals on the menu. It took us a while to decide on what we wanted, but while placing our orders we sadly were informed that 4 of the dishes we wanted were not available (including the much-recommended lamb burger and fishcakes). Slightly disappointed, we placed orders for our second (or, in some cases, third) options.
Our anticipation built over the hour and a half it took to prepare our food, and by the time it arrived we were ravenous. After much deliberation I had decided to order the pumpkin pie – ‘sold’ by the description of the accompanying mash and gravy, and a red onion relish of some description. Neither the gravy nor the relish arrived, and when I questioned the waiter he returned with about 2 tablespoons of cold, congealed gravy in the bottom of a small cup, informing me that the red onions were “in the gravy”. Right. I’m normally not one to complain, but for R95 I figured I could at least ask for the gravy to be warmed to a pourable consistency. When the waiter returned he gave me some sort of lamb gravy in a different cup. Fortunately, I am not a devout vegetarian. Gravy aside, the pie and the mash were pretty flavourless and a bit on the cold side, but the meal had taken so long to prepare and I was so hungry at this point that complaining didn’t seem a viable option.
Besides the company, the setting and the battered onion rings, my Ba Ba Blacksheep experience was unspectacular. I couldn’t help thinking that I could have bought a tastier Woolies pie for a tenth of the price, and would have got better service from the Spur. After the hype, I was thoroughly disappointed with my meal, and a number of my fellow diners expressed dissatisfaction with theirs - particularly the birthday girl who ordered a butternut salad and received a plain salad (due to an ‘unforeseen’ butternut shortage).
The whole experience lacked polish, and I got the distinct impression that the manager had better things to do than ensure we had a great experience deserving of the hefty price tag. The only apology we received was from the waiter for the movie-length wait for the food, and for this he deducted the cost of the bottle of white wine we ordered (which, coincidentally, also arrived warm). I don’t know if the manager had taken the afternoon off to watch the rugby, or whether this is all part of the ‘laid back’ vibe, but for that kind of money I really expected something special… or average at the very least.
In addition to Blake’s review, I’d like to add a small critique of my own.
The positives:
- The Lamb Hearts were delicious
- The wine list is local and lekker - and reasonably priced
- The white chocolate cheesecake was excellent
- The atmosphere is relaxed and pleasant
- The decor is very cool
The negatives:
- Every single bottle of wine we ordered arrived warm and needed 20mins in an ice bucket - this seemed to be the case for the rest of the diners too. Apprently the fridge wasn’t working properly - I don’t think that is a good enough excuse - cold beverages are a basic requirement.
- The calamari, while full of flavour, was rubbery.
- The pork pie didn’t have any quinces, had a bone in it and arrived with no gravy and crushed potatoes rather than the advertised creamy mash. (the selling point of both the pie’s is the “Gravy Revolution” - come on man!)
- The butternut risotto had about 4 cubes of butternut - they probably ran out of the key ingredient.
- Promote slow food all you want but 1.5 hrs to deliver it is just too long - especially when the wine is warm.
- The coffee was too strong and arrived with no milk.
- &Union beer is displayed but not served at the restaurant - that’s just cruel!
After all the hype I was incredibly disappointed - I also got the feeling that the head honcho was not in the building. The menu sounds great but under delivers; the staff, while really friendly, were just stretched too far on the day. The only saving grace was the occasion, the company and that cheesecake!
Quick Fix: deliver what’s on the menu, ensure you have enough ingredients (at least for the signature dishes), staff up on weekends and get a fridge that works.
l
Posted in Restaurants 7 Comments »
July 8, 2011
“It’s a hard grape to grow. As you know. Right? It’s, uh, it’s thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It’s, you know, it’s not a survivor like cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and thrive even when it’s neglected. No, pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And, in fact, it can only grow in these really specific, little tucked-away corners of the world. And only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand pinot’s potential can then coax it into its fullest expression.” - Miles, Sideways.
If you’re a wine nut and have watched the incredible film Sideways - you will know that the lead character Miles absolutely loves Pinot Noir. In fact his obsession created a little bit of a cult craze for the varietal. He is right though - it’s difficult to grow and master in the bottle.
The incredible team at Under the Influence will give us the opportunity to taste some of South Africa’s best expressions of the grape next week Wednesday at What’s On eatery. Luckily they have also agreed to let me give away two tickets to the tasting!
Details for the evening are as follows:
Date: Wednesday 13 July
Venue: What’s On Eatery
Time: 6 for 6:30pm
Wines: Ernst Gouws & Co, Creation, Paradyskloof, Paul Cluver, Sutherland, Newton Johnson, Bouchard Finlayson and Hamilton Russell.
To Book: click here to get hold Mida at Under the Influence
Right so to win the 2 free tickets answer the following question in the comments section:
What grape varietal does Miles hate in the movie Sideways?
[I'll give you a hint his name and the grape name start with the same letter]
Good luck everyone and see you there!
Posted in Tastings 8 Comments »
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