June 30, 2011
Whether you’re a beginner or a wine fundi - this is a great course to attend - you will drink great wine and I guarantee that you will learn something cool about wine. Plus it’s an excuse to get together with your friends once a week on cold winter nights to drink wine - no brainer.
Now into its eighth year, join Cathy for a relaxed, informal and enjoyable course which will answer all the questions you never knew you had about wine, get you tasting some of the finest wines in South Africa and meeting many of the winemakers and other movers and shakers of the winemaking industry.
The Cape Town Course
Nigel and Tania are still going to be our hosts in Cape Town at the wonderful Wine @ the Mill in the Old Biscuit Mill.
This course starts on Tuesday 26th July and will run for SEVEN weeks (because the 9th is a public holiday).
The Stellenbosch Course
In addition, we are starting at another venue in the Winelands. This will be held at new restaurant, bar and function venue De Huguenot Estate which is almost equidistant from Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl.
This course will start Thursday 4th August and will run for 6 weeks.
The Food with Wine
For the first time, we will also have a dish of the day at Wine @ the Mill as we’ve teamed up with Elize Goffe-Wood from Kitchen Cowboys Canteen who will be offering a hearty, home-cooked dish which you can enjoy over a bottle of wine after the course. More details to follow. De Huguenot offers fabulous tapas-style snacks in its bar, Harry Q, and there will be a series of special dishes over the 6 weeks of the course to encourage you to stay and enjoy a glass of wine afterwards.
The Important Stuff
We will provide:
· All tuition
· Tasting of at least 6 wines per week
· Tasting sheets
· Water biscuits
The Dates
Cape Town – Tuesday 26th July and will finish 6th September (there will be no session 9th August due to the public holiday).
Stellenbosch - Thursday 4th August 2011 and will finish on Thursday 8th September 2011.
(If you can’t make one of the weeks on either course, you are more than welcome to send a substitute drinker in your place.)
The Time
Cape Town & Stellenbosch - 6.30pm start for approximately 1-1 ½ hrs depending on how much you all chat.
The Place
Cape Town – Wine @ the Mill, Old Biscuit Mill, Woodstock.
Stellenbosch - De Huguenot Estate Restaurant, Pniel, Helshoogte Pass.
There is ample, safe parking onsite at both venues.
The Cost
Cape Town & Stellenbosch - R600 per person per course. Places are very limited and will be allocated strictly on a first come/first served basis.
How To Book?
Please go to www.cathymarston.co.za and fill in the form there.
**Remember to indicate which course you would like to attend**
Posted in Uncategorized 
No Comments »
June 21, 2011
[Guest post by my brother and food addict - Craig Shaw ]
I enjoy my food immensely and fish is among my top contenders. I have lived in Cape Town for 6 years and have never bought anything from any of the fish markets we may have here in Cape Town.
Having spent hours watching BBC Food and watching just about every chef visit some fish market in either Asia, Australia and countless others, I have always wanted to explore the warehouses of these markets and grab the freshest of the fresh for that days feast.
I’ve imagined myself questioning the fisherman/fishmonger to ensure ethical fishing was paramount in getting me the finest catch of the day just like Jamie Oliver would do in one of his shows. (But really all I do is go all out on all-you-can-eat-sushi deals and carve my way through some serious weight in tuna).
My point though is that I have been mostly useless at finding out about the fish market scene here in Cape Town and want to find out more. I have heard of Kalk Bay and Hout Bay and maybe somewhere at the Waterfront.
If you know of or have been to one of the markets in Cape Town, please let me know in the comments area. I want to know exactly where they are and when they are open. Or even better what days are best to grab the good stuff!
Posted in Cape Town, Fish 6 Comments »
June 10, 2011
Lets face it - when you ask any South African about brandy - they immediately think “ah met eish ja” - ‘Klippies and coke’. That’s how powerful that advert has been - perhaps too powerful for Klipdrift as the fine end of the brandy market begins to develop.
I have heard that South Africa produces great brandy at the finer end of the market and offers exceptional value. In truth though, I’ve never actually thought about buying a bottle to enjoy at home like a single malt whisky. That has now changed.
A week or so ago I was kindly invited by a good friend of mine to attend a Klipdrift Gold tasting at Blake’s Bar on a cold winters evening. I must first say that I really enjoyed the new and cosy vibe of Blake’s Bar - an improvement on Relish I believe. The snacks served were really good and the staff seemed very attentive.
Back to the brandy - because I was immediately converted. I couldn’t believe how smooth, deeply warming and sophisticated the drink was when served neat with a dash of water. I was also struck by the different layers of flavours and levels of appreciation one can delve into - something I just would not have associated with brandy at all.
The Klipdrift Gold we tasted for the evening had distinct notes of toasted nuts, milk chocolate, toffee and apricots. It had a long finish that warmed the tips of your toes too.
It was a first introduction to the finer end of the brandy market for me and I think I’m going to explore it a bit further. At R200 odd for a bottle - Klipdrift Gold it’s pretty good value I think.
Posted in Brandy, Uncategorized 2 Comments »
June 1, 2011
It was a cold and winter’s night when the Hubbie and I, with our good friend Blake, made a turn at the Wade Bales Wine Festivalat the Cricket Oval in Newlands. This event is fast becoming one of our favourites of the year: an intimate affair showcasing some of the best wines SA has to offer.
Personal favourites for the evening included Jean Daneel’s absolutely delicious Chenin Blanc (think honey flavoured drops of heaven)!.
The Tokara Directors’ Reserve Red 2007 is a sensational winner too with its silky smooth tannins and refined flavours!
A special mention has to be made of Glenwood - where the owner and wine maker himself was manning the stand. This never goes unnoticed and on mentioning the fact that we were impressed, DP Burger said that he was a man wearing many hats- not only the maker of the wine, but the receptionist and basically the one involved in all aspects of his lovely farm in Franschhoek.
There are only 850 bottles of the Glenwood Vignerons Selection Syrah 2008 and luckily we found ourselves the owners of one them! It is an unusual Syrah that is soft, light and incredibly good.
Remember to get your tickets for the Wade Bales Festival next year. It makes for a great evening of indulgence, especially if it’s a Phuza Thursday.
[Lovely Lis]
Posted in Boutique Wines, Festivals 1 Comment »
May 13, 2011
A little while back Amarula sent me their newly packaged and pretty darn sleek looking bottle of the good stuff - along with a cocktail shaker.
The challenge was to create a new cocktail based on an existing classic - which sounds easy but in practice really isn’t!
Trying to actually style a cocktail and make it look good - let alone get all the ingredients pitch perfect is something of an art and I have new respect for cocktail barmen.
Anyway here are two of my attempts that I managed to photograph - I think they would end up looking much better if crafted by a professional. I have also added a list of a few that I attempted but didn’t quite pull off look wise.
The Dung Beetle
A twist on an the old prohibition classic - Eggnog.
1 Shot Amarula
2 Shots Cream
1/2 shot brandy
Pinch of Nutmeg
tsp Vanilla Essence
1 Ferrero Rocher
1 Mint Leaf
Shaved Chocolate
Method: Add Amarula, Cream, Brandy, Nutmeg and Vanilla Essence to a shaker filled with ice. Shake and then strain into a martini glass. Pop a Ferrero Rocher into the middle of the glass and shave chocolate over the top. Garnish with a mint leaf.
Top Deck
This is a cocktail/shooter that can be served in multiple ways and is based on the classic “Springbok”- listed here in order of my preference:
Chocolate Chili Vodka Top Deck
Add chilli and vodka to melted dark chocolate - pour 2/3rds into a shot glass and top with Amarula Cream. Serve while still warm.
After Dark Top Deck
Mix Chocolate Liqueur with Mint Liquor - pour 2/3rds into a shot glass and top with Amarula Cream.
Cafe Patron Top Deck
2/3rds XO Cafe Patron topped off with Amarula.
Ginja Ninja Top Deck
2/3rds Ginger liqueur topped off with Amarula.
Banoffee Top Deck
Warm Chocolate liqueur mixed with Banana Liqueur - pour 2/3rds into a shot glass and top with Amarula Cream.
All served in a large tot glass.
Some others that I tried but my skill as a cocktail barman failed me are as follows:
Safari Sunset
Amarula and Cream shaken over ice. Add 2/3rd to glass and top with Orange Liqueur deep enough to house a cherry and mint leaf. Served in a Martini glass.
I was anxious to get this one right because I thought the whole think would look like an African Sunset - with the cherry as the sun, mint leaf as tree and orange liqueur as the orange sky.
Rainbow Nation
This one was just to hard for me but I tried. It is basically a multi layered shot - but served in a double shot glass. I had something similar in Thailand of all places.
Amarula is proudly South African and I thought this cocktail could become that too. It’s basically layers of liqueurs making up the colours of our national flag - red, blue, green, yellow, black and white.
Layer the following in order from bottom of glass to the top:
Black Zambuca
Banana Liqueur
Peppermint Liqueur
Red Zambuca
Amarula
Blue Zambuca
Quite a handful but worth it in the end!
Well there you go - those are my concoctions. Let’s see if they enough to win me that 3 night Safari 
!
Posted in Cocktails 2 Comments »
Recent Comments