The atmosphere was simple, elegant and rustic, from the natural light to the floral (and edible!) table decor. The crowd milled and mingled – eager for the passed h’ors d’oeuvres.

Baked lobster custard with Cape Malay-spiced sweet potato and crispy leeks

The amuse bouche, a baked lobster custard with Cape Malay-spiced sweet potato and crispy leeks was playfully served in hollowed out egg shells. Wine pairings scaled the spectrum from light and airy white to surprisingly dry and complex rosè, to big, bold reds. There wasn’t a dry glass in the house.

Tuna is reinvented with a delightful snap in both presentation and flavour – seaweed oyster pannacota, cucumber, lime and powdered dressing (read: incandescent dry ice dressing, served table side). Ambrosial. The main course, Cumbrae Farms lamb loin with glazed shank, hazelnut faro, dried fruit and sauce molê negro, carried us deeper yet into the exploration of South African flavours. And for dessert,  a frisky Napoleon with chocolate and hazelnut wafers, caramel cream, dark chocolate crispy croquette (holla!) and chocolate gelato.

The after-effects of Peter Templehoff’s food with Adam Mason’s Mulderbosch wines: empty plates and a host of taste memories. Until the next event…

Written by Swallow. All photo’s by Kristy Gardner

Read their newsletter of thanks for the generous sponsorships and support they received.

Premium Independent Wineries of South Africa (PIWOSA) was formed last month with the backing of Wines of South Africa, Wine Industry Ethical Trade Association and Integrated Production of Wine.

Its aim is to raise the profile of premium South African wine, which chairman Rollo Gabb of Journey’s End Vineyards stated was “hugely under-represented” in the on- and off-trades around the world.

Gabb explained: “Together we represent the incredible diversity that is seen across the Premium South African wine industry today. We each portray our own mesoclimates and special soils, while sharing a collective belief in the high potential of our sites and supporting our respective regions.

“South African winemaking has progressed to the point where it competes head on with premium wines from Australia, France, California and New Zealand – offering exceptional quality at very competitive prices.

“However, premium South African wine remains hugely under-represented in the on- and off-trade and we feel there is work to be done, and progress to be made. Through working together, we hope to raise the perception and presence of premium South African wines internationally. This will help to increase the value of South African wine sold worldwide, leading to significant job creation across the South African wine industry.”

The group will be launching a series of marketing initiatives this year, starting in the UK and Scandinavia.

The UK dates, covering a series of trade and consumer tastings, have been set for 3-6 June.

A website will go live on 7 February at www.piwosa.com

by Rupert Millar for The Drinks Business 

“I’ve recently tasted some admirable—and affordable—Chenin Blanc from South Africa, so I was eager to try this low-priced offering from Mulderbosch.

This wine is 100% chenin blanc, a grape South Africans call steen, and was grown in the Stellenbosch district of the Western Cape. This is the oldest viticultural area in South Africa, with plantings dating to the 1600s, but these vines are still new to the neighborhood—average age: 32 years.

The grapes were harvested at an admirably restrained 23.5° Brix, and while 80% of the juice was relegated to humble stainless tank, the rest was sent off to ferment and age five months in French and Hungarian Oak.

It’s savory. Yes, there are floral top notes of tropical fruits, white flowers, clover honey, and cracked white pepper. But the wine has a gorgeous vein of slatey minerals; an opulent, luscious body; and an glaze of oily citrus that adds shine and polish to the top. There’s great acidity here, too, so while the finished wine weighs in with 4.3 g/L of residual sugar, it still feels fresh.

This wine has zing and charisma, and is a terrific deal at $14.”

by Meg Houston Maker, MA, CSW
http://www.makerstable.com/

100 South African women gathered at the Table Bay Hotel on Saturday November 10th to sip, swirl and taste their way through 200 wines categorised “by occasion” such as Long Lunch, Girls Night Out and Best Braai Wine in order to decide their favourite 100.

Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2009 was announced as winner of the category “It’s Cold Outside”, and our Sauvignon Blanc featured in the “Girls Night Out” category, of course.

Event organiser, Clare Mack of Spill.co.za, says; “The competition and event is such a unique concept that it is the only event of its kind in the world. It makes sense though, if you consider that eighty percent of wines sold in SA are bought by women and that not many of us are wine connoisseurs, so judging by palate is really the best way to go about it.”

Mark Norrish, GM of sponsors Ultra Liquors, comments: “The most important market for wines in South Africa is women, and I am delighted that they are such a confident, sassy and adventurous group of consumers.”

The fairly new and novel event was a fun, informal occasion, welcoming a diverse group of women of all creeds, colours, backgrounds and tastes in wine. They took their jobs very seriously, and had a lot of laughs doing so.

A video by Cultivate Life

For the booking details, menu and wine list click here

A rose is a rose is a rose, as Gertrude Stein wrote, but a rosé
can be even better. This spring and summer, when you want
the refreshing quality of a white wine but with more weight and
more flavor, choose a dry, French-style rosé. They don’t have
to come from France– wineries all over the world are making
wines in this style. The French region they are most identified
with, Provence, is enjoying record sales right now. So if you
want to be trendy, embrace chilled dry rosés this spring and
summer. If you just want good wine, enjoy this style of rosé
anytime, all year round, like I do. Below are several I
recommend after recent tastings. Following them are some
unorthodox, but interesting, pink products I came across while
looking for rosés, a rosé Port and a rhubarb liqueur.

2011 Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon, Mulderbosch,
South Africa, ($12) was a delightful find as it is the first rosé
I have ever tasted from South Africa. Yummy red fruit, crisp
with a firm acidity and a sturdy weightiness in the mouth are
the hallmarks of this wine. 12.5% alcohol.

Janice Fuhrman, May 2012
www.winewithatwist.blogspot.com

Stellenbosch, South Africa – Renowned winery Mulderbosch, of Stellenbosch in South Africa, announced today that it will begin importing its own wines into the United States.

“In order to recognize Mulderbosch’s full potential here in the United States, we wanted to better control how Mulderbosch goes to market, more effectively execute our sales strategy, and place added emphasis on Mulderbosch’s history, viticulture and enological potential, and rich lineage of old-vine Chenin Blancs,” said Charles Banks, managing partner of Terroir Capital, which owns the esteemed winery.

Banks continues, “We are very excited to re-introduce the Mulderbosch brand into the US through our sales team and distribution partners. I am extremely pleased with the wines that Adam Mason has crafted for Mulderbosch since joining us for the 2012 vintage, and I know they will showcase South Africa’s ability to produce some of the best wine values in the world.”

After twenty years together, Mulderbosch has ended its relationship with its US importer, Cape Classics, in favor of self-importing. “We greatly appreciate all that Cape Classics has done over the years for Mulderbosch and for the South African wine industry,” said Banks.

In addition to Chenin Blanc, Mulderbosch produces Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and the Faithful Hound, a Cabernet Sauvignon red blend.

In addition to Mulderbosch, Banks’ Terroir Capital also owns the following wineries: Sandhi and Leviathan from California, Fable from South Africa, and Maison L’Oree from Burgundy.