Simonsig - Bubbles that Bring Me Down

Until recently, I have been a loyal Simonsig fan – the Kaapese Vonkel is a beautiful bubbly, it’s history in South African winemaking makes it unique, and the lovely champagne stoppers sold at the wine farm seem difficult to procure anywhere else so I decided long ago that I would make a plan to visit the estate.

My opportunity finally presented itself this past weekend while I was in Stellenbosch for a girls’ getaway. I told my friend with much excitement what a treat we were in for – the perfect ending to our afternoon, keepsake glasses we could remember the experience by, a few bottles to take home for another time, and finally, the much-sought-after champagne stopper.

Unfortunately for us, this was not to be. We were under the impression that closing time was at 16:30, and as we arrived at 16:15, we were relieved to find that there were still plenty of patrons and staff on site and were thrilled to have arrived “just in time”. We were wrong, of course – closing time was actually at 16:00. The smiles on our expectant faces wilted away when we were informed by the “Host” that we would not be served a tasting – we were too late, Simonsig was now closed. He told us this from the counter where he was sitting – the same one we had hoped to be served at – and after barely replacing his very own glass of crispy cold sparkling wine.

We told him how disappointed we were – that we had planned our visit for a very long time and would not be able to come back any time soon. We asked if he would reconsider, especially since there were still so many other patrons at the Estate, that closing time had just only passed, and that we had intended to purchase as well. He looked over at us, still seated in front of his bubbly, and replied with a monotonous tone that we should rather plan to come back on the following day. I barely convinced him to allow me to purchase the champagne stopper before we had to turn and leave otherwise empty handed, disappointed, and dejected.

My friend and I were let down by an un-empathetic employee who was probably only thinking about his plans for the evening, and not about the potential damage his handling of the situation could have for the brand. Worse, it seems this is not a once-off encounter but rather a general impression of Simonsig among the wine community – as we went on to visit other farms during our stay, my friend and I couldn’t help but recount our experience to other patrons and hosts, and each time we were met with looks of understanding, nodding, and murmurs that it wasn’t the first time they’d heard something negative about Simonsig. The experience was really very unfortunate and I had the sorry realization that none of a wine estate’s magic – not is history, its stunning setting, nor its winemaking excellence – can compete with the visitor’s experience.

I am a Foreign National

I’ve been privileged for the past four years to be able to live out my dream – a work permit in South Africa has enabled me to live and work in this beautiful country, travel within Africa, and stamp out boundaries towards becoming a better person. As a Foreign National, the privilege comes with a fair amount of strife – moving to another continent wasn’t such a breeze as I naively imagined while planning my move from sunny Southern California. Some say “change is as good as a holiday,” but imagine changing almost everything in your life – all at the same time.

You move into a new house, neighborhood, town, region, and country. You live in a new time zone, in a new hemisphere, and ‘home’ is more than a day’s journey away, cramped inside a tiny space and at an exorbitant price. You contemplate the similarities between your position and the pioneers of yesteryear – you are surrounded by strangers and new things, nothing is familiar, you feel like you’re living on an outpost, far away from the “same” and the known. Driving is now an adventure, in a manual shift car on the “other side” of the road. You teach yourself to look right-left-right before crossing, and fight the urge to look the other way around, as you have been ingrained to do since childhood. A small task like grocery shopping becomes a drawn out affair as you’re faced with a sea of brands you’ve never seen or heard of before – perhaps the one with the red label is fair, or maybe that other one – over there?

Your seasons are swapped around so holidays that used to be cold-weather ones are now sunny-bikini ones, and, in your new country you’ve got new dates to celebrate – like Youth Day, Family Day and Women’s Day. You do so with joy, after all, you’re getting an “extra” day off, one you’ve never had off before! But the feeling becomes bittersweet when you realize you’re the only one who seems to know about your old favourites, like Saint Patrick’s Day, Independence Day, Halloween or Thanksgiving.

You have new friends now and no matter how you try, you just can’t seem to keep up with your old ones – email, online chats and the telephone seem so inadequate when you’re trying to describe your new life, an average day, your new friends, or the man you’ve fallen in love with. Time passes and even though it breaks your heart, it seems impossible to avoid missing out on life-changing milestones, like anniversaries, engagements and weddings, first pregnancies and births, or even saying good-bye when someone you love passes on. You are far, far away – you straddle two worlds, two lives, two understandings, two sets of friends, two points of view – you can feel yourself changing, growing, becoming more “you”. Here there are new things to try – new food, new places, new languages, new words and slang – even in English. You pick up small learnings each and every day, like that a “hat” is actually a “beanie” and a “cap” can be called a “peak”. Your accent changes, your mannerisms, too – things become easier, more natural, you start to call this ‘home’ and remember times ‘here’ instead of ‘there,’ life becomes more comfortable on top of your new grown foundation.

You begin to feel familiar, now you have context. You have history here, too – you know how it works, at least more now than ever before. You feel happy – you’ve done the battle with loneliness and discomfort – you’ve grown and achieved new success – you can start to take off now, to greater levels, to push greater boundaries. You know you’ve made the right choice – this is home now, there are still new places to explore, new things to learn – you want more. You feel like you belong here – like you’re no longer a stranger, you might actually fit in. But then you realize one thing – your visa is about to expire, you’ve got only 30 days left.

It’s time to visit Home Affairs to apply for more time – you gather your documents, you patiently wait in the que. You put on your most pleasant smile to those attending the room packed full of other foreign nationals who, just like you, jockey for their own fate. The air feels a little thicker in here, you can feel the pace of your heartbeat going a little bit quicker – what if, what if, what if? You try to laugh at yourself for being so affected and glance out the window at life in the city, moving on, as usual. You think about your past, the present, the unknown future – you have trouble swallowing. Your future hangs in the balance, somewhere between getting that stamp – or not.

Port Dreams and Calitzdorp

A visit to Calitzdorp is sort of like a step back to another era – once off the main road, the streets are few, narrow, and lined with colourful Bougainvillea, the houses are thick-walled and set back in ample shade, the building that holds the town museum looks like part of the display, the police station is friendly and relaxed, and you get a quiet feeling of being in a place where time moves a little slower. This is an honest place, like a little welcoming gem in the dusty, lonely expanse of the hot Klein Karoo. It’s blessed with a climate perfect for growing sweet, sugary grapes and as a result is home to South Africa’s top two producers of port – Boplaas Family Vineyards and De Krans.

These winemakers consistently score the highest marks in the John Platter ratings guide and aren’t shy about telling you through the many sign-boards posted throughout town. Every few hundred meters there is a reminder peeking out through the flowers at you, making it nearly impossible to leave without stopping in for a try. I had to make a choice between the two wine farms and chose Boplaas because of its older history, since 1880. It was easy to find – I just followed the signboards like directions on a treasure hunt, and within moments I found the shaded car park and made my way up to the tasting room.

Dark and cool inside, I nearly forgot it was only 11AM and got stuck into tasting all versions of sweet and smooth goodness. The Cape Ruby port was dark, plumy and ripe with fruit – I imagined myself enjoying it with a rich, gooey, dark chocolate dessert, perhaps with raspberry sauce. The Cape Tawney is grown on 20-year old vines and aged for 12 months in Portuguese oak, and you can tell – it tasted like raisin molasses, perfect on its own or over a rich vanilla ice-cream. The Cape Vintage Reserve is aged for 2 years in Portuguese oak and was the Grand Daddy of them all, living up to its five-star reputation with ease. It has a dark, deep purple colour and tasted smooth, regal, and heavy with blackberries.

At the end of the tasting I found it difficult to choose which treasures to purchase – would it be ruby, tawny, dark and plumy, pink, raisin-like, or berry delicious? Finally I settled on the Cape Tawney and the Vintage Reserve and now that I’m back at home, I have the even more difficult task of waiting for the perfect opportunity to enjoy them again!

Details & Cellar Door Prices

-Tasting: R20 per person, unless you make a purchase over R200, then it’s complimentary

- Cape Tawny Port Vinter’s Reserve 2006, 4-stars JP Guide, R100 per 750ml bottle or R41 per 375ml bottle

- Cape Vintage Reserve Port 2006, 5-stars JP Guide, R150 per 750ml bottle

The Atlantic Delivers a Summer's Feast

It’s nearly the end of summer – sorry to say it, but it’s true. The days are getting just a little bit shorter – morning risings are now in the dark, with me stumbling towards the kitchen in search of the coffee pot. The weather’s turned to Cape Town’s in-between period before the Autumn, when the Southeaster blows and the temperatures are still warm. When summer ends, the driving rain arrives and there’ll be no more weekend hikes, kayaking trips, or diving for crayfish – the fishing season ends in April. When the chill creeps in, I’ll be swopping my glass of Sauvignon Blanc for a rich Merlot, and my flip-flops for some nice warm booties.

Wanting to celebrate the end of summer, this weekend I planned a fitting feast to enjoy at sunset - hand-caught Crayfish (local rock lobster), Coconut Rice garnished with coriander and avocado, and crisp Sauvignon Blanc. Luckily the conditions were perfect for a diving adventure in the Cape Point Nature Reserve – small swell and light winds, early in the morning. My boyfriend and I loaded up our two-man kayak, paddles, wetsuits, flippers, snorkels and goggles and made our way south past the Slankop Lighthouse, along the beach and Misty Cliffs, until finally reaching the reserve. A troop of baboons stood at the entrance, as if placed to greet us, or perhaps to collect a breakfast toll. Not their lucky day, we moved on towards our launching spot, suited up and slipped into the glossy water.

Paddling quietly, the sun still rising, birds glided low and a seal surfaced, as if to inspect us. We carried on, checking out the sea caves that open up like secret passageways into the sheer rock-face that lines the shore. We found a diving spot in a kelp-heavy zone – it was so thick the plants held us snugly in our place and we didn’t need an anchor to keep from drifting. As the swell rose and fell the these strange plant-beings were revealed in short bursts and they seemed to peer up at us in a strange chorus as the water trickling over them fell back into the sea.

It was time – we slipped into the water. Now with our goggles and snorkels in place my we eyed one another and made odd sounds to try to communicate the plan – go this way, stay steady, don’t get too close, have the bag at the ready. The water was clear and icy cold on my face, threatening to steam up my goggles. My boyfriend dove into the deep as I swam along the surface, looking through the eerie kelp forest towards the rocky bottom where my dinner was hiding, somewhere, under a dark ledge. He rose back the surface, took a breath, and dove again – over and over – time passed. Then all at once there was a rush of activity – two crayfish were in-hand! I rushed with the goodie bag to collect the creatures and quickly put them in a secure place back on the kayak.

The paddle back to shore was triumphant – so often crayfish diving becomes just a dive, with only the pure pleasure of the sea for your reward – so today we were extra-lucky. We returned home and prepared an afternoon braai on the balcony overlooking the sea. With a million-dollar view, crayfish tails on the fire, savory coconut rice topped with avocado, and a glass of crisp Sauvignon Blanc we felt like royalty – living the good life – enjoying a perfect summer’s celebration.

The Menu: Wine: Kleine Zalze 2009 Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc Crayfish: Boil a big pot of very salty water. Take a deep breath and gooi the crayfish in – put the lid on and look away. Let it boil for 3-4 minutes – the shell turns bright red. Remove, allow to cool until you can handle it, break the head away from the tail. Cut the tail down the center – carefully remove the sand vein. When everything else is ready to eat, put the tails (now cut into halves) on the hot braai and baste with garlic butter. This doesn’t need much time, just a very few minutes, to get the smoky flavor. Coconut rice: Fry green thai curry paste in oil and butter for a few minutes, then add onions and when they are soft, garlic and mushrooms. Add the rice, coconut milk, and a little of the water you used to cook the crayfish. Don’t stir or it will become gummy – cover it and leave it till done. Garnish with coriander and sliced avocado.

Roast Chicken with Garlic Lemon & Thyme

Roast chicken is one of life's great comfort foods - not only is it easy to prepare, it feels like "home" especially when you're tired or having dreary weather. At the same time chicken can become boring and expected, especially since it's affordable and thus often prepared for supper in many homes on a regular basis.

If you're looking for a way to add new zest to this meal, a white wine marinade may be just the trick. What follows is not a gourmet masterpiece by any means, but I promise it is tasty, suits any budget, and will transform boring old chicken into something more worthy. You will need:

Chicken – half a bird pre-cut into portions, or if you prefer and have a knack for carving, a whole bird (Note: if you chose a whole bird, carve it into portions and double the marinade. I find that the meat from a whole bird is tenderer than that of the ready-made portions, plus the price per KG is generally less.)

Marinade:
• 1 cup dry white wine (your choice)
• ½ cup minced onion
• 5 Tablespoons Canola oil
• 4 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 Tablespoons dried thyme
• 3 Tablespoons minced garlic (freshly prepared from the garlic head is best)
• 1 Tablespoon white pepper (freshly ground or crushed)
• 2 Bay leaves

Combine your marinade ingredients and mix well – nothing too fussy, just make sure it’s combined.

Place the chicken in a plastic bag, like a Ziploc or else one of those freebie bags from the grocery store (if you use one of these double it, as they are very thin and are at risk of bursting).

Pour the marinade over the chicken, get as much air out of the bag and seal it. You want to allow the marinade to surround the chicken.

Once the bag is sealed, gently massage the marinade into the chicken taking care not to puncture the bag.

Place the bag inside a bowl or any container you have in case of a spill, and then refrigerate for two days. One day would be sufficient, but I find the longer the better and have even pushed it to four days. This is a great plan if you shop for the week’s groceries and generally freeze your meat until it is needed. Instead of freezing the meat for 4 days and eating it plain, you can use that time to flavor infuse and create something amazing. The wine in the marinade seems to assist in keeping the meat fresher for longer, plus also the fact that there is limited air in contact with the meat.

When you’re satisfied with the marinating time, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and (if possible) allow it to come to room temperature before roasting it.

Pour the marinade mixture as well as the chicken into your roasting dish. I like to prepare a layer of par-boiled carrots on the bottom of the dish, which the chicken sits on top of while it roasts at about 190 Celsius. The juices from the chicken as well as the marinade keep the carrots juicy and assist in their cooking, plus the carrots work to raise the chicken out of the sauce, allowing it to brown nicely.

Rub par-boiled potatoes in butter and place them around the edges of the chicken, so they are also raised above the sauce and can begin to brown. Cooking with the marinade allows the flavor to concentrate, forming a beautiful base for your gravy.

If you like to double your starches at supper (like we do in our house), this would be the time to put on some nice brown rice - double the water to the rice - maybe even add a little more. Use a low heat and keep it covered - don't peak excessively (like more than once or twice) or "boil" your rice as it's meant to be steamed and will otherwise turn out hard and chewy instead of soft and lovely.

Towards the end of roasting time (you know your ovens better than me!) pour off the stock / marinade sauce into a saucepan – now your gravy base – and return the roast to the oven. Increase the temperature to 220 degrees celsius.

While your roast is nearing completion, browning and crisping nicely (especially the potatoes and now exposed carrots), prepare a cup of Bisto (or any other instant gravy mix. Remember, this is simple food...) and add it to your gravy base.

Once your gravy is finished, voila – dinner is served!

Exhausting Cape Town

A compact city nestled in the bowl of Table Mountain, Cape Town is steeped in history, surrounded by natural beauty, and offers a kaleidoscope of experiences.

Known as the Mother City, Cape Town was the first permanent European settlement in South Africa, established in 1652 to replenish the Dutch East India Company’s Spice Route ships, whose sailors risked life and limb in dangerous seas at the prospect of fame, riches, and a little black pepper. Once past the Cape of Good Hope, returning sailors could stop off at the Castle for supplies and a little reverie. Set in the centre of town, the Castle still stands today with its thick stone walls and a moat designed to keep out the unknown and the undesirable. In 1659 the first recorded wine was produced in Constantia, and became sought after by the likes of Napoleon and Frederick the Great. Today wine farms still grace the sloping hills around Cape Town and the surrounding areas like Stellenbosch and Franschhoek with neat rows of vines set dramatically against the mountains where they can be cooled by the drifting sea air.

The Cape’s rugged, natural beauty speaks to its position on the southern tip of Africa – with jagged mountain peaks and sheer cliff faces that fall into the sea in red, rocky knuckles that persist in a longstanding battle against the elements, fighting erosion for as long as possible. The wind can play havoc all year round, the winter westerly bringing driving rains and the gusting summer southeaster, also known as the Cape Doctor, blows some of the freshest, cleanest air in the world to its first stop on land since leaving Antarctica. Autumn brings relief to the summertime heat, and Springtime is even more gentle, bringing lovely flowers like the white Arum Lily that grows freely all around, the Protea – South Africa’s national flower – and the triumph of all, the West Coast’s colourful wild flowers that burst like confetti once a year from the dusty, arid ground in vibrant shades of red, purple, orange, white and yellow.

Perfectly suited to a driving tour, it’s possible to whiz through the city and its surrounds in a day but a week would be more realistic if you want to do more than skim the surface. You can start by visiting the city centre, where historic Victorian buildings stand as a reminder of its European heritage, framed by the modern-day chaos of Africa. Take a walk down busy Loop Street, buzzing with energy as street hawkers sell goods on the corners to the smorgasbord of overseas visitors, each looking for the perfect souvenir, maybe a carved elephant, or perhaps a tribal mask, before returning to their 5-star hotels like the Mount Nelson where they can enjoy afternoon tea on the shaded veranda in true Colonial style. Sprinkled amongst the slow-moving crowds are the locals, weaving their way through at a faster pace, perhaps quickly popping out of their offices to run an errand or grab a bite to eat before taking the lift back up to their skyscraper offices where they’ll conduct business on the line with clients in America or the head office in the UK.

Dodging through the traffic-laden streets, full of mini-bus taxis and fearless pedestrians, you can jump in your car and make your way out of the city centre’s hustle-and-bustle. Within 10-minutes you can be standing at the mountain look-out on the ridge near Lion’s Head, or at the base of Table Mountain where you can take the cable car to the top for a panoramic view over the city, the harbour, and Camps Bay, just south of the city. Famous for its beautiful white sand beaches and popular among visiting Europeans, Camp’s Bay offers a natural shelter from the summer winds and views framed by the dramatic ridges of the Twelve Apostles, part of the Table Mountain range. The Main Road through town is a fashionable affair, where you can stop off for a bite to eat or enjoy a cocktail while taking in the view of both the place and the people.

Carrying on farther south, the winding road hugs the shoreline on your right and the mountains on your left, traversing the peninsula past Llandudno and its boulder-strewn beaches towards Hout Bay, a working fishing harbour where if you’re lucky you’ll find fresh snoek or yellowtail just off the boat. If you’re in the mood for a treat, stop off at one of the local fish shops for fresh calamari and chips you can enjoy at the water’s edge while taking in the view. Frequent cruises leave the harbour taking you just outside the sheltered zone where the waters run deep near Duiker Island, home to thousands of seals and a sometimes-pantry to the Great White Sharks who patrol this zone. Farther along, the Sentinal peak juts upwards abruptly over the sea, casting its shadow on a surf spot called Dungeons where enormous waves break a few times a year. Only visited by the sea’s most respectful and worthy pilgrims, the place feels sacred and heavy.

Back in your car, carry on along Chapman’s Peak – a magic drive where the mountains glow red and deep burnt browns in the sunset hour. Carved into the mountain-side a hundred years past, the road is an engineering feat just barely clinging to the steep sides of the near vertical cliffs it passes through, allowing your eyes a scene reserved for the lucky and for most, only once in a life time. Following the path of the road you’ll see Noordhoek with its farmyard charm and where you can kick your shoes off and take a walk along its six-kilometer long beach, so big it never feels crowded.

Jutting out on a peninsula, you can see the Slangkop lighthouse in Kommetjie. Drive up the hillside and enjoy a sundowner and another panoramic view – if you stay long enough you might be paid a visit by the Chacma Baboons who live on the mountainside and frequently drop in to town looking to grab a quick snack from an unsuspecting household or road-side picnickers. Potato chips are a favourite item, so keep an eye out for the sneaky thieves!

Driving on, more treasures await – Cape Point at the tip of the peninsula, Simon’s Town and its resident penguins, views across False Bay, gentle waves at Muizenberg – perfect for learning to surf – and across the Cape Flats towards the vineyards of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl and Wellington where you can sample the regional wines, fruits and cheese before returning to town, exhausted and full of memories.

So I'm officially a Kleine Zalze Ambassador... what have I done?

So I’ve recently been selected as a Kleine Zalze Wine Estate Ambassador and I’m wondering, what’s in store for me? As part of the programme, I’ve committed to demonstrating my joie de vivre, enriching my adventures with complimentary wines and celebrating with compelling stories for all to read on this blog. My goodness, I’ve got that morning after feeling and I’m wondering – what have I gotten myself into? Will I feel compelled to fill my writing with superlatives, platitudes and gushing about how fabulous life is? Will I truth tell for better or worse, boring or otherwise? Perhaps the other Ambassadors will be far more interesting than me and I’ll somehow get voted off this avatar-island we’ve all so suddenly populated. Ok, I tell myself - calm down. A shipment of lovely wine is coming my way, and we’ll soon be informed of the first Ambassador Challenge. How bad can it be? I love wine. I love trying new wine. I love trying wines I like again and again. I remind myself of the prize – a weekend of the Good Life on the Kleine Zalze Estate, and the opportunity to share my musings with other wine enthusiasts. Ok, I think. I might just be ready. Let the adventure begin!