The menu is impressive and contains just about everything one could hope for in a pub.

The owner takes particular care with his food and even a simple plate of hake and chips comes in a pleasing visual presentation – the garnish more like a side salad, the tartare sauce in a separate bowl, ample and delicious. The fish is fresh and succulent, fried to perfection in a crisp and wafer-thin batter. The chips are piping hot, crisp and golden brown, with the dimensions of real chips, not the emaciated fries of a take-away.

Located in Huguenot Square, just off Huguenot Street in Franschhoek, it’s indeed possible to sit on the upstairs verandah and watch the sun set over the Groot Drakenstein mountains whilst sipping some fine wine, one of the 30 English beers on offer or one of the fantastic cocktails that Mark & his staff make on premises. They run daily specials which are always well thought out and not just a run of the mill set of specials that you will find everywhere. Particular care is taken in every sense, from every angle at Elephant & Barrel.

So pop into the pub next time you are in the area. It’s a popular hang-out and you are sure to have an unforgettable experience which will enrich your perception on all that Franschhoek has on offer.

It easy to cook food that tastes nice by overpowering the dish with too many flavours but it is very difficult to simply cook the ingredient and combining it with flavours that complement the ingredient and not overpower it. The focus will always be on the main ingredients and therefore you need the best ingredients to cook with. Fresh is best and he always strives to use the freshest he can get.

In trying to improve or change a dish to make it better, he soon realised that focussing on the basics of cooking is best way to improve your dish. Cooking and using all ingredients in the best way possible and then combining them on a plate. ‘Eating with your eyes’ has a little bit of a mixed meaning to Pasch – a dish can look amazing but wouldn’t taste like anything. You get nothing out of that! Then again, a dish can look boring, but taste is what people will come back for. So his goal has always been to make the dish taste as good as possible and then present it in an attractive manner, not adding too much to the plate just for the sake of adding it. Everything on the plate must be part of the plate. Pasch’s ultimate goal is to use ingredients that are unique to South Africa, and produce unique and flavourful combinations.

As such, this special for New Years looks incredible and knowing the sort of entertainment that Pasch is famous for, this is worth every cent for what looks set to be one of the best New Years evenings around the greater Cape Town area.

Best to give them a call on 021 876 3547 and make sure you get a space before they are all gone.

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We source our grapes from 3 of the farms in our beautiful valley and specifically with the `08 it was an extremely hot year with a few fires in the area, making it extra dry and actually giving the grapes an extra dimension specific to that year alone. The flavours and aromas are a mixture of tropical fruit such as ripe melon and ginger root. Undertones of peach and honey carry through to the finish which is smooth and elegant.

Once again, we have gone with the Hungarian wood as well as French woodon the Viognier as we love the spicier fruits to come out of this specific varietal but still give it that lingering softness and mouth feel that we are putting into each of our white varietals. Weekly batonage enhances the palate as well and it’s in barrels for 8 months. When thinking Viognier, you should be thinking spicy Asian Foods and perhaps the perfect partner to the wasabi in sushi. So often we get the question of what to drink with sushi. Viognier is perfectly delicate but yet spicy enough to combine with the delicacy of the fish and the absolute joy of wasabi.

Officially, this is the word from the guys themselves:

Since opening its doors, The Grillroom is the latest venture in a long line of successful restaurants from internationally acclaimed celebrity chef, Matthew Gordon.

Chef patron of the very successful Haute Cabriere Cellar Restaurant and The French Connection Bistro in Franschhoek, Matthew Gordon drew on all of his 22 years’ experience in creating fabulous dishes and designing award winning restaurants when he started working on The Grillroom.

The frontage of this 243m² national monument is reminiscent of a 1800 period home, but once you step inside, you can sense they mean food here… really good food… with the best steaks, sea food and favourite South African dishes in the Cape Winelands.

The focus is on freshness and quality with beef matured for a minimum of three weeks, prawns from Mozambique and the catch of the day literally caught the same morning. The Grillroom is currently refining and will soon be launching something exclusive to the brand with a selection of their beef being Karoo grass fed.

Other ingredients that will make this recipe an award winner is the illustrious wine list. You can expect favourites from the Franschhoek Valley, but also hidden treasures and collections from some of the best wineries in South Africa. Customers can also choose their own bottle of wine directly from the cellar to enjoy at the table. A further unique addition to this recipe is the butchery where you can order a succulent piece of rump, sirloin or fillet for your next braai. With the meat already aged to perfection, you are sure to be a hit with your friends.

Upstairs, the private dining room with views over the Franschhoek mountains allows groups, parties or conferences to be entertained at a facility near enough to, yet well removed from the vibey general seating area within the restaurant. The style here, much like the rest of the layout, is informal and laid back, but very comfortable and aesthetically pleasing.

From the outset, it seems like another award winner in the heart of the culinary capital of the Western Cape and as the saying goes, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.

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Truly though, as part of the Haut Espoir “family” approach, we love the Grillroom for the particular effort that goes into the food as well as creating the setting for enjoying what must be one of the best steaks you will ever have.

We will be back next week with more wines, more restaurants and a preparation for the festive season, although really, if you have been in the Franschhoek area in the last few weeks, you`ll know that its quite festive already…

Being a family farm, we always feel like family when we are at any of these fine establishments and indeed, Brendon, Jean, Marc and their “family” take the same approach in that every client is treated like family. Many a long lunch has been had while out on delivery routes or simply to pop in and say hello. It feels like “home” in some way. So when Sótano was launched, we were suitably excited not only to have some of our wines on the list, but loved the concept and felt privileged to be included, somehow. Mediterranean feel, style and that very trendy Cape Town “x-factor” was what they were after and the result is a complete transformation of a space that is now light, bright and serves a menu that caters for every need. As per Caveau style, the wine list is incredible with boutique style wines, hidden gems and regular favorites.

Singles, couples and groups will all find some element of the menu catered specifically to them. There is the “bits and pieces” menu with fantastic items like the “Bucket of White Bait” which pairs so nicely with our 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, available by the glass and the Mediterranean platter is a great share for 2 people, possibly with some of our Rose.

The Whenever from 11 menu is perfect for anyone looking for a variety of the best foods from around the world, all served in this relaxed, vibey setting in the heart of Mouille Point, surely one the most beautiful areas of the world. On Fridays you will find a DJ setting the mood for sundowners as the trend setters and hipsters roll in after work to wind down the weekend with an amazing cocktail or a glass of wine in hand, letting the stresses disappear as the sun sets in front of the restaurant on another perfect summers day.

Local foodies have already had much to say about Sótano’s easygoing and taste driven menu. An all day dining concept with a menu that features bistro classics like Eggs Benedict (a Caveau signature) and steak tartare, their signature gourmet flat breads, anytime eats like croque monsieur and plates of artisan style charcuterie and cheese to share as well as more substantial offerings. “We want people to feel they can come at any time of the day for something light or more substantial to eat or even just a cocktail; we’ve designed a menu that has plenty of table eating options and takes its cue from mezze and tapas favourites”, explains co owner Brendon Crew whose bar and eatery has already established itself as a weekend hotspot for the city’s ‘it crowd’. So find yourself there on any given day, at any time of the day, for that Sótano Experience.

Sótano by Caveau is situated at 121 Beach Road, Mouille Point. For reservations contact Sótano (27) (21) 439 5119

Wild Yeast is one of the topics I could extract most out of Nikey on. For a quiet man, he waxes lyrical on the stuff. If there was a 4th dimension, wild yeast would be where the mouth feel and fullness of Haut Espoir Chardonnay came from. The 2008 Chardonnay page will be up next week so come back for a full review then.

Nikey will vary the amount of wild yeast used by as much of a variance as 50% to 80% wild yeast, depending on the conditions in the vineyards in the last season. His preference with new versus used oak leans itself in the direction of 80% new wood and the other 20% is hand picked out of second fills. It’s all French wood with the Chardonnay.

The feeling we are looking for when people have our Chardonnay is as follows: You should feel the need to open your cheeks and drop your jaw because your mouth feels it’s so full with this wine. Delicate, fresh, light and an involuntary smack of the lips on completion.

What you are tasting is as little tannins as possible. That soft toastyness doesn’t just happen and there is a pretty simple reason for it. It’s because the barrels are water bent, as opposed to being bent with fire. That is what you are tasting. That is the difference. Now that you know, when you take a bottle with you and friends comment on the mouth feel of the wine, you can tell them the whole story.

You would be making Nikey very proud.

Nikey had a concept. It was adamant that this was the future and that he could make it unlike anything else we had ever had before. He promised a wine that was fruity, spicy and gave a full mouth feel on the pallet. He wanted to make some of this red wine without oak. Without oak. Something you will not hear too often in this industry.

He wanted to make an easy drinking red wine that wasn’t one dimensional.

How about that? Sounds like a pipe dream, but indeed, here at the farm, he has created just that in the Gentle Giant. Exceptional in every sense it’s a firm favorite and tends to creep into the hearts of those who drink it (it’s never owned for very long).

Combining no less than 7 varietals the Gentle Giant is a vibrant mix and a bit of an anomaly in its process. First we take only 10% of new wood and we add 90% of the wines to them.

For spiciness we add Shiraz and Mouvedre. 10% of the Shiraz is left off the wood entirely. This adds that easy drinking dimension to the wine without affecting the flavor at all. Then we add fruity layers to the wine, we take Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot and this gives it that big fruit, that soft mouth and the Petit gives it that exquisite color. Lastly, to twist the pallet and keep you wondering what varietal that is, we add Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to the list. That gives it depth, strength and like an elephant, backbone & a thick “skin”.

We can’t tell you what percentage each varietal has in the blend, that’s a very closely guarded secret by Nikey. He will claim that he forgets after it’s all done, just so that he can be a part of the mystery too. This is typical Nikey, taking the attention away from the skill he puts in to simply be a part of the experience of enjoying this amazing wine.

This is a truly unique Haut Espoir product, representing the varietals of the farm, the passion of the wine maker and the history of the area. The area the farm is on had elephants on in the past. It was called “Olifants Hoek” or Elephant’s Corner. The elephant is synonymous with the words “Gentle Giant”. Indeed, other ways to define the name of Gentle Giant have been dreamed up in the past but really the secret to this wine is to be found sharing a few bottles with friends over laughter, sharing and caring. The name will make perfect sense when put in that situation. The actual wine page can be found here.

Don’t forget to order some, with 50% of revenue going to CANSA for the Movember initiative. Have a great weekend and we are back again next week, with great information on some of the ventures we run with some of the best restaurants in the world.

“Wow Rob, how’s the size of that beauty?”

Nikey loves Shiraz and does things a little differently here to truly fine tune the product into something very special.

Indeed, 500 liter barrels are used vs. the 225 liter barrels we use on everything else. We use a mixture of old and new barrels, and as with the Rose, we are using Hungarian wood, albeit with a bit of French thrown in for good measure.

If I told you that we got Christmas Fruitcake from the Hungarian wood, as well as the trademark Shiraz spice, would you believe me? Well that is what happens here. The big barrels contribute less product being in contact with the wood, which means the wine is smoother than a typical Shiraz. Amazingly, the peppers we get are white on this one, vs. the black on the Shiraz Rose.

Picked from the highest block on the farm, it suffers all year to produce only the best fruit, only the best which goes into these giant barrels and gets left there for as long as it takes for it to be perfect. Our Shiraz is gentle, light and produces less tannin than you would expect.

Just a treat, really.

Find all the information on the Shiraz in our wines section with the specific page here.

Haut Espoir Semillon is made in a lighter style than the traditional South African way. If you have ever been to or sampled Semillon from the Hunter Valley near Sydney in Australia, our hope is to create a wine that is delicate and fresh and leaves you lingering for just one more sip each time.

Nikey tells me we are oaking anywhere from 10% to 15% of the total product and the rest is fermented in tanks. There is also no malolactic fermentation process on the Semillon as we are avoiding that typical creaminess and the overpowering butter that is becoming the norm with local Semillon. Semillon is graceful and elegant and we want to reflect that in the bottle.

We want this wine to age well and last for another 5 years at a minimum, gracefully aging and adding touches of ja ne sais quoi along the journey. We want it to stay fresh while it ages, not losing it character and feel but gaining those unique Semillon characteristics that come through as its aged gracefully.

This is the “X” factor varietal, after all. You can find the official page for Semillon here or get in contact with us via the contact page if you want to arrange a tasting or simply order some.

It’s the 1 year anniversary for Fynbos Friday tomorrow, something we are quite proud of. Without a doubt enough reason to dig in the cellar and find a very early vintage of this amazing wine.

1. Sangría

If your wine isn’t very old, but you can start to taste the oxidation, add sugar. Sangría is a wine punch made from wine, fruit and sugar; with the competing flavors and the sweetness, you won’t be able to tell the wine was corked in your fridge for a few days. While most sangría is made from red wine, you can make white wine sangría with white or light-colored fruits. Enjoy at brunch; sangría is one of the few alcoholic beverages you can drink politely before noon.

2. Coq au vin

Another way to disguise old wine by adding flavors, this dish involves marinating a tough old rooster in red wine, then cooking it with bacon, mirepoix (finely diced onions, celery and carrots), thyme, stock, tomato paste, pearl onions and mushrooms. While the recipe is traditionally made in large quantities (a whole 3 kg/6.6 lb. rooster requires two bottles), there’s no reason you can’t adapt for the amount left in your bottle and use cut-up chicken parts.

3. Make vinegar.

Wine left exposed to air will turn to vinegar without any human intervention. It will take a long time, however, and no one knows whether it’ll be any good. What you can do to hasten the inevitable and assure its quality is add a splash of good red wine vinegar to your wine. It will turn it much more quickly, and much more reliably. If you’re really into this idea, you can mix half red wine and half red wine vinegar in a bucket, then collect the slimy scum that comes off; this is mother of vinegar, and if you put it in wine it will turn it to vinegar in almost no time at all.

4. Freeze it!

If you know you’re not going to use the wine before it truly goes off the deep end, put it in ice cube trays and freeze it. One cube of frozen wine is the perfect amount to add to a marinara sauce made from one 28-oz. can of good tomatoes. Just make sure you double-bag the wine cubes after you freeze them; freezers always have some truly funky tastes running through them.

5. Poach fruit (or eggs).

Another cop-out using sugar. Put sugar and wine in a pot and bring it to a boil. Add fruit–peeled pears are traditional, but apples, peaches and berries work too–and lower to the barest simmer. If you’re using pears, stand each poached pear in a bowl and add vanilla ice cream (or custard) and chocolate sauce and you’ve got the classic French dessert poires belle Hélène. Of course, if you’re Dee Nguyen of Laguna Hills’ Break of Dawn restaurant, you poach eggs in wine, but you probably use wine opened for that purpose, rather than leftovers.