Really strong apple and honey flavours, and a nice tonnage as well.     The only problem we encountered with the grapes was surprisingly thin skins, which pushed the pressing time late into the night.  Apart from that the juice behaved perfectly and is now a delicious wine.  We fermented it all in tank this year, and will be taking a little to barrels for our straight Semillon, and the rest of the tank fermented wine will be kept for the Cloudfall.

Straight after picking the Semillon, the weather started messing around.  We had serious cold conditions and a few spots of rain here and there, so much so that we managed a quick jaunt up to one of my favourite spots, the Cederberg.  This isn’t a travel site and supposed to be a harvest update, but I have to let you know about Pakhuys wines.

 It is an amazing place, stunning Shiraz and the perfect place to have a sip of the good stuff and enjoy the amazing views.   Do yourself a favour and pop in and meet Connie and Liz, great people doing fantastic things up in the Cederberg.

The next grapes to come up to the cellar on the 1^st March were from the Viognier blocks from La Petite Dauphine and Clementine Cottage.   The grapes were delicious this year and we got a good crop.  The wine has just started fermenting, and the aromas of Rooibos tea and peaches are filling the cellar.  I am really happy with the Viognier this year.

And then the following week we got klapped with the reds.  Both the Merlot and the Shiraz got ready on the same day.  So we were literally swamped with the farms red fruit.   The Merlot is now sitting in our two big red fermenters, undergoing regular pump overs.

And its tasting good and strong, great flavour coming off the juice at this stage and I am looking forward to getting these two big tanks fermenting in a day or two.

And onto my pride and joy, the Shiraz.  We got a little less than I was hoping for this year, with heavy winds and a few storms during flowering time last year.  The baboons have also done their fair bit to lighten the tonnage.  (We don’t mind too much, they obviously know quality) We managed to fill up 12 bins, and I am going to open ferment them.   We put whole bunches on the bottom of each bin and we are now regularly mixing each bin by hand.

Here is a snap of Evans elbows in and looking like he is having a blast.  If you ever want a decent upper body workout come and have a try at mixing one of the bins!

And of course the normal farm life never stops; our borehole chose the best possible time to stop working. And we had a call out to a house, to come and investigate a “small yellow snake”. Thanks to Richard Parkfelt he managed to remove the Cobra from behind the bookcase and released into the Fynbos. (There was no way I was going to attempt this massive snake on my own)

This was a beautiful snake, really chilled out and relaxed.  If you would like to see more pop over to our Flickr Page for more snaps of life on the Farm.

And if you would like to come and experience a bit of the magic that makes up Haut Espoir give us call on 021 876 4000, or get in touch on Twitter and make a time to come and visit.  Bring a towel and a strong constitution.  I have just got a fresh batch of buchu brandy on the go…..

We only have the Cabernet hanging so make it quick, you do not want to miss Haut Espoir in  the full swing of harvest!

We have gone with a touch of blue. I think it add’s a nice element to an already appealing label.  But I am a bit biased of course….

   There have been a few noticeable changes on the farm, firstly our website and its sleek new design and layout, the addition of an online store, allowing you to order our wines with less hassle.   Thanks to the team at Quickonline, Lara and Francois and their crew did an amazing job getting us off our feet with a fantastic new web presence.   Big thanks to Raoul who steered the online ship for us in the past to get us to this point.  Nice job team!

Now to movements on the farm.  Our long serving winemaker Nikey has left the employment of Haut Espoir, and we are going to continue our winemaking passion with as much aplomb as he showed us over the last seven years.  There have been many rumours coming to our attention about the future of the farm and our plans; I can assure you that we are continuing to make wine here at Haut Espoir. All that has changed is our winemaker has moved on, and we plan on focusing our efforts to a more biodynamic farming approach and getting more Fynbos planted on the farm in the vineyard blocks which are not producing the quality we need.  Apart from that it is business unusual for us.

On the wine side, we can expect the release of our first White Blend, The Cloudfall 2009 shortly, as well as new vintages of the ever popular Shiraz Rose 2010.   The Gentle Giant is literally flying out of the cellar so to avoid disappointment, please make use of our online site and order before it is gone.

In this cooking class culinary guests will work with South African ingredients only. Annemarie, the Culinary Concierge, will guide guests through the preparation of dishes. Guests will be introduced to local treats, useful tips and some of the Le Quartier Français kitchen secrets.

From here the guests, accompanied by the Culinary Concierge, visit Haut Espoir and meet Rob where he will guide guests on an informative walk around the farm where he will share his ample knowledge of fynbos (local vegetation) and indigenous herbs. In Rob’s cellar guests will experience the fine Haut Espoir wines and sample the yet-to-be-released buchu brandies (a particular favorite around silly season).

Lunch consisting of a picnic, packed full of divine South African ingredients, is served and accompanied by Haut Espoir wines. This is a once off experience and the meals and picnics are hardly ever similar, with Annemarie taking particular care to make sure guests get 100% of the South African flavor experience.

We are honored to be a part of something this special and to work such a niche section of the absolute top end of the market. Thank you to all the people who have already booked these trips and we look forward to having many more of you there.

For more information, please contact Le Quartier Francais on 021 876 2151

The ambiance is fairly quiet, making it ideal for a more romantic evening. Despite the sophisticated surrounds, Pierre has added some unique and whimsical touches such as the lamp shades made from kitchen colanders.

In addition to the full a-la-carte menu, Pierre also offers a five-course surprise menu which takes the form of smaller ‘tasting’ courses.

Tables are available in the shaded garden next to the restaurant for lunches or dinner on warm summer evenings.

+++

Those are the official words for Le Bon Vivant, from their website on the homely, vibrant feel that they are so well known for beyond the mountains that surround us here in Franschhoek. Really for us, we are always delighted by the friendliness of everyone at the restaurant and we wanted to highlight the SURPRISE MENU, which is what they are outstandingly known for. Pierre will create a meal that will smack your taste buds from every angle, pairing the courses with the perfect wines. The experience will leave you perfectly satisfied, not wanting more, but wanting not a crumb or a drop less.

Alternatively the lamb rack pairs is exceptional in flavor and feel, a personal favorite as well.

Le Bon Vivant are best contacted on 021 876 2717 and can be found at 22 Dirkie Uys Street, Franschhoek. Unusually, they are closed on Wednesdays, but are open for lunch, as well as dinner, on the other 6 days that make up our weeks.

But don’t just take our word for it, here is a review from Eat Out:

The plain homely feel of this well-liked village eatery belies its significantly more complex culinary offerings. By day it might be sandwiches, salads or Dutch croquettes (best enjoyed in the garden), but by night it’s a fine dining affair. And while plating might be extravagant, considerate prices make this an attractive option for those with weary wallets in this gourmet capital. A five-course ‘surpirsie’ tasting meny reveals the full scope of chef-patron Pierre Hendriks’ repertoire of flavours from classical French, to nods to the East. An artfully arranged starter of wild mushrooms will have you yearning for seconds (ditto the gourmet prawns). While local trout and other fish feature, they’re blander cousins to the lustily-suaced meaty fare which dominates the menu (leave vegan friends behind). Come for the rack of lamb with red onion purée or beef fillet drenched in chorizo butter, accompanied by wines from a modest, well-priced selection that accordingly leans more towards reds. But do leave room for the must-have rich chocolatey finalé.”

Make a booking and see for yourself.

This, from Times Live.

The earliest known winery has been uncovered in a cave in the mountains of Armenia.

In his books, McGovern has suggested that a “wine culture,” including the domestication of the Eurasian grape, was first consolidated in the mountainous regions around Armenia before moving to the south.

How fascinating, right? We found another interesting article on Gawker, which read as follows:

Archaeologists found a 6,100-year-old “winemaking operation” in the same Armenian cave where they found a 5,500-year-old shoe. You know what that means? Humans have been making wine for 600 years longer than they have been wearing shoes!

And there’s something kind of nice about that, isn’t there? The thought that some seven millennia ago, human beings were doing the same thing you are? Sure, they harvested, fermented and pressed all their own wine, while you just smuggled yours out of the 7-11 under your coat. And they likely drank their red wine as part of an elaborate funeral ritual, while you drink yours as part of your far less elaborate “watching King of Queens reruns” ritual. But the important part is this: 7,000 years ago, as today, human beings were getting tanked on cheap red wine.

This news put a jump in our steps and got us kicking today. Our methods may have improved somewhat and state-of-the-art equipment means it is probably far easier to make wine nowadays, as well as being possible to produce what would likely be far better wines, but the news still had us smiling all day.

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.

+++

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.