Say Cheese, Mr Sun

The sun’s rays dipped below the horizon to the artificial sound of electronic shutters.  An unposed for sunset distracted from the very good wine and cheese on show.  Alexanderfontein, Ondine and Ormonde came to Kalmer Karma to show wine and cheese.  This combination fell from the height of sophistication that I had in my youth to a somewhat hit and miss affair in the current climate of food and wine pairings.  So it was with some trepidation that I went to the “classic” tasting.  I need not have trepidated. 

Foto from Kalmer Karma's Facebook page. So much the better for me being out of shot

As starter an Ondine Chenin 2010 (R55).  Unwooded, but made to last.  Deliberately kept back to show its complexity.

The first pairing teamed the Top 10 Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Alexanderfontein Chip Off The Old Block Sauvignon Blanc (a ludicrously low R49 for the quality ) with Skattie.  What else would you call a cheese from Darling?  A medium cheese that worked very well with the SB.  The Chip Off The Old Block range is one tier up from the normal Alexanderfontein range that should be available in your local supermarket.  This, the one with the black label, is available only at restaurants and, I presume, the farm in Darling.

Next up Ondine Chardonnay that is made from 50% barrel aged and 50% tank aged wines.  At R60 a bargain and yet another good pairing with cheese from Udderly Delicious.   The ciacotta is a soft jobby that to me added more of texture than taste, but worked very well.  The cheese range available at The Marmalade Cat in Darling and the fresh goods market in town.

That unfortunately the end of the whites for the night.  Ormonde is a large operation that also supplies Sauvignon Blanc grapes to some other well known producers.  The different wines aim at different price points, but CLICHE WARNING: Over delivers at all.  So, in order, Alexandefontein, Chip Off The Old Block, Ondine, Ormonde.  With the latter also containing 2 wines named for the current CEO’s grandfathers to mark the pinnacle.

A fruity COTOB Merlot (R49) started the reds.  This one given to us to enjoy solo.  At least one “Oh I don’t like Merlot......but aaahh this is good”

Cabernet francs not seen too often on its own so this one (R67) with notes of pepper and sweet cinnamon a CLICHE WARNING: welcome surprise.  The cheese partner a pepper version of the ciacotta and once again a proper match.  On to the Ormonde Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (R97) that spent 14-16 months in the barrel.  The cheese was the same “normal” ciacotta that we first encountered with the Chardonnay.  And yet again here it works well.  I will try this cheese with different wines as it seems to neutral enough to enhance quite different flavours.

The wine finale delivered by the Ormonde Theodore Eksteen 2008 Rhone blend that at R250 a bottle is substantially more expensive than the rest.  And worth it.  The Shiraz picked late for fruit and concentrated flavours while the Grenache gets in a little earlier to add acidity.  Some 2 years in barrels and you have a wine you can name after your grandfather.  Perhaps the least successful match of night was the Shiraz dunked ciacotta with this wine.  Not a bad match, but I felt the wine deserved to show on its own. 

I thought that was it, but an event with 22 people in total but only 4 men should end with something sweet.  Handmade toffees flavoured with Shiraz and Cabernet from the farm.  Good toffees judging by the speed at which it disappeared. I've been to many pairing events and expect a 60% hit rate.  This one did so much better and restored to my mind the sophistication of cheese and wine.

Hamba kahle Roelof

Yesterday the world lost one of the best people I’ve been privileged to know.  Roelof Hattingh  was one of the smartest metallurgists I’ve encountered.  And more importantly a thoroughly decent man.  He must have been frustrated dealing with us slow people, as few people he encountered were his intellectual equal, but he very rarely showed it.  Besides brains, he was also a good artist and good with his hands.  He unselfishly taught, mentored and encouraged. the world would be a better place had he more time here.

Only 2 of the 8 bookcases in my house are properly square.  Those two Roelof built.  When he heard how long I took to make one skew one, he came over one night, and while showing me how to do it, built two in half the time it took me to make one.  When his interest in model airplanes overtook his beer brewing adventures he bequeathed his equipment to me.  On his departure he left his steel magazines and books to me.  I joking called it the Roelof Hattingh Memorial Library.  Yesterday morning the name lost any humour.

Those physical things will remain with me for a long time.  The metallurgy he taught me I will use and teach others.  But most importantly I aspire to live up to the example he set of what a good human being is.

Storming the castles

Along with what seemed to be most of Cape Town, The Runner and I travelled to the two hamlets at the foot of Kasteelberg.  Riebeek-Kasteel and Riebeek-West.  Last time we were here it was the height of summer and we were mostly alone.  This time it was the height of autumn and we were definitely not alone.  But with our swelled numbers also came some benefits.  The towns really put on a show for those who came.  Or the other way round.  It was the Riebeek Valley Olive festival and lots of people visited.  Spread across the twin-towns various venues sold olives, olive-derived products, olive oil, wine, food and to my liver’s delight: beer. 

Starting at the top of the map we worked our way down from Pulpit Rock (wine bought), through Alleverloren (wine bought) to Mullineux in town (wine bought) all the way to Kloovenburg (wine sales closed).  I did try the Wine Kollective again in search of Maybe-Rachel, but sadly she was AWOL.  Microbrewed beers on show included Darling, Mitchells, Stellenbrau and Everson Cider and Perry.  These all crossed my ample palate before, but Dragon, the fiery alcoholic ginger beer made its debut

Steered towards The Secret Garden by SouthYeasters connections for a new beer we arrived at an interesting setup.  A secluded garden bar and restaurant behind a restaurant.  On tap two mysterious beers called Marais.  The pilsner fairly ordinary, but the ale very good indeed.  A Mediterranean platter for two is on special consisting of taramasalata, cheese, something wrapped in vine leafs, salami and some other stuff.  I would be more specific if I could.  I don’t know what they were and to be truthful, had to look up taramasalata.  It also seemed a bit small for two people to share, but we figured it out in the end.  It was not nice enough for one person to deal with single handed.    Not badly prepared, but just not my type of food.  Too low in saturated fat. 

On show elsewhere some cheese from Darling named  “Udderly Delicious”.  She called her recipe between Gouda and Cheddar “Skattie”. Darling in Afrikaans.  So for R50 I got a skattie to come home with me.  Much cheaper than usual.  Whilst I am being cheesy, I also bought a lovely Witzenberger from Kimilili .  So what if calves had to go hungry so this cheese could be made.  What would they have made from the milk?  Cow shit.  As opposed to what I make from the cheese. 

Second best of the festival was Brenda’s glazes.  The mustard came home with me and the balsamics just missed out.  I did not taste anything else, but based on the mustard I will try anything she makes.  Except taramasalata.

The very best of the day was South American ice lollies from Las Paletas.  Describing them to their full potential is difficult, but I’ll have a go.  It is a creamy, ice like structure on a wooden stick.  The flavours are amazing!  I had the guava shortcake and need more of it!  Everyone spoke highly of these little sticks of joy.

A great day out for epicures.

Get some pictures here from Crush Magazine

What is the purpose of my medical aid?

My medical aid, which I pay every month in the hope that when the bypass come I will only have to pay half, also convinced me that I need their credit card.  Unfortunately they now believe I am interested in their other, non medical, enterprises.  They invited me to buy tickets for Rihanna and now, that Bieber boy.  An earlier message said that I am subscribed to their “value-added SMS service”.  Thus the people I entrust with my medical wellbeing believe that a Justin Bieber concert ticket will add value to my life.  This based on the information they have of me as a 40-year old, single man with no children. 

Using much more logic I believe the marketing department of my medical aid are staffed with brainless twats. 

Darling, beer? Darling beer?

When Mrs ⁽¹⁾ Earnshaw started teaching me proper English in 19$#@#$% she stressed the importance of punctuation.  Whether she succeeded is a) A matter of opinion   b) A matter of me remembering what she taught me.  Punctuation, she said, is important.  So back to the title.  Quite a difference in meanings.  Which bit do you think is more likely to be heard in my house?  And is it the same bit I would most like to hear? ⁽²⁾

Darling Brewery is the reason I don’t have to brew my own anymore.  On the website you can read Kevin Wood’s account of why he started brewing.  The most important part is that he did.  And the second most important part is that he brewed a Wit.  My favourite style.  The third important part of the story is his decision to distribute to my local bottle store, so very close to perfect in my view. ⁽³⁾

I’ve been a fan of the Wit, the Lager and the Ale since they came out.  On a recent trip I stopped at the tasting room in the town of Darling, hence the name.  The tasting room is easy to find.  Turn right at the Butcher.  Park.  Obviously if you don’t come from the Cape/Yzerfontein side you will be stuffed if you follw these directions.  Rather use these fronm the website then:

   

Open Monday to Saturday 10:00 – 18:00 and on Fridays from 10:00 – 20:00 (except Christmas day) and 7 days a week during school holidays.
5 Main Road, Darling

022-4923798

Or tell your favourite navigator, electronic if you must, the address.  I am sure you can also phone the numbers below and ask nicely for directions.

For groups larger than 8 please book to avoid disappointment.

PHILIPPA WOOD
071 901 2532
philippa@darlingbrew.co.za
KEVIN WOOD
074 141 9862
wood@darlingbrew.co.za

At the tasting room sheer will power prevented me from buying food or chocolates.  I did get to try two new, wel to me, beers.  The SouthYeasters had a preview of the Christmas beer a while back.  I think it evovlved a little from the original concept.  European Christmas beers are normally strong, full flavour beers spiced with nutmeg and or cinnamon.  Christmas cake type flavours.  Good drinking in colder weather.  Cold is not something we associate with Christmas in this part of the world.  So drinking a rich, flavourful, high alcohol beer in 30°C is not that appealing.  So a modest 4% lager, spiced with nutmeg and a lighter body than the “traditional” Christmas beer works well for me.  Similar, but "fuller", to the Van Hunks Ppumpkin ale from Boston.

The Silverback is more difficult for me to assess.  This is how it is described on their website

”An intelligently smooth “Black Wit” a new black wheat styled beer. Silky and soft in the mouth and incredibly easy to savour at all times. (4% alcohol)” 

So a wheat beer, perhaps Wit rather, with dark colouring, possibly molasses.  Not sure about this one. I  tried one a few weeks later and the ambiguoity remains.  It is a well made beer, as they all are, but I am flummoxed by this one.  it is not quite one thing or another.  extra points for trying it, but I will not try this one again.  The rest, and any new ones, for sure.  The beauty of smaller brewers are they will take you to unexpected places and maybe beervana. 

(1)    In those days we still used Mrs.

(2)    If you are a sexy, single, only daughter whose elderly father owns a brewery, the answer is the first bit.  And the job is open.  If not, well the answer depends a lot on my mood.

(3)    Perfect is when it is given away for free.