Avenue Vine

Who would have guessed there was overproduction when only three producers bothered to take stands: Lindhorst, Kholisa and Morgenster (who focused on their excellent olive oil) and no one even bothered to enter the alcoholic drink section of the Sunday Times Food Awards so the R10,000 prize went begging. What happened to all those artisinal Grappa, Ports and Muscadels, Pot-still Brandies and Fynbos liqueurs?

Collison’s brandy got it right, with perpetual queues to taste innovative cocktails whipped up by sexy barmen with piercings. But they were the only brandy in the house. Some brands featured by default like the Plaisir de Merle 2003 Cabernet at the Pick ‘n Pay stand along with the excellent value Raka 2002 Anchorage red blend available for under R40 a bottle at the supermarket chain.

The industry has made a huge mistake in letting the important public showcase of food and wine shows be hijacked by anoraks who think that rows of stands of wine producers each offering liquid variations on the same theme, is the optimal way of showcasing the fermented fruit of the vine.

Punters get pissed in the first few minutes and lesser known producers languish in the lonely shadow of high profile brands. Most normal people drink wine in conjunction with food and Backsberg were the only producers to make the connection and have sommelier Danwin James match up food with imaginative chef Philippe Wagenführer. But then Backsberg are usually riding the crest of the wave as their gay and carbon-friendly wines show.

That singing chef Fortunato Mazzone even left his much lauded Saronsberg wines behind in Tulbagh and concentrated on selling up-market kitchen appliances. They would have worked great with the marinated crocodile legs and cold-smoked crocodile tail tip chourizzo from Snappy Snacks or the spicy Romesco olive tapenade marinated in a Catalan sauce spread on a slice of gluten-free pumpkin bread from O’Crumbs Gluten Free Bakery & Deli in Fisher’s Hill.

Back in the insular Cape, Klein Gustrouw recently changed hands, with Canadian-bound Chris McDonald’s crocs being filled by stockbroker supremo Jannie Mouton. Urban legend has it that Jannie cried when he heard Chris had sold off grapes from his 2007 harvest for the proverbial song. Still lovers of austere and minerally Bordeaux blends still have Chris’ 2005 and 2006 vintages to look forward to before phoning Wayne Visser of Great Domaines or Roland Peens of Wine Cellar for replacements from France.

Source: “Sunday Times Food Show - A Missed Opportunity,” Neil Pendock, Sunday Times, July 10, 2007