Within the space of two days I helped two friends celebrate significant birthdays: one was turning 40 and the other 21. They’re hardly at opposite ends of the age spectrum but there was a “party like a teenager” aspect to the 40^th festivities in recognition of the best and most vital years having already been enjoyed, while the 21^st was full of sentiment, anticipation and a distinct bittersweet note because the birthday girl was dumped by her long-term boyfriend 10 days prior to the significant event!

What has this to do with wine – other than that lots of bubbly and wine was consumed at both events? Well, reflecting on the 21^st, someone remarked that there was poignancy to the event because of the circumstances surrounding it. It’s the traditional coming of age, a marking of a rite of passage into adulthood – and as much as it was a vibrant, joyous event, there was the recognition that sadness and pain are mirror images of great happiness.

There are those who advocate simplicity in wine – getting away from overly complex descriptions or explanations of technical processes. But just as much as Marie-Antoinette exhorted the starving masses to eat cake because she was oblivious to their utter frustration and poverty, so deconstructing wine is not as straightforward as it appears. If wine was all ripe fruit and no acid, it would pall rapidly. Some wines – particularly reds – benefit from time in wood in order to either tone down the excessive nature of the fruit or to bolster its structure by providing a framework for it. White wines need acid to bolster their charms and add interest. We’ve all experienced wines at some stage of our lives which have been unbalanced and clumsy – and enjoyment is not a character associated with those drinking events…

As a samurai sword is forged by fire, folded and tempered umpteen times to become a fearsome blade, so these two remarkable women faced up to their celebrations with courage. One recognising the life that has been lived large over two decades since her coming of age, the other with the knowledge that she can handle future pain and adversity with equanimity and the loving support of friends and family.

Without Yin there can be no Yang. Perhaps that’s why Thai food works so well. What would a Tom Yum soup be without that delightful tension between the salty fish sauce, acidic lime twang and the sweetness of palm sugar? (I’ve just had an involuntary Pavlovian response… my mouth filled with saliva at the mere thought of those flavours!) And that’s before considering the role played by lemongrass, ginger, chilli and garlic!

Wine, too, needs that tension of opposites to truly be great.

It never ceases to amaze me that some folks can make even dirt sound appealing!

Speaking of which; I spent a few hours last week bounding around a few steep slopes with a viticulturist, looking at different parcels of vines – trellised and untrellised. After a while, the 4×4 was parked on a rocky outcrop, overlooking a spectacular valley floor. We dropped the tailgate, let the dog jump off to sniff out squirrels, guinea fowl or rabbits and, as a flock of pelicans soared on thermals at eye-level; we sat back and enjoyed the view over a cup of coffee from a flask.

The viticulturist spoke almost without pause for two hours – intensely and passionately about the search for just the right soils and then matching those to the correct grape variety. Clay soils, shale or granite derived soils, their structure, porosity or water retention capability – all of which are factors to consider when making a decision about what to plant. Then there is the preparation of those soils – firstly the removal of any alien vegetation, secondly the time spent lying fallow, how nature abhors a vacuum and how quickly fynbos bounces back. Spending the fallow time making all the necessary preparations and mulling over the permutations – consulting the soil experts about whether the addition of lime would be necessary based on the soil’s acidity or alkalinity, consulting the irrigation experts about the best method of getting water to the vineyard, considering the row directions to make the most of the morning or afternoon sun, taking prevailing wind direction into account in order to maximise cooling or minimise potential wind damage, consulting viticultural experts about the right planting method or time or trellising system to use…

Obviously the winemaker needs to add his input when it comes to clonal selection. It’s no longer the case that Cabernet is Cabernet is Cabernet. No. Viticulturists get to select from a variety of clones which offer subtle differences in flavour nuances. Probably the most obvious example of a particular clone and soil symbiosis is Thelema’s The Mint Cabernet Sauvignon. One particular vineyard on the farm’s  Simonsberg slopes gives them a distinctly minty flavour profile. Some consumers love it, others are less enthusiastic.

And once all those factors have been weighed up and the decisions made, the viticulturist and winemaker have to wait at least three to four years for the vine to establish itself, send its roots down deep into the soil, adapt to the different seasons and then finally produce enough fruit for a commercial harvest. There is an inexorable rhythm to the cycle of the vine’s life year-by-year – bud burst, growth, tipping to prevent too much development, suckering, keeping a leery eye open for disease or insect infestation and dealing with any such outbreaks, monitoring the advance of the bunches of grapes, measuring the ripeness levels, removing leaves to allow more sunlight or wind into the vine canopy to assist ripening…

That happens before the winemaker takes over the process and either lets the grape speak for itself or imposes his ideas on the potential end result by choices of yeasts, methods of fermentation, toasting of barrel and time spent in the oak vessels.

I was riveted because the viticulturist’s frame of reference and mine differed so dramatically. I like wine more than most but would an accountant have the same passion for analysing a spreadsheet? Here was a person who was utterly devoted – almost fanatically so – to trying to find the best marriage of not just soil, site and grape but of all these myriad factors to create a magical union that would produce a wine unlike any other.

Is it any wonder that wine continues to fascinate people – whether your perspective is as an enthusiastic consumer or as an avid grower of vines?

Graham Beck, the owner of Steenberg who sadly died a month or so ago, made the bulk of his fortune in mining – coal mining specifically – but no doubt he’d have had a wry chuckle at the notion of Steenberg’s new Diamond acquisition, achieved without sinking a shaft, igniting a single stick of dynamite or swinging a pick at a rock-face.

Actually it was Catharina’s restaurant wine list which was awarded Diamond status, the highest possible accolade at the annual Diners Club Winelist of the Year awards this week. Speaking at the Cape awards ceremony, the convenor of the judging panel Dave Hughes said the standard – and number of entries – this year was higher than in the past.

“Wine, after all, is there to complement the food – but for years wine lists and menus were treated as unrelated offerings. Now more and more restaurateurs take a lot of care in assembling a range of wines they believe complement their food and then guide the patron by means of the wine list in making an appropriate choice,” he said.

Hughes also mentioned that some progressive restaurants now even offered water lists… It’s no longer just a matter of the waitron offering “still or sparkling?” Oh no. Nowadays it’s a case of Italian, Norwegian or French water – and it’s up to the discerning diner to choose between more acidic or alkaline examples. Did you know that France has no fewer than 216 different water brands, beyond just Evian, Perrier and Vichy? Or than Germany has a whopping 532?

And on the subject of water, there’s a bit of rumpus brewing locally and internationally about a South African proposal to allow the addition of water to wine in order to bring alcohol levels down. There’s been an international response with a number of writers, retailers and winemakers saying that this strays into risky territory (I nearly said “murky waters’…). They maintain that by pushing the boundary on this – even if it does aim to check the alcohol levels from rising to ‘monster’ levels of 15 and 16% due to abundant sunshine and ripeness – there’s a risk that other practices or rules will be bent.

Perhaps South Africa’s error was in attempting to legislate a practice which many countries turn a blind eye to – notably the USA where Californian winemakers commonly “rehydrate” tanks of wine to “compensate” for evaporation and loss of fluid during the winemaking process…

Not that Steenberg has to worry about alcohol levels getting out of hand – either in the vineyards or any of the restaurants. Our clientele is a discerning lot – after all, they display great taste in wining and dining here!

South African vinous history is 351 years strong but it has taken the greatest strides in its entire wine evolution over the past two decades. Life-changing political reform saw South Africa readmitted to the bosom of the international world and with that came access to markets, knowledge and best practices along with international work exchanges. We’ve acquired a lot of knowledge very rapidly but should never fall into the trap of thinking that there are not more lessons to be learned.

An interesting piece in Newsweek was tucked away in the last few pages of the magazine. The focus of the issue – which was the best country in the world. It had taken a group of well-qualified folks (including a Nobel laureate) a really long time to scrutinise screeds of data. Their starting premise was (and I quote lest there be any hint of scandal over plagiarism…) “if you were born today, which country would provide you the very best opportunity to live a healthy, safe, reasonably prosperous, and upwardly mobile life?”

The answer – after analysing quality of life, economic dynamism, education, health care, transparency and corruption – is that small is beautiful. Ranked in first place was Finland, followed by Switzerland and Sweden. The rest of the magazine was given over to the fact that America was only in 11^th spot, way behind Luxembourg, Norway, Canada, the Netherlands, Japan and Denmark. (South Africa limped in at number 82 – behind Iran, Bolivia, El Salvador, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Albania, Mexico, Peru, Latvia, Bulgaria, Kuwait and any number of other countries…). Bottom line is that the places which provided their people with the best advantages were rich, safe, cold and dark.

But that defies conventional thinking – until they took a look at the lives people in these cold, dark, wintry places live. The article makes the point that “a heated classroom is better than being outside chopping trees, hence education is important; moving briskly is good preventative medicine, thus health is robust; quality of life improves immensely when one must get as close to one’s beloved as possible to fend off the chill; the political environment likewise is better when governance is kept simple and equitable because it’s too cold to fight in the streets; and finally, economic dynamism is bound to be high among peoples who have learned to combat frostbite with a maximum of movement and the least expense of calories.”

In addition it makes the point that Finland’s and Switzerland’s geopolitical location also played a role in their top ranking. Both have a reputation for “fierceness and diplomacy” because they are surrounded by bigger, more militaristic countries to which they looked like appetising morsels in the buffet of national expansionism. So maintaining their independence when France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Austria and other countries wanted to gobble them up took some tact and good neighbourliness. “The world’s best countries seem to have this in common: they avoid war, they live in the dark, and they maintain a steady state of depressive and productive activity.”

Getting back to where I kicked off, we’ve learned a lot of lessons in the wine game in a very short space of time. Some of our larger exporters are incredibly sophisticated in terms of playing the global game. Bottom line is that there’s still room for improvement in getting along with neighbours and even competitors.

Had a chat with Bistro Sixteen82 chef Brad Ball this week. He’s currently loafing around on a three week break while the Bistro kitchen is undergoing a refurbishment. Actually, I’m kidding – it’s the first real break that Brad has had in the past 10 years, other than his honeymoon.

So what’s he been up to? Quality family time mostly, but eating out a lot and seeing what the competition is up to. And cooking too – although he reported that his wife was ready to ban him from the kitchen because he uses every pot and pan available! One thing he mentioned, though, was quite interesting. The topic of conversation was bubbly, specifically Steenberg’s Pinot Noir fizz which he reckons is the perfect fit with Eggs Benedict.

“I love mid-morning breakfasts – especially on a bright Sunday. The sea has to be within eyesight to make the picture absolutely perfect!

“Why is it,” he asked, “that it’s socially acceptable to have a glass of bubbly with Eggs Benedict at 9 or 10am – but if you had a beer or a glass of wine, people would look at you differently?”

It’s a good question. Perhaps it all comes down to social programming or imprinting – where having bubbly with breakfast in the scenario Brad sketched is seen as quite sophisticated. Turn that scenario on its head and go with the ultimate contrast – a bunch of hunters in the bushveld around a campfire. They’re most likely to stoke up the fire and fling some meat on the fire for breakfast – and bubbly with that would seem way too girly and soft! In those circumstances a beer would be perfectly reasonable, if not socially de rigueur. (The word is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary – which by the way will in future no longer be published in book or paper form, but electronically – as being the current accepted fashion or polite etiquette.)

There’s no doubt that people will urge an examination of the social norms of the various groups and how that affects what is considered “socially acceptable”. It’s about the people, the education, the place, the circumstances – and the individual’s value system placing a judgement on another.

I don’t know if there’s a definite answer, but do know that I now have a craving for Eggs Benedict and Steenberg Pinot bubbly! Good thing the Bistro opens again on September 6…

“I’ve just realised it’s the first time in about 10 years I’ve been able to take such a long stretch of time off,” the hardworking chef admitted.

Bistro Sixteen82 is the realisation of a dream for Brad. “Everything I’d done up until this point was preparing me for it,” he said. “And it really was a case of being in the right place at the right time.”

The story goes that Brad and a friend visited Steenberg for a tasting – and got chatting to General Manager John Loubser about the plans. “He happened to mention that they were keen to open a more casual restaurant where the emphasis was on food and wine pairing – and I said I was keen.” That was Friday… During the course of the following week Brad not only submitted a proposal but did a presentation of the style of food he believed would work in the venue – and by the following Friday everything was signed and sealed!

So what were the formative experiences which led to Brad getting the nod over the other contenders?

“It started early – my mom was in the catering business so I was exposed to food and eating out at good restaurants from an early age. In fact I recall cooking my first three-course meal at the age of 13!”

He admits thinking about following a foodie career when he matriculated from SACS (SA College School) in 1992. “But then I thought about all the weekend work, late nights and generally unsociable hours that chefs keep – and I thought, nah, not for me.” Some would say he was crazy to tackle the alternative… he underwent some of the most rigorous training the SA Defence Force offers; to become a navy diver in Simonstown. Everything about the programme is designed to weed out those candidates who are neither physically nor mentally up to the task.

So how was it that five years later he was working as a commis chef at Simon’s Table in Simonstown? The blame is squarely apportioned to a Tuna Nicoise salad that Brad claims is indelibly imprinted on his food memory! “Food still tickled my fancy – and that was the turning point.”

Realising he had heaps to discover saw him undertake a two year stint in London at Kensington Place in London’s Notting Hill suburb, honing his skills under acclaimed chef Rowley Leigh. “That’s where my love of bistro fare was stimulated. I don’t think it was ever in me to do fine dining. It’s just not my style. I’m not into 12 or 14 ingredients in a single dish: keep it simple because it’s got to be about the flavour.”

He returned to South Africa in 2001 and did stints at the hugely popular Olympia Café and Greyton Post House before setting down roots in Constantia, working at Pastis Brasserie and finally at The River Café.

“We made a few mistakes, I’ll admit. I probably pushed things a bit too far when we opened the Bistro – offering scallops and foie gras and stuff. That was just enthusiasm on my part! I soon realised that I wasn’t sticking to the plan of keeping things simple. After a month or two we toned things down a bit and stuck to our philosophy of keeping it as local as possible in terms of fresh produce. Also simple – a great steak sandwich, pasta or salads. There are a few things which we can’t source from nearby suppliers – like prawns – but there’s a demand for it so we cater to that. Otherwise, we focus on fresh, seasonal and local items.”

It’s a formula that’s obviously working with around 60% of Bistro Sixteen82′s custom being repeat business. “We see so many familiar faces that come for lunch or breakfast two or three times a week! And then they pop back for late afternoon tapas every now and then. That’s fantastic!”

What does relaxation constitute? “Family time with my wife and two kids – because it’s precious. I have every Sunday off and my son, Kyle, and I have a routine: we bake bread! Otherwise, it revolves around food… either eating out to see what other chefs and restaurants are doing or socialising with friends. There’s something so satisfying about turning a lamb chop on a braai!”

And yes, wine is an important part of that. “Steenberg has genuinely been the culmination of a dream and it’s such a privilege to be able to cook food and then discuss it with JD and John and the rest of the team, to truly figure what works well – and what doesn’t. That’s when work becomes fun! And then to roll that out into the Bistro for customers… fantastic!”

In the previous post, winemaker JD Pretorius chose the wine for Brad to pair. This time it’s the other way around… except Brad chose the wine!
The challenge is for JD to figure out what should accompany it. Brad’s retort: “That’s a cool idea! Hmmm – there’s a part of me that immediately wants to go with the Nebbiolo because of all that fruit – or the Sauvignon/Semillon blend. What about the Pinot Noir bubbly? Actually I think I’ll nominate the new Chardonnay – HMS Sphynx.

It’s a new wine to the range and if it were me, I’d have it with a late breakfast because it’s so lekker. It cries out for Eggs Benedict… but let’s see what JD comes up with!”

JD’s response: “My choice for this challenge is: roasted sweet garlic, thyme and mascarpone risotto, with toasted almonds and bread crumbs…hmmm. Thanks to Jamie Oliver, who is my kind of chef. Nothing too fancy, just wholesome food, that makes even me look capable when I have friends over for dinner.”

Ingredients:

2 large heads garlic, whole and unpeeled
Approximately 1 quart (1.1 litres) chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots or 2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 head celery, finely chopped
14 ounces (400 grams) risotto rice
2 wine glasses dry white vermouth or dry white wine
Sea salt
1 good handful fresh thyme, leaves picked
Freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 ounces (70 grams) butter
4 ounces (115 grams) freshly grated Parmesan
51/2 ounces (155 grams) shelled and peeled almonds, lightly crushed, cracked or chopped
2 handfuls coarse fresh bread crumbs

2 heaped tablespoons mascarpone cheese
Olive oil

Method:

“For the basic risotto: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Roast the whole garlic heads on a dish in the oven until soft, about 30 minutes.

Stage 1: Heat the stock. In a separate pan heat the olive oil, add the shallots or onions, garlic, and celery, and fry slowly for about 4 minutes. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat.

Stage 2: The rice will now begin to fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the vermouth or wine and keep stirring, it will smell fantastic. Any harsh alcohol flavours will evaporate and leave the rice with a tasty essence.

Stage 3: Once the vermouth or wine has cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt. Separate the roasted garlic cloves and squeeze out the sweet insides into the risotto. Add the thyme and black pepper to the risotto. Turn down the heat to a high-ish simmer, so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly on the outside. Keep adding ladles of stock.

Stage 4: Remove from the heat and add the butter and Parmesan. Stir gently. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 to 3 minutes. This is the most important part of making the risotto, as this is when it becomes outrageously creamy and oozy like it should be. Eat as soon as possible while the risotto retains its perfect texture. In a frying pan toast the almonds and bread crumbs in a little olive oil until crisp and golden. Season with a little salt. Set to one side. Add a dollop of Mascarpone Cheese. Serve the risotto with the toasted almonds and bread crumbs sprinkled over the top.

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Difficulty: Medium”

There was a lot of discussion about the use of technology in the tasting room before we put in a touchscreen console a month or two ago. The idea is for folks who have just enjoyed a tasting to rate their experiences by logging onto the Spit or Swallow website. Our team debates covered whether or not technology would supercede the personalised element of wine marketing. And would consumers respond to the use of technology in the wine farm retaining contact with them.

Well, it’s still early days but there are a few interesting patterns emerging. Zelda Petrus of cellar door sales reports that foreign visitors and younger folks are keen on the idea, often happily putting down their feedback. “But we still find that there are people who like to write in our Guest Book – or who would far rather send us a personal email from their home computers. And it’s invariably complimentary – to thank us for the good service, comment on the wine or simply rave about the venue and views.”

A quick trawl of the reviews and comments on the Spit or Swallow website  (http://www.spitorswallow.co.za) shows that experiences are essentially positive. “Lovely tasting room, friendly staff and exceptional service…”

“Thanks for the entertaining wine tasting! We would love to come back but unfortunately we have to go back to Germany!”

“I feel “poor” every time I walk into the tasting room, but then the friendly welcome makes me feel so much at home. Wines in general are superb. One of only two merlots in SA that I would strongly recommend.”

Tasting room team – take a bow!