The Peter Matkovich designed golf course at Steenberg

Steenberg is first and foremost a farm, a vineyard to be precise. However we also have other attractions on the estate for both foreign and local visitors: two restaurants, a hotel and … an 18-hole championship golf course. Alongside nearly every hole on the golf course lie our prized Steenberg vines. Playing amongst them can be a novelty for the avid golfer, but during harvest time it can be a nightmare for the viticulturist.

Driving the mechanical harvester through block Y is possibly one of the most frightening jobs on the farm. This is the block of Sauvignon Blanc vines right next to the driving range, where golfers warming up for their round often miss-hit the ball straight into the vines. “That block next to the driving range is the worst to harvest because the guys get hit!” explains Farm Manager Johann de Swardt, “I’ve been hit twice and those balls give you lekker big bruises!” Johann recently replaced the bonnet on his bakkie as it had also befallen victim to stray golf balls.

The bright yellow balls used by the driving range

It doesn’t stop there though; when the vines are hit by golf balls they stay hit. The balls land only in the first four rows of vines but that is still enough to guarantee that when the vines are harvested some of the balls fall into the bin. The grapes are then taken to the cellar to be de-stemmed and crushed. This is when they reach our winemaker JD Pretorius, “When we empty the grapes from those blocks into the de-stemmer, we not only get stalks coming out the other side, we get bright yellow range balls too.”

Next time JD tees up at least he won’t be short of golf balls!

John Loubser and JD Pretorius are more than happy to hold forth about their favourite subject – wine. It’ll soon be in a slightly different format however, as they are just two of the many winemakers who will be helping to teach novices to pick Pinotage from Cabernet and develop the ability to subtly distinguish the charms of Chenin Blanc from the more angular acidity of Sauvignon Blanc as part of the Wine @ The Mill wine course.

Farm Manager John Loubser and Winemaker JD Pretorius

It’s being run by Cathy Marston, a freelance wine writer who pens columns for News24.com’s foodie section. She and husband Kevin are the former owners of The Nose wine bar and restaurant. Located at the original Cape Quarter in De Waterkant, The Nose was one of those places where it took outsiders to show the locals what they were missing. Hailing from Old Blighty, the Marston’s admit to being seduced by Cape Town’s weather, lifestyle and the proximity to the winelands and its abundant supply of delicious wine.

Having been blessed by an unplanned bundle of bouncing joy five years ago, their newborn son put the proverbial spanner in the works and being hands on 24/7 became difficult so they sold their business a few years back. But one of the things Cathy particularly enjoyed was running her wine courses. Having done the Wine & Spirits Education Trust Diploma back in the UK Cathy’s amply qualified to pass on her formal knowledge to others. More importantly Cathy is a keen proponent of wine not being stuffy and boring. “It’s got to be fun. We drink the stuff for enjoyment after all.”

“It’s relaxed and informal and will answer all the questions people never knew they had about wine,” she said. Having winemakers like JD and John along to provide specifics about the wines the participants are drinking – six every session so an important part of the course – goes a long way to helping folks understand what the wonderful world of wine is all about. It’s not all pH, acidity, time in oak, type of oak and the like. It’s about promoting enjoyment and love of wine. Something both John and JD love to do…

It was a special moment on Saturday: sitting on the verandah, glass of HMS Sphynx in hand, cooling off after a swim since it had been a blisteringly hot day – and watching the full, fat moon rise. It was so bright that it cast shadows! And so beautiful we felt compelled to take photos – but no matter how good the equipment and how appealing the result it can never measure up to the real thing. It’ll be filed away in the memory banks as one of those “you had to be there” moments.

Full Moon over Cape Town

The working week has been somewhat shortened by Monday’s public holiday and while it was Human Rights Day in South Africa it was also Nowruz. So what’s Nowruz? Well, it’s an ancient Persian festival that is usually celebrated by 300 million people – from the Balkans and Caucasus to Central and South America and to the Middle East.

According to history this day has always been celebrated on the March equinox – so either March 20 or 21. The festival stems from the day on which Jamshid, the mythological king of Persia is alleged to have ascended the throne, kicking off two weeks of festivities. During this time the story of creation is celebrated, along with the cosmology of the Iranian and Persian people. Over time the holiday extended to Afghanistan, Central Asia and further afield.

Nowruz- The Persian New Year

United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon said the following on Monday, 21 March: “Nowruz is a day for renewal – it is an opportunity to reflect on the intimate links between people and the natural world. And it carries a strong message of peace and harmony between peoples of all cultures on the basis of mutual respect and understanding.

“These timeless values are at the heart of the mission of the United Nations, and are more relevant than ever as we grapple with such pressing global concerns as environmental degradation, human rights abuses, intolerance and armed conflict.”

All very valid sentiments as the world reels from the natural disaster of quake and tsunami in Japan which would normally have celebrated the rites of spring in traditional fashion.

In the United States, the yachting fraternity mark this equinox (the word derived from the Latin Aequus meaning equal and nox meaning night) – in far less serious fashion by burning their socks! It’s supposed to signify the return of warmer weather for sailors who wore socks only during the winter.

On this southern tip of Africa the March equinox means that the days get shorter and cooler, leaves fall from the vines and trees and rains which come to replenish the parched earth are not far off. It’s a time for rest and recuperation before the cycle starts again with the arrival of spring.

Anyone out there who has bought veal at the shops or ordered it at a restaurant and thought to themselves whether it was crossing some sort of moral boundary? Anyone been on the receiving end of a lecture from a fellow concerned eater after asking the waitron how the veal is? Sure veal tastes great, but many aren’t quite sure whether they’re O.K. with the idea of eating a baby cow. There are many horror stories about the poor treatment of animals and the topic of veal is at the forefront.

Food production, particularly with respect to meat, has been a notable theme over the last few years. The rise in the promotion of ethical food production methods has increased the consumers’ awareness on the subject of organic foods and hormone-free meat. Naturally then many people have a degree of doubt when they see food such as veal being offered on the menu at their favourite restaurant. This shouldn’t be the case and hopefully some straight facts will serve to create a few informed opinions.

You don’t have to be an ardent supporter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) to see the concerning side of meat production and in this light veal can be a bit of a grey area. Whilst no-one should condone the unnecessary slaughter of any species, meat is meat and man must eat!

So…. for those uninformed, here are the facts.

Veal is a by-product of the dairy industry. For cows to produce milk, they need to have calves. Almost 50% of these calves are males, useless to a dairy farmer. Dairy farms are closing all the time because of the pittance they get for their milk. Everyone can use a little added income, even if it is at the expense of some delicious rosy-pink flesh from that cute little calf.

There are two methods of farming veal

1)    Grass or grain-fed veal. Fed a diet of milk and then grass or grain. They will spend time in the pasture with mummy until it is time. This produces a more pinky-red meat known as rosé veal. Not a bad existence, all be it a short one, for a by-product.

2)    What is referred to as “special fed” veal. These guys are kept in stalls individually in order to monitor their diet more carefully. Some farming practices of this method border on cruelty because the calves don’t have enough room to move very much.

However, special fed veal are the tastiest little ones (particularly for a classic like Blanquette de Veau). At Bistro1682 we consciously source produce, as best we can from farmers that practice good animal husbandry, are from sustainable resources and support previously disadvantaged communities.

Thus we support the production of rosé veal rather than special fed veal in an attempt to ensure calves kept in confined stalls will be a thing of the past. You should too.

What is a plate of great food without a bottle of great wine? Food and wine pairing can be a tricky task, so simply consider the advice of our resident experts here at Steenberg: Executive Chef from Bistro Sixteen82 Brad Ball and Winemaker JD Pretorius. They have teamed up and discussed their likes and dislikes… The end result: if you were hosted by these two personally, this would be on the dinner table:

Steenberg 2008 Shiraz paired with a succulent Steak Au Poivre, a perfect reflection of these power-house personalities.

Steak Au Poivre

Steak au poivre is French for steak with peppercorns. It is served with a brandy peppercorn pan sauce. If you have all your ingredients at the ready, this dish should take you no longer than ten minutes to put together.

Steak au Poivre and shiraz is a match made in heaven, it’s a no brainer.

Serves Four

Ingredients:

·         4 x 250g good fillet steaks

·         Salt and pepper for seasoning

·         2 tablespoons freshly crushed black peppercorns, for sauce

·         2 tablespoons green peppercorns

·         3 teaspoon vegetable oil

·         4 tablespoons brandy

·         400ml reduced flavourful dark stock

·         100ml cream

·         1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold

Preparation:

·         Heat a heavy based pan till smokey

·         Season the steaks on both sides heavily with salt and pepper

·         Place oil in pan and sear the steaks for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes and then turn and sear on the other side for another 2 minutes.

·         Turn the steaks over one more time for another minute

·         Remove the steaks from the pan and keep in a warm place to rest

·         Put the pan back on medium heat, add the brandy and reduce by 1/2, cooking off the alcohol

·         add the stock and peppers and bring to a simmer

·         add the cream, bring back to a simmer and then remove from the heat

·         Add the butter and swirl the sauce in the pan to emulsify the butter

·         Check for seasoning and add salt if necessary

·         Plate up steaks with homemade chunky chips or a good mash potato

·         Any juices from the resting plate should be added to the sauce

·         Pour the sauce over the steaks and enjoy with a large glass of Steenberg Shiraz

If there was a proverbial coalface at Steenberg, Johann de Swardt would be at it! As the farm manager he sees the direct effect of global warming and the toll it is taking on our vineyards.

“There’s absolutely no doubt that it’s getting warmer at our spot on the southern tip of the African continent,” Johann said. “And since everything that goes into the bottle is dependent on how successfully we handle what nature throws at us in the vineyard, we need to farm smartly.”

Nowadays certain farming methods have changed to account for global warming. “We mulch and compost our vineyards, just as a gardener would mulch and compost domestic flowerbeds – and it’s also intended to prevent excessive moisture loss from the soils.

“My biggest thing about the climate warming up is to try and save as much water as possible and to utilise the water we do have as effectively as possible.” , hence the mulch and compost. But Johann keeps an eye on exactly what state the soil is in by means of a ground moisture management system.

“Depending on the moisture levels in the soils we’ll decide to irrigate or not.” And even the ways of delivering water to the vines have changed. Gone are inefficient overhead sprays and in its place is a dripper system that delivers measured amounts of water to individual vines. “We’ll also irrigate at night or early in the morning rather than in the heat of the day so that we don’t lose too much moisture to evaporation.”

It’s the same story at harvest: picking is done between 2am and 10am in order to ensure the grapes are as fresh as possible. Then there’s the canopy management… more leaves are left on the vine to shield the grapes from the sun which would result in higher sugar levels from greater ripeness.

“Because of the way the climate is changing globally it’s impossible to develop a 10 or 20 year strategy – and with farming that’s pretty challenging anyway, because you are working with nature,” Johann says. So he and his team take it year by year, paying close attention to the latest research and farming methods with the ultimate aim of producing the best possible grapes for delivery to the winery.

“Then it’s up to JD and John and the team – but I think we’re in safe hands there too!”

There’s an old song “Red sails in the sunset” and I thought that might make a good headline for this blog, but any use of the word sunset would create the impression that it’s an ending rather than a beginning. That’s why writers refer to people being “in the twilight of their careers”, or “the sun setting on a promising career” – or words to that effect.

And that’s not applicable here because HMS Echo is at the very beginning of its lifespan. It’s the new red wine released earlier this month which weighs in to join its sister ‘ships’, the HMS Sphynx and HMS Rattlesnake.

The new addition to the HMS range

Not only does the latest drinking vessel differ from the other two in colour but it is also a blend, whereas Rattlesnake and Sphynx are single varietal wines being Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay respectively. Echo is a Merlot-driven blend (62%), with a healthy dollop of Cabernet Franc (24%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (14%) making up the numbers. Winemaker JD Pretorius has once again supplemented Steenberg fruit with grapes from elsewhere – in this case, Darling. “It allows us to play around with different flavours a little more,” he said.

It’s a deliciously succulent and well-fruited wine. Supple, soft and approachable and yet with enough depth and body to stand up to the harissa paste which added a spicy zing to a delicious Bistro 1682 steak sandwich at lunch over the weekend. It’s available from the tasting room at R80 a bottle.

As mentioned previously when writing about Rattlesnake and Sphynx, ships names aren’t retired but recycled onto new vessels. So since the 1700s, HMS Echo has variously been a 16 or 18-gun sloop, a paddle vessel and destroyer and the name is currently painted on the bow of a hydrographic survey ship which was taken into service in 2002.

In the battle of Muizenberg, HMS Echo travelled half-way round the world to take part in the 1st British Occupation of the Cape. Echo was the ship that tested the defences at Hout Bay a few days after the Battle of Muizenberg. Her role there was to draw fire, so the British officers in Monarch, waiting out of range, could see how many guns there were, and where they were placed. The Dutch gunners were overcome with excitement at having the enemy in sight, and they fired everything they had at the little ship.

The name has its origins in Greek mythology where that randy god Zeus loved to sneak off to earth and have his lusty way with the delightful nymphs. But his wife Hera was insanely jealous and would seek him out. Echo was one of the nymphs who had a delightful voice and great story-telling ability who would distract Hera with long, entertaining tales while Zeus cavorted happily. Hera found Echo out and as punishment took away her voice, except when it was used to repeat the shouted words of others.

There’s another tale involving Echo and Narcissus, the beautiful young man who so loved his own image that it was his ultimate downfall – but that’s another story…

There was a lot of excitement in November. That was because Steenberg’s Magna Carta was again awarded the coveted ‘full house’ in the annual Platter Guide – 5 Stars.

It’s the ultimate accolade for any South African wine, regardless of who says or writes what about guides and competitions (and there are a lot of empty vessels which make a lot of noise on that score…). Consumers trust the Platter Guide. The evidence of this is there to see on a daily basis in the number of folks walking into tasting rooms throughout the South African winelands with the not-so-little book tucked under their arms. The next step for them is to ask to taste the top-rated wine.

So it’s been a little frustrating that the 5 Star winner wasn’t available – until now.

What about the wine? It goes without saying that it’s something pretty special. A blend of 40% Semillon (barrel-fermented in new oak to add an additional element of richness and texture) and 60% of Sauvignon Blanc from Steenberg’s 22-year-old prime vineyard, it takes the Bordeaux-style white blend as its template. But that’s a rather narrow description of it because it’s so much more than that.

The wine is rich, full, structured and multi-layered. There’s a creamy nuance from the wooded Semillon portion. Minerality and limestone vies with fruit but the whole is still very taut and closed. It’s only the second time that Cellarmaster John Loubser has deemed the quality good enough for release. This first Magna Carta was the 2007 vintage and it is drinking superbly four years on from harvest – but it’s also just a baby. Both of these wines need time to show their true colours and that demands a level of patience on the part of the anticipatory drinker.

Can’t you just picture a wise old sage looking down his nose through half-moon spectacles and intoning: “All shall be revealed in the fullness of time…?”

Resisting the temptation is going to be tough but the rewards will be worth it: a bit like Tantric wine drinking!

Cellar assistant Andrew Williams was one of three recipients of a Patrick Grubb bursary – and in September last year spent six weeks working the harvest at Chateau Margaux in Bordeaux. Grubb, a Master of Wine, was the man behind the gavel at the annual Nederburg Auction for 31 years – a record for any single event in the world and consequently recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records! He was also the head of Sotheby’s wine department and a director of the company.

(The calm and utterly unflappable Grubb could be counted on to interrupt the flow of bidding at least once during the annual auction to compliment one of the ladies on a particularly fetching hat! He was a keen advocate of South African wines as well as the beauty and charms of the country itself and generously wanted to give something back, so he created this bursary – in conjunction with Nederburg – in 1998.)

Williams has already impressed cellarmaster John Loubser and winemaker JD Pretorius not only with what he learned at Margaux, one of the most famous wine properties in the world, but with his attitude and renewed enthusiasm. “It was such a special opportunity to work there – and I learned so much.” It wasn’t the big things that struck a chord with Williams but the little things… like the professionalism of all his fellow cellar workers. “Everyone works really hard – there’s no slacking off. Everything is neat and equipment is put back in its place once cleaned. But the way they work is so different – from the way the grapes are received all the way until the wine is bottled. They don’t use nearly as much water during the winemaking process as we do. Water is only used at the end of the day once equipment needs to be cleaned off.

“The way they take grape samples, for instance, is not the same as how we do it at Steenberg.” Pretorius has already granted Williams a bit of freedom in implementing a few of the things learned during his stint with Margaux.

One aspect of daily life that Williams particularly enjoyed was the strict enforcement of the lunch break. “Come one ‘o clock everyone stopped working and went and sat around a table together – and the food was not only healthy but really good quality! And once everyone’s finished eating after an hour, its straight back to work – and they worked hard again!”

Language wasn’t a problem for Williams. “They spoke English to me but I’d find as the days went on more and more French crept in – and then I’d speak Afrikaans to them and they’d switch back! But I think I taught them a few words. Just the simple words – like good morning (môre), thank you (dankie) and so forth. I was quite heartsore to leave after six weeks.”

He returned brimful of enthusiasm, with some great stories to tell, lots of photos of his travels around Bordeaux and the town of Pauillac where he stayed and a fresh appetite for his work at Steenberg.

Simonsig’s Nico Fischer and M’Daan Pieterse of Overgaauw were the other Grubb bursary recipients who worked at Chateau d’Angludet and Durfort Vivens respectively. The trio returned with a greater appreciation for the history of winemaking as well as for the marriage of traditional methods and up-to-the-minute technology. To date, 20 people from previously disadvantaged communities working within the wine industry have been able to travel abroad to gain international experience compliments of the Patrick Grubb bursary. Carina Gous, Distell’s Business Director of Wines described the contribution as “invaluable in uplifting the careers of young aspiring wine professionals.”