Doos Wyn

Chateau de Cardboard, Happy Box, Pap Sak, Bonteheuwel Briefcase, call it want you want box wine can easily pack a punch above – albeit it previously low - expectations. But the quality of boxed wine has improved in recent years.

According to www.winetimes.co.za these are the best boxes in the ring today:

Rust & Vrede - Yin & Yang

It must have been really easy for the Eat Out judges to award Rust & Vrede as top restuarant if yesterday was anything to go by. On this occasion - a tasting of selected vintages going back to '79 to reveal their style evolution followed by lunch paired with their current releases - the cheese course nearly pipped the pigeon as my pairing of the day but I settled on a tie.

The Tête de Moine cheese served with Hazel’s Curried Peach, Samoosa Wafers and Basil Gel was paired with Tinta Barocca 2000 port. It again revealed the skill and experience of both chef David Biggs and sommelier Neil Grant. One of the features of this cheese - just like the port - is that it evolves with increased exposure to air (pictures ex google)and can show nutty wine-like aromas when matured.

Glen Carlou opens new kitchen, launches new menu

The wineland's eclipsing bigger brother Cape Town on the culinary scene continued unabated yesterday with Glen Carlou's opening of their new kitchen and chef Hennie van der Merwe's delightful new menu.

Hennie with some of his Restuarant@Glen Carlou team

Hennie has been touching the stars throughout his career and it’s a matter of time before he bags a few of his own. After graduating from the Culinary Academy in 2003, he made the ideal start to his career, working with Michelin star chef and Raymond Blanc protégé Phil Alcock at Cellars-Hohenort.

REECE-ling; needs an introduction and a second warning.

A legion of wine writers are perplexed, a world of consumers are pleased and perplexed (sorry dads this is not about your daughter's first date). Wine writers continue to foretell about the Riesling Revolution and Riesling consumers continue to be amazed at the power and elegance they find at price points that are fantastic value for money.

Maybe this is why it’s such a slow-burn revolution - the converted don’t want to spread the word too wide as demand might just push up the prices to reasonable levels. Not to be confused with Cape or Paarl Riesling (actually Crouchen Blanc) German a.k.a Rhine a.k.a Weisser Riesling is arguably THE classic variety (and is also planted in the Cape). Now before you cough up your Chardonnay lets consider: