Inspired Taste - Inspired Living SA

Cape Town Lifestyle, Lifestyle, Wine Farms

De Grendel Wine Farm

You may remember a recent post I did featuring City Escapes and a brief write-up I did on De Grendel Wine Farm. I thought I would do a bit more of an in-depth feature on the Estate and give you a bit more detail on what the wine farm has to offer.

De Grendel Wine

The farm offers visitors the most spectacular, unparalleled panoramic views, with a particularly amazing view of Table Mountain. {I loved my shot of Table Mountain in a wine glass}

You will also catch a glimpse of the City and the Seaboard, all in one landscape. De Grendel is situated a mere 20 minutes from the city and forms part of the Durbanville Wine Route.

The farm is steeped in local history and has been in the Graaff family for three generations. Baronet, Sir David Graaff, retired politician and leading wine farmer, continues the legacy left by his father and grandfather before him. The historic De Grendel farm remains the heart and soul of the family, assisted by members of staff whose roots on the property go back five generations. Sir David has built a reputation for upliftment in the community, supporting farm labourers and their families and encouraging education for their children.

As far as wine making goes De Grendel Vineyards are perfectly situated on high, sea-facing slopes, it is the only vineyard in the country, which is 350m above sea level and only 7 km from the sea. This elevated position is not only majestic, but creates the micro-climate, vital to the production of their elegant wines.

Our vines benefit from the western-facing aspect and the close moderating effects of the ocean – advantages that are the product of the site. In our viticulture and wine-making, our goal is the expression of the character of this distinctive position.

The day we picked for our visit to the farm was wonderfully clear, albeit a bit chilly but all in all the perfect winters day!

We chose to do the full wine tasting, as well as snack on a cheese board from their Vine and Dine menu.

A few of our favourite whites tasted, were the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2014 Koetshuis, both wines are wonderfully fruity, with a crisp dry finish. Perfect summer time wines!

Rosé is one of my favourite lazy, summer time wines, providing it is dry and not too sweet! The De Grendel 2014 Rosé is perfect! Again lovely and fruity but with a crisp dry finish.

As far as reds go my favourite reds at the moment are usually Shiraz, so I was really surprised by the De Grendel 2012 Merlot! The Merlot is a delicious, full bodied wine filled with a combination of different berries on the nose. Mulberry, raspberry, and blackberry fruit accompanied by liquorice and mocha flavours that carry through on palate. Well supported by firm French oak tannins. Naturally we bought a combination of the wines to enjoy at home!

Tasting fees are R50.00 for the full range of wines available for tasting or R20.00 for any three available wines. Groups larger than eight are kindly requested to book with Douglas on 021 558 6280, weekend tasting sessions for these groups are only available from 09h00-10h30.

As well as wine tasting, the estate boasts an Elegant Restaurant, which is 100% South African! Farm produce and ingredients sourced from local suppliers are given an inventive, modern edge. Home-grown South African chefs and staff are employed and trained to international standards, generating jobs for local people. We have not eaten at the restaurant yet but plan to in the very near future!

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. At dinner the exceptional five course tasting menu (tailored to diner preferences) is a huge draw card, offering the chance to experience the talents and creative abilities of the chefs over more courses. De Grendel Wines are on the menu at cellar prices, making this fine dining experience accessible at realistic prices.

Contact Details:

Wine Farm

t: +27 (0) 21 558 6280
f: +27 (0) 21 558 7083
e: [email protected]
follow the wine farm: facebook | twitter

Restaurant

t: +27 (0) 21 558 7035

e: [email protected]
follow the restaurant: facebook | twitter

Directions

De Grendel is only twenty minutes from the Waterfront or airport. Leave the N1 at exit 18; continue left down the Plattekloof Road for another 5 km, De Grendel is on the right.

Image Source: 1-14 ©FAR Photography, 15 ©De Grendel

Disclosure Ranking: 2

Eating Out, Food, Restaurant Reviews, Romantic Getaways, Taste, Travel

Twelve Apostles Hotel Dinner and a Movie

Twelve Apostles Hotel

As busy parents, one of the things we seldom get to do, is watch a movie at the cinema together. Mostly due to the fact, that if we do get the chance to go out, we both prefer a romantic restaurant, over a busy movie theater! Well imagine if you could combine the two experiences…

The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa has turned the ever popular ‘Dinner and a Movie’ evening into a special occasion! They have combined a select three-course menu in Azure Restaurant, with the comfort of watching a movie in the five-star hotel’s very own private cinema. So whether it is a romantic evening with your partner, a girly get-together or family night out, ‘Dinner and a Movie’ is the perfect experience! At only R395 per person it is also great value for money and sets the scene for a memorable night, shared with the stars of the silver screen!

Much to my delight, Grant and I were recently invited to experience Dinner and a Movie, at the Twelve Apostles Hotel for ourselves! What a fun way to spend a mid-week evening!

Upon arrival we were treated to a welcome glass of bubbly, while we acquainted ourselves with the special three-course movie menu. The scenic Azure Restaurant is pure elegance, with an amazing seafront view. We were even lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a beautiful Cape Town sunset.

Executive Chef Christo Pretorius’ mouth-watering offering includes Duck Terrine – liver parfait, port gel, pistachio crumble and blackberry jam; Blesbok with orange sweet potato, bulgar wheat salad, forest mushroom, roasted beetroot, cashew sour cream, juniper berry crumble and gooseberry; and a fresh Catch of the Day, served with split pea salad, cauliflower puree, asparagus, baby marrow, coconut gel and oyster cream.

I opted for the Prawn Dhal for starters, while Grant decided to try the Chicken Noodle Soup. Both dishes were delicious but I would have to be biased here and say my dish was the best! The restaurant sommelier paired each of our dishes, with the perfect wine to compliment our meal.

Between courses we were presented with a visually spectacular Palate Cleanser – Raspberry sorbet on a bed of dry ice. So very Heston Blumenthal!

For mains I decided to try the Blesbok with orange sweet potato, bulgar wheat salad, forest mushroom, roasted beetroot, cashew sour cream, juniper berry crumble and gooseberry – quite a mouthful! It was utterly divine! Grant went for the Catch of the Day, served with split pea salad, cauliflower puree, asparagus, baby marrow, coconut gel and oyster cream. Both dishes were amazing, with perfectly matched taste combinations!

There are also Vegetarian dishes on the menu, such as Roasted Butternut Agnolotti with butternut gremolata, homemade labneh, toasted walnuts and sage butter; or an authentic Cape Malay Vegetable Curry – the slightly sweet and spicy curry with star-aniseed basmati rice, sambals, warm butter roti and a poppadum is a favourite of Red Carnation Hotel Collection Founder and President Bea Tollman.

For dessert both Grant and I decided on a traditional Vanilla Crème Brûlée, which was the biggest Crème Brûlée, I have ever seen! You have the option of enjoying your dessert in either the Azure Restaurant or the Cinema.

Our milkshake orders were then taken and we made our way to the The Twelve Apostles’ private 16-seat cinema. In true cinema style, along with our milkshakes, there was also complimentary popcorn, ice cream, hot chocolate and sweets, on offer! We then settled in to watch Water for Elephants, which is so sad but a wonderful movie!

What a lovely evening, with lovely people, in a stunning setting – thank you Twelve Apostles Hotel and the amazing staff at Azure Restaurant, for spoiling us! Next time we will definitely make a whole night of it and stay over! There is no need to leave the comforts of The Twelve Apostles Hotel after your movie, thanks to their ‘Dinner, Movie…and Stay Overnight’ package. Priced from R1345 per person sharing per night, the package includes an overnight stay, in one of the hotel’s plush guest rooms, three-course dinner, movie, snacks and full English breakfast the following morning.

The monthly movie schedule includes three dinner screenings daily, at 17:30, 20:30 and 22:30. To book, contact restaurant reservations on +27 (0) 21 437 9029 or email [email protected]

Image Source: 1,2 & 8 credited to 12 Apostles, Remaining images property of ©FAR Photography

Disclosure Ranking:2

Eating Out, Food, Restaurant Reviews, Taste

Kyoto Garden Sushi

Kyoto Garden Sushi Review

I have read and heard so much about Kyoto Garden Sushi recently. I must admit the name is rather deceptive because is not just a simple sushi bar! In fact it is what I would consider to be Japanese fine dining. Kyoto Garden Sushi is situated in Kloof Nek, in the heart of the Cape Town CBD.

The evening we picked for dinner was a typical Cape winters night. Picture it, howling wind and driving rain, we actually lost our umbrella walking to the restaurant! I know most of you are thinking, an umbrella in Cape Town, in winter, why bother! Needless to say, we were happy to eventually arrive at our destination and be out of the rain, which naturally stopped once we were inside!

Kyoto Garden Sushi is the perfect spot for a romantic dinner for two. The dimly lit, elegant, zen inspired interior, is welcoming, with a wonderfully relaxed ambience. After a rather stressful day, it was exactly what we both needed! The only negative with the dim lighting, is the poor quality of my photographs!

Happily ensconced at our corner table, we poured over the drinks menu. Kyoto offers a wonderful selection of innovative cocktails, Japanese Beers and wines, which would please most connoisseurs. I opted for a delicious sounding Kyoto Cosmo and the hubby a Japanese beer.

With our rather limited experience of Japanese cuisine, we took the lead from owner and waiter for the evening, Scott, who interestingly enough hails from LA but spent quite a bit of time in Japan, perfecting his menu ideas for Kyoto. Scott guided us through the menu and gave us his recommendations. I must admit I felt rather overwhelmed and wanted to taste everything but we eventually narrowed it down and ordered a few dishes.

We started with the freshest Tuna Tartar, served with Daikon Radish and Wakame, Fresh Oysters with three flavours and Fresh Japanese Coleslaw with Crayfish. All three dishes were amazing, all the ingredients were extremely fresh, which Kyoto is renowned for. We decided on a crisp Paul Cluver Sauvignon Blanc to accompany the rest of our meal.

Next we ordered The Sea, one of the soups off the menu. The Sea is a clear broth with prawns, clams, octopus, mussel, scallops and seaweed. I can honestly say this dish is like nothing I have ever tasted before. It does in fact taste like The Sea! Delicious!

Scott recommended that we try a tempura dish, which happens to be a favourite of mine. I chose the Vegetables, Prawn and Bay Scallop Tempura, as my main meal. The batter was wonderfully light and I loved the combination of seafood and vegetables.

For mains Grant decided on the Steamed Fish in Bamboo Pot. To be honest this was probably my least favourite dish {yes I taste everything} of the evening but he really enjoyed it!

You will probably be amazed but we did not try any sushi. I have heard that the sushi is delicious but there were too many other dishes, which we wanted to try. Next time!

Although full I had to try a desert! In fact we ordered two. I had the Toasted Tofu, with Ginger Ice Cream and a hint of lime. Admittedly I am not a tofu lover but Scott said this was his creation, so I had to try it! It was amazing – the Tofu was unlike any that I have tasted before and I love ginger, so it was the perfect combination.

Grant ordered the Black Sesame Seed Ice Cream, which sounded as intriguing. Both deserts were amazing and I would go back just for those!

To round off the evening Scott suggested we try some Sake. I have had Sake once before and was not keen on it. He brought us a selection of three to taste: the House Sake, Raspberry Sake and a Refined Sake. To be honest I do not think Sake is something I will be making a habit if drinking in the future but the Refined one was definitely the best.

A rather interesting discovery I made at Kyoto, is the fact that there is such a thing as Japanese Whiskey – who knew! Kyoto offers quite an extensive selection of Japanese Whiskey but I am afraid I was not brave enough to sample any.

Our evening was truly a unique taste experience, one which I thoroughly enjoyed and we will definitely be going back. The highlights for me were the stunning Tempura, such a light batter and the rather unusual Tofu desert with Ginger Ice Cream. The only thing I must warn you about, is it is not a budget evening out and you can look at spending at minimum of R200 for a three course meal but in my opinion it is worth it!

Contact Details: Tel: 021 422 2001, Address: 11 Lower Kloofnek Road, Cape Town, Dinner: Open 5.30pm-11pm. Twitter @KyotoSushiCT

Disclosure Ranking:2

Eating Out, Food, Lifestyle, Restaurant Reviews, Taste, Wine Farms

Sublime Lunch at Harvest at Laborie Wines

Grant and I recently snuck away for a wonderfully romantic lunch, at Harvest at Laborie Wines! He had been before, but it was my first time visiting the estate – what a fantastic treat! The weather was rather cold and wet, but we refused to let that spoil our day! [Read more…]

Eating Out, Eating Out With Children, Food, Restaurant Reviews, Taste

What’s Hot The Clubhouse Winter Menu

My hubby and I were recently invited to enjoy The Clubhouse Winter Menu, we have never eaten at The Clubhouse before, so I was really keen to give it a try! I picked a Friday evening when we were in fact “childless”, so it ended up being an impromptu date night!

The Clubhouse is situated at the Claremont Cricket Club in Constantia, with views of the stunning Constantia Valley and Table Mountain. They are open for lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday 12:00-23:00 and Sunday 12:00-18:00. The restaurant prides themselves on being family-friendly, in fact children under 12 eat for free on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4-7 pm!

The Cluhouse interior is light and bright, with casual relaxed decor, which makes it the perfect place to unwind and have a chilled dinner. The fireplace is the perfect place to warm up and get cozy, so remember to request a table close by. This is especially perfect during these cold winter months!

After perusing the rather extensive menu, we decided to start off with Smoked Paprika Prawns and Salt and Pepper Baby Calamari with a Paprika and Lemon Mayo – my favourite was definitely the Salt and pepper baby calamari. I did not dislike the prawns but felt they were a bit overpowered by the tomato based sauce.

It was a rather cold winters evening, so I simply had to try the Slow roasted lamb shank in a red wine sauce with carrots, celery and garlic! It was rather delicious but be warned it it is a huge meal!

My hubby had the Beef Fillet served on garlic mash, with a side of sauteed spinach and a pepper sauce. The fillet was equally delicious and in my hubby’s words “the best steak I have had in a long time!”

We were both quite stuffed after the meal but could not resist the rather decadent sounding Sticky Toffee Pudding with dates and pecan nuts, served with clotted cream, which just happens to be one of my favourite winter deserts!

No evening meal would be complete with out a coffee and The Clubhouse did not disappoint – their double espresso was wonderfully strong and aromatic!

We really enjoyed our meal at the Clubhouse the food and service were both great! They also have extensive wine list and a separate kids menu. The main menu caters for the not so hungry, with light meals and salads on offer, as well as pizza’s and a great selections of starters and main’s. I found the menu well priced, with pizza’s ranging from R65 to a Fillet steak at R130.

I would recommend The Clubhouse, especially for family dining and I know we will definitely be heading back with our girls – I am really keen to try their delicious looking pizza’s!

Rating:[usr=4 img=”03.png”]

Location: Constantia Sports Complex, Constantia Main Road, Constantia, Cape Town, 7800. Contact Tel: 021 – 794 6314

Disclosure Ranking:2

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