DELHEIM

Nora Sperling Thiel with Boletus Edulis picked at Delheim

Wild and exotic mushrooms, as widely varied and available as they are in South Africa, are little understood by the public. Delheim’s Nora Sperling-Thiel (pictured), daughter of the redoubtable Spatz, became fascinated by the super-sized wild mushrooms that literally sprang up overnight in our pine forest, growing to their full extent within the space of a day.

Delheim has teamed up with Nouvelle Mushrooms, South Africa’s only large-scale grower of exotic cultivars, to present a Mushroom Week at the farm. The purpose of this event is to encourage understanding of the use of wild and exotic mushrooms in delectable gourmet cuisine as well as their ease of use in home cooking, their fascinating story and many health benefits.

From Monday the 4th to Friday the 8th of July, the Delheim restaurant, on the Knorhoek Rd off the R44, will offer a selection of wild and exotic mushroom dishes paired with the Delheim wines. Information about, and examples of, exciting varieties will be on display at the restaurant; and a few lucky guests will receive a recipe kit, complete with a bottle of Delheim wine and a punnet of Nouvelle mushrooms.

The mushroom lunch, comprising starter, main course and dessert, paired with Delheim wines, will be priced at R120 per head; with an extra special offering of the prized Boletus Edulis for R200 on the Friday. Further information can be found at www.delheim.com, while bookings can be made at restaurant@delheim.com or phone 021 8884607.

Escape the winter chill with a dose of laughter, eating and live jazz at Delheim’s popular annual Jazz and Cheese Fondue fest, to be held this Sunday and then every Sunday throughout July.

Enjoy a welcoming glass of hot Glühwein made to traditional recipe, authentic Swiss cheese fondue with bread and crisp crudités to dip; a selection of Delheim wines, filter coffee, and live music by the Pierre-Henri Wicomb Jazz Trio.

The concept of fondue was born out of necessity in the 18th century.  Swiss villagers, separated from large towns by the long, freezing winters, were rarely able to enjoy fresh food. Instead, most villagers relied on bread and cheese, which were made in the summer and had to last through the winter months. Cheese became so hard in these conditions that at times it literally had to be chopped up with an axe!

The Swiss realized that when this hard-as-rock cheese was heated with wine over a fire, it softened and became deliciously edible, and that bread that was too dried out to eat by itself, became soft and pliable when dunked into the melted cheese. Once a necessity, fondue became a social custom, making the best of the long, cold Swiss winters by huddling around a warm fondue pot, bringing friends and family together and engaging in great conversation.

Ensconce yourself in the cosy “Downstairs” this winter and be part of this long tradition. Tickets are priced at R130 per person, starting time is 12 noon each Sunday from 26 June to 31 July. Bookings are essential; email restaurant@delheim.com or telephone 021 888 4607.

From oysters, whales, jazz and daisies to cheese, olives, food and wine, it seems we have a festival for just about anything these days. Filled with stand after stand, sometimes our big day out turns into a big crowd-induced headache! But thankfully, there are still a few festivals where a truly authentic experience can still be had.

That’s right, it’s time to save the date for the 10^th annual Stellenbosch Wine Festival, to be held 28-31 July at the Paul Roos Centre, preceded by Wine Week, from 22-31 July, when visitors can partake in rare and exclusive cellar door experiences at participating estates. This year will be the most exuberant celebration ever, marking the Stellenbosch American Express ® Wine Routes’ 40^th anniversary and its unwavering focus on something that distinguishes not only the Cape, but South Africa, on a world stage. What’s that, you ask?

Wine.

Of course even the grandest of wines would feel lonely without its two best friends in tow – Great Food and Even Better Company – and visitors can look forward to the trio during the festivities. Not about big crowds, expo stands or secret charges, visitors can experience an honest good time spent indulging in conversation with their favourite winemakers, swirling up to 500 different wines (selectively, of course) and irresistible winter warmers – hearty meals planned to pair to perfection. Visitors have the rare treat of enjoying their favourite iconic estates – from Delheim, Simonsig and Kanonkop to Neethlingshof, Le Riche, De Trafford, Warwick Estate and many more – either under one roof, or at the cellar door.

With so much to look forward to, I spent some time chatting with Annareth Bolton, CEO of the Stellenbosch American Express® Wine Routes, about what makes Stellenbosch such a special place, and what visitors can look forward to at this year’s festival:

With 150 farms, the Stellenbosch American Express® Wine Routes offer something for almost everyone. Tell me about some of its most memorable highlights?

Being the heart of the Cape Winelands, we are seen as the pioneers of wine tourism. The Cape Dutch architecture is a big draw card, while the modern tasting rooms and restaurants have inspired many visitors to come back time and again. Spending only one day in Stellenbosch, you can taste wine with a rugby legend, go on a game drive, enjoy lunch at a top 10 restaurant, try your hand at fly-fishing, visit a wine museum and mingle with the locals.

The Wine Route has grown immensely since being formed 40-years ago – what are some of the most exciting innovations since the early days?

In 1971, when the wine route was formed, no tasting or purchasing was allowed at wine farms. There were no road signs or maps, let alone restaurants and guests houses on farms. This really was the start of wine tourism in South Africa, and many have followed suit. We now have hundreds of thousands of visitors, which led to a thriving industry which contributes to job creation, skills development and international recognition. When I started the Sundays in Stellenbosch campaign five years ago, only a handful of farms and restaurants were open, while we now have over 65 farms open on a Sunday, offering kids entertainment, informative wine-tastings, hiking-trails, picnics and world-class restaurants. Social responsibility is at the order of the day, with crèches for farm children, local employment, and a drive towards supporting local business. It really is a winning model for all.

Stellenbosch was recently recognised as the “2011 Wine Town of the Year” by Sweden’s prestigious Munskänkarna wine club, the first time a city outside of the European Union has been bestowed such an honour. What do you believe helped distinguish Stellenbosch above all the other contenders?

This is a truly wonderful honour and opportunity for Stellenbosch. South Africa currently holds 20,5% of the market share in the Swedish wine market, making us the largest exporter to their country. We are a world leader in wine tourism, with annual awards bestowed to our members. I really believe that my predecessors at this organisation have done a great job of promoting our excellent wines – a study has shown that consumers recognise Stellenbosch as a wine brand before South Africa. Now our focus is on promoting all that surrounds the bottle of wine, in other words the tourism offerings. We are picking the fruits of our hard work, and this recognition as one of the world’s
greatest wine destinations, is well deserved!

Sustainability is gradually becoming a more prominent consideration both in the eyes of the industry and the consumer – how are the members of the Stellenbosch Wine Route embracing sustainability – and do you believe it impacts upon the quality of the wine?

Stellenbosch soil and properties are some of the most expensive in the world. It would be much easier to develop it all into housing and golf estates, but that is not the legacy we want to leave for the ones following in our footsteps. I think farming in Stellenbosch is one of the hardest financial things you can be busy with at the moment, but also the most rewarding. Someone once said that the people from Stellenbosch will be disappointed when they get to heaven! We have a great responsibility, which we take very seriously, and once again we are leading the industry when it comes to carbon neutrality, solar energy, bio-diversity, restoring indigenous plants and trees, and looking after our wildlife. A truly inspiring town to live in!

These days there are many wine festivals – tell me about some of the unique experiences visitors can have, that help make this festival the one that is “not to be missed.”

The Stellenbosch Wine Festival is the oldest in the country, and this year we are celebrating its 10^th birthday in its current format at Paul Roos Centre. It is a wonderful opportunity to taste up to 500 wines, all under one roof. The opening night, the wine connoisseurs evening, is where you can meet the winemakers, in a relaxed and warm atmosphere. All the wines on show are available to purchase at special festival prices, in order for you to stock up you collection. Friday is our social evening, with live entertainment, food demonstrations and signature dishes from local restaurants participating in our gourmet lane. Saturday is our busiest day, while Sunday is family day, with a secure and fun environment for the kiddies, while mom and dad enjoy good company and music. We have shuttles from the V&A Waterfront, Canal Walk, Tygervalley, Paarl, Franschhoek and Somerset West, enabling all to arrive safely back home. We offer historical walks through town, fantastic accommodation specials, and the restaurants are all ready to welcome you with warm winter dishes and roaring fires.

If you could name just two things that make Stellenbosch special to you – what would they be?

The mountains surrounding our town make this a very special place to be.  There is always something to do in our town – whether it’s attending a production in one of our theatres, live music, art exhibitions, mountain biking, wine tasting, shopping, drinking coffee in one of the many corner cafés, you will never be anything but inspired and entertained.

THE DETAILS

Tickets to the Stellenbosch Wine Festival range from R120 per person per day for online bookings (in advance, at www.webtickets.co.za) or R140 at the door, to R350 for the Golden Pass for the entire festival. The entry fee to the opening of the festival, an exclusive Wine Connoisseurs Evening from 16h00 till 21h00 on Thursday, 28 July, is R160 per person for online bookings or R180 at the door and includes gourmet delights.

For more information call 021 886 4310 or visit www.wineroute.co.za

posted by Theresa Lozier

http://theresalozier.blogspot.com

Sixty years is the difference between the Big Band era and Bublé; a bachelor and a grandfather; a patchwork of farms and a world-renowned wine route. It’s also the time that’s passed since wine industry legend Michael ‘Spatz’ Sperling first turned the soils at De Driesprong farm, as Delheim wine farm was known, on Thursday 19 April 1951.

With no former knowledge of wine, or farming of any kind, Spatz soon turned a humble fruit farm into an iconic Stellenbosch wine estate, successfully raising its profile and that of the wider industry; and importantly, his four children, two of whom manage the farm today.

On the eve of the anniversary – which coincides with the 40th year of the Stellenbosch Wine Route1, an entity co-founded by their father, it only seemed fitting to Nora and Victor Sperling to create a wine in honour of Spatz; he never one to let an excuse to celebrate pass him by.

The wine of course would need to reflect the character of the man – feisty, quirky and fun, but ever the gentleman. The pair chose to make a red blend,
which fitted in nicely as an easy-drinking partner to the legendary Heerenwijn; their father’s own Kneipwein2, tabled to make a return this year to the Delheim range.

The Family Blend is elegant, fruit-rich and spicy, with mocha and blackberry flavours and silky tannins to finish. Malbec makes up the largest part at
57%, with the balance being Merlot and Cabernet Franc in roughly even amounts.

Unpretentious and easy drinking, the blend will be available at Pick ‘n Pay nationwide, a loyal estate partner of many years’ standing, from the end of
May for a gemütlich3 R69.99. A limited number of bottles have been made to commemorate the event.

So raise your glass to Delheim’s patriarch, and to your own father, around a cosy, food-laden table on Father’s Day. As the notes on The Family Blend instruct – Say cheers! Here’s to the next sixty years!

REVIEW BY CATHY MARSTON, www.food24.com

I wish my family made wine! Especially this one – an intriguing Bordeaux blend of mainly Malbec with some Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It’s made to honour Spatz Sperling’s 60 years at Delheim and to celebrate 40 years since he first set up the Stellenbosch wine route as well. I must say, I always find the Delheim wines ridiculously good value and this is no exception – you’d be hard-pressed to spend your R70 bucks better than to buy this bottle of soft, juicy, concentrated red!