The Big Reveal - Bentley New Flying Spur & Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster

The Bentley Continental Flying Spur and Lamborghini Aventador LP-700-4 Roadster will be unveiled for public viewing for the first time in South Africa at this weekend’s Big Bottle Festival

Having just arrived in South Africa, these cars are sure to make petrol-heads flock to the Festival for a day of fine wine, exquisite cuisine and of course, these two dream luxury vehicles!

Now in its third year, the Big Bottle Festival is the grandest annual wine tasting extravaganza and celebrates South Africa’s finest “Big Bottle” masterpieces during a weekend-long festival. The event brings together South Africa’s foremost winemakers and chefs de cuisine starting today until Sunday 23rd to 25th August 2013.

This sophisticated weekend of fine wine and culinary delights coming together with the sumptuous Gourmand Five-Course Dinner Experience prepared and presented by renowned sommelier and wine consultant Jörg Pfützner and award-winning chef Peter Tempelhoff on Friday evening as well as a Rare Champagne Tasting.

The Big Bottle Festival

Now in its third year, the Big Bottle Festival is the Western Cape’s grandest annual wine tasting extravaganza and celebrates South Africa’s finest “Big Bottle” masterpieces during a weekend-long festival. 

Unique in concept and execution, the event brings together South Africa’s foremost winemakers and chefs de cuisine and it all happens next weekend 23rd to 25th August 2013.

The renowned five-star Cellars-Hohenort Hotel will once again be the backdrop for this sophisticated weekend of fine wine and culinary delights coming together with the sumptuous Gourmand Five-Course Dinner Experience prepared and presented by renowned sommelier and wine consultant Jörg Pfützner and award-winning chef Peter Tempelhoff on Friday evening as well as a Rare Champagne Tasting.

Spearheaded by Tempelhoff, from the Liz McGrath’s collection of hotels, the third annual Big Bottle Festival will showcase a panoply of culinary stars such as Edgar Osojnik head chef at Buitenverwachting, Harald Bresselschmidt celebrated chef from Aubergine Restaurant, Roland Gorgosilich of Bosman's Restaurant at the Grand Roche Hotel in Paarl, Gregory Czarnecki renowned for his work at the Waterkloof Estate and Brad Ball, Executive Chef of the world class Bistro Sixteen82 amongst others.

The five courses will be accompanied by exclusively selected wines from classic international regions such as Bordeaux with the tasting of an iconic 1983 Chateau Gruaud-Larose as well new cult wine Ladredo from re-emerging regions like Ribeira Sacra.

Other wines which will be served on the evening include the 2011 Soalheiro Alvarinho Dócil, 2003 Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs from England, 1994 Quinta de Bágeiras from Portugal, 2006 Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner Tradition Kremstal from Austria, 1983 Chateau Gruaud Larose from Bordeaux France and 1998 Niepoort Colheita Port most of which will be served from rare Magnums, Imperials and Methuselah.

In keeping with the connoisseur element the Champagne Tasting will centre around extremely rare champagnes not easily found locally with eight notable 2002 vintage cuvees from Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, Dom Pérignon, Louis Roederer Cristal, Jacques Selosse Blanc De Blancs Grand Cru Brut Millesime and Egly-Ouriet Pere et Fils Brut Grand Cru. As an offering of some of the best Champagne vintages of the last 10 years, the tasting will be presented by Hendrik Snyman, one of the most knowledgeable and entertaining Champagne importers and MCC producers in South Africa.

The Big Bottle walk-about and tasting on Saturday and Sunday the 24th and 25th  August allows food and
wine lovers to experience the various wines from a select group of farms. Sunday kicks off with a 3-course Champagne Breakfast. Focusing on the few wineries and estates in South Africa who are able to bottle wines in large bottle formats. All wines will be poured from big bottles during the Walk-About.

These wine farms bottle in large formats, usually only for special occasions and limited releases, to showcase outstanding vintages either to mark a winery’s anniversary or for charitable purposes. These magnificent bottles are synonymous with celebration, extravagance, enjoyment and invoke a feeling of delightful, social decadence.

Some forty of SA’s top wine producers and importers are serving their best wines at this not to be missed event. Participation is strictly by invitation only with estates including Bouchard Finlayson, Hamilton-Russell, Iona, Delaire Graff Estate, Buitenverwachting, Neil Ellis, Jordan, Thelema Mountain Vineyards, Tokara and Klein Constantia.

Tickets for the Big Bottle Festival are available through Webtickets (webtickets.co.za) with the Walk-Around Day Pass priced at R400 (this includes food and wine), the Gourmand Dinner Experience priced at R1,980 and the 2002 Prestige Champagne Tasting priced at R2,300 per person.

Special hotel packages have been arranged or guests traveling to the Festival.

Single Options - One person all inclusive

• Walk-about-ticket & 1 night accommodation in Luxury Room R2950.00
• Gourmand Dinner, walk-about-ticket & one night accommodation in Luxury room R4999.00
• Prestige champagne tasting, walk-about-ticket & one night accommodation in Luxury room R5500.00
• Dinner, prestige champagne tasting, walk-about-ticket & one night accommodation in Luxury Room R7900.00
• The Full Monty Big Bottle Festival Weekend - Gourmand Dinner, prestige Champagne tasting, 2 night accommodation Luxury Double with Verandah and walk-about tasting R9999.00

Double Options - Two persons all inclusive

• Walk-about-tickets for two & one night luxury room R3999.00
• Gourmand dinner for 2, walk-about-tickets & one night luxury room R8299.00
• Champagne tasting for two, walk-about-tickets & one night accommodation R8900.00
• Gourmand dinner, champagne tasting, walk-about-tickets for 2 & one night accommodation R13750.00
• The Full Monty Big Bottle Festival Weekend - Gourmand Dinner, prestige Champagne tasting, walk-about tasting and 2 night Luxury Double room with Verandah. R14999.00

For more information please visit the Big Bottle Festival website: www.bigbottle.co.za, follow them on Facebook Facebook.com/BigBottleFestival or follow them on Twitter: @BigBottleSA 

 

CONSTANTIA FRESH Festival 2013

Fine Wine Events is proud to announce the Constantia Fresh Festival which aims to present and further discover fine wines. This year’s event will invite the finest South African wine producers to showcase not just their Sauvignon Blanc, but other wines exhibiting that all important character: Freshness.

Once again Constantia Fresh explores the distinctiveness of Constantia’s fine wine, while exploring and contrasting with offerings from other regions of South Africa and the rest of the world. Kicking off on the 1st of March with a fine wine dinner hosted by Jörg Pfützner of Fine Wine Events alongside the notable Peter Tempelhoff of Cellars Hohenort's esteemed The Greenhouse restaurant regarded as one of the best in South Africa.

Fine Wine Events will present some of the finest white, red and sweet wines of Constantia, together with well known wines from Piedmont, Toscana, Sancerre, Marlborough, Condrieu, St Joseph, Tokaji and Bordeaux. Guests will be welcomed with a selection of Constantia’s Méthode Cap Classiques, and a welcome address presented by Tempelhoff. He will prepare a delectable five-course degustation menu carefully paired with 16 local and international wines.

Guests can expect to savour wines from producers such as Buitenverwachting, Steenberg, Luciano Sandrone, Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia, Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Constantia Glen, Groot and Klein Constantia, Eagles Nest and many more. Seats at the dinner are limited due to the intimate nature of the restaurant. Tickets are on sale at R1500 per person.

The March 2nd main event will have wine enthusiasts wandering about the lawns of Buitenverwachting sampling South Africa's finest and freshest wines paired with canapés made by South Africa's best chefs. An elegantly constructed braai will take place in the early evening. Tickets to this tasting are on sale at R400 per person.

As an advocate of new perspectives, Pfützner has extended the invitation to other top South African wine producers, with the emphasis on freshness in their wine. ‘Constantia Fresh’, now in its fourth year running, is possible thanks to the support of the host region and participating Constantia producers namely Klein Constantia, Groot Constantia, Steenberg, Eagle’s Nest, Buitenverwachting and Constantia Glen.
 

Tickets to these events can be bought at the participating local and regional wine farms or from www.webtickets.co.za. For further information, please visit www.constantiafresh.com or contact Fine Wine Events on enjoy@finewineevents.co.za

Exclusive Dom Pérignon Tasting Menu at The Greenhouse

The Greenhouse at The Cellars-Hohenort, one of South Africa’s top restaurants and home of Relais & Chateaux Grand Chef Peter Tempelhoff, is delighted to launch an exclusive Dom Pérignon tasting menu. 

What better way to showcase one of the world’s best champagnes than pair it with the progressive African cuisine of The Greenhouse. Instead of breaking the champagne down into flavour profiles and fruit nuances, Peter Tempelhoff decided to take the ‘Virtues of Dom Pérignon’ and paired them up with ingredients with similar virtues.

Sensuality is one of Dom Perignon’s most recognisable virtues; with this course Peter has paired two different dishes which include lobster and oyster. The Complex virtue is matched with a dish that marries Quail, bacon, parsnip, hanepoot grapes and chamomile.

Other virtues include Precise, Vibrant, Fresh and Rhythmic – to name but a few.

This extravagant and multifaceted menu will be found in a stylish black menu which sets it aside from The Greenhouse’s normal menu. The Virtues of Dom Pérignon Tasting Menu is priced at R3200 per couple. The menu is only available for 2 people, or multiples of 2 with a maximum of 12 people in a party. This exclusive dining experience needs to be pre-booked at least 24 hours in advance.

“I am really excited about this partnership with Dom Pérignon and have created a menu that I believe works really well with the amazing flavours of this world renowned champagne. We hope to create a very unique and special experience for the guests who book to do this tasting menu.

Two carefully researched glasses have been selected to serve the champagnes depending whether the Champagne is served chilled or at room temperature and with what course” ” says Peter Tempelhoff.

To book The Virtues of Dom Pérignon Tasting Menu 

contact: 021 794 2137.

 

www.cellarshohenort.com