Newsletter 18 - February 2006 - Caveau Wine Bar & Deli

In This Issue

Jean & Brendon's Welcome

Welcome!

Wine Review
Waterford
Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Recipe
Pigeon with gooseberries, thyme and potato dumplings

Dear Friends

The heat of our Cape Town summer is still very much upon us. Whilst our friends up in Jo’burg are pulling out their winter wear, we in the Cape are still in the throes of one of our warmest and driest summers yet! The downside has most certainly been the raging fires borne by our beautiful mountains (and no doubt fuelled by our famous South-Easter), of which Caveau had the most spectacular views.

The upside is that we have accommodated many a long lazy (business) lunch, with chilled whites flowing in abundance!! Our evenings, however, are seeing a few more reds being brought up from our cellar … a sign perhaps that some respite in the form of cooler weather is on the way?

Exciting news at Caveau is that we have been busy expanding our deli!Beautiful new shelving has been installed and is now proudly accommodating some of Caveau’s little treasures. Yes, at last we are selling some of the very ingredients that we use in the recipes on our menu. Available for use in your own kitchen, the products range from olive oil, chutneys and salad dressings to jams, granola and biscotti.
We are also thrilled to be boasting a new cheese fridge. Kindly supplied to us by Get Stuffed Enterprises, it has been packed with many of their hand selected and “ready-to-eat-now” cheeses. Specifically chosen to compliment our wines, we invite you to come and sample a few of our delicious finds.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Till then... keep swirling!

Au Revoir

Petit Caveau

Wine Review - Waterford, Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Having finally obtained our alcohol trading licence, Caveau will be able to serve as a wine merchant as well as wine bar and deli in the New Year. At Petit Caveau you will be able to buy wines that appear on our wine list and even some that don’t! From time to time we may even be lucky enough to get our hands on something really special!!

In the mean time however, if there are any wines on our wine list that you would like to have for your own private collection but that you may be battling to find elsewhere, please do not hesitate to contact us and we shall try to source it for you.

Nestled in the Helderberg range lies the realisation of a dream!

A dream where life is cherished, where time is marked by the seasons and where the fruit is a constant reminder of abundance and the beauty of nature.
It is here that the Ord and Arnold families dreamed of a wine farm and bore witness to the birth of “The Waterford Way” : a philosophy that honours prosperity, celebrates life, food and wine and loves family and friends with passion.

The uniqueness of the terroir, the passion of these two families and the masterful talent of winemaker, Kevin Arnold, has formed a catalyst for wines that are relished around the world.

For a wine estate that is a relative new comer to the South African wine scene, Waterford has established top class listings in South Africa and internationally. In aspiring to be a leading South African wine producer, particularly in reds, they have produced an outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon. Made using 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 5% Merlot, their 2003 vintage is a classic! Displaying fruit aromas with a hint of well integrated oak vanillas this great vintage has produced wonderful tannins that are classically dry and yet yielding on flavour experience and mouthfeel. It is an ultimate food wine that particularly compliments most red meats, game and ostrich and accompanying sauces.

Jean’s Thoughts
I am always on guard when I want to buy a Cabernet Sauvignon. Price could go way above average, the fruit flavours could be eccentric, and the alcohol content, heavy. Well, Waterford is on our list and it is no wonder why. Taste it and see...

Brendon’s Thoughts
The name ‘Waterford’ has always been synonymous with quality, and here, we taste it yet again in another superb vintage. The wine, although a little young, can be drunk now or aged further depending on your willpower. Its a fairly versatile wine in the sense that one could drink it on it's own (at 16-18°C) or preferably with a classic Caveau fillet. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

At Caveau: R 165.00 per bottle

Caveau’s Friends in Wine

Pigeon with gooseberries, thyme and potato dumplings

Every now and then, Caveau receives stock at a reduced or “special price”. This may either be in order to move produce a little faster or due to wine farm promotions that may be running at the time. At Caveau we feel that our patrons should be the first to experience the benefits of such kickbacks and we have in turn decided to run monthly specials.

This month, our special offering is Signal Hill’s Petit Verdot 2003. Traditionally Petit Verdot is one of the five classic red wine cultivars of the Bordeaux region in France. Locally this cultivar’s biggest appeal is for use in red blends and, due to its sensitivity to terrain and climatic conditions, is very seldom found as a single cultivar wine. Signal Hill however has managed to get it right with an offering that has been selected for no less than the South African Nederburg Auction! This wine displays earthy scents and cedary oak on the nose with well integrated cherry fruits complemented strongly on the palate by savoury flavours. Its firms round tannins demand decanting and aeration at serving but also ensure a cellaring aptitude for a good 10 years, at least. .

Available from Petit Caveau for only R70.00 per bottle, should you be interested in purchasing this wine for your own private collection or just to enjoy with friends and family, please feel free e-mail your order to: info@caveau.co.za

Ingredients

4 x pigeon
100g gooseberries
10g thyme
2 cloves garlic
250ml sherry
500ml chicken stock
200g potato, peeled and roasted
150g flour
1 egg
200g button mushrooms, cut into quarters
Salt & pepper (seasoning)

Serves 4

Method for potato dumplings:

Mash the roasted potatoes and work in the flour and egg
Need into a soft dough and roll into 20 equal sized balls
Blanch in boiling salted water and put to one side

Method for the pigeon:

Season the pigeon and seal skin side down in a hot pan for 3 minutes
Place pigeon in an oven (preheated to 180°C) for 5 minutes, then remove and
allow to rest for 10 minutes
Add sherry, chicken stock, thyme and garlic to the pan in which the pigeon was
seared and allow to simmer
Sautee the mushrooms in a separate pan and add to the sherry sauce and allow to simmer
Add the dumplings to the sherry sauce and simmer for 4 minutes
Add gooseberries and simmer for a further 2 minutes
Spoon the sauce and dumplings into deep bowls and place the pigeon on top
Sprinkle with Maldon salt

The Vine Room

The Vine Room, Cape Town’s finest and most exclusive private dining venue is finally open for bookings. As opposed to our more casual fare, the menus that we will be designing for this venue are of “fine dining” standards.

Should you be interested in making any bookings, please feel free to contact Gabi on gabi@thevineroom.co.za or on 083 284 6754.

"Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life's most civilized pleasures." - Michael Broadbent


Caveau Wine Bar & Deli - Newsletter 18 - February 2006	(021) 422 1367