Three cities, one night, one new wine to try to banish those blackout blues
● Fancy a tipple to soothe the load-shedding blues?
You might want to consider Nicolas, a new red blend from Boschendal — one of SA’s oldest wine estates — named after one of its pioneers, Nicolas de Lanoy.
The wine’s launch took place simultaneously in Cape Town, Joburg and Düsseldorf in Germany on Monday evening.
I found myself at the Joburg leg of the event held at the Daytona car dealership in Melrose Arch.
Upon arrival, I am greeted by the ever-soglam Vika Shipalana, who has smartly leveraged the profile she carved at another alcohol company to open her own luxury consultancy.
Vika is there with her mate Karabo Rafuza, who used to own the now-shuttered Hyde Park boutique for French brand IKKS.
Meanwhile, across the room I spot guests including fashion king David Tlale, Nigerian fashion consultant Dénola Gray and interior designer Donald Nxumalo, all enjoying flutes of Boschendal’s Jean le Long MCC.
Donald, who is working on a new store for Mozambican designer Taibo Bacar, tells me a mention in this column has its perks: he landed a new project after a client read about him in The A-Listers last year.
Next, I catch up with Azael Langa, the artist who paints with smoke I spoke to at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair last month.
Azael points out something I hadn’t noticed about his oeuvre — his subjects all have their eyes closed.
“I am capturing the essence of spirit — when the eyes are shuttered, you are in the presence of the soul,” he explains.
From art to black diamonds: next I meet Ursula and Kealeboga Pule, whose company Nungu Diamonds is one of the few blackowned diamond polishing and cutting firms around.
Official proceedings finally get started when Frank Julyan, the financial director of DGB, the company that owns Boschendal, welcomes us and apologises for the delay.
Turns out guests at one of the other events were a little late to arrive. Frank confides to me later that, unsurprisingly, it was the Capetonians and not the Germans who were tardy.
On to dinner at tables elegantly set up in the showroom. On my right is Mitch Gemmell of that sometimes overlooked Joburg treasure Ten Bompas. Across from me is legendary chef Marthinus Ferreira of dw eleven-13.
I tell Marthinus of my fondness for the pork belly on his menu and he encourages me to try the pigeon next time, explaining it is expertly shot in Brits.
Er, a little too graphic for my sensitive stomach, thanks …
Further to Mitch’s right is Bekithemba Moyo, the sommelier at another fancy spot, Marble.
I point out that last time I was at the place that I call my local chisa nyama we were evacuated after the kitchen caught alight, but the wine fundi brushes it aside as “just a little fire”.
Mmkay …
I ask sommelier Germain Lehodey how to describe Nicolas.
“It has a smooth, round quality with no acidity and a very soft tannin,” says the Frenchman.
Ah! Possibly the perfect accompaniment to a fired-up Marble steak, whether the lights are out or not.
I am capturing the essence of spirit Azael Langa