WINE OF THE WEEK

My brother got married last December and asked me to make the cake. He was probably joking, but I, in a fit of nostalgia for my teenage baking years, foolishly agreed. At first it all seemed to be coming together beautifully: a small fruitcake for the top, dense glutenfree chocolate for the middle, moist lemon for the bottom — all baked and ready for icing and assembly ahead of hosting Christmas dinner for 15. Another story.

But, oh, that darned chocolate tier. The messiest one to choose for my first attempt in years at working with white fondant, but after nailing the other two tiers I re-iced it on the eve of the wedding, feeling truly domestic goddess-like. Only to discover the next morning that the cat had jumped on it. Everything was fine in the end (even the cat), but the moral of the story is to leave it to the professionals next time. After all, it wouldn’t occur to me to make my own wine . . .

Then again, it might. Many a garage has been converted into a mini wine cellar since the University of Stellenbosch launched its Garagiste Winemaking course in 2005. Aimed at people “interested in producing quality small-scale wines in the comfort of their homes”, the next entry-level course will be held in September, costing R3 200 per person (for further details call Professor Wessel du Toit on 021 808 2022).

Alternatively I might wait for harvest 2015 when those pioneering garagistes at The Topaz Wine Co host a handson winemaking day, including lunch and a game of boules, followed by a bottling day and braai a year later, when you get to take your very own 12 bottles home with you.

Costing R995pp, it’s an experience for any wine lover to consider, preferably over a glass of the peppery Topaz Shiraz 2012 (R95) with its concentrated plum flavours and hint of biltong. www.topazwineco.com.