“Oh my, here comes Jancis Robinson” exclaimed Adi Badenhorst at Bar Bar Black Sheep this afternoon as a glamorous windswept angular blonde of a certain age picked her way around the cacti and clutter on the stoep of this Riebeek-Kasteel culinary landmark-in-the-making colonized by twenty Swartland producers for an appellation-wide tasting. “On second thoughts there are no TV cameras, so it probably isn’t.” Confirmed by her boots – definitely not Issey Miyake, Manolo Blahnik or Miuccia Prada.

Adi thinks he sees La Jancis in Riebeek-Kasteel

But it could have been, as for a while it looked like the delicately poised spittoon of SA wine would shift off its axis given the weight of vinous identities congregated in Kasteel. All Cape Town’s serious retailers, Caroline Rillema, Roland Peens and Vaughan Johnson were there as were restaurateurs from La Colombe to Belthazar and even a couple of local establishments turned out. The architect of the Swartland Renaissance, Charles Back, materialized in person with wife Di and the pair then adjourned for lunch at Café Felix. “Did they come in the Porsche?” I asked Charl du Plessis, winemaker at Spice Route. His reply was inaudible.

Wine Glitteratti and Spitteratti in Riebeek-Kasteel

The fourth estate was comprehensively represented by the editor of WINE magazine Christian Eedes, Norman McFarlane a roving correspondent for Wine Tourism News and the Power Behind Platter, Angela Lloyd, in her day-after-women’s-day-finery, proclaiming loudly “this is a very important tasting.” Well there were 40+ wines to get through, many on the jolly side of 15% ABV, and it was a sighted tasting. The only heavyweight opinion former missing was Emile Joubert, recovering from Women’s Day festivities.

Wine prices ranged from R30 for Stephan Basson’s acid pear drop Chenin Blanc 2009 to R550 for Eben Sadie’s Columella 2006. There were several turn ups for the wine book: Rudi Wium’s four vintage Meerhof Shiraz blend (R80) that was deep and delicious and Pieter Euverard’s oxidative Orangerie white blend (R60) that tasted of… oranges. Similar in style to Johan Simons’ Dragon Ridge 2006 white blend (R55) inspired by Eben Sadie. “But not in the price department. R100 is a cutoff for my friends. Any more than that and they buy a bottle of whisky.”

Rudi Wium

Argentinian Billy Hughes’ Nativo red blends (R70 for 06 and 07 vintages) are organic orgies worth further investigation while both Bernard McCoy’s Roundstone wines are the real McCoy.

Bernard McCoy

Pieter du Toit’s Kloovenburg Chardonnay 2009 is a steal at R48. Andrea Mullineux confided she enjoyed being thirty (her birthday party went down at Anti Pasti next door to Bar Bar Black Sheep on Saturday) and reported over 30 enquiries for her wine after a recent story in the Sunday Times. “Roland also sold heaps at the Wine Cellar after the story appeared” she confirmed.

Pieter du Toit

A fate unfortunately denied Craig Hawkins and his mineral marvel El Bandito 2008 after the price and e-mail mysteriously fell off the page on Sunday. I must make amends.

Carla Kretzle pours El Bandito, Craig being in Zambia

As for the love child of Elvis Presley and Janis Joplin (as christened by Anton Espost), Adi Badenhorst, his pair of 2007 blends impressed but he couldn’t come up with a farm price as he’d never sold a bottle from his farm before (further prodding produced R228 each). Which could explain why his was the only stand not graced by a regulation white tablecloth.

Adi sets out his stall

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