Equines, French pizzazz and moreish Malbec

Tuesday, 26 May, 2015
Shante Hutton
If you're going to drink anything, eat anything or be anywhere, why not let it be one of these choices...

What to drink

La Parada in Cape Town CBD is one of the best tapas restaurants in SA (in my humble opinion) - a retro mix of decades, wood and metal, it always has an impressive amount of people crowding the battered wood tables each evening. The main reason for being there was to sample the brand new vintages from Plaisir de Merle in a 2015 review. The one that stood out was their Malbec which is just mind-blowing.

I think it's easy to overlook PdM because they have quietly been a prominent figure in Franschhoek for many years but you cannot overlook or ignore their wines which are consistently delicious or the lengths they go to produce such high quality.

What to eat

It's impossible to miss Cavalli on the R44; a pristine building beautifully designed and created to house horses, an elegant and modern restaurant, an art gallery and a tasting room. It looks imposing but the ethos behind Cavalli estate makes it an enticing location to visit. What thoroughly changed my perception was the restaurant, Equus, winner of the Boschendal Style Award 2014.

Hylton Espey heads up the restaurant and his philosophy is much like that of Cape Town's hottest and most popular chefs – indigenous flavours, earth-friendly, seasonal and fresh - I foresee another Eat Out award coming soon.

90% of the ingredients on the menu are from the estate and each item is specifically planted so that fresh and diverse produce is available all year round. Each dish has an inspirational theme behind it and is created to ensure that sight, smell and taste expectations are met.

If you visit and can have only one dish (tragic), the citrus-cured salmon should be your choice; the sweet glaze on the salmon has a hint of cinnamon - it's amazing how well salmon and cinnamon goes well together - with peppery notes from micro herbs to juxtapose the sweet and salty notes. Stunning presentation and good portioning makes this a winner.

With your food, you must order a bottle of the Cremello, a blend of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Verdelho which is creamy, aromatic, rich in stone fruit aromas but  also supported by good acidity. It's super yummy. 

What to do

Visit the tasting room at Rupert and Rothschild, make friends with the staff (who are lovely) and sample not only South African wines but ones from across the world.

They redecorated/re-altered their tasting room last year and it looks gorgeous. A large bar area hosts the majority of the wine tasting and an area of seating by large bay windows doubles up as the restaurant section. 

Crisp, Parisian design is key and the food carries French flavour. The main items on the menu are the two wine and food pairing tastings, the first consists of the three Rupert and Rothschild wines and the second is a serious of 5 items that pair with wines from the world that fall under the R&R portfolio. These are honestly two of the best pairings you will find at a winery in South Africa, the flavour combinations are perfect.

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Cavalli restaurant
Cavalli restaurant

Cured salmon
Cured salmon

R&R wine tasting
R&R wine tasting

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