A weekend in the life of a Capetonian almost always involves a glass of wine and a delicious spread. South Africa has no shortage of wine farms or top-tier restaurants and Nederburg is a cut above the rest.
Nederburg has recently reopened their beautifully reimagined manor house in Paarl, now known as The Manor. Head chef Jerry Kennedy and his team are launching a carefully considered food and wine offering that celebrates the heritage of the Paarl winery and South Africa, whilst delivering innovative, seasonal and locally-sourced fare matched with award-winning wines.
The talented culinary team will be serving up a mouth-watering two- and three-course menu as part of Restaurant Week South Africa XXL from October 1 to November 1, 2020. The three-course menu, including a glass of wine per course, is offered at R350 per person while the two-course, also featuring a glass of wine per course, costs R250 per person.
Reservations need to be made via www.restaurantweek.co.za. Bookings open on Friday, 25 September.
A culinary experience of note…
The day starts with a complimentary glass of Nederburg’s bubbly together with wild mushroom arancini with truffle pea purée, a Parmesan wafer, and sticky ginger and soy glaze, to stir up your appetite.
Starters include crispy fried squid, lemon aioli, parsley and lemon peel salad; or zucchini carpaccio, walnuts, gratinated Chevin and mizuna salad, paired with a glass of Nederburg’s refreshing Carignan Grenache Rosé.
The delicious main course options include ginger and chilli glazed pork belly, sesame crackling, apple wood-smoke pak choi, thyme-crusted mieliepap and wakame broth; venison loin, butternut potato dauphinois and prune jus; and Jambalaya with cauliflower steak, carrot & miso purée, and carrot top pesto (vegan option).
All three meal options are expertly paired with Nederburg’s Heritage Heroes Motorcycle Marvel Rhône-style blend.
Keep some room for an absolutely stunning dessert pairing of orange shard crème brûlée and 70% dark chocolate shortbread crumble, with Nederburg’s award-winning Noble Late Harvest dessert wine.
If you won’t have time to swing by for Restaurant Week South Africa XXL, Nederburg also offers a variety of delicious meals you can feast on all day long.
Have your pick of their energising breakfast options, served between 9am and 11am only on weekends. From blueberry and beetroot oatmeal muffins with refried beans, chargrilled pepper, shallot and mushroom ragout to a new take on Croque Monsieur featuring toasted Ciabatta with roasted tomato, avocado hummus, Emmental cheese, gypsy ham, and crème fraiche & chive scrambled eggs, there is something for everyone.
They serve up starters from 12pm, which can be enjoyed as light meals. The selection includes traditional Caesar salad; zucchini carpaccio, walnuts, gratinated goat’s chevin and mizuna salad; smoked salmon roulade with pickled ginger, vine tomato and micro greens, finished with lime splash vinaigrette; and wild mushroom arancini with lemon green pea puree and a Parmesan wafer.
The main show…
Mains include the dishes on offer for Restaurant week, as well as a burger served with pruned caramelised onions and garlic sweet potato crisps. Then there’s charred A-grade beef rump with Chimichurri, grilled pickle onions, samp, and a bean and lemon grass croquette.
If poultry’s your thing, they also have your back. Chef Jerry’s baby chicken, prepared according to his grandma’s recipe and served with sautéed caramelised new potatoes, takes you back to years ago.
The sustainably-sourced line fish comes pan-roasted with pickled baby marrow salad, ginger, crispy leeks and zesty lemon butter sauce. For even more seafood refreshment, consider the crispy-fried squid, complete with lemon aioli, parley, lemon peel and shoe-string fries.
A sweet ending…
The Manor offers a lavishly delectable dessert platter to share, including tarte Tatin, crème brûlée, mini chocolate brownies and fruit & cream pavlovas. These items could also be ordered as individual desserts. There’s also a deconstructed citrus tart with orange, meringue, apricot and zesty crumbs – an absolute treat with their noble late harvest wines!
Nederburg’s well-known Noble Late Harvest also comes served with a selection of cheeses with options ranging from Gorgonzola served with melba toast and freshly-cut fruit, brie with preserved green figs and toasted Ciabatta bread, matured Boerenkaas with citrus marmalade and sesame lavash, and semi-hard Gruyere with spiced pineapple and crackers.
Wine to complement your palate and your meal…
Trained wine and service ambassadors are on hand to help you choose your selection of dishes, and pair it with a wide variety across their wine ranges, including an exclusive collection of perfectly cellared older vintages, not available elsewhere. These are also served individually, as tastings. The tasting options are:
– The Manor Tasting: choose five wines from the blackboard selection of weekly staff picks (R60pp)
– The Vault Tasting: Taste some of their most premium wines, carefully matured by the experts at the Vinoteque wine bank (R95 pp until November 1, after which the price increases to R155 pp)
Relax in the garden…
Opt for the garden experience under age-old trees, starting at 12pm. This features a generous picnic basket, filled to the brim with a splendid selection of local cheeses and charcuterie, olives, pickles, nuts, hummus, and freshly baked bread to start.
The main course is crispy roasted baby chicken with sautéed caramelised new potatoes. To finish, enjoy a deliciously decadent chocolate brownie served with cream. The picnic basket serves two and includes a bottle of your choice of wine from The Winemasters collection. Adult picnic baskets, serving two, cost R460, while kids’ picnic boxes (for those under the age of 12), serving one, goes for R100.
Throughout the day from 9am to 5pm, The Manor offers wine tastings, cocktails and mocktails, freshly-made coffees, teas, juices and sodas, sweet treats, freshly-baked breads and pastries, as well as artisanal cheese and charcuterie platters. Also, be on the lookout for the chef’s daily starter/light meal and main course “blackboard specials”.
The Hot Chocolate Tasting features sophisticated flavours like a cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg version, another one with hazelnut and a third which is salted caramel, all expertly blended with top-quality dark chocolate by barista, Ivhan Arendse.
A mini selection of the hot chocolate versions is offered as part of the tasting, and each comes with a perfectly paired freshly baked biscuit to indulge in. The hot chocolate experience is offered at R95 per head, and is available daily between 11am and 3pm.
All guests spending more than R500 at Nederburg’s The Manor will receive a 20% discount voucher to purchase their favourite wines via the winery’s online wine shop.
Strict COVID-19 hygiene and safety measures are in place and patrons must wear masks. Bookings for the restaurant, wine tastings and picnics are essential. Reservations need to be made 24 hours in advance by contacting them on [email protected] or 021 862 3104.
Trading hours:
– Mondays to Sundays (except Tuesdays when The Manor is closed):
– Breakfast served from 9am to 11am (weekends only)
– Lunch served from 12pm to 3pm
– Always-on-offer menu items: 9am to 5pm
Contact details:
Physical address: Sonstraal Road, Dal Josafat, Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa
Tel: +27 21 862 3104
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.nederburg.com
Social media: Facebook.com/nederburg | Twitter.com/nederburg | Instagram.com/nederburgwine | Youtube.com/nederburgwine
Picture/s: supplied