Recent posts

Caperatif South African vermouth

Caperitif – a true African vermouth with a taste of the Cape

Vermouth is having its moment. In my home of the previous 20 years, Australia, there are plenty of local versions such as Maidenii, Causes & Cures and Regal Rogue in addition to imported Vermouths such as the excellent Casa Mariol from Spain. Vermut Visit Spain and for a few Euros a sweetened vermut on ice is a terrific alternative to sherry or a beer. Vermouth is a fortified sweetened wine, red, white and sometimes pink. What is common is that […]

City on a Hill chenin blanc viognier 2016

City on a Hill chenin blanc viognier 2016

It’s difficult to escape Swartland. Though not the prettiest of the Cape’s wine regions, the wines are so bloody good. I’m talking about those made with minimal intervention. City on a Hill The City on a Hill 2016 is one that knocked me off my perch. Bold, textured, savoury, spicy and with none too much acid, it’s also comparatively low alcohol at 12.5%. The viognier brings that dirty edginess of tropical fruits that balances out the acid of the chenin […]

Bad Asian restaurant names

Uncle Ho. Happy Endings. And the latest Misohawni, a new restaurant in Johannesburg with a gimmicky name and a mishmash of Asian cuisines including Ramen. The social media and, in particular Twitter, backlash against the trivialisation and sexualisation of Asian culture in restaurants is inevitable. As is Misohawni taking down its Facebook page within 24 hours of opening. Check out my Medium post on the sexualisation of Asian women in restaurants.

Butchering an eland

Hunting in the footsteps of our forefathers

I’m here with two friends who once (or twice) a year fill their freezers with antelope and warthog. They are not trophy hunters and no antelope horns adorn their walls. They are nose-to-tail eaters who will also cure skins for the floor and use the intestines for sausage casings. The killing of animals for meat is an emotive issue. Most of us shop at Supermarkets and buy neat bright read packs of meat produced in industrial quantities presented on polystyrene […]