Gabrielskloof Wine and Chocolate pairing

It was a Monday morning after a fun filled weekend and I needed something to help with the post-weekend blues! I decided to drive out to Gabrielskloof as its been ages since I visited them.

Beautiful court yard

Gabrielskloof is a beautiful estate situated in the middle of the canola fields. They produce quality wine and was the host to my fathers 50th birthday party so they will always be a special place for me.

I decided to enjoy their wine and chocolate pairing as a glass of Gabrielskloof wine never disappoints. The grounds and buildings of Gabrielkloof are beautiful and it's equally enjoyable to sit inside or outside during your wine tasting experience. It was a lovely sunny day so we decided to sit on the 'stoep'.

The lovely stoep to relax on

 

 

 

Tasting room inside

The Gabrielskloof wine is paired with Honest Chocolate. Honest chocolate is raw chocolate. This makes them the perfect accompaniments to the wine so that no artificial elements interfere with the taste of it. They use raw and organic cocao from Ecuador  which is high in anti-oxidants. The chocolate contains no sugar, stabilisers ect.

Here are the pairings

• Gabrielskloof Viognier with 72% orange chocolate. This was our favourite pairing as well as my favourite wine. We loved it as it was the sweetest combination out of all.
• Gabrielskloof The blend with 72% with mint. The wine is a Bordeaux blend, my favourite, which is led by Cabarnet Sauvignon.
• Gabrielskloof Shiraz with 72% Kalahari Desert salt. I am a big fan of sweet and salt combination desserts. Although Honest chocolate is not naturally sweet the above combo was still a treat.
• Gabrielskloof Five arches with 88% Dark. Five arches is also a Bordeaux blend with Cabarnet Franc as the leader. This combination unfortunately was too heavy for me.
• Gabrielskloof Swartrivier Shiraz with 72% grains or paradise(spicy citrus pepper from Ghana). This was my other favourite pairing. The pepper in the chocolate worked well with the pepper flavour in the wine.

Honest chocolate

 

Pre-wine

 

Awesome pairing

 

My tasting companions

At R60pp this was an awesome experience. Next on my to do list is the food and wine pairing that they now offer at the following prices

• White wines only (4) - R60
• Red wine only (4) - R70
• Complete tasting - R130

Current food and wine pairing menu

You can also just enjoy winetasting at R30pp and the fee is wavered if you purchase any wine. It has been a while since I've dined at their restaurant but all my previous experiences have been excellent, hearty food at reasonable prices.

Also remember about their Our Favourite Things Market the 12th&13th December that I've mentioned in a previous post.

As you can see Gabrielskloof has a lot to offer. My suggestion would be to enjoy one of the wine pairings and then head over for lunch or dessert at the restaurant. You will definitely want to spend as much time as possible here.

For more information visit their website
When to visit

• December
• Restaurant
• 09:00-17:00 everyday
• Wine tasting
• 10:00-16:00 everyday
• January-November
• Restaurant
• Wednesday-Monday 09:00-17:00
• Wine tasting
• Monday-Friday 09:00-17:00
• Saturday 11:00-15:00
• Sunday closed

Tweet them @Gabrielskloof
Like them on Facebook
Located near Botrivier(R43).(map link)

Honest chocolate

For more information visit their website
Tweet them @HonestChoc
Like them on Facebook
Instagram honestchocolate
Visit their newly opened store at 64A Wale street, Cape Town

The Shuntin Shed

In the quaint town on Botrivier you can go to a restaurant housed in the second oldest railway house in South Africa. The Shuntin Shed run by Lyndsay and Steven celebrates comfort food. Originally from Spain they bought The Shuntin Shed 3 years ago and have invested a lot of time to make it an establishment that they and their staff can be proud off.

 

Old railway memorabilia decorates The Shuntin Shed and the place has a very relaxed and non-pretentious atmosphere. The orginal train seats are also re-used in the restaurant.

 Most of the produce is sourced locally. With Lyndsay being hands on the kitchen the famous Sunday roast , made in the pizza oven, that becomes leftovers will be seen in a delicious pie the coming week.

 

They have a standard menu with delicious pizza’s and the blackboard shows new dishes every week that supports their local and fresh attitude. The crowd pleasers are the 500g “track of ribs” served with mash or chips (R89) and the “runaway” pizza topped with spicy chicken and avocado(R69). Come hungry and you will definitely leave a happy customer. The ribs are extremely juicy and tender. If you want meat they will serve you meat. The pizzas are thin based and not drenched in cheese but rather lathered with enough toppings which I appreciated.

Track of ribs

 

Runaway pizza

 

Orient express- Bacon, feta and peppadew (R69)

 

The black board performers for the week I visited.

 

Their wine list is limited but local. Gabrielskloof The blend (R120) and Sauvignon Blanc (R100) are two stunning wines on the list that will never disappoint. The red wines range from R65-R250 and the white wines R65-R100. Feel free to bring your own wine at R30 corkage. They also stock newcomer brewery, Stellenbrau, for the beer lovers.

End of your meal with their own amazing home blend coffee and for the adventurers out there add a chocolate pizza topped with marshmallows, maple syrup and bananas served with ice cream (R40).

The Shuntin Shed is a perfect place to drive to on a Sunday. Cape-Tonians will be glad to hear that within an hour’s drive you will be treated to a Sunday roast with all the trimmings your heart desires and a live local band. If the weather permits it you can enjoy delicious food and wine, great music and a lovely afternoon on the The Shuntin Shed terrace.

If you are interested in hosting an event you will be glad to hear that they don’t ask a venue charge. This place is perfect for a 21^st or pre-wedding functions if you plan to get married in the area.

Open times: Wednesday and Thursday 17:00 - late, Friday and Saturday 12:00 – late and Sunday  12:00 – 16:00.

For bookings: 0282849443 or lyndsay@houtbay.com

Location: Main road of Botrivier. Turnoff will be to your left side.

Facebookpage: The Shuntin Shed