An old Latin proverb goes something like this: "It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking wine: the arrival of a friend, one's present or future thirst, the excellence of the wine, or any other reason... "
And the other reason? Food.
At 96 Winery Road, their menu is grown out of a love and affinity for wine — which is no doubt a winning formula, and at the very heart of this homely restaurant.
Founded by renowned wine personalities Ken Forrester and Martin Meinert, 96 Winery Road is a warm and inviting venue where wine flows and so do accolades — with many awards having been bestowed upon them, especially for their extensive wine list, which I must admit is rather heavy too...
A substantial drive from Cape Town (especially after a few glasses of wine), it's located on Zandberg farm in Somerset West.
Home away from home
Driving out there for dinner on a Friday afternoon it felt a little like we were going away for the weekend, and I must say I felt more than a tinge of anticipation.
On arrival, the venue is very unassuming and almost has somewhat of a country-home feel, which makes me think that if it's not the décor that's got everyone gaga over this place, it's got to be something else...
We were met by Allan Forrester, who manages the restaurant and made to feel at home straight away.
A glass of Ken Forrester Sauvignon Blanc (not bad for the house wine) quickly quenched my thirst with its ripe tropical fruit flavours and I sank into my chair, relaxed in this home away from home — almost forgetting that it was the food I was here for.
'My precious... '
As the last remnants of daylight were wiped from the sky, I was already ready for another glass of the same, but instead Allan suggested the FMC.
For white wine enthusiasts this term is comparable to Smeagol's "my precious... " — a prized possession once you have it in your sticky grip.
But jokes aside, the FMC or Forrester Meinert Chenin is most certainly a symphonic collaboration; its rich remarkable finesse sings of vanilla and honey, and is oh-so-sweet without being too much.
Perhaps Allan could see I was falling in love with the wine, as he soon came over to encourage us to try the food. He suggested we try a few starters to whet our appetites, and since it was impossible to decide on just one heavenly sounding dish, we were happy to oblige.
What's novel about 96 Winery Road is that they can genuinely advise you on what wine to drink with which dish, especially since there's such a variety of wine. But honestly Ken Forrester's ranges could happily do the job all on their own.
Indulgent affair
We tasted the Roasted Scallops (R80), Dalewood Camembert Parcels (R50), Baby Beetroot Salad (R50) and Crispy Pork Belly Strips (R45).
The scallops were wrapped in pancetta and served on braised fennel bulb with a rather indulgently sweet citrus glaze. Although the scallops were a sensuous delight, I'm afraid the glaze was just too sweet for me.
Then there were the camembert parcels wrapped in crisp phyllo pastry, which rested delicately on baby salad leaves, and served with a sharp chilli and cranberry sauce. A wonderful, but, again, a very rich combination.
My date for the night apparently doesn't eat beetroot, but the beetroot salad with dukkha goat's cheese and spiced walnuts wiped away any pre-conceived notions of the vegetable. Again, a magic concoction.
The crispy pork belly strips, however, beat me to the post, and I just couldn't muster the courage to try one, but my partner certainly had a smile on his face. Served with caramelised sweet potato and homemade tomato chutney though... well let's just say a little too rich for my liking.
Distracted by the wine
I think I have made it my mission to try every steak in the city, maybe it's just a novelty, but it certainly is the test of the food at a restaurant. If you can do steak superbly, then you're 'up there' in my books.
For mains I had the 250g rump (R79) with Asian Salsa (R18) — was a fresh helping of ginger, garlic, lemon, coriander, and chilli mixed together.
I would give 96 Winery Road a firm 7 out of 10 for their steak efforts.
My partner thought he just must try their renowned Gatriles Duck and Cherry Pie (R92), which is a heady combination of roasted duck in a rich port and black cherry sauce, topped with homemade puff pastry. Certainly a novel and excellent — but once again — extremely rich choice.
To go with the mains, we decided on some red wines quite fittingly, and my glass of Ken Forrester Shiraz was an ideal choice will the steak, but I could have quite happily have drunk it all evening, savouring every last berry-kissed sip...
Last is certainly not least
Lost in a haze of Shiraz, I really didn't fancy dessert, but was tempted by the waitress who said that the 96 Winery Road Dessert Platter (R65) — a taste of all their finest desserts on a single platter — was a must try.
So with hesitation we ordered it, but soon were fighting it out for the last remnants of the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate brownie and dark chocolate and orange ice cream, while the strawberry pancake and crème brulée took a little bit of a backseat. Certainly a worthwhile choice.
And so the hours passed in bliss until we simply had to leave... now that's the kind of escapism I would pay good money for.
The true test of a really outstanding restaurant is it's ability to draw you in, mesmerise you, so that you become completely unaware of time and space and simply enjoy yourself.
It's a delicate combination of amazing food, good company, sensitive service, fantastic wine and gentle ambiance... and something that 96 Winery Road has down to a fine art, despite some desperate décor.
Thamar Houliston
Lifestyle Editor
Thamar Houliston 11 Nov 2008
