MY BEST FRIEND

How do you choose your ‘best’ friend from all of the people who have come to mean so much to you under different circumstances over the years? No, this isn’t about revealing the close links I have with important people in my life. It is about a very palatable wine.

According to their website, Zandvliet’s credo has long been “the wine lovers’ friend for many years” and the My Best Friend range reflects the pure enjoyment that goes into the making and sharing of a fine wine. It is meant to be a quaffable wine to share among friends at any time.

I first encountered this dry, full-bodied, wine several years ago. Then, its label carried what looked like a hand-written note, My Best Friend …, which I think had a more intimate and friendly look about it than the new, formal, silver lettering. The label aside – for I often choose wine by the look of the label – I sometimes purchase this one for its tried and tested taste.

The dark red wine blend of cabernet sauvignon and shiraz – both favourites of mine – that boasts red fruit, plum and spice flavours followed by a well-rounded finish on the nose. Having some of those ‘nose’ flavours at hand, I couldn’t resist taking this photograph:

Certainly, this is a wine that I like to keep on hand.

https://zandvliet.co.za/our-wines/my-best-friend-cape-red-nv/

EXCITED

What are some of the things you find exciting?

I am excited by:

An unexpected phone call from one of my children or grandchildren.

Spotting a nest in a tree – such as this one built in a Fever Tree by House Sparrows.

Finding an empty eggshell in our garden – like this one below the nest of a Hadeda Ibis.

Watching a bud – in this case an Haemanthus albifloss, pushing it way through a plant.

Receiving an unexpected gift.

Watching wasps build their nests.

Seeing a new avian visitor to my garden – or one that has been absent for some time.

Finding the first lucky beans to fall from the Erythrina trees.

Listening to the chuckling sound of African Green Pigeons in the garden.

Receiving an e-mail from a friend I was about to contact.

Seeing Erythrina flowers against the blue sky.

Seeing a pretty moth.

A DAILY RATION

Generally speaking, people are encouraged to drink between four to six cups of plain water daily in order to remain hydrated. Do you? Of course this will vary depending on your level of activity, the temperature of the day, and what other fluids you imbibe in the form of juices, tea, coffee or alcohol.

A perusal of sites on the internet reveal that a gallon of beer (over three litres) formed part of a sailor’s daily ration on sailing ships. An alternative would be three cups (under a litre) of watered down wine or one cup (250 ml) of watered down spirits. It is the label on the wine featured below, Tin Cups Smooth Red, which set me off on this track of daily rations.

According to the blurb on the label, a liara was a tin cup measurement for the crew’s daily ration of wine. I cannot find a reference to a liara in this sense.

My search nonetheless sent me down information paths that informed me that, as beer did not last very well on long sea-voyages, the Royal Navy used either wine or spirits. The latter included brandy (sourced whilst in the Mediterranean), arrack from the East Indies, or rum from the West Indies. Apparently in time the West Indian merchants lobbied the Navy until rum became the standard spirit everywhere. The diluted rum became known as Grog. The practice of issuing rum to sailors in the Royal navy was discontinued in 1970, while New Zealand’s navy only abolished it in 1990.

My preferred ‘daily ration’ is tea – although I am happy to drink it in un-rationed quantities.

What is yours?

CHAMELEON CABERNET SAUVIGNON MERLOT

The Jordan Winery in Stellenbosch produces a magnificent wine in their Chameleon range: a wonderful blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. What is there not to enjoy about the beautiful dark red colour and the rich, fruity flavour?

The Cape Dwarf Chameleon on the label is perched on the flower of a Cape Honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis), such as this one growing in my garden.

The wine is intriguing – like the crossword that accompanied it!

HOUT BAY HOLIDAY

We are half way through our holiday in Hout Bay, where we are thoroughly enjoying the company of our daughter and youngest grandchildren. The weather has varied from being beautifully warm and filled with sunshine to clouds hugging the mountains, reluctant to leave.

On a particularly sun-filled evening we enjoyed this sauvignon blanc with dinner.

Kaalvoet Meisie means a barefoot maiden – the name is evocative of all sorts of images. Apparently Hermanuspietersfontein was the original name of the coastal town we now know as Hermanus.

My daughter and I lunched at the local nursery yesterday and I was amused by a rows of the large ants created from stones that lined a path.

If I wasn’t flying home, I might have been tempted to get one to lord it over our garden at home which hosts ants of various sizes!

Then there was a display of pincushion proteas for sale – also very difficult to resist!

After a very windy day the clouds came down as the sun set, making the afternoon darker much earlier than usual.

Before long the wind howled and the temperature dropped dramatically. Mulled wine was called for. This wine proved to be an excellent one to heat with spices, raisins and some sweet sliced oranges.

A ratel is a badger.