Gorgeous…………..just the name conjures up something lovely, delectable, pleasant, something attractive and splendid, that delights the senses. And Gorgeous is all of these things. I am talking about Gorgeous by Graham Beck of course….The ultimate Méthode Cap Classique Experience!
Deriving it’s name from the favoured endearment used by the late Mr Graham Beck, Gorgeous by Graham Beck, the first brand-exclusive bubbly bar in South Africa, is a statement of elegance, from the Vivienne Westwood wallpapering to the über-stylish Tom Dixon lighting above the Carrara topped bar. Gorgeous recently opened its doors at Steenberg Vineyards, the oldest farm in Constantia, nestling against the slopes of the Steenberg Mountain in the tranquil Constantia Valley. Besides the recently opened Gorgeous, Steenberg Vineyards boasts a state of the art modern winery where award winning wines are produced and is also home to the luxurious Steenberg Hotel, Catharina’s Restaurant, BistroSixteen82 (the farm was established in 1682) and a championship 18 hole golf course.
Gorgeous is compact with I think about 8 to 10 seats around the bar and 3 stylish very comfortable boutiques where one can sit comfortably and chat, sipping on gorgeous bubbly whilst nibbling away at a delightful exclusive to Gorgeous selection of canapés.
A couple of weeks ago I was invited to a deliciously different tasting at the über-chic bubbly bar, where Pieter “Bubbles” Ferreira, cellarmaster at Graham Beck Wines, Cellar poured two very special Rosé bubblies (50% Chardonnay 50% Pinot Noir) to demonstrate the dramatic effect that dosage, or addition of sugar, has on the flavour of champagne-style wine. I enjoyed both subtly salmon pink coloured wines but preferred the lower dosage one while hubby preferred the slightly higher dosage Rosé. These were enjoyed with sumptuous canapés, including Tian of Cured Franschoek Salmon Trout with a poached quail egg, Salmon caviar and micro herbs, a poached Tiger Prawn with avocado salsa, Japanese mayonnaise, pickled ginger and sesame seed salad and a sublime asparagus and goat’s cheese risotto croquette with pickled shemeji mushrooms, white truffle oil and micro herbs, all created by inventive and talented Executive Chef Garth Almazan of Catharina’s.
We were also fortunate enough to get some tastes of the Graham Beck Brut Zero 2005, a non dosage bubbly with a crisp, citrussy, pleasantly yeasty taste which I loved, and on the opposite end a Graham Beck Bliss Demi Sec, a frivolous, honeyed, happy tasting bubbly that had most of us relaxing in our seats and asking for more. Pieter Ferreira was a highly informative and delightfully entertaining host.
These wines are all available by the glass at R40 per flute or R200 per bottle. For convenience you can also purchase bottles from Gorgeous at Cellar door prices to enjoy at home.
Gorgeous is a perfect venue for enjoying a glass of bubbly at sunset or for pre-dinner drinks. Personally I rather fancy languishing a Saturday or Sunday afternoon away on one of those comfy couches with a platter of delicious canapés and a bottle of Brut Zero!
The full selection of Graham Beck Wines’ award winning Méthode Cap Classique bubblies are on offer at Gorgeous.
Gorgeous by Graham Beck are very kindly sponsoring and presenting a tasting workshop at the Food and Wine Blogger Indaba on 24 June 2012. To participate in this workshop and others please take a look at the AGENDA then go to the booking page and book your ticket now.
Steenberg has a fascinating history “At the dawning of the Cape, the swans rejoined, feeding in paradise at the foot of the Steenberg Mountains.”
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* Vivienne Westwood is an iconic British fashion designer whose work spans three decades. Her wallpapers are based on signature designs from her avant-garde fashion collections. The wallpaper chosen for Gorgeous is ‘Paper Jewellery’, based on graphic depictions of Westwood’s Autumn/Winter 00/01 jewellery collection.
* Tom Dixon is a bespoke manufacturing company of furniture and lighting. Its designers draw inspiration from the unique heritage, individualistic innovation and robust, no-nonsense engineering found in theUK.
* Carrara marble is a luxurious material that derives its name from the Italian city in which it is quarried. White or grayish-blue in colour, its clean, aesthetic qualities make it a highly desired item in architecture and sculpting.
Thank you to Erica from Erica Meles Public Relations for the kind invitation! Some of the photographs used are also supplied by Erica Meles PR.
Cheers,
Colleen
Tomorrow sees the opening of the Good Food and Wine Show at Cape Town’s CTICC. South Africa’s premier food, wine and lifestyle event, and notably one of the best in the world, the GFWS has, for the past 10 years, enjoyed unprecedented success and continuously brings excellence, innovation, flamboyance and joie de vivre to the fore. Food and wine lovers and enthusiasts gather in their thousands to see, feel, smell and taste what is new (and old and well loved) in these two essential industries. The 2012 line up, starting with the show in Cape Town 24 -27 May, Durban 23 -26 August and Gauteng 21 – 24 September, include famed foodies Buddy Valastro of Cake Boss fame, Whitney Miller (winner of MasterChef America), Reza Mahammad, Ariana Bundy (love this lady’s work) and CBeebies Mister Maker (my grandsons are crazy about this talented man) whose energetic and charismatic demonstrations are predicted to be a roaring highlight of the Show.
