ACHIM VON ARNIM HOSTS SYBARITIC EVENING ON THE FORESHORE

An evening spent in the company of winemaker Achim von Arnim always promises to be a lot of fun. Apart from being the extremely talented and visionary winegrower from the Cabrière Estate in Franschhoek, the man is also a great raconteur and has an absolute passion for what he does.

When the occasion is a gourmet dinner at the Cullinan Hotel on the Foreshore, with a menu created especially for the event by Craig Elliott in conjunction with Achim, then you know you're in for something very special.

Achim is a strong proponent of the marriage of wine and food. He ardently believes that the two should contrast and complement each other and the lingering aroma and tastes should blend on the palate to create a wonderful gastronomic sensation.
The food accent for the gourmet evening was definitely " wild, wild, wild," - scallops followed by duck and then springbok - all fresh and carefully prepared in an understated but naturally delicious way so that the full bouquet and flavour of the wines which had been chosen to accompany the dishes could be savoured properly.

Achim is an expert in the méthode cap classique or in layman's terms, putting the fizz into bubbly, and so it goes without saying that his Pierre Jourdan Brut set the tone of celebration and elegance for the rest of the evening. After the EC clampdown, we don't dare call it champagne any more, although according to Achim, even the French can't distinguish this one from their own.
The starter of scallops was a mere hint of the sea set on a bed of strongly flavoured baby spinach and was beautifully offset with a small glass of Ratafia - an exotic, fortified Chardonnay which according to the expert has sweetness "to give you energy to digest your food and alcohol to relax you".

The next course of panfried still pink duck certainly, had a touch of the wild about it and was accompanied by a light honey and soya sauce and fresh herbs, elegantly complementing the Cuvée Belle Rose - just a blush of the pink - a sparkling soft hint of Pinot Noir grapes where the grape is separated from the skin almost immediately so as to conserve the light, crisp taste but a add just a dash of intensity and richness.

Quite different from what had gone before was the heavier Haute Cabrière Pinot Noir 1998 - this time a red, fermented with the skins in the barrel, which by the way are all French oak, imported at around R3800 per cask. Wood tannins dominated, there was vanilla on the bouquet and the important thing I discovered was that this wine should be served very slightly chilled as the Pinot Noir grape apparently tastes best at a lower temperature than other reds.

Achim reckons this one will "lie down" very nicely for about five years, after which "you're in paradise." (I think it was the wine he was talking about!) Chef Craig's wild duck was the perfect partner, the gamey flavour of the superbly hung meat in a creamy coconut sauce being offset by the sharper notes of the wine.
The taste of creamy marscapone cheese in Tiramisu is often ruined by the confectioner's liquor which overpowers the dessert. Craig had cleverly brought out the flavour of his dessert using slivered almonds instead of liquor and so Achim's Pierre Jourdan Blanc de Blancs made for the perfect accompaniment.

As if that wasn't enough, the grand finale of a strong, pungent gorgonzola was coupled with Achim's Fine de Jourdan - "the only pot still brandy in the country" of which he says, "the stomach settles perfectly after just one glass and you settle beautifully after two".

"Sun, soil, vine, man" is Achim's motto and one which sums up his intense relationship with the earth, his vines, the picked grape and the glorious nectar which is the final product.
He waxes lyrical about his subject from the smallest to the largest detail. That evening he was deeply passionate about his recent investment made for some new Pinot Noir vines and how he sees their future output.

His love for the vine spills over into the wonderful cultivars and vintages he has created and his eloquent commentary makes for fascinating listening. Achim's presentation was one of a series of food and wine gourmet evenings at this hotel, which are an absolute steal at R130 a head when you consider the cost of the food and the variety and abundance of the wines on offer. The fact that you have been given a complete amateur's guide to viticulture in just one evening is the cherry on the top!

ALTANTIC SUN 5 OCTOBER 2000