Self-Isolation Week 1 in the Plett Winelands: March 2020
The first week of lockdown in South Africa has passed and we have been keeping busy with a wide range of activities! Pay close attention to our lockdown family diary for the next couple of weeks as we guide you through lots of healthy home wine and food pairings and share some ideas on how to keep the kids busy with activities during this quarantine and ‘stay at home’ period!
Day 1:
Day 1’s quarantine dinner consisted of roast free-range chicken and vegetables paired with Vinologist Wines’ Chenin Blanc from the Swartberg region. A fabulous rich white wine at a great price.
New home delivery innovations popped up like Bobotie from Bertussehuiskos, providing a cooked meal of the week from local Stellenbosch top chef Bertus Basson. You can also get fresh organic local vegetables delivered from @rootedbox_ in Stellenbosch. Supporting local is lekker! (This will continue again after lockdown!)
Day 2:
A truly South African pairing: We paired La Motte Shiraz-Grenache 2016 with ostrich fillet and grilled veg and salad. The rich ostrich was complemented by the bold spicy notes of the Shiraz which made for a great meal!
Day 3:
For Day 3’s meal we paired La Motte 2017 Millennium wine from Franschhoek with Salmon Trout, stir-fry vegetables and Shiitake mushrooms.
Day 4:
A music and wine pairing – ‘All stories have a beginning.’ The Introduction 2016, a decadent Stellenbosch Bordeaux-style blend from Miles Mossop, the winemaker of Zondernaam and Tokara wines until going solo. We paired the wine with a lovely ostrich & veggie bolognese pasta topped with Parmesan cheese, which held up beautifully alongside the dark subtle notes of this deliciously smooth Bordeaux blend.
Day 5:
Dinner consisted of Wahoo fish and couscous salad with Aan’t Vette’s Louis Meurant Syrah 2013 from Riversdale – the start of the Garden Route. The delicate, spicy Syrah creates a wonderful silky finish on the palate, accentuating the Wahoo fish.
Day 6:
A braai under the African sky… perfect for stay-at-home vacations! Lamb chops, butternut and creamed spinach, potato salad and greens paired perfectly with Freedom Hill Winery’s lovely smooth 2015 Cape Blend, created on the slopes above the Groot Drakenstein jail where Nelson Mandela spent his last few months before his first walk to freedom.
Day 7:
A seaside pairing: Lodestone 2018 Pinot Noir paired with salmon fillet and stir-fried green beans, asparagus and Asian noodles. A delicious Pinot pairing! Lodestone was the last winery (in the Plett Winelands) we visited before self-isolating. They have a gorgeous deck overlooking their beautiful dam, serving light lunches and wine tastings.
Hope you got your wine orders in for your wine delivery for post Lockdown in South Africa!
Daily family activities and keeping fit at home
Quarantine calls for some outdoor exercise! The kids keep busy by doing yoga and jumping on the trampoline while getting some much-needed fresh air. Stay home and stay healthy by keeping up with moderate exercise and healthy eating!
They also stretched their fingers and got their groove on with some piano practice!
The tots then let their creativity flow with some daily arts and crafts.
This piece ‘At Home’ was made at school pre-isolation and lockdown.
After all the time spent with the tots, mom also needs a break… and Big Cat needs some attention too.
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