Last week I joined the Come Wine With Us team for yet another one of their dinner club evenings. This one was extra special though, because it was a celebration of Heritage month and all things proudly South African.
On the cards for the evening: A 5 course heritage-inspired menu prepared by Eat Out Rising Star 2013 award winner, Vanessa Marx, paired with Nederburg’s Heritage Heroes range of fine wines.
The dinner took place at the gorgeous Welgemeend Function, Event, Wedding & Conference venue in Gardens. I actually had no idea this place existed… And I live in the area…
Welgemeend has a rich history that dates back to 1693, and today it’s one of the last surviving Table Valley farmsteads. It sits within the grounds of the Jan van Riebeeck High School and houses the Boerneef Collection of South African art. If you’ve been looking for a venue for a special event, I highly recommend that you give them a call.
Now back to the big eat…
I have to say, Vanessa’s menu really blew me away and was hands down the best Come Wine With Us meal I’ve experienced to date.
On arrival we enjoyed a glass of Nederburg’s Heritage Heroes: The Young Airhawk paired with bobotie springrolls with a buchu & mint yoghurt. I sadly didn’t get a pic of these babies because they were being gobbled up too fast…
Then once we sat down for dinner, there were still another 4 courses to be enjoyed, each with a different SA heritage theme. Oh and to top it all off, the table décor changed to match every course. How cool is that?
The 1st course was beautiful baked snoek with an apricot relish paired with Nederburg’s Heritage Heroes: The Anchorman Marvel. And to fit the seaside theme of the dish, the table décor consisted of beach elements like seashells & beach sand.

This dish really had me wanting to lick the plate… all the elements just worked perfectly, turning a humble smoked snoek into absolute perfection…
The 2nd course was spiced seared Kudu with a lentil dressing, crispy bacon & wild rosemary. This was paired with Nederburg’s Heritage Heroes: The Motorcycle Marvel along with bushveld-style décor, thorn branches and all.
The 3rd course was a lamb knuckle potjie served with samp & beans and a spekboom salad. This delicious potjie was paired with Nederburg’s Heritage Heroes: The Brewmaster and served in big potjie pots.
The 4th and final course was DIY stokbrood served with relishes & local cheeses along with Rose Turkish Delight. This spread was paired with Nederburg’s Heritage Heroes: The Beautiful Lady which is named after Ilse Graue, wife of Johann Graue, who kept a rose garden on the Nederburg estate. As a little tribute to Ilse and her roses, the room was filled with the scent of rose water and the tables were beautified with small rose bouquets.
To Vanessa, Welgemeend, Nederburg & the Come Wine With Us team I have to say a very big thank you. This was an incredible experience from beginning to end.
For those who want to join in on the next Come Wine With Us event – the next one is taking place on the 7th & 8th of October over at Beluga. Get all the details here.
These evenings are always great value, a chance to meet new people, and to experience new things. What’s not to love?
xxx
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