Four days into the Cape Epic, and it was time for some Porra Power. Jacques Wentzel and Braam Gericke, the two winemaker-riders from Black Elephant Vintners and Wildekrans Estate respectively, finished Stage Three to the scent of baked duck and white wine from the volcanic islands of the Azores.

Amorim Cork, one of the sponsors for Team Jacques and Braam, had decided to surprise the riders with a Portuguese culinary spread after another huge day of riding.

With the help of his mother-in-law, Amorim SA MD Joaquim Sá, had prepared an expansive dish of traditional Arroz de Pato (duck rice) to fill the riders’ empty tanks. And when you have two winemakers riding, supported by a culinary obsessed Portuguese sponsor like Joaquim, the food has to be matched with the right wines, of course.

For this, Joaquim had brought along a magnum bottle of Verdelho made on the Portuguese islands of the Azores.