Bumping into beautiful MasterChefSA winner Kamini Pather at Birds Restaurant on Bree yesterday, I once again was amazed at how tiny is the second fiddle sommeliers play to celebrity chefs. Can the public name a single sommelier? Do they care? The running is made by Kamini, Luke (Dale-Roberts), Liam (Tomlin), Pete (Goffe-Wood), Uncle Tom Cobley and all. So sommeliers have to try harder, and Monday week they’re organizing an XO Cognac vs. SA brandy tasting at the Taj Hotel led by Tim James, Platter assistant/associate editor and serial groaner.

Not being a member of the Sommeliers Association, I’ll be saving R300 not to hear Tim regurgitate his Cape Wine Master brandy lecture notes that embarrassingly had to be corrected in public by a distiller swatting for her CWM. Cringe! Instead, I’d rather pay an extra R100 to the lady from whom we buy our French cheese for our weekly RECM best value tastings at my Wine Gallery @ Taj.

I have had a good response for my first Unique and Exclusive French Market ‘Champagne, Wine and Cognac’ Tasting with French cheese pairing on Friday the 4th of July in the afternoon, I do have a couple of spare places if you are interested in booking, the price is R400 per person. Please contact me before Sunday night as I need final numbers before Monday morning. The Consul of France is my guest of Honour and the Directeur of the Alliance Française has graciously offered me their venue. We are tasting a Pol Roger champagne, a Chablis from Burgundy, a Sancerre from the Loire, a Rose from Provence, a Bourgogne Pinot Noir and a Bordeaux Superieur followed by 3 Dalamain (sic) Cognacs. Plus I will pair this with some of my cheeses.

Churchill’s favourite fizz, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux and Burgundy plus three Delamain Cognacs, cheese and a chance to schmooze the French consul sounds irresistible. Who needs a sommelier – I’d take it all!

If you want to too, please contact Suzanne at [email protected] as there are still a couple of spaces left. Or come along on Thursday night to the opening of ‘n Vuur Gevang in Glas, an exhibition of SA brandies curated by a Platter visualizer who actually knows something about brandy: Winnie Bowman.

Entrance is free and six brandies will be available for your delectation.