So Jancis Robinson does not expect to see a black member of the Cape Winemakers Guild within 20 years. We I do and her name is Ntsiki Biyela and I had dinner with her last night at the Grande Roche in Paarl. The Roche is a venue JR herself dubbed “one of the best billets in the Winelands” after one of her trips to judge SA wine – presumably not the time she heroically “judged” 151 young SA shirazes for the Old Mutual with the worst case of ‘flu ever, doing it all by texture. Amazing!

Ntsiki last night @ the Grande Roche

Anyway, things have changed at the Roche since those sick days. For starters, schmaltz is now off the menu, having been replaced by cottage cheese and sundried tomatoes which joins cottage cheese with chives and unsalted butter as the trio of spreads for the basket of breads. We inquired and were directed to a German butchery in Greenpoint for pork products.

Ntsiki and I are judging 64 dry white entries for Diners Young Winemaker of the Year this morning and I hope it goes ok as both of us are in rude health with not a sniffle in sight.