Abrie Beeslaar is continuing the Kanonkop tradition of the famous cellarmaster-hosted snoek braais for special groups (by appointment). 'He’s actually crazy about cooking,' says Jeanne. 'He does most of it when we entertain.' And often assisted by chatterbox and interested co-cook, little son Ben.
This could be outdoors on an open fire or indoors in the old-fashioned hearth, the hub of the living area with its paraphernalia for braais and potjies. Jeanne's parents have a farm between Malmesbury and Wellington.
'They farm with everything: cows, sheep, pigs, goats, ostriches, chickens; we get most of our meat land free-range eggs from them.' Abri started cooking at university, at first from necessity on a two-plate stove. But after moving into student digs, he'd always find a place with a garden with room to braai and found himself, quite happily, the designated cook.
'We’d half-starve during the second half of the week to save up for a big shop on Sunday when we’d buy MEAT - bacon, chops, wors, ribs, steak - and braai and make potjies with the lot! We'd have leftovers for breakfast, lunch, and supper, maybe up till Tuesday if we were lucky, then start the whole cycle again.'
The couple and their small children Ben and Emma live a stone's throw away from the Kanonkop cellar, in what's known as the 'winemaker's house'. There is as much a sense of rite of passage here as with the cellar when handing over occupancy.
Abrie had the walls repainted plain white when he moved in 'to live with until I knew what I wanted (which was a warm, golden shade when Jeanne moved in after the couple married in 2005). The beautiful old wooden doors, window frames, lintels, and ceiling beams supporting bamboo slats came courtesy of his predecessor's predecessor: Oom Jan, an inveterate collector.
The smallest door is a mere 1.6 metres. 'Even I have to bend down to get through and I’m short! It's as though the house were made for me!'
Having continued championing pinotage, which is undoubtedly the wine Kanonkop is most renowned for both here and abroad, Abrie introduced the Kadette Pinotage Dry Rosé as a summer stablemate to the Kadette Dry Red, a pinotage-led estate 'second label'.
He also makes a Ruby Port (from pinotage). 'But that's just for own consumption here on Kanonkop,' he says with a twinkle.
For all his easy, friendly personality and natural humility, the man has a strong competitive streak: not surprising in a champion winemaker and avid rugby supporter.
It comes through in a quote in the seminal Platter's South African Wines Guide 2012 (the annual publication that notably recorded Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon as its first five-star wine in the first edition in 1980 and voted it Winery of the Year in 2009). Stated Abrie of future plans for Kanonkop: 'To build a team that scrums the hell out of the best the world can offer.'
Eggs poached in pinotage with red wine reduction recipe by Abri Beeslaar paired with Kanonkop Pinotage wine....
Oven-roasted Greek lamb with feta and mint recipe by Abri Beeslaar served with couscous and paired with Kanonkop Paul Sauer wine....