The couple, now proud parents of little Anne, have moved from a tiny cottage up in the mountains into an old Cape Dutch manor house a stone's throw away from the cellar. Much altered, somewhat insensitively, over the years, the H-shaped homestead is being gradually renovated.
The Mockes started with the heart of any self-respecting home: the kitchen. Or at least parts thereof, as it’s a large, industrial-sized space once servicing what was French restaurant La Maison de Chamonix.
Gottfried Mocke is particularly delighted with the rare imported La Cornue cooking range, fallen into disuse but which he's intent on returning to full working order. He already uses the gas hob. 'It also has both a rotisserie and a wood-burning oven!'
He may be a Burgundian specialist, but there are many strings to this vintner's bow. His strongly innovative bent is reflected in both vinyard and cellar.
He produces two sauvignon blancs, his oaked version considered one of the Cape's finest examples. Although the farm's cabernet sauvignon is highly rated, his Bordeaux-style blend is dominated by cabernet franc and he's contemplating bottling what will be an unusual single varietal example.
His Pinotage, with its dash of pinot noir, is made from an uncommon combination of early picked and desiccated grapes. And he's also a dab hand at making sparkling wine: Cape Chamonix's Cap Classique Blanc de Blancs. For all his experimental ways with wine, he's a traditionalist when it comes to food. 'I like boerekos [traditional farm food] and that's what I mostly make: waterblommetjiebredie and tamatiebredie [Cape pondweed- and tomato stew).'
In Gottfried's opinion: 'The wine comes first and then the food. Some foods just ruin wine. Many of these really intense sauce reductions you get at elaborate restaurants and food and wine matching exercises: honestly, they just kill the wines sometimes!' Especially his beloved pinot noir, a delicate red in all respects, tricky to make, tricky to match; chardonnay is different, 'very much a food wine'.
His favourite recipes are family stalwarts, handed down from both sides. 'My mom is quite a good cook. She devised this chicken and clam dish on holidays at St Sebastian's Bay on the Cape south coast; we called it 'Basjanbaai' because we couldn't pronounce it as kids.' The Mockes have had a holiday home there since Gottfried was born (he remains a keen surfer and kite-surfer, usually at Britannia Bay where he and Anna-marie have a place). He's adamant that the whole family will still try to get together at St Sebastian over New Year.
His wife hails from Laingsburg in the Karoo, where her family are sheep farmers. From her side come all sorts of traditional farm delicacies, including a favourite she makes for Gottfried: the pluck of a sheep known colloquially as harslag.
But of all things, his favourite activity and his favourite time of the year is harvest time: 'That's where I can totally switch off from everything else and tell everyone I'm not available for anything!'
Chicken and clam tomato casserole recipe by Gottfried Mocke served with couscous and paired with Cape Chamonix Pinot Noir Reserve wine....
Sheep’s Pluck in sweet-and-sour sauce recipe by Gottfried Mocke served with fresh ciabatta and paired with Cape Chamonix Chardonnay Reserv...