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This week The Pretty Blog has created a simply gorgeous Italian-inspired wedding theme that we can't get enough of! The look is ideal for Autumn, with a rustic festa ambience featuring burnt orange and plum flowers matched with dusty blooms and natural elements.

Visit The Pretty Blog to view more stunning photos.

The Filly’s will be hosting the annual fund raiser on Friday 3 May at the Val de Vie Estate and the event promises some fantastic live entertainment! Kurt Darren will sing some of his popular hits and there will also be a Blues Jazz Band, Burlesque dancers and a solo artist.

It's an evening that's definitely not to missed, with a glamorous Harlem Nights theme. Be sure to book your tickets on our website.

Ticket details
Tickets cost R 250.00 p/p or R 500.00 p/p for drinks package.

Package one: R250.00 p/p includes a welcome drink, R200 “funny money”, bowl food tables, entertainment and a ticket to one of the lucky draws. BUY TICKETS NOW

Package Two: R500.00 p/p includes all as per package one, R250.00 drinks vouchers and a free bottle of wine. BUY TICKETS NOW

Best Dressed Couple Elrico Bellingan and Ritza van Rensburg

The Veuve Clicquot Polo Masters 2013 was held on Saturday 23 February and it's been making headlines across the media. Check out Sport24's take on the event, as well as their fabulous image gallery that showcases the glamour of the day. As they put it,  the occasion "proved, once again, to be one of the most sophisticated and elegant events on the South African social calendar." We couldn't agree more!

We are delighted that Lee and Garth's Val de Vie wedding  was recently featured on SouthBound Bride wedding blog. The special day was a true celebration of their love and our beautiful estate formed the perfect backdrop to the occasion. As Lee puts it,

"My husband and I drove around Cape Town for many weekends before we found the perfect venue. One afternoon we came across the Val de Vie Polo Estate and fell in love with it. Garth and I wanted a sophisticated venue that would deliver a spectacular wedding. Val de Vie is fantastic, equipped with modern equipment and features, beautiful landscapes, and a professional, organised team."

SouthBound Bride (formerly known as Cap Classique) is an established South African wedding blog, featuring real weddings from all over the country, comprehensive supplier lists, and plenty of inspiration for brides and grooms getting married in SA. They have twice been named part of the Bridetide list of the top 100 wedding blogs internationally.

Be sure to visit the blog to read more about Lee and Garth's wedding, and to see more gorgeous photos by Warren Williams.

Val de Vie Private Room is an on and off-site coordination service that promises you a boutique event experience. With our expertise, we can coordinate anything from baby showers and birthdays to kitchen teas and cocktail parties, all in the privacy of your home or your chosen venue.

We recently coordinated Marlene's 30th birthday celebration, which was hosted at her house and attended by 30 guests. It was really great working with such a lovely client and we thoroughly enjoyed the planning process. The decor was beautifully put together by Nico, while the Polo Club Restaurant created a feast of flavours. The talented Marlene baked the birthday cake herself and it was truly delicious, with a chocolate mousse heart in the middle.

Photos by Inecke Photography

By Iza de Lange, Marketing Manager and Event Coordinator

Carrol Boyes is one of the sponsors of our upcoming BlackBerry Pink Polo event in October, and we love the beauty and creativity behind her work. Carrol creates all her sculptures from drawings that she has accumulated in her archive of sketchbooks.  For many years these drawings have been her personal works of reference attesting to her passion for the human body.

On a recent inspirational trip to Paris her step daughters Kim and Martine prevailed upon her to make these remarkable sketches public.  So it was there at a small cafe that the idea to translate these personal images into a series of functional pieces was born. Endless hours were spent going through the books, some dating back 30 years.

Images straight from Carrol’s sketchbooks decorate a clean white backdrop of collectable porcelain.  Use them for fine dining or display as bespoke, newly revealed works of art.

www.carrolboyes.com

We are very proud that two Val de Vie homes won Gold Medals in the SALI (South African Landscape Institute) Awards of Excellence. Designed by Prohort Master Landscapers, the gardens meet the high standards of workmanship, plants and materials set by the competition.

The South African Landscapers Institute (SALI) was formed in 1984 by a group of progressive landscapers who saw the potential of the landscape industry in South Africa. They believed that the true potential could only be realised if landscape contractors showed unity, produced excellent work and projected a professional image.

Winter has descended on the winelands and it's the perfect time to enjoy generous meals and fine wines. Our winemaker, Harold Versfeld, presents you with a mouthwatering recipe for Springbok Shank paired with the Val de Vie Shiraz 2008. Bon appetit!

"As the days get shorter, the nights get longer and frost appears on the grass when leave your house in the morning, one thing is clear: it is definitely not summer anymore. Which is perfect! I love summer, but winter is equally enjoyable. After all, it is the intimate season. And with that I refer to staying indoors, lighting up the fire place, snuggling on the couch and enjoying pancakes, hearty food, and of course, red wine.

From a wine perspective, winter is really important for the vines because they go into hibernation. This allows them to accumulate vital reserves and minerals for the growing season. It also fills up our underwater supplies, which is crucial to ripen our grapes in the hot summer months.

One of the most enjoyable things in winter (apart from Super Rugby, Vodacom Cup Rugby, Currie Cup Rugby, Test Rugby and Tri-Nations Rugby) has to be hunting. And if you are a tree hugger, please don’t judge, stone or crucify me. I will send you the meat from an animal that committed suicide, so that you know it had an “organic” death.

Game meat is always a culinary delight! From making “skilpadjies” in the field, to the biltong, chilli bites, droee wors and then of course, the odd shank and leg of venison. Because venison is significantly lower in fat compared to lamb or beef, I recommend cooking the meat in a moist cooking environment, or else it could dry out.

Now, there are two different approaches to pairing food and wine. One involves contrasting rich dishes with wines that have an acidity that cuts through the heaviness, and vice versa. The other approach suggests that neither the wine nor the food should overpower each other; they should be equal in freshness and weight. Seeing as it is winter, my choice of wine is always going to be red. The recipe I chose is an old Karoo favourite and the wine that I paired it with suits the meal spectacularly well. Venison is not fatty, so not a lot of acid is needed. The cream that is added accentuates the texture of the wine perfectly.

Val de Vie Shiraz 2008: this wine evolves in the glass, from initial mocha and chocolate flavours to big opulent red fruits, to a roasted, smoky, spicy and meaty profile. Textures are balanced between tannin and acid, with a smooth and elegant finish that lingers for long on the tongue."

Recipe: Springbok Shank
Ingredients:
1.5kg Springbok shank, cut into 50 mm pieces (this is so that the marrow can cook out of the bone and add flavour to the meat)
5-6 Shards of fatty bacon, chopped
1 Spanish onion, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, bruised
Bouquet garni
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon, grated
350 ml good quality venison stock
1 teaspoon Paprika, smoked
250 ml Crème Fraiche
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Pomegranate Arils, fresh

Method:
Fry bacon in a thick base skillet, and remove when browned. Add shanks to the same skillet and sear, remove when done. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent. Add bacon and shanks back to onions, and also add lemon juice, zest, paprika, salt and pepper, venison stock, and bouquet garni. Cover skillet and cook in pre-heated oven at 160 0 C for 5-6 hours. The dish is cooked when the meat falls from the bone. Stir in crème fraiche. Cover with pomegranate arils and fresh coriander. Serve with brown rice, or fluffy mash.
Tis the season to get fat, so go out, buy the ingredients, and start cooking. No food is better than slow food!

“Food and Wine: you decide – which is the soloist and which is the accompanist” – Michael Broadbent

Photograph sourced from ZAphoto

We are thrilled to announce a wonderful new offering from Val de Vie! Couples who book our wedding venue will now receive an AnnaH voucher from Val de Vie Events. This voucher includes an hour long consultation with Anneke, a talented wedding stylist and consultant. With her brilliant understanding of how to conceptualise an event, Anneke helps brides to incorporate their own style into their wedding's look and feel. She will also create a beautiful moodboard that captures the unique style of your wedding.

Visit her website to find out more about her work.

Val de Vie will be hosting an International Equestrian Saddle Horse Competition that will involve the SA Protea Team playing against the World Team.

Dates:
Friday 20 Jan, 14:00
Sunday 22 Jan, 10:00

This exciting event is open to public and light snacks will be available for sale. For more information please email Amanda at amanda@oshpharm.com

Carla and Grant recently tied the knot on Saturday 26 Nov 2011 at Val de Vie, and we really enjoyed working with this lovely couple.
We were equally thrilled to read Grant's feedback on their special day: "Thank you guys for everything, really you guys are amazing." We think you are an amazing couple and it's wondferful to see two people who are so in love.

Photograp by Greg Lumley

Polo is not only famous for being an exciting and intriguing sport - it's also associated with elegant fashion and crisp, elegant styling. Ready to pull off the polo look with aplomb? Here are some fashion tips from Cameron Silver, owner of DECADES vintage boutiques.

Polo style tips for Women:
• Wear a hat and wear it proud. The bigger the better.
• Shoes need to be sensible and stylish. Go for a wedge and avoid a stiletto heel and avoid sinking into the lawn.
• Prints are your new best friend. A floral tea dress paired with a cashmere cardigan creates a great sophisticated, retro look that's very Polo-esque.
• Dress the part: Throw on a pair of jodhpurs into your riding boots with a crisp polo shirt. Don't be surprised if you end up on a horse, however!
• This isn't a night club - leave the all-black wardrobe for the after-party!

Polo style tips for Men:
• Ask yourself, "What would Cary Grant wear?" Buy a grown up suit and dress to impress.
• Step out of the box and add some color to your wardrobe. An Etro print tie or pocket square with a colorful shirt exudes a bit of English-inspired eccentrics.
• It’s polo after all: When all else fails, a fresh pique polo shirt, slim flat front khakis, a cashmere pullover, and a gold Rolex will work wonders. Top it off with a fedora and aviators for a sense of mystery.

Val de Vie is delighted that Black Bass have been spotted in the Berg River! In keeping with our efforts to encourage biodiversity, the Black Bass are an indication of how the estate is becoming an eco-haven in the Paarl-Franschhoek Valley.

Val De Vie Red: Rolf Thielen, George Mumba, Gavin Kanigowski, Tessa Moxon
Val De Vie Blue: Jessica Henrich, Karen Lewis, Kevin Rixon, Gavin Watson
Referee: Roy Rixon

Jean hard at work

Val de Vie, Seeff would like to welcome Jean - Pierre Hagen to the Seeff family. Based at our Val de Vie office in Paarl, Jean will be managing all social networks and DTP work for the Seeff Boland group;  adding to the expansion of the diverse strategies used for marketing by the  group. Ultimately creating new concepts and adding to the wheel that has been the drive behind the company’s accomplishments in the social media sector.

Striving for simplicity of values and function in creativity. Jean values and pushes for truthfulness, personality and substance in design. Through the years he has catered to various upmarket brands and delivered outstanding results at the highest expectations. Keeping in touch with all the latest evolution within marketing and design trends, assuring each individual sustains its status and competitive advantage. As this is his passion there is no apprehension that he would be the first to be informed of any market trends that will enhance and assure Seeff to stay on top in its marketing conquest, and remain one of the industry leaders. Jean has a diverse expertise in media an all mediums of design and continues to stay passionate when delivering his projects.

Jean has worked as a dedicated designer for 6 years, designing for the commercial and corporate sectors, always keeping a well-balanced infrastructure with multiple projects. Having local and international clientele, the transformation to a truly creative world has been opened.  Within those six years Jean had been managing a well-established design studio, taking clients from consulting through to the delivery of their concepts with great expectations. He will be utilizing all these talents and mediums and channelling it into the Seeff brand with ample amount of creativity and brand management.

Please feel  to pay him a visit at the Val de Vie sales office;  where he meets and greets the Val de Vie sales clients and assists with the administration of its office as well – including the making of an excellent cup of coffee!

The Wine Show Extra has featured an entertaining write-up about the BMW Polo International. Check it out to find out what a wonderfully glamorous day it was!

The Val de Vie Cape Town Cup was recently hosted in the elegant surroundings of the Val de Vie Estate utilising the estate’s world-class polo fields and luxurious club house facilities.

The line up for the 6-Goal tournament saw a number of international players from Argentina, Holland, Italy, Germany, Zimbabwe, the UK, India, and South Africa competing, bringing an exciting flavour to the matches, lunches and the prize giving Val de Vie Polo Club Captain Rolf Thielen said that he was particularly pleased with how well the tournament was received and how much support there had been for the tournament had been throughout.

This is the third time the Cape Town Cup has been hosted at Val de Vie. Western Cape Polo Chairman Pawel Kanigowski originally conceived the cup in 2007 and with the support of the clubs in Cape Town and Boland areas it has now become and exciting annual fixture. The format of the tournament was a round robin over three days with a subsidiary final and a final on day 4. The four teams, Lanquedoc, Maremmana – Central Academy, Cape Town Polo Club and Val de Vie were in fierce competition from day one.

Val de Vie walked away as the winners of the trophy but it was a hard fought competition. The Lanquedoc team of Martin Hartmann took second place. Best Playing Pony went to Cold Steel, owned by Tom de Bruin, who also took the coveted Most Valued Player award.

Val de Vie Polo Club President Allesandro Balestri de Verrand thanked SAPA Executive Director Clive Peddle, the visiting and local patrons as well Martin Venter (Chairman of the Val de Vie Group) and sponsor of POLO SA magazine. Alessandro mentioned that without the support of patrons such as Pawel Kanigowski, Peter Stuart, Martin Hartmann and Ankur Mishra polo in the Cape would not have been able to grow as quickly and successfully as it has.

The Cape Town Cup is set to grow to an 8 team two week event over the next few years and the interest and excitement has left us all with bated breath for next years gala performance.

We also look forward to seeing you join us for another exciting polo event coming soon. The Veuve Clicquot Masters is to be held at Val de Vie for the first time this year on Sunday 17th April and is set to become the jewel of the South African Polo Season, expect a sophisticated day amongst South Africa’s socialites, VIPs and celebrities, so get your designer dresses ready!

Two ticket types are available for purchase through Computicket – The Polo Club at R350, which includes a bottle of wine and a light lunch on arrival and The Masters VIP Lounge at R950, which includes an array of delicious foods, Veuve Clicquot Champagne and a selection of Val de Vie's award winning wines.

Tickets available at: Computicket: http://www.computicket.com/web/event/the_veuve_clicquot_masters/323640746/0/24774328
For more information: www.valdevie.co.za

Kind regards,
The Val de Vie Team

Harvest the last grapes for the season. The Cinsaut is the last to come of the vine, as it is in one of the cooler areas in SA - Darling. The high day temperatures increase flavours, with the cold nights preserving the fruit. This should be good crush!

Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

The Val De Vie Cape Town Cup will be held at the Val De Vie Estate this week. We have some of South Africas top players joining us for the 6 goal tournament.

The days and times are as follows:

Wednesday: 02 March 2011

Cape Town Polo Club vs. Val De Vie Polo Club at 4pm
Lanquedoc vs. Maremmana at 5h30pm

Thursday: 03 March 2011

Val De Vie Polo Club vs. Maremmana at 2pm
Cape Town Polo Club vs. Lanquedoc at 4pm

Saturday : 05 March 2011

Maremmana vs. Cape Town Polo Club 9am
Val De Vie vs. Lanquedoc 11h30am

Sunday : 06 March 2011

Team 3 vs. Team 4 at 9am
Team 1 vs. Team 2 at 12am

Please note that these times are subject to change due to extreme weather conditions.

Tonight at 645pm on Goodhope FM we have an interview with Clive Peddle - you can listen in via streaming on www.goodhopefm.co.za