Co-hosted by Horst Frehse, the General Manager of Cape Town’s Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, Grobbelaar will team up with esteemed Hemel-en-Aarde vineyard and winery, Bouchard Finlayson, to showcase some of its top quality wines, which will be expertly paired and served with Grobbelaar’s modern South African menu. The Rheingau, one of Germany’s most prestigious wine regions, has been hosting the highly successful Gourmet & Wine Festival for over 17 years, thereby setting the standard for culinary enjoyment of the highest quality. Throughout the festival, which takes place from 21 February to 6 March 2013, an affluent gourmet audience of over 6,500 guests, as well as 180 media, will be pampered with sophisticated gourmet creations. Grobbelaar will be in good company, presenting amongst a host of international chefs from France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Portugal, Japan and New Zealand, who between them share no less than 48 Michelin Stars. The South African delegates will also participate in the prestigious, already sold-out Welcome Party for 450 guests. The event is to be held in the historic grounds of the 12th Century Monastery Eberbach, where Chef Henrico will present Beef Tartar ‘Azure’ matched with Bouchard Finlayson wines. The opening night will be followed by another 50 events, comprising cooking shows and cooking demonstrations in the morning; food and wine pairing lunches covering special topics at noon; wine tastings in the afternoon; and gala dinners in the evening. One of South Africa’s most creative and celebrated young Chefs, Grobbelaar has a long list of accolades under his apron, which includes: Sunday Times Chef of the Year 2009; San Pellegrino International Young Chef of the World 2009; and Executive Chef to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland (2010) and the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He joined The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa as Executive Chef in 2010, raising the culinary bar of fine dining restaurant Azure even further, to be included in the American Express Platinum Fine Dining Awards for 2013. He will host a sold-out ‘Südafrika Lunch’ for 140 guests at the picturesque Kronenschlösschen Restaurant in Eltville-Hattenheim on Saturday 23 February, which will be presented by renowned German wine expert, journalist and author, Ingo Swoboda. The four-course fine dining menu will be enhanced by some of iconic South African winemaker Peter Finlayson’s finest wines, and will feature Grobbelaar’s favourite South African dishes. These include Crayfish Tail served with mild Bo-Kaap lentil curry with coriander yoghurt, complemented with Bouchard Finlayson’s SAWI (South African Wine Index) award-winning, 2011 Crocodile’s Lair/”Kaaimansgat” Chardonnay; followed by Springbok Loin with sweet corn polenta, butternut, beetroot and pomegranate, paired with Bouchard Finlayson’s 2009 Hannibal. A delicious Italian/French blend, the essence and soul of the Hannibal 2009 is captured in the pitching of six grape cultivars: Sangiovese, Pinot noir, Nebbiolo, Shiraz, Mourvèdre, and Barbera, to perfectly complement the chef’s signature dish. Horst Frehse says he looks forward to showcasing South Africa’s first class wine and cuisine at this prestigious international gourmet rendezvous. ‘It is a great honour and a wonderful opportunity for our young chef Henrico Grobbelaar not only to present his creations to a very sophisticated international audience, but also to watch and learn from some of the world’s top celebrity chefs. He will no doubt be inspired to return home with some very creative culinary ideas and influences, to further enhance our offering at The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa.’ http://www.rheingau-gourmet-festival.de