What a privilege to be invited to attend Tokara's 25th birthday celebrations with a few members of the media and trade. Chef Carolize Coetzee is really a star; the food was sublime. Taste sensations in the mouth just exploded and combining the tastes with the incredible wines was a masterpiece. With 1 September being Cap Classique Day, we also celebrated this occasion with their delicious bubbly.Adam Morton, viticulturist, was in the team to plant the first Chardonnay on the farm even before the winery was built, and part of the team which contributed to the incredible 20-year old Cabernet Sauvigon which we enjoyed from a very heavy 12 litre bottle. It was still so fresh and delicious and paired so well with the springbok which hailed from GT's property in Graaff Reinet! Real farm to table. Stuart Botha, their winemaker, spoke about the new straw wine, which takes a considerable amount of effort and attention to detail to ensure it becomes the delicious and unctuous liquid in the bottle. Owner GT Ferreira was wise to take advice from his neighbour Gyles Webb from Thelema by waiting before they launched any wine under the Tokara name, and first released wine under the clever Zondernaam label and only released their first wine in 2004. What a privilege to leave with a gift of a bottle of the latest release of Tokara Simonsberg Cabernet Sauvignon – in a gorgeous custom-designed packaging too.