Dinner In The Manor House

Right at the very heart of Spier Wine Farm is the Manor House: A grand dame with a gable dating back to 1822. Over the last few months, she’s been beautifully restored to host small, intimate food and wine experiences. As you feast on the finest food and wine, sit among some of South Africa's most renowned contemporary art pieces from the Spier collection, and marvel at the exquisite juxtaposition of old and new.

Chef Phil Carmichael presents the first series of dinners, every Friday night in March. Presiding over an open hearth kitchen, he will be serving up five course feasts artfully paired with Spier’s Creative Block wines. These wines take their namesake from the Spier Arts Trust project that displays its work in a gallery-wall style layout for visual impact. Similarly, our winemakers blend varietals from different vineyard blocks, to create an artwork (or wine) that is greater than the sum of its parts.

In Chef Phil’s words, here’s what to expect:

• THE PERFECT MATCH: “Your five courses consisting of generous canapes, a Spier Food Garden-inspired starter, two mains and a decadent dessert will be deftly paired with our Create Block wines.”

• FROM THE OPEN HEARTH: “Forget foams or fussiness – simplicity can result in the sublime. We use flame, smoke and embers to cook dishes; more than just a technique, fire is a key ingredient.”

• TERROIR IN EVERY BITE: “The dishes I’m serving tell the story of Spier. From meat to vegetables, we use the very best ingredients from the pastures and gardens here. Every part of the animal is utilised; this both reduces waste and results in a broad and exciting spectrum of flavour and texture.”