Franschhoek Conferences at Allée Bleue

Three Reasons to use Allée Bleue's Conference Venues for Your Franschhoek Conferences.

Whether you are hosting a social party or a business conference or an event, here are three reasons why using Allée Bleue's conference venues can enhance your experience:



HISTORIC CAPE DUTCH LISTED CONFERENCE BUILDING



MERLOT CONFERENCE ROOM

 

1. Professional Setting
Using Allée Bleue's conference venues ensures that your Franschhoek conferences /events is professionally presented. Whatever the event, every host wants to feel that their event is of highest possible quality, and your choice of venue is critical in this. The setting of an event will be the first thing to make an impression on guests and delegates, and so it is important to make sure that this impression is a good one. Furthermore, setting has a huge impact on an event's atmosphere, and by extension the guests and delegates that attend. Professional venues are designed to make guests feel comfortable and cared for, critical in their enjoyment of the event. Higher end venues like Allée Bleue's Le Grand Hall also provide that added element of luxury, a highly important feature for events aiming to impress.

2. Staff Provided

When choosing an Allée Bleue venue for an event it is easy to overlook the issue of staffing. While most venues and catering companies do provide staff, using conference venues ensures that your event is run by individuals who are professionals in their fields. From sound technicians, to chefs and waiters, the best venues provide staff with the highest expertise. This ensure that an event runs smoothly and to schedule, and that it is of the best quality.
This is key to the success of any event, but is particularly important when organising high pressure business events. Good venues will also be able to either provide you with professional event planners. Using a inhouse event planner enables you to pass much of the stress of organisation onto somebody who is trained in the field.

3. Save Time and Money

The biggest benefit of using a professional venue is that it eases the running of a conference or event. Organising successful events can be a highly stressful process, and using professional venues alleviates a great deal of this stress. Firstly, everything you require is in one place. From meeting rooms, halls and theatres, to accommodation, entertainment and catering, everything is located within reasonably close proximity. Venues will also often provide a wide range of equipment for your use, as well as staff to run the event, as previously noted. The combination of these features means that using a conference venue for your event not only relieves a great deal of stress, but can also save you time and money in the process.

For more information on Allée Bleue Conferences and Events read here.



LE GRAND HALL AT ALLÉE BLEUE



SHIRAZ ROOM



PINOTAGE ROOM

CHEF REUBEN RIFFEL ADDS GOURMET CLOUT TO WEDDINGS AND CORPORATE EVENTS AT ALLÉE BLEUE WINE ESTATE

 







Celebrity Chef Reuben Riffle @ Allée Bleue

Allée Bleue Franschhoek Estate is arguably one of the most sought-after and versatile venues in the Cape winelands, staging glamorous weddings, high-end corporate events and new product launches throughout the year. As part of the estate’s philosophy to continually innovate and improve on everything it offers, Allée Bleue is pleased to announce an exciting collaboration with celebrity chef, Reuben Riffel – Franschhoek’s most famous export.

As one of South Africa’s best-loved chefs, Riffel oversees three successful restaurants, has written a clutch of award-winning cookbooks and is a well-known face in the media. The Franschhoek valley is where Riffel grew up and started his career as a chef, so it comes as no surprise that he is looking forward to putting an authentic local stamp on the collection of menus created exclusively for Allée Bleue and paired to the estate’s respected wines.

The menus for all weddings and functions hosted by Allée Bleue will be conceptualised and produced by Reuben’s Franschhoek under the direction of Riffel and his head chef Maritz Jacobs.  This highly experienced and creative duo places great emphasis on using fresh, seasonal, locally sourced ingredients in dishes that are often given an authentic Cape twist. Says Riffel: ‘Allée Bleue is not only a perfect function venue but also a working farm with amazing fresh produce, like herbs, olives and fruit, all of which can be woven into our menus. I like the idea of offering personalised menus with a strong local provenance and integrity, using ingredients sourced from the estate or from surrounding farms. Menu options will celebrate the abundance and beauty of South Africa, particularly the Franschhoek valley which is obviously close to my heart’.

General Manager for Allée Bleue, Wolfgang Leyrer, is looking forward to working with the team from Reuben’s. ‘We are in the centre of the Cape winelands, a region that has developed a highly sophisticated food and wine culture in recent years. By offering our clients the personal services of a well-known chef like Reuben Riffel to plan their menus, we are tapping into a growing demand for gourmet food that goes beyond the ordinary and becomes a talking point. Naturally, teaming up with Riffel also offers Allée Bleue a wonderful opportunity to showcase our estate-produced wines and celebratory bubblies.’

While Allée Bleue has a dedicated in-house event management team, the estate also works closely with hand-picked event coordinators, such as Wedding Concepts and the Aleit Group. For couples planning their big day from afar, handing over every little detail of the wedding to a team of local experts provides peace of mind. Wedding Concepts is particularly well known for creating exquisite tented weddings for large numbers, complete with luxury styling and designer touches.

The estate’s lavender and rose-fringed lawns and fragrant orchards provide diverse locations for open-air or tented ceremonies, al fresco drinks, photographic shoots and receptions ranging from elegantly simple to all-out lavish. For weddings of between 50 and 120 guests, the newly refurbished Courtyard venue has a romantic Bedouin tent roof, views of the vineyards and the option of using the inter-leading Shiraz Room as a bar, lounge or buffet venue. Le Grand Hall is the estate’s flagship, 350-seater ballroom with abundant natural light and a wonderful indoor-outdoor flow thanks to multiple floor-to-ceiling doors. Innovative lighting creates different moods by day and night and the sound technology is cutting edge.

For press assistance contact Ian Manley of Manley Communications on 0861 MANLEY (626 539), email to premierbrands@publicity.co.za or visit the Press Room of Manley Communications at www.manleycommunications.co.za



Allée Bleue MCC - New Years Cocktails

Ever since mankind learned how to party, we have been chasing that perfect New Year's Eve celebration. 2012 is no different and Allée Bleue wants to help you achieve yours with these New Year's Eve cocktails.  [BUY YOUR ALLÉE BLEUE MCC ONLINE HERE, or VISIT OUR TASTING ROOM]




SORBET & ALLÉE BLEUE MCC COCKTAIL

 

 



The Sorbet & Allée Bleue MCC cocktail, an instant mood lightener, was the official drink of the "bright young things" who flitted through the novels of Evelyn Waugh. In this version, a scoop of sorbet takes the place of the traditional sugar and bitters and turns this classic into a delicious holiday slush.


Ingredients
 1 teaspoon sorbet (we like raspberry or passion fruit)
 Allée Bleue MCC (Rosé or Brut)

Directions
1. Scoop sorbet into a champagne flute. Fill with chilled Allée Bleue MCC (Rosé or Brut)
 ; stir.



MANDARIN COCKTAIL

 

 



Try this simple champagne cocktail for a delicious drink perfect for special occasions.

Ingredients
 1 ounce mandarin liqueur, such as Mandarine Napolean
 4 ounces champagne
 Clementine peel, for garnish

Directions
1. Pour liqueur into a champagne flute; top with Allée Bleue MCC. Twist clementine peel over glass and gently drop into cocktail.

BLOOD ORANGE MCC COCKTAILS



The blood-orange juice turns what would ordinarily be a mimosa into a lovely ruby-tinted cocktail.


Ingredients
 2 1/4 cups freshly squeezed or frozen blood-orange juice
 2 750-ml bottles Allée Bleue MCC, chilled

Directions
1.
Pour 3 tablespoons juice in each Champagne flute. Fill flutes with Allée Bleue MCC, and serve.

RED CURRENT MCC COCKTAIL



This is a great cocktail for any celebration throughout the year.

Ingredients
 2 tablespoons Red Currant Puree, chilled
 Champagne, chilled

Directions
1. Place red currant puree in a Champagne flute. Slowly pour over Champagne to fill. Serve immediately.

MATHA'S BERRY LITTLE COCKTAIL

 

Have yourself a berry little cocktail. Stir up this light, bright drink with the tang of citrus and a splash of Allée Bleue MCC to add a festive fizz to your holiday bash. This delicious holiday spirit is adapted from the November/December issue of Blueprint magazine.

 

Ingredients

 1/2 cup sugar
 1 cup fresh cranberries
 1 ounce ruby red grapefruit vodka, such as Charbay, chilled
 2 ounces Allée Bleue MCC, chilled
 1 ounce cranberry juice, chilled
 1 ounce black currant juice or blackberry puree, chilled
 

Directions

1.
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, dissolve sugar into 1 1/2 cups water. Add cranberries and simmer until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain, discarding liquid, and place cranberries on a baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to freezer and chill at least 2 hours.

2.
Mix together vodka, Allée Bleue MCC, cranberry, and currant juice in a Champagne glass. Garnish with a skewer of 4 or 5 frozen cranberries. Reserve remaining cranberries for another drink.

 

ALLÉE BLEUE MCC



No other drink seems better suited to a celebration than Champagne or Allée Bleue MCC. When those special moments arrive, you'll want to make sure you know how to open and serve this special beverage.

 

Champagne Opener How-To

 

Remove the wire cage while you are still holding the cork. Hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle. Hold the cork with one hand and the bottom of the bottle with the other; turn the bottle -- not the cork -- slowly and carefully. Release the cork gently, and pour the Allée Bleue MCC.

 

Additional Tips
1. Use flute glasses that focus the aroma, rather than coupes.
2. Pour the Allée Bleue MCC down the side of the glass to give the Allée Bleue MCC fewer "head bubbles."
3. Don't shake the bottle; it increases the internal pressure and the Allée Bleue MCC will have less fizz when you serve it.

 

Christmas in Franschhoek at Allée Bleue Estate



Apart from loving...the fact that Christmas will be celebrated at Allée Bleue Estate with people all over the world with, fantastic and delicious menus that will complement your choice of Allée Bleue MCC - Bubbly regardless of your setting at Allée Bleue Wine Estate. We also love..

We love…looking at Christmas decors and Christmas lights that lights up the streets of Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Paarl.

We love…the Christmas air.

We love…the happy mood that seems to be prevalent during this time.

We love…the parties.

We love…listening to children singing Christmas carols when they do their caroling.

We love…offering so many foods during this season, some of which we only get to see (and eat) during Christmas time.

We love…giving and receiving gifts.

We love…watching the fireworks.

Lastly, I love everything about Christmas. The decors, the food, the parties, the people, the games, everything! This is truly the most wonderful time for us.

Regardless of everything we have experienced during this past year, we are even more looking forward to this Christmas season. And we at Allée Bleue hope everybody will really have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Cheers everyone!

 

ALLÉE BLEUE CHRISTMAS MENUS 2012

 

BISTRO CHRISTMAS SET MENU
@ R 385.00 per person 

TO START
Prawn Cocktail
or
Asparagus Fumet
Berry sorbet

MAIN COURSE
Beef fillet
Grilled and served with bone marrow butter, Brussel Sprouts, bean and bacon parcel ,
Pomme William and marinated beetroot
or
Salmon Trout and Crayfish Galantine
with Herb Risotto and whole mustard Beurre Blanc
Cheese course

DESSERT
Trio of desserts
Chocolate Salami , Cassata and Christmas
pudding with vanilla custard


PICNIC CHRISTMAS MENU
@ R 150.00 per person

The menu includes the following items:
Olive tapenade
Chicken liver pat
Peppadew snoek pat
Cold meat platter with caper mayonnaise
Butternut and Feta quiche
Alle Bleue herb salad with parmesan and marinated peppers
Curried prawn cocktail with pineapple
Cape cheese platter with preserves and biscuits
Fresh baguette
Baked cheesecake with summer fruit salad marinated in Alle Bleue grappa
Subject to change!


BUFFET CHRISTMAS MENU
@ R 385.00 per person

TO START
Smoked Salmon Pastete with herbs, goose berries and caper cream
A coarse country game terrine
Trio of cream cheese terrine
Roquefort, celery and walnut quiche
Trio of peppers served with beef strips and Marie Rose sauce
Potato salad
Wagon wheel salad
Pineapple and carrot salad with a honey dressing
Fennel bulb salad

SOUPS
Butternut and ginger
Pea and Mint

MAIN COURSE
Chicken breast stuffed with gremolata in a rich Napoli sauce
Salmon in an almond crust served with a red butter sauce
Herb crusted pork belly with apple and mustard lentils
Slow roasted lamb shoulder with peppers and herbs
Roast Turkey served with a Cranberry sauce
Roasted green beans with tomatoes and garlic
Duck fat roasted potatoes with thyme and garlic
Roast Mediterranean vegetables
Sauted brussel sprouts served with caramelized onion and bacon.
Savoury rice

DESSERT
Traditional Christmas pudding with vanilla custard
Cassata
Chocolate salami

TEA & COFFEE

 

Contact Allée Bleue and book your Christmas 2012 at info@alleebleue.com or

phone (+27) 21 874 1021.

 

 

 

 

Franschhoek Uncorked Weekend at Allée Bleue

Say goodbuy to the grey moods of winter and celebrate the off spring by heading off to the picturesque Allée Bleue Wine Estate and Franschhoek Wine Valey over the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of September for the annual Uncorked Festival.

Buy your weekend pass at Allée Bleue Wine Estate at R 100.00 per person per weekend pass. This Franschhoek Uncorked weekend pass entitle your entrance to Allée Bleue for life music from Benji and Graig at our Le Grand Hall, our new vintage releases and food stalls. Allée Bleue Franschhoek Wine Estate has been voted as one of the most Children Friendly wine estates in South Africa by Wine Tourism South Africa Klink competion. (Please vote for us at Wine Tourism SA.)

Franschhoek Allée Bleue Festivals

 Bottle Plate Pillow visited three wineries with the "Franschhoek Uncorked" festival

Franschhoek is voted the most beautiful wine region in the world. (French Corner). South Africa offers unique and high quality wines and also celebrated its 350 years of Winemaking in 2009.

You will find some of the best wineries in the Western Cape within the Franschhoek wine region.

Allée Bleue - Olive South Africa

Olive South Africa

With an increasing amount of food programmes now appearing on South African screens and with people's expectations of food increasing, food related gifts are becoming more and more popular. Great gourmet gifts can include olive oil, olives, balsamic vinegars and gourmet food hampers. Such items are products which you are not necessary going to find on the high street which makes the gift more unique to the recipient. Allée Bleue wine tasting sell a variety of Gift Packs. Contact us at wine.tasting@alleebleue.com

Olive Oils

Olive oil has many benefits. Other than providing a fabulous flavour in cooking (particularly pure extra virgin oil) it has many health benefits, from preventing heart disease, cancer and provide beauty benefits for your hair and skin.

There are many varieties of olive trees and therefore the olives and oil that are produced. From French, Greek, Spanish and Italian olive oil they make the perfect gourmet gift for the ultimate foodie. The main types are:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Obtained from high quality olives, this oil has a strong aroma of the fruit and has less than 1% acidity

• Virgin Olive Oil: It is made from olives that are slightly riper than those used in the production of extra virgin olive oil

• Refined Olive Oil: oil known as "refined olive oil" is made by refining the virgin olive oil. The final product is basically a tasteless olive oil.

• Pure Olive Oil: Pure olive oil, usually called just olive oil, comes either from the second cold pressing or the chemical extraction of the olive mash left over after the first pressing. This grade is also called commercial grade oil.

Infused oils are also very popular and offer an alternative to the usual types of olive oil. Try varieties such as chilli and garlic, citrus, rosemary, Mediterranean and Spanish thyme infused oils. Extra virgin oils have the most distinct flavour and offer the better health benefits. Therefore, they are considered a luxurious cooking product in any household.

Why not combine a drizzler with your chosen oil to create the perfect gift. Oil drizzlers come in a range of styles and sizes.

Balsamic Vinegars

Serving Suggestion

There are three types of balsamic vinegar: commercial grade balsamic vinegar, Condimento grade products and authentic artisan balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is perfect used in salad dressings, dips, marinades and to enhance the flavour of steaks and even strawberries!

There are a range of varieties of balsamic vinegars including fruit vinegars and sherry vinegars which are perfect for adding the 'wow' factor to a meal or as a gourmet gift. Traditional balsamic vinegar such as red label balsamic vinegar of Modena is slowly aged in oak casks and has a full mellow flavour. Il Borgo del Balsamico's Modena Vinegar Yellow Label is carefully aged with a classical, slightly pungent flavour, making it ideal for salad dressing and a product designed for the family's everyday use. So there are a number of types to choose from - if you did need more information on the best type to go for make sure you enquire before you buy as such specialist retailers are very knowledgeable about their products and would assist in every way.

Special Foodie Hampers




For the perfect Christmas gift or birthday present why not create your very own individual foodie hamper, full with gourmet goodies. You could fill with specialist balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, dried herbs, a drizzler and even some specialist pasta. What's more you could even customise your hamper in terms of regions or countries add a couple of recipes or cook books for that extra special touch.

Gourmet cooking products such as olive oil, balsamic vinegar and seed oils provide the perfect gifts for Christmas and birthdays. Allée Bleue wine tasting sell a variety of Gift Packs. Contact us at wine.tasting@alleebleue.com

Franschhoek Bastille Day- The Flavour of France In Cape Town

The French Independence Day, more popularly known as Bastille Day, is celebrated every July 14. It is a national holiday in France, and it honors the storming of the Bastille by the French people during 1789, which instigated the French Revolution. Ideally, celebrating Bastille Day should be done in Paris, and many people of French descent make an annual pilgrimage to the city to join the festivities. However, if this is not possible for you, there are still other ways for you to celebrate La Fete Nationale within the comforts of your own home or even your own town.

 

A little further east of Stellenbosch and some 50 kilometres from Cape Town Airport lies the town of Franschhoek, a real must for those on Cape Town holidays who appreciate fine wine, good food and antiques. Nestled in the valley of the same name, the town has the Franschhoek and Drakenstein mountains as its backdrop, but actually much of its style is owed to the French Huguenots who settled there some 300 years ago. Indeed, Franschhoek still celebrates the annual Bastille Day festival on the 14th July to this day. Most of the wineries in the area were developed by the French, Allee Bleue Wine Estate is one of the oldest vineyards in the Cape, the ALLÉE BLEUE Estate has not only witnessed an eventful past but is also set to witness a challenging future. It lies in a picturesque location in the Franschhoek Valley - an area with a distinct French influence - and offers a breathtaking view of the Drakenstein mountain range. Get to know ALLÉE BLEUE during this years Bastille Festival and discover a unique place which offers an exciting combination of new and old, tradition and innovation, and history and modernity.

To the French, July 14th; Bastille Day or 'Fête Nationale' is much like America's Independence Day representing a hugely important day in the French national calendar. It is the day when France celebrates the introduction of a form of government. Bastille Day symbolises the overthrow of the old monarchy and the beginning of the French republic.

The Bastille was built in 1382 and originally defended the eastern side of Paris from attack. The Bastille was constructed with walls more than 80 feet high and was surrounded by a moat or fosse. Hundreds of years later, the ruling monarchy converted The Bastille into a prison. The Bastille soon became a hated symbol of the monarchy as it was in the Bastille that the King and the royal government would hold dissidents and other political prisoners without trial. Prisoners were sent there simply under the King's orders and only he could decide on and grant pardon and release.

Although the storming of the Bastille is seen as the focal point for the beginning of the French Revolution, it's existence alone was not sufficient for the revolution to start. The build up to the act on July 14th 1789 was the culmination of a backlash against the absolute and arbitrary power of King Louis XVI's Ancient Regime. The French monarchy wasn't just undemocratic; it also owned the land against which it raised taxes as well as taking rent. The broad spectrum of French people was angry and frustrated with the aristocracy not conceding towards a more modern democratically based society.

As a hated symbol and being in the heart of Paris, the Bastille was a perfect target for the protestors. At the time of the actual 'storming' of the Bastille, it is reported that there were actual negotiations being held on a peaceful handover of the prison, however the protestors broke into one of the outer compounds and a bloody seize began. At the end of the day, nearly 100 protestors had lost their lives to only one soldier, although more soldiers were to be killed by the lynch mob.

Having stormed the Bastille, more violent acts took place with peasants rampaging and destroying many chateaux, and more importantly records of feudal taxes and rents due.

It is recognized by many historians that the storming of the Bastille had a more symbolic than strategic part in the actual revolution. It represented a statement of liberty and the fight against oppression. By seizing the Bastille the peasants signaled that the monarch's power was no longer absolute.

Bastille Day is commemorated world-wide with people dressing as French revolutionaries and embracing the day by the singing the La Marseillaise, the French national anthem.

Do you want to stay over? http://alleebleueaccommodationfranschhoek.blogspot.com/
Do you want to eat out? http://franschhoekdining.blogspot.com/
Do you need more wine? http://alleebleuewinesouthafrica.blogspot.com/

HAPPY BASTILLE DAY 2012!!