A Year in Paarl
A I Perold's
A Treatise
on Viticulture
A I Perold (1880-1941) was South Africa's first Professor of Viticulture and Oenology. He dedicated himself to improving the quality of grapes for wine, brandy and the table. He studied wine and brandy production in Europe, imported more than 60 varieties to the Cape and bred new ones. Perold said this book “is intended to serve both the student and the practical grape-grower. There are in it technical passages that will appeal more to the student, e.g. the chapters dealing with the biology of the vine, its external and internal morphology, the theory of grafting. My remarks on the practice of viticulture, such as those dealing with the propagation, manuring and pruning of the vine, the production of table grapes for export, will, it is hoped, assist the practical grape-grower as well as the student.” This is a newly typeset reprint, not a photocopy. Text on the 712 pages have been aligned to match the original pagination so any external references to pages in the Treatise will be valid in this edition
Available in paperback and hardback editions. 712 pages
with
A I Perold
Dr Perolds report on his Paarl experiments 1915 - 1916 reprinted with glossary, introduction and brief biography. Fascinating historical document on viticulture for wine and table grapes, wine and brandy making.
Goodbye 2023
Covid Vaccinations:
September - Covid Booster with Flu Vaccine
Travel:
Criccieth - January
South Africa, Gordon's Bay - March
Viking Hild - Rhine and Mosel Discovery - April
Criccieth - July
Viking Hemming - Lyon and Provence - August
Oakham - September
Great Yarmouth - November
Lanzarote, Puerto Calera - December
Toby, Emma and Jack joined us for lunch. There was cold turkey (of course) with warm bread rolls, individual pork pies and a selection of Indian snacks - samosas, onion bhajis, pakoras - and home made Christmas cake. We forgot to put out mince pies but no-one went hungry.
Before lunch Jack played with his presents, including a battery driven tarin on a wooden track.
Dan and Krisie stayed with us over Christmas.
Dinner was traditional turkey with roast parsnips and potatoes, sprouts, carrots, broccolini, and cauliflower sprouts. Dan wanted Yorkshire pudding so he made them, using OO flour, the only type we had, and they were delightfully light and crisp.
Sticky Toffee Pudding with reindeer antler for afters
Wines were
2018 Château des Moines (France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lalande de Pomerol)
2016 Château Tour St Bonnet (France, Bordeaux, Médoc)
2013 Warwick Estate Trilogy (South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch)
Christmas Day afternoon we walked around St Albans to admire some of the St Albans Yarn Bombers work.
They excelled themselves this year.
But this was my favourite. The Clock Tower and its surroundings, true to life but in wool, with the real Clock Tower as its backdrop.
To Lanzarote and the Costa Calera hotel at Puerto Calero, booked with BA using Avios.
The hotel is just 15 minutes by taxi from the airport. This was the second time we'd stayed at the hotel. We had a Superior Sea View room Fully Inclusive.
Mornings we walked down and sat on a bench overlooking the marina boatyard.
Boats would enter a dock
so the lowered slings could slowly winch up the boat above the dock's surface
then the sling cradle drives to carry the boat into the yard.
Returning we sometimes saw the Yellow Submarine take tourists out for a tour of the sea bed.
as soon as it clears the marina entrance it dives.
Afternoons we'd walk along the path to marina entrance to watch boats and swimmers.
Sometimes the yachting school would be launching boat from the slipway.
We were on fully inclusive. All meals were buffets. I was impressed by the range of condiments. The were four different Extra Virgin Olive Oils and seven different vinegars. They even had HP - sauce of the Gods.
Coming out from dinner one evening a neighbouring property put on a spectacular firework display.
On BA2705 from Lanzarote to LGW Thursday 21 Dec. Take off at 13:15 which meant we missed lunch and because of keyboard error we are in Economy which means no food. So we’d taken a bread roll from the breakfast buffet and filled it with bacon (me) cheese (Joan).
But gasping for a glass of wine (hotel had self pour bottles at lunch). Choice was one red/white/pink; 125ml in a can for £6 or 125ml Freixenet Prosecco at £8.
Went for red:
Not bad, good flavour; but harder to open can than screwtop and one cannot close it to prevent remainder spilling if knocked or in turbulence.
And talking of turbulence: we came to land on time but strong gusts meant plane was lurching from side to side and wings were rocking up and down. Almost on runway when huge surge of power boosted us into sky and landing was aborted. Stewardess drily announced that we’d probably noticed the pilot had decided we’d like another tour over the Surrey countryside. Landed on second attempt 30 minutes later to deserved round of applause from passengers.
Today I posted out my fourth Commonplace Book. The wrap-around cover shows Alexander’s Great Tower Sculpture at the shore edge of Rutland Water that we visited on 19 September 2023 on our way home from Oakham.
The rear cover insets show Dan, Joan, Krisie & Peter on Viking Hild during our Rhine & Mosel Discovery Cruise, taken on 26 April 2023.
then
Jack at Grand Junction Arms, Tring on 25 April 2023
and
Toby & Benson, Emma, Joan, Krisie, Peter & Dan at Aylesbury on 4 December 2022.
I used a different printer this year, Mixam, and the book is in full colour.
