6 Months and not a Word

Wow, 6 months and I have not posted anything. I feel like a bum, I mean I started this blog to get the thoughts in my head down on "paper" and yet, I do not make time in my day or week, or even month for this. Bad Bad Tazorian.

So what is new. Well, on the home front, my boy JACK, is just surprising me more every day. He started talking a couple of months back and has his favourite words, being Izzy (the cat), Kaya (the dog), light ( as he points to every bulb in the house), Dad (of course), Mum (in an proper English accent) and keys. He always wants to take the keys to open the door, start the car, or even just if he hears a tinkle in your pocket, the hand goes out, and he says "keys". It is truly amazing to see how qcuikly he is learning to speak.

I am currently in Ghana, and the first day I phoned home, Charlotte put her mobile on speaker and I asked Jack how we was? The most I could get out of him was DAD, and lalalalalala, but then right at the end, I am sure he said, "I miss you" and stunned, I asked him if he said I miss you, and his reply was a firm "Ja". This almost had me in tears. My boy is remarkable, and I love him even more every day.

So now for more exiting news, our Family, is going to be graced with another addition. YES, I am becoming a DAD once more, and Jack is getting a BROTHER. Yip, Matthew is on the way and should join us around the end of June. Now you might think that, wow, only 18 months apart, but we actually planned it this way, so that Jack and Matthew can grow up closer as brother and also be best friends, (the way brothers should), and this is made easier, I believe, if the age difference is a lot smaller. It is going to be an absolute wonder to watch the 2 of them grow together, and it is an experience I would not trade for anything in the world, not even being James Bond :)

I am going to post some more pictures of my boy, which I am sure you will all enjoy.

Jack is WALKING

My boy is WALKING at only 10 and half months. Now I know this might not be that significant to everyone and you all probably know of babies that started walking a lot earlier, but to me, the PROUD Father, this is an absolute wonder and I am amazed at my boys ability to grow and learn so quickly. His first official word , beside DADA, is "UP" and the best part of my day, is when I open the door when I get home, and my boy gets up, start walking towards me with this amazing look which I can only describe as a uncomplicated, unrivaled happiness and lifts his arms and says "up". Nothing warms me more or makes me forget about a bad day at work easier than that.

Jack, you are a wonder and I love you.

A Long Time

Wow, it does not feel like it, but it has been more than 2 months since my last post. This does not mean in the slightest that I have not indulged in my passion and that I have not drunk some very interesting wines lately, I suppose life just got in the way and I have not taken the time to actually write about them.
I found a great Pinot Noir (Haute Cabriere) that is altogether a very fruity and flavourful wine. In fact, I recently attended a Meerlust Wine tasting and tried their Pinot Noir, and (I know it is different, but how else do you compare wines) but, the Meerlust did take a back seat to the Haute Cabriere. While we are on the subject of Meerlust, their flagship wine, the Rubicon is absolutely spectacular and a not so well known fact of the Meerlust Rubicon is that when the actual harvest is not good enough to be bottled as a Rubicon, they bottle it as a Meerlust Red. This has only happened a couple of times in the last 20 years, with 2002 being the last vintage, but the great thing is that you get an almost Rubicon for half the price, so I would recommend the Meerlust Red any day.

Infinite Family

With all the bad press South Africa has been receiving lately, I feel that someone should share some of the good, that people from South Africa and the United States have been doing to help uplift our society.

Infinite Family is a program that connects African orphans with American communities. Africa has a lot of orphans, mainly because of HIV/AIDS and America has families with diverse and extensive parenting skills and using modern day technology, like video conferencing over satellite, we are bridging the gap, thereby enabling these communities to become mentors to our orphans. It is a great program and I have spoken to some of the orphaned children involved in the program and the growth in confidence and skill of these kids are astonishing.

If you are interested in doing more, please go to http://www.infinitefamily.org/

My Favourite Wine - Warwick

Blends, now this is an interesting topic. Some wine experts believe that a blend is easier to make than a Cabernet Sauvignon, but I feel that this is not the case. Now, this can and has been debated and since this is about what I think of blends, my opinion is the one that is recorded on this site. :)

Making the perfect blend is an skill, that is beyond comparison. It involves an ability to take different grapes, and add them in the exact quantities to create a wine that is not only smooth and easy drinking, but also a wine that with a little time, can grow into something that is rather spectacular.


If I have to pick a favourite, then Warwick Wines near Stellenbosch in the beautifully country of South Africa would be on the top of my list. Their Trilogy is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc and each component was harvested and vinified separately. The wine was kept on the skins no longer than 7 days and the components were then allowed to finish malolactic fermentation and aged in French oak for 24 months. The Winemaker’s comments are: The wine shows great ripe fruit flavours with hints of chocolate and mocha. A sweet, perfumed luscious nose, which is earthy and provocative. Ripe prunes, raspberry and blackberry flavours abound. There is a silky soft feel in the mouth with nutty and coffee flavours on the palate. The wine has a very broad palette that lingers. Decanting when young will give more pleasure and aroma.

I currently have about 30 different bottles of Warwick, having tired most of their wines, including, Trilogy, Three Cape Ladies, Cabernet Franc, Pinotage and the new First Lady. do yourself a favour and try the Trilogy, you might just be very surprised.

Another New Day - Jack

So my boy started crawling on Monday (at 7 months), and my word does he move around. It is an amazing thing to see how quickly he learned to do this and already, he is trying to stand up, so it won't be long before he starts walking. I keep walking around with this ridiculous smile on my face as only a proud father can and I am loving it.

PS. Any woman that is 1.58cm tall, and can give birth to a 4.4kg baby, naturally, is a goddess in my book. I love you Gorgeous Girl

South African Wine

The South African wine industry was certainly affected by the apartheid era. Some might say it has come out with positive results, while others may say it has never recovered. South Africa is definitely producing some of the most superb wine’s which are becoming more and more popular around the world.

South African wine routes are countless, and some of the most beautiful in the world. It is an excellent idea to contact a wine club in South Africa and arrange to see the wine routes and participate in a wine tasting.

Some of the South African wine routes include:
Constantia in the Cape - this is where the first vineyards were planted,
Elgin, just east of Stellenbosch – predominantly a fruit-growing area, Franschhoek, west of Stellenbosch – soil and rainfall good for production of a wide variety of wine styles, Paarl – traditionally producing white wine but starting to focus more on reds now, Robertson – known for its whites, Stellenbosch, a short distance from Cape Town and a focal point in the wine industry – find red wines are produced in the east while whites are produced in the west,

White wines of South Africa are particularly delicious and the three most popular white wines produced in South Africa are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.
Some of the most popular South African red wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and Merlot. Pinotage especially is most commonly produced in South Africa.

If you join a wine club in South Africa you will be informed of all latest developments in the South African wine industry, and also advised on any current specials.
It is also very easy to find a wine tour in South Africa which is suited to your needs. You can spend a day doing wine-tasting and taking in the scenery. Or you could spend a weekend on a beautiful wine farm which offers, wine-tasting, full accommodation and food. In my mind, this is a hundred times better than a regular hotel. There are so many different packages you can choose from, so why not link another South African attraction to your wine tour, such as whale watching for example. You could even go golfing in the winelands of the Cape, or take in the scenery from horseback. There certainly is something for everyone!

Find information on the internet or visit a tourism and information office in South Africa for all the information you need!