Caviar, Bubbles and a Barn Full of Light

Some places are seen in a single visit; others unfold gradually, like a story told in chapters. Clara’s Barn belongs to the second kind. Its bones never change: the thatch, the old-world proportions, the great glass windows drinking in the evening light. Yet every time I return, the team reveal a different side of its character. This time it greeted us in candlelight and quiet anticipation, dressed for caviar and Champagne.

We arrived as the day softened into evening, to two bonfires crackling outside the barn and an unhurried ritual: our hands washed in a blend of herbal salt and rose petals, then rinsed with warm water poured from copper vessels.

Inside, I was greeted like an old friend, and offered a tray of Chef Michelle Theron’s canapés to indulge in: Dexter beef on crisp tallow choux with fermented fig and buchu, every bite full of layers and little bursts of flavour. Then came The 1696, the estate’s signature brandy cocktail: chips of old barrel wood set alight at the bar, and each glass turned upside down over the smoke before the drink was poured.

There’s a particular hush that settles over a room just before a meal begins, and in Clara’s Barn it feels almost tangible. It’s a moment I never miss; before the chairs are pulled out and the glasses filled, I slip into the empty dining room and let the light find me. The sun was sinking and the last of the light was spilling through the tall windows, playing across tables laid with candles and careful detail, gone almost as soon as everyone sat down. And then the evening truly began.

Nothing at Vergenoegd Löw arrives without a story. As their food and beverage manager put it, when you live and work on the farm, the stories surface on their own, which shows how naturally the past and present meet at this remarkable place.

That evening’s story was told in caviar. Elisabeth Colman of Imperial Heritage Caviar guided us through four distinctive varieties, each sustainably farmed with a deep respect for the sturgeon. Every course opened with a mother-of-pearl spoon of caviar, ours to keep, tasted on its own first so we could take in its character before it met the plate. They ranged from delicate and briny to rich, nutty and lingering, and I had never tasted anything quite like them.

Then it was over to Michelle, who I firmly believe is one of the finest chefs in the country, with an instinct for flavour that is hard to put into words: she knows exactly how to draw out, pair and play with whatever she is working with, so that even the most unexpected combinations feel inevitable. Her plates look like works of art, and they taste even better.

The bubbles were in the hands of sommelier Spencer Fondaumière, who is as articulate as he is knowledgeable. His pairings ran from the estate’s own Cap Classique to a closing pour of Pol Roger’s Sir Winston Churchill 2018, and every choice came with both a reason and a story. It’s little wonder he is so highly regarded in the industry.

Some experiences remind you how lucky you are to be alive, and this was definitely one of them. Vergenoegd Löw makes it look effortless, though every detail has clearly been meticulously thought through. No two visits are ever alike, yet each one is unmistakably its own. Another chapter, and I’m already looking forward to the next.

Find out more:
Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate | Cape Winelands Retreat
Imperial Heritage Caviar