#TsogoWine presents #ChampagneDay

It's one week until we get to pop the corks with Tsogo Sun for the annual #ChampagneDay celebrations!

And to make it an even bigger & better celebration this year, Tsogo Sun is celebrating their 50th anniversary, whilst 2019 marks the 150th anniversary for Moët & Chandon Impérial.

And you guessed it right! The #ChampagneDay celebrations will be happening from 18 October through to 31 October at Tsogo Sun Hotels.  With incredible (not-to-be-missed) Champagne & MCC special offers on a variety of bottles of bubbles. 

Moët & Chandon Impérial - R549

Moët & Chandon Nectar - R599

Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label - R549

Veuve Clicquot Rosé - R740

Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel - R160 (Brut, Satin Nectar & Satin Nectar Rosé)

These prices are literally cost price that you could bag these bottles for out in stores. But why would you want to buy one in store & drink it at home, when you can enjoy #ChampagneDay at one of Tsogo Sun Hotels?

#SSHydePark - JHB

#SSCullinan - CPT

Sandton Sun - JHB

If you are in JHB, head to Sandton Sun, The Palazzo at Montecasino, Holiday Inn Sandton, Southern Sun Hyde Park, Southern Sun Montecasino & Café Cru.

Down in CPT, you're off to Southern Sun Cape Sun, Southern Sun The Cullinan & Southern Sun Waterfront. 

Or in & around DBN, make your way to Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani, Durban & Beverly Hills Hotel.

In my, & group sommelier of Tsogo Sun Hotels: Miguel Chan's, opinion - if you've never enjoyed Moët & Chandon at one of their hotels, then you have not really celebrated #ChampagneDay! They truly have a wide variety of excellent Champagnes & MCC's, at real affordable prices. So why not join us for a proper #ChampagneDay celebration?

Get to Sandton Sun San Deck or Southern Sun Hyde Park on Friday 18 October between 4pm & 10pm to join in on the festivities & create your very own #MoëtMoment with your friends. We will also be in the presence of Moët & Chandon winemaker - Amine Ghanem. (That is rather exciting for me to be honest! I can not wait!)

So come pop a bottle of bubbly with #TsogoWine in celebration of #ChampagneDay in association with Moët & Chandon to create your very own #MoëtMoment!

Check out some of my favourite #ChampagneDay memories over the years here. 

Still not convinced, check out more info here. And join in on the online conversation using #TsogoWine, #ChampagneDay & #MoëtMoment

#WineRoutingWithLloyd - Southern Sun: The Cullinan

Who doesn't like to have lunch by the pool? And even better if it is at the pool deck at Tsogo Sun's Southern Sun The Cullinan in Cape Town.

Chef Lindsay Venn treated #WineRoutingWithLloyd to a great lunch when we arrived in Cape Town.

Kicking off lunch with some fresh salmon sashimi & west coast oysters. And well, remember that bottle of Benguela Cove Cuvee MCC that we tried with Georgio in The Cellar? Well we finished off that bottle whilst indulging on the fresh seafood. (I won't be lying if I said that was probably the freshest salmon that I've ever had.)

Then a salad. A salad with LOTS of avocado. I was in heaven. Real good butter avo that is light, creamy & full of flavour & doesn't give you that watery taste & texutre. Served alongside a bed of fresh julienne style string beans, butter lettuce, peas & thinly sliced baby radish. Simple & delicious for a light lunch when you are not hungry, but when you are more than just peckish.

Add calamari in a spicy Italian tomato based sauce & sticky beef short rib to the table & you've got me hooked. I'd stay there all day just eating, not because I was hungry, but purely because it was that good that I wouldn't stop. 

Not only is Chef Lindsay the Executive Chef, but he was also the Food & Beverage Manager at Southern Sun The Cullinan hotel for a while. He has been working his way up in a real 'Bruce Lee' story as he puts it. Gaining experience & mastering crafts of tops chefs he wanted to learn from & being paid a minimal wage whilst absorbing their knowledge & skill. It's definitely paid off over the years.

This man has cooked for quite the list of big names, including Leonardo DiCaprio, ex USA President Bill Clinton, UB40, Roxette, Sam Smith & Ed Sheeran. Oh, & add a few big sports teams from SA, England & Austrailia to that list too. So sitting down, knowing that this is the man that is cooking my lunch, got me feeling like one of these big names too.

You can see that he really does live by his personal mantra - Always stay humble, be kind, stay positive & persevere for the stars!

Oh! And then, my Dad & I finished lunch off with a slice of lemon tart & a tequila as we watched the rugby in Stella Café & Bar. Definitely not a bad way to end off your 1st day in Cape Town right?

Check out Southern Sun The Cullinan here. 

#WineRoutingWithLloyd - Driven by the #KiaSportage

#SSCullinan

#WineRoutingWithLloyd - Southern Sun: The Cullinan

#WineRoutingWithLloyd was spoilt quite the bit this year by Tsogo Sun with a stay at the Southern Sun The Cullinan. A premier destination with grand accommodation right in the heart of Cape Town.

With a choice of 394 en-suite rooms that are tastefully furnished & believe me designed for the maximum comfort. Imagine indulgent & classically styles whilst incorporating amenities & services with a contemporary emphasis. The building itself boasts classical architecture that is reflected throughout the hotel with its high ceilings & the soaring columns around the pool area.

From the moment you arrive, you feel like you are in the lap of luxury & the attention to detail is just on point. You can see that this is where you want to spend as much time as possible & at the end of your visit you won't want to leave either. A friendly warm welcome from every person that came across my path stood out immediately & already you feel like you are at home. So bonus points to the staff for that.

Spacious is an understatement when I describe the rooms. Being lucky enough to be experience one of the suites for my stay, gave me enough opportunity to enjoy the classical contemporary furnished room to the max.

Check out my video tour of the room here. (You really want to see this!)

It really is comfort to the next level & nothing was too much to ask. So I had surprised my Dad with tickets to Monster Jam at the stadium & the hotel offers a chauffeur driven service that dropped us off & picked us up at the stadium. Not even 5 minutes later we were back at the hotel after the event. (So yes, it's that close & centrally located.)

In the morning you can choose to enjoy breakfast down at The Peach Tree Restaurant or opt for the in room dining for those mornings that you just don't want to leave the room & enjoy a fresh hot breakfast in your robe looking out at the lights as the city wakes up in the mornings. 

The view from my suite was enough to have me mesmerised sitting there just absorbing the beauty that is Cape Town.

Other comfort amenities include the large outdoor heated pool & spacious deck for those relaxing afternoon lunches. A fully equipped fitness centre, which was occupied by the Blue Bulls team most of the days we were there. Technologically advanced conference facilities. And amazing dining choices, whether you're in for dinner or lunch at The Peach Tree Restaurant or just light meals & cocktails next to the pool.

So in other words, Southern Sun The Cullinan has you covered for everything you could want or need when staying in Cape Town!

Check out Southern Sun The Cullinan here. 

#WineRoutingWithLloyd driven by the #KiaSportage.

#SSCullinan

#WineRoutingWithLloyd - Southern Sun: Waterfront

So off to dinner one eve at the Southern Sun - Waterfront. Bonus with this hotel, is that it is located in the heart of the city & is very easily accessible from all major landmarks.

Just a bit about the recently refurbished hotel. It boasts 537 rooms with all the amenities & services you could think of. So I decided to give the restaurant a try. Dinner at Yizani it would be. And Executive Chef Juan Neethling at the helm, it wouldn't be a bad choice at all. 

Onto what I was really there for. The food & wine! First thing that I noticed about the menu, is that it really is diverse & there is something for everyone & for every palate & every wallet! Let's be honest. Now days we all are a little more frugal when it comes to having to go for dinner. But I feel that Yizani offers quality food at a price that is very well suited to your pocket. 

Whilst chatting away with Chef Juan, we picked at a plate of fresh sushi.

I left the choice for dinner up to Chef too & told him to surprise me with what he would think is the best option. And so, plates of Salmon & Fillet steaks arrived beautifully plated. Portion sizes are real good! You shouldn't be leaving hungry once you've cleaned your plate. 

The Salmon was cooked just right & was still succulent & full of flavour, accompanied by a butternut puree. The Beef Fillet too, was perfectly cooked to medium & so soft, that my knife slid through it with ease. 

Always finish off dinner with a dessert that is not too sweet, & just fills that last spot perfectly. Again. Beautifully plated creations were placed in front of us. Fresh & bursting with an array of flavours that work together to play a melody of contrasting tastes on your palate. 

Yizani is open every evening for dinner from 18:30 to 22:30 & on Sunday's at 12:30 they have a buffet lunch special that I heard is quite the spread. 

A bit about Chef Juan Neethling started off his culinary journey as a trainee chef in 1997 & 10  years later he joined the Tsogo Sun family as the Executive Chef of Southern Sun Waterfront. Sitting down with him was a treat & you immediately get the feel that he absolutely loves what he does & that it is his passion.

What I enjoy most when I get to meet guys like this, is when they are able to sit down at your table with you, enjoy a glass of bubbly & talk about not only the food & give you the usual run down of what I could have read up about the hotel & restaurant online. We had a great chat about his life & where he is heading now with the title of the winner of the Unilever Food Solutions Senior Chef of the Year 2018 award under his belt. 

Check out Southern Sun Waterfront here. 

#WineRoutingWithLloyd - Driven by the #KiaSportage