WORDS Michaela Stehr, Robyn Alexander IMAGES Supplied
The recently opened MCC Room at the Gin Bar celebrates South African bubbly. We found out more about the inspiration behind the project, and asked the team to share their current favourites.
Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!” This is what Dom Pierre Pérignon, the monk credited with the creation of Champagne, apparently exclaimed when he first tasted his new wine. Like many famous quotes, this one seems like it might have been invented by a very clever advertising copywriter rather than said by the man himself, but it sure is apt. The delightful sparkle of effervescent wines – which are made in various ways around the world, and include Cava, Prosecco and our very own Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) – is a delectable, almost otherworldly taste sensation.
Aiming to celebrate the brilliant tastes of South African bubbly in proper style is the new MCC Room, which recently opened adjacent to Cape Town’s well-known Gin Bar. Housed in a building that’s a couple of hundred years old, the space has a distinct vintage feel with exposed brick and stonework – and, says co-founder Anthony Gird, “There’s a slight nod to French design in the interior, which was created by Jeanne Marais.”
The building was originally an old homestead, and later on, it housed “an undertaker. The main Gin Bar was the chapel, and the MCC Room was the embalming room,” he adds. Asked about the idea of creating a bar exclusively focused on MCC, Anthony says, “When a friend suggested that we open an MCC bar, we realised there was no place that focuses only on local bubbles.
Yet there are hundreds of amazing MCCs out there.” From that point onwards, he says, it was “kind of a no-brainer… It’s important for us to do things we really like. And we love bubbles.” As do we!
BUBBLE, BUBBLE…
The MCC Room team’s three top local bubbly picks.
Napoleon is rumoured to have said, “In victory you deserve Champagne; in defeat you need it.” What’s your favourite MCC for celebrations?
“Ambeloui Rosanna Rosé MCC Chardonnay/Pinot Noir. Miranda Green, the MCC maker at the family business that is Ambeloui, is so full of joy and love that it shines through. Delicious.”
R210 | ambeloui.co.za
And what about something to cheer you up when you’re feeling down?
“One of our cocktails: either the Negroni Sbagliato (a bubbly version of the Negroni) or the English Garden. Both are beautiful and guaranteed to lift your mood – and both are made with the perfectly dry Waterkloof Astraeus MCC Brut Chardonnay.”
R240 | waterkloofwines.co.za
We aren’t all famous generals – what about an MCC perfect for daily drinking?
“The almost unknown gem that is Bemind, made by Ilse Schutte right in the middle of McGregor. Garagista style at its finest.”
R230 | bemindwyne.co.za
