THIS winter, Bistro Sixteen82 at Steenberg Farm has introduced a refreshed seasonal menu shaped by comfort, shared dining, and a closer integration with the estate’s newly launched Canvas Collection wines, so new they don’t seem to be on the website. We were invited to experience the menu last week.
How it works is that five plates are offered for two people to share, with or without the pairing of the Canvas Collection wines; accommodation was made for my vegetarian friend. Following bread and executive chef Kerry Kilpin’s legendary (for me) olives, and yummy little amuse bouches, the soup of the day was zucchini and chive, served in little cups, with breadsticks on the side. Hot and utterly delicious and a fine start to the proper business of the meal. The paired wine was the Blanc, which was lightly oaked, just the way I like Sauvignon Blanc. So much so I bought a bottle. Those who know me, know.
The next course was Kerry’s long-time signature pickled fish tacos, which I never grow tired of eating. “The pickled fish is something we’ve always celebrated and kept evolving,” she says. “It works beautifully with the Semillon. It’s a dish shaped by the team over time, and it continues to change.” Lovely Lorraine had crispy pastry parcels in the style of wontons, with mushrooms which she said were “VV delicious” which I take to mean very very, We shared the crumbed baked brie with pear, surprise popping candy, raspberry vinaigrette, fresh raspberries, and macadamia nuts.
Kerry says the starting point was not a reinvention of the winter menu, but a way of working more closely with the wines being released this season. “We’ve had a winter lunch menu for years, but this year we wanted to do something a little different to celebrate the Canvas Collection. Shared dining has always been part of Bistro Sixteen82, and we wanted a format that allows people to experience the wines properly alongside food, both at lunch and dinner.”
The main courses were mushroom and beef carpaccio (just mushrooms for LL) with sticky rice, toasted walnuts, furikake, and lime mayo, another favourite of mine. I had venison (springbok), meltingly slow-cooked (no knife required) and served with creamy polenta, citrus and rooibos, and apricot atchar. Lorraine got the tomato risotto and was completely smitten.
These dishes are paired with Nebbiolo.“We wanted to show the versatility of Nebbiolo,” says Kerry. “It works not only with warm dishes like venison, but also with colder preparations. It’s about contrast and balance.”
Marketing manager Carryn Wiltshire says the collaboration reflects the ethos behind the Canvas Collection range. “The Canvas Collection was created as a space for freedom and expression within our portfolio. Pairing it with Bistro Sixteen82’s winter menu allows guests to experience that philosophy in a very tangible way. It’s not about rigid rules, but about discovery, how the wines interact with different flavours and how each guest finds their own interpretation.”
For Kerry, the goal is not complexity for its own sake, but clarity in how food and wine interact. “One of the most important things for us is that people don’t feel they have to think too hard about it,” she says. “The pairing should work naturally, feeling both generous and easy.”
The result is a winter menu that sits comfortably within Bistro Sixteen82’s established identity, while reflecting a subtle shift toward deeper integration with the estate’s winemaking philosophy. The Canvas Collection, comprising Semillon, Nebbiolo and Blanc, brings texture and range to the experience, but remains open-ended in interpretation, which Kerry sees as part of the appeal.
“What I enjoy most is that people experience it differently,” she says. “Some will follow the pairing exactly, while others will mix it up. There’s no single answer and that’s the point.”
There is no dessert included in this offer but guests are of course welcome to order à la carte. Options include white chocolate cheesecake, passionfruit and almond frangipane, lemon posset, and decadent chocolate marquise. For the savoury palate, perhaps a selection of local cheeses, orange jam, sunflower and goat’s chevin macaron, seed granola, and lavash.
