FILM producer and editor CA van Aswegen, multiple industry award-winning editor, dips his tongue in sherry and spits the truth.
FILM producer and editor CA van Aswegen, multiple industry award-winning editor, dips his tongue in sherry and spits the truth.
Outside the wind is howling, the sky is a deep grey and it's drizzling, unseasonably for Johannesburg's dry winter climate.
We are sitting in the lobby of the Grace Hotel with a fire blazing in the hearth and we are drinking sherry.
It's the perfect way to spend the chilly day. CA van Aswegen graduated with Cum Laude from AFDA in 2003, was the top editor in his class and received an Honours Degree in Motion Picture Medium.
With three successful motion pictures under his belt, and as the editor of the much-lauded series of documentaries on Nelson Mandela for SABC2, we think that CA deserves a break from the cutting room.
He tries the classic Sedgwick's The Original Old Brown Sherry first as a barometer with which to judge the others.
"It's still as sweet as I remember and definitely not one of the drier brands. Old Brown Sherry reminds me of the theatre. We used to have a shot of the stuff to loosen up our vocal chords," he says.
Red wine is usually his drink of choice but there's definitely a place for a sherry as an aperitif or as a warming drink by the fireside on a winter day.
"The Douglas Green No. 2 Traditional Flor Medium Cream Sherry is a lot more subtle and gentle than the previous sherry. That isn't too difficult after being hit over the head with Old Brown Sherry."
CA also found the packaging a little more refined.
CA has never edited a sherry commercial although he has worked on over a hundred commercials and award-winning music videos. He next tastes the KWV Medium Cream oak matured sherry.
"This one is very rounded. It is more subtle than the other two and slightly lighter in colour. It has a more complex taste than the Douglas Green and has more weight behind it."
The packaging doesn't really appeal to him because it doesn't convey any expectations about what is inside the bottle, but it is nice that this one has a cork instead of a screw top lid.
He has a sip of the last brand of sherry, Monis Medium Cream, a favourite in bars and restaurants across South Africa. This sherry is mellow with a hint of sweetness and a silky character.
"It has a lovely light colour and a strong, clean aroma. I would definitely pick this one if I was going to buy a bottle. It is rich and smooth without being overbearing or too sweet."
Warmed by the sherry and by the blazing fireplace we send CA back to his studio at The Film Factory.
Sherry oh, sherry oh baby, you taste good
FILM producer and editor CA van Aswegen, multiple industry award-winning editor, dips his tongue in sherry and spits the truth.
FILM producer and editor CA van Aswegen, multiple industry award-winning editor, dips his tongue in sherry and spits the truth.
Outside the wind is howling, the sky is a deep grey and it's drizzling, unseasonably for Johannesburg's dry winter climate.
We are sitting in the lobby of the Grace Hotel with a fire blazing in the hearth and we are drinking sherry.
It's the perfect way to spend the chilly day. CA van Aswegen graduated with Cum Laude from AFDA in 2003, was the top editor in his class and received an Honours Degree in Motion Picture Medium.
With three successful motion pictures under his belt, and as the editor of the much-lauded series of documentaries on Nelson Mandela for SABC2, we think that CA deserves a break from the cutting room.
He tries the classic Sedgwick's The Original Old Brown Sherry first as a barometer with which to judge the others.
"It's still as sweet as I remember and definitely not one of the drier brands. Old Brown Sherry reminds me of the theatre. We used to have a shot of the stuff to loosen up our vocal chords," he says.
Red wine is usually his drink of choice but there's definitely a place for a sherry as an aperitif or as a warming drink by the fireside on a winter day.
"The Douglas Green No. 2 Traditional Flor Medium Cream Sherry is a lot more subtle and gentle than the previous sherry. That isn't too difficult after being hit over the head with Old Brown Sherry."
CA also found the packaging a little more refined.
CA has never edited a sherry commercial although he has worked on over a hundred commercials and award-winning music videos. He next tastes the KWV Medium Cream oak matured sherry.
"This one is very rounded. It is more subtle than the other two and slightly lighter in colour. It has a more complex taste than the Douglas Green and has more weight behind it."
The packaging doesn't really appeal to him because it doesn't convey any expectations about what is inside the bottle, but it is nice that this one has a cork instead of a screw top lid.
He has a sip of the last brand of sherry, Monis Medium Cream, a favourite in bars and restaurants across South Africa. This sherry is mellow with a hint of sweetness and a silky character.
"It has a lovely light colour and a strong, clean aroma. I would definitely pick this one if I was going to buy a bottle. It is rich and smooth without being overbearing or too sweet."
Warmed by the sherry and by the blazing fireplace we send CA back to his studio at The Film Factory.
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