Beyond the bottle
Laone Choeunyane | Monday September 28, 2026 06:00
The intimate gathering brought together 80 guests in partnership with South Africa’s Simonsig Family Vineyards, with Simonsig winemaker Nathan Valentine guiding guests through a six-wine flight paired with dishes designed to complement each wine.
The evening opened with Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Brut, paired with salmon blinis, dill crème fraîche and caviar, before moving through the winery’s portfolio.
Needless to Say Rosé was served alongside mixed olives, sun-dried tomatoes, focaccia crostini, whipped feta, olive oil and pine nuts. The Jamala Gewürztraminer followed with curried cauliflower tacos, coriander-cabbage slaw and a yoghurt garlic sauce, while Sunbird Sauvignon Blanc was paired with hot honey sliders and creamy chimichurri.
The menu continued with Simonsig Cabernet/Merlot and beef seswaa bitterballen with mustard, before the evening concluded with Kaapse Vonkel Satin Nectar and a Biscoff ice cream sandwich. Guests were also welcomed with Between The Passion, a cocktail combining vodka, passionfruit, lime and Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Brut.
But the evening was designed to be more than a sequence of food-and-wine pairings. Valentine’s presence gave guests an opportunity to engage directly with the winemaker, learning about the wines, their character and the thinking behind their production.
For Between U & I, that interaction is central to the concept. Event Curator Uyapo Ketogetswe says Between The Toast was created around the belief that drinks carry stories of place, craft and the people behind them, with the table providing a space for those stories to unfold through food, conversation and discovery.
Between The Toast is positioned as a more intimate counterpart to Between U & I’s signature Long Table Experience. While the Long Table explores Botswana through destination, landscape, food and place, Between The Toast focuses more closely on the table, using wine, food and the people behind them as a starting point for connection and discovery.
The second edition continues Between U & I’s broader focus on creating culinary experiences that encourage guests to slow down, discover something new, explore Setswana cuisine in exciting ways and, ultimately, share a table.