The Champagne is thought to have been preserved by the consistent temperature of the water; low light levels and pressure from the gas used in the bottles which prevented sea water from seeping into the bottles. Most of the bottles were recovered intact and are expected to fetch GDP40,000 when they are auctioned.

An archaeologist used white gloves to present the wines to twenty specialist wine critics some of whom have commented on the video here.

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The Stables Wine Estate Airport Cellar

the art King Shaka International Airport in Durban. This exciting innovation by Tiny and Judy van Niekerk, owners of The Stables Wine Estate, offers travelers to Durban a full bar service from 05h00 until 22h00 each day. About 14 different wines are available by the glass as are beers, spirits, tea, coffee and water. Producers represented range from Solms Delta, Spier, Springfield and Saronsberg to Cederberg, Cabriere and Cape Point Vineyards.

The enthusiastic, helpful and knowledgeable manager of the wine bar is Vuyo Charles. When I asked him how he became a wine aficionado, Vuyo related to his five year stint as bartender in Knysna. He endured the “boring entry level duties” of serving beers. Then, wanting more, he progressed to learning about and serving coffee and cocktails before becoming a wine steward. When The Stables Airport Cellar opened prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Vuyo applied for a position and rapidly was promoted to manager. Vuyo loves the challenge and constantly increases his wine knowledge and tasting experience.  His favourite wine style is rose and he recommends The Stables Zambezi Pink2006. Champagne is a fascination of Vuyo’s and because he has a bit of a sweet tooth prefers a semi-sweet Methode cap classique.

The Van Niekerks established 27 ha of vines in Nottingham Road and in Greyton, KwaZulu-Natal to pioneer grape production in the

Manager, Vuyo Charles and Abigail Radebe

province. The farm is set on the site of a former thoroughbred stud and boasts views of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Mountains. In 2005 The Wine and Spirit Board of South Africa designated the area as a Wine of Origin Geographical Unit and in 2006 the first certified KwaZulu-Natal wine of origin was released.

The question we must ask though is: The Natalians may beat the Western Province at playing rugby but can they compete at wine-making?

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Champagne

French scientists have discovered the secret to keeping the fizz in a glass of Champagne: pour it like a beer.

A new study reports the best way to pour Champagne is in a ‘beer-like way’ with the glass held at an angle.

It reveals the sparkling wine remains bubbly longer when poured in this way rather than pouring straight into the glass and waiting for the mousse to settle before topping up.

However, Tom Stevenson, chairman of the Decanter World Wine Awards’ Champagne panel, said: ‘Pouring Champagne like a lager is a seen as a really naff way to serve it. You would not see a sommelier doing it in a million years.’

‘Pouring it like the sommeliers do, does you a favour by letting the free CO2 escape from the glass so the bubbles don’t get up your nose,’ he added.

The research also discovered that Champagne served at lower temperatures retains its fizz. At higher temperatures, carbon dioxide is lost more quickly.

‘The beer-like way of serving champagne has much less of impact on its dissolved CO2 concentration than the champagne-like way of serving, especially at low champagne temperatures (4 and 12 °C). The beer-like way of serving champagne is much softer than the champagne-like one,’ the study said.

The report published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry was led by Gerard Liger-Belair, a professor at the University of Reims and author of Uncorked: the Science of Champagne.

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Allan Mullins and his beautiful wife, Therese

It is interesting to note that Archim von Arnim of Cabriere who famously opens bottles with a sabre, was the pioneer of champagne in South Africa in the early eighties.

On tasting champagne Allan mentioned that the best glasses have imperfections which allow the mousse to fizz better. If glasses are not up to scratch simply take a diamond and roughen up the surface.

The venue was the unique and spectacular new cellar door Bistro, 1682, at Steenberg Vineyards which has views across the Constantia valley with False Bay in the distance.  This interesting food and wine destination has everything to entice visitors to stay and soak up the beautiful surroundings.

These are the wines that we enjoyed with Allan:

Duncan enjoying the Bistro 1862 deck

Steenberg Chardonnay MCC 2008

Steenberg Pinot Noir MCC 2006

Klein Constantia Brut 2006

Groot Constantia Cap Classique 2004

Constantia Uitsig MCC 2006

High Constantia Clos Andre 2006

Buitenverwachting Brut MCC

Comtess Alexia (Alexander Bonet)

Winston Churchill was an aficionado of Pol Roger champagne and made this well known statement:

In victory, deserve it

In defeat, need it

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Champagne

Franschhoek’s best restaurants will also be opening their doors to visitors and compiling special menus to complement the bubbly.

4th, 5th and 6th December 2009

R180 entrance fee per day

R350 per weekend pass – includes complimentary wine tasting coupons and a glass

Venue – Franschhoek Huguenot Memorial

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