Tim and Vaughan Pearson, from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, UK, realized a family dream when they established a vineyard on the slopes of Shaws Mountain near Hermanus. Here they produce the noble varieties Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Syrah which are able to benefit from the cooling influences of the nearby Atlantic.
Just released are the Seven Springs Vineyards Syrah 2010 as well as the Seven Springs Vineyards Chardonnay 2010.
The Syrah boasts a savoury, earthy character with soft tannins which came as a surprise for such a young wine. I liked the acidity and found the wine to be well balanced. The aftertaste stays and stays with just enough spiciness to create interest without dominating the palate. My opinion is that this Syrah is a fantastic wine with great structure which is drinking well now. In another five years it should reach its full potential.
My score is 18/20 – an excellent, superior quality wine.
The alcohol is 13.77%.
The Chardonnay impressed me with the lime scent when I took that first sniff. The sensation when I sipped that first taste completely bowled me over with scintillating freshness followed by an incredible, long finish. For me this is a perfect Summer wine.
Winemaker, Riana van der Merwe, reports that it was fermented and aged in second fill, 300 liter barrels and that it only completed 30% Malo-lactic fermentation. She suggests that good food matches would be savoury dishes including fish, chicken and pasta dishes.
My score for the Chardonnay is also 18/20.
The alcohol is 13.88%
Seven Springs Syrah 2010 and Chardonnay 2010 can be bought at Wine Village, Hermanus. The Chardonnay is also available at Wine Concepts, Newlands. Both sell for R114.00 per bottle and can be ordered online.
New kid on the block at Eikendal Vineyards, a 30-year old Stellenbosch farm, is Nico Grobler who is currently the winemaker since the 2009 vintage, although he has six years experience of the vineyards and terroir there. Nico has also worked at a Burgundy producer in Cote de Challonaise and that exposure reflects in the evolution of Eikendal Chardonnay from the 2008 vintage through to the current 2010. The older vintages of this wine never seem to express the freshness of the variety due to the overt use of oak whereas the 2010 release has aromas of butter and lime and on the palate is fresh, round and smooth with a long finish of grapefruit and lime.
A technique used by Nico in the latest two vintages was to pick the fruit at three different stages of ripeness – (19.5 degrees Balling – 23 degrees Balling) resulting in freshness as well as richness in the finished wine.
Nico discusses the Eikendal Chardonnay 2009 in this video.
Also presented by Nico were the Eikendal Classique Red Blends 2005, 2006 and 2008 vintages. The 2008 blend consists of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Having more merlot in the equation creates a more old-world style of wine which I find to be classy, understated and well balanced. The tannins are soft while the finish stays and stays.
Food pairings are medium rare medallions of fillet or Carpaccio with fresh beetroot and even a rich chocolate and berry tart.
Eikendal Classique is sold from the farm for R150.00. The chardonnay is sadly sold out so keep a look out for the release of 2011.
I never take for granted the gorgeous country that we live in and even less, our corner of
Woolworths Limited Release TMV Spectrum 2008
paradise on the banks of Zandvlei. It’s hard to think that today was the shortest day in the year, supposedly the middle of Winter, and we found ourselves enjoying the early sunset, on the jetty with our canine companions and pelagic birds, sipping another delectable South African wine.
Mostly we enjoy red wines but the glorious sunshine today called for a fresh white wine and Tullbagh Mountain Vineyards Spectrum was the perfect choice.
Tulbagh is a wine district in the Coastal Wine Region of South Africa, a valley enclosed by mountain ranges. TMV is run using a terroir driven approach and bio-dynamic farming methods, by Paul Nichols who tends the vineyards and Rebecca Tanner who is the cellar master.
Spectrum 2008 is a much lauded blend of Chenin Blanc 62%, Chardonnay 14% Grenach 9%, Rousanne 8% and Viognier 7%. The components were fermented seperately in old oak barrels and 600 liter Nomblot egg-shaped fermenters and only native yeasts were used. Malolatic fermentation was allowed and the wine was left on its lees without sulphur additions. After a year the wine was racked and blended. The result is natural richness and mouth feel as well as natural minerality. The palate is rich and complex with elegant layers of citrus, lime and vanilla flavours ending in a long, long finish.
Food matches are roast herb chicken or duck with orange or ginger sauce.
For me this is a superior quality wine and I rate it 19/20.
It has a screw cap and the alcohol content is 13.5%.
Don’t you just love Thierry and Guy’s hippo? This turned out to be a wine with an appealing label which followed through to the bottle contents. Like the hippo, they please with mouth-filling fatness.
Beautifully crisp with distinct lime and vanilla flavours to begin with, it stays on the palate for the longest time. South African Winemaker Francois Welch added quercus fragmentus, which I discovered are oak bits, during fermentation, and that gives the wine a butter fragrance.
Fat Bastard Chardonnay 2010
The Fat Bastard brand was begun by winemaker Thierry and Guy Anderson in Languedoc-Roussillon with a tiny production but today the Chardonnay, Shiraz, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc wines are enjoyed on both sides of the pond and happily, at the bottom of Africa too. In South Africa the brand custodian is Robertson Winery which produces Fat Bastard Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Shiraz.
I found that it paired perfectly beautifully with itself but it also enhances gently flavoured risottos and pastas; salad starters which are dressed with mayonnaise; fresh oysters and simply cooked freshwater fish. In other words, dishes that can be overwhelmed by too much flavour in the glass.
Available at Pick and Pay, Constantia for R54.99 per bottle.
Like Norwegians, wine lovers in the USA state of Pennsylvania have been restricted to buying their drinks at state run liquor stores only.
Wine vending machine
Until now that is. Being tested in supermarkets are wine vending machines which hold 700 bottles in the price range $7 to $23. For the very first time, shoppers can now pick up the Chardonnay with the cheese. Something that we in South Africa take for granted.
This is not as liberating as it might sound. In this state where alcohol sales are tightly controlled, customers have to jump through several hoops to get their grog.
First they must swipe both a proof of age and their payment card.
Then there’s the breathalyser. A quick puff to show they’re sober and the appropriate door will open. CCTV cameras are monitored by state officials as a final safeguard.
The appeal of convenience is obvious though. Simple Brands CEO James Lessor says:
You can now buy iPods and hi-tech gadgets in vending machines at airports. You can now get your tickets at self-service checkouts. And self-service has just really become more popular.
But in a country where convenience has always been a best seller, the machines’ makers hope to open another 100 later this year.
The winery was founded in 1945 on land near Stellenbosch which was first planted with grapes in 1707 by early viticulturists. 1707 Was significant because it marked the release of the first political prisoner in South Africa. It was also the first time that the term “Afrikaner” was used when a certain Hendrik Beerman called himself this, while riding through the streets of Stellenbosch after a heavy, brandy-drinking session.
PG Slabbert, Cellarmaster at Stellenbosch Hills and Sonja Burger, features writer for Farmer's Weekly, celebrating the new release
In the early years from 1945 onwards, distilled wine for the production of brandy was made. What is interesting about this period is that the first affirmative action winemaker Abe Dawidse managed the cellar alongside the cellar master, Charlie Sparks.
These days PG Slabbert assisted by Juan Slabbert crafts mostly well priced wines from choice grapes supplied by 16 different farms, making Stellenbosch Hills effectively, a co-op. This does not mean that the winery cannot make sexy, boutique wines. To celebrate the anniversary, PG and his team have released the 1707 Reserve Duo.
The 1707 Reserve 2009 is a blend of Chardonnay, Semillon and Viognier. PG explains that the quality of Chardonnay grapes coming out of the Polkedraai Hills is superlative and an easy choice for the main cultivar. Viognier brings an aromatic quality to the blend while Semillon adds a round feel. The result is a buttery yet fresh wine which I found to be perfect. Even though the barrels used were new, they were only lightly toasted so that the blend is not over powering as I find often happens with white blends which have had oak treatment. Definitely a great food wine.
Stellenbosch Hills 1707 Reserve 2009
The companion wine is 1707 Reserve 2008, a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Vedot. This wine drinks beautifully right now but can be kept for up to 5 years. It paired well with a rich, cheesy Butternut, Spinach and Feta Rotolo.
The 1707 Duo can be bought at Checkers Retail Stores and at speciality wine shops for around R81.00 per bottle for the red blend and about R60.00 for the white. An absolute steal for these quality wines!
Perhaps not many people know that Bastille Day commemorates the 14th July 1789 storming of the medieval fortress in Paris. The fall of this jail became a flash point of the French Revolution.
Alexandra Galindo & Andres Correa tasting Topiary wines
But that did not stop thousand of Cape Townians and tourists alike from revelling in the Franschhoek sunshine at the Franschhoek Bastille Festival 2010, the 16th celebration of this event.
Football fans, Alexandra Galindo from Chile and Andres Correa from Columbia, stayed on after the 2010 FIFA World Cup to discover the Western Cape and to improve their English. They had read about the Franschhoek festival on a local website and we met them while sipping Topiary wines in the Food and Wine Marquee. Alexandra had only good things to say about the Shiraz 2006 and the Rose that were on offer for tasting.
Topiary Wines, not surprisingly, is named for viticulturist, Malcolm Pemberton’s sculpted garden on the property in Franschhoek. This new boutique winery produces a Methode cap classique and a Rose wine, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc varietal wines.
Protea wines stand
For me a super discovery in the Food and Wine Marquee was the new second label of Antonij Rupert Wines, The Protea Range, consisting of Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Chenin Blanc 2009, Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 and Merlot 2007. What is remarkable about this range is that they are made to the same high standard as the L’Ormarins and Anthonij Rupert wines but retail at under R50.00 per bottle. They are available locally at Ultra Liquor Stores, Vaughn Johnson’s Wine Shop, Wine Concepts and at Picardi Liquor Stores.
The barrel rolling race drew us out into the sunshine again. South Africa had promised to roll out the barrel for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but you haven’t seen anything quite like this Franschhoek Wine Route competition where 16 wine farms compete for the trophy. Although the challenge is thrown out each year to the other wine routes to compete, none take up the challenge. An investigation by our specialist team led to an embarrassing reason for this – the maturation containers of Stellenbosch Wine Route farms are square. Come on guys – prove us wrong on this one and take up the challenge in 2011!
Reigning champ, Glenwood, fell in the quarter finals and Franschhoek Cellars took the trophy.
With or without a festival, Franschhoek has everything to offer as a mini-break destination or a day out. Enter the valley and you could be a world away.
Scanning the shelves in Pick and Pay’s wine section I was stopped in my tracks by the zany, curious label of La Capra Shiraz and on closer inspection discovered this to be one of the new value wines made by Fairview, the much loved and visited Paarl wine farm whose name is linked as much to finely crafted cheese as it is to premium wines.
La Capra wines
That evening we paired our La Capra Shiraz with barbecued ostrich sausage and sirloin steak with delicious results.
Having a chance to review the entire range of La Capra wines at the public launch was a huge bonus which I grabbed with both hands. This gypsy carnival was staged complete with oompah band, gypsy caravan and beautiful fortune teller in the form of Bridget Back, daughter of the renowned wine maker Charles Back, owner of Fairview estate.
Bridget lured us into her caravan with the promise of delightful potions and disappointed we were not.
The Chenin Blanc 2009 is perky and delicious, as are the Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Rose 2009 from Pinotage, and the Chardonnay 2009. A real treat for consumers who want to be more adventurous is that the range includes a Viognier 2009.
My favourite amongst the red wines is the Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 which is amazingly smooth with almost imperceptible oak. This can happily be drunk as an aperitif for those of us who simply can’t get enough red wine. To my mind, the Pinotage 2009, Merlot 2009 and Shiraz 2009 will compliment food really well. Also in the range is Malbec 2009 another more unusual variety wine which I will be scouring the supermarket shelves for.
All of these wines are accessible and perfect for drinking straight away.
Sipping to the sound of the Oompah Band
“What about the name?” I asked the gypsy princess. My Italian being somewhat rusty I had missed the word capra meaning goat, referring of course to the Fairview goat herd from which the very first goat’s milk cheese was produced in South Africa. La rhymes with Ra the Egyptian sun god and Capra also points to the Cape Cap, suggesting a Cape to Cairo connection.
These wines are available at Fairview Estate for the unbelievable price of R200.00 per mixed 6 bottle case. Alternately they can be bought at Pick and Pay supermarkets in the Western Cape for between R35 and R42 per bottle.
Fairview’s latest range of value wines is La Capra. The range comprises Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier as well as Shiraz, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec.
La Capra presented by Fairview
We decided to try the La Capra Shiraz 2008 and very easily laid the bottle waste. There is are spice flavours galore on the palate like white pepper, clove and nutmeg, and the fruity yet dry flavours remind of eating pomegranates when I was a child. We think this wine goes very well with itself but it was also great with our sirloin and ostrich sausage braai. It’s beautifully balanced and sits on the palate forever after swallowing.
If I wanted to introduce a first time drinker to a Shiraz varietal wine, La Capra Shiraz is what I would reach for.
The quirky label reminds us that Fairview is home to goat herds and produces award winning cheeses.
These wines are available at the unbelievable price of R200.00 ($28.50) per mixed case from the farm.
The winners of the World Cup of Wines 2010 have been announced and South Africas excellent results underscore the new trend in international tastes for new world wines.
Beating the Australians hands down, South Africa came sixth overall after Chili, earning 80 medals. The winning country was France, followed by Spain, Italy, Portugal and Chili. 7,000 Wines and spirits were judged.
Chardonnay du Monde 2010 compared Chardonnay wines from thirty-five different countries.
Amongst the top ten best Chardonnays of the world are wines from France, Greece, Austria, Spain, Germany, Canada and South Africa, the only new world wine producer to be included in this elite group. Our best Chardonnay on this list is Lourensford Winemaker’s Selection Chardonnay 2009.
CHARDONNAY DU MONDE 2010
Also winning a gold medal is The Abacus Chardonnay – True to Terroir 2008 made by Spier Wines.
I met Katinka several years ago as part of a small group who spent a three hour long lunch with her as she guided us through the principles and practice of matching food with wine. This experience was a revelation and gave a me greater respect for the wine which can be easily ruined by a
Katinka van Niekerk
careless food choice.
Katinka is a consultant to winemakers and chefs as well as a visiting lecturer to hotel schools and catering colleges. Her fascination with food and wine pairing began when she was the young wife of a South African diplomat serving in New York. At the many dinner parties they attended, it was fashionable to end the meal with chocolate mousse served with champagne which Katinka found unpalateable – the lovely bubbly nuances became vinegar against the sweetness of the mousse. Feeling impelled to do things differently and expressing this to her husband Albert, he reponded by saying,
We are young diplomats and will learn how it should be done. Just follow what the others are doing. You’ll get used to it.
But Katinka’s taste buds did not get used to it and she set forth in her inimitable way, to alter convention.
Thus her passion for what actually works and what does not when marrying food and wine, become a second career. Diplomatic postings to the United States, Israel, Germany and the United Kingdom and many glasses of wine later, gave Katinka ample opportunity to experiment.
At her workshops she discusses basic principles to think about which once practised a few times become intuitive.
These are - weight which is for example the difference between a piece of grilled hake and a grilled sirloin steak. The fish is light while the steak is heavy. Wines too, can be light or heavy-bodied. Consider the difference between a dry chenin blanc and a wooded chardonnay. The weight of the food should balance the weight of the wine so that neither overwhelms the other.
Flavour intensity – this is the degree of flavour that a dish has. This is apparent if we have to compare the flavour profile of white meat like
The Food and Wine Pairing Guide
chicken breast, pork fillet or veal schnitzel to red meat. The added flavourings used to prepare white meats play a bigger role than those used for more robustly flavoured meats. Consider the flavour profiles of an unwooded chenin blanc, a riesling or a gewurztraminer and it becomes clear that the more fragrant wines pair well with ethnic dishes from say, Thailand, Japan, North Africa or Mexico.
The five primary taste sensations – sweetness, acidity, saltiness, bitterness and umami (savoury). Wines and foods share basic tastes with wines having three: sweetness,acidity and in the case of red wine, umami.
Then there are secondary considerations such as sauces, cooking methods, pepper and the echo factor.
Happily for all of us Katinka has in collaboration with Brian Burke, produced The Food and Wine Pairing Guide which explains all of the above aspects in detail and with much more. It is available from Loot.
Even better, if you are in Cape Town contact Katinka to attend one of her workshops on katfoodwine@adept.co.za
Just 45 minutes drive out of Cape Town lies Wellington on the banks of the Kromme River surrounded by the majestic Groenberg and Hawequa mountains. Known for fruit production, grapevine nurseries and home of an historic religious seminary and college, Wellington has 26 wineries
Wellington Wine Harvest Festival
within a short distance of each other. Some of the Wellington wineries stretch over alluvial terraces towards the Swartland’s rolling hills and
wheat fields, while others are found in the foothills of the towering Hawequa mountains, where folds and valleys create unique meso-climates. The predominate varieties grown here are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Chenin blanc.
Happening this weekend is the annual Wine Harvest Festival from Saturday until Monday with all of valley’s wine farms offering events such as musical entertainment; wine, brandy and grappa tasting; vintage cars and cricket; gourmet food tasting and much more.
My wine recommendations? Don’t miss the Andreas Shiraz and Dunstone’s award winning Shiraz. Schalk Burger & Sons have a big Bordeaux blend, Cricket Pitch and in the Meerkat range Burrow Blend is fantastic for everyday drinking. The Meerkat Chenin blanc is made from grapes off extremely old vines and has character you won’t expect from such a well priced wine. Diemersfontein wines are bold, beautifully crafted wines and offer an excellent example of pinotage.
Under the heading “17 Impressive White Wines”, James Molesworth, the senior editor and South African wine expert of Wine Spectator magazine, raves about the consistency, diversity and value delivered by Cape Town Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc and Chenin blanc based wines. Eben Sadie’s delicious chenin-driven blend Palladuis is one of the applauded wines and his comments are,
Local Chenin blancs are finally coming into their own and it is definitely encouraging to see so many Chenins and Chenin-driven blends making a top listing such as this one in Wine Spectator. I think wine lovers are becoming more adventurous by trying lesser known varietals and eventually enjoying the complexity of flavours offered by a great Chenin blanc.
The wines are here listed together with the wine district or ward where they are produced.
SADIE FAMILY Palladius Swartland 2008
Wine Spectator
KEN FORRESTER Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch The FMC 2008
May Eliane de Lencquesaing formally owned Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtess de Lalande, in the Pauillac appellation of Bordeaux, France. Although, she acquired Glenelly Stellenbosch, in 2003, the formal opening of the estate has been delayed until the 2008 vintage wines, which were crafted solely from grapes grown on the estate, have been released for sale.
Glenelly Estate
An environmentally sensitive 600 ton cellar, created by Swiss, French and South African architects was completed last year. Some of it’s features are that fewer chemicals are used to clean tanks because water at high temperature does the job and under-floor cooling cuts energy costs. The cellar structure blends into the Simonsberg hills because of carefully coloured concrete thus minimising visual impact.
The winemaker is Luke O’Cuinneagain and Adie Badenhorst is the consultant, formally of neighbouring farm, Rustenberg. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, shiraz and chardonnay are the cultivars planted here.
de Lencquesaing is quoted in Decanter.com as saying,
I now intend to spend six months of the year in South Africa. I am very keen to ensure this is a truly South African estate, not to impose too much of my Bordeaux sensibilities on to the land.
I will be running the estate and continuing with the set up of numerous social structures for the employees from estate housing to child care to education and training courses.
In the heart of theSwartland wine district, lies Darling, 55 kms north of Cape Town, known for a gorgeous spectacle of spring, wild flowers, superior wine producers, and famed first citizen, Evita Bezuidenhout. Happening from Friday 4th September to Sunday 6th September, will be Africa’s most unique cultural festival, Voorkamerfest (Living room festival).
Voorkamerfest, Darling
How this works is that visitors buy tickets for one of seven routes and get transported by local mini-bus taxis to three different homes, ranging from small township abodes to one of Darling’s grand Cape Dutch houses, where three different performances are presented. On this magical, mystery tour visitors never know who they will see performing until they arrive at the house and the home owners introduce the performers.
This year’s performers include saxophonist Dan Shout with The Onion Project and Tyrone Apollis’ Geroeste Music; Amanda Strydom’s Afrikaans cabaret; comedy theatre with Rafiek Mammon; Garry Naidoo’s Let’s Mix It 2.8GLX and The Fieke and Willie Show starring Riana Alfreds and Charles Tertiens. The Theatre Sports team headed by Megan Choritz will present on the spot improvisation and La Rosa Sapanish Dance Theatre’s Peter Agulhas will perform Solo Flamenco accompanied by musician and vocalist, Lorean Swartz. Writer, poet and photographer Philip De Vos will present his award-winning poetry and songs accompanied by classical painist Tertia Visser-Downie.
Amanda Strydom, Afrikaans caberet artist
International performers include, Willem Vermandere from Belgium and Thijsmoussefay and Room Eleven from the Netherlands.
Make time to stop by Cloof Wines and sample the intense, powerful, shiraz-based blends from the hardy bush vines. Or GrootePost, to try the acclaimed chardonnays which gave birth to my love of unwooded chardonnay.
Voorkamerfest takes place on Friday 4th September at 5pm, Saturday 5th September at 12pm and at 5pm and on Sunday 6th September at 12pm.
Tickets cost R99 per route with R1 from each ticket sold donated to the Darling Trust.
For info and bookings contact Tasha on 082-3217542 or 022-4923427.
bookings@voorkamerfest-darling.co.za
Judging by the photos on the website, the event is a rollicking, riotous affair and who knows, you may just bump into Evita Bezuidenhout.
A visit to the stone, Swiss Chalet style tasting room situated high on the slopes of the Helderberg mountain in the Stellenbosch wine district, leaves you awestruck at the panoramic views of Table Mountain, Cape Point, Robben Island, False Bay and Table Bay. This is a spot where you can see forever!
These unique, high altitude vineyards set at between 420 and 620 meters above sea level, have decomposed granite and shale soils and all of this results in varietal wines which are elegant and distinctive expressions of the site.
With sensitivity to the indigenous fynbos, sustainable viticulture is practised at Uva Mira and proteas are farmed and exported.
The resulting wines have attracted numerous awards including Best SA Wine Producer of the Year and the Best Chardonnay in the World at the 2006 International Wine and Spirit Competition where winemaker, Mathew Van Heerden, was also named as one of The Top Ten Winemakers in the World.
Uva Mira is situated off Annandale Road, Stellenbosch and the tasting room is open to visitors on Mondays to Fridays from 08h00 – 17h00, and on Saturdays and public holidays from 10h00 – 16h00 excepting for Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.
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