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.

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Nederburg and FIFA have signed an agreement entitling the famous Paarl winery to make and market a range of South African wines for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Cellarmaster Razvan Macici has developed a special edition collection of three South Africa wines for the tournament which are sold locally and internationally. The three limited-edition wines are a Cabernet Sauvignon, a dry rose and a Sauvignon Blanc.

Capitalising on the pre-tournament excitement, the wines have been released worldwide, according to Nederburg marketing manager Rudolph Du Toit. “We have prioritised those markets where there is a strong interest in football but it is possible that distribution could be extended to meet demand.”

The wines are now locally available from selected stockists nationally, as well as from Nederburg itself.

Sold in bottles made from partially recycled glass, they are being marketed until December 2010 and span the 2007 to 2010 vintages. The white and rose are sold under screwcap.

The three wines were selected for their broad appeal, says Macici, but are being made in smaller quantities than the winery’s popular Winemaster’s Reserve Range, as grapes have been sourced from very specific vineyards for this purpose.

“The three wines bearing the 2010 FIFA World Cup emblem carry Nederburg’s hallmark blend of fruit intensity and finesse. They are intense but graceful and are clearly South African in that they have a very clear expression  of fruit, but restrained classical styling, making them fresh, approachable and food-friendly. Given our association with such an important sporting initiative, we want them to serve as ambassadors for South African excellence.”

Each of the 2010 FIFA World Cup wines will feature a special facility on the back label that will enable consumers to instantly access information on Nederburg by clicking on an unique QR code with their cellphone cameras. The information will then appear on their cellphone screens.

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Fairview Shiraz 2008

Charles Back has developed exciting, new viticultural sites across the Western Cape and his wines are renowned for including lesser-known varieties such as Barbera, Tannat, Petit Syrah, Carignan and Grenache.

Fairview lifted a host of prizes at this year’s key international wine awards including gold medals for the Fairview Shiraz 2008 and Spice Route Malabar 2006 at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, as well as gold for the Cyril Back 2007 at the 2010 Decanter World Wine Awards. Fairview also gathered eleven silver medals from the two competitions, together with the recent International Wine Challenge, marking a remarkable success for the family-run business based in Paarl.

Anthony de Jager, winemaker of the Fairview label and Spice Route’s Charl du Plessis together with their teams can be well satisfied with the results of their hard work and maverick approach to brand building.

Charles Back had this to say about the recent accolades:

“We are selective about the small number of competitions we enter, as the opinions we most value are those of our consumers. However being judged as producing great wine by international experts makes me very proud of our wine making teams and their outstanding contribution to the company’s success.”

Happily for readers, of this blog Fairview wines are sold in 40 countries around the world.

Look out for a review soon of La Capra the latest range, on this blog.

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Be sure not to miss this culinary experience taking place from Friday 24th April 2009 until Monday 27th April 2009 at Bien Donne Farm off the R45 Simondium, between Franschhoek and Paarl.

New dairy and related products,  tastings and cooking demonstrations will be presented providing entertainment for the whole family in a relaxed, market atmosphere.

Ensure entry by purchasing tickets before the time online, at Checkers or at Computicket.

Full details at http://www.cheesefestival.co.za

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