Cape Town Wine

Posts Tagged ‘Paris’

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

Could this winery also fit into my kitchen?

Tucked away in the beautifully restored 18^th century town houses of Heritage Square is Signal Hill Winery, bringing South African wine making back into the city of Cape Town where it began so long ago.

Jean Vincent Ridon and Kyle Anthony Zulch

Jean Vincent Ridon, winemaker of renown and famous for growing vines in Clos Montmartre, the unique Paris vineyard, was inspired to replant vines in the Cape Town city center and so Clos d’Oranje at the foot of Table Mountain was established with ungrafted Syrah vines. Other tiny suburban vineyards are in Camps Bay and Kalk Bay and the Mourvedre, Syrah and Cabernet Franc from these vines are crafted into classy wines in Heritage Square.

The oldest producing vine in the Southern Hemisphere is thriving in the Heritage Square courtyard thanks to the loving care of Kyle Zulch, winemaker and co-owner. Almost destroyed by powdery mildew, this beautiful old Crouchen Blanc vine can produce about 20 liters of wine. The 2008 vintage made 4 magnums and twelve 750ml bottles which were auctioned off to raise money for the Zip Zap Circus. Probably planted in 1771, the first landlord of the townhouses wrote in his 1785 journal about, “Drinking wine under the grape tree”.

Also part of the winemaking team since 2001 is Laurence Buthelezi . Originally from Kwazulu Natal, Laurence followed his brother to the Cape Winelands to work with him. Trained in Burgundy, Laurence relates how he first became aware of wine during church communion services and today finds learning exciting.

Laurence Buthelezi in the tiny winery

Signal Hill Winery can well be called Cape Town’s Winery with a niche market and close connection to the consumer. Any kind of wine event can be arranged in partnership with the restaurants of Heritage Square such as Caveau, Africa Café or Simply Asia.

The extensive range of wines are made with a sensitive approach to the environment by using only recycled glass bottles as well as recycled paper labels. This has even resulted in a reduction in the price of wines .

One of my favourites is the Grenache Blanc 2008 , the only in South Africa, made in an elegant old-world style. Sexy Threesome of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot is easy drinking and very French.

Follow Signal Hill Winery on Facebook or book a special tasting on 021-422 5206.

Tags: Africa Cafe, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Camps Bay, Cape Town, Caveau, Clos d'Oranje, Clos Montmartre, Crouchen Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Heritage Square, Jean Vincent Ridon, Kyle Zulch, Laurence Buthelezi, merlot, Mourvedre, Paris, Signal Hill Winery, Simply Asia, South Africa, Southern Hemisphere, Syrah, Table Mountain, wine, winelands, Zip Zap Circus

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Saturday, July 24th, 2010

Fun and freedom in Franschhoek wine valley

Perhaps not many people know that Bastille Day commemorates the 14^th 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 16^th 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.

Barrel rolling competition

Tags: 2010 FIFA World Cup, Antonij Rupert, Bastille Day, cabernet sauvignon, Cape Town, chardonnay, chenin blanc, Franschhoek Bastille Festival 2010, Franschhoek Cellars, French Revolution, Glenwood, L'Ormarins, Methode cap classique, Paris, Picardi Liquor Stores, Protea Range, Rose, shiraz, Stellenbosch Wine Routes, Ultra Liquor, Vaughn Johnson Wine Shop, Western Cape, wine, Wine Concepts