Posts Tagged ‘shiraz’
Thursday, November 24th, 2011
Charl du Plessis describes himself as a beer drinking winemaker, preferring micro-brewed Jack Black lager. This makes sense when you consider that Charl is a scratch golfer and cyclist who has completed the Cape Epic and Cape Pioneer Mountain Bike stage races several times – what better way to quench the thirst after competing.
The Spice Route winemaker, Charl Du Plessis
Chatting to Charl at the new home of the Spice Route restaurant and tasting room on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, I asked how it was that he became a winemaker. While studying viticulture at Elsenberg College in Stellenbosch he was intrigued by the elite group of Cellar Technology students who wore t-shirts splashed with red wine and who converted an extra dormitory into a wine tasting laboratory which only they had access to. He was soon accepted into the course as one of only 10 students and remembers drinking classic 1970′s premium wines, (which formed part of research stock for the wine making course) at inter-varsity rugby games whilst most students were drinking Black Label or Carling.
Charles Back, owner of The Spice Route winery
More recently Charl was sought out by Charles Back, Spice Route owner to create his innovative wines. Charles has this to say about Charl:
The man has enormous passion for wine and pays incredible attention to detail – with talented winemakers it’s usually either the one or the other; it’s rare to find both in one. He has an incredible affinity for the Swartland and dryland viticulture.
Charles Back is one of the originators of the Swartland revolution in South African wine culture. He bought a farm near Malmesbury in partnership with Gyles Webb of Thelema, wine writers John & Erica Platter and wine activist Jabulani Ntshangase in 1997, although he soon bought over the shares of the other partners leaving him to develope Klein Amoskuil into The Spice Route Winery.
Restaurant interior
Select blocks of 40 year-old Chenin Blanc and Pinotage were retained and unusual to the Western Cape, Mediterraen varieties, were planted: Shiraz, Mourvedre, Grenache, Petit Syrah, Barbera, Tannat, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Carignan and Tempranillo. Viognier was established as a blending component for the rich, full-bodied, Rhone red cultivars. The Portugese grape, Souzao was also planted. These vines grow in deep composite soils without irrigation and benefit from the cool effect of the Atlantic ocean breezes. The resulting wines created by Charl and his team are of exceptional quality.
Currently these are The Spice Route wines with their prices ex cellar door:
Spice Route Sauvignon Blanc 2011 – R60.00
Spice Route Chenin Blanc 2010 light – R60.00
Spice Route Chenin Blanc 2010 – R60.00
Spice Route Viognier R90.00
Spice Route Mourvedre 2008 – R75.00
Spice Route Pinotage 2009 – R90.00
Spice Route Shiraz 2008 – R90.00
Spice Route Chakalaka 2009 – R110.00
Spice Route Syrah 2007 – R210.00
Spice Route Malabar 2006 – R350.00
My favourites? The flagship Syrah 2007 and Malabar 2006. The Viognier too is utterly delightful and a great friend of food.
Flagship wine, Malabar 2007
Visiting the new Spice Route restaurant with fellow bloggers last week I was amazed at how busy it was with large groups of diners and that after being open for only a couple of weeks. Relishing Chef Philip Pretorious’ cured linefish marinated in citrus with Szechuan pepper and wasabi mousse, and the traditional Indian butter chicken with rice pilaf, fresh roti and espresso foam, makes it easy to see why foodies are talking about this exciting new destination.
All of The Spice Route wines are served by the glass in the restaurant and there is no markup. From the tasting room a Sommelier Tasting of 6 wines is on offer for R35.00 per person and a deluxe tasting of 9 wines with samples of the dishes served in the restaurant for R90.00 per person.
Set to become The Biscuit Mill On Steroids, this family lifestyle venue will also be home to Jack Black Micro Brewery, a glass blowing studio and DV Artisan Chocolates.
The Spice Route Wines are sold at Caroline’s Fine Wine Shops and also at Makro if you need them in a hurry. Why not rather take the N1 out of Cape Town and visit the relaxing destination which has been created around these special wines?
Opening hours and contact details
Open seven days a week
Sunday – Thursday – 09h00 to 17h00
Friday – Saterday – 09h00 to 18h00.
Last tasting vouchers are sold 30min (standard tasting) and 1 hour (wine & food pairing) before closing, so as to allow sufficient time to complete your tasting to the high standards of service that Spice Route sets. We don’t like to rush things!
Telephone: +27 (0)21 863 5200
Email: tasting@spiceroute.co.za
Reservations for the restaurant can be made on
(021) 863-5222 or restaurant@spiceroute.co.za
Directions
From Cape Town on the N1:
Take exit 47 (Stellenbosch/Wellington/Klapmuts)
Turn RIGHT towards Klapmuts
At the four-way stop turn left onto R101 (follow signboard to Fairview)
After passing Simonsvlei on your right, turn LEFT into the Suid-Agter Paarl Road (follow signboard to Spice Route)
Spice Route is on your right hand side, about 4km along the road.
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Tags: Barbera, Black Label, Cape Epic, Cape Pioneer Mountain Bike, Carignan, Carling, Charl du Plessis, Charles Back, chenin blanc, Elsenberg College, Grenache, Gyles Webb, Jabulani Ntshangase, John & Erica Platter, Malmesbury, Mourvedre, Petit Syrah, Pinotage, Sangiovese, shiraz, Souza, Spice Route restaurant, Swartland, Tannat, Tempranillo, The Spice Route Winery, Thelema, Viognier, wine, Zinfandel
Posted in Wineries that I visit and love | No Comments »
Thursday, June 23rd, 2011
We took a dip and ordered The Pepper Pot from Edgebaston off a restaurant menu. When we
The Pepper Pot
noted from the description that this was one of David Finlayson’s creations we knew we were in for a treat.
The Finlaysons had been a huge influence on the South African wine industry for three generations since Dr Maurice Finlayson, a pathologist from Inverness, Scotland, started a wine business at Hartenberg, Stellenbosch. His son Walter started and built up Glen Carlou in Paarl. He was soon joined by his son David and in time Glen Carlou was sold to the Hess Family Estates and the Finlaysons have since been crafting accoladed wines on Edgebaston family farm.
This unusual blend Syrah 46%, Mourvedre 46 % and Tannat 8% is brash, bold, in your face and a great boerewors wine. The coriander and allspice in this traditional South African sausage enhance the white pepper flavour in the wine. On its own The Pepper Pot has a surprisingly dominant blueberry flavour and is very smooth.
My rating of this wine is 15/20 – a good quality, well made wine.
The Pepper Pot has a screwcap.
Alcohol 14.5
Tags: boerewors, David Finlayson, Dr Maurice Finlayson, Edgebaston, Glen Carlou, Hartenberg, Hess Family Estates, Inverness, Mourvedre, pathologist, pepper, pot, Scotland, shiraz, South African, Tannat, Walter Finlayson
Posted in The Daily Tipple | 1 Comment »
Friday, May 27th, 2011
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.
Also sold on Pick and Pay online shopping site.
My rating is 16/20 in other words a good quality, well made wine.
13.54% Alc0hol
RS 7.1
Ta 5.31
Ph 3.35
Serving temperature 8 – 10 degrees C
Tags: Africa, butter, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Fat Bastard, fermentation, fish, Francois Welch, Guy, hippo, Languedoc-Roussillon, lime, mayonnaise, merlot, oak, oysters, pasta, Pinot Noir, quercus fragmenuts, risottos, Robertson, Robertson Winery, sauvignon blanc, shiraz, South African, Thierry, vanilla, wine
Posted in The Daily Tipple | 5 Comments »
Friday, December 17th, 2010
I came across this quirky piece on Decanter.com
Alex Milner and Stefan Gerber, who met while studying wine making in Stellenbosch, have teamed up to create a series of wines labelled Boer & Brit which recognise their great-great grandfathers, each of whom fought on opposing sides during the Boer War 1880 – 1902.
Stefan is the great-great grandson of Paul Kruger, the Afrikaner leader and then president of the Transvaal. The bitter war resulted in the British Imperial Army defeating the Boers and gaining control of the gold and diamond fields of South Africa. Leading a cavalry charge to end the siege of Kimberley, was Field Marshall John Denton Pinkstone French, 1st Earl of Ypres, the great-great grandfather of Alex.
The range of wines consists of a Sauvignon Blanc called Gezina after Stefan’s grandmother; The General which is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot and The Field Marshall, a blend of Shiraz, Mouvedre, Tinta Amarela and Carignan. Ironic back label phrases state: “The war is over – let’s party” and “With the body of a boer and the nose of an Englishman – you can’t go wrong”.
Bob's Your Uncle
Another of this funky duo’s irreverant wines is a Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon called Bob’s Your Uncle which is bottled in a brown, beer bottle complete with a crown cork.
For a list of suppliers follow this link
Tags: Afrikaner, Alex Milner, Bob's Your Uncle, Boer War, British Imperial Army, cabernet franc, Carignan, Decanter, Kimberley, Malbec, Mouvedre, Paul Kruger, petit verdot, sauvignon blanc, shiraz, South Africa, Stefan Gerber, Tinta Amarela, Transvaal
Posted in What's New | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
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!
Tags: Afrikaner, Brandy, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Juan Slabbert, merlot, Petit Vedot, PG Slabbert, Polkedraai Hills, Semillon, sexy, shiraz, South Africa, Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch Hills, Viognier, wine
Posted in Wine Tasting | No Comments »
Saturday, July 24th, 2010
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.
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
Posted in What's New | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
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.
Tags: Bridget Back, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, cheese, chenin blanc, Cyril Back, Fairview Estate, goats, La Capra, Malbec, merlot, Paarl, Pick and Pay, Pinotage, Rose, sauvignon blanc, shiraz, South Africa, Viognier, wine
Posted in What's New | 4 Comments »
Sunday, June 20th, 2010
We often assume that South Africa’s bulk wine producers such as those owned by the Distell group, do not very often craft wines that come up to the same standard as some of the boutique wineries.
Razvan Macici, Nederburg Cellar Master
This week we had a wake-up call spent in the company of the charming Romanian, Nederburg cellar master since 2001, Razvan Macici. We were privileged to taste (and consume) some of Nederburg’s most exclusive wines which, in our opinion are right up there with South Africa’s best.
The evening’s Wine and Food Pairing was hosted by Andrea Foulkes’ Sidedish restaurant in Rose Street, Cape Town.
To mention a few recent achievements, Nederburg was the most successful producer at the Trophy Wine Show 2009 for two succesive years. And also achieved the highest score in the 2009 Syrah du Monde for the 2006 vintage of the Private Bin R121 Shiraz, sold exclusively for the Nederburg Auction. The wine was one of only two from South Africa on the top ten list, dominated by the French. Shiraz has won for Nederburg the 2008 Lexus WINE Challenge. The Manor House Collection maiden Shiraz 2005 took the IWSC Rosemount Trophy in 2007 for the World’s Best Shiraz.
Since 1975 the annual Nederburg Auction presents some of Cape Town’s finest wines from a host of various producers. Renowned are the Private Bin wines made especially for this event. It was a real thrill for us to enjoy two of the yet to be auctioned Private Bin creations in the tasting line Up.
Razvan grew up in the vineyards of Dealu Mare, about 70 kms from Bucharest where his father, Mihai, made his award-winning noble late harvest wines on the famous Pietroasa Estate in the area. This all made sense when we sipped the Nederburg Winemaster’s Reserve Noble Late Harvest 2009 which has to be the finest desert wine that I personally have enjoyed.
The wines in the line-up were:
2010 FIFA World Cup Sauvignon Blanc 2010 – an instant goal scorer.
Nederburg Private Bin D252 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon
Nederburg Ingenuity White 2008 – a five star wine in Platter’s South African Wines 2010
Nederburg Ingenuity Red 2007
Nederberg Private Bin R181 Merlot 2001
Nederberg Wine Master’s Reserve Noble Late Harvest 2009
Tags: 2010 FIFA Wordl Cup Sauvignon Blanc, Abdrea Foulkes, Bucharest, Cape Town, Dealu Mare, Distell, French, goal, IWSC, Lexus Wine Challenge, Nederburg, Nederburg Auction, Nederburg Ingenuity Red, Nederburg Ingenuity White 2008, Nederburg Winemasters Reserve Noble Late Harvest, Platters South African Wines 2010, Razvan Macici, Rose Street, Rosemount Trophy, Semillon, shiraz, Sidedish restaurant, South Africa, Syrah du Monde, Trophy Wine Show, wine
Posted in Wine Tasting | 1 Comment »
Friday, May 14th, 2010
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.
Here are South Africas winners -
Concours Mondial de Bruxelles
Grand Gold Medals
Engelbrecht Els 2007
Spier Private Collection Chenin Blanc 2008
Gold Medals
Almenkerk Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Backsberg Pumphouse Shiraz 2007
Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay 2009
Boschendal Sauvignon Blanc Grand Cuvee 2009
Douglas Green Chenin Blanc 2009
Drostdy-Hof Chardonnay 2009
Ernie Els 2006
Douglas Green Chardonnay 2009
Drostdy-Hof Chardonnay 2009
Fairhills Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot 2009
Fairview Primo Pinotage 2008
Grande Provence Chardonnay 2008
Grande Provence Shiraz 2007
Guardian Peak Lapa Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Hartenberg Chardonnay 2008
Kaapzicht Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Kaapzicht Steytler Pinotage 2007
KWV 10 Year Old Potstill Brandy
KWV 20 Year Old Potstill Brandy
La Motte Pierneef Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Linton Park Proprietor’s Reserve Shiraz 2007
Mont Rochelle Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Oude Meester Demant
Ridgeback Journey 2005
Riebeek Cellars Reserve Chenin Blanc 2009
Riebeek Cellars Reserve Shiraz 2007
Rust en Vrede Shiraz 2007
Saronsberg Shiraz 2007
Spice Route Chakalaka 2008
Spice Route Flagship Syrah 2007
Stormhoek Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Leopard Frog Vineyards Tantra 2005
KWV The Mentors Canvas 2008
KWV The Mentors Orchestra 2008
KWV The Mentors Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2009
Distell Three Ships Aged 5 Years
Distell Three Ships Bourbon Cask Finish
Distell Three Ships Select
Van Ryn’s 15 Year Old Fine Cask Reserve
Van Ryn’s 20 Year Old Collectors Reserve
Villiera Traditional Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2009
Fairview Shiraz 2008
Hartenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2009
La Motte Chardonnay 2008
Lourensford Winemaker’s Selection Chardonnay 2009
Naledi Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Nederburg Viognier Chardonnay 2009
Remhoogte Estate Wine 2006
Ridgeback Shiraz 2007
Rust en Vrede 1694
Rust en Vrede Single Vineyard Syrah 2007
Saronsberg Chardonnay 2008
Saronsberg Provenance Shiraz 2007
Spice Route Malabar 2006
Spier Creative Block 2009
Spier Private Collection Chardonnay 2008
Spier Private Collection Pinotage 2007
Spier Private Collection Syrah 2007
Stormhoek Pinotage 2009
KWV The Mentors Petit Verdot 2008
KWV The Mentors Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Read more of South African wines shine at Concours Mondial 2010
Tags: Almenkerk, Backsberg, Boschendal, Brandy, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, chenin blanc, Chili, Concours Mondial 2010, Distell, Douglas Green, Drostdy-Hof, Engelebrecht Els, Fairhill, Fairview, France, Grande Provence, Hartenberg, Italy, Kaapzicht, KWV, La Motte, Leopard Frog Vineyards, Linton Park, Mont Rochelle, Oude Meester, petit verdot, Pinotage, Portugal, Ridgeback, Riebeek Cellars, Rust en Vrede, Saronsberg, sauvignon blanc, shiraz, South Africa, Spain, Spice Route, Spier, Stormhoek, Syrah, Viognier, World Cup
Posted in What's New | 2 Comments »
Saturday, May 1st, 2010
Recently ranked as one of the top five wineries in South Africa and owned by Marc Kent who was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2007, Boekenhoutskloof in the Franschhoek Valley seemingly can do no wrong.
The Wolftrap 2008
All of the wines in the flagship range rank between 4 and 5 stars out of 5 in Platter’s South African Wines 2010.
From one of the second-tier ranges from this champion producer comes The Wolftrap 2008, a blend of Shiraz, Mouvedre and Viognier with a touch of oak. This wine is delicious and affordable for every day quaffing selling for less then $8 a bottle. We paired it with rare, roast beef and mustard and I was amazed at how the wine exploded on my palate.
Tags: Boekenhoutskloof, Franschhoek Valley, Marc Kent, Mouvedre, shiraz, Viognier
Posted in The Daily Tipple | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
What can you expect to find on a drive 45 minutes to the north-west of Cape Town?
Riebeek Valley Olive Festival 2010
Plenty of excellent quality old-vine shiraz and Chenin blanc wines; Bar Bar Black Sheep; Ginger Baker formally drummer of the band Cream and the Riebeek Valley Olive Festival.
Ace drummer Ginger Baker who has a stud-farm in close-by Tulbagh and who performed at the Riebeek West Cricket Club open day two years ago, you will find if you are really lucky but beautiful wines; a plethera of olives and olive products; live music; olive tours; art; a kiddies’ playground and loads more simply by being in the Riebeek Valley this coming weekend.
For a detailed program go to www.riebeekvalley.info
Tags: Bar Bar Black Sheep, Cape Town, chenin blanc, Cream, Ginger Baker, Riebeek Valley, shiraz, Tulbagh, wine
Posted in What's New | No Comments »
Monday, March 15th, 2010
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.
The participating wine farms are 5 Mountains, Alkmaar Boutique Vineyard, Andreas, Bontebok Ridge, Bosman Family Vineyards,Bovlei Winery, Diemersfontein, Doolhof Wine Estate, Douglas Green, Dunstone Wines, Mont Du Toit Kelder, Nabygelegen Private Cellar, Oude Wellington Estate, Schalk Burger and Sons, Val Du Charron, Wamakersvallei Winery, Wellington Cellar and Welvanplas.
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.
Tags: Adreas, Alkmaar Boutique Vineyard, Bontebok Ridge, Bosman Family Vineyards, Bovlei, cabernet sauvignon, Cape, chardonnay, chenin blanc, Diemersfontein, Doolhof Wine Estate, Douglas Green, Dunstone Wines, festival, lkmaar, Mont Du Toit Kelder, Nabygelegen, Pinotage, Schalk Burger & Sons, shiraz, Val Du Charron, Wamakersvallei, Wellington, Welvanplas, wine
Posted in What's New | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
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.
All of this at the age of 84 years!
Tags: Adi Badenhorst, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Glenelly Estate, merlot, petit verdot, shiraz
Posted in Environment Sensitive Wine Farms, What's New | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
Shiraz & Art 2009
During the weekend of 19th & 20th September, the Riebeek Valley will be presenting a Shiraz and Art Weekend to celebrate wonderful wines and fabulous art exhibitions in the cellars, restaurants, shops and galleries of the valley. The sunny, Swartland wine district, north of Cape Town, is known for producing beefy reds, especially pinotage and shiraz, not to mention award winning olive oil, which will inspire menus at the eateries, and outdoor markets will tempt with home-grown, organic foods.
This festival prides itself on ensuring that there will be no traffic jams, no loo queues, no stressed-out waiting staff, nor parking available only kilometers away. It sounds laid back and delightful. What a great chance to discover the relatively unknown cellars and wines of the Swartland Wine Route.
For more details visit www.riebeekvalley.info
Tags: Riebeek Valley, shiraz, Swartland Wine Route
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Monday, June 15th, 2009
Boela Gerber, winemaker for the last nine years at Groot Constantia, talked us through Shiraz/Viognier blends, Shiraz/Mourvedre/Viognier blends and varietal Shiraz wines at the latest Steenberg Vineyards Themed Tasting.
Even though the Constantia Wine Valley produces more and is better known for it’s white wines, premium red wines are crafted as can be seen by the Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Shiraz 2006 being ranked in the Top Ten Best Syrah du Monde 2009, matching the French at their own game, and Eagles Nest Shiraz 2006 named by Matthew Jukes as one of his top 50 South African wines for 2009.
Explaining the role of floral Viognier blended with Shiraz, Boela commented that “Viognier tones down Shiraz, takes the edge out of it. We used to refer to Shiraz as having a sweaty, saddle character………..until Brokeback Mountain that is.”
And of Mourvedre, “In the lean, cool climate, elegant style wines of Walker Bay, Mourvedre boosts the wine.”
Wines in the lineup:
Tamboerskloof Viognier 2008
La Motte Shiraz Viognier 2006
Graham Beck The Joshua 2003
Beaumont Mourvedre 2005
Newton Johnson Syrah-Mourvedre 2005
Anura Syrah-Mourvedre 2005
Eagles Nest Shiraz 2006
Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Shiraz 2006
Steenberg Shiraz 2003
Tags: shiraz
Posted in Wine Tasting | No Comments »
Monday, April 27th, 2009
The largest olive fesitival celebrated in the Cape, the Riebeek Valley Olive Festival is an original Cape Town Experience. Only an hour from Cape Town, the weekend will be brim full of varied cuisine, olives, art, entertainment and wine tastings in this Shiraz valley.
For more info call
082 8965022 or
083 2997731
Tags: Cape Town, festival, olives, Riebeek Valley, shiraz
Posted in What's New | No Comments »
