Kick-about in the vineyard

A change in format will see 50 different wine farms hosting festival events with visitors having the option of leaving their cars at any of 6 Park and Ride stops in Stellenbosch and travelling via a shuttle service to farms. This is included in the price of the ticket. Socceroos will also have the chance to hop on board a shuttle in Cape Town for a ride to Stellenbosch. Or spoil yourself and take the Stellenbosch Wine Festival Heli-Hopper Extravaganza to visit Blaauwklippen, Skilpadvlei & Zorgvliet for tastings.

A host of fun and wine activities will be offered such as potjiekos at Middlevlei; a de-gorging and landrover 4 x 4 experience at Simonsig; a game drive at Villeria and even 5 a side football kick around in the vineyards at Idiom.

Children will be entertained at Bellevue Wine Estate, Middelvlei and Delvera with pantomime productions; cart rides; feeding farmyard animals; horse rides and lots more.

Tickets for the Stellenbosch Wine Festival are available on-line at R150 per person per day which includes free shuttle service and five vouchers to exchange for special activities at the wine farms.

The Golden Pass, R500 is  valid for the entire duration of the festival and includes free shuttle service and twenty vouchers.

Kids under the age of 18 go free accompanied by an adult. For more information on the Stellenbosch Wine Festival, contact 021 886 4310.

The Park and Ride site and shuttle stops are open from 0900 to 17h00 daily.

Shuttle Transfer from Cape Town - On each of the festival days there will be a shuttle transfer departing from and returning to the V & A Waterfront, Clock Tower Center, (where the tour buses make their stops). The departure times are 09h30 and 11h30 and the return times from Doornbosch, in the center of Stellenbosch are 15h00 and 17h00. The shuttle ticket costs R300.00 per person which includes your festival pass for that day. To book you need to contact Norman Stevens on 082 5698299.

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Higgo grew up in Calitzdorp in the Klein Karoo wine district of South Africa and no doubt developed a love for the complex, delicious port wines that the area is famous for.

Early in his career he made his mark by achieving an Advanced Certificate at the UK Wine and Spirit Education Trust as well as passing the Michael Fridjohn Wine Tasting Academy course with distinction. Higgo has worked for Jeroboams Wine Merchants and Anthony Byrne Fine Wines in London and has also served on many wine assessment panels.

Higgo is soon to open his own wine consultancy. He can be contacted at higgo.jacobs@steenberghotel.com or on (27) 21 7132222.

The flight of wines were:

Villiersdorp Kelder Rose 2009

A drinkable, honest, cheerful rose with freshness of fruit made from Muscat d’Alexandrie.

Jordan Riesling 2008

Showing drier than what it is with sugar levels that vary according to the vintage.

Thelema Muscat de Frontignan 2009

All Hanepoort and a great accompaniment to pate and charcuterie.

Domaine Huet Lemont Vineyard Vouvray 2005

Simonsig Gewurtztraminer 2007

A clean and straightforward wine which pairs well with spicy food.

Kanu KC Chenin blanc 2006

A winning wine which earned an Old Mutual Gold medal and a Veritas Gold medal.

Donhoff Spattlese Riesling 2007

This Riesling was voted wine of the night by the tasting group and originates from the Nahe wine-growing region of Germany.

Hazendal The Last Straw 2006

The Chenin blanc grapes were dried on straw mats to concentrate the sugar and reduce the must to give 200gm residual sugar to the finished wine.

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As described in an earlier post on this blog, chenin blanc is the most planted and most versatile grape in South Africa and the wines range in price from super economical everyday wines priced at about R30.00 ($4) to R260.00 ($36) for the more elegant chenin styles.

Listed here are the four and five star winners. For the complete awards list, please visit Wine Mag.

Best Value Chenin Blanc

Kleine Zalze Cellar Selection Bush Vines 2009

Best Unwooded Chenin Blanc

Simonsig 2007

Best Wooded Chenin Blanc

Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection 2008

Best Chenin Blanc Overall

Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection 2008

Five star awards

Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection 2008

Four and a half star awards

Kanu KCB 2006

Graham Beck Bowed Head 2008

Simonsig Chenin Avec Chene 2008

Four star awards

Forest Hill, Fort Simon 2008

Fort Simon 2008

Simonsig Woolworths Limited Release Chenin 2008

Stellenrust 44 2008

Spier Private Collection 2008

Land of Hope 2008, The Winery of Good Hope

The FMC Forrester Meinert Chenin 2007

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It takes a special kind of passion for wine, and a determination to keep sourcing, selecting and blending to come up with exceptional ranges of premium wines at the right prices. All the fantastic awards we have won this year show that Woolworths is fortunate to be in partnership with excellent winemakers who are as excited about innovation and quality as we are.

Platter’s South African Wines 2010 – 5 Star – Superlative – A cape classic award 

Limited Release Pinotage Diemersfontein 2008

Woolworths Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Limited Release Spectrum TMV 2008 – Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards

Limited Release Cape Point Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Jordan Cobbler’s Hill 2005

Veritas Double Gold award 

Woolworths True To Terroir The Hutton Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Woolworths Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2007

Veritas Gold award 

Woolworths True To Terroir Koffie Klip Merlot 2007

Woolworths True To Terroir and Abacus Chardonnay 2008

Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show “Best Chenin Blanc” and “Best Overall White Wine” 

Woolworths True to Terroir The Hutton Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc 2007

Woolworths Limited Release Chenin Blanc – Simonsig 2008

Michelangelo Awards Competition – Gold medals 

1500 Wines from 263 producers were judged and Woolworths wines garnered the following accolades:

Woolworths Simonsvlei Hercules Paragon Shiraz 2006

Limited Release Diemersfontein Pinotage 2008

Ladybird Red

Of these wines nine are approved by Biodiversity in Wine initiative – BWI. This is a partnership between the South African Wine industry industry and the conservation sector having the goals to minimise the further loss of threatened natural habitat, and to contribute to sustainable wine production, through the adoption of biodiversity guidelines by the South African Wine industry. These wines carry the BWI label which depicts a sugar bird on a protea blossom.

Tasting notes on all of these wines are available on request – simply use the comments field to ask.

These wines are readily available at any Woolworths store throughout South Africa as well as on the website www.woolworths.co.za

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