Posts Tagged ‘Stellenbosch’
Monday, June 14th, 2010
The 9th Stellenbosch Wine Festival takes place a month earlier this year to allow 2010 FIFA World Cup visitors the opportunity to experience one of Cape Town’s premier wine fests.
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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Tags: 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer, Blaauwklippen, Cape Town, Delvera, Idiom, Middlevlei, Simonsig, Skilpadvlei, Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch wine festival, Villeria, wine, Zorgvliet
Posted in What's New | 1 Comment »
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
Alluvia Specialist Winery in the Banghoek area of Stellenbosch, South Africa, has every reason to celebrate after winning an award as well as receiving commendations from the judges at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
Ilka Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
The Decanter World Wine Awards is the world’s biggest wine competition and it is thrilling to see Cape Town wines holding their own against fierce competition from traditional old world wine producers and emerging countries alike.
Alluvia’s ilka Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 brought home a prestigious medal for the second year in a row. Named after co-owner Delarey Brugman’s twin daughters, Ilse and Karla, this wine scored 18.4/20 – very good to excellent. Andrew Harris, Alluvia’s Wine Business Manager, comments:
All of us at Alluvia are very proud of this achievement. The ilka Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 is an award winning wine with its richness of flavours and velvety elegance. Smart wine buyers and top restaurants will be pleased to know there are still a few cases available before we move on to the next vintage!
Hard to obtain, you may have to take a First or Business Class flight on China Eastern Airlines to sample this winning cab.
Sandy Straw Wine 2009, paying homage to Delarey’s wife, and Ilke Sauvignon Blanc 2009 were commended by the judges.
In total, 9 South African wineries were awarded Regional Trophies and 13 achieved Gold Medals.
For all of the results visit Decanter , select See results here, then Search by location – South Africa.
Tags: Alluvia, cabernet sauvignon, Cape Town, Decanter World Wine Awards, Delarey Brugman, sauvignon blanc, South Africa, Stellenbosch, wine
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Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
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.
Silver Medal winners are:
Spier Private Collection Chardonnay 2008
Tokara Reserve Collection – Stellenbosch Chardonnay 2008
Danie De Wet Limestone Hill Chardonnay 2009
De Wetshof Estate Bon Vallon Chardonnay 2009
Graham Beck Brut Blanc de Blancs 2009
Bronze medal winners:
Moreson Blanc de Blancs Brut Methode Cap Classique Solitaire
De Wetshof Estate Finesse Chardonnay 2008
Tags: chardonnay, Chardonnay du Monde 2010, Danie de Wet, Durbanville Hills, Eikendal, Glen Carlou, Graham Beck, Groot Constantia, Lourensford, Moreson, Riebeek Cellars, South Africa, Spier, Stellenbosch, Tokara, wine
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Monday, March 29th, 2010
Just when we believed that sense had prevailed, Peter May reported on Pinotage Club blogspot that Bellvue Estate is to be mined for clay by the South African mining company, Corobrik.
Bellvue Estate cellar
Dirkie Morkel is the fourth generation farmer on Bellvue farm which is situated in the Bottlery area between Stellenbosch and Kuilsriver. It was as far back as 1861 that the Morkels began to farm this land. Some of the vines on the land that is to be mined are 56 year old Pinotage vines.
The Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs has given the go-ahead for the mining to take place. Dirkie Morkel is appealing against the decision and needs as much international and local help that he can get.
Emails can be sent to Corobrik and to the government at the following email addresses:
Department of Mineral and Energy Regional Manager Mr Sivuyile Mpakane sivuyile.mpakane@dme.gov.za
MD of the the mining company Corobrik Mr Dirk Meyerintmktg@corobrik.co.za
Western Cape Manager Mr. Christie van Niekerkchristie.vanniekerk@corobrik.com
I believe that those of us who live in the Western Cape should boycott Corobrik’s products and write to Mr Meyer telling him why.
Bricks can be bought any time but vines that have taken two generations to reach maturity are irreplaceable.
Tags: Bellvue Estate, Corobrik, Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs, Kuilsriver, mining, Pinotage, Stellenbosch
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Thursday, March 4th, 2010
I was so excited to meet Charlotte Noon at the Steenberg Vineyards barrel tasting event last night as she is one of the organisers of this fantastic first time wine fest taking place in Kommetjie this coming Saturday. Some of my favourite winemakers will be represented there like Adi Badenhorst, Duncan Savage of Cape Point Vineyards, Abri Bruwer of Springfield, Boela Gerber of Groot Constantia Estate and Adam Mason of Klein Constantia Estate. Super-stars in wine for sure.
Old Cape Wine Festival 2010
Here is the press release:
The one-day festival will see the largest gathering of wine producers and enthusiasts in the Far South ever. Visitors will be treated to the ultimate tasting experience with the opportunity to sample over 100 of South Africa’s best known wines. Over 20 wine producers – including some of South Africa’s most reputable and award-winning labels – will be there. These include Lazanou, Diemersfontein, Springfield, Teddy Hall, De Wetshof, Badenhorst, Cape Point Vineyards, Groot Constantia and Klein Constantia.
Every corner of the Cape Winelands map will be represented, including Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, Robertson, Wellington, Constantia and the West Coast. Every cultivar grown in the Western Cape is also expected to be showcased, so there is definitely something for everyone. All of the wines available for tasting will be on sale at special festival prices at the Old Cape Wine Shop, while stocks last.
Tickets will be on sale on the day at just R40 per person tasting. This includes a wine glass, unlimited wine tastings and sumptuous food tastings. There will also be live music, scenic surroundings to relax in and entertainment for kids. Visitors are welcome anytime between 10am and 5pm and additional parking will be made available on site. There is also a Free Range Coffee Shop and restaurant for those who would like to include a delicious meal. The Blue Water Café offers fresh free range food, stunning views and a great kids’ entertainment area, so booking is essential (021 783 2007).
Adi Badenhorst
Organiser of the Festival and owner of the Old Cape Wine Shop, Rael Abramowitz, said: “We are very excited about the amazing response we have had – both from the wine producers attending and from the many people who are very much looking forward to enjoying the wines, the food, the music and the atmosphere at the Old Cape Wine Festival. It’s great to be able to put on a wine festival of this size in the Far South. We have many local wine enthusiasts who can now enjoy a great day out locally. With Kommetjie only being a 35 minute drive from the City Bowl, we are also looking forward to welcoming our city neighbours who will no doubt relish this leisurely day out in the country.”
Date: Saturday 6th March 2010
Time: 10h00 till 17h00
Where: Imhoff Farm, Kommetjie Road, Kommetjie
For more information about the Festival, call 021 783 50 54 or visit www.ocws.co.za. For more information about the many other attractions at Imhoff Farm, visit http://www.imhofffarm.co.za
Tags: Badenhorst Family Wines, Cape Point Vineyards, Cape Town, Constantia, cultivar, De Wetshof Estate, Diemersfontein, Franschhoek, Groot Constantia, Imhoff Farm, Klein Constantia, Kommetjie, Lazanou, Robertson, Springfield, Stellenbosch, Teddy Hall, Wellington, wine
Posted in What's New, Wine Tasting | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
Since discovering Rust en Vrede wines at the Stellenbosch Wine Festival 2009, we have been huge fans enjoying the old world elegance and balance in those that we have tasted.
Rust en Vrede Merlot 2008
As a festive season splurge we opened the merlot to experience a complex nose of dark fruit with a touch of spice. This full-bodied wine has great structure but with subtle oak, ripe plum and and long finish.
We love the quotations by Thomas Jefferson on the back label.
Rust en Vrede Merlot 2008 sells for R130.00 ($18) from the farm.
Tags: merlot, Rust en Vrede, Stellenbosch, wine, Wine Festival
Posted in The Daily Tipple | No Comments »
Friday, April 17th, 2009
Uva Mira tasting room
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.
More recently, The Platters SA Wine Guide 2009 awarded 5 stars to the Vineyard Selection Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2007. Stephen Tanzer ranked the same wine 93 in his International Wine Cellar Rating.
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.
Tel: 021-8801683
Email: info@uvamira.co.
Tags: Cape Point, chardonnay, False Bay, fynbos, Helderberg, International Wine and Spirit Competition, International Wine Cellar Rating, Mathew Van Heerden, Platters SA Wine Guide, Robben Island, Stellenbosch, Stephen Tanzer, Table Bay, Table Mountain, Uva Mira
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