The Travelling Vineyard

ULTRA Top 10

2011-03-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

ULTRA Liquors have some amazing wine promotions during the year. At the moment they are running their Autumn Promotion, some amazing wines at great prices, but some stand out from the crowd. Do yourself a favour and head down to your local ULTRA and get your hands on:

Le Bonheur Prima @ R 69.99: Way over delivers. A Merlot blend, soft and sexy, with curves in all the right places.

#Dinner Table Wine.

Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc @ R 46.99: If you have to drink a super fresh super crisp Sauvi drink Diemersdal. A 4 and a half star Platter wine for less than R50 bucs, enough said.

#Impress Platter Fundi Wine.

Van Loveren Neils Pick Colombar @ R23.99: I buy this by the case loads, its like Jesus feeding all those people with a few loaves, you can satisfy crowds at this price, and they will love it.

#Girls Book Club Wine

Buitenverwachting Meifort @ R 54.99: Masculine Cab blend, think rugby player with a sensitive side.

#To Impress Wine

Perdeberg Chenin Blanc Reserve @ R 36.99: Say after me, "I promise to drink more Chenin." This has to be the best value for money you can get anywhere, buy truckloads before it sells out.

#The Deal of a Lifetime Wine

Slanghoek Pinotage @ R 33.99: Braaivlies, rugby, Pinotage, sunny skies and Chevrolet.

#Kuier Wyn

Bon Courage Hillside White @ R28.99: Perfect for enjoying the last few days of summer, great by the pool, with lunch or at the dinner table.

#The Allrounder Wine

Orange River Wine Cellars Soet Hanepoot @ R28.99: Put in the fridge and drink ice cold. Forget Easter eggs put you kids on a Hanepoot diet...

#Sweet Tooth Wine

Alexanderfontein Cabernet Sauvignon @ R38.99: Looking for something to share with a loved wine, or to get romantic with on that chilly winters evening?

#Guaranteed to Score Wine

Cheers!

Dear Mark

2011-03-27T23:23:00.000-07:00

I hope you don't mind me being so casual, but you don't strike me as a formal sort of bloke. I just wanted to say thanks for an amazing "jol" on Saturday.

I have been to a few harvest festivals lately and can honestly say yours stood out. I was under the impression that South African wine farms were highly mechanized, as I am yet to see anybody other than farm management at these so called harvest festivals. Your obviously do things differently. Either way it was great to meet the people that do all the hard and sometimes dirty work. Your team certainly seemed like a happy bunch, dancing, laughing and celebrating life. I actually learnt a few new dance moves, to be honest I never new any before Saturday. I also got a few marriage proposals so I may just be moving onto the farm, but looking at your staff housing it certainly would be a great move as your digs are way better than mine.

I know that it was an Oesfees, but being a wine farm I was surprised to find that there wasn't a more formal wine element to festivities. No spittoons, no swirling, sipping, smelling? Shock horror. I even noticed people putting ice into plastic wine glasses, surely a first for a wine festival? I must say I took a liking to your Cape Jazz Shiraz, I wasn't the only one, it seemed to add a more rhythmical step to most dance moves. Heck you could be on to something: wine and music pairing...I even tried some of the lovely traditional Cape food, boboties, samoosas and a lekker breyani. If there is any left, could I pop around for leftovers?

Your line up of bands, dancers, singers, rappers and graphitti artists certainly proved better value than the R1000 I paid for my U2 ticket. I may not be ready for the ArtScape just yet, but I certainly learnt a few things and found my rich South African heritage on the daans floor of Solms Delta. I believe there is this group called WOSA, they market SA wine overseas or something like that. They like to promote SA as the floral capital of the world, and somehow tie this in with wine...maybe you should invite them to next years Oesfees.

The best thing about the Oesfees? I have 365 days to practice my riel dans.

Cheers!

xxxxxxxxxxx

Dear Dionysus

I hope you don't mind me writing straight back like this but you don't strike me like a formal sort of god. Hang, you and I even share a few vices. I am truly delighted to hear that you attended our Oesfees, especially in view of the fact that it was not really laid on for Gods, as you noticed. Yes, I have heard that WOSA markets the Cape's biodiversity overseas. Please do feel free to bring them along next year. I would love to introduce them to another aspect of our diversity. On Saturday the thought even occurred to me that this human aspect might be more important than the floral one, but I was a little tipsy at the time and can become sentimental. I guess international consumers(like many of your fellow Gods) have never heard of South African farm workers. Anyway, thanks for your kind remarks, sorry about the ice, and good luck with the Riel dancing.

With all good wishes,

Mark

Solms Delta

Chenin is King

2011-01-20T22:46:00.000-08:00

Chenin is King, long live the King.

I was fortunate enough to be invited by the kind people of Wine Magazine to the Chenin Blanc Challenge 2011 awards lunch at Overture Restaurant. Lets just say I don't think they could have chosen a better venue: beautiful views, stunning food, relaxed vibe, great service and chilled Chenin Blanc...what could be better.

What of the wines: well personally I was very impressed. A very broad range of styles, some wooded, some rich and ripe, some elegant, and some great value. What the results proved is that the humble Chenin grape can produce a broad range of styles.

My thoughts on some of the winners, starting off with the value wines:

Leopard’s Leap 2010 @ R34.99 pb: great value, buy a case. Very elegant. Really surprised me.

Boschendal 2009 @ R45 pb: beautiful balance. Again not what I was expecting.

Kanu 2009 @ R35 pb: Well made, loads of fruit. Kanu has a reputation with Chenin, so no surprises.

Kleine Zalze Cellar Selection Bush Vines 2010 @ R33 pb: All those Sauvignon Blanc fans will love this! I am going to start a campaign to get people to switch from fashionable Sauvignon Banc to Chenin. This is the Chenin I would encourage people to start with...

Douglas Green Chenin @ R31.50 pb: Surprised? Douglas Green, Douglas Green (say it in your best Chinese accent)

Of the top end stuff I enjoyed:

Simonsig Avec Chene 2009 @ R127 pb: Pushing the boundary of plush, ripe, big, and bold

Graham Beck Bowed Head 2009 @ R95 pb: Kind of a half way wine, rich but not too rich, plush but not too plush. Good value for the quality.

Perdeberg Rex Equus 2008 @ R180 pb: The winning wine. The most expensive wine of the lot, so keep for the inlaws, the boss and other special occasions. Is it worth R180...I will let you decide.

Most of these wines are available from your local Pick n Pay, Checkers, Ultra, Wine Concepts or directly from the producers.

Cheers and enjoy!

Dionysus

Spit or Swallow Movember Box Wine Tasting

2010-11-04T23:58:00.001-07:00

I was lucky enough to be invited to this event. The Grand Daddy Hotel, ex Metropole Hotel for you old timers, played host. Wow what a venue, stunning rooftop play palace is all I can call it. Certainly my new favourite chill spot in Cape Town.

Personally I believe this has to be the most exciting event of the wine year. And I am not being sarcastic or flippant when I say that. Anel and Jan of www.spitorswallow.co.za are two smart cookies. And if there are any wine brands out there that need shaking up, modernising, (I can think of a few) I reckon you should be knocking on their door. They understand the new generation of wine drinkers, they understand social media, they are creative and most of all

very tech savy. Why does all this matter? Because the South African wine scene is so dominated by boring stiffs. People who are stuck in the past and wine hacks that are at each others throats. Quite honestly it all very sad.

So when I get invited to an event that is anti the establishment, anti old school bow-tie stiff I get very excited. Firstly this was a Box wine tasting, hell most wine snobs don't even know box wine exists. Secondly the dress code was "trucker cool", think lots of caps, moustaches, ray bans, chequered shirts, cheap t-shirts. Thirdly the venue was very hip and cool, certainly not pretentious. Most importantly the whole evening was relaxed, informal and fun.

So what of the wines. Well lets just say you get box wine you can drink and box wine you can't. I have never ever told anybody to stay clear of a wine...that is till now. Ever heard of Black Box Merlot/Cab Blend? If you haven't lucky you. It was number 6 in the red wine line up...6 is the mark of the devil and I can now see why. Tread lightly, drink at your peril. Be warned.

With box wine, you are looking for an easy drinking wine, you plan to drink a fair bit so it has to be pretty balanced, not too acidic or too sweet. With white boxed wines keep an eye out for Eno enducing acidity, and with the reds you want clean red fruit, no funkiness, or dirty off odours. The winners on the night were, drum roll please:

Drostdy Hof Sauvignon Blanc 2010 and Du Toitskloof Cellar 2010 Pinotage-Merlot-Ruby Cabernet.

For a full list of wines and score : http://winetimes.co.za/2010/11/05/the-2010-top-7-red-and-white-box-wines-in-south-africa/

Value in the Winelands

2010-10-11T00:40:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to be invited to the launch of Wine Magazines Best Value Wine Guide 2011. I have over the years collected this little book with military precision, so to be invited to the launch was great. When my own interest in wine first blossomed and with a limited budget I was forced to try and discover exactly these sorts of gems. Wines that are well made, without acids so harsh that you loose the enamel on your teeth and wines that are "clean". These are good drinking wines, with a hint of complexity, crowd pleasing and won't cost you a weeks wages. I can't tell you just how valuable this little guide is. Lets face it we have all been there, you need a bottle of wine, you go to your local store and you buy what looks best or a brand that you "know"....wrong! This little guide has more than enough winners under R60, do yourself a favour and get your hands on this years addition, its free with the November addition of Wine Magazine.

Wines in the guide that I wouldn't miss are:

Goedverwacht Shiraz Rose 2010 @ R37.50 per bottle

A great Rose, strawberries, hints of pepper, crisp fresh palette. Perfect picnic wine.

Swartland Cuvee Brut @ R31 per bottle

Not the real deal but just as good. Buy by the case load, without looking at the bottle most people wouldn't tell the difference.

BC Chenin Blanc 2010 @ R17,50 per bottle

A real fruit salad wine with plenty of acidity. At under R20 per bottle you should drink this every day instead of mineral water.

Koelenbosch Houtverouderd Chenin Blanc 2009 @ R35 per bottle

Another Chenin, but a more serious example. More structure and mouth feel from a kiss of wood. Great with food, spicy Asian or curries. Wines like this often cost three times as much.

Lutzville Cool Climate Sauvignon Blanc 2010 @ R24.20 per bottle

Everybody loves a good Sauvi! And this is a good one. Loads of tropical fruit backed up with fresh acidity, nice long finish. Drink out of your finest crystal glasses and feel like royalty.

Van Loveren Cape Riesling 2010 @ R24 per bottle

I thought of Kylie Minogue when I drank this. Sexy little stunner. Lots of fruit, nice length, add a few blocks of ice, one for the ladies.

Orange River White Muscadel 2009 @ R31.85 per bottle

Mango, litchis and raisins, sweet syrupy decadence that finishes fresh and dry. Lovely stuff. Please people don't only drink sweet wines in winter, chilled muskadel is great in summer.

Glen Carlou Tortoise Hill Red 2008 @ R45 per bottle
A juicy, soft, blend that will go well with variety of food. Great dinner table wine. Look out for the Tortoise Hill White a stunning white blend that will really impress for the price.

Riebeek Pinotage 2009 @ R30 per bottle

Our national grape and no braai would be complete without a glass of Pinotage. Goes well with marinated ribs, steak, chops, boerewors...anything on a braai. Loads of plush red fruit and silky smooth tannins. Be patriotic, braai and drink a bottle of Pinotage at least once a week.

Koelenbosch Sangiovese 2009 @ R28.50 per bottle

Sangiovese, say it like an Italian mama. Red cherries, hints of smoke and spice. This Italian grape as expected goes well pasta and pizza. A light bodied wine, would also be great slightly chilled, just says open another...and another...

So there you have it. My choice of great value for money winners, most of these wines available from Ultra Liquors, or try your local supermarket.

Cheers!

PS: The launch was at one of my favourite Wineland pit stops Joostenburg Deli. If you haven't tried their chicken pies your missing pie nirvana.

Stellies Wine Festival 2010

2010-07-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

I love wine festivals, it's a great way to meet "wine people" and try so many wines in a relatively easy way, if you can stomach the crowds that is. This years Stellenbosch Wine festival was a little different, no more at Paul Roos School but rather each farm doing their own thing like vintage tastings, barrel samples etc. You really would need to spend a week going from farm to farm in order not to miss anything, we only had one day! It became an amazing wine race against time:

STOP 1: Bottelary Hills Wine Center to collect our passes, maps and line our stomachs with a boerrie roll.

STOP 2: Kanonkop. 4 wines, a 1996 and 1993 Pinotage, 2005 Paul Sauer and a 2000 Cabernet. No burnt rubber, just pure clean bright fruit, world class. South African First Growth for sure.

STOP 3: Muratie. For old world charm and atmosphere nothing quite compares. We were warmly welcomed by the beautiful tasting room hostess, maybe it was her charm but the wines certainly didn't disappoint. Ansela van da Caap 2007 the stand out wine.

STOP 4: Tokara. What a view! Needing a breather we settled next to the huge fire and relaxed with a glass of Tokara Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 Reserve. No tasting fee and long list of wines to choose from you could easily spend a few hours just lingering...

STOP 5: Neil Ellis. New tasting venue not yet officially open, but open for the festival weekend. Beautiful venue, lovely view, amazing wines. Sauvignon Blanc consistently one of the Capes best and the Aenigma Red 2007 at R85 per bottle way over delivers, order by the boot load.

STOP 6: Etienne le Riche Wines. The King of Cab. A simple winemaking setup, no smoke and mirrors, just good old fashioned winemaking that works amazingly well. Reserve Cab 2007, Platters may as well announce it as a 2011 five star wine already.

STOP 7: Back to Bottelary Hills Wine center. Had a quick walk around the center tasting some great wine, some not so great. Stand outs: Mooiplass, their wines too cheap I believe, and Sterhuis. We also had the pleasure of experiencing a vertical Sterhuis Sauvignon Blanc tasting with Johan Kruger of Sterhuis. He is a real wine character, quirky and interesting. 5 vintages of Sauvignon Blanc confirmed a house style of Burgundian elegance, minerality and restraint.

STOP 8: Annandale, the home of Hempies du Toit. Having tasted the famed reds of Kanonkop, Neil Ellis and Etienne le Riche we were in a position to compare the wines of Annandale with more fancied producers. I can honestly say I was blown away! I want to drink the wines of Annandale on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday....Try the 2001 Cavalier, try the 2003 Shiraz, try them all. We were even fortunate enough to taste a 1970 Alto Rouge. 40 years young, still fresh, clean fruit, tasted blind I would have guessed a sexy teenager in high heels. What a treat, what a rare pleasure, makes drinking so many crap wines over the years all worth it. I guess you have to kiss a few frogs before you find your princess.

STOP 9: La Avenir, not for the wine but for food, and a big screen TV to watch the Germans thrash the Argentines. By now my wine legs were deserting me and I needed a well earned break. An amazing day had come to an end. With over 50 wines tasted, mostly fine claret, I can safely say Stellenbosch is still the home of the Big Red.

STOP 10: My bed.

Braveheart Winemaker

2010-06-28T02:48:00.000-07:00

If wineries were judged on beauty of location...If wineries were judged on how nice the people who run them are...If wineries were judged on how beautiful the drive is to said winery...then Herold Wines would be South Africa's top winery finished and klaar. Herold Wines lies just above George in a most beautiful location, a valley that is straight out of Hansel and Gretel . In order to get to the farm you need to take the Montague Pass over the Outeniqua Mountains, this must surely be in my humble opinion one of the most beautiful drives in South Africa. Even if the wine tasted like vinegar, and it doesn't, the drive alone makes this a special trek.

A trip to Herold Wines is not only about wine, it is an experience and one best not rushed. The farm, surrounded by mountains, is all of 300 hectares, of this only 6 hectares are planted with vine. We were warmly welcomed by the friendly and likable Vivien (pictured above) and Bruce Harper. This husband and wife team have been making Wines here since 2000, Vivien ever the keen gardener turned her hand to winemaking and the rest is history. Brave women indeed. Wines are made in a fairly uncomplicated way with as little fiddling as possible. Everything is done by hand where possible, some of the equipment being so small you would be mistaken for thinking it was a replica of the real deal.

What stood out for me most about Herold Wines was the notion of terroir. This truly is the expression of sight specific wines. No bought in grapes, no mixing and matching of different sites, just what their site gives them from one vintage to the next. My only disappointment is the fact that they are using cultivated yeast. I am sure as Vivian becomes a more confident, not competent, winemaker she will trust her motherly instincts and let the wild yeast do its thing. Then this magnificent site will truly be reflected in these beautiful wines. When this day comes I will be the first person knocking at the door. Being a cool climate area picking carries on till May...yes May. As a result the wines have low alcohols, 12-13% and very drinkable and elegant. In fact I would describe the house style as very old world, no fruit bombs, high alcohol over extracted wines.

Here are my brief notes on the wines:

Skaam Skaap 2008: My personal favourite out of the lot, a fairly easy drinking undemanding sort of wine. A blend of Pinot, Chardonnay and Sauvi. Think of Haute Cabriere Pinot Chardonnay that people so love, just a lot better. Lovely fruit and a hint of floral. Well balanced, well made.

Sauvignon Blanc 2009: Petulant sort of wine, fizzy, lively. Wonderful nose, goose berry and a slight hint of greenness, but not overtly so, fairly long finish, again well balanced. Not everybody's cup of tea. Racy style.

Red Men: Cab, Shiraz and Merlot Blend. These varietals just doesn't work on this site. Although I think the Merlot, using the correct clone may have potential here. So they make a blend, only 3000 odd bottles made. If it was me I would rip out these varieties and concentrate on the Pinot.

Pinot Noir 2008: This is the varietal that put Herold Wines on the Wine Radar in 2006 by winning Wine Mags Pinot Noir challenge, seeing off more fancied competition. The 2008 is still dominated by wood, on the nose you would be forgiven for guessing it was a coffee style pinotage, but the hints of vegetal character, fynbos and the slightest bit of wild honey made up for this. Perfect Pinot colour. An interesting wine, certainly no tooti frutti wine. I bought a few bottles and will be watching how these develop with age.

The only other winery that I can think of that comes close in terms of remoteness, ruggedness and natural beauty is Cederberg Winery. Perhaps the wines are not in the same lofty league, but just to be spoken of in the same breath must surely tell you just how truly special this spot is.

The River Cafe

2010-06-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday was such a lovely afternoon so we decided to hit the road after lunch and taste some wine. First stop was Klein Constantia, lovely wine, classy, elegant blah blah. Bought a bottle of Vin de Contance for that special occasion. From there we headed off to Constantia Uitsig. Again lovely wines well made if a tad pricey, over R200 for both the MCC and their sweet wine. After an interesting tasting we felt a little peckish so we decide to try something lite from the adjoining River Cafe.

Lovely setting, beautiful courtyard, breathtaking mountain view, stunning weather, warm and friendly service, what could be a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon...wrong. Feeling peckish we ordered the Charcuterie Platter, Cheese Board and a bottle of Buiten Blanc. The meat platter wasn't anything great, pickles straight out of a Pick n Pay No Name Brand selection. The meats okay. The wine was stunning, love this wine, makes me happy with its summer floral notes. Sunshine in a bottle. So were did it all go wrong? Wine glasses and the cheese board. Wine glasses with rims as thick as Ronaldos leather boots. At a wine estate? You gotta be kidding me. But wait there is more. The cheese board @ R75. Have a look at the pic. Notice the lovely cheese....BTW my 4 year old daughter didn't arrange the plate. I thought somebody was having me on. Was Wackhead lurking...Somebody was pulling the piss. In all my life I have never seen a more sorry, sad and depressing cheese board. Thanks guys, I will be having Cheese Board nightmares from now on.

Do yourself a favour, visit Cape Point Vineyards, for about R130 you get a real Cheese Board. An experience in cheese, an adventure on a board. I was imagining the Windhoek Lager dude looking over my shoulder whispering..."Keep it Real". Cause this surely isn't the real deal.

I am in love with Nikela.

2010-05-14T05:44:00.000-07:00

With time to spare and the promise of more rain to come I decided to do two quick pitsops in Stellenbosch and taste some wine. But where? With the rain bucketing down and the mood I was in, it could be only one, I actually mean two. So I paid a visit to Grangehurst and Annandale. Both have the same old world wine philosophies, release wines after a few years, no rush here. Both wineries are now releasing their 2002 vintage....yes 2002!

First stop was Grangehurst. Only 3 wines to taste: a Rose , the 2002 Nikela a Cape Blend, and a 2002 Cab Sav. The Rose was quite surprising, very fresh nose, certainly not sweet on the palate (aka 4 Sweet Cousins) or overly acidic. So a really well made everyday easy drinking wine. Next up was the Nikela. Wow! What a nose, so complex, first thing that hit me was spice, like when grandma used to bake Christmas cakes...then little heaps of read fruit. Man I was excited. On the palate it was as fresh as a freshly cut bouquet of roses. Was this really a 2002? That is what impressed me most about this wine, 8 years young and still miles of good legs and structure. It made me think of that song: Things Can Only get better...this wine can only get better. I haven't tasted many old world wines, but I would describe this wine as Modern Old World...fresh, clean, precise and pure elegance. This must be one of the finest wines I have ever tasted. The poor Cab had a hard act to follow. The nose on the Cab was tighter than the Nikela, maybe a little shyer. But the palate showed as much life and interest. Again very fresh, great balance between fruit and silky smooth tannins. All in all a very quick tasting, but if you are looking for serious wines for serious wine lovers, not fast food wines, then this has to be one of the best places in the winelands to find it.

PS: I bought a bottle of the Nikela and decided to open it at dinner with friends. I made a Tagine of lamb, dates and apricots. I let our guests know that they were about to taste one of the finest reds to come out the Cape Winelands in my humble opinion.....(DRUM roll please) and then the bottle was forked, I mean corked. Pity. Real pity. But there is a lesson to be learnt. If you find a wine that you truly love, a wine that is so delicate and poised, a wine so perfect...buy a case not a bottle.

Next up Annandale.

The Tasting Room

2010-05-11T03:48:00.000-07:00

As much as I love food, fine dining really not my thing. Comfort food, great company, great wine more my speed. But the chance to dine at The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais was something I was really excited about. I don't need to bore you about the facts about how many awards these guys have won, Top 50 in the world, Eat Out etc. I think awards are just that, but when a restaurant delivers year in and year out then you know its gotta be special. And that is exactly what Margot Janse, she is the Michael Jordan of Food, and her team have been doing for quite some time.

We arrived and were warmly welcomed, nothing quite as spectacular as Rust en Vrede I may add. But warm and friendly nevertheless. The room is neither over the top nor glitzy. But has a certain warmth, minimalist atmosphere that makes you feel very relaxed and comfortable. That old cliche: if the design and layout is over the top then the food is best left under the table works in reverse here. Linen, cutlery, furnishings and stemware were all of the quality you would expect.

You get to choose between a 5 course and a 8 course menu. We chose the 8 course with wine paring. The 8 courses kind of becomes 10 after the chef throws in 2 little surprises. Before I get to the food let me just say the following regarding the wine. I was pleasantly surprised. Why? Vin de Florence, Glenwood Merlot, Cedarberg Baukatraube, Excelsior Viognier, Môreson Pinotage hardly the big guns of SA wine. But each wine was so well matched, I guess I am a bit of a closet wine snob expecting that only the Thelemas, Kanonkops, Boekenhoutskloofs etc could do justice to the fine food. The wines served were all wonderful, excellent partners that stood perfectly alongside each dish, never overshadowing the food, but rather playing a complementary role. Just like a perfect marriage, the man always playing a great support role...

And the food you say! Well how do you talk about something so elegant, precise, well executed, sublime, delicate, poised, blah blah blah. It really is that good. Each portion so light yet packed with flavour and contrast. Each plate painted by a master craftsmen. Luderitz oyster, chorizo, cucumber and granadilla was an interesting way to start. Coming to the table in a tiny smoke filled glass only added to the excitment on the night. Were we at the Fat Duck? Followed by lemon poached Transkei rock lobster, prawn wafer, and a tiny marshmallow. I loved this dish even though it was on the sweet side. Next up was Foie gras, prosciutto, cranberry and whisky dressing. My fellow dinners weren't won over by this dish, but being a whisky fan I was in heaven. A celeriac and buchu risotto was next. I hate risotto. No, I hate badly cooked risotto. But "Local is lekker" and this was a winner. A comforting course after all the preciseness and proceeding delicacy. And so the evening went on. Each courses maintaining the same high standard. The general service overall was of a high standard. Unobtrusive, we were only asked once if we were enjoying our meal, and his was between courses. After each course our cutlery was reset with the slight of hand of a magician.

So was the evening faultless? We managed to knock over a few glasses of wine and set a menu alight, bringing a new meaning to "hot food". But if I really had to be picky I would say the overall menu isn't seasonal enough. I stand under correction but the menu hasn't changed much for quite some time. The odd change is made from time to time but never an overall change from one season to the next to reflect what is best and what is in season. So certainly not seasonal. That being a small gripe, this certainly is fine dining at the very top end. Would I return? Is almost R1000 per person fair value? Pay the Tasting Room a visit and you be the judge of that.

Cheers!

Fly Swatting

2010-04-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

Five Flies. That long standing Cape Town institution, so liked by the law fraternity, was our latest venue for undercover wine tasting. If walls could talk this place would spill the beans, I mean tell the truth, on almost every case ever heard in the Cape High Court. And considering the penchment the legal fraternity has for the finer thing in life, at their clients expense, running our eagle eyes, noses and taste senses over what makes up the Five Flies Wine list sounded like the obvious thing to do. I must admit I have never dined here before, I have always been afraid that I would be slapped with a civil lawsuit running into millions if I said the wrong thing or looked the wrong way. But I needn't have feared, I found the atmosphere warm and friendly. Look they not going to win too many bespoke design awards, rather more old world than new, tradition over innovation, established over cutting edge, wood over stainless steel. All in all lots of neutral tones, white table cloth's and dark wood, you get the picture. But we came to taste the wines not do a review for Huisgenoot.

We were seated in a private room off the main dining room. I could imagine this as a plesent space to enjoy a dinner with close friends in a private atmosphere. Or maybe chat in hushed tones about how to lie your way out of a death sentence...but I digress. I have a few pet hates when it comes to wine lists and serving wine in restaurants. In no particular order: Boring wine lists, huge mark ups, wine served at incorrect tempretures, crap glasses, and staff that don't have a clue when it comes to wine. Why do I mention this, well because Five Flies is guilty of at least two of the above. Wine glasses with edges as thick as milk bottles are just so unsexy and serving reds at Arctic temperatures is enough of a sin to spend a weekend in Pollsmoor. Serving warm wines is punishable by death so the bar staff figured lets keep our reds nice and chilled. Good idea but please take them from the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving, frozen ethanol not really my cup of tea. So what of the wines served.

NO1: Warwick Sauvignon Blanc 09: 13/20

This wine reminds me of Paris Hilton-its famous for being famous. It comes from the famed Warick Estate so the pedigree is there. But I really fails to deliver. At R185/bottle you could do better and go for the Waterford Pecan Stream Sauvignon Blanc at R 115/bottle and treat yourself to a fine Havana with the change. I found the nose to be fairly shy, but with subtle hints of tropical fruit. The palate showed the same fruit with a pleasing weight. The real disappointment was the finish and out of sync acid. Rennies all round and an aftertaste that disappears faster than Juluis Mallema once all the trouble has been caused.

NO2: Hartenberg Chardonnay 08 15/20

If you are tired of over oaked badly handled Chardonnay that often tastes like Oak Juice then give this wine a go. The nose was inviting and intriguing with subtle hints of spice, lemon, caramel and toffee apple. Like your Grandma standing at the kitchen door saying come in my son...the nose excites you and entices you to savour and enjoy every sip. The palate has a nice balance between fruit and acidity with a satisfying finish. The only faults I could find with this wine is I found the alcohol a little harsh and the mid palate slightly lacking. All in all a good example of what can be done with Chardonnay if handled correctly. Fair value at R165/bottle

NO3: Paul Cluver Gewurtz 09 14.5/20

Coco Chanel no5 in a bottle. Fragrant, perfumey, certainly a wine I guess ladies would enjoy. An expressive nose of rose petals and litchi. Nice fruit on the palate with a kiss of spice, I did however find the acid and weight lacking. This wine cries out for food, anything Thai, Indian or even Cape Malay. At R135/bottle I would call this a great value buy.

NO4: Muldersbosch Chardonnay 07 13.5

For me the real disappointment on the night. I have had this wine before and really loved it. But on this occasion for me it just didn't deliver, or maybe it was just me who was off my game. An overpowering nose of all things oak didn't excite me to what the palate had in store.

NO5: Dornier Pinotage 07 12/20

Pinotage you either love it or you hate it. Me, I sit on the electric fence. More Pinot Noir in character than Pinotage, think forest floor, mushrooms and a hint of sulphur...I found the palate lacking in fruit and dominated by perky acidity. At R165 per bottle you decide if thats fair value.

NO6: Raka Quinary 2005 13/20

A Bordeaux blend, that still seems big, even though the wine is 5 years young. Big powerfull nose with lots of oak, hints of spice and dark red fruit masked by the oaking, even the tannins are fairly prominent. So all in all a big wine that is crying out for a man mountain steak. At R185 I think you could do better by choosing Alto Rouge @ R165 that pairs much better with a wider variety of food.

NO7: Leopeards Leap 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon 14/20

Lots of baked fruit on the nose and a slight hint on greenness/herbal note. I found the palate very satisfying and well balanced, lots of red dark fruit, think plums. Once again this wine also showed a fair amount of grip suggesting it would pair well with herb crusted rack of lamb.

NO8: Stellenkaya Merlot 2006 14.5/20

My first impression of this wine was: restraint. Nothing big and overpowering jumping out at you. Rather subtle, delicate hints of spice and cloves all surrounded by a touch of blackcurrant. Stellenkaya is headed by a bunch of dynamic women, a female touch evident on the nose. With such an elegant nose I was certainly interested in weather the promise would deliver through. And it did to a point. All the red fruits were there but all to briefly. So a great start but a short finish.Will pair well with veal and a light Parmesan cream sauce.

Five Flies Wine list in general isn't bad but it isn't great. At the top end they have a nice enough collection for the wealthy lawyers to splurge their clients cash on, but at the entry level and mid range I think the list lacks imagination and variety. The biggest disappointment for me was the temperature of the red wines, all way to low. As a result it becomes difficult to asses the wine. Green, chunky and unpleasant. On the night the overall scores were fairly low, I am sure had the red wines been served at the correct temperature the overall scores would have been higher by about half a point.

Now let me see if I can find myself a half decent honest lawyer.

Cheers.

Hermanus-this is a mouthfull-Pietersfontein

2009-11-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

Not only is Hermanuspeitersfontein (say it slowly it helps) a mouthful, it also one helluva place to find. The Winery and the farm are two very different places, they are about 50km apart in fact. We stopped at the winery first and certainly left very impressed. Okay, so the tasting room lacks the charm and character of older estates like Kanonkop or a Muratie, but what it lacks in character it makes up for in other ways. Firstly the staff were well trained and answered most questions fairly well. The range of wine available for tasting is pretty extensive, and for Sauvignon Blanc junkies the choices are endless. Fruity, green, blended, a real mixed grill. But rather than doing so many Sauvies badly, they actually produce all these styles extremely well and with great success. The stand out wines for me were: The Bartho 2008 a Sauvignon Blend with Semillion and Nouvelle. My pick for best white wine at WineX 2009 some months back, having tasted it for a second time I am even more convinced that this is a stunning wine. Very individualistic. Die Swartskaap , 100% Cabernet Franc, elegant, restrained sort of wine, almost shy but yet seductive. Die Bloos, a Rose Bordeux Blend, stunning summer sipper. What I like most about HPF is the branding. Everything fits, ties in, looks good, is consistent and most of all it just works. Whoever is in charge of this side of the business deserves a round of applause.

Having tasted the wines we headed off to find the farm. Rather than bore you with how hopelessly lost we got, lets just say we found the farm courtesy of Jean Daniel and he is in Napier...I blame the stunning wines for the loss of focus. The farm itself is remote and very private. The cottages are beautifully decorated, and even boasts a mini bar filled with HPF wines. As far as farm/self catering accommodation goes this is top notch. Set amongst vineyards, fynbos, grazing sheep and with the most amazing mountain backdrop the only thing you have to do is: Light the fire, put your feet up and enjoy the wine.

Lost in Translation

2009-10-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

Firstly, don't ever, and I mean ever take the N2 to get anywhere. I have started a Facebook group, a petition a blog you name it to have the N2 declared the world biggest or should I say longest parking lot. Getting stuck in traffic at the best of times can be a sour grape to swallow but when your dying of thirst, craving Elgins famed grassy Sauvignon Blancs, surrounded by Taxis and with only distant views of the Cape Flats to console you, then traffic jams are officially worse than cork taint.

And so it was that Dionysus took almost 2 long hours to finally arrive in the beautiful Elgin Valley. Pegerine Farmstall were hosting a farmers market, but no time for that as we had wineries to visit...first stop Elgin Vintners. The sign at the gate said open for tasting, and the tasting room was set in a truly amazing spot beside a lovely lake surrounded by tall tress. Pity the tasting room was closed...As I peered through the glass pain window the alarm to the building went off. I had become a wine thief. Leaving the distant chimes of the alarm behind us we set off undaunted to find Highlands Road Winery. As my stomach was beginning to rumble like a car that needed fuel I was looking forward to enjoying the delights of their famed

deli. Pity the sign at the farm gate said Deli Closed. Well at least they still made wine. Oops the bridge to the farm had been washed away and access to the farm was no longer.

By this time I was getting desperate. With haste we headed off to find South Hill Winery, and what a find it was. Slap bang in the middle of nowhere, this beautiful stunning Winery and Restuarant welcomed us with open arms. Finally cold, crispy Sauvignon Blanc. If you enjoy the greener style cooler climate Sauvignon Blanc then you will enjoy this wine. South Hill also make a stunning Cab Sav Rose that I really enjoyed. The wine tasting is done very informally at the bar counter in the restaurant. Don't expect the barman to be able to answer to many questions relating to bailing, brix or tons per hectare. However the wine, the beautifully decorated restaurant come Bohemian art gallery and stunning views make the trek worthwhile. We will be back to try the restaurant as the menu and food looked interesting.

Back on the dreaded N2 we headed off to Hermanus. First stop Whalehaven Winery. A lovely young lady and a non perplexed type reading the paper (I recognised him as the winemaker Mr Bodega) welcomed us. I firmly believe in a winery focusing on a select core range of wines, while some wineries are capable of doing a broad spectrum of wines. I would say Whalhaven falls into the latter. Their product includes the Premium Idiom Range, and the extensive Whalehaven Range. I tasted quite a few of the wines across both ranges and came away fairly impressed. The standout wines for were the Idion Cape Blend and Sangiovese, and from the Whalehaven Range the Crushed Velvet and the Old harbour. With such an extensive list of wines, so many varieties at different price points you are spoilt for choice, and a return visit is in order. One thing that stood out for me, was Mr Bodegga's relaxed demeanour and candid way that he interacted on a personal level. So many times winemakers can be aloof or distant, this certainly wasn't the case. He was friendly and warm, and with our lovely host helped make this a memorable tasting and definitely a venue that we will be paying a return visit. A less rushed and extensive tasting of this entire range of fine wines is called for.

From here we headed to Hemanuspietresfontein, but more about our experiences here in my next blog.

Deliverence in Durbanville

2009-09-15T11:17:00.000-07:00

Durbanville may not be as famous as say Stellies but it sure does offer a few interesting alternatives....take D'Aria for example. They are a new winery, having only launched their own label in 2005, a Sauvignon Blanc as expected. They have also just completed their new impressive modern cellar and tasting venue. The tasting venue is straight out of Deliverence with a lake side wooden deck surrounded by woodland forest...there is even a DANGER/GEWAAR sign warning you not to swim in the swamp.

But do not fear as the tasting room experience is a pretty good one. For R60 you can buy a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and cheese platter for two. Not bad value at all. On the day of our visit we were lucky to have the place to ourselves and got great service from our host Isabel. She certainly was friendly and had more than enough knowledge of the wines on offer to answer most questions the average wine drinker could threw her way. She also did a great job of handling a rowdy buss load of revellers that manged to spoil the peace.

Being a new winery they don't have a huge range of wines, I sometimes think this is better, the mantra bigger is better doesn't always hold true when it comes to wine. The range consits of a Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, Merlot and a Merlot/Cab Blend. The Sauvignon Blanc, as you would expect was great. I can't think of many Sauvies from Durbanville that I wouldn't recommend, and now you can add the D Aria to the list. The premium Sauvi, The Songbird 2008, is a lovely wine with just the right amount of fruit to acid. The Rose and Reds are all drinkable, but being a young winery I think these are still a work in progress. So if you are looking for somewhere a little different with a great deck to enjoy fine chilled Sauvignon Blanc this summer, then D' Aria is a great choice.

Vive La France

2009-09-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

Red, white and blues... Must have something to do with the French. In a way yes. But no, it was the theme for the Durbanville Boutique Wine Growers annual festival. The theme of White and Red Wine with a touch of Blues music went down a treat.

Eureka Farm played host to over 200 people, the event was over subscribed, once again proving in matters of passion size doesn't really matter. It is not often that you could say an evening was faultless, but this evening came pretty damn close. From the relaxed, casual yet very stylish decor, too the delightful food and wine pairings, it just seemed like the longer the night went the better things got. The menu read something like this: mussels in beurre blanc, tempura prawns, carpaccio with wild mushrooms, Parmesan and rocket, petit burgers with caramelised onions, Moroccan lamb couscous and the highlight for me venison pie. That's enough to make your mouth water and we haven't even got to the wines or desserts yet...

There were so many good wines to choose from and as you would expect Sauvignon Blanc was the star of the show. Those that caught the eye were the Klein Rooseboom with its sexy glass closure and the Galleon Sauvignon Blanc. Welbeloond Sauvignon Blanc produced by the friendly Andrew Mellish, pictured, and Nomade Sauvignon Blanc produced by Riaan Oostuizen were the standout whites, the former very fruity and the latter more zip and tang. No Rennies needed for any of these wines. From the Reds my personal favourites were the Mirari 2006 from Westerdale that is drinking beautifully, a youthful Merlot from Klein Roseboom that will improve with bottle age and the Hermit on the Hill Pinot Noir. All in all a wonderful evening, proving once again, local is lekker.

Teen Die Berg

2009-09-06T05:18:00.000-07:00

Next stop was Avondrood Winery. Here Albertus and Minett van Rensburg and their friendly pack of Great Danes welcome you to their secluded farm. Albertus is a bit of a terroir-rist as he firmly believes that his vineyards on the rocky slopes "hoeg teen" the Boland Mountains produce wines of distinct character. You could call it location in a bottle. Hard to argue, when he has walked away with so many awards at the annual National Terroir Competition.

The stand out wines for me were the 2008/2009 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2007 Viognier. This corner of he Bredekloof is hardly regarded as prime Sauvignon Blanc territory, but Avondrood is proving that with the right site selection you can produce unique and distinctive wines. The 2008 is at its peak, showing a perfect balance between beautiful tropical fruit and the slightest hint of green flavours from bottle age, all of this backed up with fine acidity. The 2009 on the other hand is a fruit bomb. Granadilla, guava and gooseberries. Wines of this quality sell for twice the price, at R40 per bottle its a steal. The 2007 Viognier was all fruit, spice and floral. A great food wine, and will be a perfect match for delicately spiced food.

Avondrood also has their own mountain cabin with majestic views over the winelands and distant mountains. As Albertus would say in typical Boland fashion "Dis Teen Die Berg!"

Lovely Lorraine and The Love of My Life

2009-09-06T04:01:00.000-07:00

From Jason's Hill we made our way to Lorraine Private Cellar. The De Wets have been farming these lands since 1875, and current custodian Johan, pictured left, is rightly proud of his families long standing tradition of producing fine handcrafted wines. The farm can be found at the end of a long and winding dusty road, off the well trodden tourist tracts, but certainly worth the effort. The farm is steeped in history and the De Wets have gone a long way to preserve their heritage. Original concrete tanks, out buildings and a traditional brookie lace home all add to the charm and allure. Johan makes a handful of wines in his small cellar, each wine from the very best vineyard blocks, the balance going to the local co-op. My personal favorites were the 2007 Cape Harmony, Love of My Life Rose' and the Sauvignon Blanc 2009. The Cape Harmony is a 3 way blend of Pinotage, Cab and Merlot. It has only just been bottled, having spent 18 months in a mixture of French and American Oak. This wine will only get better, some bottle age will add to its complexity and should be at its peak in a couple of years. The Love of My Life is a 100% Pinotage Rose' that Johan made for his wife and should be popular with the ladies and a perfect match for sushi. The Sauvignon Blanc 2009 is a bold fruity wine with loads of zip and tang, this is a perfect match for any al fresco occasion.

Show Time

2009-09-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

Spring not only heralds new life but also the dawn of the season for wine competitions, festivals and auctions. The winelands literally comes alive. This weekend I will be heading off to two festivals. On Friday night it is the Durbanville Boutique Wine Growers Associations (DBWGA)White Red and Blues Festival. Good food, good wine and fine blues music. Boutique Wineries are close to my heart and this is an occasion I just can't miss. The DBWGA is a relatively new organization, that brings the boutique wine growers/makers/vignerons of Durbanville together. Each one has a story to tell that is more interesting than the next, but what really makes their wines special is the love, passion, and hard work that goes into each bottle. The popularity and scarcity of the wines produced by this band of winemakers is evident in the fact the the event is completely booked out!

Ander Kant Die Berg: Episode 1

2009-09-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

No matter how many times I drive through the Du Toits Kloof Mountains on the great N1 North Road I can't but help feeling lekker! It must be one of the most beautiful stretches of mountain road anywhere, let alone in South Africa. Jagged peaks, cascading waterfalls, twisting bends, sheer rock faces pointing to the heavens....like having Marlyn Monroe sitting next too you. But, I had a job to do and my first stop was Jason's Hill Winery.

Like most wineries in the area, Jason's Hill is blessed with beautiful vistas, surrounded by mountains in every direction. The farm is not all that big with around 100 hectares under vine. Most of their crop is sold off to the local co op, but like any smart farmer they keep the best grapes for themselves and make wine under their own label. The winemaker is Ivy Du Toit, pictured left, and if ever dynamite came in a small package then Ivy is it. On the day of our visit she was handling the tastings, sales, dispatch, information....where she gets the time to make the wine I don't know. But make wine she does, and damn good wine too. Her family is the 5th generation of Du Toits to farm this land, the words lacking commitment and lazy are not in their vocabulary. They also have a wonderful Bistro above their tasting room, from here the views are out of this world, the wines superb and the food homely and comforting. But I had come to taste wine and not food.

I started off by tasting the 2008 Jasonette, a pink sparkler. I am a fan of pink bubbly, and have been the butt of many jokes for this, too me it is a great way to kick off any occasion. The Jasonette isn't going to have the great Champagne houses shaking in their boots, but what it will do is bring a smile to face your face. Fruity and fun without being candy sweet. Next was the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc. The first thing I noticed about this wine was its beautiful colour, crystal clear like river water. With loads of fruit, guava, apple, and a nice racy acidic finish, this was a wine I really enjoyed. From here I moved onto the reds. I started off with the house blend, a 2007 Classic Red. It is a three way blend of Petit Verdot, Pinotage and Grenache. As easy drinking reds go this is one of the better ones around. Very smooth, certainly not chunky and rustic but rather velvety. The back label reads: delightfully uncomplicated and demands merely to be enjoyed. Agreed. Next was the 2007 Grenache. Now Grenache normally works best in blends and one hardly expects to find good Grenache this side of the mountain. But to my surprise I took quiet a liking to it. Again very smooth. It must be a Ivys female touch that brings such elegance to their wines. The wine showed hints of spiciness and fruit, just enough acidity and delicate oaking. A well balanced wine. My final wine was the 2002 Pinotage Limited Release, showing all the usual pinotage flavours of banana and strawberry. Again this was a wine that showed restraint, elegance and Ivys hallmark velvet smooth finish.

All in all another good day at the office....

Ander kant die berg

2009-09-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

Behind the Boerewors wine curtain, or beyond the Du Toits Kloof lies a whole other wine world. Being a fan of Robertson and McGregor in particular I never miss an opportunity to spend a wine weekend in the Valley of Roses and Race Horses. The Robertson Valley may not have the status of Stellenbosch, but the boere on the wrong side of the mountain know how to through a party. Think wackywine weekend and the Mcgregor Wine Festival....yes the McGregor Wine Festival! It must be the smallest festival around, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in charm and character.

What can be better than local wine matched with the local food enjoyed in local NG Kerk. Every year the tiny village of McGregor puts on her best dress and shows off the wines of a handful of producers matched with food from the area. McGregor being the friendly village it is, all is welcome, even well behaved dogs. Maybe the organisers were hoping dogs would make better wine judges with their acute sense of smell. This year the weather played along, the sunny day providing the perfect opportunity to sit around and enjoy the summer weather with a glass in hand. I especially enjoyed the wines of John Hargreaves, his Rusty Red Range never fails to surprise and deliver. Rumour has it that John's back garden is the smallest registered wine farm in the country. For value, McGregory Winery is hard to beat, their Colambard is lip smackingly good. Why we South Africans don't drink more Colambard or Chenin Blanc I don't know.

For true country hospitality, friendly locals, wine and country kos, visit Wacky McGregor.

This could be Heaven: Part 2

2009-08-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

While at Kronendal Farm I had the chance to sample a few of the other wines produced by some of the members of the Durbanville Boutique Wine Association. As most of the producers are small garagiste type producers it makes sense to have the chance to taste these wines at one venue. Please be sure to phone Magdeleen of Kronendal and let her know what wines you are interested in and she will make the necessary arrangements.

From the fairly long line up of wines I chose the following: Klein Roseboom Sauvignon Blanc 08, Da Vallei the full range, Hermit on the Hill Pinot Noir and Syrah, Galleon Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The stand out wines for me were the Klein Roseboom Sauvignon Blanc, the Pinot Noir and the Galleon Chardonnay. Each of these wines are made in small quantities and are difficult to come by but worth the effort.

On Friday 5th September the Durbanville Boutique Wines Association will be holding its annual tasting event at Eureka Farm in Durbanville. This is an event not to be missed, and one that I will be attending. Have a look at their web site fore details: http://www.durbanvilleboutiquewine.co.za/

With spring just around the corner wine festivals are a plenty. Be sure not to miss the McGregor Wine Festival. This must be the smallest wine festival on the calender but certainly one of the best. Very intimate and sociable. Only 12 producers from the region, meaning you don't have to rush and you can chat, talk, taste, sip and eat your way at your own leisurely pace. Look out for the wines of John Hargreaves, his tiny label, Rusty Red is a real treat. John makes his wine in the heart of the village from his garage in true garagiste fashion.

This could be Heaven.

2009-08-09T03:53:00.001-07:00

My usual Saturday sojourn to the Winelands took me to Durbanville boutique winery Kronendal Farm, the home of Westerdale Wines. What I love about the Durbanville valley is its close proximity to the Northern suburbs, yet you still feel like you are far from the maddening civilization and commercial trappings of places like Tyger Valley. Kronendal Farm can be found at the end of Westerdale road , the well used gravel road passes numerous idyllic properties, the scene is made complete with postcard like paddocks and views of distant mountains.

Kronendal Farm is a tiny farm of 2 hectares, just .6 hectares under vine, and is a member of the Durbanville Boutique Wine Association. This is an association of 13 passionate winemakers who have bandied together to promote their tiny brands. By prior arrangement these wines can be tasted and purchased at Kronendal Farm were we were warmly welcomed by the lively and energetic winemaker Magdaleen Kroon, that's her pouring the wines. She is the antithesis of your typical farmer: burly, towering, colossal she is not, rather athletic, energetic, and dynamic. She and her husband Piet bought the farm some 10 years ago with the intention of establishing a nursery come landscaping business, only to discover that a lack of water made their dream impossible. The horticultural industries loss is the wine industries gain. Magdaleen decided to go the Rhone Blend route and planted her small vineyard with Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo and Viognier. As I sat on her beautiful wooden deck and looked across the valley while sampling her fine wine I wondered if life could get any better...Mirari, Latin for to wonder at, is an elegant and well balanced wine, no baked fruit or over ripe flavours, but rather very subtle and restrained. Minute quantities are made of this very limited wine, with each bottle personally hand numbered her love, passion and hard work are clearly evident. Garagiste wines can often be called rustic, but not this wine. With Magdaleen peronally doing all wine tastings, you get that personal touch that bigger farms just cant match, it's a rare pleasure to meet the personality behind a wine, to ask questions and understand what the winemaker was hoping to achieve. A wine tasting at Kronendal Farm is more than just a tasting, it is truly a memorable experience and one that I encourage you to make.

Magdaleen: 0824990198

garagiste: small scale winemaker

http://www.durbanvilleboutiquewine.co.za

Slow Food

2009-07-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

I hate winter...yip that's me. I like the sun on my bum, I must be out and about, discovering and exploring. The only good thing about winter is slow food, slow cooked casseroles, breedies, potjies, and curries. Slow food is just that, slow. It takes time, time to cook, time to socialise and time to sip and enjoy great wine. You can't go wrong, even my ex mother in law couldn't get this wrong... The key is finding the best ingredients, and by that I mean the cuts of meat other people wouldn't touch. Pork Cheeks, oxtail, lamb shank, tripe, and my favourite Ostrich neck. Try this amazing Ostrich neck recipe:

Must have:
1 x Bottle Red Wine
Cooking oil
250g Smoked Streaky Bacon
1,5kg Ostrich Neck
4 Onions chopped
4 Gloves of Garlic chopped
2 Bottles of Boplaas Port.
300g dried Apricots
Bay leaf and a sprig of Rosemary

How to:
Pour red wine and enjoy.
Brown the ostrich in the oil. Tip: only do a few pieces at a time. The more pieces you add to the pot the less likely it is to brown. You want the meat to get those nice crispy edges. Bad for your heart, so a double cardio workout needed. Remove Ostrich meat from the pot and set aside. Fry the bacon, then add onions. After a few minutes add garlic. Let onions, garlic and bacon fry together for a few minutes, ensuring that the garlic doesn't burn.
Pour second glass of red wine and enjoy.
Once onions are soft, add 1 bottle of port and scrape bottom of pot to get all the tasty bits off the bottom. Return the ostrich to the pot. Add apricots, bay leaf and sprig of rosemary. Simmer slowly, don't boil, this is a slow process. When Ostrich is about to fall off the bone...its done. Serve with creamy mash, crispy bread and a bottle of fine red, try Monterosso Cabernet Merlot. A great wine for the price, should compliment the ostrich and work well with the apricots.

Too finish. Enjoy the other bottle of Boplaas Port. Pudding wine.

Faulty Towers

2009-07-27T02:08:00.000-07:00

What was supposed to be a lazy Saturday afternoon spent in the warm glow of a fine winters day, sipping great wine and enjoying the company of friends and family turned out to be a laugh. Before I go any further let me say that Nitida Cafe and Nitida Wine farm seems to be two separate entities, my experiences and issues are with the Cafe and therefore not the farm. But as the Nitida experience encompasses the Wine Farm and the Cafe it is very difficult to be critical of one and not the other...

Were do I start. We booked a table only to be told on arrival they were aware of the booking but they hadn't actually made a reservation. Bizarre. Only 4 wines to choose from, and not one from Nitida! Surreal. They did have Chateau Libertas and Durbanville Hills mind you. Apparently the reason for the lack of Nitida Wines is a dispute between the Farm and the Cafe regarding pricing of Nitida Wines. Who cares. The menu had about 6 items, boring Cup-a-Soup, Pasta and Sauce and the rest so uninspiring I forgotten what they were. The less said about Cafe Nitida the better. The sad thing is the stunning location, vineyard views, rolling lawns etc are all let down by poor management.

I did manage to taste a few wines from the tasting room. As expected the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc @ R75 per bottle was simply delicious. Loads of goose berries, nice balance between acid and fruit without the need to take a Eno after the first glass. Other stand out wines were the 2006 Calligraphy @ R115 per bottle and the 2007 Pinotage @ R75 per bottle.

Will I be back in a hurry...think not. Pity.

Brokeback Mountain

2009-07-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a day discovering the Voor Paardeberg area outside of Paarl. The views from this relatively undiscovered and certainly beautiful area makes this one of my favourite places to explore. The Paardeberg Mountain has Paarl on the one side and the Swartland on the other. This area is regraded as hot property, with loads of new wineries producing some fantastic wines. First stop was for padkos, so we found the nearest roadside MacDonalds, aka a padstal. Between Klapmust and Wellington you will find Red Star Padstal. As we were in drive through mode we opted for takeaway home made pies. These were no King Pies, but rather the genuine real authentic home made mammas pies. They had a lovely veranda and a play area to keep the little ones happy while you sip wine and take in the splendid views. Heavenly.

Stomachs well lined, we set off. Our first port of call was Perdeberg Winery. What impressed my immediately was their slogan: Keep wine simple. I like that and it works for me. They also have a long lineup of value for money winners. I found the wines to be pleasant, enjoyable and easy drinking. No fruit bombs or giant oak killers. As tasting room experiences go they can do better...these guys are rightly popular and on the afternoon of our visit they just couldn't cope. A very friendly and knowledgeable young lady fought a lone battle trying to keep thirsty wine lovers happy. Surely a winery with such a wide variety of wines at each price point needs a matching tasting room. The tasting room was no bigger than a small office.

Next we headed off to the Voor Paarderberg Tasting Venue on the David Frost Wine Estate. Their marketing punts the fact that this is a road less travelled, and that certainly was the case as we were the only visitors and had the place to ourselves. A group of smaller producers in the area have come together to form one tasting center, this makes sense as it is easier to manage and market. However it all seems to be falling flat as half the wineries have/are about to pull out of the this little joint venture. The tasting room is set in a most idyllic location with beautiful mountain views. It was a treat to enjoy the warm weather from the veranda and taste fine wines in such a stunning location. The standout wines were: David Frost Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 at R90 per bottle, a very elegant, silky well balanced wine. David Frost The Soft Smooth Red at R30 per bottle was like David Frosts putting stroke, very dependable, loads of red fruit, smooth finish. I also enjoyed the Bernheim JP Pacas Shiraz 2005 at R80 per bottle. I had never heard of JP Pacas before, but it turned out to be a lovely wine that should make a great match to Rosemary and Garlic Roast lamb.

A short hop took us to Riebeeck Kasteel for a lovely light lunch at The Barn. This is one of my favourite country bistros. Sitting outside, looking over the village to the distant mountains, enjoying a glass of crisp Chenin, sharing mezze platters with friends. What could be better...

La Chocalate

2009-07-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

Waterford Wine Estate. The name says it all. Refinement, elegance and finesse. I had never before tried their famed Chocolate and Wine pairing. Too my surprise it was something I enjoyed and would recommend to any sweet toothed lover of wine.

What of the wines....the Estate Rose-Mary 2008 was a lovely wine with loads of zing an ideal wine to start the tasting with. A real summer wine, low alcohol levels at 11% means you can have a few glasses. The Sauvignon Blanc was a surprise. I wasn't expecting much yet this wine delivered. Unusually creamy mouthfeel and a very clear bright colour, not your typical coastal Sauvi. Nice balance between acid and fruit. The Kevin Arnold Shiraz was next up and for me the standout wine of the evening. Paired with a spicy masala styled chocolate the wine just got better, the subtle hint of spiciness from the chocolate complementing the wine beautifully. Truly a memorable wine and at R150 per bottle it should be. Oprah Winfrey belives it a special occasion wine as she served it at her 50th birthday dinner celebrations. If its good enough for her its gotta be good enough for us. Next was the Cabernet and The Jem. Both these wines were at the level of refinement and elegence Waterford strives but certainly not great wines in my humble opinion. Having been blown away by the Shiraz, the Cab was always going to battle to impress. The Jem on the other hand is a potpourri wine ...sometimes the some of the parts is not greater than the whole and maybe this is the case here. Or maybe it was the price of R650 per bottle that left a bitter taste.

Finally we finished off with a pudding wine: Heatherleigh. A lovely wine paired with a rose water infused dark chocolate...A fine way to finish off a wonderful wine experience.

Bloe men who?

2009-07-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

Wet and miserable. A typical Cape winters day. Where to for lunch? Somewhere not too far, with that comforting toasted marshmallow atmosphere a fire place lends to a venue, somewhere you can get a good bottle of Claret. So of to Bloemendal we went.

The Durbanville Wine Route is one of those hidden underutilized treasures on our doorstep. In just a few minutes you escape from the hum drum of a dull N7 and discover a world that moves at a slower pace. Think green valleys, rolling vineyards, and winding roads. And so it was that we arrived at Bloemendal. Wine Magazine runs a regular Cellar Door Shoot Out, pitting two cellar door experiences against each other with one coming out on top. My advise to them would be to drop any plans of having Bloemendal as part of a lineup. Having to sit at a bar counter in the restaurant listing to Karaoke is not my idea of a great wine experience. The place had two huge fireplaces and not one was lit! Talk about missing an opportunity. Bloemendal as a winery has a long proud family tradition, however this all changed a while back when the farm was bought for a hefty sum by Tokyo I am a Billionaire But Still Disadvantaged Sexwale. As a result wine making has come to a standstill and this is reflected in the choice of wine for tasting. Just a handful of wines and most sadly past their best. Don't bother asking any questions as I don't think the young counter hand could tell a white from a red. Honestly! To add insult to injury you have to pay a tasting fee...

Life is like a bottle of Wine. You never know what you going to get.

2009-07-08T06:10:00.000-07:00

Enjoying the fine Cape winter weather meant a good braai, good wine and good friends. What to drink?...having enjoyed my fair share of Cape reds I opted for Springfield Method Ancienne Chardonnay 2006 at R149 per bottle from the farm and at totally the other end of the price spectrum Koelenhof Sauvignon Blanc 2008 at R 24 per bottle. I felt the Springfield was indulgent so to ease my financial guilt in these hard pressed times I opted for the value busting Koelenhof.

What of the two wines...Lets start with the Koelenhof Sauvignon Blanc. If you haven't heard by now these guys are the raining 2009 Wine Mag Best Value Champions. And its easy to taste why. The wine has a beautiful crystal clear colour, no show pony stuff this. Don't worry about smelling and sniffing and all that pompous crap, this is a wine maid to be enjoyed en mass, at R25 a bottle you can afford a few cases. It has a nice racy acidic finish and is a great match for braaied snoek. The packaging may not be great, but heck who cares at this price and quality. Try the rest of the wines in the range, they have just walked off with a host of awards for their Red wines. The winery is just off the N1 on the R45 as you head towards Stellenbosch. You can't miss it.

No for the Springfield Method Ancienne Chardonnay. If you want 5 star Platter wines, Double gold winners, No Body Cares Award Winners, Springfield won't be for you. These are wines made with true passion, not wines made to impress at shows and in sighted wine guides. This is a family run business and any trip to Robertson should include a stopover to meet the friendly Bruwer's of Springfield Estate. The Chardonnay was a beautiful golden colour in the glass, not from over oaking I may add. The wine was shy on the nose but there was a hint of what was to come... I remember my sister face when we first tasted this wine a couple of months back...what she said can't be repeated, but to say this wine is a thing of beauty would be an understatement. A soft creamy mouth feel, loads of fruit, nice long finish, silky, smooth and oh so sexy.

Needles to say the rest of the afternoon was like a moment spent in the clouds: good food, good wine, friends and family....life couldn't be better.

Mutterings of a Virgin Blogger

2009-07-04T00:12:00.000-07:00

Another Wine Blog? No. More of a lifestyle blog focusing on wine lifestyle. Wine, food and a little bit of travel. I will try and keep the jargon to a minimum, no fancy French tongue twisting words...The Travelling Vineyard will bring you the wines, the winemakers, the personalities and the stories behind the wines.

I will be focusing on wines that leave a mark. No Average Nederburg or Chateau Collapso. But rather hidden gems, smaller producers that make wines with love and passion and that won't cost you an arm and a leg. Life is too short to drink wine without soul or character. I love nothing more than hitting the road and discovering wines and the people behind the wine. Hence the Travelling Vineyard.