Mar 26 2010

Feeling festive?Check out Robertson’s Wine Festivals for 2010!

Category: Whats On? — bianca @ 10:05 am

Robertson, falling under the Breede River Valley region, has a line up of festivities this year focused on mesmerising the senses and bringing you back for more.

From the 3rd to the 6th of June 2010, for the 7th consecutive year running, be sure to make your way down to one of South Africa’s most fun filled and Wackiest events of the year! Its time for the Wacky Wine Weekend!

Its renowned as one of the BIGGEST regional wine festivals in the country with a list of activities that is sure to keep everyone wacky all weekend long. Whether you are a wine fundi or a complete newbie, going as an individual, a romantic couple or a full family, join thousands of wine lovers at South Africa’s BIGGEST regional wine festival. The festival takes place at individual estates and include:

•    Wine tasting
•    Food pairings
•    Live music
•    Adventure
•    Outdoor
•    Family friendly
•    Arts
•    Sport

Cost: R70 per passport (all other activities charged will be ‘pay as you go’)
R35 kiddo passport

For more information please visit our website www.wackywineweekend.com

If you happen to enjoy taking things a little slower, steadier and less crazy, but still enjoy a good crowd and a glass of vino, Robertson Wine Route has again come to your rescue with their fantastically chilled, Slow Festival taking place from the 6th to the 9th of August 2010. Its the third year in a row  that 28 Wineries and Guesthouses from Ashton, Bonnievale, McGregor and Robertson will be taking part in the festivities.

A slow living lifestyle festival with small intimate groups and is based on the concept that what is slowly made, should be slowly enjoyed. 1 on 1 tasting with our winemakers, dinners in their homes celebrating traditional family recipes with enough time for plenty of conversation. On the last day ( 9th) there will also be a big regional food market to wine down the weekend.

Price vary,and the latest programme will be posted on www.robertsonslow.com shortly, so watch this space for updates!

Fancy a picnic and a glass of wine by the river side on a warm sunny day? From the 16th to the 18th of October 2010, this festival brings that vision to life   with the open-air wine festival on the banks of the Breede River. This is a fantastic opportunity to taste more than 300 wines from 42 wineries in one of the most beautiful places in the valley. There will be live music, food stalls,children’s activities, boat trips, tutored tastings and more. The pricing and programme had unfortunately not yet been made available at this time, but visit www.wineonriver.com in the next 2 months and catch all the details of what promises to be a fun relaxing event for the entire family.

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Mar 25 2010

What are doing on the 28th of August 2010? Why visiting McGregor of course!

Category: Whats On? — bianca @ 4:10 pm

It only happens once a year and only for one day.An mere 1 1/2 hour drive from Cape Town and well worth a visit any day of the year,  in the magical village of McGregor which falls under the Breede River Valley Region, on Saturday the 28th of August 2010, you will find the exclusive annual Food and Wine Festival happening at the McGregor Country Estate. Starting from 10h30 and ending at 17h30, this one-day event showcases the fine wines of the surrounding McGregor area as well as offering delicious country fare and produce from their beautiful valley, all at a one-stop venue. This is the most intimate of all wine and food Festivals in the Western Cape and many of the wineries show some of their wines for the first time at this Festival.
Last year Lords Winery produced their first stunning Pinot Noir vintage and John Hargreaves showed his first Wolfdoring red blend under his Rusty’s Red label. This year sees some of the wineries such as Tanagra offering fantastic discounts -one day only deals -on some of their wines.  Tanagra is in the process of re-developing their winery and need the space for a new still where they plan to make a McGregor Grappa.

To quote Vanessa Clark from Wine Country writing about last years festival:

‘What a fun day out! Best effort of the Festival goes to Kingsriver for their nicely planned food and wine pairing- red kidney bean and red wine soup, lamb curry and Mzansi Shiraz 06. My highlight was the pinot noir and shiraz from Lords Winery and the team even delivered wine to my B and B the next day. And McGregor wines offer a range of easy drinking affordable wines.  It’s well worth a visit.’

From game meat to Garagiste, sushi to sauvignon blanc, pickles to pinot noir, cheese to chardonnay this delightful annual country festival will satisfy your taste buds in a casual country environment. Make a weekend of the occasion and overnight at one of the fine B&B’s, Guest Houses or self-catering establishments in historic McGregor.

Entrance Fee: R50.00 per person includes beautiful tasting glass. There is no charge for children accompanied by paying parent.

For more information regarding the festival or for accommodation, contact  John McGlashan at McGregor Tourism on 023 625 1954 or e-mail him at info@tourismmcgregor.co.za or see www.tourismmcgregor.co.za

McGREGOR COUNTRY TASTES 28TH AUGUST 2010

The magical village of McGregor is holding it’s annual Food and Wine festival on Saturday 28th August 2010 from 10h30 – 17h30.This one-day event showcases the fine wines of the surrounding McGregor area as well as offering delicious country fare and produce from our beautiful valley, all at a one-stop venue. This is the most intimate of all wine and food Festivals in the Western Cape and many of the wineries show some of their wines for the first time at this Festival. Last year Lords Winery produced their first stunning Pinot Noir vintage and John Hargreaves showed his first Wolfdoring red blend under his Rusty’s Red label. This year sees some of the wineries such as Tanagra offering fantastic discounts -one day only deals -on some of their wines. Tanagra is in the process of re-developing their winery and need the space for a new still where they plan to make a McGregor Grappa.

To quote Vanessa Clark from Wine Country writing about last years festival-

“What a fun day out! Best effort of the Festival goes to Kingsriver for their nicely planned food and wine pairing- red kidney bean and red wine soup, lamb curry and Mzansi Shiraz 06. My highlight was the pinot noir and shiraz from Lords Winery and the team even delivered wine to my B and B the next day. And McGregor wines offer a range of easy drinking affordable wines. It’s well worth a visit”

From game meat to Garagiste, sushi to sauvignon blanc, pickles to pinot noir, cheese to chardonnay this delightful annual country festival will satisfy your taste buds in a casual country environment. Make a spring weekend of the occasion and overnight at one of the fine B&B’s, Guest Houses or self-catering establishments in historic McGregor.

Entrance Fee: R50.00 per person includes beautiful tasting glass

There is no charge for children accompanied by paying parent.

For more information regarding the festival or for accommodation, contact John McGlashan at McGregor Tourism on 023 625 1954 or e-mail him at info@tourismmcgregor.co.za or see www.tourismmcgregor.co.za

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Mar 16 2010

A special last stop before dinner at Noble Hill

Category: Uncategorized — bianca @ 8:00 am

Our last stop before dinner and boy were we in luck, we reached the doors of Noble Hill at 16h30 in the evening and it was just before closing time. I was actually quite worried that we hadn’t made it in time. Luckily the exact opposite was true. We were welcomed by Kristopher ( who was not expecting us), the Director of Noble Hill and his integral knowledge of the wines, land and history ensured this was an experience Le Roux and I thoroughly enjoyed. We arrived shortly before the next scheduled pump over was due to take place and Kristopher still took time out, to give us a tasting himself .While the wines Noble Hill produces may be as noble as the hills on which this farm resides , the people are refreshingly down-to-earth.

Its quite funny because I have been following Kristopher for quite sometime on twitter now and just recently admired a sped up video they had uploaded of themselves doing a pumpover  of their Dear Leader Cabernet Sauvignon ( Click here to view the video). Quite a process by any any count, and this happens 3 times a day. I have always been one, to admire the procedures these guys go through to produce a fine wine and although I don’t enjoy warm grape juice and a tonne of residual sugar when tasting straight out of a tank at least I can appreciate the hard work, dedication and perseverance required to get the job done correctly. I like to compare the process to raising a child, which matures at a rate at least 20 times faster than an infant, but still its a laborious and if you get it right, a very rewarding process.

After being seated outside at a table at Noble Hill’s restaurant, Coshecha, we were treated to our first wine, namely the Noble Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2009. Currently 80% of the grapes used in the production of this wine are sourced from Stellenbosch with the remaining 20% sourced from the mountain vineyards, clearly visible in the last photo above and from where we were seated at the time. Its a light, particularly crisp  and well rounded wine with a long smooth finish. When tasting the wine I noted citrus, grass and tropical fruit flavours which lingered for a few moments and left me thinking , hmm not a bad wine to enjoy with friends on one of Cape Town’s  long summer days. Next  we tasted the Chardonnay 2009. At this point, Le Roux, who generally is not a big fan of white wines almost jumped for joy stating simply, ‘Wow! This wine tastes like the first white wine I ever enjoyed’ (which I remembered clearly as happening 2 years ago when I had asked him to join me on a trip to Franschoek, so you can get a sense of how rarely this happens). This is a 100% Chardonnay which obviously embraced its 6 months of lying in new french oak barrels. Loaded with light oak aromas and flinty mineral notes, subtle watermelon, apples and pears this wine teases the senses and left us excited about the next wines we would be tasting. The next wine certainly was a winner, the Noble Hill Merlot 06 has won a Double gold Veritas award and  was named Terrior’s best of Paarl in 2005. Its bright red colour pays tribute to the fact that it was fermented dry, on the skins and then spent 12 months in 30 % new medium toast french oak barrels. Its a full bodied wine that leaves other Merlot’s running to catch up, with notes of smoke, leather, plums and and berry flavours on the palette. As I mentioned I am a big Cabernet Sauvignon fan and this wines well rounded finish and soft tannins is a good competitor for whats normally my first choice. On the subject of Cabernet Sauvignon, the next wine up was the Noble Hill Cab 2005. Made in exactly the same method they used to produce the Merlot, this cab is not shy. Deep in colour, big in flavour with blackberries, dark chocolate and spicey oak dominating the nose and palette, this wine will compliment any rich red meat meal. Bring on the dinner parties and a glass or two of this Cabernet Sauvignon any time. The last two wines we tasted were blends, the Shiraz/Mourvedre 2006 and the 1674 Signature Blend 2005.  The Shiraz/Mouvdre blend is a mix of 90% Shiraz and 10% Mourvedre, it to was fermented dry on the skins but spent 14 months in 30% new french barrels.Dark and intense, meaty yet spicy, its a full bodied and well balanced wine ready to enchant both the serious connoisseur and the casual wine drinker alike. The last wine we tasted for the day as the sun started to move rapidly towards the horizon, was the previously mentioned Noble Hill 1674 Signature blend 2005. The wines used in its production includes 50% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Petit Verdot, also considered a Bordeaux style blend . Its another biggie, bold yet elegant and well rounded with its obvious chocolate and blueberry flavours floating around on your palette. give it a go and tell us what you think of the above mentioned wines.

It was actually midway through this tasting that we became somewhat intrigued by  the labels on the bottles from which our wine kept being poured. Each bottle seemed to have a different key to it and then out of the blue we noticed that the blends had as many keys as varietals. As Kristopher explained, ‘Each key is representative of the character of the varietal it represents’. Its quite an interesting concept and it works. Even if you know absolutely nothing about wine, the key will tell you a bit more about the complexity of the wines. Click on the 3rd picture below to see what I am talking about. It was then time for the pump over I mentioned earlier. We were treated to watching this process and believe you me it is quite a process. I tasted some of the wine they were busy with and even as a raw fermenting juice one could taste that when its done, it is going to be special.

We thanked Kristopher for the lovely adventure. Noble Hill has a lot to offer and if you happen to be there on a day Kristopher is around  you are in for a treat. At this point we at last headed back to our guest house still at odds with where we should go for dinner, but that is an entirely new article..

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Mar 15 2010

Backsberg Estate Cellars, the experience..

Category: Uncategorized — bianca @ 3:36 pm

After Glen Carlou, Backsberg brought us rushing back to a new kind of reality. A relaxed and very laid back atmosphere awaited.  This estate has a philosophy you dont hear often these days, simply ‘ to provide pleasure and enjoyment to a broad range of wine lovers, by producing wines not only with structure and finesse, but with a high level of “drink-ability”. Sounds like they know what they want and how they want people to enjoy the wine they produce, judging success on whether or not we as consumers find it easy to drink their wines and they certainly live up to this goal.

On arrival we were first greeted by Taryne, who introduced us to their range of wines available for tasting and with prices starting from as little as R 31.00 for a bottle we were pleasantly surprised by the selection available. They have 6 ranges to choose from and you can taste any of them unless they are sold out. This includes their Fun and fruity range sparkling wines, white wines and rose’s. Then there is the ‘getting serious’ range, which includes a wooded chardonnay, Pinotage, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Other ranges included ‘The Mediterranean range’, ‘Top of the Range’ a ‘Kosher range’( yes, kosher wines, can you believe it?), organic range and a range of fortified wines and brandies.

With so much to choose from we decided to stick to the red wines and at this point we were introduced to Danwin, who cheerily and excitedly took us through the tasting of the wines we chose. Namely the Backsberg Merlot 2007 ( from the ‘Getting serious range’) , the Klein Babylonstoren 2005  and the Pumphouse Shiraz ( both from ‘The Top of the Range’). The Merlot 2007 was certainly an easy drinker and new world style wine which can probably keep going for another 5 to 7 years in the bottle before jumping over the hill.

the Klein Babylonstoren 05, which is the states flagship wine and with this particular vintage having won a diamond award at  Winemakers Choice 2009 , a  silverVeritas award in 2007  and a Silver Concours Mondial de Bruxelles award in 2009 , one can easily understand why. Its a blend of 50% cabernet sauvignon and 50% merlot. Rich yet structured for cellaring over the next ten years and at available at the tasting room for only R91.00 per bottle could you afford to say no?

The wine that followed this was the Pumphouse Shiraz and Danwin took it upon himself to show us a very interesting thing that has happened with this particular wine over the last few years. He poured us 3 tastings each, all of them the exact same wine, just different vintages. Now this was a very interesting experiment/comparative tasting and 1 I hadn’t done in a good 3 years. We had the 2003 ( 14.5% alc.) Pumphouse shiraz, the 2005 ( 15% alc.) and the 2007 ( 14%).  2003, In case you are not aware of it, was a brilliant year for South Africa’s wine industry and the vintage is still in high demand from those who used the crops wisely. The 2003 felt tasted like, as they say in Afrikaans and for lack of better words to describe it  ‘n engel het op my tong gepipi’,well rounded, explosions of all the right flavours well balanced and with a smooth long finish. Now we have to keep in mind that all three of these vintages were made in the same style, from the same vineyards, in the same method. That all three should have been similar to the other. They weren’t, infact quite the opposite. The 05 vintage due to the higher alcohol content will need at least another 7 to 10 years to round out and the 07 a few less as it is already quite drinkable. Strangely the 03 can probably go for another 5 to 10 years.

The last surprise we got from the ever enthusiastic Danwin was when he produced with much pride and joy a bottle of Backsberg’s 1984 Cabernet Sauvignon. It had been opened on the 11th of April 2009 and enjoyed thoroughly by its consumers. So much so had they enjoyed this wine that they sent the empty bottle including a note back to Backsberg. One can only say wow, easy drinkers with great aging potential if cared for properly and to think they are so well priced. I mean to be honest there have been a number of wines that dint have half the potential of these wines which have cost me more than double the price to buy. Oh well, you wine some , you drink some..

Backsberg offers more than just wine and a laid back experience though. They also have a wonderful restaurant which is open 7 days a week from 10h00 to 16h00, cater for large functions and weddings, are child friendly, have a wine club and even an on site glassblower. Come join in the fun with Backsberg Estate Cellars and please do plan on a longer trip than we had ( we arrived only 45 minutes before closing and wished we could have stayed longer).

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Mar 15 2010

Next stop….Glen Carlou wine estate,Paarl

Category: Uncategorized — bianca @ 1:17 pm

Glen Carlou, when visiting this prestigious estate one has to wonder at the simple luxury of this place. Here, panoramic views in every direction surround you, friendly faces welcome you, a contemporary art gallery and world class fine wines await you. The farm is currently owned by the Hess Family  and although quite young having only being established in 1985, the estate has flourished to now produce some of South Africa’s top wines. I suppose when you have a Swiss based family that owns six new world estates, scattered across 4 continents ( Artezine wines in Napa and California,  Sequana Wines in Russian River and California; Glen Carlou Vineyards in the Paarl and the Bodega Colomé in Argentina as well as the major share in Peter Lehmann Wines, Australia) one should expect the very best quality world class service and produce. Besides the achievement of reaching its goal to produce premium quality wines, the Hess Family also lays claim to one of the largest privately owned contemporary art collections in the world, which can be viewed at the Glen Carlou Estate ( unfortunately no pictures are allowed inside the gallery, but if you enjoy contemporary art, Glen Carlou is worth a visit if only to view the collection).

I had actually been anticipating the visit to this estate for sometime as I had met Georgie at last years ‘Wine and Tourism Conference’ and was very happy to bump into her on reaching the tasting room. This place is stunning, I am still now recovering from the awe I felt here. Johanine, a very friendly young lady studying marketing and PR in Stellenbosch was the one who took us through the tasting though as Georgie ran here and there assisting other visitors outside on the balcony. So Johanine started off offering us a tasting of 13 wines, by this point though we had already tasted quite a few more than 13 at the previous estates we had visited ( Landskroon, Anura and Fairview) and felt we may be better off tasting only 5 instead. The wines we tasted were the Glen Carlou Quartz Stone Chardonnay 2008,  Pinot Noir 2009,  Syrah 2006, Zinfadel 2007 and the Gravel Quarry Cabernet Sauvignon 2007.

Starting with the Quartz Stone Chardonnay 2008, Johanine insisted we try it together with the Chardonnay 2008 for a little comparison. The differences were obvious from the get go. Although both were produced in 2008, 95% of the chardonnay 08 spent 10 months in new french oak and 5% in new American oak barrels, whilst 100% of the Quarterstone Chardonnay  (which is also a single vineyard wine and rated 4 1/2 stars in the platter) spent 11 months in new french oak barrels. The difference was striking. Both will age well, and are excellent examples of the varietal, to a point where I was was unable to  the say which was better. The Quarterstone was full bodied, with flavours of grape fruit ,lime and mineral undertones. Well rounded with a full mouth feel and a long finish, this wine would compliment any meal on a hot summers day. With the Chardonnay 08, though still full bodied was lighter and more of a drinking wine, flavours of apple and citrus floated around in my mouth and the crisp clean finish left me wanting more.

After much chatter over which was better and finding no conclusion we moved onto the reds. The first of which is quite interesting, it is rare to find a good Pinot Noir as it is such a finicky and difficult grape to grow. Yet at Glen Carlou this wine has been produced since 1988. We were well impressed as we savored this wines well rounded chocolate, strawberry and mulberry flavours on our palettes and I, who has always loved a good Pinot Noir, noted the rich elegance of this wine and was fully impressed.

Next up was the Zinfandel 2007, another rarely well produced wine varietal. In fact even here this is the case, with special treatment required in the vineyard to ensure better flavour ( cutting back the bunches before ripening etc) and only 10, 225litre barrels of this wine were produced.With a higher alcohol content than most wines(15%), Glen Carlou has managed and produced this one, well. Its light and yet still full bodied, rich and fruity with hints of spiciness. A true rare gem. The syrah 2006 which followed was as much as a treat as the previous two wines.The 2004 vintage of this wine, which is now all sold out, was the John Platters wine of the year and this version although two years older and cropped through a very difficult year also shows amazing qualities. 94% Shiraz, 4 % Mourvedre and 1% Viognier, its a very powerful wine. Like the Zinfadel crop, half of the Syrah crop is dropped during the growing season before ripening to improve the intensity of its flavours, which it achieves well. Spice, dark berries and pepper rule this wine and it is certainly the embodiment of the classic definition of the varietal. We swiftly moved on again to what we anticipated as being our last wine tasted at Glen Carlou for the day, the Gravel Quarry Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. This wine spent 18 months in New french oak barrels and the flavours of black berries and spicy oak pay tribute to this. Dark in colour, rich in texture and still well rounded, I truly enjoyed tasting this Cabernet ( Cabernet Sauvignon is  my favorite varietal) and this particular example can age for up to 15 years if cared for properly it makes for a great investment wine.

At this point we thought we had come to the end of our Glen Carlou experience when Johanine eagerly convinced us to try one more. Now I am not a big fan of sweet wines, however over the years I must admit to having enjoyed a few special cases. She  showed us ‘The Welder’ natural sweet 2008. A gold Michealangalo award winner, I was not going to miss out. Produced from 100% chenin blanc this wine will keep well until around 2019 and tastes of peaches, apricots and lemon drops. for someone who normally cannot handle drinking a lot of sweet wine, I found it, not only quite pleasant and light on the palette but mostly refreshing and that is saying alot.

I was sad to say goodbye Glen Carlou, but before we knew it we were running out of time and had to be off on our next adventure. Thanks again to both Georgie and Johanine for the wonderful time. We will visit again soon.

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Mar 15 2010

A fair view from Fairview

Category: Uncategorized — bianca @ 10:05 am

Welcome to Fairview, one of the biggest oldest and most family friendly estates we visited through the course of our day in Paarl. Our stop at Fairview was not originally part of our trip plan, but as I mentioned in ‘The road to Paarl’ it just so happened that while we were sitting in traffic for over an hour, they had tweeted an invite to all to join them for lunch and I couldn’t help taking them up on that offer.

If you are looking to take the family out on a trip to Paarl, this is definitely a stop worth making. One of their wine ranges ‘The Goats do Roam’, captures the spirit of this estate perfectly and considering I felt a little like a goat on a journey of discovery on this particular day, it was perhaps fitting that we stopped here.

Situated right next door to our first stop Landskroon, this farm is also steeped in history dating back to 1699 and has been bottling wine under the Fairview label since 1974. Their innovative approach to winemaking and marketing has seen them go from strength to strength under the watchful eye of Charles Back, who is currently the proud owner of the farm.

We arrived at the Goatshed restaurant as arranged at 13h30 and I must admit that through the rest of our trip we did not encounter a busier bustling estate. It was busy and yet, still well managed. Just when we were thinking maybe they forgot about us, the manager appeared from her seemly endless seating of the row of people at the front door to show us to our outside table for two.

Once seated I couldn’t help noticing a few things, Fairview produces its own goats milk cheeses, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and fresh breads. Then there is the menu on offer. The foods are delicious, well priced and the choices available, abundant. As we had had our hearts set on a large dinner we decided to opt for two lighter meals. I chose the warm stir fried springbok  and Le Roux fell in love with the thought of chicken pie. Even which what seemed to be over 200 people in this restaurant, the service was spectacular, quick, efficient and delivered with a smile and a few jokes to lighten the mood. We indulged our senses enjoying the buzz of the place thoroughly.

When we we had thoroughly enjoyed our lunch we set out to the tasting rooms. Let me tell you this is a sight to behold! Practically one of the biggest tasting rooms I have ever visited ( and I have visited many). Besides being extremely large and welcoming the entire place is practically adorned, ceiling to floor, in accolades and certificates showing why this estate needs such a large tasting room and happened to be the busiest place we visited the entire day. People were everywhere tasting wines, not only in the tasting rooms itself but here you can go and taste the wines straight from the tanks which reside to the right of the tasting room. Fairview really works on creating a unique experience for every visitor and if you don’t mind the bustle you and your family should defiantly stop by for a visit.

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Mar 14 2010

Anura Vineyards.. a New experience

Category: Uncategorized — bianca @ 10:50 pm

After visiting Landskroon, our next stop on our journey through Paarl took us to Anura Vineyards, only about a 12 minute drive away and yet a completely different experience awaited us down the road ahead.

I am almost certain the sign saying ‘Dead slow, keep well left, Give way to tractors’ is tribute to not only the jovial spirit of Anura but the fact that this is one of those estates you could stay at all day, having an absolute blast and really might need reminding to drive slowly, keep to the left ( I am sure I covered this when completing my driving license a few years ago, and that well you might be lucky enough to spot a tractor trundling lazily down these well manicured roads.

The views here are truly breathtaking, the majestic mountains towering overhead certainly brought me down to earth in a jiffy. As we walked up to this tasting room I sensed a friendliness in air, then again it could have been the friendly looking weather-vane aka frog on the roof beckoning and welcoming us closer with every step.

As we got to the door my deepest suspicions were confirmed, we had entered what can only be described as an extremely happy-go-lucky , friendly environment that made me want to stay for as long as possible.  At the desk we were greeted by our lovely hostess, Linda. A more enthusiastic and welcoming guide through the tasting we were about to embark on could not have been asked for. Even with a large group of 20 people entering the room just after us, she still found the time to make this an experience I will personally be going back for perhaps more than just once.

This was not just a wine tasting either, it was a full cheese and wine tasting. We sat next to the coziest fireplace ( although fire wasn’t necessary to make it feel that way) and lounged out on the comfortable leather couches. Linda seated us and gave us a copy of the wines to choose from. Then before we had even had much chance to think about it properly,  she was back in a flash with the most divine platter of cheeses from the Forest Hill Cheesery, biscuits and home made jam. Her description of these was enough to make anyone’s mouth water, and mine was no different. She then covered the tasting options again and we chose the Anura limited release Charonnay 2008, the Barrel selection Viognier, Anura Rosé 2009, Merlot Reserve 2005,Petit Verdot 2007 and Syrah/Mouvedre reserve. It was a line up that took our breath away as we savored every precious drop of these gorgeous wines. Can you believe it, tasting just these 6 wines took us over an hour? I am quite serious, over an hour! On taking a closer look at the pricing we got quite the shock, their wines are amazingly reasonably priced with their Sauvignon Blanc 2009 vintage starting at R40 per bottle and going up to the most expensive , only R180 per bottle for their elegantly  hand crafted  Pinot Noir and Charonnay based MCC Brut which spent 18 months on the lees to develop.

Considering Anura’s seriousness about making well priced, accessible and elegant, complex quality  wines  whilst receiving hundreds of accolades from pretty much every big wine competition host in South Africa, Anura’s atmosphere remains jubilant, forward thinking and relaxed.  Besides all these amazing features, Anura also boasts the Lily Pad restaurant and it honestly feels a bit like a  home away from home, farm style decor and the wide selection of delicious cape cuisine appeals to a wide variety of tastes. They are also able to accommodate large functions and I would recommend visiting this estate any day. You will be back for more, I know I will..

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Mar 14 2010

A visit to Landskoon Wine Estate in Paarl

Category: Uncategorized — bianca @ 9:51 pm

The first stop on our journey through Paarl this last weekend was Landskroon (they close at 1pm on Saturdays so we wanted to get there early) and I must admit that after  almost 2 hours of traffic I was ecstatic to reach Landskroon’s front gate. Picturesque and nestled in the hills this estate has serious history. Established in 1689 on the South West hills of Paarl, I couldn’t help being enchanted by the incredible history this estate lays claim to.

I don’t know about you but I tend to have a great appreciation for architecture and at Landskroon they have honored their Cape Dutch heritage by maintaining the design and style of the buildings that could have first been seen on the farm over 300 years ago. As I soaked in our surroundings I felt as though for a moment, I could imagine the amazing views in all directions without the tar roads or buildings, vehicles and open plains in every direction, the world of yesteryear. A fitting start to our tour, I felt.

Today Landskroon comprises of about 300 hectares of prime property and is run and owned privately by the families of both Paul and Hugo de Villiers. Their current winemaker, Paul de Villiers is the 5th generation of his family to carry on the wine-making tradition, and that lineage certainly has earned them the right to boast their accolades, awards and praises of many.

As I walked into the tasting room, I immediately sensed the pride and value Landskroon’s owners place on the history of their estate. The walls are adorned with photos of family receiving accolades and awards in years gone by and the wines are displayed simply yet effectively.The wines Landskroon produces are also very well priced and wide ranging with whites, reds and fortified wines to choose from.Yet my personal favorite must be the Paul De Villiers Reserve, 50% Shiraz, 34% Merlot, 10% Touriga Nacional and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon it makes for an interesting, balanced and full-bodied wine. Which are your favorite Landskroon wines? Visit Landskroon’s Profile on WineMe.co.za to find out more by clicking here.

Before we knew it though, our time with Landskroon was up and we were on the move, once again, next stop, Anura.

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Mar 14 2010

The road to Paarl…

Category: Uncategorized — bianca @ 4:01 pm

This last weekend, we decided on a very last minute note that we should plan a wine tasting tour in Paarl. I was in a mood for an adventure and when the notion struck, it blew me over. I immediately logged onto WineMe.co.za via Face Book Connect and started planning our trip. I used the  ‘detailed’ search function, looking for the estates open on Saturdays and Sundays. Dragged the estates we wanted to visit into my planning bar. I Shuffled them around until I was happy with the plan and added our home address as a starting point. I shared this with Leroux via Facebook and he approved wholeheartedly  with the plan of action. We downloaded this to GPS, and that was the easiest part of the planning, done. Finding accommodation on short notice and packing bags I actually found slightly more tedious.

We awoke on Saturday morning in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town to find it was raining outside and seemed simply miserable. I almost felt hindered by this but felt for sure that there would a clear sky at the end of the rainbow, which for today, we would call Paarl.

We seemed to be running on schedule leaving the house at 09h30am, with the planner stating it would  a 49 minute journey to our first stop. Unfortunately this plan did not seem to take into account the possibility of our encountering not only 1 but 2 sets on road works along the way and as we went I tweeted the journey,  to let others know to avoid the M5/N1 turnoff and the 30/45 minute delay on N1 itself.While this was all going on I noticed a tweet from Fairview Wine Estate inviting all to pop in for lunch. Since we had not yet determined where exactly we would like to have lunch I responded and booked a table for two. It was at this point that the road opened up and I saw the blue skies of Paarl beckoning me in the distance. My heart soared. We were not only escaping the miserable weather but we were going on a voyage of discovery.

We eventually arrived in Paarl an hour later than intended. Luckily the rest of our trip went smoothly and so intense was the journey to 7 wine estates  ( Landskroon Wine Estate, Anura Vineyards,Fairview Wine Estate, Glen Carlou , BacksBerg Wine Estate, Noble Hill Wine Estate and Laborie Cellars)  in the day that followed that I wish I could have filmed the entire expedition to share with you, instead I will dedicate an entire post to each and every one of these unique and wondrous  experiences and hope you will follow in our footsteps to the doors, friendly faces and fine wines that welcomed us throughout the day.

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Mar 14 2010

WineMe goes Live!

Category: Uncategorized — bianca @ 11:03 am

Two weeks ago, Wineme.co.za launched from Beta and we are proud to note that with already over 4000 visitors, the response to our launch has been nothing but phenomenal. WineMe.co.za is a website that allows users to easily plan wine tasting trips through South Africa, download trip plans, share trip plans with friends, rate and comment on experiences  and wines, and grow to love and share our wine, our beautiful country and the amazing experiences it has to offer .

Come with us, for an unforgettable wine tasting experience.

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