South African Wines Part Ten: Holiday Weekend in Cape Town

picnic at Boschendal

A four-day holiday weekend in Cape Town for Heritage Day gave us another opportunity for some serious wine tasting and touring in the Cape Winelands - mostly Stellenbosch with a few strategic stops in Franschhoek, Somerset West and Constantia.

And since we were in a holiday mood, we decided to plan ahead for some other upcoming holidays. Friendsgiving is right around the corner and we will need to bring back some wine for our family Christmas dinner in Colorado.

Jordan

In Stellenbosch:

Jordan: Cobblers & Chameleons

Kathy and Gary Jordan descend from the Jordan Shoe family, a fixture in South Africa since 1877. And their aptly named Cobblers Hill is a homage to their footwear heritage. It is also the ultimate expression of the Jordan terroir!

Jordan also produces a range of wines whose profits support a PhD bursary for researchers studying the Cape dwarf chameleon, a native species commonly found on the wine estate. We tasted a 2012 Chameleon Merlot that contains no added sulphur. For anyone with a sulphur allergy who likes red wine ( and chameleons!), this is probably a godsend.

We bought two of the Bordeaux blend Cobblers Hill 2012, two of the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, a product of the oldest vines on the property and two of The Real McCoy Riesling 2015, the only 100% Reisling grape wine produced in South Africa.

De Morgenzon

De Morgenzon: Maestros & Wildebeests

Right next door to Jordan is De Morgenzon. Entering the hunting lodge-turned-tasting room was more like walking into a concert hall. The sound of music echoed off the vineyard-covered slopes to the valley below. We bought two each of the beautifully orchestrated DMZ Maestro 2013, a bold blend of five varietals and the 2013 DMZ Syrah

"The Chinese Girl"@ Delaire Graff

Delaire Graff: Diamonds & Tretchikoff

Delaire Graff has some serious pedigree and I do not know why it took three years for us to get here. Founded 30+ years ago by SA's dynamic wine duo John and Erica Platter, it was bought by SA's diamond king Laurence Graff about ten years ago. A Relais & Chateaux property, it is the jewel of the Cape Winelands! We bought two of their creamy and butter-y 2014 Chardonnay, two of their cinnamon-y 2015 Coastal Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc and two of their pepper-y 2014 Shiraz.

They also have quite an art collection. We were greeted at the door by Tretchikoff's "The Chinese Girl!"

We love Relais & Chateaux

yes, that Graff

vineyards and birds-of-paradise

Pinotage @ Hidden Valley

Hidden Valley: Valley Views & Pinotage

By this time we had picked up a wide variety of wines to drink for the upcoming holidays and we started to concentrate on filling in the gaps. We needed some Pinotage! So we dropped into Hidden Valley to taste and buy three bottles of their highly regarded 2013 Pinotage.

Port at Muratie

Muratie: Pedigree & Port

And some Port would be nice for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. For that, we visited Muratie. The Melck family have been making wine at Muratie since 1699! And the Muratie Cape Vintage Port is produced from a single vineyard planted in 1965. Not a bad pedigree either!

Their Ports seamlessly integrate alcohol, fruit and acidity into a delicious bundle of flavor. We purchased two bottles of their Ben Prins Cape Vintage 2011 which will go oh so well with some Christmas Stilton. (I am stopping in London on the way back to the USA for Christmas. Make a note: pick up some Stilton!)

And in Franschhoek:

Bean bags, baskets and blankets on the lawn @ Boschendal

Boschendal: Picnic & Friends

We passed on the fine restaurants at Jordan and Delaire Graff to join some friends for a picnic at Boschendal. Their Olive Press restaurant provided sumptuous baskets filled with cheese, charcuterie, salads, pates and tapenades. Delicious bread, some Boschendal Rose and Chardonnay, and some lively conversation. A perfect picnic!

fresh strawberries from Zetler's Berry Farm

For dessert, vanilla pots de creme made with fresh strawberries. It's strawberry picking time in the Cape Winelands!

La Motte

La Motte: Pierneef 

Honestly, we mainly went to La Motte to visit their museum ...





 









...  filled with original works of art by acclaimed South African artist Jacob Hendrik Pierneef. But we tasted too of course! FYI: La Motte even has a Pierneef Collection of premium wines named in honor of the artist. Tasting Pierneef in a room filled with his art? Priceless!

In Somerset West:

conservation at Waterkloof

Waterkloof: Biodiversity & Organic Wine Farming

Waterkloof is committed to conservation ... and wine! And at Waterkloof, they can go hand in hand.

Situated in the Cape Floral Region, Waterkloof has set aside 50% of their farm for conservation of the unique fynbos habitat. And the other 50% is set aside for biodynamic wine farming. Some of the strategies they implement include drip irrigation and biological pest control, mulching, clearing invasive and re-establishing native vegetation, maintaining flocks of chickens for for pest control and compost (and fresh eggs for their kitchen!), herds of cows for compost tea, flocks of Dorper sheep for weed control and Nitrogen replenishment, and developing an earthworm farms to replenish the soil on the farm and occasionally in the vineyards.

And there wine reflects their sense of place and commitment to the earth that nurtures it. We particularly like the infinitely drinkable Waterkloof Circle of Life Red - a blend of Merlot, Shiraz, and a tiny dollop of three other red varietals - and the Circle of Life White, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Semillon..












And finally, in Constantia:

 Groot Constantia: Celebrations!

Christmas dinner is going to be huge! Along with real family (my sons, my sister and her family, hopefully my brother and his family), we will probably be spending Christmas Eve with our adopted family - Charley and  Mary Lou and Ric. This calls for some serious celebratory wines. For that, we went to Groot Constantia to pick up a couple of bottles of their top 100 award-winning vintage 2012 Grand Constance and a few bottles of their birthday commemorative 2014 Reserve Red.

God bless us, everyone!

rosemary (hedges) and Darlene

South African Wines Part Nine: Spotlight on two Boutique Wineries

Eagles' Nest

I didn't have a lot of time in Cape Town to do any real widespread wine-tasting so I chose instead to concentrate on two small boutique wineries. Eagles' Nest in Constantia and Altydgedacht in Durbanville.

I had overlooked Eagle's Nest in the past in favor of the more famous Groot and Klein Constantia estates, Steenberg and Constantia Uitsig. That was a mistake; it shouldn't be missed!

High up on a sunny northern-facing hill above the Constantia Valley, the wines are grown on some of steepest vineyards in South Africa and as a result, have a distinct character all their own. Fruitier and spicier, Eagles' Nest creates their fair share of award-winning wines. Their Viognier is notable and often sold out and their Sauvignon Blanc shows classical aromas of  melons, pineapples and guava with hints of green peppers. One review I read said that in some vintages, it is like burying your nose in a big green pepper!

I tasted seven wines at Eagles' Nest. The Sauvignon Blanc, the Viognier, their Little Eagle label Rose and Little Eagle Red, a Merlot and a Shiraz.

The 2010 Merlot and the 2012 Shiraz in particular seemed to benefit from the mountainous cool climate. Violets and dark berries, velvety tannins. I bought two of each.

I also bought two of the 2013 Little Eagle Reds. Not only is it enjoyable to drink but 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the wines under the Little Eagle label are donated to an eagle conservation trust called the Western Cape Raptor Research Program. 100%.

I had read about Altydgedacht in a wine blog I follow. There are over 600 wineries in the Western Cape and I have no hope of visiting them all before my time in South Africa is up. But when an interesting one comes on the radar, I make a note. The blogger, Christine Andrews, named Altydgrdacht one of her "Top Ten Wineries in the Western Cape."

Altydgedacht was originally named Tygerberg and was granted by Governor Simon van der Stel in 1698. It was one of the early wheat, wine and stock farms established in the days of the Dutch East India Company, to supply their ships sailing to the East.

Altydgedacht, Afrikaans for "Always on my mind," has been owned by the Parker family since 1852 and is presently farmed by 5th generation brothers, John and Ollo. In particular, their great-great-grandfather Robert Parker, nicknamed "The Builder", is credited with creating the noted wine estate you see today.

Once again seven wines for a tasting, but this time I got to choose from ten different varieties and blends. I really liked both the 2014 Weisser Reisling and the Gemurztraminer that I tasted. On the drier side, they were extremely pleasant to drink and I might have bought a few bottles on the spot if it weren't for the fact that we are long on whites back at Valley Lodge. Instead, I picked up and marked up an order form for future shipping.

I did however pick up a few of their Robert Parker Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (2012) and Merlot (2013) for Vince to taste. We can theoretically buy all of Altydgedacht's wine offerings at Makro and Bootleggers back in Joburg (if they are not sold out first), but the Robert Parker Reserve wines are only available from the estate itself. I wanted Vince to taste them because I have a feeling we will be ordering more of those shipped as well.

huge roses too!

Altydgedacht is also the pioneering producer of Barbera in South Africa, having introduced the variety here. Their Barbera is sold in magnums which I certainly didn't want to hand carry back to Joburg. More shipping!

The restaurant Eat@Altydgedacht was open for lunch and I was hungry when I was there. So ...

The butternut soup was excellent and they offer a wide range of home-cooked pot pies and a 'Barbera burger' along with some tempting home-made puddings.

South African Wines Part Eight: Robertson

The opportunity to participate in a Hands on Harvest brought us out from Cape Town to the Robertson Wine Valley for some bonus tastings. Robertson is a little further out than our usual haunts in the Cape Winelands. About two hours from Cape Town, it is about halfway to the Garden Route.

First stop, Graham Beck, home to fine Methode Cap Classique (MCC), fine Sauvignon Blanc and fine red blends. Graham Beck is a legend in South Africa and his vast farm, Madeba with its steel, glass and corrugated iron winery building on Route 62 is like a monument to his elevated stature in South Africa.

Graham Beck Winery

A former mining and horse-breeding magnate, Beck is driven by bubbles. The bubbles of MCC. We bought three of his 2012 Cuvee Clive untasted (it is not available for tasting).  

And we also bought three of the Ad Honorem (again not available for tasting.) Out of the wines we did taste, we especially liked The Ridge Syrah and bought a couple of those as well.

According to John and Erica Platter's Africa Uncorked, The Ridge is a single vineyard wine from a block rooted in red limestone and had recently been picked by Decanter magazine as one of the top Shirazes in its price bracket. A Shiraz predicted to become Graham Beck's super-premium label

Robertson itself is not an especially pretty town but it does have its quaint spots. It is mainly home to the mega-powerhouse 10-million litre Robertson Winery with its 43 owners. And next door to Robertson Winery is the Klipdrift Distillery, which makes one of South Africa's best-loved brandies.

cool herald weathervane

Fraai Uitzicht

We tried weeks before coming to Robertson to get a reservation for dinner at the wine estate Fraai Uitzicht but it was completely full with guests who were staying on the estate. We drove over anyway to check to see if there were any last minute cancellations, but no luck.

I did have a back up reservation at the Robertson Small Hotel though. Change that forecast to good luck!

Their in-house restaurant Reuben's was fabulous. A hidden jewel in Robertson. Not really all that hidden actually, but their sophisticated menu featuring upmarket bistro offerings seemed better suited to us than the local farm fare at Fraai Uitzicht. Maybe next time.

We wanted to "drink local" and left it to the sommelier to chose two selections from the Robertson Wine Valley. He chose Springfield Estate's the Work of Time (2008) for dinner and for dessert, the 2012 White Muscadel Weltevrede Ouma se Wyn.

Vince loved them both so much that we stopped to pick more up at the Robertson Wine Shop on our way out of town to take home with us to Joburg!

beautiful gardens at the Robertson Small Hotel

We spent the following day at the Excelsior Wine Estate in nearby Ashton for a Hands On Harvest and of course we tasted some wine there too. This visit was a mere toe dip in the Robertson and Worcester pool. We will be back!

South African Wines Part Seven: Old and New

Autumn bounty at Babylonstoren

Wine was BIG on the itinerary for my sister's visit to South Africa. We visited a variety of wine estates over the course of her stay in Cape Town. Some were ones Vince and I had sampled before and others were new ones even for us.

We visited Groot Constantia on Tuesday ... primarily in order to buy some Vin de Constance for my sister to bring back to the USA as a present for her friend Charlie. But after our tasting, we decided to buy a few bottles of their award-winning 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, their 2013 Merlot and their 2014 Sauvignon Blanc too for the apartment.

hanging gardens of Babylon

On Wednesday, we drove out to Stellenbosch and Franschhoek for a full day of tastings. I had to take her first to see Babylonstoren in Franschhoek. There is simply nothing else like it. It is early autumn now in the Cape Winelands and Babylonstoren was lush with its full harvest. Eden revisited.

We bought a few bottles of their 2012 Nebukadnesar and their 2013 Chardonnay to drink and I ordered a case of their Chenin and their Rose which will be released in April to be shipped to Joburg.

taking a break from wine tasting on the chamomile lawn

Mont Rochelle

While in Franschhoek we stopped in at Mont Rochelle, Sir Richard Branson's newly refurbished South African Hotel and Vineyard. Purchased by Sir Richard in 2014, Mont Rochelle already had a noble history. Established in the 1600's, wine has been produced on the property since 1940.

We did a tasting of course of wine produced pre-Sir Richard. A 2008 Mont Rochelle Artemis, 2007 Merlot, 2008 Syrah and their 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. We purchased a few bottles of the Cab but we will be back for more on another day!

In Stellenbosch we stopped in at Tokara. Tokara looks very different from the previous estates we visited that morning. Its winery is all raw stone, stainless steel and glass. Unflinchingly modern, the buildings still manage to blend seamlessly with its setting. It looks like an art gallery and in fact, it is. Paintings and drawings were exhibited inside and the slopes provided space for a sculpture garden.

Like I said, it is early autumn and that means one thing in the wine country. Harvest time!

It is really the best time to visit any wine region. The areas come alive with the promise of another vintage. (More about that later though!)

Next stop, Spier with its equally historic manor house and offering an eagle encounter and a fine craft market. Finally we ended our day in the Durbanville region at De Grendel for one last tasting before dinner.

the manor house at Vergelegen

On Friday after our spa treatments, we stopped at a final wine estate, Vergelegen. It was literally right across the street from the spa. I wanted to see their gardens in full summer bloom, let Cheryl see the magnificent manor house and buy another six bottles of their delicious Semillon Straw dessert wines to be shipped back to Joburg.

Whew! I believe it was at Spier that my sister uttered the words I had never thought I would hear her say. "I can't taste any more wine!"  To which I replied, "Tomorrow's another day."

South African Wines Part Six: Wine for Friendsgiving

tom turkey at Babylonstoren

We had plenty of red wine on hand for the upcoming Friendsgiving we are hosting at Valley Lodge. But we were sadly low on whites so we took the opportunity of being in Cape Town for the Volvo Ocean Race to pay a visit to some local wineries and purchase a few bottles.

First stop, Franschhoek and the magnificent Babylonstoren estate. There are two ways to sample the wine at Babylonstoren.



The first is the traditional tasting room. Five wines are offered but I knew what I wanted - their signature white Chardonnay. So I just cut to the chase and purchased four of the 2012 vintage. But I did taste their signature red, the Babylonstoren Shiraz, with lunch. Not on my list to purchase but I do like Shiraz with turkey so why not? I bought a couple of bottles of the Shiraz as well.

The second way to taste wine at Babylonstoren is along with a delicious farm to fork meal at their popular restaurant Babel. 

truly farm to fork

Along with lunch, I had a glass of their signature Shiraz. Hints of scrub and spice made it the perfect accompaniment for my salmon and fruit salad with vygie or native sour fig dressing.

Closer to Cape Town in nearby Constantia, we visited Steenberg Vineyards. A few times. We dined at two of Steenberg's excellent restaurants, Bistro sixteen82 for tapas and the elegant Catherina's for a more traditional meal. Dinner at both were excellent and their winemaker JD Pretorius was just awarded the Signature Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year.

We drank a bottle of the Steenberg sparkling Sauvignon Blanc along with our oysters at Bistro sixteen82 and purchased some more at the adjacent tasting room to bring back for our friends for Friendsgiving.

We had to take photographs of the other wines we drank at Catherina's because they were not produced and therefore not sold at Steenberg. We want to remember them for our next gathering visit in the Cape Winelands. The 2011 Eikendal Classique from Stellenbosch and two wonderful dessert wines, a Muscadel from Graham Beck and a Muscat de Frontignan from Vondeling.

Luckily we still have a bottle of the Vin de Constance which we will be serving at Friendsgiving this year!

And speaking of dessert, one last stop for the Shiraz Port from Kloovenburg in the Shiraz Valley near Riebeek-Kasteel.

This part of Swartland is also known for its olive production so along with some of the 2008 Kloovenburg Cape Vintage Shiraz Port I bought for Friendsgiving, I picked up some dried olives for the accompanying salads and garnishes.

Happy Friendsgiving!