What follows in the coming reports and pictures is exactly what is includes in my previous blog http://wineworld.spaces.live.com/
The idea of bringing the reports to new space is mainly to keep the information in only one place.
I have not done any changes to the original posts, because I believe that every experience has its particular moment.
Perhaps, today I would have other opinion on some issues, but what I reproduce here belongs to that time.
In this Part 12, I report my experience in South Africa, on August 2007.
Please, click on the photos to see the slide show and double click to go Picasa and see the map location.
South African Wine
The South Africa wine growing areas of the Cape produce some of the world's most outstanding wines. This wine growing area of South Africa has a Mediterranean climate. The mountain slopes and valleys form an ideal habitat for the wine grape vitis vinifera.
Long, sun-drenched South African summers ensure grapes with enough sugar. Wet winters with cool sea breezes and temperatures of 0-10 degrees Celsius also contribute to the ideal conditions for viticulture at the Cape.
The four most important soils are:
* Granite soil against the mountain slopes, with good water retention,
* Malmesbury Shale, crumbly, also good water retention,
* Table Mountain Sandstone, sandy with just enough water retention,
* Bokkeveld Shale, fertile (alluvial) soil, situated in the warm river valleys.
South Africa now cultivate 106 000 hectares of land under vines. Almost 4500 farmers in and their 50 000 labourers and 3 000 co-operative cellar staff, with their dependants, constitute a force of some 300 000 people. About 750 million litres of South African wine are produced annually, from which the producers' income in 2001 totalled about R159 billion.
Production of South Africa wine is handled mainly by 310 private cellars and 67 co-operative cellars. These co-operatives alone have invested vast amounts on production equipment and they press about 80% of South Africa’s total wine harvest.
In the past, most South Africa wine was sold through domestic wholesalers. However, with the opening up of foreign markets, rapidly increasing quantities of South African wines are being sold abroad. All wines for export must be granted an export licence. Samples of each batch of wine destined for foreign climes are sent to the Wine & Spirit Board at Nietvoorbij, Stellenbosch where they undergo detailed tasting tests and chemical analysis in the laboratories before licences are granted.
An official seal is given to each bottle by the Wine & Spirit Board which verifies that the claims made on the label regarding origin, vintage and grape variety.
Wine regions of origin
From the tip of the African continent, where the two great oceans meet at Cape Agulhas, to deep in the desert-like Karoo and the Free State - such is the stretch of South Africa’s wine regions. Nearly 60 officially declared appellations cover more than 100 000 hectares.
A Wine of Origin Scheme was introduced in 1973 that designated production regions, districts and wards. The latter is the smallest geographical unit with distinctive ecological characteristics. Official estates consist of single farms or multiple properties run as a unit.
Some of the most important regions are:
Constantia is the historic hub of Cape wine. Closest to Cape Town, it boasts some of the most famous estate names such as Groot and Klein Constantia, and Buitenverwachting. On premium terroir and in ideal climatic conditions, superb Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon wines are produced.
Franschhoek lies in a contained valley, a pretty town founded by the French Huguenots in 1688. Today it is very much a boutique region with old buildings, restaurants and small producers. Stylish cellars include La Motte, Cabrière, Plaisir de Merle and Boekenhoutskloof.
Paarl is another of the Cape’s historic towns where wine has been made for centuries. Home to the original KWV head office and its impressive Cathedral Cellar, as well as the country’s best-known brand Nederburg, many cellars, small and large, from boutique to co-operative, produce wine from the ordinary to the sensational. Winemakers have been concentrating on Shiraz, but some fine Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, blends, and even unusual varieties such as Viognier and Mourvèdre are turned into prize-winning wines. Glen Carlou, Villiera and the value-for-money co-operative Boland Kelders are among the top performers here.
Robertson and a few other villages lie along a fertile, if warm, valley where white wines such as chardonnay (from De Wetshof Estate) and sparkling wine (from Graham Beck Winery) used to be the main stars. Today the move is to red varieties, especially Shiraz (Zandvliet).
Stellenbosch is, in the minds of many, the finest wine area in South Africa, claiming the crown for reds. With a list of more than 80 wineries and producers, it is also the most expensive wine farmland. Nearly all the most famous international names in South African wines are found here in an area reaching from sea-facing slopes to valley-hugging hills. This is the home of Kanonkop, Meerlust, Rustenberg, Thelema and Warwick. The list is endless. This is also where Distell, the country’s largest player in the drinks market, is seated. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage and Chenin Blanc are the stars here.
It has often been noted that the Cape Winelands are probably the most scenic in the world. For this reason wine tourism is one of the country’s growing industries. Offering a range of topographical pleasures ranging from high, snowy mountains to arid plains, arrangements for tourists are becoming more and more sophisticated in the various regions.
There are 15 very well organized Wine Route Associations, and information about accommodation, eateries and visits to cellars and farms is readily available through booklets, travel agents and the Internet.
Source of information: http://www.antbear.co.za/information/south-african-wine.htm and http://www.southafrica.info/plan_trip/holiday/food_wine/922781.htm
The opportunities that I had in New Zealand to learn from their expertise were much bigger than in South Africa, where I had very little chances and shorter time.
However, I made my part and did my best, attending to festivals, visiting wineries and managing to have a work experience.
South Africa reminded me my homeland Brazil, in many ways.
Both of the countries are still fighting to find solutions for their big social problems and differences. South Africa is known as the Rainbow Country for its multi raced population, where it is a true picture about Brazil.
They both suffered from colonization and slavery.
Either had decades of political regimes that had left deep marks, which has been healing slowly through the past decades.
They both have high levels of criminality and drug problems.
The nature and landscape are diverse and extremely beautiful on either.
Their people are welcoming and lively and most of time, very happy – thank you very much.
The two of them produce wine; however South Africa has been producing it for far longer than Brazil.
The first vines in South Africa were planted in Cape of Good Hope, by Jan van Riebeeck, in 1655.
However the responsible for the development of wine as a business was Simon van der Stel that started the viticulture in Stellenbosh (1679) and Constantia (1685).
The business in South Africa had its ups and downs – the most critic time was while in Apartheid, but, it is back on track again.
After travelling from Johannesburg to Stellenbosh through the coast, I arrived in the biggest wine region of the country on the weekend that a wine festival was taking place – not by casualty.
Stellenbosch vineyards make up over 18% of the total amount of land under vines in South Africa. There are a large selection of varieties planted and wines made in this region. It is widely recognised as a 'golden' area for growing grapes. It is called so because of the mountains terrain, well drained soils, good rainfall patterns and the famous Cape Doctor (the prevailing south-easterly which can be counted on to keep vines cool and relatively disease free).
The most planted white variety is Sauvignon Blanc, followed by Chenin Blanc, on the red side Cabernet Sauvignon leads the way with Shiraz coming up rapidly.
Most of the producers in the region produce classic wine varieties; however there are some few that are doing something rather different.
Although Stellenbosch has seen rapid residential and commercial growth over the past few decades, the heart of the town still remains with an historical atmosphere. The buildings reflect over three centuries of occupation including Dutch, Georgian and Victorian architecture.
The city is charming and the crests of the dramatically rising mountains that encircle the town – namely the Stellenbosch, Jonkershoek and Simonsberg Mountains are always visible.
My first contact with the business couldn't be more festive: the Stellenbosh Wine Festival.
On the 5th of August, a beautiful warm Sunday, literally, I went to enjoy my day with my South African friend, Albert.
We had a nice day, with time for learning and fun: tasting, food pairing, tasting, talk with specialists and some tasting.
It is a big popular event with more than exhibitors, which is very instructive and also a good way to get closer to so many wineries in just one place, furthermore, it is a nice entertainment.
The best event I attended in the Festival was a 'Wine Tasting' from wineries with a new generation of winemakers.
The best of the taste; in my opinion; was a Shiraz, Migliarina 2005, pungent but clean and elegant and full of black berries, made by Carsten Migliarinaa, who after having worked for ten years in the catering industry as a sommelier at well known establishments such as Le Pont de la Tour in London and the Grande Roche in Paarl it was time to follow his dreams and produce his own wine – a charming, shy and talented winemaker.
Next morning I was surprised by my friend who came to pick me up to give me ride to Robertson, my first wine region explored – finally.
After Albert left me to my own devices and headed to work I went to visit Robertson Winery, which makes wines in a simple and uncomplicated style to be sold as bulk wine. The attendant was lively and knowledgeable; however the wine didn't impressed that much.
What impressed me was the next visit, not for the product offered, but for the approach to business.
I included a visit to Klipdrift Brandy Distillery for recommendation of almost everyone – brandy is the national spirit, which mixed with Coke makes the most popular drink.
The warm and hospitality of the place is a contrast to the little information about the production itself: apart from the usual process of brandy making, our guide was not allowed to give any information regarding a values and quantities. Distell – the massive corporation that the distillery is part of – must have had bad experiences with espionage in the past.
Never mind, I am not into brandy anyway.
Next visit, I went to another Distell business, but also with a very strange approach to business, at this time for different reasons.
Bergkelder is a winery part of the group and is located near to the Stellenbosch city centre – reason why I chose it to visit.
The winery produce wines under the brand Fleur de Cap and, since 1998 had been selection the best samples to keep it in a natural way, unfiltered.
The tour offered by the winery is disappointing: it starts with a 15 minutes video about the winery history and ends with a wine tasting 'help yourself', that didn't made any effect on me.
Even the service at the winery didn't save it and the staff seemed very little committed with the business - very bad image.
After trying to find; without success; other ways to get closer to South African wines, apart from the usual 'taste visit' and the obvious drinking it, I decided to join a group in a 'wine tour'.
The tour was very interesting and our driver-guide, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. What a relief!
SIMONSIG WINE ESTATE
In a brief visit in the winery we learnt about the clever vats used there, which rotate, allowing the mixture of skins and juice while in the fermentation process, resuming the pumping over work.
Our driver–and–guide was extremely helpful all the time and gave a good hand to the winery staff. His contributions about the wineries visited and the winemaking process in general were very valuable. He even opened a bottle in the Napoleon's way: with a sabre taking all the very top of the bottle off with just one cut. Giving a charming introduction to the Simonsig's sparkling wine (Cap Classique, as the sparkling version of the wine is known in South Africa) named Kaapse Vonkel (sold for R65) – literally 'Cape Sparkle', which is made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay - It had good bubbles, some residual sugar and light flavour of lees.
The winery has traditional stile, such as Tiara, the winery flagship, which is a Bordeaux blend and also, the new world trend, such as the Sauvignon Blanc (2007, R50) that delivers what you except to find on its stile.
They have a big diversity in their product list, among them, more than half is a sweeter version with off-dry and dessert wines composing the list.
The winery was a good preview of all the wineries to come. They all seemed to be connect to the past, with old style of winemaking, however aware of the changes in the international market and trying to find their space on it.
That is what you could hear and read among the business: a search for its own identity and a trademark to represent the South African wine and, of course, the diversity of the country shown in the bilingual (English – South African) information, always present wherever you go.
FAIRVIEW
The next stop, just before the lunch, we had the welcome of those who are the main advertisers: Goats.
Fairview has a very unique approach in the local wine business, nothing compared with the others seen. They play with words to compose their wine's names (Goat do Roam – referring to Côte du Rhone; the Goatfather, instead of Godfather and so on) and even the limelight of the propriety is nothing related to wine: goats are the stars.
All seem very coordinated and synchronized with a marketing plan that apparently is working well.
The professionals behind the counter are very skilful and keen on helping; the cheeses that the state produces are delicious and award winning; the grapes you find there you probably not find anywhere else in the country (Mouvèedre, Carigan are examples).
So, one could say that they work on not only the marketing of the business, but on all levels.
The winery has three range of wines: Fairview (single varietals for white and red; red blends; dessert wines and single vineyard wines); Goats do Roam and Spice Route, being the latest named after the location where they source the grapes, which are grown in the Darling region, with no irrigation applied.
The Shiraz (Syrah, as it is called here) variety was a delight in all forms and labels presented and the grape has its quality prized in the flagship of Spice Route, from where also come the most expensive and best sample of them all: Malabar (R300), a dark chocolate and plums flavoured star, shinning among goats.
After a typical South African lunch (I had Potjieko, a stew of vegetables), that made us merry and full, we headed to Franschhoek (corner of France in Afrikaans), a quiet little town, French in character, with breathtaking scenery and the culinary capital of South Africa.
In 1688 the French Huguenots (French Calvinists) came to South Africa - enriching the country with their culture, language and wine making talent. With their eye for beauty and good winegrowing conditions, they settled in the Franschhoek Valley.
DIEU DONNé
Translated literally from French, "Dieu Donné" means "God Given" or a gift from god. It was probably inspired by the spectacular scenery viewed from the state, over the Simonsberg Mountains, which are stunning.
In 1987, French-Mauritian, Robert Maingard acquired Dieu Donné Vineyards located in the area, in search of his French roots in South Africa.
The French roots are well shown, especially at their Sparkling wine, Maingard Brut, Method Cap Classique (R65) that is not a Champagne, but also delivers a good lasting bubbles wine and a sensual lees flavour.
The surroundings also helped to make the wine tasting special and it was the one of the gifts of the day.
MÔRESON
The last visit of the day was at Môreson which in Afrikaans means "morning sun".
The estate, which is about 5km from the picturesque Franschhoek, is part of La Motte, one of the original farms granted to the French Huguenots in 1695 by Governor Simon van der Stel.
The wines are sold under two labels: Môreson and Pinehurst. We tried samples from the first. Among them Chenin Blanc (great value for money: R37, in a wine that shows all the "New World fruity and freshness characteristics); Pintage (R78, it didn't disappointed and was a glass full of spices, pepper with good tannins and balance) and the star -once more- Shiraz (or Syrah, it depends on the side of the region one is). The Shiraz delivered more to the palate than to the nose, but in the mouth it was there to last, with plum and black berries to make your memories lengthy.
BOSMAN FAMILY VINEYARDS
On the 16th of August I travelled to Wellington to give a hand to Albert’s brother, Marco Zielman, on his work at the Bosman Family Vineyards, with his mobile bottling.
I had helped before in a bottling process, however I learnt with Marco how to deal with problems during this task, as that day didn’t seem to be our lucky day and mainly everything has problems. But hi was skilled and professional to solve all of them; however we finish the work 5 hours later than expected.
Tired and starving, we went back to Paarl to meet Albert for a dinner and on the way we had Biltong of venison, ostrich and kudu – a dried salami–like sausage, very traditional and popular in the country.
PAARL SHIRAZ FESTIVAL
Saturday, 18/08, festive time again, this instance at Nederburg Wine Estate, for the Shiraz Wine Festival –From Persia to Paarl.
The theme was chosen to celebrate the local best variety, Shiraz, connecting it with the origin of its roots, Persia.
The festival has a schedule full of wine tasting, live entertainment acts, Persian market and food stalls, Band's live performance and in addition a Persian Procession.
We also had the opportunity to know some interesting business, such as SONOP.
SONOP has a policy of Fair Trade, which means the farm workers are also partners. In practice this means that they own and reap the rewards of 10% of the vineyards. They utilise organic wine making methods.
Their wines are sold at the local market also under other branded names, such as supermarkets.
I tried the Pinotage that was good. However, their 2004 samples were still harsh, what could be the difference of a wine that doesn’t have much chemical help.
Another stall visited was the one of BACKSBERG.
This winery wine making philosophy can be expressed quite simply; they aim to provide wines with level of drinkability. They use modern technology, combined with traditional wine making practices to create the quality wines.
They explained that much emphasis is placed on the gentle handling of the grapes to retain the specific fruit character of the different varieties.
They also praise themselves for being eco–friendly ‘The environment has become an important issue at the winery and through sustainable development and biodiversity we have made a commitment to control our damage to the environment. In conjunction with Food and Trees for Africa, we are the first wine farm in South Africa to be approved Carbon Neutral consequently reinforcing an ongoing commitment to an improved environment’.
Nevertheless, the business doesn’t apply organic nor biodynamic procedures justifying it saying that their main priority is the drinkability of the product.
I wish we can learn enough about sustainability and combine it with drinkability.
Festival ending, sun going down in the beautiful South African sky and, it was time to find a spot for a glass of wine to be savoured while the sun went down, then, it was what we did.
Well, my visit within the wine country in South Africa ended here, though I always keep good memories and, I have plenty of them from the country where I appreciated the wine tradition, furthermore, its people, who made all difference in my journey.
Cheers,
Marcia Amaral
The idea of bringing the reports to new space is mainly to keep the information in only one place.
I have not done any changes to the original posts, because I believe that every experience has its particular moment.
Perhaps, today I would have other opinion on some issues, but what I reproduce here belongs to that time.
In this Part 12, I report my experience in South Africa, on August 2007.
Please, click on the photos to see the slide show and double click to go Picasa and see the map location.
South African Wine
The South Africa wine growing areas of the Cape produce some of the world's most outstanding wines. This wine growing area of South Africa has a Mediterranean climate. The mountain slopes and valleys form an ideal habitat for the wine grape vitis vinifera.
Long, sun-drenched South African summers ensure grapes with enough sugar. Wet winters with cool sea breezes and temperatures of 0-10 degrees Celsius also contribute to the ideal conditions for viticulture at the Cape.
The four most important soils are:
* Granite soil against the mountain slopes, with good water retention,
* Malmesbury Shale, crumbly, also good water retention,
* Table Mountain Sandstone, sandy with just enough water retention,
* Bokkeveld Shale, fertile (alluvial) soil, situated in the warm river valleys.
South Africa now cultivate 106 000 hectares of land under vines. Almost 4500 farmers in and their 50 000 labourers and 3 000 co-operative cellar staff, with their dependants, constitute a force of some 300 000 people. About 750 million litres of South African wine are produced annually, from which the producers' income in 2001 totalled about R159 billion.
Production of South Africa wine is handled mainly by 310 private cellars and 67 co-operative cellars. These co-operatives alone have invested vast amounts on production equipment and they press about 80% of South Africa’s total wine harvest.
In the past, most South Africa wine was sold through domestic wholesalers. However, with the opening up of foreign markets, rapidly increasing quantities of South African wines are being sold abroad. All wines for export must be granted an export licence. Samples of each batch of wine destined for foreign climes are sent to the Wine & Spirit Board at Nietvoorbij, Stellenbosch where they undergo detailed tasting tests and chemical analysis in the laboratories before licences are granted.
An official seal is given to each bottle by the Wine & Spirit Board which verifies that the claims made on the label regarding origin, vintage and grape variety.
Wine regions of origin
From the tip of the African continent, where the two great oceans meet at Cape Agulhas, to deep in the desert-like Karoo and the Free State - such is the stretch of South Africa’s wine regions. Nearly 60 officially declared appellations cover more than 100 000 hectares.
A Wine of Origin Scheme was introduced in 1973 that designated production regions, districts and wards. The latter is the smallest geographical unit with distinctive ecological characteristics. Official estates consist of single farms or multiple properties run as a unit.
Some of the most important regions are:
Constantia is the historic hub of Cape wine. Closest to Cape Town, it boasts some of the most famous estate names such as Groot and Klein Constantia, and Buitenverwachting. On premium terroir and in ideal climatic conditions, superb Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon wines are produced.
Franschhoek lies in a contained valley, a pretty town founded by the French Huguenots in 1688. Today it is very much a boutique region with old buildings, restaurants and small producers. Stylish cellars include La Motte, Cabrière, Plaisir de Merle and Boekenhoutskloof.
Paarl is another of the Cape’s historic towns where wine has been made for centuries. Home to the original KWV head office and its impressive Cathedral Cellar, as well as the country’s best-known brand Nederburg, many cellars, small and large, from boutique to co-operative, produce wine from the ordinary to the sensational. Winemakers have been concentrating on Shiraz, but some fine Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, blends, and even unusual varieties such as Viognier and Mourvèdre are turned into prize-winning wines. Glen Carlou, Villiera and the value-for-money co-operative Boland Kelders are among the top performers here.
Robertson and a few other villages lie along a fertile, if warm, valley where white wines such as chardonnay (from De Wetshof Estate) and sparkling wine (from Graham Beck Winery) used to be the main stars. Today the move is to red varieties, especially Shiraz (Zandvliet).
Stellenbosch is, in the minds of many, the finest wine area in South Africa, claiming the crown for reds. With a list of more than 80 wineries and producers, it is also the most expensive wine farmland. Nearly all the most famous international names in South African wines are found here in an area reaching from sea-facing slopes to valley-hugging hills. This is the home of Kanonkop, Meerlust, Rustenberg, Thelema and Warwick. The list is endless. This is also where Distell, the country’s largest player in the drinks market, is seated. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage and Chenin Blanc are the stars here.
It has often been noted that the Cape Winelands are probably the most scenic in the world. For this reason wine tourism is one of the country’s growing industries. Offering a range of topographical pleasures ranging from high, snowy mountains to arid plains, arrangements for tourists are becoming more and more sophisticated in the various regions.
There are 15 very well organized Wine Route Associations, and information about accommodation, eateries and visits to cellars and farms is readily available through booklets, travel agents and the Internet.
Source of information: http://www.antbear.co.za/information/south-african-wine.htm and http://www.southafrica.info/plan_trip/holiday/food_wine/922781.htm
The opportunities that I had in New Zealand to learn from their expertise were much bigger than in South Africa, where I had very little chances and shorter time.
However, I made my part and did my best, attending to festivals, visiting wineries and managing to have a work experience.
South Africa reminded me my homeland Brazil, in many ways.
Both of the countries are still fighting to find solutions for their big social problems and differences. South Africa is known as the Rainbow Country for its multi raced population, where it is a true picture about Brazil.
They both suffered from colonization and slavery.
Either had decades of political regimes that had left deep marks, which has been healing slowly through the past decades.
They both have high levels of criminality and drug problems.
The nature and landscape are diverse and extremely beautiful on either.
Their people are welcoming and lively and most of time, very happy – thank you very much.
The two of them produce wine; however South Africa has been producing it for far longer than Brazil.
The first vines in South Africa were planted in Cape of Good Hope, by Jan van Riebeeck, in 1655.
However the responsible for the development of wine as a business was Simon van der Stel that started the viticulture in Stellenbosh (1679) and Constantia (1685).
The business in South Africa had its ups and downs – the most critic time was while in Apartheid, but, it is back on track again.
After travelling from Johannesburg to Stellenbosh through the coast, I arrived in the biggest wine region of the country on the weekend that a wine festival was taking place – not by casualty.
Stellenbosch vineyards make up over 18% of the total amount of land under vines in South Africa. There are a large selection of varieties planted and wines made in this region. It is widely recognised as a 'golden' area for growing grapes. It is called so because of the mountains terrain, well drained soils, good rainfall patterns and the famous Cape Doctor (the prevailing south-easterly which can be counted on to keep vines cool and relatively disease free).
The most planted white variety is Sauvignon Blanc, followed by Chenin Blanc, on the red side Cabernet Sauvignon leads the way with Shiraz coming up rapidly.
Most of the producers in the region produce classic wine varieties; however there are some few that are doing something rather different.
Although Stellenbosch has seen rapid residential and commercial growth over the past few decades, the heart of the town still remains with an historical atmosphere. The buildings reflect over three centuries of occupation including Dutch, Georgian and Victorian architecture.
The city is charming and the crests of the dramatically rising mountains that encircle the town – namely the Stellenbosch, Jonkershoek and Simonsberg Mountains are always visible.
My first contact with the business couldn't be more festive: the Stellenbosh Wine Festival.
On the 5th of August, a beautiful warm Sunday, literally, I went to enjoy my day with my South African friend, Albert.
We had a nice day, with time for learning and fun: tasting, food pairing, tasting, talk with specialists and some tasting.
It is a big popular event with more than exhibitors, which is very instructive and also a good way to get closer to so many wineries in just one place, furthermore, it is a nice entertainment.
The best event I attended in the Festival was a 'Wine Tasting' from wineries with a new generation of winemakers.
The best of the taste; in my opinion; was a Shiraz, Migliarina 2005, pungent but clean and elegant and full of black berries, made by Carsten Migliarinaa, who after having worked for ten years in the catering industry as a sommelier at well known establishments such as Le Pont de la Tour in London and the Grande Roche in Paarl it was time to follow his dreams and produce his own wine – a charming, shy and talented winemaker.
 |
| From Wine Festivals, South Africa |
Next morning I was surprised by my friend who came to pick me up to give me ride to Robertson, my first wine region explored – finally.
After Albert left me to my own devices and headed to work I went to visit Robertson Winery, which makes wines in a simple and uncomplicated style to be sold as bulk wine. The attendant was lively and knowledgeable; however the wine didn't impressed that much.
What impressed me was the next visit, not for the product offered, but for the approach to business.
I included a visit to Klipdrift Brandy Distillery for recommendation of almost everyone – brandy is the national spirit, which mixed with Coke makes the most popular drink.
The warm and hospitality of the place is a contrast to the little information about the production itself: apart from the usual process of brandy making, our guide was not allowed to give any information regarding a values and quantities. Distell – the massive corporation that the distillery is part of – must have had bad experiences with espionage in the past.
Never mind, I am not into brandy anyway.
Next visit, I went to another Distell business, but also with a very strange approach to business, at this time for different reasons.
Bergkelder is a winery part of the group and is located near to the Stellenbosch city centre – reason why I chose it to visit.
The winery produce wines under the brand Fleur de Cap and, since 1998 had been selection the best samples to keep it in a natural way, unfiltered.
The tour offered by the winery is disappointing: it starts with a 15 minutes video about the winery history and ends with a wine tasting 'help yourself', that didn't made any effect on me.
Even the service at the winery didn't save it and the staff seemed very little committed with the business - very bad image.
After trying to find; without success; other ways to get closer to South African wines, apart from the usual 'taste visit' and the obvious drinking it, I decided to join a group in a 'wine tour'.
The tour was very interesting and our driver-guide, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. What a relief!
SIMONSIG WINE ESTATE
In a brief visit in the winery we learnt about the clever vats used there, which rotate, allowing the mixture of skins and juice while in the fermentation process, resuming the pumping over work.
Our driver–and–guide was extremely helpful all the time and gave a good hand to the winery staff. His contributions about the wineries visited and the winemaking process in general were very valuable. He even opened a bottle in the Napoleon's way: with a sabre taking all the very top of the bottle off with just one cut. Giving a charming introduction to the Simonsig's sparkling wine (Cap Classique, as the sparkling version of the wine is known in South Africa) named Kaapse Vonkel (sold for R65) – literally 'Cape Sparkle', which is made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay - It had good bubbles, some residual sugar and light flavour of lees.
The winery has traditional stile, such as Tiara, the winery flagship, which is a Bordeaux blend and also, the new world trend, such as the Sauvignon Blanc (2007, R50) that delivers what you except to find on its stile.
They have a big diversity in their product list, among them, more than half is a sweeter version with off-dry and dessert wines composing the list.
The winery was a good preview of all the wineries to come. They all seemed to be connect to the past, with old style of winemaking, however aware of the changes in the international market and trying to find their space on it.
That is what you could hear and read among the business: a search for its own identity and a trademark to represent the South African wine and, of course, the diversity of the country shown in the bilingual (English – South African) information, always present wherever you go.
FAIRVIEW
The next stop, just before the lunch, we had the welcome of those who are the main advertisers: Goats.
Fairview has a very unique approach in the local wine business, nothing compared with the others seen. They play with words to compose their wine's names (Goat do Roam – referring to Côte du Rhone; the Goatfather, instead of Godfather and so on) and even the limelight of the propriety is nothing related to wine: goats are the stars.
All seem very coordinated and synchronized with a marketing plan that apparently is working well.
The professionals behind the counter are very skilful and keen on helping; the cheeses that the state produces are delicious and award winning; the grapes you find there you probably not find anywhere else in the country (Mouvèedre, Carigan are examples).
So, one could say that they work on not only the marketing of the business, but on all levels.
The winery has three range of wines: Fairview (single varietals for white and red; red blends; dessert wines and single vineyard wines); Goats do Roam and Spice Route, being the latest named after the location where they source the grapes, which are grown in the Darling region, with no irrigation applied.
The Shiraz (Syrah, as it is called here) variety was a delight in all forms and labels presented and the grape has its quality prized in the flagship of Spice Route, from where also come the most expensive and best sample of them all: Malabar (R300), a dark chocolate and plums flavoured star, shinning among goats.
After a typical South African lunch (I had Potjieko, a stew of vegetables), that made us merry and full, we headed to Franschhoek (corner of France in Afrikaans), a quiet little town, French in character, with breathtaking scenery and the culinary capital of South Africa.
In 1688 the French Huguenots (French Calvinists) came to South Africa - enriching the country with their culture, language and wine making talent. With their eye for beauty and good winegrowing conditions, they settled in the Franschhoek Valley.
DIEU DONNé
Translated literally from French, "Dieu Donné" means "God Given" or a gift from god. It was probably inspired by the spectacular scenery viewed from the state, over the Simonsberg Mountains, which are stunning.
In 1987, French-Mauritian, Robert Maingard acquired Dieu Donné Vineyards located in the area, in search of his French roots in South Africa.
The French roots are well shown, especially at their Sparkling wine, Maingard Brut, Method Cap Classique (R65) that is not a Champagne, but also delivers a good lasting bubbles wine and a sensual lees flavour.
The surroundings also helped to make the wine tasting special and it was the one of the gifts of the day.
MÔRESON
The last visit of the day was at Môreson which in Afrikaans means "morning sun".
The estate, which is about 5km from the picturesque Franschhoek, is part of La Motte, one of the original farms granted to the French Huguenots in 1695 by Governor Simon van der Stel.
The wines are sold under two labels: Môreson and Pinehurst. We tried samples from the first. Among them Chenin Blanc (great value for money: R37, in a wine that shows all the "New World fruity and freshness characteristics); Pintage (R78, it didn't disappointed and was a glass full of spices, pepper with good tannins and balance) and the star -once more- Shiraz (or Syrah, it depends on the side of the region one is). The Shiraz delivered more to the palate than to the nose, but in the mouth it was there to last, with plum and black berries to make your memories lengthy.
BOSMAN FAMILY VINEYARDS
On the 16th of August I travelled to Wellington to give a hand to Albert’s brother, Marco Zielman, on his work at the Bosman Family Vineyards, with his mobile bottling.
I had helped before in a bottling process, however I learnt with Marco how to deal with problems during this task, as that day didn’t seem to be our lucky day and mainly everything has problems. But hi was skilled and professional to solve all of them; however we finish the work 5 hours later than expected.
Tired and starving, we went back to Paarl to meet Albert for a dinner and on the way we had Biltong of venison, ostrich and kudu – a dried salami–like sausage, very traditional and popular in the country.
PAARL SHIRAZ FESTIVAL
Saturday, 18/08, festive time again, this instance at Nederburg Wine Estate, for the Shiraz Wine Festival –From Persia to Paarl.
The theme was chosen to celebrate the local best variety, Shiraz, connecting it with the origin of its roots, Persia.
The festival has a schedule full of wine tasting, live entertainment acts, Persian market and food stalls, Band's live performance and in addition a Persian Procession.
We also had the opportunity to know some interesting business, such as SONOP.
SONOP has a policy of Fair Trade, which means the farm workers are also partners. In practice this means that they own and reap the rewards of 10% of the vineyards. They utilise organic wine making methods.
Their wines are sold at the local market also under other branded names, such as supermarkets.
I tried the Pinotage that was good. However, their 2004 samples were still harsh, what could be the difference of a wine that doesn’t have much chemical help.
Another stall visited was the one of BACKSBERG.
This winery wine making philosophy can be expressed quite simply; they aim to provide wines with level of drinkability. They use modern technology, combined with traditional wine making practices to create the quality wines.
They explained that much emphasis is placed on the gentle handling of the grapes to retain the specific fruit character of the different varieties.
They also praise themselves for being eco–friendly ‘The environment has become an important issue at the winery and through sustainable development and biodiversity we have made a commitment to control our damage to the environment. In conjunction with Food and Trees for Africa, we are the first wine farm in South Africa to be approved Carbon Neutral consequently reinforcing an ongoing commitment to an improved environment’.
Nevertheless, the business doesn’t apply organic nor biodynamic procedures justifying it saying that their main priority is the drinkability of the product.
I wish we can learn enough about sustainability and combine it with drinkability.
Festival ending, sun going down in the beautiful South African sky and, it was time to find a spot for a glass of wine to be savoured while the sun went down, then, it was what we did.
KLEIN CONSTANTIA
With a lift from Albert I went to on of the wine regions I wanted to visit the most in the country: the Constantia Valley.
Situated on the narrow Cape Peninsula just 20 km from Central Cape Town, the valley is the frame of South African winemaking. Nowadays, it is contained by up-market residential development and the slopes of Table Mountain National Park - a World Heritage Site.
When the Governor of the Cape, Simon van de Stel, secured a land grant here in 1685 from the Dutch East India Company, he named it Constantia, and planted on it some of 100000 vines. It was there that the world famous sweet "Constantia" (sought after by the 18th and 19th century aristocracy) was produced.
Since 1980 Klein Constantia has been redeveloped and everyone involved has seen it as a challenge, almost a mission, to bring back the famous wine. Early records were studied and careful selection made from vines which in all like hood came from the original stock used in Constantia 300 years ago.
Klein Constantia has 75 hectares under vines, and growing conditions are near perfect for the production of quality wine grapes. The vineyards, ranging in altitude from 70 to 350 metres above sea level, enjoy a cool maritime climate - as it lay between two great oceans: the Indian and the Atlantic, it is cooled by the moisture-loaded winds. Rainfall is mainly in the winter. The deep, well drained soils are mainly derived from decomposed granite, which had wrinkled down over millions of years.
Klein Constantia specialises in varietals wines Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as the flagship blends: a red "Marlbrook" and white "Mme Marbrook", and the lusciously sweet "Vin de Constance", a re-creation of the first legendary, Constantia wine.
My trip to there was not in useless, the wine that I had dreamed about tasting was as good as I expected.
VIN DE CONSTANCE, 2002, is made from Muscat de Frontigan grape variety that rest on the vines until it almost turn into raisin, resulting in a amazing dessert wine, well balanced, with 12.97% of Alcohol and 153g/l of residual sugar.
The grapes for the wine are hand harvest and after crushing and destemming are left on their skins for several days to macerate. This process aids in the eventual pressing of the grapes as they yield their juice much easier when the skins are oft and slightly broken down. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks is followed by a lengthy cellar maturation process that can take up to four years and involves at least 2 years barrel maturation.
The wine made my day and, fulfilled it with honey and dried apricot, probably in the same way as it delighted others centuries ago.
With a lift from Albert I went to on of the wine regions I wanted to visit the most in the country: the Constantia Valley.
Situated on the narrow Cape Peninsula just 20 km from Central Cape Town, the valley is the frame of South African winemaking. Nowadays, it is contained by up-market residential development and the slopes of Table Mountain National Park - a World Heritage Site.
When the Governor of the Cape, Simon van de Stel, secured a land grant here in 1685 from the Dutch East India Company, he named it Constantia, and planted on it some of 100000 vines. It was there that the world famous sweet "Constantia" (sought after by the 18th and 19th century aristocracy) was produced.
Since 1980 Klein Constantia has been redeveloped and everyone involved has seen it as a challenge, almost a mission, to bring back the famous wine. Early records were studied and careful selection made from vines which in all like hood came from the original stock used in Constantia 300 years ago.
Klein Constantia has 75 hectares under vines, and growing conditions are near perfect for the production of quality wine grapes. The vineyards, ranging in altitude from 70 to 350 metres above sea level, enjoy a cool maritime climate - as it lay between two great oceans: the Indian and the Atlantic, it is cooled by the moisture-loaded winds. Rainfall is mainly in the winter. The deep, well drained soils are mainly derived from decomposed granite, which had wrinkled down over millions of years.
Klein Constantia specialises in varietals wines Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as the flagship blends: a red "Marlbrook" and white "Mme Marbrook", and the lusciously sweet "Vin de Constance", a re-creation of the first legendary, Constantia wine.
My trip to there was not in useless, the wine that I had dreamed about tasting was as good as I expected.
VIN DE CONSTANCE, 2002, is made from Muscat de Frontigan grape variety that rest on the vines until it almost turn into raisin, resulting in a amazing dessert wine, well balanced, with 12.97% of Alcohol and 153g/l of residual sugar.
The grapes for the wine are hand harvest and after crushing and destemming are left on their skins for several days to macerate. This process aids in the eventual pressing of the grapes as they yield their juice much easier when the skins are oft and slightly broken down. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks is followed by a lengthy cellar maturation process that can take up to four years and involves at least 2 years barrel maturation.
The wine made my day and, fulfilled it with honey and dried apricot, probably in the same way as it delighted others centuries ago.
Well, my visit within the wine country in South Africa ended here, though I always keep good memories and, I have plenty of them from the country where I appreciated the wine tradition, furthermore, its people, who made all difference in my journey.
Cheers,
Marcia Amaral