Le Verre de Vin in place ....

With the placement of the Le verre de Vin unit at Faerie Glen, we have already done several instore tastings to some of our wine buying customers.

At least six wines will be availible to taste every day six days a week and one or two bubblies. So if you are in Maragte and keen to see what is on offer pop in. We would love to meet you.

The Mercury...2011

So last night was my third visit to "The Mercury - Wine Week" held at Sun Coast, Durban. I quite enjoy going to this show, primarily because I can kill several wine tasting birds with one stone. My modus operandi for the evening has been to meet all the usual suspects and hopefully taste some of the unusual ones.

At this years event I especially enjoyed Bolands "Flutterby" range. The wine comes in a 750ml PET bottle and for those of you not familiar with the abriviation "PET", well its plastic. Other ticks in my book were the wines from Sumaridge, the Constantia Glen sauvignon blanc and Anura's fine viognier to mention but a few.

Something that was mentioned in passing and grew on me during the course of the evening was how the "elegance" of the opening night of this event had almost disappeared. In years past the opening  and trade evening required fancy attire, which in tern created a sense of grandeur and brought meaning to "SA's Premier Wine Event" as per the logo. Sadly though as the tasting masses grew so to I observed just how "casual" the event had become.  

Never the less I enjoyed my hop up the coast. On this occasion I teamed up with a  wine novice yet good freind to enjoy some fine wine. Put that sentance into an equation and you equal a great night out.

Le Verre de Vin @ Faerie Glen ......

"No" this is not a new email address for Faerie Glen Liquors and Fine Wines, this is a masterful wine preservation machine and a first for the K.Z.N South Coast that I know off.

The Le Verre de Vin machine has the ability to keep open bottles of wine and champagne preserved for up to 21 days. As a result, having this technology available at Faerie Glen, we will permanently have at least 6 bottles of wine on taste to perspective wine buyers. 

Keep an eye out for "Le Verre de Vin @ Faerie Glen", your 6 day week wine tasting experience.

Where the Giants live ....

When my kids asked what was behind these doors at Springfield Estate in the Robertson Valley, my witty response was, "that is where the giants live".

Now reminiscing on the fantastic time we spent at this farm and thinking of the comment I passed to the little guys, I realize that I was for all intent and purpose not very far off the mark. Behind these doors giants do reside, but not those of mythical stature my kids might associate with. This cellar is home to arguably some of the "biggest" wines the Robertson valley has to offer.

If you are ever in the region pay Springfield a visit, maybe you to will meet a wine giant of your liking....   

Swimming....Southern Right style.

I recently received this interesting news letter from Anthony Hamilton Russell of Hamilton Russell Vineyards and Southern Right.

Following our fascinating experiment into the benefits of ageing bottled Southern Right Sauvignon blanc in the sea versus on land in our cellar, we decided to repeat the experiment this year (our 2004 was raised from the Walker Bay on September 16^th last year).

On a beautiful still, clear, August 3^rd, 2011, the second consignment of Southern Right Sauvignon blanc was floated out into the cold Walker Bay and sunk in approximately 10 meters of water. This time we have submerged two vintages – 200 bottles each of the 2010 and 2011. We have also sealed each vintage with a wax capsule of a different colour, to avoid confusing the vintage with barnacle and seaweed encrusted bottles and to minimize the risk of seawater getting around the cork.

With this trial we will be able to determine (with the 2011) the possible benefits of submerging the wine immediately after bottling. Having two vintages ageing together will help us get an idea if different vintages react differently to sea ageing versus land ageing.

Both vintages will be tasted once a year and compared to the same vintages ageing in our cellar. All the wine will be raised from the sea for sale in local restaurants (barnacles, seaweed and all) in September 2016.

We hope you will get a chance to taste the wines then!

In the meantime, the Southern Right 2011 is now on the market and is tasting beautiful. It has a little more palate generosity and viscosity than the 2010 – reflective of the vintage – and a particularly complex and appealing aromatic profile. Regardless of the more forward characteristics of the 2011 vintage, the wine still showcases our typical Southern Right dry minerality and classicism.

All the best and we look forward to the possibility of seeing you on Southern Right at some point soon!

Having read the above I believe all that is left to say is "woza - September 2016". I wonder if Kulula is taking bookings to Cape Town for this time, would it not be interesting to savour the results of this little experiment first hand.

Secateurs - Red Blend 2009

Had drop of this red blend a couple of days back. Whilst I was initially sceptical about the wine, because of the label, all scepticism was "drained away" by the what was contained within. This is a lovely Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon,  Carignan, Cinsault and Grenache blend. It is has all the spicy peppery attributes one would associate with the Shiraz contribution in the above equation, but is also smooth and easy drinking. 

Returning to the label, I decided to have a closer look at it and those behind it. Literature indicates that the Bardenhorst farm is a small (28ha) traditional farm located in the Paarderberg region of the Western Cape. And whilst I have not visited the farm or it's people, reading between the lines, clearly points one to a "big heart" for wine.  Why the name Secateurs? Well my understanding is that when dealing with bush vines, a sharp pair of these gardening scissors is a prerequisite to ensure good winter pruning and easy summer picking.

Apart from simply tasting the product, my research into it has truly stimulated a curiosity in Bardenhorst Family Wines. As a result I will most definitely pop in for a peek when next I am on holiday in the Swartland.

The Roses at Avondale....

A couple of years back, I visited Avondale estate and was taken by the magnificent rose garden at the entrance to the tasting room.

Now several years later I wonder if what was located in very close proximity beneath the ground had anything to do with the visual splendor above. Why you may ask? Well within a couple of yards of the roots of that fine garden were some truly superb wines.

It would therefore go without saying that the passion and brilliance applied in making that, that was housed bellow was at that time literaly reflected above. Today Avondale wines have addapted with changing times and I would be keen, on my next visit to the slopes of the Klein Drakenstein mountains, to see weather the roses of Avondale continue to thrive.

Muratie ....The Window of Time

Whilst there are several wine estates that incorporate "time" into the description or depiction of their product. I believe the picture bellow captures the true essence of the word "time" perfectly. 

In this cellar and tasting room there is no polished stone, shimmering stainless steel, modern shapes and symmetry. What there is, is a historical time line (some 300 years of it) that permeates your soul in much the same way, French oak enriches a fine wine. Every minute spent within establishes a deep level of appreciation for the many superb bottles of wine the estate has produced. 

It is no wonder that when Rijk Melck, of Muratie makes a statement like, "We don't make too-tie fruity wine", he not only has the product to prove it. He has a name to back him up, that has literally stood the test of time.

This is one stop you should not miss when traveling from Stellenbosch towards Paarl on the R44.

Yoga for Wine Lovers ....

I received this clip the other day and thought it was absolutely fantastic.

WARNING - Please exercise caution when trying any of the following at home. Whilst your strength and subtlety may improve with every mouthful, you will find your balance does not. As a result you may not only suffer from cuts and copious coatings of fine wine. The next day I believe you will realize that there are several muscles in your body that you have not used before.

Drink responsibly....