Thursday, 29 September 2011

New Wines @ Faerie Glen

These fine wines have recently been added to our already extensive range at Faerie Glen Liquors & Fine Wine....

MR De Compostella


A joint venture between Bruwer Raats (from acclaimed Raats Family Wines) & Mzokhona Mvemve (first black Oenology & Viticulture graduate). This wine has recently scored 96 points in Roberts Parkers Independent Consumer's Guide to Fine Wine. The Bordeaux-style blend has been described by some of the best in the industry as, "magnificent, scintillating, seductive, sensational and as an adrenalin rush". This is a top end wine and deservedly so. Each of the 5 varietals are aged separately in barrels and must be able to be stand alone varietal wines. The varietals are  tasted blind and then blended in descending percentages from the highest to the lowest rating given. Apart from the fact that the construction of this bottles content is special to say the least, the score of 96 is best ever by a South African wine.
Platter 4,5 stars

Fairview Primo Pinotage

The Back Page of this bottle is one of those that says more than a lot about what is contained within. A selection of some of the finest wine (pinotage) of the vintage, from some of the most beautiful and unusual vineyards it is no wonder the "Primo' has recently won a ABSA Top 10 Pinotage award.
As Pinotage is South Africa's very own grape, there is nothing more "Proudly South African".
Platters 4,5 stars

Tuesday, 27 September 2011

The Back Page ....

Do you ever read "The Back Page" on the wine bottle? When thinking about the back label, ones mind immediately visualises the usual suspects: warnings, bar code and ALC. 14% BY VOL. If you are lucky some give you a splurge of the blend that is contained within. But then, on a select few, you get given a glimpse of the wines soul.

Take a bottle of Fryers Cove, Bamboes Bay....

From the front this appears to be just a regular bottle of wine, to many a good sauvignon blanc, but in fact so much more. 


Read the back page of this bottle and you are tantalized by several "bits and bobs", that very nearly transport you to its very origin. 


This is Doringbaai some 360 km up the West Coast from Cape Town and on the back page of this bottle when they say, "vines planted 850m from the see and 20m above sea level", they really do mean it. If fact, no need to float wine bottles in the bay here. In this harbour cellar the cooling process is done full time by water from the cold Atlantic Ocean. 

That all being said, whilst these vines may be "forged of the earth & tempered by the sea", they are handled by some of the most hospitable people I have met. My visit to Fryers Cove, I will never forget ....

Friday, 16 September 2011

18 out of 20....

"18 out of 20" this is what The Sunday Times, The Restaurant, scored local South Coast restaurant Casa Toscana.



For me there are two points that jump from the pages. These I believe are however in the wrong order, but never the less they sum up the place, its people and what it has to offer perfectly.
  • At the end .....
"It's only fitting that earlier this year this little restaurant (one of only three in the country) received the "Hospitality Italiana" Seal of Quality award that celebrates and recognises Italian "ambassadors of taste".
  • At the beginning .....
"The concept of siesta, or least an afternoon spent in the company of good food and wine, is taken seriously at this South Coast restaurant,"

A great bit of national press.

Monday, 12 September 2011

The Teacher ....

Growing up I would consider myself very blessed. Despite complexity within parent relationships, I was lucky to have "two" great Dads, one at each end of the life skills scale. Recently on my fishing blog, The Bassing Guy, I covered lessons learned from the mentor  on one side of that scale under the same heading. In today's posting I present the other ....

Bellow are some images from my Fathers cellar. Many items housed within collected over a time line very near the 38 years I have been around.
Some of the memorable pieces include several Pussers Rum decanters, a pewter encased Dimple Haig and almost all the commemorative Bells ever made.
Recently, Mr Dudley senior decided it was time to take stock. Very soon he realised that this "spring clean" was going to take a little longer than anticipated, about two days longer in fact. Apart from all the individual bits & bobs, the shelves also contained over 500 bottles of fine red wine and 100 odd bottles of port.

Reflecting on the images above, I know exactly where my passion for wine eminates. When questioned about my interest, the awnser is simple ....

"I have a fantastic teacher "

Thanks Dad

Wednesday, 7 September 2011

September wines to taste @ Faerie Glen

We currently have the following wines to taste in store for September.
  • Savanha Sauvignon Blanc
  • Spier Organic Sauvignon Blanc
  • Spier Private Collection Sauvignon Blanc
  • Savanha Merlot
  • Spier Shiraz
  • Spier Private Collection Pinotage
  • Haute Cabriere Unwooded Pinot Noir
  • Laska Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot


For tasting details and pricing, visit us at Faerie Glen Liquors and Fine Wine. 

The history of wine .....

Some time ago a close member of my family put pen to paper and compiled, this a "poetic" history rendition of how wine came to our beautiful country....

In 1652 …..
Jan, die man, van Riebeeck
Appointed for his age and expertise
Left at 33 on a ship from Holland
And sailed across the seas

He landed on our foreshore
De berg was omringd met ‘n wolk
And asked of his Dutch companions
Weet je iets over dit klein bruine volk?”

Now Jan, die man, van Riebeeck
(May his name be truly Blessed)
Soon set the Hottentots to work
Indeed, there was no rest!

He proved a strong Commander
And was busy at the Cape
The buildings grew, the earth was rich
But alas, there was no grape!

In time the ships & settlers
Gave die Kaap a good, good feel
But Jan, die man van Riebeeck
Stayed “drogëbek” at his evening meal.

He wrote reams and reams of letters
At length to the oom called van Dam
The Secretary who had employed him...
Saying “Bringt dreuyff mit u as je kom

He could see no reason for this ~
(Sec van Dam was an elderly man)
It took 18 months for his tired bones
To send a planting kit for poor Van

Jan, meantime, sent word back to France
And bartered hard with Spain
Until their twigs & slips arrived
Nou maak ons de goeie wyn
The frogs (oops, French) were quick to respond
Their cuttings were the first
(Muscat d’Alexandrine)
Would soon help quench the thirst!

Toil and sweat & labours tough
Gardener Boom’s back, it stayed well bent
But slowly leaves & fruit appeared
The climate was ‘heaven sent’

And so in Feb of 16 –
The year being 59
They made and poured the first of many
Johannes had made his wine!!

Time and glory passed
Rulers came and went
Co-ops were formed and power spoke
Of how to do what’s best

But nature had a trick to play
For too long things had gone so well
Phylloxera vastatrix, (an aphid), came ~
Not a drop nor a barrel could they sell

It was a sad and sorry sight
No matter how they fought
From farm to farm it did the rounds
Leaves limp, then grey, root rot

The best winemakers – including ours
Were immediately on the case
But two-thirds of the worlds greatest vineyards
Would not survive the race….

In 2009 ….
The sun shines fair at the Kaap de Goede Hoop
The cold chills the bones when it’s rains
Let’s toast and give thanks to Jannie
For the wine that flows in our veins!

Thanks Mom for the input....

Friday, 2 September 2011

Brunia Laevis .....

If this heading sounds Greek to  you, well you are not to far off the mark. The words "Brunia Laevis" are in fact the Latin name for one of the many fynbos species that form part of the Cape floral kingdom.


The common name for this silvery floral plant is "Vaal tol". What the name is also representative of is a small fine wine range produced by Cold Mountain Vineyards. I by no means use the word "small" in a derogatory manor. The first wine released under the Brunia label was a good 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, this has subsequently been followed by the 2010 which has just scored 85 points at the Old Mutal Trophy wine show.
How good is it for a wine (only the second vintage) to achieve the above score? Well consider this. Brunia came in 5th out of 66 unwooded sauvignon blanc entries, many of them from well known, well established estates.  Chatting to Willie du Preez, owner of the estate I am very eager to start stocking his newly released Brunia Shiraz, that is when it is ready to travel...so keep an eye on our shelves.