SA Rocks

I am not the biggest fan of wine awards – I prefer to adhere to the mantra that whatever you believe is a great wine and tastes great, is just that – it’s all about about personal tastes.

However awards do give you an indication of what to look out for and what may be worth a try – especially if you are not familiar with South African wines.

So here are the results of the Old Mutual Trophy Show 2007 – it’s a long list so you may want to jot the names down for future reference:

Fairbairn Capital Trophy for Most Successful Producer

CAPE POINT VINEYARDS

BoE Trophy for Best Red Wine

Môreson Magia 2003

Old Mutual Trophy for Best White Wine

Backsberg Babylons Toren Chardonnay 2003

Old Mutual Trophy for Discovery of the Show (Best Value)

Hartenberg Pinotage 2004

British Airways Comair Trophy for Best Shiraz

Quoin Rock Simonsberg Syrah 2005

Riedel Glass Trophy for Best Red Blend – Bordeaux Style

Môreson Magia 2003

Grande Roche Trophy for Best Merlot

Hillcrest Merlot 2005

American Express Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon

Longridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Trophy for Best Pinotage

Hartenberg Pinotage 2004

Miele Trophy for Best Chardonnay

Backsberg Babylons Toren Chardonnay 2003

Trophy for Best Museum Class Chardonnay

Chamonix Reserve Chardonnay 1997

Trophy for Best White Blend

Vergelegen White 2006

Trophy for Best Chenin Blanc

Rijk’s Chenin Blanc 2005

Trophy for Best Semillon

Cape Point Semillon 2005

Trophy for Best Museum Class Semillon

Cape Point Semillon 2003

Trophy for Best Sauvignon Blanc

Cape Point Sauvignon Blanc 2006

Old Mutual Trophy for Best Sparkling Wine

Woolworths Vintage Reserve Brut 1999 (Villiera)

Old Mutual Trophy for Best Port

Bredell’s Cape Vintage 2000

Trophy for Best Dessert Wine

Meerendal Chenin Blanc Natural Sweet 2006

Cru Master

Popularity: 1% [?]

It’s the Wacky Wine Weekend this weekend ( 1-3 June, 2007) and it promises to be a cracker of an event.

Wacky Wine Weekend

There really isn’t any excuse for any wine lover (and indeed non-lover) not to attend this zany weekend of fun and entertainment.

There really does seem to be something for everyone – wine tasting and tours, camping, tractor rides, rugby, live music and plenty of food bits!

I hear that there is a vat full of wine that you can dive into and have a swim – you can even try your hardest to retrieve some gemstones from the bottom of it – tell you what, my leopard print speedo is already packed

See you all there.

Cru Master

Popularity: 6% [?]

I have recently returned from a two and a half week trip to the UK.

Part of my ‘mission’ and excitement really, while over there – was to check out how South African wine was doing in amongst the shelves upon shelves of wine from around the world in the various UK outlets.

The overall result for me is this: South African wines are not doing well.

Now my frustration soon grew into rage each and every time I entered yet another store with a mediocre selection of SA wine. Furthermore the South African selection of wine seemed very poorly placed on the shelves too – looking shy in all sorts of little corners.

Now I don’t know who is doing the buying and I also don’t know who is aggressively selling to the UK supermarkets and wine shops – but it’s not doing us a world of good and it needs to change.

One redeeming factor of my trip was at Berry Bros & Rudd – on of the oldest wine merchants in the UK. While I was standing there admiring the beautiful and esteemed selection of wine, a posh old Englishman walked in and asked the French sommelier: “Can I have another two bottles of that fantastic South African red wine please sir?”.

The wine was De Toren Fusion V - and you can only imagine the smile on my face – bearing witness to this enjoyment and loyalty that our wine should garner.

Our wine deserves more respect and we need to build up it’s reputation again – it is being labeled as mediocre plonk over there and that’s just heartbreaking and not true – we have world class wines on offer.

South African wine needs a new angle into the UK – Stormhoek have paved the way – it’s about time the rest of the industry dusted off the cobwebs and caught a massive wake up.

Cru Master

Popularity: 1% [?]

Thelema Mountain Vineyards

Thelema have just opened their new tasting venue on their stunning farm. The new addition merely adds to the soaring heights of achievement for this farm.

Not only do they have beautiful wines in their: Thelema Chardonnay 2005, the Thelema Shiraz 2003 and the now very popular Thelema “The Mint” Cabernet Sauvignon – which I must say is the perfect partner to a roast lamb – they now have possibly the most idyllic setting in the country for tasting these wines!

As you sip on their superlative wine – you will look out over a small little vineyard surrounded by graceful lime green trees and all of that will be framed by majestic grey jaggered mountains. Up to your left you will see their perfectly manicured vineyards disappearing into the sky. It really does take your breath away and leaves you pausing for a moment to enjoy the true splendour and beauty of some of the places in South Africa.

Go there, you will not be disappointed – in fact you will be enriched.

Cru Master

Popularity: 1% [?]

If you’re looking for an uber cool place to meet a friend for a drink – or indeed try & buy some great wine – then Winesense is the place.

This trendy wine bar is modern, sophisticated and has stores located in some of South Africa’s coolest spots: Cavendish;Mandela Rhodes Place; Kalk Bay; Willow Bridge; Melrose Arch – and I’m sure the list will go on!

Go and check out their website for more on what they are about – Winesense – actually go visit one of their stores, get yourself a ‘top-up’ card and start tasting!

Come South Africa, we really need to start drinking more wine – our consumption levels are down. It’s criminal, we have some of the best stuff in the world right here – and with places like Winesense – well there really isn’t any excuse!

Cru Master

Popularity: 3% [?]

I am constantly on the look out for wines under R50 that offer outstanding value and taste so damn good.

It’s a fun quest because you don’t end up breaking the bank and it really is satisfying when you find a bottle that tastes just as good as a ultra premium wine – for a third of the price tag.

So my latest little ‘find’ is the following rocking wine:

Kanu Rockwood 2005

“A nose of dark chocolate and raspberry, complimented by the peppery, nutmeg and cinnamon notes of the Shiraz component. Soft, velvety tannins with lively fruit that ends in a long dry finish.”

I’ve quoted the wine farms description of the wine because it is pretty much spot on. Rockwood is a Shiraz dominant blend and exudes a lot of warmth and rich spiciness that is typical of the varietal.

It’s the perfect wine for the winter months ahead and whats more is you can buy a case of it and share bottles of it over the dinner table with friends! It retails for about R38.

Let me know if you get yourself a bottle and what you think of the wine!

Cru Master

Popularity: 1% [?]

I remember tasting Graham Beck Railroad Red years ago, i loved it. For some reason though I had completely forgotten about this gem of a wine – until this past weekend that is!

I now have a case of the stuff sitting at home and I very much doubt its going to survive for too long – for this is an everyday drinking hero of a wine! It offer rich and rewarding quality for a very affordable R40. Its classy enough to take to a dinner party and accessible enough to drink everyday – you feel guilty about doing so either!

Graham Beck Railroad Red 2005 is a beautiful blend of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon and the two varietals are very evident in the wine. It has a strong spicy nose (from the Shiraz) and this carries on in the finish of the wine as it crawls down your throat. The Cab in the blend gives the wine a powerful fruit driven kick in the butt and gives it noble structure – but its smooth, no bitter tannins here!

Go and get a bottle, actually better yet, go and visit the uber cool winery in Franschhoek and buy a case of the stuff! For more on Graham Beck and the new tasting facilities go here.

Cru Master

Popularity: 1% [?]

I love South Africa.

The other night The Muso and I, together with some good friends, attended the opening of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival.

We strolled down from his town dwelling abode, through a labyrinth of small cobble stoned streets to find Green Market Square.

The night was warm and breathless – Cape Town in a rare moment of insecurity, had surrendered herself to Mother Nature.

Through our maze-trail, we discovered Afro Cafe’s, Sundance coffee shops and in the middle of the city – Signal Hill Winery!

We were dwarfed by amazing Art Deco, Cape Dutch, Colonial and Gothic architecture and at times reminded of the ‘Post War’ function-ahead-of-form monstrosities built in the 50′s and 60′s.

We saw Germans and we saw Nigerians. We saw Rastafarian’s and we saw Chinese businessmen. We saw South Africans and we saw Englishmen. We even saw an American in Africa.

And while we sat on our colonial style patio at The Famous Butchers Grill, in the heart of the festival – around me:

I saw Coloured people drinking wine. I saw Black people drinking wine. I saw Indian people drinking wine. I saw a Chinese Couple drinking wine. I even saw White people drinking wine.

I saw South Africans drinking wine.

And all around us, while we sucked in the atmosphere, South Africa was dancing and singing and drinking life to the lees.

My question is, do wine companies/farms in South Africa see and recognize all this magical, cultural diversity in their drinkers?

The answer, I believe, is a resounding NO.

Cru Master

Popularity: 2% [?]

Try these five wines:

Guardian Peak Merlot 2004 (R40)

Bilton Matt Black 2004 (R50)

Landskroon Pinotage 2004 (R30)

Brampton Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (R40)

Allesverloren Shiraz 2005 (R65)

They are all affordable and great value wines – that you could enjoy on your own or take to a dinner party and impress the boots off everyone – so give them a go and let me know what you think!

Cru Master

Popularity: 3% [?]

There are a lot of public holidays and great long weekends coming up. So if you live in the Cape, time to get out and enjoy some of summers last rays with this suggested wine route (if you don’t live in the Cape, I’m truly sorry):

Head out on the N1 and take the R44 turn off to Stellenbosch.

If you feeling a little peckish and need to line the stomach, make a quick stop at Fairview and grab some cheese and bread/biscuits.

From there, carry on towards Stellies, you will come across Warwick and Kanonkop – stop at these farms to get a good grasp of what some of our best wines taste like.

Then head on over the Helshoogte Pass and stop at Thelema Mountain Vineyards and most importantly, Camberley – the views and wines from this pass are simple breathtaking.

Once you done there, (a few hours later I suspect), amble down the hill towards Boschendal. Once there, grab one of their insane picnic baskets, a bottle of vino and sit under the tall tress in their beautiful gardens. When you look around and reflect for a moment, you will realize that living in South Africa really does rock!

Popularity: 1% [?]