Welcome to the Western Cape Wineries - a kiwi's opinion blog

I originally set up this blog to help foreigners have an enjoyable experience when visiting the western cape wineries in South Africa.

I realised that it is very difficult for a tourist to choose where to go and which wineries to visit, when you have 600+ wine producers to choose from.

When I first moved to SA December 2010, my palate struggled to adjust to SA wine, b
ut after living here for a while and after visiting over 100+ wine estates, I have found many wines which I really like and can highly recommend.

Admittingly, when you come from another country it is hard not to compare the wine in SA to what you are used to back home. However, once you realise they are not the same (they have their own characteristics due to the different soil, climate etc) and appreciate their wines for being SA wines, it will improve your opinion and experience of the wines immediately.

If you are staying in SA for a while, don't dispair, your palate will change, and you will soon find yourself liking SA wine over your home countries wine!!

I hope my blog will help wine lovers have an enjoyable wine experience while in SA.

Please note: I am not a wine connoisseur. The comments I write about the wine is mostly for my own benefit of having them on record.



Tuesday 27 August 2013

Keermont - Valley Wine Club Tasting

Today Keermont hosted the Valley Wine Club tasting. Alex Starey is the winemaker at Keermont and did an amazing job at showing us around, educating us on wine (in general), on Keermont wine, and how things are done at Keermont.


The Keermont cellar is very nice. It is an impressive building from the outside and inside. The entrance to the cellar is very stylish. Upstairs they have a room they use for tastings. They had the fireplace going which really set a nice atmosphere to the place and you can see the cellar from that room.


We started off tasting their white blend, the Terrasse 2012 (R120 a bottle) which is 31% Chenin Blanc, 30% Chardonnay, 30% Sauvignon Blanc,9% Viognier. This had an intense fruity apple nose with slight sherbert tones. I also got peach, apricot and whiskey on the nose. Soft, fruity and floral on the palate. Burnt/stewed fruit on the nose. Slight pear and celery on the finish.



We then went for a cellar tour. This was fantastic because Alex took us through the stages of the cellar from fermentation to labeling the bottle. He showed us how they bottle the wine with a small machine and how they label their wine by hand. We got to taste all the Keermont wine from the barrels. This is always interesting!! What impressed me the most was how relaxed he was and how much he made you feel comfortable enough to ask those questions which you never have the guts to ask most winemakers. He welcomed all questions we had and never made you feel that any of the questions were too silly to be asked. It truly was the most informative wine tasting I have ever had, I learned so much!!!


After tasting his wine from the barrels we went upstairs to taste the rest of the bottled wine. We tasted the 2011 Syrah (R160 a bottle). It had lovely dark berry aromas. 5% was new oak. The wine spent 24 months in barrels. This wine was a little spicy on the palate, with tones of blueberry and blackcurrent. There was pepper on the palate also. Slightly dry tannins. Tones of fynbos, cardimon and cinnamon on the nose.

Keermont (flagship) wine 2011 (R228 a bottle) was stunning!! 50% Merlot 30% Cabernet Sauvignon 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Syrah. It had a perfume nose. Great balance, flavour and tannin structure. Complex. Plenty of layers and flavour. Also a bit spicy and herbacious. Great depth on the palate. I even got hints of aniceed. This wine has 10 years plus aging potential.


This was truly one of the best wine tastings and cellar tours I have ever had!! Keermont does tastings on appointment only. If you do plan on visiting the Cape then be sure to contact Alex a few days (at least) in advance to try book a tasting, it is so worth it!!


Sunday 25 August 2013

Val Du Charron

We bought a Groupon deal to stay at the Val du Charron guesthouse which we used today. We bought this voucher in order to visit a few wine estates in Wellington and treat ourselves to a nice night away. We got to Val Du Charron at 3pm for the tasting and sadly the tasting room guy had left already (even though they close at 4pm), so we then asked the lady who told us this if she was willing to pour the wine for us so we could still taste the wine. She said she could do that but she doesn't know anything about the wine; she is still learning. That didn't worry us, as long as we could taste the wine.








While she was getting our wine tasting ready we had a look around the beautiful tasting room and went outside to admire the views.


We tasted the 2012 Four White Legs which is a blend of 33% Chenin Blanc, 24% Nouvelle, 20% Pinot Gris, 20% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Viognier. This sells for R69 a bottle. It had lovely white-flesh fruity flavours (white nectarine, peach etc), is smooth, medium body, fruity and has fresh acidity. It had a very fresh finish to it; a lime and acidic finish. This wine is a little sour but in a good way. It was nicely balanced.


Next we tried the Erasmus 2011 (R85 a bottle), which is 31% Merlot, 31% Pinotage, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 2% Shiraz. This was smooth, fruity and pleasant. It had flavours of blackcurrents and mulberry. It was light - medium body.


The third wine for tasting was the Black Countess 2011 which is 44% Shiraz, 24% Pinotage, 16% Mataro, 8% Carignan and 8% Grenache Noir. This was light on the palate, smooth, and had dark fruit flavours like dark cherry. I liked it. This is R85 a bottle.


Overall, the experience here was nice, it is just a shame that the tasting room person was not there to do a proper tasting.


We then checked in to our room which was nice and had a lovely view!! We saw in the room that they were advertising their coffee, so we decided to go to the tasting room to have a cup while enjoying the sunset. There was a different girl at the tasting room/reception and she said she didn't know how to use the coffee machine. I thought, ok, perhaps she is new, so I asked how long she had been there and she said 2 months. After the exprience we had with the tasting and coffee we doubted how good the three course meal could be so cancelled our booking and went somewhere else for dinner.

To fill in time before dinner we bought a bottle of their Girlfriends Chardonnay at only R39 a bottle to enjoy while watching the sunset. This wine was not too bad considering the price.





To be honest, I wouldn't recommend this hotel considering the prices they charge. Full price you pay around R1200/night for two people as they claim that they have four star facilities and features. On their brochure, they say they have DSTV in the rooms (which they do) but there are only a few channels you can access, the coffee they offer for room service is not available because not all staff on duty know how to use the machine, the room is small with a small balcony and you can tell that the room hadn't been cleaned properly when you see millipedes curled up on the floor in the bathroom.

The wine was nice but I wouldn't rave about it. If you are in Wellington then I would recommend you come here because of the beautiful views and tasting room. I would definitely not come here based on the service or for the accommodation (not at full price anyway and not for four star facilities). They truly need to look in to how they are managing that place if the staff in the reception/tasting room don't know the wine or how to make the coffee after two months! It was quite a disappointing experince to be honest. But this could partly be because we were so excited about staying at this place after looking at their website and seeing photos of the place. Perhaps if you don't expect much you will enjoy this place.

Diemersfontein

Today we decided to visit a few estates in Wellington. We started at Diemersfontein as it was about time I found out for myself how good their Pinotage really was.


This is a nice wine estate. They have a lovely view, a nice set up and a pleasant restaurant also. 




We went to the tasting room first and had to wait around 5 minutes before someone finally arrived to serve us. It was not a train smash (as the locals like to say) but not exactly a good start/first impression. Anyway, once Aubern was there, he informed us that we could taste 6 wines each and that the tasting was free.  As they have 14 wines, we chose 6 different wines each so we could try a total of 12 of the 14 wines. You would know from my previous reviews that I don't like to choose in case I miss out, so this was ideal.


We tried the For The Birds White Blend 2013 (R45 a bottle) first. This is a blend of 55% Chenin Blanc, 35% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Viognier. I found this light with a nice tropical aroma, tones of apricot and dried apricot flavours.



The second wine we tasted was the Thokozani Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay/Viognier 2012 at R55 a bottle. This was nice, smooth and medium body. It had nice layers and flavour, there were hints of pineapple and lime. It had a nice lingering finish and had a full mouth feel. I liked it.


Viognier 2011 at R89 a bottle was next. It had a beautiful citrus aroma, was a lovely smooth, fruity wine. Slight tones of apricot on the palate. It was nice. However, I didn't like the aftertaste.

Chenin Blanc 2011 at R89 a bottle was lovely, smooth, not overwhelmingly fruity, lovely lingering finish, balanced acidity, I liked it!!

Chenin Blanc 2013 at R49 a bottle was fresh, fruity, had nice acidity and a fresh finish. It was nice.

For the Birds! Red Blend 2010 at R45 a bottle is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. This was a pleasant fruity red wine. It was nice.

Shiraz 2012 at R80 a bottle was the favourite of the tasting. It smelled fruity, was pleasant on the palate, a little spicy, fruity tasting, slightly dry tannins. It was nice. We preferred this over the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 at R80 a bottle smelled lovely on the nose, was smooth on the palate, had dry tannins, I highly recommend decantering this wine. Both the Cab and the Shiraz have 4-6 years aging potential.


Summers Lease 2011 at R80 a bottle is a blend of 78% Shiraz, 21% Mouvedre, 1% Viognier. It was fruity, slightly spicy, a little dry also.

Malbec 2011 at R130 a bottle was smooth yet had dry tannins. It was fruity. I didn't like this wine. It had 10-12 years aging potential. Perhaps it is a bit young to be drinking now?

Pinotage 2012 (R85 a bottle) had a mocha smell and taste. It was smooth with light tannin structure. It was ok.

Pinotage Reserve 2011 (R140 a bottle) had dry tannins, was fruity, a bit more of a serious wine.

Overall, we weren't that impressed with the wine. The service was good, Aubern was friendly, polite and gave an informative tasting. The setting and views were nice and the vibe/atmosphere was enjoyable and relaxing.


We then moved to the restaurant for lunch. We sat outside and enjoyed the views. I had a glass of the Thokozani Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay/ Viognier and strangely it didn't taste like it did in the tasting room. The one I had in the tasting room tasted better. We enjoyed a nice two course meal here at Seasons Restaurant. The service was good, the staff were polite and friendly. The food was nice, the portions are quite big, so you are getting value for money here.

 
I recommend visiting this estate while in Wellington and would recommend eating at the restaurant also. Its not fine dining or anything close, but it was a pleasant experience overall.


Thursday 22 August 2013

Cape Winemakers Guild - Public Tasting

This is the first year I went to the CWG public tasting. I couldn't get over how many people attended this event. It was held at the CTICC and it was nice but I felt there were too many people.

We started off tasting all the white wines and by the time we had managed to do this we only had 30 minutes left to taste the red wines and we were running out of steam and getting hungry.

I do recommend going to this tasting, but it would be great if they could limit the number of people attending and perhaps hold it over two nights instead. Or allow more time to try the wines.

I have heard that there is another tasting where the winemakers tell you about their wine and it is more structured and enjoyable. This is called the Cape Winemakers Guild Final Pre-aution tasting. It is on the 4th of October. Unfortunately I can't make this tasting but will definitely try attend this tasting next year rather than go to the public tasting. You can find out more on the CWG on http://www.capewinemakersguild.com/events/index.asp. The CWG Auction dinners sound amazing also!!

The wines that stood out for me were:

Bartho Eksteen - HPF Vloekskoot Sauvignon Blanc 2012
 - Green and fruity. Sherbert. Nice. 
Carl Schultz - Hartenberg Auction Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
 - Exceptional. Full flavour
David Traford - Sijnn Syrah 2011
Miles Mossop - Tokara Tribute 2012
 - 50/50 Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, 11 months in 40% new oak. Amazing nose, very full in flavour, mangosteen and guava especially came through.
Pierre Wahl - Rijks CWG Chenin Blanc 2012
 - Light, fruity, soft, lovely! Stunning! Smooth.
Pierre Wahl - Rijks CWG Shiraz 2011
 - very nice!
Pieter Ferreira - Graham Beck Non Plus Ultra Cap Classique 2009
 - Amazing!! Mousse. Fine bubbles. Off dry. Lovely!
Rianie Strydom - Haskell Vineyards Merlot 2010
 - a stunning wine. Hints of mocha.

Other wines that were nice and I liked:

Carl Schultz - Hartenberg Auction Reserve Shiraz 2010
Danie Steytler - Kaapzicht Cape Blend 2010
Danie Steytler - Kaapzicht CWG Cape Blend 2009
David Nieuwoudt - Cederberg Ghost Corner Sauvignon Blanc 2012
 - green, lime, mineal, lingering finish.
Duncan Savage - Cape Point The Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2011
 - nice. Grapefruit.
Gary Jordan - Jordan Chardonnay Auction Reserve 2012
 - lightly wooded
Gottfried Mocke - Cape Chamonix Chardonnay Reserve 2012
 - lightly wooded Chardonnay
Johan Joubert - Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Chenin Blanc 2012
 - bit green. Minerality.
John Loubser - John Loubser Thirteen 2011
John Loubser - Steenberg Nebbiolo 2011
 - soft, pleasant, nicely balanced.
Neil Ellis - Auction Reserve Pinotage 2011
 - Very smooth and fruity.

Wines I didn't like:
AA Badenhorst White GrenacheVuilgoed 3 2012
Jeff Grier - Villiera MCC 2009
 - Smelled like fermenting apples and tasted like apple cider. Something was very wrong with this MCC.

Tuesday 20 August 2013

Dornier - Wine Club

Today it was Dorniers turn to host the Valley Wine Club tasting. Dornier is a beautiful wine estate!! The views are just spectacular. Check out the location, the buildings and the views:






The view from the tasting room:


The restaurant Bodego is beside the tasting room in an old dutch building:


The tasting room is a nice size and with homely decor:

  



Louise Starey hosted tonights tasting at Dornier. Louise has such a great knowledge on wine and is an asset and ambassador to Dornier. She welcomed us at the door, we were promptly given a glass of wine on arrival while we waited for everyone to arrive. She was the one to point out to everyone that the sun was setting, so we all went outside to take photos and admire the view. Louise is building a nice relationship with the new female winemaker at Dornier, so she is able to tell stories about what is happening in the cellar and it shows her true interest in wine. It is awesome to see that someone who is passionate and informative about wine is at the tasting room at Dornier. If you are looking for a nice place to enjoy a meal, soak up beautiful views and recieve an informative tasting on good quality wine then Dornier is the place for you.


We started the evening off with a tasting of their Cocoa Hill Chenin Blanc (R48 a bottle). This had a fruity nose, was medium body, smooth, fruity - more so that of stone fruits, it was acidic. This wine was ok but I didn't really like it.

Cocoa Hill Sauvignon Blanc (R63 a bottle) had a tropical fruity nose, was light, fresh, crisp, off dry, it had hints of guava and gooseberries, it was nice and I liked it.

Cocoa Hill Rose 2013 is made from 100% Merlot (R48 a bottle). It was pressed on the skins only so had a beautiful light salmon colour. It was off dry, had lovely flavour - that of peaches and cream on the palate, nice finish, it had a peach and strawberry aftertaste. I was really impressed by this wine so bought a few bottles. Such good value for money!!!

Cocoa Hill Red 2010 (R63 a bottle) is a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Shiraz and 10% Cabernet Franc. It had nice dark berry fruits on the nose and same on the palate. It was pleasant, smooth and fruity.

From the Dornier Range we tasted the following:
Dornier Merlot 2007 (R94 a bottle) had slight green pepper (capsicum) on the nose, is a little spicy, medium body, smooth, fine tannins/little powdery and had a thorny finish. It's nice but I don't like it and wouldn't buy it.

Dornier Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (R94 a bottle) is a little spicy, little dry, light-medium body, I like it!!

Dornier Pinotage 2011 (R94 a bottle) is very nice. It is slightly spicy, has lovely dark fruity flavours, nice body (light - medium), is a little dry, I really liked this wine!!!

Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot (R94 a bottle) is 50% Cabernet and 50% Merlot. It has slight pepper/capsicum aromas, medium body, a little dry, I am undecided if I like this wine.

From the Dornier Donatus Range we tasted:
Dornier Donatus White 2011 (R153 a bottle) which is a blend of 85% Chenin Blanc and 15% Semillon. It has an unusual smell, something along the lines of orange peel or zest. It was smooth on the palate and had a lovely finish. Only 2000-3000 bottles are produced of this wine. I found it more of a food wine. It had medium body, is lightly wooded, it was recommended that this wine be served with pork belly, gorgonzolla cheese or seafood. I thought this wine was nice, I liked it.

Dornier Donatus Red was a heavier red, dry and fruity. It is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec and 8% Cabernet Franc. It spent 16 months in barrels of which 50% was new oak.

My favourites of the evening were the Dornier Pinotage, Dornier Cabernet Sauvignon, Cocoa Hill SB and Cocoa Hill Rose.

I definitely would recommed you visit this estate if in and around Stellenbosch. As mentioned the views are spectacular, the service is very good and they have a lovely restaurant on the estate also. If you can come in the evening to catch the sunset it is well worth it:

We all thoroughly enjoyed the wine tasting experience at Dornier:




Monday 19 August 2013

Waterford Estate - Second visit

One of the best wine tasting experiences I have ever had!! A stunning place, great service, informative tasting, lovely wine and a relaxing vibe. I loved this place!!


I just loved the feeling I had as I drove up to this estate. The long driveway with the destination at the end of the road always in view. The gorgeous Tuscan style building giving me that feeling like I am about to experience something very special. On a sunny day like it was today, I couldn't not stop to take photos and soak up the stunning grounds.


As I walked up the stairs I was greeted by one of the staff, she pointed out where I can enjoy a wine tasting and where the bathrooms are. I took my time taking photos on my way in to the tasting room and then again as I found a table outside in the courtyard.



This estate just has it all. From the building, to the staff, to the wine, to the music. They have the whole package down pat!! The only thing is, this place is such a nice place to hang out, it would just top it off if they served food. I could then spend the whole day here!! As it was, I spent two hours just enjoying a wine tasting. I felt so relaxed here.


You can view the video I took at Waterford Estate on http://youtu.be/W_ls-nfDjjM. I took this video to take in the music, views and vibe at this estate.

Waterford Estate was one of the first wine estates I visited when I moved to SA. I was therefore curious to see what my opinion would be on this place three years later. I left with an even greater feeling than the first time. It was truly memorable.


A standard wine tasting is R40. The chocolate and wine tasting is R45.  A Waterford Estate Library Collection tasting is R200 (pre-bookings only). The Jem tasting is R50. They also have a Waterford Estate Wine Drive at R550 per person (pre-bookings only).

I did the wine tasting plus the chocolate and wine pairing (R65). This chocolate and wine tasting is one of the best in the Western Cape, so if you do visit this estate, be sure to do this tasting. I was served by Jessica, she was very polite, welcoming and informative. I couldn't critique one thing about how she did the tasting, it was really well done and in a friendly and professional manner.


First I tasted the 2012 Waterford Estate Rose Mary (R65 a bottle). This is a blend of Sangiovese, Mouvedre, Malbec, Barbera and Grenache. It had a lovely aroma, was smooth on the palate and refreshing. It was a nice light, off-dry wine with strawberry, peach and lime flavours. It had a nice lingering finish. I liked this wine. 

2010 Waterford Estate Sauvignon Blanc (R95 a bottle) is from a single vineyard which is 25 years old. This wine spent 8 months on the lees. Had light-medium body. It was refreshing and very pleasant. It had light aromas with hints of apple and tropical fruit aromas (including pineapple and coconut). It was smooth on the palate. It was nicely balanced with low acidity, slight minerality, full mouth feel and a lovely finish. It was just stunning, a beautiful wine. I liked it!!!!

2012 Pecan Stream Chenin Blanc (R45 a bottle) is a blend of 95% Chenin Blanc with 5% Viognier. It had a gorgeous smooth, round, creamy nose. Slight apple and cinnamon on the nose. This wine reminds me of stewed fruit and custard (from the smell of the wine). What you smell is what you taste, so on the palate I also got stewed fruit and custard with a nice smooth feeling on the palate. This was a very pleasant wine with a slightly tart finish. It will be great with food. I liked this wine.


2011 Waterford Estate Chardonnay (R140 a bottle) spent 7 months in barrels; 30% new barrels and 70% 2nd fill. This wine had nice light Chardonnay characteristics coming through on the nose. Prominent pear on the palate. Very smooth and light wine. Unusual aftertaste. It was a nice wine but I am not sure if I like it because of the aftertaste. It was nice/ok.

2010 Pecan Stream Pebble Hill (R59 a bottle) is a blend of Shiraz, Mouvedre, Barbera, Sangiovese and Grenache. It was a little dry on the palate. Spent 14 months in 2nd and 3rd fill barrels. Blackcurrents and dark berry aromas. It was ok.

2009 Kevin Arnold Shiraz (R175 a bottle) had medium body, was a little dry, had a lovely nose, tight tannins, dark berry/blackcurrent taste, good lingering aftertaste, smooth, good wine, just a bit more serious than the others. Spent 16 months in new and 2nd fill barrels. I liked this wine.

 - this wine was paired with the Masala Chai dark chocolate. The chocolate was yum. It definitely pairs nicely with this wine bringing out the mocha and slight spicy flavours.

2010 Waterford Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (R165 a bottle) was a smooth wine!! It had nice aromas, was a little dry, medium body, nice berry flavours. It had a lovely lingering finish.This was a lovely wine. I liked it!!

 - this wine was paired with the Rock Salt dark chocolate. It also paired nicely. Neither the wine or the chocolate was too powerful in flavour and complimented each other nicely. 


N/V The Family Reserve Heatherleigh (R120 a bottle) had a lovely aroma of peach, honey and floral notes. Not too sweet but a little on the syrupy side.

 - This wine was paired with Rose Geranium milk chocolate. The chocolate was yum. It reminded me of turkish delight. The chocolate changed the wine slightly. It felt lighter with more honey and floral tones.

During my wine tasting Kevin Arnold (winemaker and owner) came and introduced himself. It was pretty cool to be sitting at Waterford enjoying a wine tasting over a conversation with the winemaker himself. It is awesome to see that he is a hands on winemaker/owner who is on the farm and mingles with guests.


On my way out a gentleman offered to help me carry my purchases to the car, I couldn't have had a better finish to my time at Waterford Estate. Truly perfection from start to finish!! What a wine estate, what an experience!! I highly recommend visiting this wine estate!! To the extent that if you have time to visit only one estate while in Cape Town or Stellenbosch, make this estate it!!

Tuesday 13 August 2013

Alto

Today we went to Alto for our Valley Wine Club. Mellissa Smit was the host of the evening. She set up a pate and wine tasting for us. This is R50 per person. It includes a tasting of three wines with matching pates. If you want to do a wine tasting only it is R10 for a tasting of 3 wines and a port tasting is R10.


I like the decor at Alto. They have a nice outdoor patio with outdoor furniture for you to enjoy your tasting outside. Alternatively you are welcome to sit inside beside the fireplace in winter or you can perch yourself on one of the bar stools and enjoy the tasting at the wine bar.



The vibe here is very nice and I feel it has a lot to do with the decor of the place. I have now been  here twice and enjoyed it both times.

We started with the Alto Rouge 2011 (R65 a bottle) which was served with smoked chicken pate. Followed by the Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (R150 a bottle) Snoek Pate and then the Alto Shiraz 2010 (R150 a bottle) with chicken liver pate. All were matched very nicely but my favourite was definitely the Cabernet Sauvignon with the snoek pate. We finished the tasting with the Alto Fine Old Vintage 2006 (R250 a bottle) which is a port and it was divine. Absolutely my favourite, I couldn't resist buying a bottle!!



My notes on the wine:
The Alto Rouge is a beautiful, soft, fruity wine. It has lovely berry flavours, it is very nice.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 is interesting, it has earthy and savoury aromas, slightly dry tannins. This wine paired so nicely with the smoked snoek pate!!

Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - this was such a treat being able to taste this older vintage!! It was delicious!! It reminded me slightly of sherry (maybe on the nose more than the palate), it was fruity, smooth and yum!! I loved it!! If you can get your hands on this vintage then I highly recommend buying it!!

Shiraz 2010 won double gold in Michelangelo 2012 competition. It is heavier than the other wines, with lovely berry and spicy flavours. It is a little dry and probably best served with food.

The port is 100% Shiraz and it was smooth and delicious. A must have!!!


I thoroughly enjoyed the tasting at Alto. It was informative, interesting, the wine is fantastic and of good quality, and we were made to feel very welcome here. I highly recommend visiting Alto. I especially recommend doing the pate and wine pairing.





Friday 9 August 2013

Diemersdal

Diemersdal is our favourite wine estate!! This is the only wine estate that my boyfriend and I have gone out of our way to drive to the estate to buy cases of their wine (already knowing which wines we want to buy).

 
Since their restaurant opened this year we have been there twice, both times on Fridays to enjoy their R100 (I think I heard that it is now R120) tapas platter and will continue to go back. The price of the Diemersdal wine is at the same price as cellar door, our favourite wine is the Grenache.



While at Diemersdal we decided to do another tasting. The tasting room manager Pierre-Benn is a real asset to this wine estate. He makes everyone feel so welcome and he knows the wine so well.  We tasted several of their wines while there. We liked the Chardonnay unwooded 2013 at R54 a bottle, the Sauvignon Rose 2013 at R45 a bottle, Grenache 2011 at R95 a bottle, Merlot 2012 at R72 a bottle, Pinotage Reserve 2012 at R100 a bottle, and Private Collection 2011 at R100 a bottle.


I highly recommend visiting this wine estate when you are in Cape Town!! You will receive great service, taste fantastic wine and you can enjoy a lovely lunch without it costing you a pretty penny. Enjoy :-)

You can see my review on Dimersdal from the first time I visited on http://westerncapewineries.blogspot.com/2011/11/diemersdal.html.