tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67788721633938068452024-02-02T15:08:55.527-08:00Wineries in the Western Cape(a Kiwi's opinion)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.comBlogger254125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-74488354245926350762017-03-11T12:20:00.000-08:002017-04-02T12:32:00.336-07:00Klein Roosboom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A wine friend and I visited two wineries in Durbanville area today; Hillcrest and Klein Roosboom.<br />
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The last time I went to Klein Roosboom was on my birthday a few years ago, and prior to that when they had a Sauvignon Blanc wine festival in 2011. When my friend suggested we go there today I thought it was about time I revisited the place.<br />
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We walked in and went all the way down to the end of the tasting room. As we walked through the room, past the long table in the middle of the room, struggling to get past, we looked in to each room on the side, where people could enjoy a tasting in "private". As I walked past each room and peered in to see how each room was uniquely decorated, I felt like I was walking through a brothel. It was weird. So weird, I didn't take photos of the rooms, it didn't seem right to peer in to a room and take a photo of the people in the room. The concept is cool, but it just had a weird feeling as you look in and people look up at you, wishing you weren't looking.<br />
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<br />After walking all the way in to the tasting room, struggling to get past the tables and the staff serving them, we walked all the way back out, yet again looking in to every room with different themes in each one, and sat outside for our tasting. I felt much better once outside. It was spacious and lighter than inside.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend Janine</td></tr>
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My friend had done a sabrage last time she was at this winery, so we asked to do it this time also, which we did. You pay for the bottle of MCC and to experience the sabrage is at no extra cost. It was awesome getting to do it with the sabor and the MCC was delicious too. They had sold out of their own MCC, so they alternate with various MCCs in the area. This in my opinion is pretty dam cool that they are willing to show a neighbours wine at their own tasting room. I take my hat off to them. There are few wineries that would do this. The MCC was very delicious also. Next time we visit I look forward to tasting the Klein Roosboom MCC.<br />
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<br />The tasting was amazing. The guy serving us was so passionate and enthusiastic and informative. The wines were ok, but not great enough to buy a bottle. Last time I visited this place I thought the Sauvignon Blanc was nice and did buy a bottle that time. As you would know, wine is one of those things that is subjective, and not everyone is going to like the same wine. I loved the experience here so much that I would still come back.<br />
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We followed the tasting with a cheese and charcuterie board. This was divine. <br />
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This is a very nice option for if you are visiting the Durbanville wine region. We had a great time and hope you will too.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-72570897370909971622017-03-07T11:00:00.000-08:002017-04-02T13:14:24.051-07:00Chris Alheit Cartology<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjljkEh40Fepza01_7kYH53nSHaylbvMy4rKaOXVa2GON6swpIIytc8eBk5FVQwmVLbK0KNa8GmN0gFTup7BmT5X1t-CNSww6wDO1VptDNVSbOsdFAtLJQ9jSxDrtazq2GKg-CwSn3r7u/s1600/20170307_104218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjljkEh40Fepza01_7kYH53nSHaylbvMy4rKaOXVa2GON6swpIIytc8eBk5FVQwmVLbK0KNa8GmN0gFTup7BmT5X1t-CNSww6wDO1VptDNVSbOsdFAtLJQ9jSxDrtazq2GKg-CwSn3r7u/s320/20170307_104218.jpg" width="180" /></a>Today was one of those days that I got to tick off a box from my bucket list. I got to meet Chris Alheit at his winery and taste his wines. What a treat, what an experience and what an honour.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmI4q1MYuwuGkMiNLyftGcfj7USka4ciQgiS7sSSiOcob2sSYCG0bZlIAU6UG2t4vAbRWHTGjloQ2ebbiInuTCVypgI1VFlbLvXcsPWezVRNUrhSMKkic4dYMZWAsl4ZGdOc1WQMxJzOUm/s1600/20170307_120532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmI4q1MYuwuGkMiNLyftGcfj7USka4ciQgiS7sSSiOcob2sSYCG0bZlIAU6UG2t4vAbRWHTGjloQ2ebbiInuTCVypgI1VFlbLvXcsPWezVRNUrhSMKkic4dYMZWAsl4ZGdOc1WQMxJzOUm/s320/20170307_120532.jpg" width="320" /></a>I was lucky to get this opportunity as I had offered to drive a guest from Japan to visit some wineries in the Hemel-en-Arde wine route while she was here in SA.<br />
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Through her involvement in the wine industry in Japan, she was invited to see a few of the top winemakers in SA, one of which was Chris Alheit.<br />
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We started off with a cellar tour, he showed us the different vessels he uses and explained the way he makes his wines.<br />
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Chris uses a minimal interference wine making style where he leaves the grapes to do the talking. He simply guides the grapes in to the bottle. <br />
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We then went through to the office to taste his wines. We started with the two Flotsam and Jetsam wines. The Cinsault is one of my favourite red wines here in SA. It is super easy to drink, juicy, vibrant and fantastic with or without food.<br />
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The other favourites of mine were the..... Cartology, Magnetic North, La Colline Vineyard and the Hemelrand Vine Garden. All of these wines are made in very small quantities. They are hard to come by so if you find a bottle in the store, buy it, immediately! His wines sell out FAST!<br />
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If you ever get the chance to meet and/or taste Chris Alheit's wine, you must take the opportunity with open arms. If you don't get the opportunity to taste with him, then be sure to either buy yourself a bottle of his wine to enjoy at home or next time you see it at a restaurant, order it, you won't be disappointed. His wines are breathtaking.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-90082113490138638552017-02-05T11:00:00.000-08:002017-04-02T11:04:03.541-07:00Lynx<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Rcg4GAC1YFrPIYFddmKo_mQ8shoSVraT1JZEagc8dfTy7hS4jBIRIIJfqI7EMFX88zGo-mKBMe3gc_yjg8Hdj1IvtwDzZfZfSflytpCi5CytIS9Oiu8ILnHybvxHWnVPTfm6r5ei9-pp/s1600/20170205_105205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Rcg4GAC1YFrPIYFddmKo_mQ8shoSVraT1JZEagc8dfTy7hS4jBIRIIJfqI7EMFX88zGo-mKBMe3gc_yjg8Hdj1IvtwDzZfZfSflytpCi5CytIS9Oiu8ILnHybvxHWnVPTfm6r5ei9-pp/s200/20170205_105205.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFo3Mm4Cj63O8IzisubzhgYTGc5KxWU6eyXBjg-ubh5OyDIfjtP0Qcwqqh-qDKoPI2DZF1eOBCkmv4xNDLaMn3hylNbIgQDXNnlyi_kNyggkt5Q0A5YSB4W-Ir3LiXOKIfdNvKMfPwdxS/s1600/20170205_104300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFo3Mm4Cj63O8IzisubzhgYTGc5KxWU6eyXBjg-ubh5OyDIfjtP0Qcwqqh-qDKoPI2DZF1eOBCkmv4xNDLaMn3hylNbIgQDXNnlyi_kNyggkt5Q0A5YSB4W-Ir3LiXOKIfdNvKMfPwdxS/s200/20170205_104300.jpg" width="200" /></a>Today I was very lucky to have a private cellar tour and tank tasting during harvest, with the winemaker Helgard van Schalkwyk.<br />
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We started off by tasting the bottled Lynx Rose which was followed by various tank samples of the Lynx Rose in the cellar. It was interesting to see how the colour of the wine varies depending on whether it has started fermentation, is half way through fermentation or has completed fermentation. If I remember correctly, the wine went lighter in colour after fermentation. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeru6zNqo-_f28TFmy6hWk8qL4t-NNmHAHIcrR0PCosMAia6vd-6fNLf3vyuSiEfvNuQ4OUhZnYoFZGg1c38fgrOGLGY9UJdJ1YnKt9i4JVTWZHUsZn-ygg241PuYjrS-QFjUcLnyXW-38/s1600/20170205_114128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeru6zNqo-_f28TFmy6hWk8qL4t-NNmHAHIcrR0PCosMAia6vd-6fNLf3vyuSiEfvNuQ4OUhZnYoFZGg1c38fgrOGLGY9UJdJ1YnKt9i4JVTWZHUsZn-ygg241PuYjrS-QFjUcLnyXW-38/s320/20170205_114128.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lynx Rose before and after fermentation</td></tr>
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We tasted some red wines from barrel and then finished in the tasting room to go through the rest of the range. We were really spoiled and this was truly such an awesome experience. I was really surprised to see they use a basket press in the cellar and that they have the old fashion fermentation tanks. This winery is far more back to basics in their wine-making style than I realised.<br />
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Helgard is a really lovely person, very down to earth, friendly and passionate about his work. I mean, who agrees to meet someone on a Sunday at work, to show them what they are working on? :-p But he appeared to love every moment, so I think that says a lot about his passion and enthusiasm for the job.<br />
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I have been to this winery on one other occasion which was during the Uncorked wine festival, where they had tastings in the tasting room, live music outside and a food truck serving Mexican food. It was a lovely set up and very relaxed.<br />
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I can highly recommend visiting Lynx. The building is simple but the service is superb and the wines are fantastic. Be sure to check it out.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-35702890108717889942016-12-29T16:00:00.000-08:002017-04-02T06:05:18.261-07:00Bouchard Finlayson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have had an interesting relationship with Bouchard Finlayson winery. The first time we visited was around 5 years ago, and it wasn't a great experience. Then through SASA I attended a Bouchard Finlayson tasting with Peter Finlayson and it was amazing. We tried 12 different wines, some the same wine from different vintages, some of his CWG wines and some international wines for comparison.<br />
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Mr Finlayson was so kind, informative and generous. We tasted wines in four flights and with canapes courtesy of The Open Door. <br />
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After such a great experience, I decided to go back to the winery again. The place was busy as it was over Christmas but we had a great tasting and the Pinot Noirs really stood out for me. I also loved the Crocodiles Lair Chardonnay.<br />
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My thoughts on this winery has changed. If you are really in to your wine go here. Buy wine to age and to enjoy with food. Buy the wine to enjoy at special ocassions and with special people. These wines are classic and a must have in your cellar.<br />
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Chrissyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13368462667087216078noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-33546125577278436192016-12-29T14:00:00.000-08:002017-04-02T04:52:58.554-07:00Wijnskool<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It was nice to get back in to some wineries this weekend, while spending a weekend in Hermanus. One place on my list was Wijnskool, as I was a big fan of Bartho Eksteen's wines at HPF so I had to see what he was up to now with his own winery. <br />
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Sadly Bartho was not at the winery the day I visited, but we were happy
to do the tasting with his son Pieter Willem. About 5 or 6 years ago when we did a vertical tasting of HPF #3
Sauvignon Blanc, Bartho's son also did the tasting with us. Since then, he has finished university and is very hands on, working with his father at Wijnskool.It was awesome to see what he has achieved in the past few years.<br />
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The Eksteen family are fun, friendly and very passionate about wine and the industry. The same comes
through in the wine. They put a lot of energy and focus in to what they
are making and it shows.<br />
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Their purpose in what they are trying to achieve in their wines comes through, they have a set goal and style in mind and they go out to achieve that. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the tasting room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the tasting room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the tasting room from the car park</td></tr>
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The tasting room is very humble and rustic. It is in a lovely setting. It is very relaxing and calming.<br />
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We sat inside for our tasting to start with and moved outside once the group had left. Bartho's son told us many stories and it was great to catch up and see what they were doing post HPF.<br />
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The wines were lovely and you can feel comfortable ordering any of their wines from a wine list.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out on the patio you can sit and enjoy the tasting</td></tr>
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I don't have my tasting notes on me now. I will upload these as soon as I find them. In the meantime, what I can tell you from memory, is their Sauvignon Blanc rocks. We had it blind at a tasting a few months ago, and from the nose, I was almost convinced it was a NZ Sauvignon Blanc due to the pronounced tropical fruit aromatics. It is a beauty and worth finding a bottle.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-37055991475491257102015-08-23T08:10:00.002-07:002015-08-23T08:12:57.197-07:00Kleinood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I contacted the winery an hour in advance to let them know I was wanting to come for a tasting. They were very accommodating and happy for me to come through.<br />
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I was greeted by Jessica in the tasting room, and was led to a map on the wall. She explained that the farm is 12 hectares, 10 of which vines have been planted and two are planted with olive trees. When the farm was purchased in 2000, extensive soil tests were done and it was decided that Syrah would be the ideal grape here. 8 of the 10 hectares have been planted with Syrah, 1 hectare is for Viognier and another hectare for Mourvedre.<br />
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The wine farm is called Kleinood which is an Afrikaans word meaning small and precious. The wine however is called Tamboerskloof which I found interesting. I asked Jessica why the wine was called this and she explained that the owners used to live in the Tamboerskloof area in Cape Town for 25 years and with their fondness and memories from this area they decided to name their wine Tamboerskloof. Tamboerskloof means the valley of the drums.<br />
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We then sat down at the long table in the tasting room and tasted three wines. Here are my notes on the wines:<br />
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Tamboerskloof Rose is 100% Syrah (R76 a bottle). They use the free run juice of this grape to make the rose. Unlike many wineries, Kleinood doesn't use the leftover grape skins to make red wine. These grapes are designated for Rose. The wine was lovely, the aromatics were medim-pronounced in intensity. It had strawberries/red berrries on the nose, fresh, citrus and lime flavours. This wine was named after the owners daughter, Katharien.<br />
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Next we tasted the Tamboerskloof Viognier (R108 a bottle). This consists of 90% Viognier and 10% Roussanne. They mature this wine in 300L and 500L old french oak barrels. This wine had a pronounced nose with fruit and spice. It was delicate, soft, light on the palate, with marmelade and spice on the finish. It needs to breathe and open up to get the full impact of body and flavour on the mid palate. Ideally you wouldn't want to serve this wine too cold either.<br />
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Tamboerskloof Syrah 2011 has 5% Mourvedre and 1% Viognier (R145 a bottle). Spent 20 months in barrel, 10-15% new oak. This had a deep ruby colour, was shy on the nose, smooth, savoury on palate, rich flavour, a little spicy, and a lovely mouth-feel. It was a very elegant wine.<br />
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The wines are all good quality and I feel very good value for the price.<br />
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On my way out, I admired the beautiful grounds just outside the tasting room. I wonder if they do tastings outside? It is very pretty!<br />
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A few weeks after this tasting, I dined at Il Leone restaurant with some friends and I chose a bottle of the Tamboerskloof Syrah to enjoy with our dinner. It was beautiful and all of us enjoyed the wine! I can highly recommend visiting this winery, and ordering a bottle at a restaurant. I truly feel you can't go wrong with any of their wines! <br />
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At the winery they also sell olive oil, which is made from their own olive trees. They sell this for R93 a bottle. With the wine tasting you get to try this also.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-21768878025195132042015-07-18T14:40:00.000-07:002015-07-29T15:05:26.135-07:00Vondeling - second visit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today we were on our way to Riebeek Kasteel for a weekend away. On our way there we drove past Vondeling and I decided to stop for a tasting as it had been a few years since I last tasted their wine and my boyfriend had not been there before and I wanted to show him the place.<br />
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To see my notes from my first visit please go to http://westerncapewineries.blogspot.com/2013/04/vondeling.html <br />
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The place was quite busy. I found out that they had recently done a Groupon special where you can have lunch and wine tasting for a special price. The meal looked scrumptious and I was envious of all these Groupon customers!<br />
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On arrival the staff were very welcoming and polite. We were lead to the bar/counter to do the wine tasting and then Marian came to conduct the tasting with us. <br />
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The tasting room here is humble and lovely. As it was during the winter months the fire place was going and everyone was happy to be inside.<br />
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The church is now finished making the venue even more ideal for a wedding, not to mention the views. There is a lovely outdoor area at the tasting room with views over the vineyards with the mountains in the not far distance. <br />
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Vondeling has a lovely range of wines and they are fairly priced. I can highly recommend coming out to Vondeling for a tasting. I am sure you will enjoy the charm, warmth and kind hospitality that the staff show here.<br />
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<b>Tasting notes:</b><br />
Vondeling Rose 2015 - 100% Merlot Rose. Pronounced nose, nice viscosity, red berries on the palate. Great fruit flavour with some spice. Very nice. R49.50 a bottle.<br />
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Vondeling Petit Blanc 2014 - 60% Chenin Blanc, 28% Chardonnay, 12% Viognier. Pretty floral character on the nose. Fresh flavours on the palate. It is fruity, green fruit to be more specific, with some lime that lingers on the finish. I liked this wine. R49.50 a bottle<br />
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Vondeling Sauvignon Blanc 2015. Sweet tropical fruit aromas including guava and gooseberry. It has intense flavour and reminds me of a NZ Sauvignon blanc. A lovely wine! R65 a bottle.<br />
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These first three wines turned out to be my favourite from the range. They are great value for money; you can't go wrong with these wines!<br />
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Vondeling Chardonnay 2013 - buttery, honey, butterscotch, heavy.<br />
Vondeling Chardonnay 2014 - light aromatics, fresh, lighter in style to the 2013, pleasant.<br />
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Vondeling Barbera 2013 (flagship white) - 60% Chenin Blanc, 15% Grenache Blanc, 15% Viognier and 10% Chardonnay. Babiana is named after a flower on their property which is endemic to the area. When you visit this winery, you can see a photo of this flower on the wall. This wine has good body, has a slight waxy texture/mouth feel. Stone fruit flavour. This is a good wine. R135 a bottle.<br />
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Vondeling Petit Rouge 2014 - 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium intensity on the nose, black fruit flavours, good tannin structure, liquorice. Good depth in flavour. R49.50 a bottle.<br />
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Vondeling Baldrick Shiraz 2013 - 93% Shiraz, 6% Mourvedre and 1% Viognier. I wasn't a fan of the nose on this wine, it had a slight earthy/manure smell. It had good depth in colour, was smooth and had good concentration in flavour. More along the lines of dark fruit flavours. Tannins are present. R70 a bottle.<br />
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Vondeling Erica Shiraz 2011 - 86% Shiraz, 10% Grenache Noir, 3.6% Mourvedre and 0.4% Viognier. This had a beautiful (and pretty) nose, with some sweet notes of vanilla. It was spicy, a little dry (tannins) but not harsh or undrinkable. Violets and floral tones. R139 a bottle.<br />
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Vondeling Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 - lovely red fruit aromatics, with some slightly sweet spice and cigar hints on the nose. Lovely ripe fruit flavour, dry, and a little bit of spice. R102 a bottle.<br />
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After reading my previous post on this wine estate, I feel this one doesn't do it enough justice, in regards to the charm and warmth of this place. Please do read my post from the first visit as I hope it will encourage you to make the journey out to this estate.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-17946190307798394642015-07-04T15:30:00.000-07:002015-07-10T12:32:31.310-07:00Gin Tasting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today I joined two others in a Gin tasting to see how the gins I have from overseas compare to what we can get locally here in South Africa. I have looked online for retail prices and then exchanged them in to Rand at today's exchange rate. I thought it would be good to see how they differ in regards to price.<br />
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South Gin (NZ) NZ$45.90 = R375<br />
- Had a candy character on initial taste and heaps of liquorice on the finish. Lingered for a long time! <br />
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Hendriks (Scotland) NZ$59.95 = R500<br />
- What really showed on this in comparison to the
others is the texture. It was much thicker in consistency than the
others. More floral on the nose. Candy, cucumber and botanicals on
taste.<br />
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Uncle Vals (USA) US$45 = R560<br />
- Cucumber on the nose. Citrus/marmalade on taste. <br />
Woodstock (local) R180<br />
- Prominent butterscotch on the nose. Good viscosity but not as much as Hendriks.<br />
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The Botanist (Scotland) NZ$75 = R630 <br />
- not offensive on the nose or palate. Definitely the best sipping gin.<br />
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Tanqueray No. 10 (USA) NZ$73 = R630<br />
- pleasant nose, good viscosity, candy and citrus flavours.<br />
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Inveroche classic (local) R350<br />
- Citrus on the nose, nice viscosity, spearmint, alcohol wasn't offensive.<br />
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Bombay (England) NZ$48 = R400<br />
- like a slap in the face after the other gins. Not offensive on the nose however. <br />
Inveroche Amber (local) R350<br />
- Cola on the nose.<br />
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This was a fun exercise! It was nice to be tasting something other than wine and to sit down and really understand the characteristics of gin. It seems the Uncle Vals which we only had a shot left of, was the favourite. Sadly I can't get more of that unless I go back to the US or someone brings me a bottle. The Woodstock was a stand out gin. The Botanist showed as the best sipping wine, the South Gin was a favourite in flavour, and the Hendriks won on viscosity. The Inveroche showed well against all these gins and made us proud to have a high quality local gin on the market. The Bombay was very much out of place!<br />
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I would love to get some more gins and do this again in a year's time. I wonder what wonderful gins we can find by then. It might be quicker, easier and cheaper to hit Mother's Ruin in Cape Town!?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-22792120342060617962015-06-16T10:00:00.000-07:002015-07-05T14:42:50.330-07:00Phizante Kraal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well this was a surprise find on my doorstep! A friend of mine told me about a lovely breakfast she had at this winery (Phizantekraal) not far from where we live. Then one day, my boyfriend surprised me with a trip to Phizantekraal for breakfast.<br />
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This is not even 5 minutes drive from where we live and we have now dined here twice since finding out about it. The main building where the restaurant is, was built in the 1700's. They have built an extension for the tasting room. The place looks modern, smart and yet quaint and charming. I love the place.<br />
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My battery on my camera died when I wanted to take a photo of the building, so I have taken this photo from the Phizantekraal website. You can see the front part (the brick part) is the new extension to the original building with the thatch roof in the back.<br />
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Here is a photo I took inside the restaurant. You can see they have a high ceiling and looks really nice with all the wooden columns: <br />
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We had a very nice breakfast. The menu is small but there is something for everyone whether you want the good old bacon and eggs, something sweet like french toast or something warm and wintery like porridge. Our meals were nice and the service was fine, though they did take a while to bring the bill; I had to ask a few times for it.<br />
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There was a big group celebrating a Grandma's birthday on the day we dined here. I have to say this restaurant is ideal for couples, families, baby showers, birthday celebrations and more. It really does cater for everyone and the setting is so humble, low key and relaxed. <br />
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After breakfast we went through to the tasting room to try the wines. They have a wall of jars filled with different aromas for characters of wine. They have a big range of aromas like tobacco, aniceed, wet rocks, almonds plus many more. We spent a good amount of time smelling all the jars, it was a lot of fun.<br />
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This picture is from the Phizantekraal website. As you can see, the tasting room is very modern and has lovely big windows for you to enjoy the view. Like the day we visited the weather it was a bit dismal and it looks like it was the day this photo was taken too. I can imagine on a clear day the views must be very nice. Even when the weather wasn't great, the views were also lovely. <br /><br />
Now, getting to the wines, I was impressed. Apparently they have been selling off their grapes for a long time and still sell off a good portion, however they now make wine from their vines also. Quantities of wine production are low and the quality of the wine is very good, especially for the price.<br />
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Sauvignon Blanc 2014 (R58 a bottle): Medium to pronounced nose, more fruity in style. Light in body, medium - high acidity, green fruit - like granny smith applies - on the palate. Soft, creamy, and a little floral.<br />
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Chenin Blanc unwooded 2014 (R48 a bottle) had medium intensity on the nose, smelled like smelly cheese (strange I know). It was fruity on the palate with hints of peach, apricot, pineapple and pear. There was also a little bit of floral and some green characters to the wine like bell pepper and asparagus. It had medium acidity, medium body, and a good mouth feel. It was a pleasant wine. I had a glass of this wine when we dined here a week later. It went very nice with the curry dishes we had.<br />
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Chenin Blanc wooded (R85 a bottle) had a medium lemon colour, medium intensity on the nose. It had nice aromatics. On the palate I picked up fruity flavours including some hints of melon. This wine was soft, round mouthed, creamy, had medium body, medium - high acidity. It had lovely oak character with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. The oak is subtle. This wine had flavours of apple, raisin, saltanas, nutmeg and custard. Reminded me of a bread and butter pudding. This wine also had some floral character to it. This wine was nice.<br />
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Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 was a medium ruby colour, had medium intensity on the nose and medium body. There were some soft wooden spices coming through on the nose and I picked up plums and some sweet characters on the nose also.It was soft, had lovely red fruit with some raspberry flavours and some spice on the palate. There was aniceed/liquorice, followed by a plastic feeling on the finish. Soft tannins, ready to drink now. This wine impressed me more than the reds and was nice. We had a bottle of this with our dinner on the next occassion we visited this winery. It is very good value for money and very pleasant with food.<br />
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Shiraz 2013 had a dark ruby colour. It had intense aromas with dark fruit character. This wine was soft, had hints of christmas fruit cake and a little bit of citrus (orange specifically). It had medium body, soft tannins, was rich and had good length. Again I was impressed with this wine. We had a bottle of this at the three course dinner also, again it went down well with our food. Our friends were really impressed by the wine and the price!<br />
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I am more of a white wine drinker, but the reds stood out for me more than the white wines. Which did surprise me considering Durbanville has become well known for their white wines. All of the wines are nice and very good value for money.<br />
<br />
The tasting room manager did a good job of
presenting the tasting. It was clear that she had been with the company
for a while and knew the wines well. It was an informative tasting and
she was very pleasant. The tasting costs R20. <br />
<br />
Once a month they open their doors for dinner. It is a set three course dinner and themed. We attended the one in June which was a Middle Eastern Winter Flair for only R180 pp. The food was very nice, presentation was good and the timing of the dishes coming out was done nicely. <br />
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This is a photo of the starter we had. Aloo Tikka with Chutney & Pickled Radish. The food as you can see was nicely presented and creative also. This was a delicious meal! <br />
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For our main the following dishes were placed in the middle of the table and everyone could help themselves, there was plenty to go around, the portions were generous. <br />Lamb & Sweet Potato Curry with Cashew Butter Paneer, Turkish Apricots, Rice & Lentil Pilaf, Buttered Naan.<br />
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For dessert we had Honey Orange Cake with Pistachio Cream. They served this with Masala Chai Tea which was delicious!<br />
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A bonus to dining here is that you get the wine at cellar door price!!
The three course dinner was really good value for money and a lovely
evening to catch up with friends. It is great to have another dining
option in the Northern Suburbs.<br />
<br />
If you are out this way, be sure to stop by. It really is a
lovely place for a wine tasting, breakfast, lunch and dinner (the latter is by appointment only and you need to find out what date they are holding them)!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-51386177154188493082015-05-29T18:30:00.000-07:002015-07-10T13:16:30.938-07:00Tasting notes for Arendsig Grenache 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today I tried the Arendsig Grenache 2014. Here are my tasting notes:<br />
<br />
Appearance: Light in colour, ruby red, clear.<br />
Nose: Clean, medium intensity, fruit<br />
Palate: Dry, medium acidity, low tannin, light/medium body, fruit and spice. Short finish.<br />
<br />
Conclusion: This is a very good wine. This wine had a beautiful light colour. It is nice, soft and light on the palate. Fruit and spice flavour.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-75373531027956189202015-05-29T17:30:00.000-07:002015-07-10T12:51:32.544-07:00Wine Tasting Notes for Scali 2014 Sirkel Pinotage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today I tried the Scali Sirkel Pinotage 2014. Here are my notes:<br />
<br />
Appearance: It is quite light in colour, nice ruby red, clear.<br />
Nose: Clean, light, spices, fruit<br />
Palate: Dry, medium acidity, medium tannin, medium body. Little oak. Sweet spices like clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Red fruit like cranberry, plums and red cherries. Had a short finish.<br />
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Conclusion: A good wine. Acidity seems a bit high and needs time to settle. Otherwise a soft, fruity wine. A little bitter on the finish.<br />
<br />
When I tried this wine blind at Publik Wine Bar, previous to the above tasting this was my opinion on the wine:<br />
<span data-reactid=".1jt.1:4:1:$replies10155658737445437_10155658822300437:0.1:2:$comment10155658737445437_10155658832785437:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1jt.1:4:1:$replies10155658737445437_10155658822300437:0.1:2:$comment10155658737445437_10155658832785437:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1jt.1:4:1:$replies10155658737445437_10155658822300437:0.1:2:$comment10155658737445437_10155658832785437:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1jt.1:4:1:$replies10155658737445437_10155658822300437:0.1:2:$comment10155658737445437_10155658832785437:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text0:0">
I tasted this blind and was very impressed by the intense, dark fruit
and licorice flavours yet soft on the palate. It was an unexpectedly
pleasant Pinotage!</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span data-reactid=".1jt.1:4:1:$replies10155658737445437_10155658822300437:0.1:2:$comment10155658737445437_10155658832785437:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1jt.1:4:1:$replies10155658737445437_10155658822300437:0.1:2:$comment10155658737445437_10155658832785437:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1jt.1:4:1:$replies10155658737445437_10155658822300437:0.1:2:$comment10155658737445437_10155658832785437:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1jt.1:4:1:$replies10155658737445437_10155658822300437:0.1:2:$comment10155658737445437_10155658832785437:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text0:0">This is what the winery has to say on their website:</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span data-reactid=".1jt.1:4:1:$replies10155658737445437_10155658822300437:0.1:2:$comment10155658737445437_10155658832785437:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".1jt.1:4:1:$replies10155658737445437_10155658822300437:0.1:2:$comment10155658737445437_10155658832785437:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".1jt.1:4:1:$replies10155658737445437_10155658822300437:0.1:2:$comment10155658737445437_10155658832785437:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".1jt.1:4:1:$replies10155658737445437_10155658822300437:0.1:2:$comment10155658737445437_10155658832785437:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$end:0:$text0:0">"Expressive fresh, ripe raspberry and red fruit with a hint of sweet herbs. Youthful and elegant, this wine is ready to be enjoyed now". </span></span></span></span></span></div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-78694072726085035382015-04-27T15:00:00.000-07:002015-05-26T13:55:44.379-07:00De Grendel - second visit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Recently we went to De Grendel for a wine tasting as I thought it was time for a re-visit.<br />
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This is still a favourite wine estate of mine and I will gladly visit this winery again and again and again. The setting is beautiful from the moment you arrive at the gate. You drive up a long driveway lined with tall trees, and when you get to the cellar you are greeted with a modern and beautiful tasting room with beautiful views.<br />
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This winery has a cellar, tasting room and restaurant. The tasting room has outdoor and indoor seating with amazing views of table mountain in the not so far distance. It really is beautiful. The service is very good here, they are attentive and knowledgable about the wine, providing informative tastings.<br />
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There are two tasting options here. You can choose to taste all the wines for R50 or you can taste three wines for R20. Only there is one slight catch, if not all wines are available for tasting, you still pay the full amount. Also, if you want to taste the MCC Brut and/or the Chardonnay Op die Berg you pay an extra R20 for each wine.<br />
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I was impressed to see the length of their opening hours. It is great that you can come and do a tasting here up until 7pm Monday - Saturday. This is later than most wineries stay open until. Something to keep in mind when you are planning a day visiting wineries in Durbanville. Or even if you decide to visit wineries further afield, you can always come back via De Grendel to Cape Town, or finish here for dinner after a day visiting wineries.<br />
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Tasting hours:<br />
Monday - Saturday 9am – 7pm<br />
Sunday 10am – 4pm<br />
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They offer cheese and charcuterie platters at the tasting room. I have had the cheese platter on a previous visit, sharing with two others and felt it was really good value for money and delicious! These platters are R110 each.<br />
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Ok, so I decided to taste all the wines including the MCC Brut. For the record, I didn't find one wine which I didn't like! Across the board the De Grendel wines were very nice but it was the Merlot, NLH and Pinot Noir which caught my attention. Here are my tasting notes:<br />
<br />
MCC Brut 2013 is R165 a bottle. It was nice, biscuity, complex yet approachable.<br />
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Pinot Gris 2014 is R75 a bottle. This was nice, light, had hints of apple and peaches.<br />
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Sauvignon Blanc 2015 is R80 a bottle. This had a beautiful nose, pleasant and typical fruit flavours for a SB, fair acidity, was elegant and smooth.<br />
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Unfortunately the Koetshuis SB 2014 was sold out so we couldn't taste this. It is R110 a bottle.<br />
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Viognier 2014 is R75 a bottle. This had a lovely floral nose, i particularly picked up violets in the bouquet. It was a pleasant tasting wine and had a good mouth feel.<br />
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Rose 2014 is R55 a bottle. This had a lovely aroma, was dry and fresh on the palate, and had black forest flavours.<br />
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Pinot Noir 2012 - Op Die Berg is R160 a bottle. This had a lovely nose with blackcurrants, berries and cherries. It was a nice Pinot Noir. This was my third favourite wine from this tasting.<br />
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Merlot 2013 is R110 a bottle. This was beautiful, elegant, soft and had lovely flavour. It had good tannin structure and had a little dry finish to it. This was my favourite from today's tasting, I was really impressed!!<br />
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Shiraz 2013 is R125 a bottle. It was herbacious and had licorice on the nose, smooth and spicy/peppery on the palate.<br />
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Last but not least we tasted the Noble Late Harvest 2014 at R110 a bottle. I am a sucker for dessert wines and this really impressed me! This NLH is made from Sauvignon Blanc. It had a sweet aroma of peach, orange rind and marmalade, with some lemon and olive notes also coming through on the nose. This was another favourite of mine from this tasting.<br />
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I can highly recommend visiting this estate, they have beautiful views, good service, great wine and apparently they have a really top restaurant! I still need to come and dine here to find out for myself. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-41883749029239636962015-04-27T13:00:00.000-07:002015-05-26T14:49:14.080-07:00Durbanville Hills - lunch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We decided to meet my boyfriend's parents for lunch today. I had heard that the chef had changed since we last dined at Durbanville Hills, so I booked us a table to check it out.<br />
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The place was busy. In fact, all of the Durbanville Wine Route was busy, which was awesome to see. I am pleased that everyone is catching on to the fine cuisine, views and experiences one can enjoy in the Northern Suburbs and without having to head in to Cape Town or out to Stellenbosch.<br />
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The restaurant has a lovely modern, fresh and open feeling to it. The service was fine but it could have been better. I remember we couldn't find our waiter to order drinks on one occasion and then again when we wanted to order our food, for example.<br />
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All of the food we ordered was nice, but nothing wowed me to be honest. I would eat here again, especially as it is convenient for those of us living in the Northern Suburbs, but I wouldn't come out of my way to dine here if you are a tourist with limited days to enjoy the fine cuisine on offer in the Cape. As you can see in my photos below, the presentation is good and the meals look interesting, but the flavours just lacked and didn't leave me wanting more. If you look at the prices, you can see that it is good value for money however.<br />
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Chicken Galantine R110<br />
Potato gratin,bacon, red wine and pearl onion sauce<br />
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Braised pork belly R65 (starter)<br />
Pickled cabbage, jus.<br />
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Twice-baked butternut and cumin souffle R50 (starter)<br />
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Chocolate lava pudding, white chocolate and pistachio fudge and a tot of Van Ryns 12 year old brandy R65<br />
Spiced Orange Creme Caramel, peach and apricot brunoise R60<br />
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After lunch we went down to the tasting room as I wanted to taste some wines but unfortunately we missed the cut off point. I was a bit gutted as I really had hoped to taste the wines and didn't expect for them to close before we finished our lunch. However, the lady who I spoke to was very kind and suggested I could taste three wines (for free - very kind of her) at the counter, this suited me perfect and I was really grateful for this suggestion! I tasted the Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc at R50 a bottle, the Chardonnay at R50 a bottle and Rhinofields Sauvignon Blanc at R90 a bottle. I didn't make many tasting notes on these wines so haven't written them here.<br />
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Durbanville Hills has a nice "package" going on here. They offer various wine tastings which include:<br />
Crystal Tasting: A selection of eight wines including a souvenir crystal glass. Price : R45.00 <br />
Chocolate and Wine Pairing: Selection of five wines paired with five artisan chocolates. Price : R65.00 <br />
Biltong and wine Pairing: Selection of five wines paired with five types of biltong. Price : R80.00<br />
Rhinofields Food and Wine Experience: Our six Rhinofields Reserve wines, expertly paired
with a variety of dishes such as chilled tomato soup and crème brulee.
Price: R120 Duration: 75 minutes Booking is advised for this pairing. <br />
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As you can see they have something for everyone. They have outdoor and indoor seating. They offer picnics which you can enjoy under the trees, and inside you can enjoy a platter of cheese, meats and breads while doing a wine tasting. They really do cater for everyone.<br />
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They are open Monday to Wednesday 9am to 4.30pm, Thursday and Friday 9am - 6pm, Saturday 10am - 4pm and Sunday 10am - 4pm.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-26216208871209487192015-03-24T11:30:00.000-07:002015-04-05T05:29:00.829-07:00Wildekraans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was out this way for work and had 30 minutes to spare, so I decided to stop off at Wildekraans. This winery is on route from Cape Town to Hermanus and about 2-5 minutes drive off the highway (once you have turned off from the N2 towards Hermanus). If you are heading on the N2 from Cape Town to Swellendam then you turn off the highway towards Hermanus and not even five minutes later you turn off for Wildekrans. It really isn't much of a detour, if you need to get back on the N2, which is nice.<br />
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It is a nice estate, and the vineyards look well kept.They look like they are sitting on some relatively rocky soil? Yet it looked like the vineyards were on the less interesting/rocky soil areas.<br />
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I was welcomed by a lady at the tasting room. It was a quite a good size room and I saw they have outdoor seating as well, so I imagine one can enjoy a tasting inside or outside. <br />
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The lady serving me did a great job in providing an informative tasting. You could tell she had been working for the company for a while, she was confident and could speak well about each wine. My overall experience was very good. <br />
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The first vintage produced here was 1992/1993 and the winemaker is William Walkenson. <br />
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I tasted the following wines:<br />
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Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2014 at R52 a bottle.<br />
It lacked aromatics on the nose, had a fresh tropical flavour on the palate, was a little floral, and had a flour mouth-feel on the finish.<br />
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Estate Chenin Blanc 2014 at R52 a bottle<br />
Again not much on the nose, had lovely balance between fruit and acidity. <br />
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Premium Range Sauvignon Blanc Barrel Select Reserve 2011 at R115 a bottle<br />
This wine was matured for 3 months in all new oak barrels. It lacked again on the nose, had a nice mouth-feel on the palate, soft fruit flavours coming through, very light flavour though. Slight acidity on the finish. Good lingering finish with freshness and acidity.<br />
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Premium Chenin Blanc Barrel Select Reserve 2013 (flagship white) at R170 a bottle.<br />
This wine was matured in new oak barrels for 12-15 months. Good flavour on the palate, lovely honey tones, oak compliments with slight nuttiness. The lady informed me that there are honey bush planted between the vines which has an impact on the flavour of the wine. This wine had some sharp/fresh flavours and a little bit of acidity on the finish, as well as a nice lingering finish. There is minerality on the mid palate and finish.<br />
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Estate Range Cabernet Franc/Merlot 2012 at R75 a bottle.<br />
This wine spent 12-15 months in 2nd and 3rd fill french oak barrels. It had an interesting nose with hints of cigar and fynbos. It was nice and soft on the palate, light - medium weight, a little dry on the finish. Earthy tones and fruit on the palate. It is a nice blend. Aging potential 7 years. Drink before 2019.<br />
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Estate Range Pinotage at R77 a bottle.<br />
Interesting/unusual aroma. It felt like it was the alcohol hitting me, but it was only around 14%. it was a little dry on the palate, sharp on the finish. I wasn't a fan.<br />
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Premium Range Cape Blend Barrel Select Reserve 2012 at R175 a bottle.<br />
Spent 18 - 24 months in new french oak barrels. It is a blend of Pinotage, Shiraz and Cab Sauv. Lovely and soft, good flavour with fruit, spiciness and earthiness. Medium body and a little dry on the finish.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-39352186516824449042015-03-17T16:30:00.000-07:002015-05-26T12:58:57.213-07:00The High Road<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After visiting Dalla Cia, I figured I might as well tick off one more winery while in the area and stopped at the tasting room at High Road.<br />
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I wasn't sure if this winery was by appointment only or if you can walk in anytime, so I walked in and a lady was upstairs in the office. It turns out I was in luck, as she had some free time.<br />
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We went downstairs to do the tasting. The lady serving us was very pleasant, had been with the brand for a while so could speak confidently about the wine and made us feel very welcome.<br />
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We tasted the Classique 2010 at R115 a bottle. This is 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. It had lovely sherry/port/sweetish tones on the nose. It was light on the palate, had soft tannins and wasn't dry. It didn't have a lot of flavour. It was soft, a little spicy and approachable.<br />
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Then we tasted the Director's Reserve at R245 a bottle. This is 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. It had a soft overripe fruit nose, was soft on the palate, had pleasant flavour, soft tannins, good fruit, dry, good finish, ripe flavours.<br />
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Both of these wines are Bordeaux blends and vintage specific. They buy in the grapes from the Helderberg, Devon Valley and Poladraai regions. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-90977922767934979772015-03-17T15:00:00.000-07:002015-04-02T08:36:01.476-07:00Dalla Cia at Pane E Vino<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The other day I needed to drop off wine samples to ViniLab so I quickly popped in to Pane E Vino to see what the Dalla Cia wine was like.<br />
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It costs R55 to taste all 4 wines. The waitress brings four glasses, pours each wine, tells you what each one is (i.e Sauv blanc, Chard etc) and leaves you to taste.<br />
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Dalla Cia Sauvignon Blanc 2014 is R125 a bottle. This had lovely tropical fruity and crisp aromas, it lacked body. It had a fresh finish, acidity was balanced, floral tones on the finish. Subtle fruit flavour. Overall a pleasant and fresh drinking wine.<br />
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Dalla Cia Chardonnay 2013 is R162 a bottle. It had an oxidative nose, light barrel character, light buttery and creamy yet fresh finish and fresh flavour on the palate. Round mouth feel but light. Overall a pleasant and fresh wine.<br />
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Dalla Cia Classico Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 at R189 a bottle. Typical Cab Sauv with that cigar box and spices on the nose. It was dry, medium bodied, shy (needs time or food?), tannins are prominent, chocolate tones and not much fruit on the palate. It was overall ok, a bit dry and lacked character.<br />
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Dalla Cia Giorgio 2011 at R295 a bottle had a sweet port/sherry nose, was light on the palate, a little spicy, little dry, balanced but again not much flavour. Overall it was ok, balanced but nothing exciting.<br />
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Pane E Vino was a nice looking restaurant, it looked like a
deli/bakery kind of cafe. It had a nice atmosphere and the staff were
pleasant and friendly. I didn't eat here, so I cannot comment on the
food. The overall experience was fine but you don't come here for the
views, vineyards, cellar etc. It is simply for the convenience of being able to try the Dalla Cia wine here (and the food if you
eat here).<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-82842091348224725732015-03-15T11:00:00.000-07:002015-04-02T07:55:50.402-07:00Springfield - tasting notes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Recently I was at Buratta and my friends ordered a Wild Yeast Chardonnay from Springfield. I was really impressed with this wine. Then I was at Schoon Oordt in Swellendam and I was introduced to the Miss Lucy which is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Pinot Gris, this was also very nice.<br />
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When I found myself staring at the whole range of Springfield wines at Delish in Heidelberg, I decided to try more from their range. I purchased the Life From Stone, Reserve Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc and the Pinot Noir 2010. Out of all of them, the Pinot Noir impressed me the most, the two Sauvignon Blancs were quite similar and neither jumped out at me as a wow Sauvignon Blanc. The Newstead 2014 Sauvignon Blanc is still my favourite at the moment.<br />
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Here are my tasting notes of the three Springfield wines:<br />
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Life from Stone<br />
Pick up minerality, green tones, a bit of asparagus, guava, creamy and fruitiness on the nose. Yes I could smell the creaminess of the wine. Sure enough on the palate it was soft and creamy, it had good body and I picked up flavours similar to Feijoa on the palate. I didn't enjoy the taste of the wine. There was a bit of acidity on the finish. I think this is best drunk ice cold.<br />
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The Reserve Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc didn't have so much to offer on the nose, but what I did pick up was similar to the Life from Stone, only it was very faint. This wine was lighter on the palate and had more freshness. It had lovely tropical fruit flavours and the acidity on this was balanced. It was a pleasant Sauvignon Blanc.<br />
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Pinot Noir 2010 had a glazed cherry smell, was light on the body, had very little tannins, was light in flavour and on the finish. It was a non-offensive light red wine with a little sharp feeling right on the finish. It lingers quite nicely. Not a bad wine at all. I would buy another bottle of this wine.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-86168200749209277862015-02-28T10:00:00.000-08:002015-03-30T14:20:10.262-07:00Viljoensdrift - Tasting Notes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My Western Cape Wineries wine club recently got together for a blind MCC tasting at La Vie in Cape Town and other than the Moet being the highest voted wine, Viljoensdrift came in a very close second with only one vote difference. <br />
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I therefore opened a bottle a day after the event, to see if it was as good as I had remembered it to be, and to see how it tasted by itself, and not side by side 9 other MCCs.<br />
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It had a lovely yellow colour. I imagine this is partly due to the age. It is a 2008 vintage!<br />
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Bubbles continue after pour, not on surface - this settles obviously, but in the glass they continue for a long period.<br />
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Nose: Yeast, biscuit, peach and apricot (stone fruit)<br />
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Palate: Medium body, plenty of flavour, lovely honey, nuts and fruitiness. It is a little sweet on the front of the mouth with more tart expression on the back.<br />
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It has a lingering finish.<br />
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This is a very good MCC and at a fantastic price!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-87812898703285288242015-02-26T13:00:00.000-08:002015-03-01T04:55:56.778-08:00Newstead Winery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have now visited this winery twice in two months and highly recommend stopping here if you are on the Garden Route. Newstead winery is just outside of Plettenberg Bay, very close to Bramon Wine Estate. There are quite a few wineries and attractions out this way making for an enjoyable day out. Plett is not far from Knysna, so if you are staying in Knysna, it is an easy 30 minute drive, with beautiful scenery and plenty of farm stalls and attractions to enjoy on route. Here is a nice map you can use for the Plettenberg/Crags area. http://www.cruisethecrags.co.za/map/index.html<br />
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I love how as you drive to the parking area of this place, you drive through the vineyards. It gives you a sense of where you are and allows you to absorb the location of where the wine is coming from. You are right in the heart of it when you arrive.<br />
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Once you get to the building, you walk in to the reception and shortly after you get to the tasting room. They have a beautiful porch to conduct the tastings. From the porch you can see the vineyards and enjoy a wine tasting and some food. They have tables and chairs on the grass where you can spend all afternoon catching up with friends.<br />
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The owners are very hands on, so you will likely meet them if you visit
the winery. They have a small team of staff to run the tasting room and
all work efficiently making sure the guests are seen to and receive the
attention they need. <br />
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The first time I visited this winery was when my brother and his family visited me here in SA in December 2014 and we spent four days in Knysna. We did a day trip to Plett which included Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary, lunch at Thyme and Again, visiting The Potter and a wine tasting at Newstead. It was a really nice day out.<br />
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The lady who served us was very informative, she could answer any question we had and was really polite and friendly. We loved the wine here, we tasted the Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We purchased a bottle of each wine for our cellar. Their prices are very reasonable for the quality of wine you are getting. It won't take long for their wines to be in everyone's fridge and
cellar. Although, having said that, there won't be enough to go around
as they only make around 30,000 bottles a year, so you will have to get
in quick.<br />
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The good news is, you don't have to wait for this wine to hit our
shelves, nor do you need to visit the winery to buy the wine. You can contact them
directly and have the wine delivered to your door.
http://www.newsteadwines.com/shop.html <br />
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I was super lucky on my first trip to be able to buy a bottle of their MCC. There were only two left in the fridge and I was allowed to buy one. It was only R120 so I didn't mind not tasting it before buying it. It was the best R120 I have spent!! I tasted this at home a few days later and was so impressed!! I have been telling everyone how awesome that MCC was. It had the texture of mousse, hints of strawberry flavour and had beautiful fine bubbles and plenty of them. I rate this wine up there with the Cape Winemakers Guild Graham Beck MCC!! It is a stunner. Sadly they are sold out so I was unable to buy more on my second visit, but I have now put my name down on the waiting list for the next vintage, and I believe I am not the only one, so be sure to get in quick when the next vintage comes out!!<br />
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On my second visit I got to meet the owners Sue and Doug Lund, and they were so welcoming and hospitable. We did a tasting of the Sauvignon Blanc 2014 and Chardonnay 2013 (I think).We had some lovely food for lunch which included a tasty puff pastry, cheese board and bread. Perfect for the setting. We sat on the porch, overlooking the vineyards, sipping wine and eating this beautiful food.<br />
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Sue and Doug have created an ideal setting here at Newstead which makes it very hard to drive past without stopping. I guarantee after visiting this place once, you will always visit when out this way.<br />
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I didn't take notes on the wine, as on both occasions I just wanted to enjoy the company and atmosphere. However, other than the much raved about MCC above, I can also highly recommend the Sauvignon Blanc 2014 which sells for R75 a bottle. This Sauvignon Blanc will give a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc a run for it's money. It has the most beautiful tropical fruit flavoured aromas I have smelt on a SA Sauvignon Blanc, it is beautifully balanced with just the right amount of acidity and has just as much tropical fruit flavours on the palate as it does on the nose. This is a must buy!<br />
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I will be using this wine in my next blind Sauvigon Blanc tasting and putting it up against a NZ Sauvignon Blanc as well as 8 other South African Sauvignon Blancs to see how it compares. Stay tuned for the date of this tasting in Cape Town and the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town. It will likely be end of March or early April.<br />
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<span data-si="true">Check them out on Facebook on Newstead Lund Family Vineyards</span></div>
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Today I was in the area so I decided to pop in for another tasting. The place seems to be doing really well, you will notice that their wine is in most restaurants in the area (Oudtshoorn) and each time I have visited the winery (both times on a week day) they have had guests sitting on the stoep enjoying a bite to eat and sipping on a glass of their wine.<br />
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Karusa has an outdoor area to enjoy a glass of wine and food and an indoor area for wine tastings. They serve food here also so I ordered a grilled Ostrich wrap which was delicious and a very decent size! <br />
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For the tasting you are restricted to 5 wines for R30. For anyone who follows my blog you know I struggle to chose and especially from a list of 20+ wines. I however felt like mostly white wines so I chose five and then the lady was kind to give me a tasting of a few more at the end. I therefore got to taste the following:<br />
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Southern Slope Sauvignon Blanc 2014 R58 a bottle - not too acidic, tropical nose, intense and good. Lighter on the palate in comparison to the nose.<br />
Stonerock Viognier - wooded 2014 at R58 a bottle - nice and smooth, a little fresh on the finish.<br />
Aloe Ridge Chardonnay - unwooded 2013 at R55 a bottle - guava, lime, fresh yet round mouth feeling<br />
Terre Noire Syrah 2012 at R85 a bottle - heavier on the nose with blackcurrant and black pepper. Medium body, nice flavour, earthy tones, nice.<br />
The Ancients Pinot Noir 2012 at R85 a bottle - smokey and spicy. Nice but unusual for a Pinot Noir.<br />
Double Black Petite Syrah 2014 at R115 a bottle was rich and heavy, had cherry and blackcurrant flavour. It was good, but I didn't feel it was R115 good.<br />
Grenache Noir/Shiraz/Mourvedre - unwooded red 2013 at R40 a bottle - it was served a little warm. It was a nice, light and easy drinking red, white pepper on nose and palate, a little spicy.<br />
Muscat Blanc semi - sweet 2014 at R45 a bottle - lovely nose, nice easy drinking wine, pear, apple smell and taste, it is a light wine. Only 11.5% alcohol which is a bonus.<br />
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The lady who served me was very lovely. She remembered me from my last visit and provided an informative tasting.It was nice of her to give me a few extra wines to taste also.<br />
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I recommend one visits this winery when in Oudtshoorn.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-60443931271392065992015-01-02T10:30:00.000-08:002015-03-30T13:02:34.544-07:00Spookfontein - second visit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
While my brother was here in South Africa we had a few days in Hermanus, I therefore chose a few wineries to visit one morning while there.<br />
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One of the wineries we visited was Spookfontein. The last time I visited this winery was about two years ago and the cellar/tasting room wasn't complete. We therefore received a cellar tour and tasting from the barrels, it was an awesome experience.<br />
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This time, there was a beautiful building which contained the tasting room and a restaurant with lovely views through all the glass pane windows.<br />
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The tasting room section seemed to get the short end of the
stick as it's a small section of this beautiful setting and kind of
tucked away. It does the trick nonetheless. I found the guy serving us friendly but he didn't know much about the wine. Sadly Craig Sheard has left Spookfontein but I believe he will now focus on his Elemental Bob wines. These are really good and I recommend finding a bottle! <br />
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We tried the Rose 2014 at R60 a bottle. It was very fruity, had good flavour, and was quite a heavy rose.<br />
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The Pinot Noir 2009 at R125 a bottle had dark cherry/plum colour, lovely aromas, plum and spice flavours on the palate, a little dry.<br />
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The Cabernet Franc 2009 at R85 a bottle had an interesting flavour, I got a little bit of fynbos and a lot of bell pepper flavour on this wine. It was integrated and balanced. My brother loved this wine and bought a bottle to take back to China to share with his friends.<br />
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Merlot 2008 at R85 a bottle was soft on the palate, had good body, I struggled to work out the flavour but I wonder if that was because we tasted this after the Cab Franc.<br />
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Phantom 2006 at R85 a bottle is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It was a little dry, integrated, it was ok. I have had this wine before and loved it on previous occasions. I still have a bottle at home, so it will be interesting to see what I think of this wine when we open that bottle.<br />
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Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 at R85 a bottle was very aromatic, a little spicy, and quite soft for a Cabernet.<br />
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Port (17% Cab 2009, 83% Merlot 2009 and 2011) at R150 a bottle was soft, elegant, a little sweet, but nice. I bought a bottle of this. It comes in a nice bottle too :-)<br />
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Overall we had a nice experience here but I wouldn't come for the wine, sorry.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-10284765877711142102014-11-11T14:06:00.003-08:002014-11-11T14:06:53.942-08:00Painted Wolf Tasting and Keenwa Peruvian Food at the Rooftop Bar in De Waterkant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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</xml><![endif]--> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Join my next Western Cape Wineries wine tasting on the 26th of November at
6.30pm with Winemaker Jeremy Borg from Painted Wolf.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixzS6HwMWemqNxsmX9Sq-wU-9RsnTqCKe9h_nvYienXdBYIwVlIEEcZ8zeS9GFYqjs0SUHR8coY5G_4_ThLWEUbUWdfwYcdbp-mW0qNqQ3vY3vmXfPfZ6PPSjqfXMb_sAlS5-wQxYNWLlp/s1600/IMG_3153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixzS6HwMWemqNxsmX9Sq-wU-9RsnTqCKe9h_nvYienXdBYIwVlIEEcZ8zeS9GFYqjs0SUHR8coY5G_4_ThLWEUbUWdfwYcdbp-mW0qNqQ3vY3vmXfPfZ6PPSjqfXMb_sAlS5-wQxYNWLlp/s320/IMG_3153.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jeremy Borg, the winemaker of
Painted Wolf wines will be there to introduce us to his wines. Not only are his
wines fantastic and there is a great story behind his wine (the wild dogs) but
Jeremy has a ton of stories, so you are up for a treat!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We have an awesome venue for this months tasting at The Rooftop Bar at 71 Waterkant Street, Cape Town.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieI0IZLg3yH0ZrepY36onUT2Ge-CtQP0fN9XMxESCLI55omONq21_CmW2OKebZxdUlbIyVJ-jooTNdRie64zGhB3siF_SaMLhDTAk2nt_pWDta3s5pXEnLu9pN2R9R8MFpn0RiEJNwm0P6/s1600/Rooftop+bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieI0IZLg3yH0ZrepY36onUT2Ge-CtQP0fN9XMxESCLI55omONq21_CmW2OKebZxdUlbIyVJ-jooTNdRie64zGhB3siF_SaMLhDTAk2nt_pWDta3s5pXEnLu9pN2R9R8MFpn0RiEJNwm0P6/s320/Rooftop+bar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For this tasting I have arranged for
Keenwa (awesome Peruvian restaurant across the road from the Rooftop bar) to do
the catering. They will be making several snacks for us to enjoy on arrival and
at half time, these will include:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Welcome tapas</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> - </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Choros a la Chalaca (mussels with
onion, tomatoes, corn and lime, served cold)</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Main -</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rocotos (pepperdews stuffed with
lamb mince, served with a creamy cheese dressing) AND </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Enrollado de quinoa - fresh fish and
peppers rolled in quinoa (sushi-like)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tequenos - Cheese and pastry sticks with guacamole</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The cost for this evening is <b>R250 pp</b>. This includes
the wine tasting, venue and snacks.<br />
<br />
To book please make payment in to the following bank account using your <b>name +
26 Nov</b> as the reference:<br />
<br />
Christine Andrews<br />
FNB<br />
Account #: 62401949013<br />
Branch #: 250655.<br />
Savings account<br />
<br />
Please send your proof of payment to <a href="mailto:westerncapewineries@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">westerncapewineries@gmail.com</span></a>. If you pay for
others then please include their names in the email so I can add them to the
guest list.<br />
<br />
Anyone is welcome to join my wine club, so please don't hesitate to get a group
of friends, family or colleagues together for a fun wine evening. <br />
<br />
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me on <a href="mailto:westerncapewineries@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">westerncapewineries@gmail.com</span></a>.<br />
<br />
You can also follow the WCW wine club on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Western-Cape-Wineries/149234295153096?ref=hl" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Western-Cape-Wineries/149234295153096?ref=hl</span></a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-43817618681861196462014-09-30T11:45:00.000-07:002014-09-30T12:01:45.640-07:00Fondue and Holden Manz wines - 6.30pm on 16 October 2014 at I Love My Laundry on Bree St<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am happy to let you all know that I have arranged the next Western Cape Wineries (WCW) wine club evening for the 16th of October at I Love My Laundry for a fondue and Holden Manz wine evening!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHjfwDqoBsmizd9bQPAevp4gpaH0bO112v13LKXb7yWAe9S2elN775WzaumQuav_oZIFdIAcjoSFIbDQdAKaFeG4_Yth-4EFW1uu5vn5cvB6H56JVPUPwJl0pZGNlcK8Jcdw1vXjSsNbW/s1600/I+Love+My+Laundry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHjfwDqoBsmizd9bQPAevp4gpaH0bO112v13LKXb7yWAe9S2elN775WzaumQuav_oZIFdIAcjoSFIbDQdAKaFeG4_Yth-4EFW1uu5vn5cvB6H56JVPUPwJl0pZGNlcK8Jcdw1vXjSsNbW/s1600/I+Love+My+Laundry.jpg" /></a></div>
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Schalk Opperman is the winemaker at Holden Manz, and lucky for us, he will be attending the evening and taking us through his range of wines.<br />
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We will start the evening off with the Holden Manz Rose 2014 on arrival, followed by a tasting of the Holden Manz Chardonnay 2013.<br />
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While enjoying the decadent three styles of fondue we will taste the Holden Manz Merlot 2011, Shiraz 2010, Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 and Visionaire 2012.<br />
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My wine club evenings are ideal for beginner to intermediate wine drinkers, and for those who are keen to try new wines on a monthly basis in a comfortable and unpretentious manner. This month we will get to taste Holden Manz wines with Schalk Opperman, try four different Holden Manz wines with three different fondues and then see if there is a consensus as to which wine was the "ideal wine to enjoy with fondue".<br />
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Price: R200 pp<br />
When: 16 October 2014<br />
Time: 6.30pm starting with arrival drinks.<br />
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To book please make payment in to the following bank account using your <b>name + fondue</b> as the reference:<br />
<br />
Christine Andrews<br />
FNB<br />
Account #: 62401949013<br />
Branch #: 250655.<br />
Savings account<br />
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Please send your proof of payment to westerncapewineries@gmail.com. If you pay for others then please include their names in the email so I can add them to the guest list.<br />
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Anyone is welcome to join my wine club, so please don't hesitate to get a group of friends, family or colleagues together for a fun wine evening.<br />
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If you have any questions please feel free to contact me on westerncapewineries@gmail.com.<br />
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You can also follow the WCW wine club on https://www.facebook.com/pages/Western-Cape-Wineries/149234295153096?ref=hl<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0Bree Street, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa-33.9222124 18.417084299999942-33.9353884 18.396914299999942 -33.9090364 18.437254299999942tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-83465311379203776332014-09-06T10:30:00.000-07:002015-03-29T01:38:42.858-07:00Rickety Bridge - second visit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My friend and I went to Rickety Bridge for a wine tasting and had a very nice experience.<br />
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It was a beautiful day so we sat outside on the patio to enjoy the tasting. I can't remember how much we paid for the tasting, but it would have been around R25/R30 per person.<br />
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If you like to eat something while tasting wine, or need a break from all the wine tasting, then you can enjoy a cheese platter here for R60 or a meat platter for two for R100.<br />
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There are lovely views from this wine estate, the service was very good and there is a nice selection of wines to try. Personally these wines were not my cup of tea, but I have enjoyed their MCC at a wine event on a previous occasion and loved it.<br />
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Rickety Bridge Sauvignon Blanc 2014 at R62 a bottle was quite zesty, had lovely aroma, a round feel, and nice lingering finish.<br />
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Rickety Bridge Chardonnay 2013 at R85 a bottle had a stunning aroma, lovely round mouth feeling, lacked a bit of flavour, quite a zesty aftertaste. I actually felt this wine left a rough feeling on the tongue; like the feeling when you have burnt your tongue on a hot cup of coffee. It was strange!!<br />
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The Foundation Stone White 2013 at R85 a bottle had a lovely aroma, taste and finish. It was a little floral and had a round mouth feeling. I didn't like the aftertaste, it had a powdery finish.<br />
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The Foundation Stone Rose 2013 at R50 a bottle, was pleasant, had a light strawberry taste, was a little zesty on the finish. It was ok.<br />
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Paulina's Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2011 at R85 a bottle was less offensive than the SB above, it had lighter tones and was nice/ok. It had that stinky wash rind cheese smell on the nose. Thankfully the taste of the wine wasn't the same as the smell!!<br />
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Paulina's Reserve Chenin Blanc 2011 at R75 a bottle had a little pineapple on the nose, quite a lot of fruity flavours (like a fruit salad) on the palate. It was ok.<br />
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Paulina's Reserve Semillon 2010 at R95 a bottle had a beautiful fruity nose, was soft on the palate and oak on the finish.<br />
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Overall you can see these weren't my kind of wines, but I can recommend visiting this winery for a relaxed tasting with lovely views!!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6778872163393806845.post-42916061835666373022014-07-25T13:15:00.004-07:002014-07-25T13:15:58.785-07:00Mooiplaas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This winery is on Bottelary Road on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. This road of wineries is one of my favourites in Stellenbosch because it is not on the main drag, so they are usually quiet when you visit them, they are old, traditional and rustic. I actually find it quite sad that more marketing is not done to get more people to the wineries on this road as they are true gems to visit.<br />
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Please note the photos on this page are from the internet as I cannot find the photos I took on my visit. <br />
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Mooiplaas was one of those wineries I was putting off visiting because it is a mass producing, commercial winery. But finally I decided today that it was time to visit.<br />
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The winery is very nice with the horses on the estate, the option to enjoy a picnic outside on the lawn under the trees and you can sit inside or outside for a tasting.<br />
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What started my experience off wrong here is that the lady in the tasting room was busy doing some sort of admin, oh yes, she was paying staff at the time, so I was asked to wait. I waited about 5 minutes and finally was given a price list and explained how the wine tasting works here. It costs R10 to taste 4 wines here and R50 to taste the MCC.<br />
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I then asked the lady, as we can only taste four wines, which would she recommend tasting. This is how I ended up tasting the following wines:<br />
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Langtafel White 2013 at R40 a bottle. It is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Semillon. It was quite smooth on the palate, had nice fruity flavours and a slightly acidic, fresh finish. This wine was nice.<br />
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Mooiplaas Chenin Blanc 2012 at R60 a bottle had an old musky and fruity smell, it was quite thin with no body, and was smooth. I didn't really like this wine.<br />
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Mooiplaas Pinotage 2012 at R69 a bottle was very soft. It is quite light, easy drinking, had slight chocolate tones and was fruity. This wine was ok.<br />
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Langtafel Red 2012 at R40 a bottle is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Shiraz. It had a Christmas fruit, earthy, poey, and prune aroma. It was fruity, easy drinking, a little dry on the finish and a nice wine. I felt this wine was value for money.<br />
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I have to say, I was pretty disappointed with the wine here. I think this winery is a nice option if you want to enjoy a picnic on a winery and easy drinking wine for low prices.<br />
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Service was not so friendly nor did the staff know much about the wine. As always, this has an affect on my overall experience and opinion of a winery.<br />
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On the back of the price list I see they have a number of activities to enjoy on the farm also. These include the following:<br />
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Picnic by reservation only at R220 a basket which is for 2 people. <br />
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The Langtafel Luncheon at R275 pp. "Join the Roos family in the manor house for an unforgettable experience. Welcome drinks, canapes, 3 course lunch/dinner and 6 wines included".<br />
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Supper in the Cellar at R150 pp. A wine tasting hosted in the cellar followed by a light supper.<br />
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Private Cellar Tastings at R25 pp. Tutored tasting in the Mooiplaas maturation cellar.<br />
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Mooiplaas Nature Reserve Hikes at R50 pp.<br />
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Horse riding is by appointment. <br />
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They have guest accommodation on the farm. It is self catering and sleeps two adults. In low season you pay R600 pn and in high season you pay R750 per night.<br />
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I personally wouldn't recommend visiting this winery as there are others on this road I would recommend over this one. However, if you have time to visit them all, then you might as well visit this place. If it is a nice day, perhaps reserve a picnic to enjoy under the trees.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01595576507636594825noreply@blogger.com0