Wineries in the Western Cape

Almenkerk

2012-01-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

The lady at Highlands Road told us that this winery would also be open today, so we went and checked it out. I am so glad she suggested this place as we both just loved it!! The previous two wineries were also nice, but this was on another level of its own.

The building is impresssive, the view is impressive, and then the service is impressive!! We drove through very high walls in to the courtyard area where the parking is. As soon as we got out of the car we saw the awesome view, and the stunning building. We were greeted by the winemaker, he introduced us to friends he had over for some wine. We sat outside to enjoy our tasting. The winemaker was so pleasant, he spent time going through each wine with us and made us feel so welcome.

The wine was really nice!!! We had a beautiful Sauvignon Blanc 2010 to start with. This sells for R90 a bottle. It had beautiful grassy flavours and was very nicely balanced. I really liked this wine. Then we had the Chardonnay 2010 (R120) which we just loved!!! We had to buy some bottles of this. If we had the money we would have bought a case. This Chardonnay took us by surprise!! It had great flavour, was zesty, balanced, just awesome!!! To finish, we tried the red blend: 1/3 Shiraz, 1/3 Merlot, 1/6 Cabernet Franc, 1/6 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% viognier. This was light, balanced and also very nice!!

He took several of us through his cellar also. It is quite a small cellar, but he explained that he likes the volume he makes. As he said, if he expands, he will then have to expand on everything. As far as I was concerned, his wine was so great, I am happy he has kept his volume of wine low compared to other wineries, because he has great quality and great tasting wine!! So long as there is enough wine for us to stock up on also, we will be happy.

This winery is a must visit!! I can't wait to take some of my friends here. In fact, after we went to Highlands Rd, South Hill and this winery, we were hooked on the wine region and agreed to come back for a weekend to try visit more. Such a great wine region, fantastic wines, lovely scenery and really friendly people!!

I think this has become my new favourite wine region!!

Highlands Road

2012-01-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

Second on our list was Highlands Road. We were there just ten minutes before closing, and were greeted by children running past saying hello. There were children playing in the water, kayaking etc. It was so nice to see!!

The winemakers wife came out to greet us. I said to her I realise that we are pushing it close to the time they close, and she said it was no problem and welcomed us inside for a tasting.

We went through the entire list of wines to try, and had such a nice experience. The lady serving us was very friendly, informative and enjoyable to do the tasting with. We tried the Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (R62 - currently on special for R45). This was beautifully balanced and smooth. She said that this wine could last easily until 2019. I was impressed. The Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc 2010 is a 50/50 blend, it sells for R60 and is called Sincera, which means without wax. This wine was smooth, creamy, fruity and balanced. The Rosé 2009 (R30) was made with Merlot grapes. It was soft, slightly sweet and balanced. The Shiraz/Merlot 2009 (R65) had a nice smell, it was smooth, balanced, slightly dry/powdery. She let us try their new Sauvignon Blanc dessert wine, it was unlabelled at the time, selling for R50 a bottle. This was beautifully balanced, light, not syrupy, just loved it!! It has 12% alcohol.

At this winery, they also have a restaurant. They serve breakfast and lunch. Breakfast prices range from R40-45 and lunch will cost between R35-50. There is also a deli platter for R70.The restaurant is open from 9am - 3pm Wednesday to Sunday.

There is a lovely decking beside the water, where you can enjoy a nice meal. I would highly recommend visiting this winery and enjoy their lovely wine, views and food. I could definitely spend a few hours on the decking beside the water.

Souh Hill

2012-01-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

Today we were driving back to Cape Town from Sandbaai. We decided to visit a few wineries on our way back. As it was Sunday, there were only two wineries along the Valley Rd/Highlands Rd that were open for wine tastings. So we turned left on to Valley Road and made our way to South Hill first.

The winery is very lovely!! The building is nice, the view is nice, and the interior decorating has a neat feeling to it. It is very welcoming and has style. We walked in to the restaurant, I definitely want to come here for a meal sometime!! The tasting is done at the bar in the restaurant. A tasting is free at this winery.

The waiter served us all three wines to try, and didn't tell us anything about the wine, but we were left with the bottles, so at least we could read the labels if nothing else. I wasn't too bothered about the fact we weren't told anything about the wines, as it kind of added to the charm of this place.

We tried the Sauvignon blanc 2010 (R60), this was very nice, it was fruity, smooth, balanced and delicious!! The Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé 2011 (R40) was also soft and tasty. The Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (R70) was soft, balanced, and had a slight powdery aftertaste.

We had a look at the menu and they do a 2 course for R165 and a 3 course for R195. There is a selection of 3 entreés, 4 mains and 2 desserts. The food on the menu sounded very nice and I felt the selection was ideal.

We looked around the winery, admiring the views and checking out wedding venue possibilities. It all was lovely, and I do think a wedding here would be nice. The photos they had on display for weddings at their winery, were really beautiful!! Be sure to take a look at the photo album.

This is a lovey winery to visit when out this way. If you are planning a meal while on your wine tour, put this one on your list.

Sumaridge

2011-12-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

This was the third winery on our list for the day. The venue was very nice, we spent some time taking photos at the water, watching the ducks and ducklings swim around, watched children fishing while the family was having a picnic beside the water. It was a lovely setting.

We had booked a table at this place to do a tasting and eat a platter of food. On arrival we were seated at our table, and it did take a little while to be served. Quite a few people had walked in for a tasting and instead of sitting for a tasting, they did it at the tasting bar. I think this had a massive affect on our tasting experience because the staff were too busy to then serve us our wine. We would have been better doing our tasting at the bar and then sitting for the platter. We had hoped to have done both at the same time, but was not a biggy that we couldn't. The staff were very friendly though, and the guy serving wine was very informative.

We tried all the wine. The Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (R70) had really nice flavour and was balanced. The Chardonnay 2009 (R140) had a lovely flavour, but was slightly tart. The Maritimus 2009 (R130) was very nice, it had nice flavour; was a beautiful tropical fruity flavour, and nicely balanced. The Pinot Noir 2009 (R180) smelled nice, but it was not a favourite of mine. It seemed that it might be better after a few more years. The Merlot 2007 (R100) was very nice; I really liked the flavour of this wine. The Epitome 2008 (R160) had nice oak, tobacco and spicy tones, it was mature, and a delicious wine.

There is an outdoor decking which seats about 8 people. If you can book this, its makes for a lovely setting for your platter. They also have tables outside under the trees, which on a non-windy day would also be a lovely place to sit for a platter. The platters available are very nice!! There is a selection of 4 different platters, ranging from R45 to R130. The cheapest option is designed for children as it is a smaller platter, whereas the adults ones range from R70 - 130. The lady who served us gave us the option of getting a big platter for the 6 of us, for something like R450. We all thought this was a great option, and it turned out that the portion was a perfect size for us all. It was delicious also!!!

I do recommend one visits this winery as the whole setting is lovely. If you are a big group though, I do recommend booking a table for a platter, but perhaps do your tasting first at the bar if it is busy.

Newton Johnson

2011-12-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

The second winery on our list today was Newton Johnson. The location of this winery is very nice, the building is situated on a hill over looking the walker bay valley. In the distance you can see the ocean. It really was a lovely view!!

The building is modern and very welcoming.

The lady in the tasting room was very friendly, we tried almost all of the wines, and at this winery the tasting is free.

We started with the Newton Johnson Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (R75) which was light, fruity and nice. The Newton Johnson Resonance 2010 (R120) is 84% Sauvignon Blanc and 16% semillon. It was nice and had a lot of flavour!! The Felicite Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (R52) is easy drinking, fruity and light. The Felicite no oak Chardonnay (R52) was light and crisp. The Felicite dry rosé (R52) was 74% Shiraz and 26% Sauvignon blanc. This was light, nice and I liked it. The Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Pinot Noir (R220) had nice flavour, was light, and had a nice aftertaste. I also liked this wine. The Newton Johnson Pinot Noir 2010 (R185) had nice earthy flavour to it, had a slightly dry aftertaste. This one had more character to it than the previous Pinot Noir. The Newton Johnson Full Stop Rock 2008 (R100) was 94% Syrah, 3% Mouvedre, and 3% Grenache. This had lots of plum and berry tastes to it, then a licorice aftertaste, I loved it!! We ended up buying a bottle of this one as it really stood out as a unique and fantastic wine.

After our tasting, we sat out on the decking and enjoyed a nice bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. The view from the decking is lovely. Its really relaxing here. The service was also very good.

While sitting there I had a look at the menu, the food does sound nice, and I liked the look of the breakfast menu!!! We were all pretty keen to go back here again for a meal.

I definitely recommend visiting this winery when out this way.

On the 21st of January, we visited this winery again as my friend wanted to show it to her friends who hadn't been there before. We didn't get the same service this time round. We were the only ones there at first, so we received our first tasting. Three people then arrived and after that we were almost ignored. So it will depend on who is serving you as to what experience you get at this winery. Due to the fact we were not being served (unless we waived our hand for attention) we left after trying three. Bit disappointing considering how great our first experience was. I still recommend visiting this place though.

Bouchard Finlayson

2011-12-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

We unfortunately had a bad experience here, so I do apologise if this review is a bit negative. I will endeavour to go back to this winery again, to see if it was just bad timing, bad service or a bad year for their wine....

The winery itself is very nice. The drive up is nice, the bulding is nice, the garden is nice.

When we walked in, it took a few minutes to be greeted, we were asked how many were in our group and we said 6. She then informed us that if there are 6 or more people you must pay R40 per person for a tasting and you can only try wines 1 - 7 from the list. We then asked if we could sit in two groups of three (as a joke) so we didn't have to pay, but it was not taken so well.

I had read in the 2010 platters guide that the tasting would be R20 per person for groups of 6 or more, which I thought was pretty reasonable. But R40 I thought was a bit steep and I thought it was weird that you can't try all the wines, even though you are now paying!!

One of the people in our group decided not to taste the wines, so we sat down as a group of 5 and no longer had to pay, AND, we could try all the wines available for tasting, which was wines 1 - 9 on the list.

Then, it seemed that the lady who greeted us was not impressed with our group, it appeared that we were not worthy of her time and expertise in wine, and therefore we were served by another lady who didn't know anything about the wine, and only after the 4th wine actually decided to tell us something, and she had to use tasting notes to do so. But on the first 4 wines, she didn't tell us what we were tasting, what year it was, nothing!! She literally just poured the wine.

What made things worse, is that out of all five of us, we didn't enjoy any of the wines. A lot of them had a sour taste to them, and just didn't appeal to our palate. Having said that, the Blanc de Mer 2011 (R75) was ok, it was light and zesty. Here are the notes I made about the other wines: The Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (R84) was sharp, sour, and fruity. The Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2010 (R114) was smooth and zesty. The Chardonnay Sans Barrique 2010 (R108) was in my opinion not balanced and was sharp and sour. The Chardonnay Crocodiles Lair Limited Edition 2010 (R151) was 50% wooded. (I guess this is when we finally got told information on the wine). This wine was smooth, smelled nice, and tasted of apricots. The Chardonnay Crocodiles Lair 2010 (R114) had a nice smell, was smooth, yet had a sour/zesty taste. The Chardonnay Missionvale 2010 (R142) was light, sour and zesty. The Hannibal 2008 (R184) was a blend of Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, and Nebbiolo. This wine was ok/nice. Last of all the Pinot Noir Galpin Peak 2010 (R245) was nice but had a sour aftertaste.

As you can see, the wine is rather pricey. Dispite the high prices and poor service, there was just nothing that appealed to any of us, and therefore none of us bought a bottle of the wine.

When we left, I thought, I wonder if the girl who originally served us thought, yeah, see, they didn't buy wine anyway, complete waste of time and money.

So that was our experience, it was disappointing. None of us had heard of this winery before, and as it was one of 5 wineries we still had on our list to visit along this road, we were all looking forward to our visit.

If you are a group of 6 or more and you also don't want to pay R40 per person, I suggest walking in in groups of 5 or less and pretending you don't know each other. I do think you get better service if you do the tasting standing at the bar, as the lady who was serving there, really seemed to know her wine. I overheard her talking and she sounded passionate about the wine and knowledgable.

In the tasting room there is a cellar room you can have a look around, which is very nice.

Christmas Blind Wine Tasting Event - MCC & Dessert wine - 12th December

2011-12-12T18:30:00.000-08:00

On Monday the 12th of December, I held my fifth blind wine tasting event at Trinity in Cape Town. This month 52 people attended, which is the highest attendance I have had so far.

At this months event, we tried 7 MCC's and 8 Dessert Wines. The MCC was from Van Loveren, Morena, Buitenverwachting, Muratie, Laborie, Deetlefs and De Grendel. The Dessert Wine was from Van Loveren, Fleur du Cap, Boekenhoutskloof, Daschbosch, Asara, Altydgedacht, Buitenverwachting, and Deetlefs. As you can see, it was an awesome line up!!

The most popular MCC on the night was Laborie, followed closely by Van Loveren and De Grendel. The most popular Dessert wine was Buitenverwachting, followed very closely by Deetlefs.

The event was a fun, interactive and Christmas themed night. Some people dressed up really well for this event.

Everyone enjoyed the Steal the Christmas present game, all walking home with a present each.

This month, Ferdi from Deetlefs was kind enough to join my wine event and explain to everyone how MCC and dessert wine is made. It was great being able to understand how much work and effort is put in to the process, allowing everyone to appreciate what they were drinking even more :-)

My next blind wine tasting event will be held in February. We will be trying a white varietal, however, I haven't decided which one it will be yet. Be sure to go to my facebook page 'western cape wineries' and go 'like' my page. Alternatively, email me on westerncapewineries@gmail.com and ask that you be added to my database so that you will be notified of future wine tasting events.

Thank you to all the wineries and wine club members who have supported my blind wine tasting events this year, I look forward to holding many more next year.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Kind regards,
Chrissy

Haskell/Dombeya

2011-11-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

After a tasting at Hidden Valley I took my group to Haskell/Dombeya. I brought them here because Werner (the tasting room manager) is fantastic at his job. He really knows his wine, he goes through them at a nice pace and explains everything along the way. My friends thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed this tasting, because he does not use technical words, so it doesn’t matter at what level you understand wine, anyone can understand.

What I also like about this winery is that they offer South African, Australian and NZ wine to try. There are not many wineries in the Western Cape that do this.

Werner started us off with three Chardonnays. We tried the New Zealand Craggy Range Kidnappers Chardonnay 2010 (R245) which was light, refreshing, fruity, soft, however, it does taste a little watered down. This was a very easy wine to drink. The Dombeya Chardonnay 2010 had a buttery and toast smell, it tasted nice and smooth. The Haskell Chardonnay 2010 (R290) smells buttery and syrupy, tastes nice, but I didn’t feel it had a lot of flavour and it was very easy drinking.

I then requested we try a Sauvignon Blanc, as he had no NZ Sauvignon Blanc left, he suggested I try the Dombeya Sauvignon Blanc. This was beautiful, had lovely flavour, and was very nice.

Next he introduced us to two Shiraz’s and one Syrah. We got to try the Dombeya Bolder Red Shiraz 2008, this was nice and smooth. Next we tried the Haskell Aeon Syrah 2008 (R290), this I found a little harsh but full of flavour. Last of all we tried the Pirathon Shiraz 2006 (R245) from the Barossa Valley in Australia, this had a lot of flavour and was a very nice wine.

After the tasting we enjoyed a lovely lunch outside. The service is always great here, you are given bread and butter to eat while waiting for your meal. The other thing I like about eating here is that the wine (other than a few) are exactly the same price to enjoy at the winery as they are if you bought it from the cellar. I was very keen to have a bottle of NZ Sauvignon Blanc, so for a very reasonable R160 we drank a bottle of the NZ Lawsons Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc. It was really good, I was very happy with the recommendation Werner had made. Be sure to try this wine, or buy a bottle if you eat here!! Awesome flavour!!!

Be sure to visit this winery, you need to make a booking with Werner, he gets a lot of bookings on the weekends, and its worth having his full attention when you come here for a tasting.

Hidden Valley

2011-11-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I took a group of 9 people around some wineries in Heldeberg. My friend told me she had some friends from the Netherlands who were interested in doing a wine tasting, and asked if I could show them around. I was given full responsibility for where I took them, and seeing as my favourite wine region is the Helderberg wine region, that is where we went.

We started at Hidden Valley Winery. I chose this place because of the view you can enjoy while having a wine tasting and because of the architecture of the building. It is such a stunnig building they have, great location and just lovely views.

We were able to sit outside for the tasting which was very nice. It was the perfect weather to do a wine tasting outside.

We tried all 6 wines for tasting, this costs R30 per person which is waived if you buy two bottles of wine or more.

We started with the Hidden Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (R75), this was tropical fruit flavoured, soft, had a great smell and taste. The aftertaste was a little dry. Next we tried the Land’s End Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (R75) which was grassy, little zingy/mineral tasting, light and refreshing. It had a strong zesty lingering aftertaste. The Hidden Valley Pinotage 2009 had a beautiful smell and taste, it had hints of chocolate and coffee, it was smooth, and had a slightly dry/dark chocolate aftertaste. I was not a fan of the Land’s End Syrah 2008 (R175) and the Hidden Secret 2008 (R135). The latter I especially didn’t like because it had a chalky/dry aftertaste. The Hidden Gem 2008 (R135) was quite nice though. Sadly we had to rush the end of this tasting as we had to get to our booking at Dombeya/Haskell.

I would definitely recommend visiting this winery if you want a place with a nice view, good service and a nice range of wines.

There is a restaurant on the premises, which I believe would be a very nice place to eat. This winery also has chocolate platters for R55 and includes a wine tasting, cheese platters (R230) for two people and includes a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinotage or a wine tasting for two. They have picnic baskets available for two people at R295 and includes a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinotage.

High Constantia

2011-11-26T00:11:00.001-08:00

I went to High Constantia on Thursday by myself for a wine tasting, as I was out that way to pick up wine from Buitenverwachting for my upcoming wine event.

I had an hour to kill so I thought I would see if they were open, I had tried to do a tasting two other times at this winery, but both times they were closed.

As I walked down the driveway a lady welcomed me on to the estate and showed me through to the tasting room.

The tasting is done outside on the porch where you have a beautiful view of the mountains, an old builing and a pond.

The place is so tranquil you could sit here for hours enjoying the view.

First I got to try the Clos Andre 2008 MCC (R227), which is 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir. This is a very pleasant MCC to drink, it's fruity, not dry and nice to drink. Next I tried the Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R86.67). This has a beautiful smell, is full of flavour, smooth, and balanced. For me, it tasted a bit grassy, and also tasted of lime. There was a prominent flavour to this wine which I just couldn't recognise, but it was zesty and vibrant.

The rest of the wine available to try were red varietals and to be honest, I wasn't a fan of them. The flavours were all fine, but it was just the chalky and dry aftertaste that I didn't enjoy.

A tasting costs R40 here, if you buy wine the fee is waived.

Be sure to come here, as the service is great, the scenery is beautiful and the wine is interesting. It's a small place which I like because you get to have a wonderful wine tasting experience here.

Hillcrest

2011-11-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful sunny day, and I had half an hour to kill, so I thought I would finally do a wine tasting at Hillcrest.

The lady in the tasting room was energectic, knew her wine and clearly had a passion for wine. It was nice to be served by her. A tasting costs R10 here, but if you buy a bottle of wine the fee is waived.

I started with the Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (R70) it had amazing flavour, which was very much tropical fruit flavours. The Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R60) had a nice aroma, hints of graasy & apple taste, it was zippy, had a fig aftertaste and had a slight bitter aftertaste.

The Cabernet Sauvignon Rose 2010 (R45) is very similar to the NZ Martinborough wine region Rose. It was crisp, dry, fruit driven and complex. I am more a fan of the easy drinking, Rose.

The Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2007 (R60) was interesting. It was smokey, fruit driven, had berry notes and a slightly dry aftertaste.

The Metamorphic Range Quarry 2008 (R150) was sharp, had very nice flavours and an intense feeling on the palate. The Metamorphic Range Hornfels 2008 (R250) was again full of flavour, slightly dry, and had white pepper/spicy tones.

Overall the wines here are very nice, I especially liked the Sauvignon Blancs. This winery has a nice restaurant, lovely views and good service. It is worth the visit if you are visiting the Durbanville wine region.

Durbanville's new signature dish

2011-11-23T13:00:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, 23rd of November I was invited to a media lunch at Diemersdal for the launch of the new Durbanville signature dish.

On arrival, all the Sauvigon Blancs and Shiraz's from the Durbanville wine region were available to try. I thoroughly enjoyed D'Aria's Sauvignon Blanc, it was very nice!!

There were approximately 20 people invited to this event, all from the food and wine industry. There were a few freelance writers, magazine writers, bloggers, and a few of the Durbanville winemakers also attended. It was really nice meeting other people from the food and wine industry.

After we all had the chance to meet each other and try some of the wine, we sat down for the signature regional dish. It was explained to us that this dish had a lot of effort, thought and time put into it, as they wanted this dish to represent the area and to bring out the history of the Durbanville wine region.

The dish was made of lamb sosaties with risotto-style pumpkin 'stampkoring' (pearled wheat), cumin sauce and pumpkin pickle. The regional dish includes pumpkin in three ways: mashed pumpkin with a hint of cinnamon to add creaminess to the risotto-style stampkoring; diced oven-roasted butternut for texture and intense flavour and a sweet-sour home-made pumpkin pickle with tumeric and mustard seeds.

It was delicious!! The dish was full of flavour; and complemented each other very nicely!! The dish was designed to match Sauvignon blanc and Shiraz from the Durbanville wine region and sure enough, they matched just beautifully.

The pumpkin pickle was very nice, it was my first time trying it, and I loved it. It really complemented the lamb sosaties!! We were given a jar to take home, and it was used up so quickly. Be sure to get your hands on some of this pumpkin pickle!!

To finish off the meal we were given Simonsberg cheese with gingerbread cookies. The cheese was divine and the Altydgedacht and Meerendal dessert wine accompanying the cheese was just lovely!! Be sure to try these dessert wines when you visit their winery!!

This signature dish will be served in all restaurants in the Durbanville wine region as of the 1st of December 2011. The main will cost R120 and for a smaller portion it is R65. I highly recommend trying this dish, it really is delicious. If you have friends or family visiting cape town, you can now take them for a nice wine tour in Durbanville and they can try a local dish at the same time, it's perfect!!

Joostenberg

2011-11-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

Joostenberg is a nice place to visit.

We went to have a look at the plants at the nursery and ended up looking through the deli, around the garden and restauarnt.

It looks like an ideal place to have a lunch with friends who have children, as there is a big grass playing area, a playground, and horse riding for the kids.

You can do a free wine tasting in the deli. They have some very nice wines there.

In the deli there is a large selection of meat to buy. There is also a nice bakery selection, cheese section and many other products worth checking out.

Joostenburg is on the R304. If you are coming from Cape Town on the N1, you take the R304 turn off, at the T-juction turn right on to the R304 and then about 3-5 mins down the road Joostenburg will be on your left.

You can find out more information on http://www.joostenberg.co.za/

Here is some info on their bistro:

The bistro’s seasonal menu features hearty, country dishes made from scratch, using fresh local produce, in particular their own farm reared pork. Examples are: traditional French charcuterie plate; cep mushroom and herb omelette; salad of grilled vegetables and marinated goat's cheese; pork braised with tomato and haricot beans; tart Tatin and vanilla pod ice cream. The atmosphere is relaxed and family friendly. Enjoy their huge cosy fireplace in winter and vine shaded stoep and endless gardens in summer.

Breakfasts are served from 8h00-11h30
Lunches are served from 12h00-15h00

Reservations are recommended, especially over weekends, public holidays and during holidays.

We are open daily from 8h00-17h00

Waterkloof

2011-11-19T13:00:00.000-08:00

A follower of my blog suggested that I visit this winery, and I finally did in November. I am so grateful for the recommendation, as it sure was a stunning winery to visit.

Waterkloof is a must see winery. The view is just stunning from this place!!

The whole place is just wow; the drive up to the winery, the building where they have the wine tastings and restaurant, and the view!! Its all grand and fantastic!!

The place where you do your tasting is quite stylish and the service is very good. Sadly we did not have a lot of time, so had to race through the wines. I found that I either really liked the wine or found it just ok.

My favourites of the wine we tried were Circumstance Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (R90), I found it soft, gentle, had a lingering aftertaste and very nice to drink. I also liked the Circumstance Chenin Blanc, this was very soft, had beautiful flavour, 14 months oaked, it was very nice!! This also sells for R90 a bottle. The Circumstance Cape Coral 2010 Mouvedre sells for R85 a bottle, it was gentle, smoth, balanced, light and easy drinking. The Circumstance Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (R155) was very nice, but had a slightly dry aftertaste. In total we tried 12 wines, there is a fee for trying the wines, I think we paid R25 each.

The restaurant looks lovely, and the food looked very nice also. I imagine a meal here with the view they have, will be a treat and a half!! You can view the menu on http://www.waterkloofwines.co.za/pages/279651693/Restaurant-and-functions/menu.asp. They also have a 6 course degustation menu for R385/R490 wine pairing included. From what I saw, this would be very nice I am sure!!

I definitely recommend one visits this winery, and if you have the time and money, be sure to come and enjoy a meal here also. I am very keen to go back for the degustation!!

Kaapzicht

2011-11-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

After visiting Groenland, I decided to visit Kaapzicht also. They are right beside each other so it was very convenient.

On ariving at the tasting room, I thought it was a "dag" (as we say in NZ) to be greeted by a sign on the door saying please press the door once (once being stressed) and wait for assistance. It took a while before someone came to open the tasting room door, but I dared not press the bell again, hehe. The lady who served me said they misplaced the key which is why they took longer than normal to get to the tasting room. But the signs and waiting for someone to come I thought actually added to the charm and cuteness of this place.

The lady who served me was very friendly though didn't seem to know too much about the wine. She had come from the office, so perhaps she doesn't normally do the tastings...

I tried all the white wines and sadly didn't find anything I particulary liked, which was a shame considering they currently have a massive sale on their wine!! Only R20 for their SB 2009 (unlabelled), Chenin Blanc 2009, and Natural Sweet Wine 2007. The Sauv/chenin Blanc 2008 (unlabelled) is selling for only R15 and the so is the Shiraz Rose 2008 (unlabelled). The Cab Sauv 2005 is selling for R35 and the Bin 3 (merlot/cab sav/pin) 2007 is selling for R49.

I did however love the Merlot 2008 (R90). This was so smooth, moist and delicate. I really liked this wine, so I walked out with a bottle. The Hanepoot Jerepigo 2008 (R60) had great flavour, was sweet but not syrupy and was a nice dessert wine.

The overall tasting experience was nice here. If you are a big group, I am sure there will be a wine for everyone's liking, as there are 18 wines on the tasting list!!

I think if I am correct they charge R10 for a tasting, but if you by a bottle of wine the fee is waived.

Unfortunately I didn't have my camera on me when I visited this wine, so have had to use photos from their website. Be sure to check out their website on http://www.kaapzicht.co.za.

Groenland

2011-11-17T11:30:00.000-08:00

Last week I went to this winery by myself as I was out that way for a job interview and thought it would be nice to visit a few wineries before I headed home.

I have to say, it is a very cute/unique place to come for a wine tasting. It felt like I was driving on to someones property, which I am guessing I was. Even though I have been to several wineries where the owners live on the same grounds, you usually don't get close to their house, so it doesn't feel so obtrusive.

The gardens at this winery are nicely kept, and the whole place all has a quaint feel to it. It added mystery and excitement to the place :-)

Following the wine sale signs I managed to find the wine tasting room. There was a lady there working as the tasting room assistant and there were no guests when I went. So I was very lucky to get a one on one tasting. The lady (Jenny) working there was very friendly, polite and clearly knew her wine!

A tasting at this winery is free, and there are 9 wines to try. I tried 6 of them and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised as to how nice the wines were. I had not heard of Groenland before coming to this winery, so after trying the wine, I was very glad to have visited.

The Chenin Blanc 2010 - Promise (R25) is definitely worth a try. It is balanced, creamy, not acidic and has lovely fruit flavours. I especially liked the Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (R39.50) which has a beautiful smell and taste. My other favourite was the Antoinette Marie 2007 (R59.50). This is a red blend of 50% Shiraz, 25% Cabernet and 25% Merlot. I don't know what has happened to me recently, but I am stumbling over some fantastic reds!! For those who follow my wine blog closely, you will know this is very odd, as I have not been so keen on red wines up till now. I ended up walking away with two bottles of the SB and Antoinette Marie. I have already shared the Antoinette Marie with friends and they also thought the wine was very nice!!

The price of the wine here is truly fantastic, especially considering the quality of wine you are getting!!

Be sure to visit this winery if out this way, it's truly a hidden gem!!

Please note I did not have my camera on me when I visited this winery, and therefore I have had to use photos from Groenlands website. You can view more on http://www.groenland.co.za/gallery.asp

Diemersdal

2011-11-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

My boyfriend and I went to Diemersdal after doing some errunds Friday morning. We thought because it was during the day time on a week day that it wouldn't be busy, but surprisingly it was. There were a few gentlemen sitting inside doing a tasting, there was a group of young adults sitting on the lawn doing a tasting, and then another two couples came in while we were there. All with one tasting assistant, I was quite impressed with how well he kept up with all the people.

The style of the building is Dutch. The view from the tasting room is very nice, I love the lawn they have outside the tasting room to enjoy a picnic and wine tasting.

We had a very good experience here!! The vibe in the tasting room is great, the tables outside allow you to do a tasting there, and the lawn outside is so lovely if you want to take your time and enjoy the scenery while doing a tasting you can.

It appears that you can try anything and everything on the list, and at no cost. The service was fantastic!! The guy serving us was so friendly, polite, hospitable, you don't want to leave because his energy is so inviting and welcoming. It's fantastic!!

We tried eight wines, my favourites were the Sauvignon Blac 2011 (R49). This has a beautiful smell and a great tropical and grassy taste. It is really elegant and easy drinking. The Sir Lambert 2011 (R75) has grassy, asparagus notes, is light and refreshing. I liked this wine very much. I loved the Chardonnay unwooded 2011 (R50). This was delicious, it had great flavour, was lovely on the palate, and had a lingering aftertaste. We were very lucky to try the Grenache 2010 (R95), this usually is not available for tasting, but if a bottle has been opened, then they might let you have a try :-) Be sure to ask if you do come here, for the Grenache is smooth, balanced, had lovely flavour, and was not dry. I really liked it. We were informed that this is best served chilled. Last of all, the Pinotage Reserve 2010 (R90) is very nice!! It has great body, lovely flavour and is nicely balanced.

We ended up walking out with four bottles, and I can't wait to open them!!

We were told that on the weekends the music in the tasting room is turned up, and people are welcome to bring their own picnics and sit on the lawns drinking the Diemersdal wine. I have already told my friends about this, and I can't wait to go drink Diemersdal wine while sitting on a picnic blanket enjoying a home packed picnic with friends!! What better way to spend an afternoon with friends!!

Be sure to put this winery on your list when visiting the Durbanville wine region!!

Boekenhoutskloof

2011-11-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

After I picked up some MCC from Morena a.k.a Franschhoek Pass Winery I went to Boekenhoutskloof winery.

I was surprised to see so many cars leaving as I was driving up the driveway. It turns out, I had just missed a busy period. This was great timing as it meant I had fantastic service!!

I like the porcupine art on the way in to the tasting room, its very cool. I like the cartoon people standing around the tasting room.I also like the spittoons, they are very stylish. The whole place was stylish, funky and had a great vibe.

Once seated, I was given a list of wines, and informed that only 6 of the wines are opened each day for a tasting and therefore was given another list showing which ones they were for that day. They chose one wine from the Boekenhoutskloof estate wine list, the chocolate block flagship wine, a few from the Porcupine and Wolftrap list.

I started with the Porcupine Ridge Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (R40). It was crisp, refreshing, had an interesting fruity flavour, and a lingering aftertaste. I liked this wine. Next I tried The Wolftrap 2010 (R40). It is a Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc. This was buttery, creamy, and had body! Then I tried the Porcupine Ridge 2010 (R50) which is 70% Viognier and 30% Grenache Blanc. It was very nice. It was smooth on the palate and nicely balanced. This was followed by the Boekenhoutskloof Semillon 2009, which was soft, balanced, nice, had lovely structure, body and had a beautiful flavour. The Porcupine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon was a real surprise for me!! I wasn't going to bother trying it but I am so glad I did!!! It was smooth, had a slight coffee flavour, was light and I loved it!! I bought two bottles of this wine. I truly couldn't believe I had found a red wine I liked and it was a cab sauv!! hehe. The sixth wine I tried was the Procupine Ridge Syrah Viognier 2010 (R50). It was slightly dry, little spicy and very nicely balanced!! This wine would go great with food. I wondered if the slight pepper flavour was what gave it a slightly dry feeling on the palate.... The lady serving me was very kind to let me try two other wines, so I ended up trying eight wines. The two I haven't mentioned yet are: The Chocolate Block (R175) which is nice and has lovely character and the Boekenhoetskloof Syrah 2009 which I thought was amazing!! It was spicy, had hints of cherries and dark chocolate. Apparently this wine is sold out before it's even bottled!! For those who noticed, I have not put prices beside the Boekenhoetskloof wines, this is because you can only order them if you are on the mailing list. If you want to buy these wines you have to take 12 bottles which comes at a cost of R4000.

Just as I was finishing my tasting, the place filled up with visitors. It seems this place is quite popular!!
Be sure to visit this winery when you visit Franschhoek!! Oh, and guess what? A tasting here is free!! Like it!! :-)

Asara

2011-11-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

I went to Asara on my way to a meeting Wednesday morning. As I drove up to the tasting room there were some lovely views to take in.

The estate is stunning, the accomodation looks very nice, the restaurant looks flash and the design of the place is really cool. Below is a photo of the deli/cafe they have also on the premises. Its quite cute this courtyard area, and kind of feels like you have stepped into disneyland. It feels magical. They have the sign posts showing where the asara bar is, the accomodation, the deli, the restarant etc.

As I needed something to eat, I went downstairs to the tasting room where I could enjoy some tapas while doing a tasting. The view from the tasting room is very scenic, and on a nice day will be a great place to do a tasting!!

I was given the list of wines, and was told I could choose 3 wines for R20 or 5 wines for R30. I ticked the ones I wanted to try, the lady then came back with the five wines I chose and she left me to it. I have never done a tasting this way, and found it so strange to not get any information on the wine.

When my mum tells people in NZ about the wine tasting experience she had in SA she says that you get a list of the wines, tick the ones you want and then you are left to try them. I thought how strange it was that her experience was like that, as I had not done a tasting like that up until the point when I went to Asara. Do I think its a bad way of doing a tasting, definitely not. If you are with a group of friends and just want to soak up the view with some wine, then this is a great way to do it. If you don't care too much about how a wine is made, the characteristics of it etc, then it also is a fab way to do a tasting.

After I had almost finished, I asked a guy working there for information about a few of the wines. He was very informative and allowed me to try two other wines he felt were also worth trying.

As it was 10am in the morning, I stuck to the white wines. I tried the Ivory Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R45), this was a nice light wine, though I thought this had an unusual yet interesting flavour to it. I tried the Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R55) which has a nice smell, lovely flavour and was also light. The Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R60) was very nice!! It was elegant, light, and had amazing body and structure. It had a nice fruity flavour and strong lingering aftertaste. The Chardonnay unwooded had a very interesting flavour to it, and a strong sharp lingering aftertaste. The Chardonnay Reserve - limited release - 2010 (R125) was very nice, it had a slight toasty and buttery taste and great body!! The Rose (Shiraz/Gamay Noir/Pinotage) had a beautiful, sweeet smell, however I felt it lacked flavour. Last of all I tried the Spirit of Chenin 2008 dessert wine (R80), this was a little spicy, had huge flavour, was not syrupy like some dessert wines, it was very nice.

The food I had was really good. I highly recommend ordering the baby calamari salad tapa!!! It was seasoned and cooked just beautifully!! The lamb bobotie spring rolls were also very nice.

When I went to pay for the tasting, I found out that they usually don't waive the tasting fee unless you spend more than R300. They also give you the bill where you can add a tip. I am not sure if that was only because I ate there, or if they do that for wine tastings also. But because the wine was not poured one by one with information on each wine, I didn't feel like there was any service to pay for. I had forgotten at the time, that I had eaten and that I should have given a tip for that.

Even though it may come across as though I have some complaints on the service and the way a tasting is done here, I felt it was a really nice place and definitely worth the visit!! If you come to this place for a tasting knowing that this is how a tasting is done, you shouldn't be disappoointed about anything :-) They have great wine and a lovely setting, be sure to put this winery on your list.

Lourensford

2011-11-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend my boyfriend and I were selling our Sportbraais at the Lorensford market. You can check out the website: www.sportbraai.co.za where you can also purchase the braais.

This market is held on the first weekend of each month. It's a nice market and well worth the visit. I heard that next month's market is to be bigger than usual and will be a bustling place because of the run for life event which is happening that same weekend.

After the market finished at 2pm we went to the Lourensford wine tasting room and enjoyed a lovely wine tasting.

The estate is lovely. As you drive through, you have a beautiful view of the vineyards with the mountains in the background.

The wine tasting room is in a very nice building, with lovely water features outside, and the interior is really warm, welcoming and stylish. I saw that they also have a restaurant near the wine tasting room, which had lovely views and looked like a nice place to enjoy a weekend lunch.

On the weekend we went, Lourensford was also selling some of their wine on special just outside the tasting room. I walked away with a case of the River Garden Rose 2010, it was really nice and easy drinking. They were selling it for only R20 a bottle, it was a steal!! They even had their recently released MCC for tasting. It was very fruity and refreshing.

In the cellar, the service was great, the staff really knew their wine. You can try either the winemakers selection (4 to choose from) or the Lourensford Estate wine (7 to choose from). A tasting costs R25 at this winery, however, if you buy wine the fee is waived. The lady serving us was kind enough to let us try some from the winemakers selection and some from the Lourensford Estate section.I tried the Winemakers Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R90), the Viognier 2010 (R95), the Syrah 2009 (R150), the Lourensford Estate Shiraz/Mouvedre/Viognier 2010 (R95), and the Semillon Noble Late Harvest 2009 (R90). All of these were very nice, had lovely flavour and were very elegant wines.

At the tasting room, they also sell delicious chocolate!! It is definitely a must to buy some of these chocolates to eat while drinking your wine or for trying after your wine tasting.They are truly devine!!

After the wine tasting, we went to the coffee tasting room. That was something unique. You can sit down and have a cup of coffee for free!! This way you get to try the coffee for sale, yet you don't pay for the tasting. My coffee was so good that I ended up buying 250g of coffee beans, which they ground for me at the shop. They really know their stuff when it comes to the coffee and how finely the beans should be ground depending on what you are using to make your coffee. I totally recommend coming here when you do a wine tasting at Lorensford!! And, I highly recommend visiting this winery. Was a really nice experience!!

Le Bonheur

2011-11-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

On Sunday the 16^th of October my friend and Iwent to a few wineries in Stellenbosch. We started at Le Bonheur. It’s a nicewine farm, very quiet and has a quaint Dutch style house for the tasting room.

You can do a wine tasting inside or outside.

As it was such a nice day, we decided to sit outside underthe trees.

We started the wine tasting with the Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R50 a bottle).This was a very nice SB and I ended up buying three as they had a buy two getone free special on at the time.

The Pinot Noir Rose 2010 (R50 a bottle) was ok, theChardonnay (R55 a bottle) was creamy and ok, it is 40% wooded. The Prima 2007(R85 a bottle) is 70% Merlot and 30% Cab Sauv. My first reaction was wow, as ithad a very strong tobacco smell and amazing flavours, however, it was a little dry forme. My friend bought a bottle of the Prima. The Cab Sauv 2008 R100 hashints of blackberries and tobacco, it was slightly dry.

At this winery, you have to spend over R250 to have thetasting fee waived. So unlike most wineries who will waive the fee if you buy abottle, this winery does not. For my friend and I, this always disappoints uswhen a winery does this.

In general, it’s a nice winery. If you are in the area, its a nice stop to make.

New Zealand wine trip

2011-10-24T03:54:00.000-07:00

In October I went to NZ for two weeks. While I was there, my parents and I went to Martinborough for a two day wine tour.

We got extremely lucky with the weather. Prior to going to Martinborough it had been raining, cloudy and overcast every day. On the day we went to Martinborough, the sky opened up and was just a beautiful day!

Martinborough is a nice place to spend a few days for a wine tour, and the cool thing is that the wineries are so close to each other!!! Even if you choose wineries on each side of the town, I guarantee you wont spend more than 10-15 minutes to drive from one to the next!! I love that :-)

Martinborough is famous for their Pinot Noir, but I have to say, I didn't find one that I liked. I also didn't like the Rose in Martinborough. As one should know in the wine industry, what one person likes, is not necessarily what the next person likes. So please note, the comments I make are based on my opinion, and I do apologise if you take any offence to them.

More than anything, this blog is about the wineries and the wine tasting experiences. Sure the wine is important, but I do believe the scenery, vibe, architecture of the building etc, is all very important in ones winery experience also.

DAY ONE:

Martinborough Vineyard:
We started the first day at Martinborough Vineyard. Their Martinborough Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir 1998 was ranked #1 in the "World's Top 20 Pinot Noirs" http://www.martinborough-vineyard.com/, so I was very keen to check out their wine.

It was a cute little place, we received good service and had a pleasant tasting. As you can see in the photo below, there are some outdoor tables and chairs. It would have been so nice to do a tasting out there!! In Martinborough, there are very few wineries that offer a tasting outside. It is usually done at the wine tasting counter/bar inside the tasting room.

The tasting room was quite nice, there is no where to sit down, so you do the tasting standing up. Having spent the last year in South Africa visiting many wineries where you sit for a tasting, I found this quite funny.

We tried the Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir Rose 2011 (NZ$20), it tasted of strawberries, but it was a bit bland, dry, and had a bitter aftertaste. The Martinborough Vineyard Manu (medium) Riesling 2011 (NZ$28) was rounded, slightly sweet, balanced, had an interesting fruity flavour and hints of honey. The Martinborough Vineyard Chardonay 2009 (NZ$40) was oaked, balanced, had a nice fruity taste, and hints of apricot. The Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009 (NZ$70) was light, balanced, yet dry. I found it lacked a bit of flavour.

Also for tasting was the Burnt Spur Range. We tried the Burnt Spur Sauvigon Blanc 2011 (NZ$16) this had a nice fruity flavour, was nicely balanced, creamy and soft, and had a fruity lingering aftertaste. The Burnt Spur Pinot Gris 2010 (NZ$22) was quite sweet (like a Gewuurztraminer), smooth, had a strong fruity flavour (peach) initially. Last of all was the Burnt Spur Piot Noir 2010 (NZ$39) which was burnt tasting, dry, and not so nice (in my opinion).

Overall, it is a nice place to stop for a wine tasting.

Alana Estate:
Next we went to Alana Estate. This is just down the road from Martinborough Vineyard and is very nice!! I had booked us a table for lunch here, so we first had ourselves a wine tasting before sitting at our table.

The Rugby World Cup was still on in NZ at the time, so a lot of places had flags up to support the All Blacks team!! This photo was taken as we were driving up to Alana Estate.

The lady in the tasting room was very friendly and provided us with good service. The Toast 2011 Martinborough event was to be held in November, which is why the banners were hung up all over the wineries in Martinborough. From the sounds of it, the festival is very much like Wacky Wine Weekend in Robertson. If you are going to NZ in November, be sure to check out the date of this event!!

We started our tasting with the Riesling 2009 (NZ$35), this was smooth, fruity yet had a dry aftertaste. Next we had the Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (NZ$27) which had a beautiful fruity flavour, slight grassy tones, yet great tropical flavours and smell. It was not acidic. It was just lovely!!

The Chardonnay 2010 (NZ$42) was very nice!!! I was told that this wine was half oaked and half kept in steel barrels. It was very balanced, had honey tones, was creamy, elegant and stunning!! Definitely a favourite of mine. I would have liked to have bought a bottle but I felt R280 for a bottle of Chardonnay was a bit steep. Worth the money if you have it though!!!

We also tried the Rapture Pinot Noir 2010 (NZ$45) this was light (in body), had great flavour, and slightly dry aftertaste. The Pinot Noir 2009 (NZ$60) was light and had a very slight spicy character to it.

We sat down for lunch at a table outside in the sun. It was such a nice day, so we wanted to make the most of it. Umbrellas were available and so was sunscreen, so they were fully equipped and prepared.

Our lunch was amazing!!! The service was just fantastic, the menu is lovely and the food was great!! We ordered a bottle of the Sauigon Blanc, this went down very nicely!!

To start with we had these Mushroom Arancini Balls for an entree. It is usually sold as a salad for a main, but the chef was kind enough to let us have a tasting for an entree.

We also had the Arawata Whitebait patties w sourdough & local lemons main $36 as an entree to share.

For our main, my father and I both had the Ocean Salmon w sauteed potato's & green beans w Salsa Verde$28 . This was very nice. I cannot remember what my mum had, but if I remember correctly, she didn't like hers as much as ours.

You can view the menu on http://www.alana.co.nz/restaurant/menu/

This ended up being a definite highlight of the trip. We had a great experience and I would definitely recommend one visits this place when in Martinborough.

Coney Wines:

Our third winery for the day was Coney Wines. My parents recommended this place as they are a fan of Coney wine and always have some in stock, they also recommended this place because the winemaker is very friendly, funny and talkative.

We had to drive to the other side of town to get there, and it took not even 10 minutes. I loved that!!

This is the gentleman my parents were talking about. Sure enough, he was so welcoming, friendly, funny and talkative. It made for a fantastic wine tasting experience and it was a lot of fun!! I think it's great that the winemaker is in the tasting room to do the tasting with you also, it's a bonus!!!

As for the wine, it was very nice. We tried the Rallentando Reisling 2009 (NZ$23). It was sharp, and had a lime lingering aftertaste. I thoroughly enjoyed the Ragtime Riesling 2010 (NZ$23), this was sweet and very similar to a Gewuurztraminer. I also liked the Ritz Reisling 2010 (NZ$23), this was very nice!! It was slightly sweet, balanced and had lovely flavour!!

The Piccolo Piot Gris 2011 had an interesting taste on the palate and a completely different aftertaste. It was very fruity yet non-descriptive. The Ramblin Rose 2011 (NZ$24) is made from Pinot Noir. It had a strawberry taste to it, interesting characteristic and moist aftertaste. The Pinot Noir 2009 (NZ$34) I felt was a little sour and spicy.

My favourite was the Que Sera Syrah 2008 (NZ$34). This had a strong smell, had hints of tobacco, was spicy, balanced, smooth and I also got hints of pepper. I really liked it. My parents bought a bottle for me to take back to SA for my boyfriend to try. We enjoyed it while at a river lodge in Swellendam. We both really enjoyed drinking this wine.

They have a beautiful outdoor patio with a retractable roof. Here you can enjoy a meal and a glass of wine whether its rain or shine. You can check out their sample menu on http://www.coneywines.co.nz/cafe/menu/.

We had a fantastic experience here at Coney Wines and I highly recommend you visit this winery when in Martinborough. I am sure you will have just as much fun trying the wines with Mr Coney as we did. He truly has great passion for wine and really makes the tasting so interesting.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that on the back of each wine there is a poem about the wine. His daughter wrote them, and they are really good!! I found this one on their website http://www.coneywines.co.nz/:

Cane pruning just finished, new buds waiting nascent
A quickening Jack Frost, beware those complacent
Then tucking and trimming, now plucking and thinning
A red tractor mowing, a Coney seen grinning
Ripening fruit, hasty netting, starlings’ hunger unseated
Let the pickers start snipping, Ragtime vintage completed.

Murdoch James:

Next we visited Murdoch James Estate. The tasting room was nice; there was plenty of space, and there is a nice outdoor decking and restaurant.

The guy who served us here was very nice, welcoming and friendly. We were the only ones there, so that was a bonus. We started the tasting with the Blue Rock Trafalgar 2009 (NZ$20) which is a late harvest Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. This was sweet, balanced, and had a slight taste of raisins. Next we tried the Blue Rock Pinot Gris 2010 (NZ$25) which was mineral like, had pear flavour, slight lime taste and was a little spicy. The Blue Rock SB 2010 (NZ$20) also had a mineral taste to it and had hints of lime. The single vineyard Pinot Noir 2010 (NZ$39) had spicy tones, tobacco, plum, and a dry lingering aftertaste. The Cabernet Sauvigon/Cabernet Franc was a 20/80 blend. It had spicy, blackberry and pepper tones. The fortified Pinot Noir 2006 (NZ$65) was barrel-aged for three years. It is 18% alcohol.

After the tasting, we were taken for a tour of the cellar which was very nice. He showed us where some of the bottled wine is stored, and told us that they open a bottle of the previous vintage to test the new vintage for consistency.

As they have a nice decking and a restaurant on the premises, this may also be a nice option for a lunch stop on your day of touring the wineries.

DAY TWO:

Te Kairanga

We started our second day at Te Kairanga. There was only one other couple there when we arrived, so I asked if we could enjoy the tasting outside on the patio, and the lady in the tasting room was absolutely fine with that. The other couple ended up joining us outside also, so it all worked out well for everybody.

We started with the estate range, each one costing NZ$21 a bottle. First we tried the Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010. This was very nice. It had a beautiful tropical fruit smell with hints of vanilla and apple. It had a lovely soft texture on the palate (like canned peaches), and had quite a zesty aftertaste.

Next we tried the Estate Riesling 2010, this had a beautiful smell, had quite a zesty citrus flavour and zesty aftertaste. The Martinborough Chardonnay 2009 had a honey smell, was smooth, yet fruity and sharp. The Estate Pinot Noir 2009 had a nice plum smell, little spicy taste, little dry but was nice on the palate. This had a lot more body than the Pinot Noirs we had tried on day one.

We also tried the Runholder Chardonnay 2008 (NZ$29) this had an amazing fruit smell, honey taste, hints of butterscotch and a zesty aftertaste.

Overall, we had a very nice wine tasting experience here. The service was good, the wines were nice, and the setting is nice. We later found out that they offer cheese platters, so be sure to ask for one when you come here. I just had a look online and see they have an on-site deli. Check out the website for more info: http://www.tkwine.co.nz/Cellar_Door_11.aspx. It also says that you can bring your own picnic and enjoy it on the premises. Sounds like a plan for next time!!

Be sure to put this winery on your list when visiting Martinborough.

Martinbrough Wine Centre:
After lunch (in town), we stopped at the Martinborough Wine Centre. We looked at all the wine for sale, and I asked the sales assistant if NZ has the equivalent to South Africas Methodé Cap Classique. Thats when he showed me the Methodé Traditionale. I saw it was around NZ$40 a bottle, and as much as I wanted to try it, I thought it was a bit expensive. Especially as the Moet I bought in Duty free the week before was only an extra NZ$20 in price. Why pay NZ$40 for a Methodé Traditionale when you can have Champagne for an extra NZ$20?

We walked out not buying anything, and I said to my parents, I really wanted to try that Methodé Traditionale. So we turned around and went back in to the store. I asked the sales assistant, which of the two for sale was the sweeter one. He suggested the La Michelle 2008.

So we bought it. The sales assistant (Alex) was very friendly, and funny. He seemed to know the wine in the store very well, so I do recommend visiting this store if you want some advice on which wine to take home as a gift or for yourself. There are tastings available at the shop also, but it varies daily.

Alex: I promised I would give you feedback on what I thought of the La Michelle. It was lovely!! Thanks so much for the suggestion!! I will definitely be buying another bottle of that when back in NZ!!

Ata Rangi:

I read somewhere that this winery was not one to be missed if you come to Martinborough. So we made sure we came here also.

We tried the Rose 2011 (NZ$18). Then the Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (NZ$24) which was nice on the palate, yet had a dry aftertaste. It ws very fruity and had a nice smell. The Pinot Gris 2011 (NZ$28) was slightly sweet, had a dry aftertaste and nice fruity flavours. The Chardonnay 2009 (NZ$38) was smooth, had peach flavour, and a dry aftertaste. The Crimson Pinot Noir 2010 (NZ$35) has structure, yet lacks body and flavour. The Pinot Noir 2010 (NZ$65) the taste was bitter, and I was not a fan of this wine. Last of all we tried the Celebre 2008 (NZ$32) which was a blend of Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

We weren't so impressed with the wine here. Other than the charming tasting room, I probably wouldn't recommend this place if time is limited.

Schubert:

This is a cute little winery, the tasting room is very small, but you get a fantastic tasting with the winemaker himself. He has a lot of old empty wine bottles on display in his tasting room, which my parents were familiar with some of them, and enjoyed looking at them.

The wine here is very nice, but it is pricey!! The Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (NZ$25) has honey and citrus tones. The Rose Pinot Noir 2010 (NZ$25) had 4-5 hours skin contact, was smooth, balanced, but had a slight acidic aftertaste. The Pinot Noir 2009 (NZ$60) had a beautiful flavour and was nicely balanced. The Syrah 2008 (NZ$65) was a favourite of mine, I loved it!! It had a tobacco, spicy smell, and beautiful flavour!! He said this can age for another 9-15 years. We bought a bottle of this wine, and will now wait till we are all together again to enjoy it. The Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2006 had great flavour, slight tobacco and cassia flavour, with a dry lingering aftertaste.

The winemaker who went through the tasting with us was very friendly, very welcoming, very informative, and definitely made this winery one worth visiting.

I was given a free bottle opener with Schubert engraved on it, which I now enjoy using here in South Africa. Tis a treasured souvenier from NZ :-)

Be sure to visit this winery!!

Strangely I don't have any photos of this winery, but you can view this winery on http://www.schubert.co.nz/

Johner:Our last stop for the day was at Johner, which was on our way out of Martinborough, heading back to Palmerston North. I was so glad we stopped here as we had a really enjoyable tasting, and loved the wine!!

It's quite a drive off the main road to get there, but its worth the detour!!

There was another couple there when we arrived, and they were very chatty and we ended up sitting at the wine counter to enjoy the tasting with them and the lady serving. The lady was such a sweetie, and funny too. She is older than your average wine tasting assistant, but she was great to do the tasting with. If you ask her anything technical, she will tell you she wouldn't have a clue. She is very honest and not concerned at all that she can't answer your questions, so that was very funny, and added to the charm of this place.

We started with the Methodé Traditionale Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (NZ$40). This is the equivalent of the South African Methodé Cap Classique!! It had nice flavour, was light, playful, not dry, not sweet, very nice. The Gladstone Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2011 ($18) has a beautiful tropical fruit flavour, it's gentle, easy drinking and smooth. The Wairapa Pinot Gris 2011 (NZ$22) had hints of honey and nectar, was smooth and had a very slightly dry aftertaste. The Wairapa Chardonnay 2011 (NZ$24) was creamy, smooth, had a light fruity flavour, and was lightly oaked. They had a Pinot Noir Rosé for NZ$18. The Riesling 2011 (NZ$22) was sweet, light and nice. The Moonlight Pinot Noir 2009 (NZ$22) was light, lacked body and flavour. The Pinor Noir 2009 Reserve (NZ$50) was rather sharp and dry. The Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec (NZ$40) had interesting flavours, and a little metalic tasting. The Cabernet/Merlot 2009 (NZ$50) I didn't like. The Noble Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (NZ$22) was lovely. It was not sickly sweet, just perfect!! The Noble Pinot Noir 2009 (NZ$22) was delicious!! It was more sticky than the last dessert wine, but still fabulous.

The couple beside us were a few wines ahead of us, and they kept saying that the next dessert wine was even better than the last, and we experienced the same thing. We went on to try the Riesling 2011 (NZ$22) which was nice, had a fruity flavour, was lighter than the last desssert wine and not as syrupy. We really liked this one. The Syrah 2011 (NZ$22) was just wow!! It was very nice. It had beautiful flavour!!! Last of all we tried the Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, this was ok.

We walked away with a 12 bottle case of wine. There was a special that if you buy 6 or more bottles you would get 30% off, was a bargain!!! I think we walked away with 6 dessert wines and 6 other wines. I can't wait to go back to NZ and drink those bottles!! hehe.

Summary:

So, there you have it, a fantastic two days of travelling round the vineyards in Martinborough, and one I would highly recommend others do!! There are many more wineries we didn't get to, so I am very keen to go back and visit them next time. If anyone has visited other wineries or the same ones that I have in Martinborough, please don't hesitate to add your comments. It is always great to get another persons opinion :-)

Thanks Mum and Dad for the lovely wine tasting experience in Martinborough, you made the trip a lot of fun!! :-)

Glen Carlou

2011-10-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

My friend and I finished at Glen Carlou for lunch after visiting Warwick and Le Bonheur. I just love the building at this winery and the view!!

We booked a table outside, so that we could soak up the view while enjoying our lunch.

Seeing as it had been quite a while back that I last did a tasting at Glen Carlou (and it was one of the first wineries in the Western Cape I visited) I decided to do a wine tasting again. My friend had never been here before, so she also did a tasting. I was so glad I did the tasting, because my opinion on Glen Carlou's wine is now very different.

It costs R25 to try five wines from the classic range. They charge R35 for the prestige/classic range tasting. For this tasting you get to try the three prestige wines and 2 of the classic range wines. They also have an international wine tasting which costs R50 and includes trying a wine from Australia (Peter Lehman wine), Argentina and California. You also get to try two wines from the classic range. For all tastings the fee is not waived if you buy a bottle or two of wine. However, there is a 10% discount on purchases of 6 bottles or more.

I loved the fact we were able to do the tasting at the table while waiting for our food. I tried the Quartz Stone Chardonnay 2009 (R275), this had strong flavours, was creamy and smooth. "The Welder" Natural Sweet 2009 (R89) was fantastic!! It was beautiful, sweet, smooth and stunning! I liked the Chardonnay 2010 from the classic range (R90), this was very nice. The Syrah 2007 (R120) also from the classic range, was smooth, a little spicy (like tobacco) and easy drinking. From the limited edition I tried the Methode Cap Classique (MCC - this is sparkling wine but it is made using the same method as Champagne) Brut Reserve 2006 (R178). This is made with Chardonnay/Pinot Noir grapes, it is dry but still pleasant. The unwooded Chardonnay 2011 (R78) was nice, easy drinking, fruity and balanced. Last of all I tried the Tortoise Hill White 2011 (R42) from the contemporary range. This is a blend of Viognier, Verdelho and Semillon. It was an easy drinking wine.

We ordered a bottle of the Sauvigon Blanc to have with lunch, and it was just lovely. It went very nicely with our food and was a very pleasant wine to drink. Even after visiting three wineries this wine went down so easily and was full of flavour.

I ordered two entrees and a dessert for lunch. I had the Asian glazed roasted Duck, Granny Smith apple and hoisin dressing for R65 and the “Waldorf” Salad with red wine poached pears, fresh apple, celery agar agar, toasted walnuts and a blue cheese dressing. Both these were very nice!!!

The menu appeared to be different from when I last visited, but it was still a nice menu and suitable for the season. My friend ordered this chocolate fondant, fried banana and caramel ice cream dessert, and it was delicious!!! Definitely order this when you dine at Glen Carlou!!

You can view the menu on http://www.glencarlou.co.za/restaurant_menu.html.
I highly recommend one visits this winery if out this way, and make this your stop for lunch!

Warwick

2011-10-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

This is a nice winery. There is a lovely grass area andchildren’s playground outside.

Thetasting room is nicely sized and welcoming on the inside.

There is an outdoorpatio just outside the tasting room with tables and chairs where you are alsowelcome to do your wine tasting.

From this patio you look out on to a pond withplenty of lawn surrounding it where you can enjoy a gourmet picnic. They haveset up the lawn with bean bags, picnic blankets and umbrellas.

At this winery they have 6 wines for tasting. These includethe Professor Black Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R95), Chardonnay 2010 (R135), TheFirst Lady Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (R60), ‘Old Bush Vines’ Pinotage 2009 (R95),Three Cape Ladies 2009 (R115) Trilogy 2008 (R250). They have other wines forsale but not for tasting.

I thought the Professor Black Sauvignon Blanc 2010 was veryfruity with a nice lime flavour to it, it’s also very smooth. The Chardonnaywas creamy, nice and didn’t have a wooded/oaked taste to it. My friend usuallydoesn’t try Chardonnay’s let alone drink them, but she also felt this was areally nice Chardonnay and one that she would actually enjoy drinking a bottleof. The First Lady Cabernet Sauvignon was a little spicy, dry and had hints oftobacco. ‘Old Bush Vines’ Pinotage had great fruity flavours but a chalkyaftertaste. The Three Cape Ladies is a blend of Pinotage, Shiraz and Cab Sauv.This wine is elegant, yet has a slightly chalky aftertaste, and has darkchocolate and pepper tones.

Our experience here was really nice. I would love to get ourgroup of friends together one day and enjoy a picnic on the lawn, it would be areally nice way to spend a nice sunny afternoon!!

Stark-Conde

2011-10-15T05:11:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Stark Conde for a wine tasting. It was apity that it wasn’t a nice sunny day, but I could still appreciate thefantastic location and set up they have.

The entrance is beautiful and gave me the impression that Iwas about to see something very nice.

Sure enough after the drive up to the wine cellar, I wasvery impressed with what I saw. There is a lovely cafe to enjoy light meals ranging in price from R50 - R70. They have a cheese plate for R62, a cold meat plate for R64 and a combo of cheese and cold meats for R68. On a sunny day, this would be such a nice place to go to enjoy wine, food and great scenery!!

I was informed that they are well known for their coffee at this cafe. They have a Tokyo-style ice coffee which is apparently very good and a favourite in summer. I was told that the coffee goes through a siphon on a slow drip which takes a total of 24 hours. The coffee is then poured over ice and served as is. For all other coffee, the beans are ground on order and therefore your coffee is very fresh. Theviews from the cafe are just stunning. You can sit inside or outside on theporch and soak up the views while you eat and drink.

For the wine tasting, you walk along a gorgeous foot bridgeto the island where there is a Bali designed building for the tasting room. Thesetting is gorgeous with the willow trees, the wooden tasting room, the watersurrounding the island and mountains in the background. What more could youwant?

The tasting was very nice. We sat inside as it wasn’t sowarm today. They have a fireplace inside which makes it nice and cosy on coolerdays. The service is good; the girl onduty was very friendly and polite. The manager did a tasting with me, so I wasreally lucky to learn a lot about the wine, the wine farm and the history ofhow Stark Conde began.

The Chenin Blanc (R75) was very unique and I have to say Iliked it! There is very strong apple flavours to it, and it’s very delicious!! Sadlythe Sauvignon Blanc is not to be released till November, so I was unable to trythat, but I was informed that it has tropical flavours to it, so I am very keento have a try once it is released!!

The winery is well known for its Cabernet Sauvignon andafter trying the three pines I can see why. For someone who isn’t in to redwine so much, let alone Cab Sauv, I was very impressed!! I was very tempted toeven buy a bottle. It has great aging potential; the three pines can last up to20 years.

The Syrah Stellenbosch was my favourite of the reds. It hadawesome flavours and was nice on the palate.

The Pinot Noir is also not available for tasting at the moment,but will be from February next year.

I have to say, I was very impressed with the friendliness ofthis place. The wine maker/owner even popped in to the tasting room to say hito other guests trying wine, which I thought added a nice touch. This is abeautiful place; I definitely recommend coming out here for the experience. If it’sa nice day, be sure to make time for a meal while out here so that you canreally relax and soak up the views here. It is so tranquil you begin to thinkyou are at a retreat. This truly is a fantastic place.

Middelvlei

2011-10-15T01:59:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago on Saturday the 1st of October I went to Middlevlei for a TSIBA charity running event. SureI didn’t run, but I still contributed to the charity and walked the course.

I unfortunately didn't have my camera on the day so don't have any photos of the winery. I have used some of the photos from the Middelvlei website. You can check out more photos on http://www.middelvlei.co.za.

This running event is held monthly to help raise money for a companycalled TSIBA. Money is raised to fund less fortunate people through aneducation in business, helping them to further them self in life. You can find out more on http://www.tsiba.org.za/

Each month, the event is held at a different winery. Youturn up at the chosen winery about 7am as the run starts about 7.30am. Asthis is on a Saturday, you will need a slightly early night on Friday. It costs R60 to attend this event. The run atMiddlevlei was 6.5km or you could do it twice and run 13km. As our friend is arunning buff, he did the 13km and we walked the 6.5km and it worked out perfectas we crossed the finish line at the same time. What a way to start the day andwe helped raise money for a good cause!!

Once you finish your run or walk, you get to have a freewine tasting in the tasting room. The tasting room reminds me of a cabin you would see when hiking/camping in NZ, so it has a rugged feeling to it, but in a nice way. There is a lovely fireplace in the room which you can sit around. There were wooden tables inside and outside. A tasting normally costs R15 at Middlevlei.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the Chardonnay 2011 at thiswinery. It is smooth, easy drinking, not wooded and nicely balanced. It sells for R54 a bottle so I bought two bottles, which I look forward to opening in the next monthor two. The other wine I liked was the Free Run Pinotage 2010. It sells for R87, is slightly dry and has a great fruity flavour. They also have a Pinotage/Merlot 2009 for R65 and a Shiraz 2009 for R96. The service at this winery was fantastic, and even though it was reallybusy, the lady working there still made the effort to tell me informationabout the wine.

At Middlevlei they also had a Braai goingwhere we could order Boerwors or Braaibroodjies. They were delicious!!! Some of the best Braaibroodjies I have tried in South Africa. For those who don't know what a Braaibroodjie is, it's a toasted sandwich done on the Braai. It is so much better than a toasted sandwich though!! They are usually filled with onion, tomato and cheese.

After we had all rested, done a wine tasting and had some food, there was a prize giving. Therewere prizes handed out for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rdplaced winners, and then many prizes for spot prizes.

This is a nice wine farm to visit and worth checking out. I also recommend attending this charity event, as it's a nice way to start the day, you get to visit a new wine farm every month and you get to do a tasting.

De Grendel

2011-09-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

Today I met with some friends at De Grendel for a wine tasting. I was pleasantly surprised to see such beautiful grounds, a modern tasting room, and fantastic views!! I love that they have an amazing view of table mountain, the sea and their vineyards all in one view.

The wine tasting room is modern, welcoming and can hold many people. I love that they have an outdoor seating area where you can do a tasting.

We ended up sitting outside with a cheese platter and did a full wine tasting. Be sure to allow a good 1.5-2 hours to enjoy a full wine tasting and cheese platter at this winery.

The service here was really good. The guy who served us really knew his wine and the winery. He told us the history of the winery and he had great knowledge of every wine we tried. It was a fantastic wine tasting.

To do a tasting here costs R20 for a tasting of 3 wines, or R50 to try all 11 wines. I highly recommend trying all wines. If you purchase a bottle of any wine then the wine tasting is waivered. My favourite wines here were the Rose 2011 (50), Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (R85), Merlot 2008 (R85), Viognier 2011 R85) and the Winifred 2009 (R85). The Winifred is a blend of Viognier, Chardonnay and Semillon. All their wines are very nice and well balanced.

For me, this is now my favourite winery in Durbanville. I highly recommend you visit this winery and enjoy the wine and views.

Meerendal

2011-09-18T02:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day so we decided to go to the Meerendal market. They hold a farmers market once a month, and this was the first one that we had attended. There were quite a few people there and it was a very nice market to go to.

Outside the tasting room is a nice decking where you can enjoy wine, eat some food and soak up the nice views and atmposphere.

There are stalls selling jewellry, clothing, preserves, bread, cured meats etc. What I loved the most about this market is that there were tables set up out the back of the wine tasting room which you could sit at and enjoy a nice bottle of wine, some food and soak up the view.

This is an ideal place to bring your children, as they have horse rides available, a bouncy castle, and there is plenty of space for children to run around.

I did a tasting while here, and really enjoyed it. The wines are really nice here, all of them were very nicely balanced, were smooth, and you could tell that a lot of attention to detail had gone in to their wine. At first it was not an ideal time to do a tasting, but once they had more staff at the tasting section, I was given more attention and had a great tasting. You can try four of the standard wines for R10, but if you want to try the premier wines then you pay R10 per tasting.

I started with the MCC Blanc de Blanc 2007 (R345) this was very nice. It is light, tasty, buttery, and easy drinking. The Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R69) had a fantastic smell, with very tropical fruit smells. However, what you smell is so different to what you taste. It was smooth, had a cellery, asparagus and slight grassy taste to it. The Sauvignon Blanc Single Vineyard was very yellow in colour, but light, nicely balanced and easy to drink. The 2007 Sauvignon Blanc S/V Bin 242 (R138) is wooded, well balanced, smooth, rounded, and has a very nice lingering aftertaste. The Pinotage Rose (R45) was a favourite of mine. This had very nice flavour, was light and easy drinking. I bought a couple bottles of this wine, had one last night at a party, and have decided I woud like to buy a case, as it was a great wine for at a party/braai. I tried the 2009 Chenin Blanc Natural Sweet (R105) this was very nice, had a lovely taste, was smooth, but compared to other dessert wines I have tried, I did find it was a bit syrupy in comparison.

Overall I think this winery has some fantastic wine, the market is worth a visit, and I am very much looking forward to the next market where I will invite some friends and enjoy some food and a bottle of wine and just soak up the nice relaxing environment. Be sure to put this winery on your list when visiting the Durbanville wineries!!

Quoin Rock

2011-09-18T00:41:00.000-07:00

After visiting Delheim and Muratie, my boyfriend and I decided to visit Quoin Rock. I first tried Quoin Rock wines at the Taste event, and loved their Nicobar Sauvignon Blanc, therefore I was very excited to try more of their wine.

The building is very modern and the tasting room is a great size. The photo below shows just half of the tasting room, there are also several tables and chairs which you can sit at to do a tasting.

The service here is very good, we had a lady called Helanie serve us. She was fantastic. She had great knowledge of the wine, she had a great attitude and passion for the wine.

I tried all the wine available for tasting here. I started with the Cape Agulhas Cap Classique (R125). This wine had interesting flavours, had a slight strawberry taste to it, and was off dry. It was very unique. The Simonsberg Nicobar 2009 (R145) was smooth, silky, romantic, had a nice flavour and aftertaste. I really like this wine!! Cape Agulhas Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (R70) is very grassy, has asparagus taste and smell, is nice, smooth, light and yet it has good body.

The Simonsberg Oculus 2007 (R95) is a blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Viognier. It is buttery, rounded, and definitely has characters of lanolin and honey. This wine has potential, but as it is now, it is not to my liking. The Cape Agulha Chardonnay 2008 (R75) is very nicely balanced. This was a favourite of mine. It has great flavour, a light chardonnay taste to it, it is smooth, relaxed and easy drinking. The Merlot 2009 is slightly dry, and has quite strong flavours. The Simonsberg Syrah 2006 was smooth, slightly dry and had nice fruity flavours.

Other wines I tried include the Simonsberg Centaur2009 (R175), The Mendi 2006 (R175) and the Vine Dried Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (R145). This last wine I thoroughly enjoyed, it is elegant, smooth, has great flavours, and is nice of the palate.

If you want to go outside for a while, you can have a look at this fantastic view out the back of the tasting room.

I had a very nice wine tasting experience here and would recommend one visits this winery when out this way.

Muratie

2011-09-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

We visited this winery after Delheim, as it is on the same grounds as Delheim and I had been told by a colleague that this was a very old winery and worth a visit.

I loved the place from the moment I got out of the car.

The grounds are just stunning here also and the area surrounding the wine tasting room has got so much character to it. I loved the feeling I had walking around this place.

The building looks quite old and it feels like you have gone back in time. The entrance is pretty cool and sets the mood for the place.

I liked the tasting room. It has a lot of character and is fun to look around.

The guy serving the wine was very friendly and knew a lot about the wine. I started my tasting with the MCC 2008 (R110) which was 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. It was crisp, fresh, off dry, refreshing and had a lovely taste and aftertaste. The Isabella Chardonnay 2010 (R100) was very nice. It was buttery, smooth, and easy drinking. The Laurens Campher 2010 (R115) is a white blend. It was also very nice. It was smooth, tasty and silky, yet it had a slightly dry aftertaste. Two others I really liked were the Amber Forever 2009 (R65) and the Cape Ruby Port NV (R75). The Amber Forever is a muscat, it is a port styled wine, it was smooth and sweet. We were given a white chocolate to try with this wine, it was delicious and went with this wine just nicely!! The Cape Ruby Port NV had a slight licorice taste to it, was smooth, semi sweet, and had a very nice lingering aftertaste.

I really enjoyed the tasting here. They have great wines, great service, and a neat tasting room. I do recommend you visit this winery as well as Delheim!! It really makes for a nice outing.

Delheim

2011-09-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

This is a very nice winery which is now another favourite of mine.

I went to this winery with my boyfriend a few weekends back. The drive up to the winery is just beautiful, the grounds are so nicely kept and the place is quiet and sureal.

Once we arrived at the car park for Delheim I was already impressed and excited. As you walk through to the restaurant and wine tasting room, you can appreciate the trees, housing, the birds and gardens. Its all stunning and just sets the mood for what is to come.

We had booked a table for two at the restaurant, and just as well, as the place was very busy by 1pm. When we arrived there was not many people, we got a table outside in the sun, and had a beautiful view. It was gorgeous!!

The menu was very satisfying, there was plenty to choose from. We choose to have a platter, there are several to choose from. The platter was very nice, we went for the german platter, which included cheese, sausage, crackers, bread, preserves, a type of quiche plus more. It was all very nice.

The service was very good here. Even once the place got busy, we were looked after very well.

After lunch we went to the cellar door for a tasting. The service was not as good here, and it didn't get much better after we were seated. As soon as we sat down, people just started coming in one after the other after the other. The place had all of a sudden got full, and there were only two people to serve all the people. There had to be about 20 guests there.

To do a tasting here costs R20 for 6 standard wines and R30 for a premium tasting. If you plan to visit Muratie (which I highly recommend) then it is R40 to try any 6 wines at this winery (standard or premium) and do a tasting at Muratie. It is very difficult to choose just six when there are 18 wines to choose from!! The decor of the wine tasting room is very interesting and quite cool.

The wine is very nice here, I liked the Heerenwijn 2010 (R42), Pinotage Rose 2010 (R42), Spatzendreck Late Harvest 2010 (R42), Chardonnay 2010 (R62) and the Vera Cruz Shriaz 2007 (R245). Most of the wines here are reasonably priced, though there are some wines which are more pricey.

If you come here for a tasting and not a lunch, they will allow you to order a platter from the restaurant and enjoy it while you do a tasting. I thought that was pretty cool.

I most definitely recommend you visit this winery, hopefully you wont get it at such a busy time as we did. The restaurant is fantastic, and I highly recommend you book yourself a table here and enjoy a nice meal with great views!! I do feel this is a winery you should make the effort to come visit.

Bergsig

2011-09-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

I went to this winery a few weekends ago with a friend of mine who works for a winery in Worcester.

The building is very nice, and the interior very tasteful. We were able to do a tasting seated and were informed we could try all the wines. I tried twelve of the nineteen wines available. My favourites were the Chenin Blanc (R35), Pinotage (R63), Icarus (R115) and Cape Ruby (R50).

The Icarus is their flagship.You should definitely try this wine if you do a tasting here. It is a very nice red wine! It is light, velvety and has great flavour.

The lady who poured the wines for us was very friendly, relaxed and had good knowledge of the wines. After the tasting we went upstairs to enjoy some soup for a late lunch. Had the weather been nice, it would have been great to sit on the decking for lunch and enjoy the scenery.

If out this way, I definitely think it is worth a visit. With the amount of wines available to try, there is surely something for everyone :-)

Jason's Hill

2011-09-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

My friend and I visited this winery on our way to Worcester. The location is very nice and the vibe here is very relaxed.

The lady who served us in the tasting room was very polite and friendly. There isn't really any seating in here (except for the two seats you can see in the following photo), so you do the tasting standing. There are some tables and chairs outside, on a nice day it would be awesome if one could do a tasting out there.

I cannot find my tasting notes on the wine at this winery, though I shall keep looking!! I do remember that I enjoyed the Sparkling Rose, as I bought two bottles of it. It is light, semi sweet and easy to drink. My boyfriend and I recently had a bottle of that at a braai and it went down really well.

After our tasting, we had lunch upstairs in the restaurant and enjoyed a nice meal there.

We walked around the premises after lunch. At the back of the building there are monkeys, they are very cute!! I was informed that they also have a picnic area here at Jason's Hill. Though I am not sure if you can therefore bring your own picnic or if they provide picnic baskets.

This is the view from the restaurant:

Overall, it was a nice, pleasant and relaxed experience at Jason's Hill. If you are out this way, and have an hour to spare, I think it is worth your while visiting this winery.

Hamilton Russell - take 2

2011-09-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

The weather was beautiful on the day we visited this winery, and it made thegrounds even more beautiful than the last time we visited. On arrival, we werethe only guests there, the lady serving us was very welcoming and informative. Sheknows the winery and the wine very well. She can tell you a lot about the farmand surrounding farms. Ask her about the scenic drive back to Hermanus, we ranout of time to go that way, but I imagine it is worth the drive!

We sat outside for the tasting, where we could soak up the views, the sun,and enjoy the wine. This winery makes two wines, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Wetried the Chardonnay first, which was smooth, buttery, rounded, slightlywooded, yet it had a slight acidity to it and has nice body. Next we tried thePinot Noir. This was light, wooded, slightly dry, but nicely balanced andpleasant to drink. Both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were among only 17 winesout of more than 5000, awarded 5 stars in the 2005 John Platter Guide.

The wine is quite pricey here, the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sell for R285 abottle. I think whether you are an experienced wine drinker or even someone whodoesn't appreciate wine this expensive, this winery is worth the visit!!!

This place is absolutely gorgeous. The group of friends I was with, all wouldhave loved to have had a blanket, picnic and enjoyed a bottle of wine at thiswinery. We spent a lot of time here enjoying the wines and the view. I laterfound out that guests are welcome to bring their own picnic to this winery. Ifyou are out this way, I recommend you visit this winery!! Be sure to packyourself a nice picnic basket as well though :-) !!!

Klein Constantia

2011-08-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

This winery is settled in a very nice area, the drive to the cellar door is very nice, the grounds are lovely and I like how the place is kind of hidden.

The front entrance to the place is quite simple yet nice.

The water feature at the front entrance is also nice.

On entering this cellar, there is information on the walls along the corridor to the tasting room.

It was quite busy when we got there. There were two ladies serving and due to the # of people tasting all at the same time, we didn't get a lot of information on the wines. Also, with the # of people trying to do a tasting all at once, the experience was not fantastic. It probably would have been a better experience had we come when it wasn't so busy. There was not a lot of space to stand and try the wines and we were all trying to get the ladies attention for our next wine at the same time.

I started with the Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R110) which was light, fruity, and easy to drink. The Mme Marlbrook 2008 (R146) is a blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. This was not so balanced and I didn't think much of this wine, I thought it was ok. Next I tried the Marlbrook 2008 (R186) which is smooth, balanced, yet complex. It also had a slightly dry aftertaste. The Amovilka 2008 (R360) is a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot. It was dry. The Vinde Constance (R370) was thick/syrupy, fruity and delicious.

All of the wines were ok, but other than the last wine, nothing stood out. If one's time is limited trying wines in Constantia, I think you can safely leave this winery off your list. Perhaps when it is not so busy it will be better, but even then, the wines were ok and were overpriced in my opinion.

Eagle's Nest

2011-08-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

This is a nice winery nestled in Constantia.

We received very good service from the moment we walked in to the wine tasting room. The tasting room is of a nice size, the tasting is done seated, and there are nice photos hanging in the room.

I tried all six wines at this winery. I started with the Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R75) which is light, tasty, smooth, balanced and very nice. The Viognier 2010 (R135) is smooth, spicy, and has interesting flavours.
The Litte Eagle 2008 (R65) is light, easy drinking, tasty and flavoursome. The Merlot 2006 (R120) is nicely balanced, slightly dry, has a plum and blackberry taste to it. I felt this wine was more for the experienced wine drinker though. The Verreaux 2008 (R145) is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauviginon and Cabernet Franc. It is smooth, rounded, with a slight dry aftertaste. It has nice flavour to it and is an ideal food wine. Last of all I tried the Shiraz 2009 (R225). It is quite dry, has nice flavour, its slightly spicy, and has peppery notes to it.

Overall, this is a nice winery, with great service, nice grounds, and nice wines.

Guardian Peak

2011-08-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend and I visited Guardian Peak on a beautiful, sunny, winter's day. We sat outside on the decking for breakfast and were able to do the wine tasting at our table also. Was nice and convenient, a very relaxing and enjoyable way to do a tasting.

The service and food is very good here and the view is beautiful. You can view the menu online http://www.guardianpeak.com/restaurant.htm.

You can do a tasting outside at a table, or sitting on these outdoor cushions. There is also plenty of space inside for a tasting.

I tried all the wines for tasting. My favourites were the 2010 Guardian Peak Merlot (R65) and the 2011 Guardian Peak Rose (R65). The Merlot was very nice, had great flavour and was slightly dry. The Rose is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, it was lovely in colour (had no skin contact, it gets its colours from the initial press with the skin), it was a nice, light, easy drinking wine.

I also enjoyed the 2011 Guardian Peak Sauvignon Blanc(R65) it was smooth, balanced, had a nice guava flavour, was buttery with a crisp aftertaste. On the tasting notes it said this wine is "light & elegant - beautiful", I totally agree.

It costs R30 for a tasting. There are nine wines you can try.

This is a nice winery to visit, I highly recommend eating here, be sure to ask for a table outside so you can enjoy the views while eating and/or doing a tasting.

Creation - Walker Bay

2011-08-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

On Saturday some friends and I went to a few wineries in Walker Bay. We were there for a friend's birthday, and the weather was just perfect!! We got very lucky!!

We started at Hermanuspietersfontein for the Saturday market, we then went and spent a nice amount of time at Hamilton Russell, and finished at Creation for a 9 course wine and food pairing. It was a fantastic day!!

On a map, this winery looks quite far, in comparison to the other wineries on this road, and it looks like it is half way to Caledon. Once you have stopped off at several wineries on the way, it is nothing to drive that bit further to Creation. After driving along the dirt road, you are welcomed by a building which is modern, tasteful and welcoming. The grounds are also very nicely kept and are very beautiful.

The service was great right from the moment we walked in. There were no other guests at the time we arrived so we were able to choose what we considered was the best table in the room. It was right near the open doors, so we had great views, some could sit in the sun while others in the shade, it was perfect :-)

We all decided to go with the 6 wine tasting and 9 canapes to match. This is R90 and I highly recommend doing this. It is really interesting trying the wine prior to the matching canape(s) and then trying the wine again after the canape. There is a great difference in the taste of the wine after trying the canapes. It is therefore a great way to decide which wine you like with meals and which you like without food.

Carolyn who was serving us, was really kind to let us try the whole range of wines they have for tasting. They have 9 wines, but when you do a wine and food matching you get to try 6 wines. My favourites were the Sauvignon Blanc (R79.50) - on first sip it was rounded, balanced, yet after eating one of the two canapes for this wine, I found it slightly acidic. I felt it went really well with the cheese canape though!!! I also liked the Bordeaux style blend (R139) - it was just beautiful!! It had great body, great taste and was really nice on the palate. Last of all the Syrah/Grenache (R135) was smooth, velvety and also very nice.

I am not going to mention all the wines we tried as there are many. What I can say is that ALL the wines are very nice, the wine and food matching is great, the service is great, the scenery is beautiful and the entire experience was perfect!! We all had a really nice time here and would definitely recommend you put this winery on your list to visit!!!

Groot Constantia

2011-08-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

This was the 2nd winery we visited on Sunday. It was such a nice day, and this photo was taken just outside the entrance of the cellar door.

I was not expecting much from this winery because of what I had heard from the reviews on www.spitorswallow.com. I had heard that it is very commercial, touristy and not the most enjoyable winery to visit. On arrival, we had to queue to pay for our tasting, which cost R35 for a tasting of 5 wines and a glass you can take home, or R25 which is for a tasting, but no glass. I immediately could relate to what the people meant on spitorswallow. Having to queue was very strange for me, and created the feeling that you are just another tourist walking in for a tasting, you are nothing special. (Even though this wasn't a great start to my opinion of the place, do read on, as it did change and resulted in a very nice wine tasting experience)!!

We got to the tasting section and were poured a generous amount of our first wine and were told we could sit wherever we liked (in the big wine tasting hall) and to come back when we wanted our next glass. I thought, ergh, this is very uncool. We sat down on the sofa's near to the wine tasting section so we didn't have to walk far for our next tasting. As we didn't want to drink the entire glass of wine poured but just have a taste of them, it was not long before we went back to try more. As no other guests were at the wine tasting section, we got to stay there and talk to the ladies serving the wine. This is when our wine tasting experience changed for the better!!

I decided to try all four whites and the rose. The semillon/Sauvignon Blanc (R63) was rounded, light and an ok wine.The Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R89) which won Veritas - Gold, Platters Wine Guide - 5 stars, Classic Wine Trophy - Gold and International Wine Challenge (UK) 2011 - Gold I thought was smooth and ok. The Governeurs Sauvignon Blanc 2009 was very herbaceous and again ok.

The Gouverners Reserve (White) 2009 (R140) however, was very nice. This was nicely balanced, smooth and appealed to me the most out of the white wines. I had no problem drinking the entire pour, it was very easy and enjoyable to drink!! I could definitely sit down to a bottle of that wine. I then had the Blanc de Noir 2010 (R56) and this was very nice. It had a very nice salmon pink colour to it, the skins had been in contact for only 2 hours, it was nicely balanced, definitely another favourite of mine.

By this stage, we had decided to plant ourselves at the wine tasting section, while Alison and Wilma told us lots about the history of the winery and the wine. They REALLY made the experience enjoyable and memorable. To top off the experience, Alison was so kind to let us have a tasting of the Grand Constance 2008 which unfortunately is not on the list for tasting. But for R330 a bottle, I can understand why they don't allow tastings. We all THOROUGHLY enjoyed this desert wine. It was by far the best desert wine I have tried. It had great flavour, great body, yet it is light, silky, smooth, sweet and was very nicely balanced. It was just gorgeous! We almost bought a bottle, but our budget got the best of us :-) To finish the tasting Alison also gave us a tasting of the Port 2009 (R114). This was also very nice. It also had great body, was slightly sweet and was very enjoyable.

So it turned out to be a very nice experience thanks to the fantastic service by Alison and Wilma, the stories and history they told us about the wine and winery, and the extra kindness they showed by allowing us to try the Grand Constance.

I would definitely recommend this winery. I hope that when you go, it is also not so busy and that you too can spend time with Alison and Wilma and learn all about this winery's history. We went at lunch time, which maybe is the key time to go while all the tourists are in a restaurant eating lunch? Talking about lunch, previously I had been to Simon's at Groot Constantia for lunch and it was a VERY nice experience. You will not be disappointed with choosing Simon's for lunch!!

Constantia Glen

2011-08-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

This was the first of three wineries we visited on Sunday. It was such a nice start to the day, driving up to the cellar door and being greeted by a lady on the porch where there was outdoor seating and a lovely view to soak up while trying the wines. The sunny day definitely added to my liking for this place!!

While over looking the vineyards, and enjoying a cheese platter, we tried the four wines for tasting. We started with the Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (R100 a bottle). This was not your typical sharp, crisp Sauvignon Blanc, it had a completely unique characteristic, which was nice. It started off smooth and then finished with an acidic, sharp taste, adding complexity to the wine. It was interesting.

The Rose Constantia Saddle 2011 (R50) was my favourite. It wasn't too sweet and wasn't dry, it was very nicely balanced. This Rose is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. The skin is in contact for 2 hours which gives it a beautiful light pink colour.

Next was the Constantia Glen Three 2008 (R150). This red wine is made from Cab Sauv, Cab Franc and Merlot. It has a very nice smell, has a smoky taste, is smooth, light and not a dry red.

The last wine we tried was the Constantia Glen Five 2007 (R245). On the first sip this wine took my breath away, it was amazing!!! It was amazing the amount of different flavours you could taste on the first sip. I was impressed. I was a bit sad to find that as I kept drinking it, all those individual tastes were mixing as one and it became yet another red for me. Having said that, it was a very nice red and I am sure many red wine drinkers would enjoy this wine.

A tasting at this winery is R30. If you buy a bottle it is waivered.

I hope I have done this winery justice with this review as it was definitely one of my most liked winery experiences. Sitting on the stoep drinking wine and looking out over the vineyards was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend this winery to everyone!!!

Vrede en Lust - Simondium

2011-08-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

This is a very nice winery. It has a very modest front to it and a unique one. The red posters on the front beams of the entrance reminded me of the gate ways you see as you approach a temple in China.

It all changes as soon as you walk through the entrance, you see a completely different side to the place.
The view from the entrance way is stunning and you realise you have walked in to a hidden gem. I wish it had been warmer that day and that we could have done the tasting on the seats outside with these amazing views!!! That would have been magical!!

Time was limited so we didn't get to explore the grounds, but we thoroughly enjoyed what we did see.

The service was fantastic, we were served by a lady called Elzanne, she really knew the wines and had great passion for them. The ambiance at this winery was very nice!!

The wines were great!!! I liked the Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R69) it has great flavour, smell and taste. It is actually similar in taste to NZ Sauvignon Blanc's. I also liked the Pinot Grigio (R80) which was smooth, peachy and nice. Loved the apple flavour it had. The Casey's Ridge Viognier 2010 (R130) was silky, smooth, peachy and nice. Out of all of them, I loved the Viognier 2010 (R130), it has great flavour and is nice and smooth.

I wasn't a fan of the reds. But thought the whites were fabulous!!

Be sure to visit this winery. I am sure you will like it as much as I did :-) There are so many wineries in this area, that you can have a great day at the wineries out here!!! If you have just one day to spend visiting wineries in the western cape, this area is a great choice!!

Shiraz Blind Wine Tasting Event - feedback

2011-07-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I think it is fair to say that we had another successful event. We had a full house, we had Rooiberg's much liked Organic Brut for an arrival drink (sells for around R40 at woolworths - be sure to buy one next time you shop at woorlworths), plenty of food to eat, ten different Shiraz's and a fantastic and much liked Pineau from Laborie to finish the night off.

We had Shiraz from Laborie, Zandvliet, Rooiberg, Delaire, Longridge, Arabella, Backsberg, D'Aria, Dombeya, and Topiary. The favourite was Topiary's Shiraz 2007, then Laborie's limited collection Shiraz 2009, Dombeya came in third with their Boulder Road Shiraz, and fourth was Delaire with their 2009 Shiraz.

We had fun with the wine quiz at half time. The guests enjoy this event because it is interactive, fun, and informal. If one is to attend every month's event, they will get to try 120 wines in the year. This is a great event to get friends together, try some wines and have a nice evening on a week night.

Next month's event will be the third event I have held and I have decided to make it a charity evening also. I would like to help those in need and with this event becoming a success, I would like to use my event as a way to help others. Stay tuned, as I will be choosing the venue and varietal for next months charity wine event.

Hope to see many more of you at the next blind wine tasting event.
Chrissy

Longridge - Stellenbosch

2011-07-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

I visited this winery on Sunday for a wine tasting and lunch. I had a very nice experience and would definitely recommend others visit this winery. The building is modern, welcoming and tasteful. I loved the picket fence and the garden you walk through on the way in to the building.

Once you walk in the door you are made to feel very welcome by the staff. The decor was very nice, in that it was modern, warm and welcoming. There are plenty of places to sit at this restaurant/wine tasting venue, you can sit inside, outside, on couches, at tables, you choose. I loved the long table near the fireplace close to the window so on a cold day you will have a great view, while drinking wine and staying warm inside. I shall definitely keep this place in mind for a cold day.

The weather on Sunday was very nice, so we sat outside and enjoyed the nice view!! I loved the vegetable garden they have in the courtyard area and thought it was great that 80% of the vegetables served at the restaurant is grown in their garden.

We were served by Richard. He looked after us very nicely, it did help that we were the first there for lunch service. We got to have our wine tasting at our table we ate at, which was very convenient, comfortable and relaxing. I loved the fact that while sitting at the table trying all the wines, we could enjoy the view. We tried all ten wines, starting with the MCC. This was actually quite nice in that it was not sweet, not dry, but nicely balanced. The blend is 87% Chardonnay and 13% Pinot Noir.

I loved the Chardonnay (R110) and the HPC White (R45). Out of the reds, the Merlot (R90) was my favourite. Also worth mentioning is the Rose. It has a darker pink colour than most Rose's and due to the Rose having a blend of Cab Frank, Cab Sauv, Shiraz, Merlot, Verdot and Viognier, there are some amazing flavours, it has nice body and yet it is light. I really liked this Rose. It is definitely worth trying. I enjoyed the majority of the wines here, I think it's definitely worth coming here for a wine tasting!!

The food was fantastic. We tried the garlic soup and the pork belly dish for a starter.

We then tried the beef dish and the pork neck dish for the mains.

All the food was really good, everything was cooked to perfection, presentation was very good and the flavour was also good.

We finished with a chocolate fondant, which was served with orange pieces, white chocolate, ice cream and some crushed meringue. It was the perfect end to a lovely lunch!!

Longridge has a winter special on at the moment, which is a two course for only R150. Its totally worth it. Be sure to check this winery out!!

Le Pommier - Stellenbosch

2011-07-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

Le Pommier was the last winery on our list for the Sunday tour. I chose this winery for our lunch because it looked like it was a beautiful place and had a nice menu. I realised that what I saw on the internet for Le Pommier, was not in fact the restaurant. You can see the website on: http://www.lepommier.co.za/restaurant.html.

It turns out where we had lunch and a tasting, was a very simple house which had been turned in to a wine tasting place and restaurant. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this, but because it was not what I expected and because of the reason I chose this place, I was quite disappointed.

However, this was a nice place to do a tasting and have a nice wholesome lunch. The menu included some typical South African dishes, which was ideal seeing as I had a NZ friend with me. The price of the food was very reasonable and we all enjoyed our meal.

The wines were ok, but not our favourite for the day. The service was very good here though, and we felt very welcome here. Some notes I made on the wines included that the SB 2010 was easy drinking, light and had a slightly fruity taste. The Chenin Blanc 2010 was fruity, sharp and acidic. The Shiraz 2008 was a little dry, it was spicy and had a mulberry taste. Jonathon's Malbec had a licorice, smoky, and bold taste to it. It was a little dry. All wines were very reasonably priced, ranging from R35-R60.

Zorgvliet - Stellenbosch

2011-07-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

This was the third stop on our wine tour last Sunday.

It's a nice winery in that it was quiet, the lady serving us was pretty chilled and relaxed and the wine was nice. I would have prefered that we could sit outside and have the tasting there, but unfortunately that was not an option, unless we wanted to keep going inside for each tasting.

The wines were nice, I tried theFive Thirty Five SB 2009 (R180). This is very similar to the Chardonnay we had at Delaire. It's light in colour, rounded, buttery, soft, well balanced, it was definitely my favourite. My NZ friend who was visiting the wineries with my friends and I, really liked this wine, so much he bought a bottle to take back to NZ with him.

The 2004 shiraz was smooth, not spicy, off dry and easy drinking (R110). The MCC was not so good, which was a shame, as this was the only MCC my friend got to try while in the western cape. The 2010 SB had lime and tropical fruit flavours, it was smooth and rounded (R75). The Silver Myn SB 2010 (R40) was light, smooth, well balanced and fruity. The Chardonnay 2009 (R48) was unwooded, fruity, sweet and smooth. The Viognier 2009 (R48) was a favourite of mine, it was smooth, sweet, and had a nice lingering aftertaste.

Overall we liked the experience here. I would recommend coming here for a tasting when out this way.

Tokara - Stellenbosch

2011-07-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

The second place we visited on our sunday tour was Tokara.

This is a nice winery, it has a stylish building, the restaurant looks nice, the wine tasting room was nice, liked the fireplace, shame it wasn't on. There is plenty of space for many visitors to do a tasting here.

We were allowed to try five wines, there is no tasting fee at this winery. The person who served us was very good, he knew his wines, and was very friendly.

I tried the Tokara Zondernaam SB 2010 (R55) it was very nice, fruity and tasty. The tokara reserve collection walker bay Chardonnay 2009 (R110) was very nice. It was buttery, smooth and rounded.The tokara reserve collection Stellenbosch Chardonnay 2009 (R110) was crisp, fruity, slightly dry, it was ok. The Tokara Zondernaam Grenache Rose 2010 (R55) was crisp, off dry and not strong in flavour. The Tokara Zondernaam Shiraz 2009 (R75) is spicy, a little dry, has a lingering aftertatse and good flavour. The Tokara reserve collection SB noble late harvest 2009 (R198) is just delicious!!! It is not too syrupy, it is light, I love it!! I bought a bottle of this one, even though the price is quite high, I did think it was worth it.

I do highly recommend visiting this winery if you are out this way. I have heard good things about the restaurant also, so you might be interested in making it your stop for lunch.

Delaire

2011-06-30T04:56:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine from New Zealand was here on Sunday so we went on a wine tour. I had wanted to take him to some wineries in Helderberg as the views from some of those wineries are fantastic. As they were shut on Sundays, I decided to take him to some wineries in Stellenbosch, Helshoogte Pass.

We started at Delaire, which was a great choice. The wine tasting room is under renovation, so they are holding the wine tasting down stairs in a very nicely set up room. The table was long, nicely set up for many guests, the lights were at the right setting, there was wine displayed in a cabinet at one end of the room and a fireplace at the other end. Plenty of staff were waiting for the first lot of guests to arrive at 10am, and we ended up with great service from Elsje. She really knew her wine and gave great information on each one.

The style of this place is very modern, flash and it feels welcoming. The scenery outside is amazing, the doors at the front are very interesting, I love the water feature running through the building, the restaurant looks lovely also.

As for the wines, this is my second time coming here for a tasting, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much more I liked the wines this time round. Last time I went to Delaire was in August 2010, so whether the wine has changed that much in one year, or I am more open to SA wines I am not sure. Either way, the wines are lovely and I totally recommend you come here for a tasting!!

I really liked the Sauvignon Blanc coastal Cuvee at R85 a bottle. It was smooth, rounded and had a light fruity taste, very nice! The Delaire SB 2010 was also nice at R79 a bottle. The Chardonnay was buttery and was the favourite amongst us all. For the record, majority of the people in my group at the tasting, do not like Chardonnay's normally, so this was a pleasant find for all. This was R105 a bottle. The Rose 2010 had a nice colour, nice taste and has a slightly dry aftertaste. It sells for R65 a bottle. The Shiraz 2009 was a little spicy, had a smokey taste to it, was a little dry and had a lot of flavour!! This sells for R130 a bottle. The Botmanskop 2008 was the favourite for most of us out of the reds. It was smooth and very tasty, this sold for R130 a bottle.

I highly recommend you visit this winery. It will be great once they have the upstairs tasting room finished, as the views you get while tasting the wine are amazing. It was actually for this reason I wanted to bring my friend here. Having the tasting downstairs we unfortunately missed out on the views however, my friend was highly impressed with the room we did do the tasting in, so it was still a great experience.

Shiraz Blind Wine Tasting Event - 21st of July

2011-06-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

Last month's Sauvignon Blanc blind wine tasting event was very successful. I got great feedback from the guests, saying they had a lot of fun trying to guess which wine region each wine was from, some loved the quiz, the prizes, the interactive and informal tasting and many are looking forward to the next one.

The next wine tasting event is on the 21st of July at the Grand Daddy Hotel. This month we will be tasting ten Shiraz's from ten different wineries.

Rooiburg is kindly sponsoring Woollies Organic Brut for you to drink on arrival.There will also be a light meal on arrival so if you come straight from work, you wont go hungry. Laborie is kindly sponsoring Pineau (Port style wine) for us to try at the end of the evening, which will be a nice way to finish off the evening!!

The event starts at 6.30pm and finishes at 9pm, so don't worry, you wont be too tired to go to work the next day :-)As this is a tasting, you will also not have to worry about having a hangover the next day.

This is a fun, interactive, and informal way to try wines. You will not know where the wine comes from until you have tried all ten. At the end of the evening I will inform you as to where the wine is from, how much it is and I will show you photos of the winery and share my experience of a wine tasting at the winery. This event is not just about the wines, but also the wine tasting experience at the winery.

Be sure to come along and check this fun event out.

Please make payments in to the following bank account with your name as the reference by the 15th of July:
Capitec Bank
Christine Andrews
Branch: 470010
Account: 1256395720

The person who pays first and the person who pays tenth will be given a prize on the evening. Note only 50 people can attend this evening, so be sure to get in quick.After making payment please send me an email with proof of payment and I shall reply to confirm your seat on the night.

Look forward to seeing you there.
Chrissy

Constantia Uitsig

2011-06-18T02:28:00.000-07:00

I went to Constantia Uitsig for a tasting a few weeks back and the experience was great!! I felt very welcome from the moment we walked in. We were seated at a nice long wooden table. There was a very big group at the other table, which made the room very exciting and fun.

The service was fantastic. I asked for a price list so I could make comments beside each wine, and as they didn't have any printed, they immediately went and photocopied one of the laminated ones. I was very impressed to see how quickly it was done.

So we started the tasting with the Methode Cap Classique (R245). I had tried this at the top 100 SA wine public tasting night and it was by far the best one on the night. Trying it again at the winery, I was convinced that this is by far the best MCC I have tasted yet!!! The next time I am celebrating something special, I will most definitely be celebrating with Constantia Uitsig's MCC!!!

We then had the Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R90). This was also VERY nice. It had a really strong passionfruit smell to it, very similar to New Zealand's SB's. It not only smelt nice but it tasted fantastic!! It was smooth yet crisp, and had a very nice clean, crisp, tropical fruit flavour. It is very similar to a NZ SB, I just loved it!!!

Next we tried the Chardonnay Unwooded 2010 (R85), I also liked this wine. I have noticed I am starting to like Chardonnay's more and more these days. This Chardonnay was rounded, smooth, creamy, just gorgeous.

The last one I really liked was the Muscat d' Alexandrie (R285). This is a dessert wine, made from red honepoot grapes. It was soft, sweet, and yet refreshing. It had a light pink colour to it, it was really nice.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my wine tasting experience here and would highly recommend that you visit this winery. I see they have a restaurant there also, so hope to go back and try their food some time.

I am going back to NZ this year to see my family and I will definitely be taking a bottle of the MCC and SB for them to try. I can prove to them that SA does have fantastic wines!!

Wacky Wine Weekend 2011

2011-06-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I have now been to my first Robertson Wacky Wine Weekend and it was pretty good and I am glad that I went!!!

We started at Rooiburg where there were quite a lot of people trying the wines, but with people taking a tasting and moving to the back of the queue before getting their next tasting, it worked out very nicely. The wine was great here. I liked the SB, the dry Rose, semi sweet rose, and the red muscadel. All were very reasonably priced!!!

After this winery we went to Graham Beck. This was one of my favourites of the day. ALL their wine was available to taste on the day, it was great!! The marque/tent they had set up was nicely fitted with bar tables, normal dining tables, and couches. There was food for sale, wine at very reasonable prices and the live music changed every hour, it was fab!!!

Next we went to Springfield. The view of the dam/lake is stunning!!! The winery itself is also very nice!! I really look forward to going again on a day when its sunny and we can enjoy sitting outside drinking wine with views like this:

In general, the wine here was ok. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the Life from Stone Sauvignon Blanc. The views from the tasting room are gorgeous, and the winery itself, is very nice.

After Springfield, we went to De Wetshof. This was a good choice because there were not many people there, yet the atmosphere was nice, the wine was good and the food selection was very nice!!

We then made our way to Van Loveran. This was also a favourite for the day!! The wines in general are ok, but three caught my attention. I liked the SB, the red muscadel and the African Java Pinotage.

I loved the tropical feeling you get when walking through the trees, and I loved the band they had playing at the time we got there. I loved the fact you could see the vineyards from the marque/tent. It was a great vibe there!!

Next we went to Viljoensdrift. We got there after 5pm so missed the chance for a tasting.

However, with the time of day, the sun was setting very nicely which left us with this amazing view of the river beside Viljeonsdrift!!

We then headed to Arabella for the evening event. The rugby was on, the place was crowded. Wine was nice!! Had a bottle of the SB and the Shiraz, both were great!!! The music was good and there was a place to dance also. Shame that the weather was not so great on the day, as it made the place a lot more crowded under the tent and also made for muddy ground. But, it was all worth it :-)

On the Sunday of the Wacky Wines Weekend we went and visited several more wineries. It was definitely a lot quieter on the Sunday. We first went to Rietvallei:

This is a beautiful winery and was set up so nicely for the weekend. I did not find the wine so great here, and I tried them all, in case one would stand out. But unfortunately none of them did.

We went on to Excelsior next. The wines were very nice, it was cool that they allowed guests to blend their own wines, and the setting here is also very nice.

There were stalls here, selling cheese, samosa, sushi etc. We all enjoyed the samosas here, and LOVED the cheese that was sold at one of the stalls. I bought 1 gouda and 1 italian mix herb cheese, it was SOOO good!! I can't wait to have the chance to buy that cheese again.

Next we went to Zandvliet. The views on the way there were nice and rustic.

This winery was interestingly set up for the wine tasting. The wine was split amongst the stables. I am not sure if it is always like this or only for wacky wines, but I thought it was a good idea. The wine here was quite nice, but again, nothing jumped out at me that made me want to buy any.

Last but not least, we finished at Rusticus. We went there because we were looking for something to eat and have our last tasting.

It turned out that the guy who was pouring the wine at Rusticus was the same guy (Douglas) who served me at Steenberg, so I was pleasantly surprised, as its always great to have someone who knows their wine!! The food was ok, but the wines were very nice. I especially liked the Odyssey.

Oh, we also went back to Rooiburg on our way back home to pick up some more wine and try more of the wines which we didn't get to try the day before :-) I am a fan of the Rooiburg wines, great value for money!!!

So all in all, it was a very nice weekend and I look forward to next years Wacky Wine Weekend :-)

Blind Wine Tasting Event - 21st of June - Bringing the wineries to you!!

2011-06-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

I am excited to annouce that I am going to be holding a blind wine tasting event on the 21st of June at the Grand Daddy Hotel in Cape Town 6.30 - 8.30pm.

You will be given a total of 10 different Sauvignon Blancs from ten different wineries to try.

Canapes, Constantia Uitsig Methode Cap Classique and Domaine Des Diuex Methode Cap Classique will be provided on arrival.

This is an informal wine event for you and your friends to find out which wines are out there, be exposed to wines you haven't tried before and experience wines without having to visit each winery. It is not an educational wine event. Instead it is designed to be a fun, easy going, relaxed and informal way to find out which wines you like. You don't need to know what aromas you should smell, what flavours you should taste, or how long the wine has been barelled in french or american barrells etc. All you need to know is if you like the wine or if you don't. It's that simple :-)

You will not know what wine you are trying, as this will allow you to try the wines without bias and prejudice.

At the end of the evening I will let you know where the wines are from and how much they sell for. You will also be given the chance to order the wines that you like on the night so you can enjoy it for many more evenings.

This event is all about bringing the wineries to you. I want to share with you some of the amazing wineries out there and expose you to some amazing wines within the comfort of the Grandy Daddy Hotel.

Tickets are R120 per person. This includes tasting 10 different Sauvignon Blancs, Methode Cap Classique and canapes to hit the spot.

If you have any questions please email me on westerncapewineries@gmail.com. To secure tickets, please make payment in to the following bank account by the 16th of June:

Christine Andrews
Capitec Bank
Branch #: 470010
Account #: 1256395720

If you could put your name in the reference section that would be best. Then send proof of payment to westerncapewineries@gmail.com. I will then reply with confirmation that payment has been received and that you have secured a seat for this event :-) Tickets are limited, there are only 50 seats available. There are still some left, so be sure to get your payment in by the 16th of June.

Look forward to seeing you there!!!
Chrissy

La Motte - Franschhoek

2011-06-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

I love this winery.

The drive from Cape Town to this winery set the mood so well with all the beautiful vineyards and tree leaves changing colour, was absolutely stunning. This is definitely my most favourite time of year (so far) to visit the wineries here in the western cape.

La Motte has a feeling of superiority as you drive up to the security gate, drive up towards the statue with the mountains in the background, then left towards the buildings which hold the museum, restaurant and tasting room. This place is "wow"!!

The doors you walk through are nice, the courtyard with the museum to your left, the restaurant in front of you with its many glass windows and beautiful sails outside, and to the right is a gorgeous stream which you walk over to enter the tasting room. This is a beautiful place!!!

The tasting room I thought was quite tasteful. I saw on spitorswallow website that some thought it was clinical. I understand where they are coming from, but I personally didn't think it felt that way. The service was great as soon as we walked in. The ciabatta they serve on your tray with your first two wines is just great, I liked this.

The wine barrels you can see through the glass doors and the tanks of wine through several other glass windows make you feel part of the whole wine process.
We sat near the fireplace (not that it was on, as it was not cold enough) with the nice tapestry hanging above it, and the books with Pierneef's art work (which you can see some of in the museum) were sitting on the table to look over.

The service we received was great, the guy was young, very friendly, knew what to say, though it did sound like it was a recorded speech (must get like that I suppose).

The wines were fabulous!!! You get to try seven wines for the R30 tasting charge. We liked the Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cab Sauv, Millenium, and loved the Pierneef Shiraz Viognier (R189). If I had the money, I would have no problem spending the money on the latter, it was very much worth it.If you buy a bottle of wine the tasting fee is waivered, so we bought a bottle of the SB at only R60, made sense :-)

After the tasting, we walked through the room with all the wooden barrels and then had a peek in the tank room.

We then made our way to the museum and read up about the previous owners of the winery, the history of the winery, Anton Rupert's family plus more. It's all quite interesting. Then as you walk through you get to see some art work and in the final room is the artwork of Pierneef. Be sure to read up on this in the books in the tasting room and you will appreciate some of his work a bit more in the museum. For example his lino artwork.

We had hoped to have lunch at the restaurant, but it was booked out. If you plan to come here, be sure to book in advance for the restaurant. The menu looks fab, the restaurant looks professional and modern, and who could beat the views from the windows of this restaurant, I am definitely going back!!!

I would almost say that if you could only visit one winery while in Cape Town/Western Cape, be sure to make this it!! Enjoy :-)

Zevenwacht - Stellenbosch Valley

2011-05-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend and I went to this winery today. The drive up to the winery was beautiful. All the leaves on the trees and vines were yellow, orange and red. Great time to visit wineries at the moment!! The wine estate is huge and absolutely stunning. There is a lake you drive past which gives you a great view of the restauarnt. There is a hotel on the estate, housing, etc. Really is a nice place to drive and walk around.

The service at this winery was good. We were seated for our tasting. We got to try 5 wines for R32. We also had a mature cheddar cheese tasting for R18 which included 3, 6, 9 and 12 month old cheese. Other tastings included chocolate and wine for R35, and there was another cheese tasting for R35.

We enjoyed the Sauvignon Blancs, I especially liked the 360 degree SB 2010 for R76. We also liked the Syrah 2007 for R75. The Rose is on special at the moment for R29 for two 375ml bottles. This Rose was actually quite unique. It had a really strong strawberry jam smell and yet an off dry taste. Was quite nice. And for the price, why not :-) The Semillon 2010 is a nice dessert wine. Worth a try.

Peter Falke

2011-05-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

My friends and I went to this winery after visiting three others in the area. One of my friends had suggested this place because they like the vibe, and that it is a nice place to relax and enjoy a bottle of wine.

The tasting room is very nice with a funky vibe to it.

The wine is nicely displayed in the tasting room. As you can see, they have used ribbons on the display wines and are not affraid to use colour. The wine here ranges from R70 for a Sauvignon Blanc to R240 a bottle for the Signature Blend. They have two Sauvigon Blancs, they are both very nice!! The SB 2009 (R85) I found was fruity and smooth. The Signature SB 209 (R115) was more rounded, smooth, and less fruity tasting.

The outdoor section is very nice, the atmosphere is relaxed and enjoyable. I was the only one to do a tasting in my group (the rest bought a bottle of wine instead), and the lady was really kind to allow me to do the tasting outside.

Be sure to check out this winery when out this way, it truly is a nice place to visit and a great place to enjoy a bottle of wine with friends.

Haskell/Dombeya - Stellenbosch

2011-05-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

Haskell is in the same area as Bilton and Rust en Vrede (within a 5 minute drive), so if you are out this way, you should definitely come to this winery also.

This was the third winery on our list for the day and was very lovely. We booked ahead to do a wine tasting here, and it was a really nice experience. We sat at a big table near the windows which allowed us a great view of outside whilst being indoors.

The very cool thing about this winery is that they have Australian, New Zealand and South African wine. I was naturally very excited to try the wine here. Some of the wine they stock from NZ is from Craggy Range winery in the Hawkes Bay, which I have visited. This is a stunning winery (you should definitely visit it if in NZ), however, I am not a fan of their wines. In comparison to other NZ wines, this would not be the ideal representation of NZ wines in my opinion. We had a very nice tasting here nonetheless.

The NZ 2009 Wild Rock Sauvignon Blanc (R130) was nice, but it doesn't have the passionfruit flavours which I like in the NZ Sauvignon Blancs.

The Wild Rock Syrah 2006 (R160) was smooth yet a little dry on the palate.

The Australian 2006 Pirathon (by Kalleske - R235) was very nice. It was matured in french oak for two years. It is smooth, a little dry, has a smokey and earthy taste.

The Haskell Pillars Syrah 2008 (R400) was a little dry, but had a very nice taste and aftertaste.

The Haskell Aeon Syrah 2008 (R290) which is 95% Shiraz and 5% Mouvedre was smooth, nice flavoured, more robust and flavoursome than the Pillars Shiraz, with a slightly dry aftertaste. We all liked this one more than the Pillars. Though both were nice.

Out of all the wines, we all loved the Australian Pirathon the most.

The service here was great, the guy who served us was really informative and friendly. We all enjoyed the wine tasting here. I hope that my comments about the wines do not come across as a little harsh, as the wines were actually very nice, and I do believe are worth trying out!! On that note, the guy who does the wine tasting selects different wines for the tasting each week. I would be very keen to go again to try some of the other wines.

We had a lunch here at Haskell also. It was lovely!!! The views were fantastic, and the food was just as great!!

I had the lamb phyllo pastry special and it was awesome!!! Absolutely delicious!!!

Everyone enjoyed their meal and all agreed it was worth the visit for the wine, food and scenery.

Be sure to come here if you have the chance.

Rust En Vrede - Stellenbosch

2011-05-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

Rust En Vrede was the second winery we visited in the day. It is a very short drive from Bilton and Haskell. Therefore, to visit these three wineries in the same day is ideal.

The staff were very friendly and the setting was very nice. You can do a tasting outside or inside. As it was such a beautiful day we chose to do our tasting outside under the trees.

The scenery is stunning here, and very much worth visiting. This is the view from the lawn at Vrede en Lust. Stunning views!!

Most of the group did the standard wine tasting which cost R40 for four wines. The limited edition tasting cost R30 and that is for two wines. If you try all 6 wines it costs R70.

One of my favourite wines here was the Rust en Vrede 2008 Shiraz (R180). It was smooth and very nice to drink.

The Rust en Vrede limited edition 2008 Syrah (R850) was quite dry, but had great volume and a nice berry flavour to it. This was a favourite amongst the majority of our group. The other limited edition wine was the 2007 1694 Classification (R1200). This is a blend of 60% Shiraz and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. It's a very mature tasting wine, is smooth on the palate, yet has a slightly dry after taste. This wine can age up to 20 years.

We all enjoyed our visit to this winery. The wine was nice, service was good and the views were worth the visit alone. Be sure to come here if you are in the area.

Bilton Wines - Helderberg, Stellenbosch

2011-05-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

Bilton winery was the first of three wineries we went to on Saturday. All of us were so happy and satisfied with our experience here. Was a great start to the day.

I loved the drive to this winery. It was so picturesque. Especially with the leaves on the vines changing colour. It was absolutely beautiful. Bilton, Haskell and Rust en Vrede are in the same area (within 5 minutes drive of each other), so if you have a day to enjoy a few wineries, these three are a good choice.

The wine cellar is really nice. It has great staff, nice wines and warm decor!! I loved the feeling I got when I walked in to this place.

From the moment we walked in the door, the staff were really friendly and so welcoming!! Great start to the day :-) The guy that served us was fantastic!! Every one in my group liked him and thought he was the best out of all the people who served us that day. He knew the wines really well, was really attentative and was so kind to let us try a few more wines which were not included in the chocolate and wine tasting.

We were booked for a chocolate/wine tasting, and it was fab!! Majority of us found the wines improved with the chocolate. I really recommend coming for the chocolate/wine tasting.

They only had one white wine for tasting, which was a 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (R65). It was nice, but not to my liking. Its quite fruity though, it has a really strong guava taste to it! It is a rounded and soft SB. Maybe with food, this SB would work well.

The 2007 Merlot (R130) had a mixed review in my group. It was not how I expect a merlot to be. Usually I find them soft, easy to drink, and rounded. Whereas I found this was a little dry. It went very nicely with the chocolate.

The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (R120) was very nice, and we all agreed it would go great with food. It was lighter than most Cab Sauv's and it was quite easy drinking.

The 2006 Shiraz (R120) was dry, but went really well with the chocolate!!! It has nice volume, great flavour and would also go very nice with food. It is quite a robust red wine.

All the chocolates matched the wines really nicely, and I would definitely recommend people book ahead and definitely do a wine and chocolate tasting. It's great value for money, only R50!! A normal tasting (wine without the chocolate) is R35. Spend the extra R15, it's worth it.

The guy serving us was really kind to allow us to try three other wines, on top of the wine we had already had with the chocolate. These included the Matt Black (R95), this was a little dry, and had a nice plum taste to it. Quite a few in the group liked this wine.

The Pinotage (R100) was most definitely my favourite!! It had great volume, was rounded (not dry) and had an awesome smell to it. Be sure to try this wine!!

Last of all, we tried the flagship wine, Sir Percy (R170). This is a mix of Cab Sauv, Merlot and Petit Verdot. A few in the group liked this wine also.

I found that the last three wines we tried, which weren't part of the wine and chocolate tasting were the best. Be sure to try these, especially the Pinotage :-)

I highly recommend visiting this winery and doing a chocolate and wine tasting.

Deetlefs Estate - Rawsonville

2011-04-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

This is a very nice winery. It has a nice feeling to it as you approach the cellar.

The staff were nice at the cellar. The lady explained each wine to us.

I was really impressed with the SB here. To the extent we bought two bottles.

The reisling here is one of the best I have tried in South Africa so far. I find that it still doesn't compare to German or Australian Reislings I have tried, and therefore didn't buy any, but I was still very happy to see that this winery can make a nice reisling :-)

I would recommend visiting this winery if in the area.

Du Toiskloof - Breedekloof

2011-04-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

On the day we went to this winery, there was an event being held called Cloudy Nouveau. The place was quite busy, yet the staff did a great job to make sure we felt welcome and could try the wines.

Unfortunately we didn't get much information on the wine, it was just poured, but that was to be expected because of how busy it was. I took this photo when there was no one in the room.

We got to meet one of the wine growers, as we had some questions about the tank system they have. He was kind enough to also give us a run down on the wines and make suggestions as to which ones we should try.

There is a huge selection of wines here, and the pour is very generous. We tried most of the wines. Favourites were the 2008 Cape Ruby Port, the 2007 Noble Late Harvest and the 2010 SB Reserve.

Was interesting to try the two Hanepoots. One was a 1999 Hanepoot and the other was a 2010 Hanepoot. Both were nice, but I definitely preferred the 2010. You can see the difference in the colour between the older and younger Hanepoot in the following photo:

We bought a few wines from this winery, the 2008 Cape Ruby Port, the 2007 Noble Late Harvest and a 3L cask of SB (on special that day for only R55). I look forward to drinking these bottles of wine. I will write comments after opening each bottle. Be sure to stay in tune :-)

Graham Beck - Robertson

2011-04-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

This is a very modern, classy winery.

It is free for a tasting of 5 wines from the Super Premium list, R50 for a tasting of wines from the ultra premium tasting and then R75 for a Methode Cap Classique tasting.

We had a standard tasting (free) and a Methode Cap Classique tasting (R75). Due to this winery's reputation, I think if you like sparkling wine/champagne, then it is worth paying the fee to have the MCC tasting. Their original Graham Beck Brut I felt was the best. The Demi Sec was a bit too sweet for my liking, and yet I love dessert wines. But for a sparkling, even though I like sweet more than dry, this was just too sweet. Felt wrong to have such a sweet, syrupy sparkling. The Rose Brut is apparently exactly the same as the Brut, only it had skin contact for a few hours to get the rose colour. However, I didn't feel it tasted the same and felt the original Brut was much nicer.

The lady serving us wasn't the friendliest, she had that "It's the end of the day and I want to go home" attitude. She told us a bit about the wine, but there was no enthusiasm. I also asked if I could write on the wine list/brochure which has space for tasting notes, but she said I couldn't write on it. Turns out there was nothing else I could write on, and she ended up letting me write on it. (This is why I never tell people I am writing a blog, as I want to see what the winery is like without the staff knowing if they have someone revieweing the winery). Nonetheless, with the wines and views as great as they are, we still enjoyed our tasting, and bought some wine.

The Graham Beck wines are great!! All the wines I tried were from the free tasting (the super premium list). I tried the Game Reserve Chenin Blanc, Graham Beck SB, Shiraz, Pinotage, and Viognier. All of these were nice, however the Viognier was nothing great. I feel you can be safe to order a bottle of Graham Beck at a restaurant, no matter what it is. Apparently not all their wines/MCC's can be bought at the supermarket, so if you like one of their wines at the cellar, be sure to buy it then.

We bought a bottle of MCC Brut, a Pinotage 2009 and a Sauvignon Blanc 2010. The pinotage was so smooth and tasty. One of the best Pinotage's I have tried so far!! I can't wait to open the bottle :-)

I would definitely recommend that one visits this winery if in the region!! And be sure to order wine from Graham Beck at a restauarnt, if the option is there.

What winery should I visit next?

2011-04-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

If you would like to suggest a winery you think is worth visiting, please be sure to let me know by leaving a comment after this blog. I shall then put it on my list of wineries to visit.

Chrissy.

Groote Post - Darling

2011-04-06T06:23:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend and I visited Groote Post on our way home from St Helena Bay. Its a 10km drive off the R27 highway. The drive to Groote Post is quite nice, and if you look up on the hills to your left as you are driving towards the winery, you can see the vineyards.

The cellar door is in an old building:

As soon as you walk in, you can see some of the barrels they store wine in:

You then walk in to a very cute wine tasting room. The staff there were very friendly and informative.

The wines were nice, my favourites were The Old Man's Sparkle Methode Cap Classique - Brut Rose (R79 a bottle) and 2010 The Old Man's Blend Red at R47 a bottle. My boyfriend (who is South African) liked the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc at R63 and the 2008 Shiraz at R87. I personally feel that in comparison to other wineries, the Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc are not as good. I also feel the Chardonnay and Reisling need improving.

Durbanville Hills Restaurant - Durbanville

2011-04-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

I recently went back to Durbanville Hills for lunch and had a lovely meal.

Before choosing which Sauvignon Blanc to have with my meal, I was able to try three Sauvignon Blancs from the wine menu. My results are: I am still not a fan of the Durbanville Hills Sauvignon Blanc. The Rhinofields was nicer, but the nicest one on the wine list is definitely the Durbanville Hills Biesjes Craal Sauvignon Blanc. This was nice, fresh, crisp and light.

My comment on the Shiraz in a previous post I take back. I recommended this to my boyfriend who likes Shiraz wine, and after tasting it again, I have decided it is not that good, especially compared to other Shiraz's out there. Even though my boyfriend is a fan of Shiraz, he didn't like this one so much.

There were three of us trying out the menu at the restaurant, and all three of us enjoyed our meals. I had the chicken with cranberry cous cous and popadum, it was really nice!! I gave my meal a rating of 8/10.

A friend of mine had the ostrich sandwich rating it 6/10.

My boyfriend had the chicken pie which he rated at 8/10.

The food here is really good value for money. All three dishes we ordered were between R60 - R70.

This winery produces wine on a larger scale than most in the neighbouring area, and I think that reflects on the wine, service and ambiance. Be sure to check out this winery though, as there is a very nice view and the food at the restaurant is nice.

D'Aria - Durbanville

2011-04-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

We went to this winery after Altydgedacht and tried everything on the list.

The lady who served us was very nice, friendly and informative.

Some of my favourite wines here are:

Reserve: The Soparano 2008. R120. This was really nice!! It is a little dry, yet smooth and velvety, has great flavour and would go great with food!!

Reserve: The Songbird 2010. R98. It is light, tasty, has interesting flavours of green pepper and lime.

Terra D'Aria Blush 2010. R35. This is a really nice, easy to drink, light wine. It is great value for money!! Its a blend of 40% Sauvignon Blanc and 60% Merlot. The skin has been in contact for 3-4 hours which gives it a really nice light pink colour.

Be sure to try the Reserve: The Following 2009. This is a blend of 80% Viognier, 15% Semillon, and 5% Suavignon Blanc. It has a really interesting and unique smell and taste to it. It has a grassy and spicy smell and taste to it. I really couldn't get my mind round this wine. Unique sums it up.

The Terra D'Aria Merlot 2009 was easy to drink, smooth and nice.

If you are on this route, do pop in for a wine tasting as there are some great wines to try here.

Whalehaven - Walker Bay

2011-03-31T13:14:00.000-07:00

I had heard that this was a must see winery if out this way. It is open from 10.30am - 4.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays. If you plan to visit several wineries on a saturday or sunday, be sure to leave this one last as its one of the only wineries in the area to be open as late as 4.30pm!!

We were nicely welcomed at this winery.

We got to try 5-6 wines for R10. The lady was very informative on the wines and very friendly.

I enjoyed the wines here, but nothing jumped out at me. I didn't buy any wines at this winery.

Waterford - stellenbosch

2011-03-31T12:52:00.000-07:00

This is a very nice winery. The restaurant and wine tasting building is that of an old tuscany styled building. From the moment you drive up to the winery it is picturesque.

On arrival, you walk up the stairs and in to the courtyard. There is a nice water fountain, and in the courtyard there are plenty of seats for guests to sit down and enjoy the selection of wines.

This winery offers wines with matching chocolate. I love this touch that they have added. Sure it's a little pricy, but it's a great idea how they pair different flavoured chocolate to the wine. For example, one chocolate is salty to resemble salty food, and when paired with the red wine, it macthes nicely.

I absolutely loved the Rosemary wine here. I was informed that the skins were in contact for only 2 hours, which gives the wine the slightest hint of pink colouring. I love the light pink colour this Rose` has.

If it is not a nice day, there is still plenty of undercover seating and worth visiting.

I highly recommend visiting this winery!!

Viljoensdrift - Roberston

2011-03-31T12:09:00.000-07:00

We went to this winery about 2.40pm to try make it just before they shut at 3pm.

I had heard so much about this winery, mostly because of the picnic and wine tasting they offer on a boat trip down the river. I knew that we wouldn't get there in time for a boat ride, but I was determined to go there to see what this winery was all about.

We got to try a few wines, and as soon as 3pm hit they let us know that they close at 3pm and our tasting ended right there.

The wines were ok, but we didn't buy any to take home. The person pouring the wine for us was not very informative, but perhaps that was because it was coming to the end of the day.

I hope to go back to this winery to do the boat cruise, eat at the restaurant and try the wines again with more time.

Steenberg - Constantia

2011-03-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

This is so far one of my favourite wineries!!!! You should definitely visit this winery, check out why.....

The grounds are just stunning, the views are amazing and everything is done to perfection.

They have two restaurants, Catharina's and Bistro 1682. The Catharina's appears to be more formal and expensive. Here is a photo of Catharina's on a Sunday :-)

This is the view from the car park of Catharina's.

After we checked out Catharina's, we made our way to the wine tasting place which was at the same place as the restaurant Bistro 1682. When you walk in, there is a big round wine bar in the middle of the room. There are fantastic views from the wine tasting room. The wine tasting was surprisingly free!!! The guy serving us was just fab. He was enthusiastic, had great knowledge of the wines and was very friendly.

I thoroughly enjoyed the wines on offer. I tried four of the five sauvignon blancs and rated them as following. My favourite was the Super Premium Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (R70 on special), then the Super Premium Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R95), followed by the Super Premium Steenberg HMS Rattlesnake Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R80), and last of all the Premium Klein Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2010 (R45).

Other wines we tried were the Premium Klein Steenberg Rose 2009 (R44) which was nice, light, and easy to drink. The Super Premium Steenberg Shiraz 2008 (R125) was not heavy, not spicy and very smooth. Even though we enjoyed many of the wines, we only bought a bottle of hanepoot this time round. I am hoping to buy many more on our next visit. For the record, most people expect the Hanepoot to be very sweet, but in fact, it is not so sweet, and is a very easy drinking wine. You should definitely try it.

After the tasting we met friends for lunch at the Bistro 1682. Our table had a fabulous view. There is indoor and outdoor seating, if its not too hot, be sure to sit outside, its just fab!! If it is hot, try get a table inside but near the outdoor tables (in other words you are inside, but have the views of an outside table). I love the water 'pool' feature outside, it just tops the place!!

This is the view from the table we sat at.

This is part of the outdoor water feature.

The view from the outside tables:

Now lets not forget the food. It was baie lekker (fantastic)!!! There were 7 of us, and we all loved our entrees, mains and desserts!! Yes, we went for a three course meal and went all out. We all loved the Sauvignon Blanc with our meals, it just topped off the whole lunch. Here are a few photos of some of the food we ordered:

If you come to Cape Town and can visit only one winery, make this it!!!

Southern Right - Walker Bay

2011-03-31T07:15:00.000-07:00

This winery is very cool. In the fact that it is different to other wineries. You drive along the dirt road towards the cellar, and to your left you can see the cellar in a distance, you can see the remains of a brick making building on the grass between the road and the cellar and as there was no one else visiting the winery at the same time as us, it had a mysterious feel to the place. I liked it!! :-)

These are the steps leading up to the cellar door:

This photo shows the display that was to the right corner of the front entrance porch:

This is where you can sit to try the wines. The wine is brought to you, which allows you to take your time and enjoy the wine:

From the tasting room, you can see the following through one window and in the next photo you can see the view through the window on the opposite side of the room.

The wine tasting is free, and the service is very good. The lady at the cellar offered us four wines to try, two reds and two whites. The wine was quite nice, but did not jump out at me.

The experience of coming to this winery, is worth the visit. Be sure to pop in if you are out this way.

Rickety Bridge - Franschhoek

2011-03-31T06:21:00.000-07:00

This is a nice winery, it has a beautiful set up for the wine tasting, a restaurant and a nice view of the vineyards and surrounding mountains.

When you come in to the tasting room, there are oils and preserves served with crackers in the middle of the room, the wine tasting to the right and seating to the left of the room. I liked the fact that there were plenty of places to sit to enjoy the wines whether it was at a table or on a sofa, you could help yourself to the crackers and preserves, and the person serving the wines brought each one over at a relaxed pace and was very informative and friendly.

I really enjoyed the wines at Rickety Bridge, but at that stage of my Western Cape wine experience, I thought the price of the wines were expensive. Since having visited many more wineries around the western cape, I now realise the prices were very reasonable. Despite the cost, we did buy three bottles of wine from this winery. We bought the Paulina's Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2009, the Shiraz 2004, and the Paulina's Reserve Chenin Blanc 2009.

Be sure to come check out this winery in the Franschhoek wine region as the experience is very nice :-)

Overhex - Worcester

2011-03-31T05:11:00.000-07:00

We went to this winery on our way back to Worcester after having visited several wineries in Robertson. Our friend knew one of the staff and called ahead to let him know we were coming. Within a minute of arriving, we were offered a wine glass and taken out the back for a tour of the cellar.

It was really interesting going through the cellar, learning about the different stages of wine making, and also getting to try the wine from several of the barrels, which were at different stages in the wine making process. I have to say, I liked the taste of the grape juice, it was sweet, and had a very zesty but refreshing taste to it.

Once the yeast was added though, it was a completely different drink, and not the nicest :-p

Thankfully when we tried a wine from another barrel which was in its final few weeks of processing before being bottled we could taste the resemblance of wine again :-)

After the cellar tour we went in to the tasting room to try the wines. I enjoyed quite a few of the wines. Some of these included the balance natural sweet rose which is sweet and easy to drink, the balance pinotage/shiraz which was nice, simple and smooth, the Vin Sec (dry) which is a sparkling wine, not very dry and is easy to drink. After the tasting we bought quite a few bottles to take home.

The price of the wine is very reasonable. You've got to love Worcester wine prices!!!The wines range in price from as little as R25 for the Balance wines and don't go any higher than R60 for the soulo wines.

There is a huge range of wines to taste at this winery, the staff are very friendly and informative. If you plan to do a tasting in Worcester then I would recommend trying the wines at Overhex.

Nitida - Durbanville

2011-03-31T03:36:00.000-07:00

This is a nice winery. My friend and I went to the restaurant Cassia for lunch on a monday.

The setting is very nice and relaxing. While sitting outside you look over a big pond. The service was fantastic. We tried two different white wines, the sauvignon blanc and semillon. We enjoyed both wines, however, both preferred the semillon over the sauvignon blanc and found it went very nicely with our meal.

The food was very nice and presentation of the food was also good. My friend had the pork belly and I had the chicken leg. Both were absolutely delicious. I would definitely go back to this restaurant for a lunch again.

Since having the lunch, I have been back for a wine tasting, which was an even greater experience. We were lucky to be served by a very passionate and highly informed Nitida staff member.

Again we tried all the wines on the list. I thoroughly enjoyed the wines here. They were all very tasty and very easy to drink. This is the entrance to the wine tasting room:

To the right of the tasting room there are barrels of wine on display which are in use:

Then to the left of the tasting room is the tasting bar:

The Sauvignon Blanc 2010 is very easy to drink, the lime, tropical grassy flavours are fab!!! For R75 this wine is a steal.
The Semillon has a crisp, fresh, smooth, great taste, with spicy, grassy smells. This is also sold for R75.
Chardonnay's are not my favourite white wine at all. Yet Nitida's Chardonnay (R75) was great!! It is sweet, smooth, and tastes great. You should definitely try this wine, even if you aren't a chardonnay fan.
The Natida Calligraphy was also great!!! It is a blend of merlot, cab franc, cab sauv and semillon. It is slightly dry but I still love it!! It sells for R115 and is worth every rand :-)
Cab sauv was also delicious, it was easy to drink and smooth.
The 2010 pinotage has a completely smooth, light, silky, easy to drink and great taste. Be sure to ask for the 2010 bottle, and not the 2008 ;-)

The Nitida Club Select was also great with its grassy and mineral smells, it is light, crisp, and had a great taste.

Overall, I loved the wines here at Nitida and would love to see their wines more available in restaurants. Be sure to visit this winery for the wine tasting and food. This winery has a smaller production level of wines compared to some of the neighbouring wineries and therefore provides a more personal touch to its wines and winery, it has fabulous wines and great food at the restaurants. Check this winery out if you are on this wine route and look out for Nitida wines at local restaurants!!! You can pretty much make no mistake in ordering a bottle of Nitida wine.

La Vierge - Walker Bay

2011-03-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

I love this winery!!! It is now one of my three favourite wineries.

It is set up on a hill and has a fantastic view. There is a restaurant, outdoor balcony and wine tasting section. Its only R10 to taste 5 wines, starting with a lovely sparkling wine.You can sit on the balcony to try the wines while the lady comes to you with each wine to taste. You can see the view from the belcony below:

One lady at another winery had warned us that we may not be able to do a tasting at La Vierge because they are often closed for weddings on the weekends. It turns out they were setting up for a wedding, but they were still allowing customers to have lunch and wine tastings on the balcony.

The following photo is the inside of the restaurant, which was set up for a wedding. This would be a fantastic place to have a wedding, and recently in the newspaper they were advertising that if you have your wedding at La Vierge in June or July that the venue fee will be free.

I tried an entree at this restaurant and it was absolutely delicious!! I would love to go again to have a three course meal at this restaurant. This restaurant is a bit pricy but if you are willing to treat yourself, then this is a nice place to do just that.

I enjoyed most of the wines we tried, I definitely recommend you go to La Vierge for a wine tasting.

I am not much of a chardonnay fan, but I absolutely loved the Domaine Des Dieux Chardonnay 2009. The taste of this wine just blew me away, I just loved its uniqueness and difference to most chardonnays. This wine is quite pricy, but I feel it is worth it. The price of this wine is R120 per bottle.

I don't recommend trying the reisling. I didn't think it was very good, espcially in comparison to Australian reislings. If you do want to try the reisling, let it sit for 5 mins first. I found this improved the taste of the wine considerably.

Be sure to visit this winery if you are in the area!!! I will definitely be going back for a second visit!!!

Laborie - Paarl

2011-03-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

Laborie is also on the main road of Paarl. There is a nice setting at this winery. At the end of the drive way, there is a restaurant to the left and the cellar door to the right. There is indoor and outdoor seating for one to sit down and enjoy the wines.

It costs R15 to taste five wines, R25 for eight wines and you still have to pay this fee even if you buy wine (some wineries do not charge you for tasting if you buy a bottle of wine).

Laborie has a brandy which won best brandy in the world award in 2010. I am not a fan of brandy, but this was actually very nice, smooth and pleasant to drink. This brandy sells for as little as R126 a bottle.

Also worthwhile trying is the Jean Taillefert 2006 (R151) and the Ltd Shiraz 2008 (R67).

KWV - Paarl

2011-03-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

We went to KWV for a wine tasting. There is a huge amount of wines available to try, including sparkling wines, white wines, red wines, brandy, and fortified wines. If you are a big group, there should be something here for everyone.

The service at KWV was very good. There are several tables to allow guests to sit down, choose which wines they would like to try, and then have the wine brought to you to try.

There are many wines I liked. However, if you are looking for something a bit different, be sure to try the Cafe Culture Pinotage. This is a mocha red wine. I loved the coffee smell it has, the smoothness of the wine, and the taste. This wine is a little dry.

If you like Port, be sure to try the KWV Cape Ruby. It has a great taste: slightly dry aftertaste and yet sweet.

If you are passing by KWV and have time, be sure to pop in and try their wines.