Robertson is expected to be hot at this time of the year, and hot it was, but also humid. Visiting clients in the area, we were impressed by the lush deep green of the vineyards. De Wetshof Chardonnay is iconic in the area of course, and we had a few very special moments with winemaker/owner Abrie Bruwer from Springfield, (more on his unusual Albarino soon). And you can do good here too - please buy the Thunderchild Wine - made at Springfield - which supports the Robertson Herberg Children’s Home. #wineforgood
I am always impressed with the vast quantity of wines which Van Loveren and Four Cousins have - with gorgeous labels too. Their tasting room is very inviting, with friendly staff and plenty of merchandise to take home to the family.
If you haven't been to Rietvallei for a while, Kobus Burger and his wife have been making major changes, so do yourself a favour - it is relaxed, charming and beautiful.
Hello Darling... toffees, cheese, wine and of course Evita!
Wines of course are a major factor when visiting Darling, with Darling Cellars, Groote Post, Ormonde, Cloof being the main ones, and all you need to do is pop into the wonderful little shop on the main road - the Darling Wine Shop, owned by legend Charles Withington, to find all these and more right there.
Of course one should never visit Darling without a visit to Pieter-Dirk Uys' Evita se Perron. Such a wonderful ''Museum Nauseum'" as he calls it. Paraphernalia from the apartheid era presented with such a great sense of humour! Tannie Evita of course is everywhere - it is a theatre, venue, garden and restaurant.
Pieter-Dirk is a legendary performer and activist - and his schedule for the year is exhausting! Do make a plan to see and eat something there - it will be unforgettable.
Plenty of stories to tell at Old Road in Franschhoek
Craft Beer, Craft Gin, and Craft wine are really taking the world by storm.
The Old Road Wine Co has opened a wonderful food and wine destination, with farmyard, wine deck and Fat Man restaurant and more, next to Franschhoek Cellars. They have done plenty of work, and launched an extensive range of wines under the Old Road Wine Co umbrella, with each wine having a story to tell.
Need a little organic oasis?
Leaving Cape Town and driving north usually means heading up the N7 and this also means miles and miles of wheat fields. Until of course you see a deep dark patch of organic vineyards on your left - just a few kilometers before Piketberg. This is the home of Org de Rac winery, a green oasis in the middle of the blond wheatfields,
So you can't really refuse - their latest offering of their crisp MCC Bubbly & Oysters will be well worth a stop after a dry drive!
Shiraz and venison - a great match with Bertus Basson & Edmund Terblanche
The Woordfees is a such a wonderful annual festival in Stellenbosch and the Agri Expo always make a great set of tastings available. There was great banter and information which Bertus peppered the crowd with about the venison. He had selected cuts from Gemsbok, Springbok, Eland and Kudu and done them all sous-vide to keep things simple. We then tasted through the wines - all from different climates - the Driehoek - up in the Cederberg and in fact made by David Nieuwoudt from Cederberg Winery, Allesverloren - the classic Riebeek West Shiraz by Danie Malan, of course the La Motte Pierneef Shiraz/Viognier - which in fact is sourced from down south at Elim and Walker Bay, and the Zandvliet Shiraz - from lime country in Robertson.
Of course taste is always personal and everyone had different ideas of what they liked, and that really is the point.
Custom Crush facility launched by Jackson Wine Estates .. at Simonsvlei
Judging by the turn-out at the launch of the new Custom Crush Production facility, there seems to be a great need.
For smaller boutique producers it is massively costly to set up a cellar, so it is great to see the new state-of-the-art facility opening and making space for others to rent. The facility was designed & put together at pace by seasoned Cellar Engineer Gerhard de Villiers, owner of Kleinood. Gerhard is well known for his cellar design and implementation.
The facility at Simonsvlei is kitted out & run by Jackson Wine Estates, and currently doing white wines only.
The first wine which will use this new cellar is the top end brand of Capensis, a joint venture between Barbara Banke and Antony Beck (son of Graham Beck), currently producing only top end Chardonnay.
