Winters Drift wines, grown on the historic
Glen Elgin farm in the cool-climate Elgin Valley, have had much to celebrate
this year, having been honoured with a handsome collection of accolades,
including a 2013 Veritas Double Gold for their Chardonnay 2012, a 2013
Michelangelo Gran d’Or (Double Gold) for their maiden 2011 Shiraz, as well as a
British Airways listing for their Chardonnay 2012 on First Class flights in
2014.
In addition, the Winters Drift Tasting
Station has gone from strength to strength, adding a culinary component with
the launch of the popular Platform 1 Eatery earlier this year and now offering picnics
for summer, movie nights as well as exciting events.
AWARD-WINNING WINTERS DRIFT WINES
Winters Drift Chardonnay 2012
Awards:
2013
Veritas Double Gold, a listing on British Airways First Class for 2014, and a
Top 6 Chardonnay rating by Classic Wine magazine in the December 2013 issue.
Tasting notes: This wine has a voluptuous nose displaying gorgeous aromas of lemon rind
and butter with smoky vanilla and peach undertones. The mouth-feel is full,
wide and soft, the acidity gently piercing the finish to afford the wine
freshness. The complexity of this Chardonnay testifies to its quality. This
wine will age well over the next three to four years.
Retail
price: The
Winters Drift Chardonnay 2012
is available nationally and retails at R92.
Winters Drift 2011
Shiraz (This maiden release is sold out and the 2012 has been released)
Awards: 2013 Michelangelo
Gran d’Or (Double Gold)
Winters Drift 2012 Shiraz
Tasting notes: The 2012 Shiraz exhibits a
bright crimson colour with rich spices, lavender and soft oak on the nose and
ripe red and purple berry flavours. The mouth-feel is given structure by ripe
grape and oak tannins. The wine will age
very well over the next three to five years.
Retail price: The
Winters Drift 2012 Shiraz is available nationally and retails at approximately R92.
OTHER WINES IN THE WINTERS DRIFT RANGE
Winters Drift 2012
Sauvignon Blanc
Awards: Silver medal at the 2013
International Wine & Spirit Competition.
Tasting notes: This is an expressive,
crisp wine displaying freshly cut grass and a touch of lime rind accompanied by
hints of lychee and nuances of white peach. The wine boasts classic Elgin flint
in the finish.
Retail price: The Winters Drift 2012
Sauvignon Blanc is available nationally and retails at approximately R67.
Winters Drift
Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (will be released early in 2014)
Tasting notes: This wine is intensely
fruity on the nose displaying gorgeous notes of soft pineapple, litchi, pear
and white peach, as well as typical cool climate green vegetative aromas. On
the palate, the wine has refreshing acidity and a lingering aftertaste that finishes
with crisp green notes.
Winters Drift 2012
Rosé (new vintage release)
Awards: Bronze medal at the 2013
International Wine & Spirit Competition.
Tasting
notes: A refreshing dry Rosé made from Merlot
grapes, it displays a lovely soft pink colour and is characterised by notes of
fresh summer berries wrapped in floral overtones, most notably white and pink
rose petals, with hints of candyfloss on the finish.
Retail price: The Winters
Drift 2012 Rosé is available nationally and retails at R55.
Winters Drift 2012
Pinot Noir
Awards: Silver medal at the 2013 International Wine
& Spirit Competition, 4 stars in the
December 2013 issue of Classic Wine magazine and 4 stars in Platter’s South
African Wines 2014.
Tasting notes: The Winters Drift 2012
Pinot Noir is their first commercial Pinot Noir, with the maiden 2011 release
comprising only 700 bottles. This wine offers distinct, poignant oak and abundant cherry flavours, supported by crisp, fresh
vegetative notes, including forest floor, rhubarb and mushroom.
Retail price: The Winters
Drift 2012 Pinot Noir, a limited release, is only available at a few
restaurants and at the Tasting Station, retailing for R105.
WINTERS DRIFT TASTING STATION AND PLATFORM 1 EATERY
Just off-the-‘spoor’, situated in the historic Elgin Station
on the Glen Elgin farm, you will find the Winters Drift Tasting Station, filled
with memorabilia from bygone days, and the delightful railway-style café, Platform
1. The
original railway line, which runs through Glen Elgin farm, is still operational
today, with two to three grain-laden trains passing through daily, faithfully
retaining the atmosphere of the hustle and bustle of the Elgin Station in its
heyday. Offering delectable
seasonally-inspired dishes, served on wooden boards, with a commitment to local
and sustainable ingredients, Platform 1 is a must stop-off in Elgin.
Breakfasts
Start your ‘journey’ through the day with ciabatta, toasted
to perfection, accompanied by eggs, slow-roasted tomatoes, bacon, sausage and
mushrooms. Wash this delectable fare down with a cup of freshly-brewed, piping
hot coffee from the Bean
There Coffee Company while browsing the newspaper. Or for
the not-so-hungry, there are lighter breakfast options on offer.
Blackboard lunch
menu
Or refresh yourself with a mid-journey pit-stop and relish an
alfresco railway-style lunch where the innovative and well-priced blackboard
menu changes weekly, making for an adventurous gourmet journey. Here follows a
few examples of the kind of dishes that are likely to appear on the menu from
time to time:
-
Beef and Brie burger with potato wedges and
caramelized onion
-
Falafel balls on naan
bread with tzatziki and fresh mint
-
Open lamb pitas with
tzatziki, chopped tomatoes and mint
-
Roast vegetable salad
with roasted pumpkin seeds and feta
-
Mini baguette with
teriyaki chicken, red cabbage and apple slaw
-
Tapas board
The experience is cosy and relaxed and the dishes are complemented by
the Winters Drift range of fine wines which can be ordered by the glass, at
only R30 to R38 per glass, or share a bottle, served at cellar door prices.
Koek en Tee
On a more indulgent
note, Wednesdays are ‘Koek-en-Tee’ days at Platform 1. Enjoy a cup of tea or
coffee and treat yourself to a piece of cake. The cakes, which differ each
week, include decadent offerings like lemon meringue pie, baked cheese cake,
carrot cake with caramelised lemon and walnuts, double chocolate cake, and
lemon poppy seed cakes to name but a few.
Picnics in summer
In
keeping with the ‘travel’ theme, the picnics are served in vintage suitcases
with name tags attached.
Picnic menu @R150.00 per person:
Ciabatta, hummus, mature cheddar, Brie, beef with rocket and mustard, quiche,
spanakopita, caprese salad, pesto penne pasta, a delicious sweet something and
mineral water.
Picnics
need to be booked 24 hours in advance. Vegetarian and kiddies picnics are
available on request.
Music nights
In addition to
wine-tasting and country cuisine, Winters Drift Tasting Station and Platform 1
invite you to satiate other senses as you embark on another adventure with
their Music Nights, which take place on a monthly basis. A ticket for R150 per person includes the music, a light supper and a glass of Winters Drift wine.
Movie nights
Winters Drift have completed
the renovations to the adjacent railway buildings to create a home for the
popular Movie nights at Platform 2. Movie nights take place every Tuesday.
Tickets at R115 per head include
a movie ticket and a delicious home-cooked meal. The evening starts at
19:00 with supper served on the platform under the stars (weather permitting)
followed by the screening of the movie in the movie house at 20h00. Drinks and coffee are available at an extra cost with Winters Drift wines
available by the glass or the bottle. All bookings need to be made 24 hours in
advance.
December screenings include:
-
Tuesday, 3 December -
Great Expectations
-
Tuesday, 10 December - Populaire
-
Tuesday, 17 December - Summer in February
-
Monday, 23 December - Scrooge
Special events
Platform 1 will be
hosting a Gourmet Mushroom Day, with
mushroom guru Gary Goldman. For more
details, visit www.mushroomguru.co.za.
Dates: 29 April, 30 April, 1 May and 2 May 2014
Numbers: 40 people per day
Each day will include a quick talk on mushrooms, mushroom foraging and
lunch with a glass of Winters Drift wine.
Cost: R350 per person per day
TASTING STATION
CONTACT DETAILS AND OPENING TIMES
Tuesday to
Friday: 9am to 4pm
Saturday: 10am to
4pm
Sunday: First
Sunday of every month between September and May
Monday: By
appointment only
Contact: Emy
Mathews (Marketing and Tasting Station Manager)
Telephone: 021 859 5534
= 082 494 1265
E-mail: tastingroom@wintersdrift.com;
emy@wintersdrift.com
Website: www.wintersdrift.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/WintersDriftWines
PLATFORM 1 CONTACT
DETAILS AND OPENING TIMES
Tuesday to Saturday: 8:30am to 4pm
Contact: Dre
Johnson
Cell:
082
379 2623
E-mail: platform1eatery@wintersdrift.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Platform-1-Eatery-at-Elgin-Station
Website:
www.wintersdrift.com
Closed
on Sundays and Mondays, however, events and functions can be scheduled by prior
arrangement.
So phone in
to book your seats for a first class memorable experience, or simply pop in to
share the produce of the lovely Elgin Valley.