Hermanus-this is a mouthfull-Pietersfontein

Not only is Hermanuspeitersfontein (say it slowly it helps) a mouthful, it also one helluva place to find. The Winery and the farm are two very different places, they are about 50km apart in fact. We stopped at the winery first and certainly left very impressed. Okay, so the tasting room lacks the charm and character of older estates like Kanonkop or a Muratie, but what it lacks in character it makes up for in other ways. Firstly the staff were well trained and answered most questions fairly well. The range of wine available for tasting is pretty extensive, and for Sauvignon Blanc junkies the choices are endless. Fruity, green, blended, a real mixed grill. But rather than doing so many Sauvies badly, they actually produce all these styles extremely well and with great success. The stand out wines for me were: The Bartho 2008 a Sauvignon Blend with Semillion and Nouvelle. My pick for best white wine at WineX 2009 some months back, having tasted it for a second time I am even more convinced that this is a stunning wine. Very individualistic. Die Swartskaap , 100% Cabernet Franc, elegant, restrained sort of wine, almost shy but yet seductive. Die Bloos, a Rose Bordeux Blend, stunning summer sipper. What I like most about HPF is the branding. Everything fits, ties in, looks good, is consistent and most of all it just works. Whoever is in charge of this side of the business deserves a round of applause.

Having tasted the wines we headed off to find the farm. Rather than bore you with how hopelessly lost we got, lets just say we found the farm courtesy of Jean Daniel and he is in Napier...I blame the stunning wines for the loss of focus. The farm itself is remote and very private. The cottages are beautifully decorated, and even boasts a mini bar filled with HPF wines. As far as farm/self catering accommodation goes this is top notch. Set amongst vineyards, fynbos, grazing sheep and with the most amazing mountain backdrop the only thing you have to do is: Light the fire, put your feet up and enjoy the wine.

Lost in Translation

Firstly, don't ever, and I mean ever take the N2 to get anywhere. I have started a Facebook group, a petition a blog you name it to have the N2 declared the world biggest or should I say longest parking lot. Getting stuck in traffic at the best of times can be a sour grape to swallow but when your dying of thirst, craving Elgins famed grassy Sauvignon Blancs, surrounded by Taxis and with only distant views of the Cape Flats to console you, then traffic jams are officially worse than cork taint.

And so it was that Dionysus took almost 2 long hours to finally arrive in the beautiful Elgin Valley. Pegerine Farmstall were hosting a farmers market, but no time for that as we had wineries to visit...first stop Elgin Vintners. The sign at the gate said open for tasting, and the tasting room was set in a truly amazing spot beside a lovely lake surrounded by tall tress. Pity the tasting room was closed...As I peered through the glass pain window the alarm to the building went off. I had become a wine thief. Leaving the distant chimes of the alarm behind us we set off undaunted to find Highlands Road Winery. As my stomach was beginning to rumble like a car that needed fuel I was looking forward to enjoying the delights of their famed

deli. Pity the sign at the farm gate said Deli Closed. Well at least they still made wine. Oops the bridge to the farm had been washed away and access to the farm was no longer.

By this time I was getting desperate. With haste we headed off to find South Hill Winery, and what a find it was. Slap bang in the middle of nowhere, this beautiful stunning Winery and Restuarant welcomed us with open arms. Finally cold, crispy Sauvignon Blanc. If you enjoy the greener style cooler climate Sauvignon Blanc then you will enjoy this wine. South Hill also make a stunning Cab Sav Rose that I really enjoyed. The wine tasting is done very informally at the bar counter in the restaurant. Don't expect the barman to be able to answer to many questions relating to bailing, brix or tons per hectare. However the wine, the beautifully decorated restaurant come Bohemian art gallery and stunning views make the trek worthwhile. We will be back to try the restaurant as the menu and food looked interesting.

Back on the dreaded N2 we headed off to Hermanus. First stop Whalehaven Winery. A lovely young lady and a non perplexed type reading the paper (I recognised him as the winemaker Mr Bodega) welcomed us. I firmly believe in a winery focusing on a select core range of wines, while some wineries are capable of doing a broad spectrum of wines. I would say Whalhaven falls into the latter. Their product includes the Premium Idiom Range, and the extensive Whalehaven Range. I tasted quite a few of the wines across both ranges and came away fairly impressed. The standout wines for were the Idion Cape Blend and Sangiovese, and from the Whalehaven Range the Crushed Velvet and the Old harbour. With such an extensive list of wines, so many varieties at different price points you are spoilt for choice, and a return visit is in order. One thing that stood out for me, was Mr Bodegga's relaxed demeanour and candid way that he interacted on a personal level. So many times winemakers can be aloof or distant, this certainly wasn't the case. He was friendly and warm, and with our lovely host helped make this a memorable tasting and definitely a venue that we will be paying a return visit. A less rushed and extensive tasting of this entire range of fine wines is called for.

From here we headed to Hemanuspietresfontein, but more about our experiences here in my next blog.

Deliverence in Durbanville

Durbanville may not be as famous as say Stellies but it sure does offer a few interesting alternatives....take D'Aria for example. They are a new winery, having only launched their own label in 2005, a Sauvignon Blanc as expected. They have also just completed their new impressive modern cellar and tasting venue. The tasting venue is straight out of Deliverence with a lake side wooden deck surrounded by woodland forest...there is even a DANGER/GEWAAR sign warning you not to swim in the swamp.

But do not fear as the tasting room experience is a pretty good one. For R60 you can buy a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and cheese platter for two. Not bad value at all. On the day of our visit we were lucky to have the place to ourselves and got great service from our host Isabel. She certainly was friendly and had more than enough knowledge of the wines on offer to answer most questions the average wine drinker could threw her way. She also did a great job of handling a rowdy buss load of revellers that manged to spoil the peace.

Being a new winery they don't have a huge range of wines, I sometimes think this is better, the mantra bigger is better doesn't always hold true when it comes to wine. The range consits of a Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, Merlot and a Merlot/Cab Blend. The Sauvignon Blanc, as you would expect was great. I can't think of many Sauvies from Durbanville that I wouldn't recommend, and now you can add the D Aria to the list. The premium Sauvi, The Songbird 2008, is a lovely wine with just the right amount of fruit to acid. The Rose and Reds are all drinkable, but being a young winery I think these are still a work in progress. So if you are looking for somewhere a little different with a great deck to enjoy fine chilled Sauvignon Blanc this summer, then D' Aria is a great choice.

Vive La France

Red, white and blues... Must have something to do with the French. In a way yes. But no, it was the theme for the Durbanville Boutique Wine Growers annual festival. The theme of White and Red Wine with a touch of Blues music went down a treat.

Eureka Farm played host to over 200 people, the event was over subscribed, once again proving in matters of passion size doesn't really matter. It is not often that you could say an evening was faultless, but this evening came pretty damn close. From the relaxed, casual yet very stylish decor, too the delightful food and wine pairings, it just seemed like the longer the night went the better things got. The menu read something like this: mussels in beurre blanc, tempura prawns, carpaccio with wild mushrooms, Parmesan and rocket, petit burgers with caramelised onions, Moroccan lamb couscous and the highlight for me venison pie. That's enough to make your mouth water and we haven't even got to the wines or desserts yet...

There were so many good wines to choose from and as you would expect Sauvignon Blanc was the star of the show. Those that caught the eye were the Klein Rooseboom with its sexy glass closure and the Galleon Sauvignon Blanc. Welbeloond Sauvignon Blanc produced by the friendly Andrew Mellish, pictured, and Nomade Sauvignon Blanc produced by Riaan Oostuizen were the standout whites, the former very fruity and the latter more zip and tang. No Rennies needed for any of these wines. From the Reds my personal favourites were the Mirari 2006 from Westerdale that is drinking beautifully, a youthful Merlot from Klein Roseboom that will improve with bottle age and the Hermit on the Hill Pinot Noir. All in all a wonderful evening, proving once again, local is lekker.

Teen Die Berg

Next stop was Avondrood Winery. Here Albertus and Minett van Rensburg and their friendly pack of Great Danes welcome you to their secluded farm. Albertus is a bit of a terroir-rist as he firmly believes that his vineyards on the rocky slopes "hoeg teen" the Boland Mountains produce wines of distinct character. You could call it location in a bottle. Hard to argue, when he has walked away with so many awards at the annual National Terroir Competition.


The stand out wines for me were the 2008/2009 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2007 Viognier. This corner of he Bredekloof is hardly regarded as prime Sauvignon Blanc territory, but Avondrood is proving that with the right site selection you can produce unique and distinctive wines. The 2008 is at its peak, showing a perfect balance between beautiful tropical fruit and the slightest hint of green flavours from bottle age, all of this backed up with fine acidity. The 2009 on the other hand is a fruit bomb. Granadilla, guava and gooseberries. Wines of this quality sell for twice the price, at R40 per bottle its a steal. The 2007 Viognier was all fruit, spice and floral. A great food wine, and will be a perfect match for delicately spiced food.


Avondrood also has their own mountain cabin with majestic views over the winelands and distant mountains. As Albertus would say in typical Boland fashion "Dis Teen Die Berg!"

Lovely Lorraine and The Love of My Life

From Jason's Hill we made our way to Lorraine Private Cellar. The De Wets have been farming these lands since 1875, and current custodian Johan, pictured left, is rightly proud of his families long standing tradition of producing fine handcrafted wines. The farm can be found at the end of a long and winding dusty road, off the well trodden tourist tracts, but certainly worth the effort. The farm is steeped in history and the De Wets have gone a long way to preserve their heritage. Original concrete tanks, out buildings and a traditional brookie lace home all add to the charm and allure. Johan makes a handful of wines in his small cellar, each wine from the very best vineyard blocks, the balance going to the local co-op. My personal favorites were the 2007 Cape Harmony, Love of My Life Rose' and the Sauvignon Blanc 2009. The Cape Harmony is a 3 way blend of Pinotage, Cab and Merlot. It has only just been bottled, having spent 18 months in a mixture of French and American Oak. This wine will only get better, some bottle age will add to its complexity and should be at its peak in a couple of years. The Love of My Life is a 100% Pinotage Rose' that Johan made for his wife and should be popular with the ladies and a perfect match for sushi. The Sauvignon Blanc 2009 is a bold fruity wine with loads of zip and tang, this is a perfect match for any al fresco occasion.

Show Time

Spring not only heralds new life but also the dawn of the season for wine competitions, festivals and auctions. The winelands literally comes alive. This weekend I will be heading off to two festivals. On Friday night it is the Durbanville Boutique Wine Growers Associations (DBWGA)White Red and Blues Festival. Good food, good wine and fine blues music. Boutique Wineries are close to my heart and this is an occasion I just can't miss. The DBWGA is a relatively new organization, that brings the boutique wine growers/makers/vignerons of Durbanville together. Each one has a story to tell that is more interesting than the next, but what really makes their wines special is the love, passion, and hard work that goes into each bottle. The popularity and scarcity of the wines produced by this band of winemakers is evident in the fact the the event is completely booked out!

Ander Kant Die Berg: Episode 1

No matter how many times I drive through the Du Toits Kloof Mountains on the great N1 North Road I can't but help feeling lekker! It must be one of the most beautiful stretches of mountain road anywhere, let alone in South Africa. Jagged peaks, cascading waterfalls, twisting bends, sheer rock faces pointing to the heavens....like having Marlyn Monroe sitting next too you. But, I had a job to do and my first stop was Jason's Hill Winery.

Like most wineries in the area, Jason's Hill is blessed with beautiful vistas, surrounded by mountains in every direction. The farm is not all that big with around 100 hectares under vine. Most of their crop is sold off to the local co op, but like any smart farmer they keep the best grapes for themselves and make wine under their own label. The winemaker is Ivy Du Toit, pictured left, and if ever dynamite came in a small package then Ivy is it. On the day of our visit she was handling the tastings, sales, dispatch, information....where she gets the time to make the wine I don't know. But make wine she does, and damn good wine too. Her family is the 5th generation of Du Toits to farm this land, the words lacking commitment and lazy are not in their vocabulary. They also have a wonderful Bistro above their tasting room, from here the views are out of this world, the wines superb and the food homely and comforting. But I had come to taste wine and not food.

I started off by tasting the 2008 Jasonette, a pink sparkler. I am a fan of pink bubbly, and have been the butt of many jokes for this, too me it is a great way to kick off any occasion. The Jasonette isn't going to have the great Champagne houses shaking in their boots, but what it will do is bring a smile to face your face. Fruity and fun without being candy sweet. Next was the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc. The first thing I noticed about this wine was its beautiful colour, crystal clear like river water. With loads of fruit, guava, apple, and a nice racy acidic finish, this was a wine I really enjoyed. From here I moved onto the reds. I started off with the house blend, a 2007 Classic Red. It is a three way blend of Petit Verdot, Pinotage and Grenache. As easy drinking reds go this is one of the better ones around. Very smooth, certainly not chunky and rustic but rather velvety. The back label reads: delightfully uncomplicated and demands merely to be enjoyed. Agreed. Next was the 2007 Grenache. Now Grenache normally works best in blends and one hardly expects to find good Grenache this side of the mountain. But to my surprise I took quiet a liking to it. Again very smooth. It must be a Ivys female touch that brings such elegance to their wines. The wine showed hints of spiciness and fruit, just enough acidity and delicate oaking. A well balanced wine. My final wine was the 2002 Pinotage Limited Release, showing all the usual pinotage flavours of banana and strawberry. Again this was a wine that showed restraint, elegance and Ivys hallmark velvet smooth finish.

All in all another good day at the office....

Ander kant die berg

Behind the Boerewors wine curtain, or beyond the Du Toits Kloof lies a whole other wine world. Being a fan of Robertson and McGregor in particular I never miss an opportunity to spend a wine weekend in the Valley of Roses and Race Horses. The Robertson Valley may not have the status of Stellenbosch, but the boere on the wrong side of the mountain know how to through a party. Think wackywine weekend and the Mcgregor Wine Festival....yes the McGregor Wine Festival! It must be the smallest festival around, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in charm and character.

What can be better than local wine matched with the local food enjoyed in local NG Kerk. Every year the tiny village of McGregor puts on her best dress and shows off the wines of a handful of producers matched with food from the area. McGregor being the friendly village it is, all is welcome, even well behaved dogs. Maybe the organisers were hoping dogs would make better wine judges with their acute sense of smell. This year the weather played along, the sunny day providing the perfect opportunity to sit around and enjoy the summer weather with a glass in hand. I especially enjoyed the wines of John Hargreaves, his Rusty Red Range never fails to surprise and deliver. Rumour has it that John's back garden is the smallest registered wine farm in the country. For value, McGregory Winery is hard to beat, their Colambard is lip smackingly good. Why we South Africans don't drink more Colambard or Chenin Blanc I don't know.

For true country hospitality, friendly locals, wine and country kos, visit Wacky McGregor.

This could be Heaven: Part 2

While at Kronendal Farm I had the chance to sample a few of the other wines produced by some of the members of the Durbanville Boutique Wine Association. As most of the producers are small garagiste type producers it makes sense to have the chance to taste these wines at one venue. Please be sure to phone Magdeleen of Kronendal and let her know what wines you are interested in and she will make the necessary arrangements.

From the fairly long line up of wines I chose the following: Klein Roseboom Sauvignon Blanc 08, Da Vallei the full range, Hermit on the Hill Pinot Noir and Syrah, Galleon Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The stand out wines for me were the Klein Roseboom Sauvignon Blanc, the Pinot Noir and the Galleon Chardonnay. Each of these wines are made in small quantities and are difficult to come by but worth the effort.

On Friday 5th September the Durbanville Boutique Wines Association will be holding its annual tasting event at Eureka Farm in Durbanville. This is an event not to be missed, and one that I will be attending. Have a look at their web site fore details: http://www.durbanvilleboutiquewine.co.za/

With spring just around the corner wine festivals are a plenty. Be sure not to miss the McGregor Wine Festival. This must be the smallest wine festival on the calender but certainly one of the best. Very intimate and sociable. Only 12 producers from the region, meaning you don't have to rush and you can chat, talk, taste, sip and eat your way at your own leisurely pace. Look out for the wines of John Hargreaves, his tiny label, Rusty Red is a real treat. John makes his wine in the heart of the village from his garage in true garagiste fashion.

This could be Heaven.

My usual Saturday sojourn to the Winelands took me to Durbanville boutique winery Kronendal Farm, the home of Westerdale Wines. What I love about the Durbanville valley is its close proximity to the Northern suburbs, yet you still feel like you are far from the maddening civilization and commercial trappings of places like Tyger Valley. Kronendal Farm can be found at the end of Westerdale road , the well used gravel road passes numerous idyllic properties, the scene is made complete with postcard like paddocks and views of distant mountains.

Kronendal Farm is a tiny farm of 2 hectares, just .6 hectares under vine, and is a member of the Durbanville Boutique Wine Association. This is an association of 13 passionate winemakers who have bandied together to promote their tiny brands. By prior arrangement these wines can be tasted and purchased at Kronendal Farm were we were warmly welcomed by the lively and energetic winemaker Magdaleen Kroon, that's her pouring the wines. She is the antithesis of your typical farmer: burly, towering, colossal she is not, rather athletic, energetic, and dynamic. She and her husband Piet bought the farm some 10 years ago with the intention of establishing a nursery come landscaping business, only to discover that a lack of water made their dream impossible. The horticultural industries loss is the wine industries gain. Magdaleen decided to go the Rhone Blend route and planted her small vineyard with Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo and Viognier. As I sat on her beautiful wooden deck and looked across the valley while sampling her fine wine I wondered if life could get any better...Mirari, Latin for to wonder at, is an elegant and well balanced wine, no baked fruit or over ripe flavours, but rather very subtle and restrained. Minute quantities are made of this very limited wine, with each bottle personally hand numbered her love, passion and hard work are clearly evident. Garagiste wines can often be called rustic, but not this wine. With Magdaleen peronally doing all wine tastings, you get that personal touch that bigger farms just cant match, it's a rare pleasure to meet the personality behind a wine, to ask questions and understand what the winemaker was hoping to achieve. A wine tasting at Kronendal Farm is more than just a tasting, it is truly a memorable experience and one that I encourage you to make.

Magdaleen: 0824990198

garagiste: small scale winemaker

http://www.durbanvilleboutiquewine.co.za

Slow Food

I hate winter...yip that's me. I like the sun on my bum, I must be out and about, discovering and exploring. The only good thing about winter is slow food, slow cooked casseroles, breedies, potjies, and curries. Slow food is just that, slow. It takes time, time to cook, time to socialise and time to sip and enjoy great wine. You can't go wrong, even my ex mother in law couldn't get this wrong... The key is finding the best ingredients, and by that I mean the cuts of meat other people wouldn't touch. Pork Cheeks, oxtail, lamb shank, tripe, and my favourite Ostrich neck. Try this amazing Ostrich neck recipe:



Must have:
1 x Bottle Red Wine
Cooking oil
250g Smoked Streaky Bacon
1,5kg Ostrich Neck
4 Onions chopped
4 Gloves of Garlic chopped
2 Bottles of Boplaas Port.
300g dried Apricots
Bay leaf and a sprig of Rosemary


How to:
Pour red wine and enjoy.
Brown the ostrich in the oil. Tip: only do a few pieces at a time. The more pieces you add to the pot the less likely it is to brown. You want the meat to get those nice crispy edges. Bad for your heart, so a double cardio workout needed. Remove Ostrich meat from the pot and set aside. Fry the bacon, then add onions. After a few minutes add garlic. Let onions, garlic and bacon fry together for a few minutes, ensuring that the garlic doesn't burn.
Pour second glass of red wine and enjoy.
Once onions are soft, add 1 bottle of port and scrape bottom of pot to get all the tasty bits off the bottom. Return the ostrich to the pot. Add apricots, bay leaf and sprig of rosemary. Simmer slowly, don't boil, this is a slow process. When Ostrich is about to fall off the bone...its done. Serve with creamy mash, crispy bread and a bottle of fine red, try Monterosso Cabernet Merlot. A great wine for the price, should compliment the ostrich and work well with the apricots.




Too finish. Enjoy the other bottle of Boplaas Port. Pudding wine.

Faulty Towers

What was supposed to be a lazy Saturday afternoon spent in the warm glow of a fine winters day, sipping great wine and enjoying the company of friends and family turned out to be a laugh. Before I go any further let me say that Nitida Cafe and Nitida Wine farm seems to be two separate entities, my experiences and issues are with the Cafe and therefore not the farm. But as the Nitida experience encompasses the Wine Farm and the Cafe it is very difficult to be critical of one and not the other...

Were do I start. We booked a table only to be told on arrival they were aware of the booking but they hadn't actually made a reservation. Bizarre. Only 4 wines to choose from, and not one from Nitida! Surreal. They did have Chateau Libertas and Durbanville Hills mind you. Apparently the reason for the lack of Nitida Wines is a dispute between the Farm and the Cafe regarding pricing of Nitida Wines. Who cares. The menu had about 6 items, boring Cup-a-Soup, Pasta and Sauce and the rest so uninspiring I forgotten what they were. The less said about Cafe Nitida the better. The sad thing is the stunning location, vineyard views, rolling lawns etc are all let down by poor management.

I did manage to taste a few wines from the tasting room. As expected the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc @ R75 per bottle was simply delicious. Loads of goose berries, nice balance between acid and fruit without the need to take a Eno after the first glass. Other stand out wines were the 2006 Calligraphy @ R115 per bottle and the 2007 Pinotage @ R75 per bottle.

Will I be back in a hurry...think not. Pity.

Brokeback Mountain

Saturday was a day discovering the Voor Paardeberg area outside of Paarl. The views from this relatively undiscovered and certainly beautiful area makes this one of my favourite places to explore. The Paardeberg Mountain has Paarl on the one side and the Swartland on the other. This area is regraded as hot property, with loads of new wineries producing some fantastic wines. First stop was for padkos, so we found the nearest roadside MacDonalds, aka a padstal. Between Klapmust and Wellington you will find Red Star Padstal. As we were in drive through mode we opted for takeaway home made pies. These were no King Pies, but rather the genuine real authentic home made mammas pies. They had a lovely veranda and a play area to keep the little ones happy while you sip wine and take in the splendid views. Heavenly.

Stomachs well lined, we set off. Our first port of call was Perdeberg Winery. What impressed my immediately was their slogan: Keep wine simple. I like that and it works for me. They also have a long lineup of value for money winners. I found the wines to be pleasant, enjoyable and easy drinking. No fruit bombs or giant oak killers. As tasting room experiences go they can do better...these guys are rightly popular and on the afternoon of our visit they just couldn't cope. A very friendly and knowledgeable young lady fought a lone battle trying to keep thirsty wine lovers happy. Surely a winery with such a wide variety of wines at each price point needs a matching tasting room. The tasting room was no bigger than a small office.


Next we headed off to the Voor Paarderberg Tasting Venue on the David Frost Wine Estate. Their marketing punts the fact that this is a road less travelled, and that certainly was the case as we were the only visitors and had the place to ourselves. A group of smaller producers in the area have come together to form one tasting center, this makes sense as it is easier to manage and market. However it all seems to be falling flat as half the wineries have/are about to pull out of the this little joint venture. The tasting room is set in a most idyllic location with beautiful mountain views. It was a treat to enjoy the warm weather from the veranda and taste fine wines in such a stunning location. The standout wines were: David Frost Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 at R90 per bottle, a very elegant, silky well balanced wine. David Frost The Soft Smooth Red at R30 per bottle was like David Frosts putting stroke, very dependable, loads of red fruit, smooth finish. I also enjoyed the Bernheim JP Pacas Shiraz 2005 at R80 per bottle. I had never heard of JP Pacas before, but it turned out to be a lovely wine that should make a great match to Rosemary and Garlic Roast lamb.

A short hop took us to Riebeeck Kasteel for a lovely light lunch at The Barn. This is one of my favourite country bistros. Sitting outside, looking over the village to the distant mountains, enjoying a glass of crisp Chenin, sharing mezze platters with friends. What could be better...

La Chocalate

Waterford Wine Estate. The name says it all. Refinement, elegance and finesse. I had never before tried their famed Chocolate and Wine pairing. Too my surprise it was something I enjoyed and would recommend to any sweet toothed lover of wine.

What of the wines....the Estate Rose-Mary 2008 was a lovely wine with loads of zing an ideal wine to start the tasting with. A real summer wine, low alcohol levels at 11% means you can have a few glasses. The Sauvignon Blanc was a surprise. I wasn't expecting much yet this wine delivered. Unusually creamy mouthfeel and a very clear bright colour, not your typical coastal Sauvi. Nice balance between acid and fruit. The Kevin Arnold Shiraz was next up and for me the standout wine of the evening. Paired with a spicy masala styled chocolate the wine just got better, the subtle hint of spiciness from the chocolate complementing the wine beautifully. Truly a memorable wine and at R150 per bottle it should be. Oprah Winfrey belives it a special occasion wine as she served it at her 50th birthday dinner celebrations. If its good enough for her its gotta be good enough for us. Next was the Cabernet and The Jem. Both these wines were at the level of refinement and elegence Waterford strives but certainly not great wines in my humble opinion. Having been blown away by the Shiraz, the Cab was always going to battle to impress. The Jem on the other hand is a potpourri wine ...sometimes the some of the parts is not greater than the whole and maybe this is the case here. Or maybe it was the price of R650 per bottle that left a bitter taste.

Finally we finished off with a pudding wine: Heatherleigh. A lovely wine paired with a rose water infused dark chocolate...A fine way to finish off a wonderful wine experience.

Bloe men who?

Wet and miserable. A typical Cape winters day. Where to for lunch? Somewhere not too far, with that comforting toasted marshmallow atmosphere a fire place lends to a venue, somewhere you can get a good bottle of Claret. So of to Bloemendal we went.

The Durbanville Wine Route is one of those hidden underutilized treasures on our doorstep. In just a few minutes you escape from the hum drum of a dull N7 and discover a world that moves at a slower pace. Think green valleys, rolling vineyards, and winding roads. And so it was that we arrived at Bloemendal. Wine Magazine runs a regular Cellar Door Shoot Out, pitting two cellar door experiences against each other with one coming out on top. My advise to them would be to drop any plans of having Bloemendal as part of a lineup. Having to sit at a bar counter in the restaurant listing to Karaoke is not my idea of a great wine experience. The place had two huge fireplaces and not one was lit! Talk about missing an opportunity. Bloemendal as a winery has a long proud family tradition, however this all changed a while back when the farm was bought for a hefty sum by Tokyo I am a Billionaire But Still Disadvantaged Sexwale. As a result wine making has come to a standstill and this is reflected in the choice of wine for tasting. Just a handful of wines and most sadly past their best. Don't bother asking any questions as I don't think the young counter hand could tell a white from a red. Honestly! To add insult to injury you have to pay a tasting fee...

Life is like a bottle of Wine. You never know what you going to get.

Enjoying the fine Cape winter weather meant a good braai, good wine and good friends. What to drink?...having enjoyed my fair share of Cape reds I opted for Springfield Method Ancienne Chardonnay 2006 at R149 per bottle from the farm and at totally the other end of the price spectrum Koelenhof Sauvignon Blanc 2008 at R 24 per bottle. I felt the Springfield was indulgent so to ease my financial guilt in these hard pressed times I opted for the value busting Koelenhof.

What of the two wines...Lets start with the Koelenhof Sauvignon Blanc. If you haven't heard by now these guys are the raining 2009 Wine Mag Best Value Champions. And its easy to taste why. The wine has a beautiful crystal clear colour, no show pony stuff this. Don't worry about smelling and sniffing and all that pompous crap, this is a wine maid to be enjoyed en mass, at R25 a bottle you can afford a few cases. It has a nice racy acidic finish and is a great match for braaied snoek. The packaging may not be great, but heck who cares at this price and quality. Try the rest of the wines in the range, they have just walked off with a host of awards for their Red wines. The winery is just off the N1 on the R45 as you head towards Stellenbosch. You can't miss it.

No for the Springfield Method Ancienne Chardonnay. If you want 5 star Platter wines, Double gold winners, No Body Cares Award Winners, Springfield won't be for you. These are wines made with true passion, not wines made to impress at shows and in sighted wine guides. This is a family run business and any trip to Robertson should include a stopover to meet the friendly Bruwer's of Springfield Estate. The Chardonnay was a beautiful golden colour in the glass, not from over oaking I may add. The wine was shy on the nose but there was a hint of what was to come... I remember my sister face when we first tasted this wine a couple of months back...what she said can't be repeated, but to say this wine is a thing of beauty would be an understatement. A soft creamy mouth feel, loads of fruit, nice long finish, silky, smooth and oh so sexy.

Needles to say the rest of the afternoon was like a moment spent in the clouds: good food, good wine, friends and family....life couldn't be better.

Mutterings of a Virgin Blogger

Another Wine Blog? No. More of a lifestyle blog focusing on wine lifestyle. Wine, food and a little bit of travel. I will try and keep the jargon to a minimum, no fancy French tongue twisting words...The Travelling Vineyard will bring you the wines, the winemakers, the personalities and the stories behind the wines.

I will be focusing on wines that leave a mark. No Average Nederburg or Chateau Collapso. But rather hidden gems, smaller producers that make wines with love and passion and that won't cost you an arm and a leg. Life is too short to drink wine without soul or character. I love nothing more than hitting the road and discovering wines and the people behind the wine. Hence the Travelling Vineyard.