De Krans Relishing Red

Boets and Stroebel Nel are the owners of De Krans Wine Cellar which is situated on the upper reaches of the Gamka River near Calitzdorp, the Port capital of South Africa.

Boets and Stroebel produce some serious Ports and Jerepigo Muscadels. They produced – to my knowledge – the only pink port in South Africa following with Croft’s model which was such a hit in the UK. Croft’s one of Oporto’s leading houses also produced a pink house brand for Marks and Spencer.

Boets, like his colleagues in the Douro Valley in northern Portugal, also makes dry red wines from traditional port varieties like Tinta Barocca and Touriga Naçional.

One of the estate’s top selling reds is the Relishing Red a non vintage wine in a screwcapped bottle which retails at about R26 a bottle and was a winner in the Wine Magazine best Value Guide in recent years. Made from Pinotage, Merlot and Ruby Cabernet, that child of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan produced at the Davis Campus of the University of California, much like Pinotage was here. Ruby Cabernet thrives in the warm climate of Calitzdorp.

A juicemaking red, displaying all the delicious plummy fruit of Pinotage and Merlot and some of the blackberries of the Ruby Cab, the wine spent three months on oak barrels which will allow it to age well for a year or two.

Chill it for about 30 minutes, either in the fridge or in an ice bucket and bring it out as a braai buddy.

For further info about De Krans visit their website at www.dekrans.co.za, or contact Helet or Bessie at the farm on 044 213 3314.