The HPF Vineyards

Bartho Eksteen – Mr Sauvignon

Diners Club Winemaker of the Year 2010

A wine tasting with Mr Sauvignon Blanc, Bartho Eksteen, is an experience I have had on a few occasions.

For the past almost 20 years Bartho has been host to The Bartho Eksteen Sauvignon Blanc Celebration to share his passion for this variety.

Diners Club Winemaker of the year 2010.  27^th November 2010 is a date that this sultan of savvy and the Hermanuspietersfonteiners will remember forever …  To have the honour of Diners Club Winemaker of the Year bestowed on you is an honour only one man receives every year.  Furthermore this award confirms Bartho’s status as South Africa’s sage of Sauvignon Blanc, the variety Diner’s Club put under their magnifying glass for 2010. The wine that stood out from a healthily competitive line-up is the wooded HPF Sauvignon Blanc No 5.

HPF No 5

In gratitude, Bartho said “I am truly blessed and honoured to receive this prestigious award. My sincere gratitude to the Diners Club team, Leila Fourie, Ebrahim Matthews and Jane Ledger. I will treasure this achievement for the rest of my life. Many of the previous winners assure me that 30 – 40 years from now HPF and I will still be benefitting from this great accolade.”

Tasting in the Cellar

Why a wooded Sauvignon Blanc, Bartho?  “There are only a handful of high quality wooded Sauvignon Blancs out there and the trend is away from “fragrance bombs”.  My aim was to create a full, well-balanced food wine, complementing classic dishes associated with wooded white wines whilst still retaining the unique flavour profile inherent to Sauvignon Blanc. I have enormous appreciation for the fact that the judges recognized my vision for this wine and sealed it with the award.”

A true terroir wine, all the grapes used in the HPF Sauvignon Blanc  No  5 come from the cellar’s BWI [Biodiversity and Wine Initiative] champion farm.  This award raises the reputation of Sondagskloof, one of the winelands’ youngest wards and it is also fitting for a dedicated farming team to be rewarded for their labour, having made the most of the terroir by extracting the unique combination of regional elements.  This distinction follows hot on the heels of the cellar’s platter 5 star rating for its Sauvignon Blanc-driven Die Bartho 2009.  The HPF motto, good earth makes better wine, is bearing fruit.

The beginnings of Hermanuspietersfontein

In the Oak Barrel Cellar at HPF

In the early 1800’s farmers in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley chose for their children to be schooled in Dutch, the mother language of Afrikaans, in preference to the English demanded by the British colonialists then in charge of the Cape of Good Hope. Hermanus Pieters was the leermeester  and oftentimes the farmers remunerated Mr Pieters with sheep.  He grazed these at a spring under the milkwood trees by the sea.  In l855, long after his passing, and in his honour, the village Hermanuspietersfontein was named after him.  In 1902 the postmaster, doubtless tired of writing out this long village name, shortened the name to Hermanus.

Hermanuspietersfontein Vineyards

What better setting for a Vineyard?

More than a hundred years later, the owners of this multi award winning vineyard and winery felt it fitting to revive and relive the village’s history by naming their cellar and wine brand Hermanuspietersfontein.  And, quirkily, to stay true to the tradition of the use of Afrikaans HPF are committed to using Afrikaans only for all their wine names and labels – the only cellar in South Africa to do so.  Afrikaans is the third most spoken of the 11 official languages of South Africa.

The HPF farm lies in the eastern corner of the Walker Bay wine district.  The farm was a founding grape producer in the Sondagskloof wine ward.  The  picturesque 320ha BWI champion conservation farm [the first wine farm in the district to be awarded this recognition] nestles in a valley in the mountainous area near Stanford and the Atlantic Ocean where it benefits significantly from the maritime influences on the vineyards.

Sustainable and eco-friendly farming practices are followed to preserve and support the rich biodiversity of the area and to conserve the HPF ecosystems.  Vineyard blocks were planned around fynbos corridors to keep natural pathways for the flow of indigenous wild animals and birds between various eco-systems on the farm.  Tilling by nature’s ‘first gardeners’, the earthworms, presents the HPF vineyards with the valuable underground benefits of air, moisture, bacteria and soil-conditioning material.  There is also an army of ducks that performs the all-important role as ‘natural’ snail controllers.  Bees work their magic with the fynbos, flowers and other trees spreading around the vineyards.  And in doing so producing the most remarkable quality fynbos honey.

The Hermanuspietersfontein Cellar

The HPF Cellar

The 350 ton HPF gravitation cellar is situated some 40km from the farm in the popular seaside holiday village of Hermanus.  Bartho Eksteen, the cellarmaster, follows a minimum handling approach and his main focus is to treat grapes with the utmost care and attention. All grapes are hand selected and twice-graded, ensuring quality is never compromised.  The spacious underground barrel cellar provides the essential space for ideal maturing of both red and white wines.

Grape Sorting

The Hermanuspietersfontein Food and Wine Market

The Saturday Morning Market at HPF

With the same style that they brought the original name of Hermanus to life again, HPF revived the traditional Saturday morning community market.  This popular food & wine market has become the place where friends and families meet, where they come for breakfast or lunch, or just to enjoy a glass of wine and relaxing in a child-safe and dog-friendly environment.  Open every Saturday of the year, no matter what the weather, visitors are invited to come and browse the food tables.  Wine tasting is free and there’s something for everyone.

The Wine Tasting Room

Contact details

Tel: 028 316 1875

fax: 028 316 1293

email: kelder@hpf1855.co.za

www.hpf1855.co.za

Harvest Moon over Avondale

When you stand in a Shiraz vineyard on the slopes of the Klein Drakenstein with a clear view of Table Mountain, on a God-given day, with a black eagle circling overhead, Johnathan Grieve next to you with a handful of soil that looks like Christmas pudding, writhing with earthworms, you get a sense of the seriousness and passion with which he farms the family Estate.

I have known the Grieve family for three generations, and each generation has been passionate and caring of fellow beings, the flora and the fauna and what they are to leave for the next generation.

While Avondale is registered as an Organic winery, it practices biodynamic farming methods, and Johnathan also uses the offerings of modern science and technologies for sustainability.  Blending seamlessly these great ideas, and knowledge into his farming and wine-making.  Using Mother Nature as model, mentor and measure, Johnathan has with dedication and purpose rebuilt soil fertility, planted new vines and set about achieving the goal of making natural, delicious wines in a healthy, balanced environment.

The Duck Army - snails beware!

“It has to start in the vineyard” says Johnathan, as he points out some soil on the side of the vineyard which, in stark contrast to the moist friable damp dark soil in his hand, is compacted, dry and sand coloured.  Everything done in the vineyard, from the planting of the cover crops, to the pest control – usually by predator pests – and a platoon of Peking Ducks to eradicate snails and slugs.  No ploughing takes place, minimizing the risk of compacting soil.

Johnathan & the next generation

Johnathan has planted 100 hectares of vineyards on Avondale with the classical French wine grape varieties Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Semillon, Chenin Blanc, Shiraz, Mourvedre, Grenache, Viognier, Rousanne and Chardonnay.  Each and every vine planted in order that all the vineyards could be certified by the Dutch-based Control Union, one of Europe’s leading certification authorities.  Control Union also provides accreditation with other recognised international organic certification bodies such as the German Bio Nach EG-Öko Verordnung, Britain’s Soil Association, and the USDA certification in the United States of America.

Vineyard view

Working with Nature, Johnathan also had to counter the effects of monoculture on these traditionally vine covered lands.  To do this a number of activities had to take place, from the building of soil fertility using a soil balancing system pioneered by environmental scientist Dr William Albrecht, a respected authority on the relationship between soil fertility and ecosystem health.  Re-mineralisation of the soils is vital and Johnathan has returned vital, natural mineral elements to the soils.  These are enhanced the pure quality of the spring water used for irrigation.  This re-mineralisation process works in conjunction with maintaining a diverse plant community that provides food and shelter for an abundance of vital soil microbes.  They use mixes of cover crops, which include indigenous plants, to create a vibrant, diverse plant community in the vineyards.  Interesting standing there with Johnathan to see the variety at your feet.  And specific cover crops are planted in certain areas to add required minerals to the soils.

A glass of Armilla?

Sweet clean water is vital and a stream of natural, sweet water runs down the slopes of the Klein Drakenstein mountains through Avondale.  This pure quality water is the source of life in the vineyards and to use in the cellar in the making of their extraordinary wines.  Irrigation takes place only when necessary.  In the cellar only organic standard cleaning agents are used. All waste water is recycled using a waste water system that mimics the way Nature cleans water, three dams interlinked by spiralling channels of cleansing reeds that replicates a natural river system.

An important mantra of WOSA, the wine industries export arm, is “Diversity is in our Nature”.  Avondale was one of the first South African wine producers to be awarded the Biodiversity in Wine certification.  An ongoing restoration project where biodiversity is promoted not only in the vineyards but throughout the farm fosters micro-life in the soils and attracts an abundance of beneficial insects.  This leads to a variety of naturally occurring birds, frogs, reptiles, small and larger mammals.  Strains of beneficial bacteria are used to combat downy mildew and harmful worms.  Purpose-bred predatory wasps combat attacks by mealy bugs.  A number of rodent controlling birds of prey such as Spotted Eagle Owls, Rock Kestrels, Yellow-billed and Black-shouldered Kites occur naturally on Avondale.  Johnathan encourages them in their work where they are most needed by erecting tall poles for convenient perching and owl houses in the vineyards.

Fun in the Vineyards for the Créche kids

Then add to this, a crèche for the farm children, an echo tour around the farm (please reserve ahead), and wine tasting in the most beautiful surroundings in the cellar for a unique experience and one that should not be missed.

Contact:

Avondale is off the R301 to the east of the N1 in Paarl

Open Monday to Saturday

Tel: 021 863 1976

www.avondalewine.co.za

Uitkyk Manor House - Stellenbosch

The Uitkyk wine estate is the newest winery to become a Biodiversity & Wine Initiative Champion, the 20th to do so. The estate, at 591 ha one of the largest in the Stellenbosch area, has set aside more than 310 ha of virgin veld, or 52% of the total property, for conservation. The standard requirement for championship status is 10 ha of virgin veld.

Uitkyk is for many synonymous with Carlonet, one of the classic wine labels of the Cape. In addition to its own range of Uitkyk wines, the estate also produces the popular Flat Roof Manor range.

The farm, which dates back to 1712, lies on the south-western slopes of the Klapmutskop Mountain. The vineyards are located on the higher slopes which are dissected by four deep gorges that create natural corridors between them. These corridors enable small game and predators to move freely across the property.

Rudi Buys, viticulturist and manager of Uitkyk, said a considerable part of the land set aside for conservation fell within the Greater Simonsberg Conservatory of which Uitkyk was a member. “The conservancy supports one of the largest remaining remnants of the critically endangered Swartland shale renosterveld, named for the rhinos which in earlier years were frequently found grazing in this type of vegetation.

“Since 2008 we have been clearing on average 8 to 10 ha of land per year infested with alien vegetation. Working in one of the gorges recently we uncovered, to our great delight, a small stand of silver trees, that belong to the Protea family and can also be found growing mainly on Lions Head and in the Kirstenbosch area. We are obviously now very keen to re-establish these beautiful trees in our area.”

Buys said the clearing of alien vegetation was undertaken by the farm workers in between work in the vineyards. “As the results of what we have been doing become more apparent and indigenous species start to flourish again on the cleared land, everyone’s involvement in the project has grown and so has the pride in our progress.”

Buys said in recent years there had been a very strong move towards farming sustainably on Uitkyk. “We were among the first to erect owl posts in our vineyards to control rodent numbers. The perches we designed are suited to the grip of different raptors. While owls, mainly the brown barn owl, hunt from the perches at night, during the day you will find jackal buzzards and kestrels resting on them.

“Duiker and grysbok abound while the gorges provide perfect camouflage for the growing number of caracal hunting their favourite food, guinea fowl. The birdlife is particularly rich and varied, and more and more species are returning to nest on the estate,” Buys said.

Creations Wines, Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge

There are few wineries all of whose products I have tasted and fewer still where I have enjoyed drinking every one of their wines.  Creation is one of these.

The story of Creation Wines is as old as the hills – dating back to when Mother Nature created South Africa’s beautiful Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge and bestowed upon it exceptional wine growing conditions.

At the same time, the story is as young as the vibrant team who since 2002 has been investing their talents to create a wine range of great distinction.

The Martins & The Kasers of Creation Wines

To make the success story even more interesting, it also has its roots in the famous winelands of Neuchâtel in Switzerland, where two young Swiss winemakers and viticulturists forged a close friendship during the late 1990s. Enter Jean-Claude Martin and Christoph Kaser who at the time were employed at the ancient wineries of Grillette and Hôpital de Soleure. Needless to say, they had a lot in common, not least of all the vagaries of the weather. Thus many a philosophical evening was spent, fantasizing about “a perfect wine world”. Ample sunshine was among their priorities, yet also conditions cool enough to allow for the gentle, even ripening of the grapes.

By combining the rich gifts of nature and their unique terroir with the dedication and skills of those tending the vineyards and their talented winemakers, Creation Wines rewards the wine lover with wines of rare distinction.

Situated in a newly proclaimed wine ward, Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge in the Walker Bay appellation, Creation is able to derive great benefit from the temperate Atlantic maritime climate where temperatures in the vineyard rarely exceed 30C.  Cooler climate result in slower ripening resulting in full-flavoured grapes of excellent wine-making quality.

Fortunately too the stable weather conditions prevailing in the region assit with the successful cultivation of a number of different grape varieties.  Planted in virgin soils, each variety was selected for its suitability to the terroir.  Meticulous care in the vineyards – especially in what is known in vineyard speak as canopy management – results in even ripening of the Creation grapes which means that the tannins are ripe, sweet and luscious, resulting in smooth wines.

Antipasto a la Creation

Smooth wines, yet with a refreshing natural acidity that cleanses the palate and with the beautiful balance of fruit flavours and tannins and the judicious use of oak, Creation wines are exceptionally food-friendly.

Some unique features of Creation include the fact that they are the only producer in the Hemel-en-Aarde region to grow and produce a Bordeaux-style blend and bottle a pure, single-variety Viognier and Semillon.  While in the vineyard and cellar great care is taken to ensure that Creation wines have half the sulphur content found in most wines and are therefore sought-after in the ever-growing market of health-conscious wine lovers.

In the Heme-en-Aarde Ridge, Creation’s trendsetting viticulturists/winemakers, JC Martin and Christoph Kaser, boast a combined 30 years’ international experience.  Having honed their skills on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Europe, they today apply their talents to create a much wider repertoire.

Enhancing the appeal of Creation wines is the sense of place. Creation is a perfect destination winery and makes a great day trip from Cape Town.  The warm reception in the tasting venue, the contemporary art on display, the unique food and wine pairing, the informative tours of both vineyards and cellar, the beauty of the surrounding indigenous fynbos gardens – all contribute to the image of a distinctive wine range, created for those who enjoy the finer things in life.

Winegrowing area Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge Ward, in Walker Bay
Owners JC & Carolyn Martin, Christoph & Heidi Kaser
Hemel-en-Aarde Road [R320], Hermanus
P.O. Box 1771 Hermanus 7200Western Cape, South Africa
Telephone +27 28 212 1107, mobile +27 72 673 1880
fax +27 28 212 1127
Email: info@creationwines.com Web: www.creationwines.com

View from De Grendel

The Graaffs

In the early 1970s when I had just returned from the UK and cookery school, I cooked a meal at De Grendel for that political icon, Leader of the Opposition, Sir de Villiers and Lady Graaff for an important political dinner.  It was all very formal and black tie.  The great love of  Sir Div’s life was his prize winning dairy herd – De Grendel Wines was a dream to be fulfilled in the future and in the hands of his son, the current owner, Sir David.

Today things are more relaxed at the beautiful manor house of De Grendel which is one of Cape Town’s oldest farms and sits majestically elevated on the slopes of the Tygerberg surrounded by its vineyards on high sea facing slopes and has arguably one of the best wineland views of Table Mountain.  Those of us invited to a traditional Sunday Roast lunch now go into the kitchen to help ourselves and the roast leg of lamb with mint sauce – mint from the garden – is accompanied by the estate’s Rubaiyat or Pinot Noir.

These slopes, which face the setting sun, offer chill breezes off the fresh Atlantic Ocean, only 7 kilometers away, which cool the climate

in De Grendel Vineyards allowing for the production of top quality grapes for the estate’s great wines.

Charles Hopkins is the inaugural winemaker and one of South Africa’s most highly regarded winemakers both in the country and abroad and a member of the 36-member Cape Winemakers Guild.

Charles Hopkins

Says Charles “When I got here I had some serious plans for De Grendel.  It’s been a challenge and an adventure and I love both, so I’ve been having a lot of fun working with this efficient and well-trained team and we’ve exceeded the goals we set out to achieve which makes it all the more rewarding.  Quality is not a goal, it’s a journey.”  He adds that De Grendel has good soil and combined with all the other factors, poses exciting opportunities and cites that it is a  ‘huge responsibility” working with the Graaff family and its current incumbent Sir David Graaff. Our goal is to produce some of the best wines in the country from the Durbanville area and I feel we have achieved this.”

Also at De Grendel from the first vintage is Elzette du Preez whose true passion is winemaking. Qualified at Elsenburg Agricultural College, Stellenbosch, Elzette has harvested in California, toured the major French wine regions, as well as Marlborough, New Zealand, focusing specifically on Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.

The estate’s medal and trophy cabinet fairly rattles with awards, both local and international.  The estate produces a stonker of a Sauvignon Blanc and a selected vineyard Sauvignon called Koetshuis.  The Pinot Gris, recently released is one of my favourite from the Cape winelands.  The Winifred is a delicious blended wine.  There is a double brace of reds, with a fabulous Bordeaux blend called Rubaiyat, a Shiraz, a Merlot and a subtle smooth Pinot Noir.  With Summer coming on, the Rosé will be the drink de rigueur.

De Grendel has a relationship with Habits Fashion Boutique, well known Cape Town fashion guru Jenny le Roux’s emporium.  Great wine and fabulous fashion are natural partners.  Click here for more info http://www.habits.co.za

Nguni Cattle

The De Grendel tasting room is open for tastings and sales every day exceptChristmas and New Years day.  Opening times, Monday to Friday 09h00 to 17h00 and Saturdays and Sundays from 10h00 to 16h00.  Do look out for the beautiful Nguni Cattle and the enchanting goats on your way up to the tasting room.  Also don’t miss the antique cannons!

Click here for more information about De Grendel Wines.

Winegrowing area: Durbanville
Owner: Sir David Graaff
Winemaker: Charles Hopkins with Elzette du Preez
M14, near Panorama
P.O. Box 15282 Panorama 7506
Western Cape, South Africa
Telephone +27 21 558 6280, fax +27 21 558 7083
Email: info@degrendel.co.za Web: www.degrendel.co.za

Quoin Rock Winery

My first visit to Quoin Rock was on a perfect weather day and being surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery the Western Cape has on offer, it was special one.

The wines I tasted that day, The Nicobar, The Gary Player Red and others were a revelation – as was meeting the winemaker Carl van der Merwe whose wife that day was in labour with the birth of their child.  Months later I tasted and was beguiled by the Sauvignon Blanc and their sublime MCC.

The View

Great wines come from the slopes of the Simonsberg.

Now in its eleventh year, Quoin Rock boasts an aesthetically pleasing modern winery with a spectacular view over the mountains, a manor house and all the accoutrements of a working wine farm.

One of the earliest tasks the new owners undertook was to remove all virus infected vineyards and replace them, in the decomposed granite soils, with the finest plant material available. The area was originally known as Kleigat – a sign that there is a high content of red clay in the soils.

The Function Room

Now about 7 years old, these new vineyards consist of plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Viognier, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Mourvèdre and Sauvignon Blanc.

Quoin Rock owns vineyards in the southernmost vine growing region of Cape Agulhas, the coolest in terms of climate and fashion.  Here Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Merlot grow – in the benign and beneficial breezes blowing off the Southern oceans – producing fruit of special quality.  The grapes are then shipped in refrigerated trucks in small crates to Quoin Rock winery in Stellenbosch for winemaker Carl van der Merwe to weave his magic.

Quoin Rock is very aware of its sensitive environment and use environmentally responsible farming methods to encourage and preserve the rich biodiversity of local fauna and flora.

Carl van der Merwe

In the cellar Carl practices careful techniques of minimal interference using natural yeasts found in the vineyards.  No enzymes are used to help settle the wines – this occurs naturally by gravity.  Natural acids are a component of the wine determined at the time of harvest.  Minimal filtering is used and natural products are used for fining if necessary.

Wine tastings and sales take place from 09h00 – 17h00 seven days a week at both the Stellenbosch and Agulhas tasting rooms with the obvious exception of Christmas Day 25 December, Day of Goodwill 26 December, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Click here to read more about Quoin Rock Wines

Stellenbosch Winegrowing Region
Winemaker: Carl van der Merwe
Knorhoek Road, off R44 Stellenbosch 7700, Western Cape, South Africa.
Telephone 021-888 4740
E-mail: wine@quoinrock.co.za Web www.quoinrock.com

Vrede en Lust Crest

Dana has built an open-to-the-public super active cutting edge wine estate under cover of the peaceful pastoral classical Cape Dutch farmstead built on land first granted to French Huguenot Jacques de Savoye in 1688 during the governorship of Simon van der Stel.  The Huguenot origins of the estate are honoured in the crest of Vrede en Lust using the classic French fleur-de-lis [lily] and the Huguenot cross.

The vineyard regime is one of respect for the environment with no chemical pesticides being used for the last 5 years and limited application of weed killers.

The cellar philosophy followed by winemaker Susan Wessels is simply to produce, with minimal intervention high q,uality wines that reflect the terroir of the estate.

Up to 80% of the grapes used come from owned land and the balance from top quality producers.  Grapes from their farm Casey’s Ridge in Elgin, part – owned by farm workers, form part of the plan for the future.

Tasting Room

Vrede en Lust has a very elegant wine tasting and sales room on the farm with the most sensational views.  Here the full range of Vrede en Lust wines can be tasted and purchased.

The well known and loved Cotage Fromage – for years the good food deli in the valley – has recently undergone a transformation and opened as a restaurant under the award winning team of chefs Matthew Gordon and Duncan Doherty and bread-maker supreme Jean-Pierre Smith.  I have eaten there – superb Duck club sandwich with its shredded confit duck, crispy bacon, egg and brandied apricots on rye and candied orange bread, with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.  The fish of the day was Kabeljou, cooked a point and served with a delicious beetroot salsa – the perfect match for the dry rosé called Jess.

Matthew Gordon, Duncan Doherty & Jean-Pierre Smith

The estate also has excellent facilities for weddings and conferences, the peace – Vrede – playing a major role in any occasion. There is luxury accommodation available on the estate – the gracious old Manor House and three cottages offer peace, quiet and comfort for parties attending weddings and conferences or groups wanting a weekend with a difference in the country.

Susan Wessels, the award winning winemaker of Vrede en Lust was announced South African Woman Winemaker of the Year in 2007. Both her Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc were presented and the Sauvignon Blanc 2007 especially caught the judges attention.

Her wines are:
Cara
Real class here mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz – full whiffs of white pepper, other spice and raspberry undertow from the Shiraz and full flavours of black Cabernet fruit.  Soft ripe tannins.  Nice on it own as a good glassful or with food.

Classic
This is their Bordeaux style blend harvested from low yielding vineyards for extra intensity of fruit, offering blackcurrant cassis notes and a lifting raspberry.  Matured in small French oak barrels to enhance the elegance and dignity and add a touch of chocolate and vanilla.

Jess
This sophisticated dry Rose is named for Dana Buys’s daughter, Jess. Crisp and fruity strawberries and crunchy watermelon and medium of body, it is delicious and thirst quenching on its own or as an entrée to a more serious red from the estate as a main course wine.

Karien
Benchmark Chenin Blanc easy quaffer with the well known characteristics of Chenin, peach, feint honey and flowers.  Lipsmacking drink-on-its-own wine.

Marguerite
Marguerite is a limited edition Chardonnay from low yielding vineyards which build real character in the wine.  Assisted by aging in small French oak barrels it displays all the well known Chardonnay smells and tastes we know and love, orange blossom jelly, toasted almond brioche and clouds of Cape fynbos flowers.  Well balanced and creamy from the lees contact and stirring.

Susan Wessels

The Wines of Vrede en Lust
Reserve
This is a Bordeaux style blend from the estates own vineyards. A full bodied stunner with an essence of cassis, blackberry, plums with spice, pencil shavings and cedar on the nose. Soft ripe tannins and excellent application of oak support the fruity flavours which continue into a long aftertaste which hints of cherry.

Sauvignon Blanc
Sourced from outside the estate from ocean affected vineyards in Durbanville and Sir Lowry’s Pass the Sauvignon Blanc is “classical green”.  Newly mown grass, slices of fig and poached Cape gooseberry are made alive by a sparky lime squirt acidity – crisp finish shows a nose of concentrated fruit flavours of fig, a touch of cut grass and gooseberry. The wine is buoyed by mouthwatering lime acidity and has a thirst-quenching crisp finish.

Shiraz
Own grapes from selected vineyards.  Fermentation and malolactic take place in tank and barrel, thus softening the wine.  The part American oak barrel maturation give the wine a “sweet” spice undertow to the wonderful dark plum fruits. Screwcapped and ready for early drinking.

Simond
Pitched at a price point for frequent and regular enjoyment!  Delicious, silky smooth and sappy multilayered blend of lightly oaked Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  Beautiful garnet colours and flavours of blackcurrant and raspberry layered with caramel, chocolate and spice.

Viognier
The Viognier was produced as a special release for the 2007 vintage though it was originally intended to co-ferment it with Shiraz.  However her decision to taste the juice after pressing and before blending led to Susan being named SA’s Woman Winemaker of the year.  Wise decision!  Soft ripened apricots and yellow cling peaches shine through the gentle oak and the off dry residual sugar left in the wine.

A view to feed the soul

Visit their website to read more about this spectacular wine estate and its wines.

Winegrowing area Simonsberg–Paarl
Owner Dana Buys
Winemaker Susan Wessels

Tel: +27 21 874 1611
fax: +27 21 874 1859
Email: info@vnl.co.za Web: www.vnl.co.za

Voyager Wine Estate

Maddy and I had the pleasure of visiting Voyager Estate first in 1996 to consult for the owner Michael Wright who particularly wanted a piece of Cape Dutch architecture on the Estate. Voyager produces a range of premium wines made by Australian Winemaker of the Year, Cliff Royle. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon & Chenin Blanc are the whites, while Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot are the red varieties.

Voyager Wines

The gardens, landscaped by Deon Bronkhorst, Voyager’s fly-in landscape architect are a real feature especially the fabulous collection of roses. The Restaurant and Gift Shop with its Cape interior was designed by Jay Smith, a leading Cape Towns Interior Designers. I presented a Cape Malay Buffet for the Margaret River Wine Festival and some of the Cape dishes have found their way onto the menu. Don’t miss out on a visit if you are traveling through Perth at any time.

Margaret River Wine Region
Western Australia

Owned by Michael Wright, an Australian with a great love for everything Cape Dutch.

Stevens Road; Margaret River 6285; Western Australia, Australia. Telephone: +61 8 9757 6354
www.voyagerestate.com.au

An aerial view of Van Loveren Estate

Van Loveren – a history of trees, four cousins and good wine.

It says something special about a person who plants trees, which their children and grandchildren will enjoy.  And so it is with Jean Retief, late matriarch of the Retiefs of van Loveren Estate in the Robertson Valley.

Van Loveren has been in the Retief family since 1937 when Hennie Retief’s father bought him a part of a farm known as Goudmyn (Gold Mine), reputedly after the large sum of money paid for it!  The part farmed by Hennie was known as Goudmyn F.  In 1939 Hennie married Jean van Zyl.  Christina van Loveren was married to the first Van Zyl to come to South Africa in 1692.  Shortly after her marriage Jean was fortunate to obtain the bridal kist in which Christina had brought her wedding trousseau to the Cape by sea.  Hennie and Jean named the Estate for her.

Over the years they lived on van Loveren, Hennie and Jean planted many trees around their homestead to commemorate special occasions – historical events, political figures, eleven grandchildren, head boys and head girls, graduation ceremonies and other achievements.

In the early days of settlement of the Cape, farmers planted pomegranate hedges to surround sheep pens.  One such pomegranate tree is still standing next to the homestead and is the oldest and only original tree at Van Loveren.  A Washingtonia was planted after Hennie and Jean’s wedding in 1939, a New Caledonian Pine was planted when Germany surrendered in May 1945, a Natal Mahogany was planted after F W de Klerk, then State President, made his speech in Parliament on 2nd February 1990, unbanning the ANC and liberating Nelson Mandela.  The two roses under the tree were planted to commemorate the Nobel Peace Prize that he and Nelson Mandela had received jointly, the Peace of Vereeniging [his parliamentary constituency] for De Klerk and the Black Madonna for Mandela.

The Retiefs of Van Loveren

Since 1990, the four Retief grandsons have all joined their fathers, Nico and Wynand, at Van Loveren.  As each of them finished his studies at Stellenbosch, their grandmother, Jean planted a ‘Reach for the Sky’ at the wine tasting area, since she believes that for them the sky is the limit.  They are today’s legendary Four Cousins of van Loveren.

A Leopard tree, also known as a Brazilian ironwood, was planted for Nelson Mandela when he became President of South Africa in 1994.

Bussell Retief, Danelle van Rensburg & the Cellar Team

The Wines

There are over 40 wines issuing forth from the van Loveren cellar.  Divided into ranges, they all have their price points and special reasons for creation and with very specific customers in mind.

•    The van Loveren range consists of white and red cultivars and blends and includes the Estate’s dry and off dry Blancs de Noir, the Neil’s Pick Colombar and the delicious Pinot Gris and the very popular River Red – all “every palate, every occasion wines.”

•    The Wolverine Creek Reserve range includes the award winning Chardonnay which took the Gold Medal for Chardonnay at the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show in 2006, an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon, a Shiraz and a Noble Late Harvest.

•    The Christina Van Loveren Limited Release Range has a Chardonnay, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Shiraz and the Estate’s first MCC Brut.

•    Papillon is the name for their range of excellent value sparkling wines, two whites, a Brut which is just off-dry, the Demi-Sec which is semi sweet and a red full sweet Muscat toned Vin Doux.

•    The Five’s Reserve range came about when the van Loveren label celebrated its 25th anniversary.  A staff empowerment operation in which staff and the Retief family co-own a nearby farm sell their grapes to the van Loveren Cellar and produce a range of four wines and a 5 year old pot still brandy currently selling on the local and international market.

•    The well known Four Cousins Range is a real success story of South African wine.  It includes the Extra Light White – usually the first wine to hit the shelves after vintage, the hugely popular Light Natural Sweet Rosé which has brought many people to wine. The Four Cousins Sparkling range includes a Chardonnay Pinot Noir MCC, a dry Sauvignon Blanc Brut, a white, a pink and a red.

Van Loveren Homestead & its beautiful trees & gardens

The Retiefs are warm welcoming people, they make wine for every taste, every price point and for great enjoyment.

Wine growing area – Robertson
Owners The Retief Family
Winemaker Bussell Retief with Danelle van Rensburg
R317, Robertson to Bonnievale
P O Box 19 Klaasvoogds 6707
Tel: +27 23 615 1505
Fax: +27 21 615 1336
Email: info@vanloveren.co.za Web: www.vanloveren.co.za