Current Wines – excellent organics from Waverley Hills

After a visit to Waverley Hills Organic Winery in Wolseley recently we brought home some of their fabulous wine products.

Current White Wine on the Fridge
Waverley Hills Pinot Grigio 2016

The vineyards are planted on shale and decomposed rock and deliver an even handed 8 tons per hectare. Made by Johan Delport in The Waverley Hills Cellar. Organic and excellent.

Pour
From a Bordeaux shaped screw capped bottle with an elegant simple label. Whiffs of tropical fruits, kiwi, melon and desiccated pineapple.  Crisp, fresh with wet river stone flavours on the tail.

Pair
Perfect for summer foods, chilled asparagus, pea or lettuce soups.  Summery salads with smoked fish, smoked chicken or goat cheese.

Current red on the rack

Waverley Hills Grenache 2015

In a study done by Adelaide University in 2010, Grenache Noir

[Garnacha Tinta] was in the top ten of the most planted red wine grapes in the world.  Second in 1990 and 7th in 2010. Some important international wines, usually blends, such as Chateauneuf du Pape are made from Grenache Noir. Waverley Hills are planted on a south facing slope and deliver just 3 tons per hectare. 13% whole bunches added to the fermentation tank. Malolactic fermentation and 9 months in third fill 500 litre French oak barrels which give a gentle oaky support to the fruit.

Pour
Bottled under cork in a Burgundy shaped bottle. Beautiful translucent ruby at the core, paling out to garnet at the edge of the glass. Whiffs of ‘sweet’ fruit, cherries, chunky watermelon and red apples.  Lovely bright fruit on the palate, grinds of white pepper. Fresh crisp and smooth with mildly grippy tannins.

Pair
Charcuterie and fresh baked artisanal bread.  Went well with a sea bass dish offered by chef Francois du Toit, on the day of our visit. Fish off the braai, tomato and chorizo, seared tuna all would be excellent pairings.

Waverley Hills Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Out of interest, Waverly Hills also produces an excellent organically certified Extra Virgin Olive Oil which is a blend of a variety of olives, Mission, Manzanilla, Kalamata, Frantoio and Leccino.

Beautiful golden green in colour, whiffs of hay and fresh mown grass. Grassy, herbaceous, lettuce, rocket and the lovely little peppery grip in the throat. Great for cooking and seasoning.

Read more about Waverley Hills and buy wine online – https://waverleyhills.co.za

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February 5th, 2017|Categories: Michael's Writings|Tags: , , , , , , , |

about

fav-57Michael Olivier grew up on a wine farm in the hills of Durbanville. He trained at The London Cordon Bleu Cookery School and is a well known Cape food and wine commentator. Michael has worked in and managed such well-known places as Lanzerac Hotel in Stellenbosch and was Public Relations Manager for the top marque wine estate Boschendal.
Having run three restaurants, Paddagang in Tulbagh, The Burgundy in Hermanus and Parks in Constantia, and being featured in the national top ten restaurants, he is now a food and wine writer, published author and broadcaster. Michael has three children, Sarah, Amy and Peter and is married to Madeleine. They live in Cape Town, South Africa.