Category Archives: Southern Cape
WSET Introduces First Stand-Alone Spirits Courses In South Africa.
The International Wine Education Centre is delighted to announce the first ever stand-alone general spirits courses starting in Stellenbosch in May.
The UK-based Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) teaches internationally-recognised wine and spirit qualifications which are the industry-standard in 60 countries around the world. WSET has been educating people about wine and spirits since 1969 and more than 43,000 people, studying in 16 different languages sat a WSET exam in the last academic year alone.
The WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits underpins the skills needed in all areas of the spirit trade – customer service, hospitality, retail and wholesale.
The course covers the history, production and style of spirits of the world: Cognac, Armagnac and other brandies; Scotch, Bourbon and other whiskeys; white spirits, including vodka, rum, Tequila, gin; and liqueurs and other flavoured spirits. Tasting is part of every session with around 40 local and international spirits tasted over the duration of the course.
The first course in South Africa will take place at Van Ryn’s Distillery in Stellenbosch and will be lectured by spirits aficionado Dave Hughes and artisan distiller Roger Jorgensen. The course will last 6 weeks with a multiple-choice exam at the end.
Who is it aimed at?
• People employed in the spirits industry needing information on the characteristics of the principal spirits and liqueurs of the world, to provide guidance on brand selection and assist with tasting and evaluating of spirits and liqueurs using the Systematic Approach to Tasting.
• People who are not employed in the drinks industry, but who have a serious interest in spirits and wish to broaden their knowledge in a fun, informative yet structured way.
• People studying for wine qualifications and who would like a structured spirits course to support those qualifications.
There are limited places available for this course, so for more information, please go to www.thewinecentre.co.za . For more information about future courses in Stellenbosch, Cape Town and elsewhere, please contact Cathy Marston on info@thewinecentre.co.za
Course details.
Course Code L2SWL0513
Location Van Ryn’s Distillery, Stellenbosch
Date & Time Wednesdays from 22 May – 26th June, 6.30pm- 8.30pm (6 weeks, 2 hours/week)
Exam Wednesday 3rd July, 6.30pm
Cost R4,990 per person
Includes All tuition, all course material, exam, tasting of at least 40 local and international spirits and a lapel pin & certificate for successful candidates.
South Africa’s 2013 Wine Tourism Handbook: Enjoying Wine at the Source
The eighth edition of the popular Wine Tourism Handbook is now available for sale both in bookshops and online. This image-rich, full-colour, comprehensive guide to the farms, restaurants, accommodation venues and activities found in South Africa’s Winelands is one of Wine Tourism South Africa’s (WTSA) most prestigious products. It works in tandem with WTSA’s other exciting social media and online platforms and campaigns to drive interest in the varied wine tourism offerings of the country.
The 2013 edition boasts several key refinements to previous editions but retains its unique core by offering a comprehensive list of farms, complete with opening hours, contact details and easy-to-read maps as well as a number of carefully selected destinations for dining, staying and playing!
This year, the Gourmand Award-winning publication offers independent reviews of Winelands restaurants ranging from delis to five-star establishments as well as route-by-route reviews of boutique wineries (those that make less than 5 000 cases of wine a year) and it showcases the winners of the popular Klink Awards – launched by Wine Tourism South Africa in 2012. More information can be found on the Klink Awards – the first consumer-driven, interactive wine tourism competition in the country – on www.winetourismsouthafrica.co.za. In addition, wine route information has been updated with editorial reflecting the inherent character of each route and photographs capturing the scenic beauty of each region. 
As wine tourism is about the entire experience – wine, food, people, activity and place – detailed listings are offered for the best places to eat, stay and play – whether that is casual cafés or fine dining, rustic cottages or five star hotels, a wine picnic on the river or helicopter flip over the vineyards. The Handbook is an indispensible companion to anyone looking to have a fun, meaningful and in-depth experience when visiting the country’s wine regions.
The publisher, Monika Elias, notes, “Wine tourism is a global phenomenon and it is a growing market, but we are fast getting the impression that here in South Africa, we do it rather well, perhaps better than most. Our handbook is a reflection of this burgeoning market”.
The Wine Tourism Handbook is #notjustwine, it is the complete Winelands experience in one colourful and beautifully-produced guide and at just R99.00 it offers tremendous value for money! The 288-page 2013 Wine Tourism Handbook can be ordered online or downloaded from www.winetourismsouthafrica.co.za and is available in all good bookstores.
For more information about Wine Tourism South Africa, the Wine Tourism Handbook and the Klink Awards, visit www.winetourismsouthafrica.co.za.
Four New Gourmet Wines Celebrate Nederburg Past
Nederburg has created four new gourmet wines to be sold exclusively through specialist retailers and fine dining establishments. Known collectively as the Heritage Anthology, they are individually named in honour of a personality who has played a major role in shaping the winery’s reputation.
The 2009 Motorcycle Marvel that honours the legendary winemaker Günter Brözel, who was at Nederburg from 1956 to 1989, is a three-way Rhône-style blend of Grenache, Carignan and Shiraz. The first two come from old bush vines in Paarl, while the Shiraz has been sourced from an award-winning block in Philadelphia. Fermentation took place in open vats with extended skin contact to enrich colour and flavour, says current cellar master Razvan Macici. No new wood was used for maturation. “We used a combination of 300 litre and 500 litre French and Romanian second-, third- and fourth-fill barrels to ensure a delicate oak extraction.”
The wine was aged in barrel for two years. The result, he says, is a “rich and intense explosion of flavour with spicy, peppery berry and sweet fruit characters, ripe and silky tannins and an excellent integration between fruit and wood.”
The 2009 Brew Master is a Bordeaux-style blend that commemorates Johann Graue, who revolutionised winemaking in South Africa when he acquired Nederburg in 1937 with his efforts to isolate top-performing vines for reproduction and his introduction of cold fermentation techniques.
Led by Cabernet Sauvignon and including Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, all individually vinified, the grapes were fermented on the skins in a combination of open fermenters and stainless steel tanks. The wine was aged in new and older 300 litre French barrels for 24 months before bottling.
Macici says it is very classical in style with “savoury, complex aromas and flavours”.
Both reds have been structured to mature for up to 15 years but show excellent integration between fruit and wood so can be enjoyed now.
The 2011 Young Airhawk is a wooded Sauvignon blanc that pays tribute to Johann Graue’s son, Arnold, who, like his father, introduced many technical innovations to Nederburg and enhanced his father’s award-winning reputation. He died at 29 in a light aircraft crash.
The grapes for this wooded Sauvignon blanc were sourced from vineyards near Gansbaai, Darling and Durbanville, each offering different facets of the varietal’s character. Grapes were destemmed and the juice fermented in a combination of second- and third-fill small oak, using 228 litre and 300 litre barrels. Fermentation temperatures were monitored in each barrel, with the wine kept on the lees for 10 months, stirred regularly to add creaminess and complexity.
“Layers of green figs, asparagus and minerality on the nose and palate integrate very well with the wood. It’s fresh, crisp and zesty with a creamy texture and can age for five to seven years,” says Macici.
The 2011 Anchorman Chenin Blanc is named for Nederburg’s founder Philippus Wolvaart, who bought the farm in 1791 and planted Chenin Blanc, amongst other varietals. Macici describes it as a “most interesting and expressive wine that is a blend of very differently vinifed components and that succeeds in combining a bracing freshness with complexity.” Fruit was sourced from low-yielding, dry-farmed old bush vines in Darling, Durbanville and Paarl.
“One portion was fermented in second- and third-fill 300 litre and 500 litre barrels. A second component was fermented in stainless steel tanks, while a third was fermented in very old, large vats and the remainder involved a fermentation technique usually reserved for red wines. Called carbonic maceration, it allows whole bunches, neither crushed nor pressed, to ferment spontaneously, and the wines tend to be light and fruity.”
Macici chose the technique for the freshness it would impart to the wine.
“This Chenin blanc is very reminiscent of ripe fruits, especially apricots and oranges, with floral hints and traces of raisin and spice with a vibrant mineral spine.”
He believes it has the potential to age for up to 10 years.
The wines are expected to retail for around R97 for the whites and R105 for the reds.
The Juliet Cullinan Standard Bank Wine Festival
at
SUMMER PLACE
Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th July 2012
17h30 – 21h00.
The 2012 Juliet Cullinan Standard Bank Wine Festival will move to
Summer Place, a setting of luxury and elegance.
We are delighted that the following wineries will be joining us this year:
Asara, Avondale, Beau Joubert, Bellingham – The Bernard Series, Bosman Family Vineyards, Bouchard Finlayson, Creation Wines, Darling Cellars, De Trafford, De Wetshof, Glenelly, Groot Constantia, Hamilton Russell, Hartenberg, Haute Cabriere, Iona, Jordan, Kaapzicht, KWV, Kyburg Wine Estate, Le Riche, Lomond, Lourensford, Mount Vernon, Neethlingshof, Neil Ellis, Noble Hill, Ormonde, Plaisir de Merle, Raka, Rijk’s, Rustenberg, Strandveld, Villiera, Vrede en Lust, Waterkloof, Zevenwacht
And showing some international stunners will be:
Great Domaines, Concha Y Torro, Domaine Grier and Wines of the World
Pick n Pay will again delight us with their fabulous range of deli foods.
Bené will be sponsoring the mineral water.
Capture and buy the essence of the Cape vintage in a wine glass.
All wines showcased during the Festival can be purchased through the
Makro Sip & Shop at special show prices
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT WEBTICKETS.CO.ZA
Tickets cost R130 per person if booked online, and R150 at the door.
This includes a wine glass, catalogue, and an evening of unlimited tastings.
Discounted group bookings on request.
Two Thirds Of SA Industry Already On Board For Cape Wine 2012
Cape Wine, hosted by Wines of South Africa (WOSA), is back after four years with a significant commitment from producers keen to showcase the major advances in local winemaking to the international trade fraternity of wine buyers, restaurateurs, sommeliers and media.
The three-day trade exhibition, to be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from September 25 to 27, has already drawn strong support from two-thirds of the country’s winemakers, including the major corporates, independents and artisanal producers who have confirmed their participation.
According to WOSA CEO Su Birch delegates will be coming from across Europe, the UK, North America, as well as Africa, Latin America, Hong Kong, China and Japan. “We are thrilled at the better than ever response from Asia and Africa, in particular.”
Birch, who has been CEO of WOSA since 2000, was recently honoured by UK wine market research company, Wine Intelligence as one of the world’s top ten personalities in wine, for her “instrumental role” in developing South Africa’s wine-producing reputation.
She said the 2012 business exhibition would be reviewing the massive advances in wine-growing, winemaking, and wine marketing made by South Africa since the opening of the country to world trade 20 years ago and would be featuring top names amongst established and new-generation vintners.
“In addition to an array of tastings, seminars and workshops, the programme will cover changes in wine styles, producers’ response to climate change and the management of scarce natural resources, as well as the protection of old vines as part of the industry’s heritage.”
She believed the already high level of interest in Cape Wine 2012 from both exhibitors and visitors, at this early stage, almost six months ahead of the opening, was due to a combination of several factors. “Despite its relatively short history as a participant in international wine markets, South Africa has distinguished itself both in terms of quality and pioneering programmes to promote eco-sustainability. This has earned global recognition for the country on both fronts, from the market and environmentalists, particularly in recent years.
“We are also very fortunate that we have built is a solid reputation for Cape Wine as a leading trade exhibition. Our past events have been described by some prominent delegates as the most successful of their kind anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere, from both a presentation and logistics point of view.
“We took a break from our bi-ennial cycle with South Africa’s hosting of soccer’s FIFA World Cup in 2010 so local winemakers are excited to showcase their portfolios after an interval of four years in which many have made significant strides.
“Another feature to generate widespread interest in the show is the strong accent on environmental sustainability, in keeping with the country’s very progressive approach to eco-friendly winemaking. We are believed to be the first wine exhibition worldwide to offer recyclable stands to the majority of exhibitors. The locally manufactured high-strength, repulpable composite fibre boards we are using are free of virgin-tree fibres and are fully collapsible for re-use by exhibitors at other events.”
Birch said the green theme was being translated into many facets of the show. Delegates were being accommodated within walking distance of the exhibition and would offset their flights by buying indigenous trees for planting the Winelands.
The evening before the show, September 24, would be devoted to a “green tie” party held at the V&A Waterfront, where wines would be matched with an array of local dishes.
WOSA’s Wine Link facility would give delegates advance access to a fully searchable database to plan their visits and even organise customised lists of wines for tasting from specific regions, styles and price points, she said.
To co-incide with Cape Wine 2012, a partnership of South African tourism bodies, working in concert with the wine industry, will host Vindaba, a trade exhibition of the country’s impressive range of wine tourism offerings. Presented during the same period and also at the CTICC, the initiative involves SA Tourism as well as the various Wine Routes, Cape Town Tourism, Cape Town Routes Unlimited and the Department of Finance, Tourism and Economic Development of the Western Cape.
For more information, visit www.capewine2012.co.za or www.vindaba.co.za.
