#SecretStellies – The Setting

‘Tis the season and all that, but if you’re like me and you’re struggling to get into the Christmas spirit (but you also desperately don’t want to be a grinch) then I may have just the solution for you. You see, while I love and have always loved the Festive season, I must admit that this being a grown-up gig has taken some of the magic out of the whole thing. Work, deadlines, last minute crises. And let’s not talk about the anxiety of figuring out leave and holiday arrangements. Bah! Humbug! Hardly things that make me want to wrap myself in tinsel and sing Fa-la-la-la-laaaa. So how do we combat The Grinch at this truly lovely time of year? What could we do to dust off the anxiety and “meh-ness” of 2014 and get ready to have some summer fun in the gorgeous winelands? Lucky for you all, I have a secret. It’s called #SecretStellies and it might just put you in the summer festive season mood.

#SecretStellies is a little project dreamt up by Lydia from Beau Joubert. I could write endless posts about the endless talents of this remarkable wine-lover but for now, just take note of her marvellous idea: Secret Stellenbosch. The idea is to showcase the real hidden gems of the area. With nearly 150 wine farms on the official Stellenbosch Wine Route, there is more than enough to see and do to keep any wandering wino busy for months. Visitors are often drawn to the bigger, more well-known farms simply because they’re hard to miss. Of course they also offer quality wines, activities and are well worth a visit. But smaller wineries that may not have the word-of-mouth presence of the more popular ones are often skipped. #SecretStellies aims to uncover these secret treasures of the winelands and give the public a little insight on what they may be missing.

The first #SecretStellies day out was organised with military precision and focused on the Polkadraai Hills area of Stellenbosch. We simply had to make our way to Beau Joubert – the first of three stops – and the rest would be taken care of by The Amazing Lydia.  At BJ we were treated not only to a tasting of their wines and a nice gab about the whole #SecretStellies concept, but we were among the first people ever to taste the very first MCC from Beau Joubert. And let me tell you, it certainly was worth the wait. If you’d like to know more, keep an eye on the Beau Joubert Twitter feed. After sampling their mind-bogglingly fantastic value for money wines (seriously, most of them are R100 or less at cellar door. I highly recommend the Chenin Blanc, the Shiraz and the “Free-run” Merlot Rosé.) we took a leisurely stroll down the road to the neighbouring Bein wines, where they had a special experience waiting for us.

Bein Private Cellar is exactly the type of winery that sits at the heart of the #SecretStellies idea; a small operation run by Luca and Ingrid Bein – Swiss veterinarians who fell in love with South Africa and moved here to study and make wine. Their focus is Merlot and they produce a fantastic selection. Bein also offers an unusual winelands experience: a donkey walk. The donkey walk takes visitors on a walk through the vineyards, up to a lookout point and picnic spot. The donkeys carry delicious picnic fare and when you reach the top, Ingrid and Luca unpack the spread and the wine and a little feast is had, overlooking the magnificent surroundings. A good time was had by all, relaxing under the trees and digesting not only the nibbles but the view. You only have to chat with the Beins for 5 minutes to uncover their love for South Africa and their enthusiasm for wine. A visit to Bein Private cellar and a donkey walk should be on everyone’s summer to-do list.

Once we rolled ourselves back down the hill (after being fed beyond elegant sufficiency with the lovely picnic) we were loaded into and onto a bakkie and whisked off to Saxenburg for a Safari Wine tasting. And no, this is not some metaphoric comparison of the Saxenburg wines with The Big Five. Oh no. The tastings are held in a game camp with zebra, antelope and other wild game trotting about around you. No rhinos, elephants or wild cats of course, but if you sit back and stare into the veld, it’s difficult to imagine you’re in the winelands and not at a luxury game lodge.

We indulged in a tasting of Saxenburg’s finest, including their truly fantastic MCC (at R180 a bottle it really is a brilliant buy – unfortunately the label design does let it down immensely as it does not visually present itself as a near-R200 bottle of bubbles, but DO give it a try if you encounter it at your local. It gives the other bubbles in that price class a real run for their money!). Saxenburg has a great selection of wines, from a creamy Chardonnay to a supremely elegant Cabernet Sauvignon which on their own make the estate worth a visit.

And with the view of zebras in the distance (and the kerfuffle of finding of an ostrich egg next to the camp), our #SecretStellies day ended. I’ve always known that Stellenbosch – in fact, all the winelands areas – are a heady mix of the historic, the well-known, the crowd-pleasers, the small and obscure. The #SecretStellies adventure reminded me that the hidden gems must be discovered and talked about. A little exposure will hardly turn them into commercial punters but rather serve to share the secrets they hold with the world. And when that happens, everybody wins.

So if you’re short on some summer Christmas cheer, I recommend a visit to one of these secret spots. It might be just what the doctor Santa ordered . Ho, ho, ho!

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Nederburg Estate, Paarl

South African wine farms are diverse with many offering not just wine, but experiences, pairings and world-class gastronomic experiences.  Diversity aside, there is a golden thread that runs through and binds many of our most well-known estates: history. Since the humble beginnings of our country as a halfway station between Europe and India, wine has been an established part of that history. Groot Constantia, Vergelegen, Blaauwklippen, Muratie, Alto (to name a few) were all established within the first century of the Dutch setting foot in the Cape. In 1791, Nederburg was bought by Philippus Bernardus Wolvaardt for 5600 guilders and the estate took its place in SA wine history. And this historical (and oenological) gem is hiding in plain sight.

As with most historic places, a visit to the estate is by far the best way to appreciate the heritage. Walking into the Nederburg tasting room, the history of the farm is set out in panels with beautiful images bringing to life the rich past of the estate. There is also a central display dedicated to their Heritage Heroes, a tribute to the owners and winemasters of the farm, incredible people with incredible stories that are represented by incredible wines.

The Heritage Heroes range consists of five wines. The Anchorman Chenin Blanc represents the first owner and winemaster of the estate, Philippus Wolvaardt, who had the vision and passion to create and establish Nederburg, paving the way for the estate we know today. The Brewmaster (Bordeaux blend) is a tribute to Johannes Graue, who co-owned a brewery in Germany before moving to South Africa to play his part in revolutionising the wine industry through clonal experiments and his attention to improving source material for the vineyards. The Young Airhawk Sauvignon Blanc commemorates Johan Graue’s son, Arnold. Arnold was known for his brilliance in continuing to improve winemaking and viticulture techniques but he died tragically in an a light aircraft crash at the age of 29. After the death of his son, Graue was devastated. He nearly quit the farm, but instead opted to go to Germany and bring back the next winemaster: Günther Brözel. Known for whizzing around the farm on his 250cc motorcycle, a fitting name for the wine to honour him is the Motorcycle Marvel (Rhône blend). The last wine to be released in the series was The Beautiful Lady (Gewürtztraminer), remembering Graue’s wife Ilse, who played an important part in making the estate what it is today. A beautiful wine for a beautiful lady.

Nederburg is one of the Distell brand homes and offers a number of wine ranges, suiting every taste and budget. These include the Foundation range, 5600,  Winemaster’s Reserve, Manor House, Heritage Heroes and Ingenuity. The tasting room offers tastings of the different ranges as well as a “Which wine, which cheese” tasting with gorgeous locally sourced goats cheeses. The Manor House is home to The Red Table restaurant, bistro style fare with jaw-dropping views of the estate.

Tasting through the entire range offered at Nederburg is quite a task, so we skipped the Foundation and 5600 range as well as the Baronne and the Duet (not because of snobbish tendencies but because I’m very familiar with the ranges and wanted to invest time in some of the unknown wines). We ended up tasting 15 wines and I won’t prattle on with a review and overview of each wine, but the ones worth stocking up on include:

• Young Airhawk Sauvignon Blanc – Slightly wooded, zesty with mineral undertones and a smooth finish.
• The Beautiful Lady – Without a doubt, my favourite wine of the day. Inviting, engaging and beautiful and a gentle sweetness on the palate.
• Motorcycle Marvel – Silky, smooth tannins with good structure. Hit of acidity highlights fruit in the wine. Great summer red.
• The Brewmaster – Nicely wooded, complex with dark fruit and savoury notes. A warm, winter wine which would go well with stews, especially those of the French persuasion
• Edelrood (Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend) – Easy drinking, juicy wine. Pine needles, eucalyptus hints from the Cab with great softness from the Merlot.  Great “standby” wine for unexpected braais or pizza evenings. 
• Winemaster’s Reserve Chardonnay – Straightforward. Honey tones on the nose, unassuming, middle-of-the-road Chardonnay. Not overly wooded, not overly fruity.

• Wines, wines and more wines.

  Ingenuity White – 8 varietal blend (Sauvignon Blanc led, with Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurtztraminer, Viognier, Semillon and Verdelho). A serious white wine. Rich, creamy finish with Riesling, Gewürtz and even the Viognier coming through on the nose. The 2013 is fantastically balanced, with the varietals not fighting each other in the bottle but rather working together to complement.

• Manor House Sauvignon Blanc – If you like green pepper Sauvignon Blanc, this one is for you. Chill as much as you dare and set it down by the pool to make the hot summer bearable.

To conclude, permit me a little waffle about perceptions. Nederburg is part of Distell and the Boutique-ONLY wine crowd will undoubtedly sniff and grumble at the thought of quaffing anything produced by “big corporate”.  This attitude irks me no end as I am very familiar with many of the Distell brands and I know the quality that can be found in their products. Yes, it’s a massive company. Yes, it produces hundreds of products, some more “commercially accessible” shall we say, than others. It may not have the intimate, boutique-appeal that some farms champion and it may be far from a “hidden gem” but Nederburg caters for nearly all tastes. From the eternally dependable, staple of my student days Baronne (which I can still happily pick up at any wine shop and know exactly what I’m getting – there’s something to be said for consistency!) to the Heritage Heroes range through to the Ingenuity, Noble Late Harvest and the Edelkeur, Nederburg offers a little bit of everything for everyone.

The importance of heritage, history and passion for wine is also evident not only from the Nederburg story, but from each wine produced today. Many estates have the history and the heritage sites, but few make it as part of their every day story as Nederburg, where the essence of the winemasters echoes still in every bottle.

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Wine Concepts

As someone who attempts to blog about their full-time hobby while holding down a full-time (unrelated) job, I’m the first to admit writing when you’re working 10-12 hour days is pretty tough at times. As a wine lover with the occasional opportunity to attend really exceptional events, I’m stubborn about putting content I care about out there, even if it is a couple of weeks after the fact. The Wine Concepts Burgundy Lover’s Festival is one of those events. I was aiming for a more constructive, informative and generally well composed piece, but in truth I adore Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir stole my heart years ago, so my analytical mind shut down shortly after the first drop of heavenly liquid hit my glass. For this round, I’ll leave the proper wine reviewing aside for a bit and just run through some of the more interesting and downright divine finds of the evening.

Knowing where my favourite wines were to be found and also which new ones wanted to try, I plunged into the fray randomly, approaching the first stand with a gap for me to fill my glass. This led me to Lothian Vineyards. I found their Chardonnay to be perfectly pleasant, hints of melon and lime and the most delicate touch of oak. Their Pinot Noir is well balanced, a mouthful of strawberry with a hint of tobacco on the other end of the spectrum.

The next new find was Winters Drift. Also from the Elgin Valley, I’ve seen the label around but had never tried their wines. The Chardonnay is very nice, smooth and lightly wooded with a honeydew fresh taste and good, soft acidity. The Pinot Noir is quite fruity, light and drinkable.

With great anticipation, I made my way to the Springfield stand to indulge in my longstanding love affair with their Wild Yeast and Methode Ancienne Chardonnay. Upon arrival, I was surprised to see they had a Pinot Noir on offer. I’m a great proponent of out-of-character wines in terms of styles, cultivars and where they are grown and made, but even so I wasn’t expecting a Pinot Noir (typically better suited to cooler areas) from Robertson, where summers can be merciless. I was delighted to find a sexy Pinot Noir in that bottle, slightly more muted and less fresh and fruity than others but with lots going on and lots to appreciate.

It was shortly after my stop at the Springfield station that I stopped taking pictures, finding conversing with my companions while discussing the exquisite wines far too consuming to keep snapping away with my phone. Other more than notable mentions include Vriesenhof, Creation (both their Pinot Noir and Reserve Pinot Noir are excellent) and Ataraxia (they had a sort of micro-flighted tasting, with their 2010 and 2013 Chardonnay available for tasting, a solid indication of what the younger wine could potentially grow into).

My absolute top finds of the evening were without question the Richard Kershaw Wines Chardonnay and both the Crystallum and Craven Wines Pinot Noirs. The Kershaw Chardonnay stops you dead in your tracks. A more composed, elegant and truly beautiful Chardonnay I have never encountered. Exquisitely wooded, complex fruit and a grounded character that invites you to just finish the bottle and make sure you pack a case in the car to take hom.

The Crystallum Pinot Noir is the stuff of dreams. If you love Pinot Noir, this is the one to seek out. And the Craven Wines Pinot Noir is magnificently exciting, a breath of fresh air from the seemingly new trend of “Young Guns” winemakers on the SA wine scene. Incredibly wine makers doing fantastically exciting things, shaking up the wine scene and producing tastebud-blowing stuff.

I’ll say it again. I love Chardonnay and I adore Pinot Noir. The Burgundy Lover’s festival was a treat, well organised and presented by the team from Wine Concepts. And if Sauvignon is more your thing, then you should keep an eye on their website for the Seductive Sauvignon festival coming up in September. It promises to be a spectacular collection of the best Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon around. I’m saving the date.

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Wine Concepts Burgundy Lover’s Festival 2014

If you love wine (surely everyone reading this does?), and you love the Burgundies, then you’ll love this: Wine Concepts is hosting the fourth annual Burgundy Lover’s Festival. And I can assure you, this year we are all in for a treat. Definitely an event all lovers of fine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay need to take note of.

The Cape Town event will be hosted at the Vineyard Hotel & Spa in Newlands on Friday 13 June 2014, from 17:00 to 20:00. Incogvino has gotten a sneak preview of what’s in store at this year’s popular event.

The festival is all about getting the big names in the business of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in one room and offering tasters some undiscovered gems in between.

The 2014 Festival promises to have the very best in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on offer. 40 of the country’s top producers of these varietals will be offering their finest wines to festival goers. The wines will be complimented by snacks suited to the style of wine, enhancing the overall experience.

The Johannesburg festival was held on the 29th of May at The Wanderers Club in Illovo. One of our SuperFANS, Brian Arentsen attended the event and had the following to say about it:

“If you love small, focused, niche, boutique wine fests and enjoy Chards and Pinot then you would have died and gone to heaven at the Wanderers last Thursday! All the classiest Pinots were there, rubbing shoulders with a few French Bourgogne’s (shown off by Great Domaines). I could imagine driving from Elgin to Hermanus and up the Hemel and Aarde with all my favourite stops catered for. From Hamilton Russell to Creation and most inbetween, just heavenly Pinot Noir treats. The Chardonnays were a lot more diverse in location and in finished product. Big oak was present, but a good spread of lightly oak kissed and unoaked were all worthy of being thoroughly tested. My picks of the Pinot Noirs that offer good value were the new La Vierge and Oak Valley vintages while in the Chards I couldn’t look beyond the Jordan offerings, all 9 yards of them.

Think I’ll try the Cape Town Burgundy Festival on the 13^th just in case I missed something.”

I think that testimonial speaks for itself, ladies and gentlemen. A wino traveling from Johannesburg to Cape Town just so he can experience the festival again.

Other offerings to keep an eye out for include Richard Kershaw’s Chardonnay, Andy Mitchell Crooked Path Pinot Noir, Groote Post Kapokberg Pinot Noir, Craven Pinot Noir and De Grendel Op Die Berg Chardonnay.

If by now you are as excited to be part of this delicious event as we are, go to Webtickets to book your spots. You can also buy tickets directly from Wine Concepts Newlands (021 671 9030 or [email protected]) and Wine Concepts on Kloof (021 426 4401). Tickets are R160 pp pre-booked and R170 at the door (subject to availability, of course). Best of all, wines will be on offer at 10% discount, so be ready to stock up on some hot buys for the cold winter. There’s even a lucky draw with some great prizes up for grabs.

And if you’re feeling lucky, you can click on over to wine.co.za where you can win tickets to the festival simply by naming a South African wine made in the Burgundy style. Two tickets up for grabs!

Watch this space, as we will be reporting back on the event and all the delectable finds.

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One of the first wine farms to be established in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley, Bouchard Finlayson has become synonymous with the production of outstanding Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Winemaker Peter Finlayson remembers starting to make wine there before it was the buzzing wine route of today. Mostly dirt roads and largely underdeveloped for viticulture, it became apparent that the area had the ideal soil for vineyards. 

As we sat down to begin the tasting, a glance at the tasting sheet revealed a flighted tasting of four wines, all different vintages, with a Hamilton Russel Sauvignon Blanc and an Australian Chardonnay thrown in for good measure.

The first flight was three vintages of the Bouchard Finlayson Blanc de Mer, a Riesling-based blend, with Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. The make-up of the blend is vintage dependant. According to Peter, wine blending is like a Rubix cube. He also mentioned the advantage of smaller wineries, not being so limited with regards to time restraints as larger operations often are.

We tasted the 1998, 2003 and 2012. The 1998 had been the last vintage to be hand bottled, possibly contributing to it ageing exceptionally well. Peter refers to it as a star performer and it’s not difficult to see why. Softly aged, straw on the nose and a fresh, crisp acidity one would expect from a young wine. The 2012 vintage was the first non-French wine to be sold at the Moulin Rouge. 

The next flight was Sauvignon Blanc, including the Bouchard Finlayson 2006, the Reserve 2010 and the Hamilton Russell Ashbourne 2006. Sauvignon Blanc is usually consumed within 18 months, but there is no reason for it not to keep, as it can age quite well. 

The third flight was what I was eagerly awaiting all evening; the showstoppers as far as I am concerned: Tête de Cuvée Pinot Noir.  Not considered a typical Pinot Noir in the classical sense, but then very few people will ever have the opportunity to taste a Grand Crux Pinot Noir. This will do quite nicely as a replacement. “A white wine grape variety that only makes red wine under certain conditions” – Peter Finlayson on Pinot Noir. 

The 2000, 2009 and 2010 vintages were on offer. It was nearly impossible to choose a favourite. The 2000 was a work of art, elegant tannins and overall balance that can make grown men weep. The 2010 (current release) was slightly meatier and ripe but the 2009 was positively infatuating, with fine, balanced tannins, fruit and the slightest hint of jamminess that doesn’t detract but rather adds to the wine.

Rather unusually, we ended off with the Chardonnay flight. A 2004 Seppelt Jaluka from Australia, the 2004 BF Missionvale and the 2003 BF Crocodile’s Lair. The Australian offering had aged well, even with a screw top and being only very lightly wooded. The Missionvale showed a gorgeous amber colour, rich and dreamy. The Crocodile’s Lair took the cake with a caramel and toffee nose, smooth as velvet and perfectly drinkable. While the Pinot Noir has my eternal love and devotion, the Chardonnay seduced me into an delicious tryst, one I would gladly fall into again and again and again…

The marvellous wines were complemented excellently by tapas dishes, prepared by Chef Oliver Cattermole and his team. Special thanks to Peter Finlayson for hosting a marvellous tasting and Janie van der Spuy and Five Star PR for inviting us.

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The Muse?

It has been a while since I have posted to my blog, as I have been busy setting up a property valuation company. I guess this will be a good time to punt such, so if you require a property valuation, be it a wine farm, commercial or residential property, visit: www.valuetec.co.za! (Editor – SHAMELESS self promotion!)

All I needed was a little inspiration to get back into the swing of things and Bouchard Finlayson, which I have now dubbed my Muse, did exactly that!

I attended a Bouchard Finlayson tasting held at Great Domaines in Johannesburg, which was superbly presented by Jessica Saurwein. It was an enjoyable evening with delicious canapes and humorous banter about smoked chicken, or should I say gerokte kiep, to be more precise

The entire flight consisting of numerous Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay wines were exceptional. Scores were high and characters of the wines between the 2005, 2007 & 2009 vintages were varied.

It was extremely interesting to experience, that although the wine making style remained unchanged over the aforementioned vintages, the changing annual climatic conditions influenced the characteristics of the wines with great finesse, from green and fresh to fruity and complex.

I guess you could say the lady in the photo above, visually describes the flavours of the wines to a T – elegant, impressionable and clean with a great depth of character.

As difficult as it is to chose, my favourites of the night were:
2005 Bouchard Finlayson Sauvignon Blanc
2005 Bouchard Finlayson Sans Barrique Chardonnay (unwooded)
2009 Bouchard Finlayson Missionvale Chardonnay
2005 Bouchard Finlayson Missionvale Chardonnay
So hopefully the inspiration continues and you will be hearing from me more often!

Until next time… Cheers!

Ricardo Gouveia is The Wine Oak and the Oke likes wine! His blog reveals his wine experiences, from wine Reviews, tastings, events, wine-Making, South African wine & related regions, interesting facts, wine courses and MORE! Follow The Wine Oak on Twitter or visit his blog, www.thewineoak.com.

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