Sunsets and Wines
February 3, 2012
21:37
Wine of the day: Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2011 has aromas of ruby grapefruit with underlying herbaceous tones on the nose opening up into notes of green pepper and asparagus. The crisp acidity and minerality carry the wine beautifully. Drink on its own as an aperitif, or pair it with sushi, light, tomato-based dishes and salads. This is a sauvignon with enough class to age and improve over a year or two.
(Cellar door price R95 per bottle)
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Categories: Food Blogs in English, Wine Blogs from South Africa, Wine Blogs in English
13:48
Tapas and vines
Those of us who live north of the boerewors curtain are always on the lookout for somewhere nice to go for a meal or a drink. It's pretty slim pickings on our side of the bay when it comes to eateries that deliver on tasty food, decent wines and nice views.
Needless to say, this press release caught my eye:
Unwind and enjoy Weskus flavours every Friday from 10 February to 27 April, between 5pm and 8pm, when The Eatery at Durbanville Hills hosts its Tapas and Vine evenings.
With a local twist on traditional bar-food, you can enjoy a selection of tapas bowls with your favourite Durbanville Hills wines while you sit back, relax and enjoy live music.
The delicious snacks include farm-style venison pot pies, Weskus ‘viskoekies’ and Cape Malay beef samoosas with homemade tomato and rosemary chutney. The tapas are priced from R25 to R35 per bowl and wines are available at cellar-door prices.
For more information or to book, contact Rian at 021 558 1337 or info@dheatery.co.za
Categories: Food Blogs in English, Wine Blogs from South Africa, Wine Blogs in English
January 27, 2012
16:43
Towering peaks, fine wines at Oldenburg
The tasting room at Oldenburg Vineyards.
What would the silly season in the Cape be without the upcountry rellies arriving in droves? The fact that we live in a tiny two-bedroom cottage doesn’t seem to deter them much. We were told off a couple of years ago for not taking them to do enough wine tastings, so these past holidays we made sure we didn’t repeat that error. And because we were playing the role of tour guide, we got to choose which of our favourite wine farms we visited.
If you’re in the same position – actually, it doesn’t matter whether you’re host or visitor – there’s a new tasting room that you really need to include on your route plan. It’s at Oldenburg Vineyards, which is off the Banghoek road outside Stellenbosch. I first tasted Oldenburg’s wines at a venue in Cape Town about a year ago, before the tasting room had been built. I’m a big fan of their Chenin (the only one being made in the Banghoek valley, as far as I know), and their Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc, so a media visit to the farm itself was a great treat.
To say that the Cape winelands are beautiful is offering a blinding glimpse of the obvious. Gorgeous vistas are everywhere, nature and architecture worn heart on sleeve. Tucked away down country roads, hidden from plain sight, there’s yet more loveliness for the tourist to discover. Oldenburg is a case in point. This stunner really is tucked away. You have to drive down the proverbial long and winding road, deep into the heart of the Banghoek, to where Oldenburg sits cradled in the palm of a giant hand, mountain peaks like massive fingers cupped around it.
It's a delightful, dramatic destination at the end of a scenic meander. Cape Town architect Simon Beerstecher designed the impressive building that houses the tasting room and vinoteque. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows and doors seem to draw in the fynbos garden, vines and the peaks. There are outdoor seating areas for days when the weather is better than it was the day I visited; an airy, light and homely interior using exclusively African products and furnishings; a comfortable lounge to the side of the main space; and downstairs is the vinoteque for private tastings and where a library of Oldenburg’s wines will be housed.
Aah, the wines... there is nothing better than to taste fine wines while you gaze out over the vineyards where the grapes that made them grew – a sense of place in a glass.
The lounge
The vinoteque
The Oldenburg Vineyards Cellar Door is open for tastings Monday to Friday, 10am to 4.30pm. For more information call 021 885 1618; email cellardoor@oldenburgvineyards.com or visit www.oldenburgvineyards.com
Categories: Food Blogs in English, Wine Blogs from South Africa, Wine Blogs in English
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