Friday, June 19, 2026

Wine Concepts Grape Escape Festival at Moyo, Kirstenbosch


We always know we will have a good evening when we go to a Wine Concepts tasting
and the Grape Escape Festival, held at Moyo restaurant in Kirstenbosch this month, lived up to expectations
We cannot taste all the wines, we make selection of each offering

There were so many wines to taste that we kept to the brief of unusual and rare varietals
 - there was a largeish sprinkling of Chenin blancs, the most-grown wine in South Africa =
and we met some wonderful new (to us) farms and winemakers

Sophie Germanier has a very good wooded Viognier, Wine Frame 2025,
and a very interesting and different Limited Edition Cap Classique, made from Shiraz and Viognier
which we really enjoyed; it's crisp, but full of fruit

We really liked the Credo Chenin Blanc Verdelho Viognier 2023. The flavours meld so well

Bev Murray with the Strandveld wines
Big applause from us for the continuing excellence of the Skaamgesiggie Pinot Noir Brut Rosé
The 2023 The Navigator, made from Syrah with Grenache noir and small amounts of viognier and Mourvèdre,
earned a wow from both of us. Layers of fruit and depth and future

Sijnn's Low Profile 2023, made from Syrah and Touriga nacional and small amounts of five other varietals,
 is a food wine, layered with flavour and depth

The Raar Grenache Noir 2025 from Riebeek Valley Wine Co was so impressive; Lynne wrote YUM!
Perfumed on the nose, herbal and green notes on the palate, then very good dark fruit. A visit is called for

We have long been fans of Piekenierskloof wines
and their Grenache Blanc 2025 really impressed with a beautifully layered palate
The 2025 Grenache Noir needs time and has good deep promise
The 2024 Tannat has a dive in nose, interesting flavours, it had grip and is different, a food wine and very enjoyable
The 2024 Heirloom Red - Syrah, Grenache noir, Mourvèdre, Cinsault - has elegance, the grapes blend well and it's classy

Roodekrantz 2024 Once Upon a Time Cinsault has such good fruit, Cabernet notes
rather than the Pinot reference one usually finds in a well-made modern Cinsault. Very quaffable

The 2024 Painted Wolf Viognier is full of fruit and delight
Their 2024 Solo Roussanne has great fruit and wood in balance too

Bobby Wallace on the Paul Wallace stand had his much talked about, here and abroad, Off the Record 2025 Chenin Blanc
It is full of herbal fynbos notes then apple and pears in layers of flavour. Very good
We also really enjoyed the 2024 Highlander Cabernet Franc
and the 2023 Black Dog Malbec which is dark and mysterious, full of layers of flavour and wood

Good to see Billy Hughes of Hughes Family wines
with his 2022 The Bees Viognier, a classic full of fresh flavours and integrated wood

The Morgenster 2024 Vespri Vermentino impressed with freshness and good fruit
The label script of this range is very confusing and unreadable
and we wondered why the name Morgenster is so small at the bottom of the labels

Carsten Migliarina never fails to impress us with his well-crafted wines
His 2024 Albarino has a good nose; dryness at first on the crisp palate
then, vrooom, the layers of fruit appear. Very much a food wine
The only sweet wine of the evening was the evening's star, his 2025 Vine Dried Pinot Gris
A beautiful mouth feel, the layers of classic, full honey sweet wine,  then crisp apple tart tatin
with caramel on the end, nostalgic and delicious
We have to keep buying and enjoying South African sweet wines; they are disappearing at an alarming rate

Keermont Terrasse White is an illustration of how to make a good blend from these unusual grapes
Freshness, peach from Viognier, complexity and joy
A blend of Chenin Blanc, 15% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Chardonnay, 12% Viognier, 10% Roussanne and 2% Marsanne
Fermented and aged in seasoned barrels

Kleinood's Tamboerskloof Viognier was the first of that varietal to appear on the South African market
An original and still outstandingly good

Good to be able to taste the Jordan Assyrtiko again, it still has that excitement of flavour and difference
Another wine to go with Mediterranean food



Induzo wines showed their 2025 Transformative Pinot Grigio from the Swartland
Freshness on the nose, lots of lime, lemon and tropical fruit flavours with mango at the end

Lowerland Die Wonderdraai White 2024, a blend of 65% Chenin banc, with Colombard and Sauvignon blanc
Ripe peaches with a little spice and Sauvignon acidity at the end
An interesting Wine of Origin from Prieska on the south bank of the Orange River, in the Northern Cape

Dornier Moordenaarskloof is made from Swartland Tinta Barocca, rich, deep dark flavours typical of the varietal
The Pinot Grigio is more flavourful than most wines of this varietal, with moderate acidity and gentle fruit

Fram Grenache Gris is has a light coppery tone, gentle tropical fruit favour with a berry note at the end
and a rich, slightly chalky mouthfeel




The Cape Town Wine Hub's Mediterranean style wines are made by Tanya Beuttler with Chris Williams of The Foundry 
The Premium White Blend 2022 is made from 88% Verdelho, 6% Marsanne, and 6% Grenache Blanc
and the Premium Red Blend of Shiraz 60%, Grenache Noir 40%
Excellent wines which richly deserve the accolades shown on the bottles

Chenin blanc is hardly a rare varietal, but superbly made by Dewaldt Heyns

Brookdale winemaker Xander Sadie
showed his The Twenty Red Field blend 2024, Sixteen White Field Blend 2024, and Grenache noir 2025
Both are rich and interesting wines made from Mediterranean grape varietals,
grown together, intermixed, in the same vineyard and picked, crushed and vinified together
The superb Bradbourne White blend 2024 is made from 45% Grenache blanc with Roussanne and small amounts of Marsanne and Picpoul blanc

Samantha Suddons really impressed us with her Vine Venom wines from the Swartland
Her Carignan and Grenache Serenade Cap Classique has notes of sourdough yeast, red apple and wearable perfume

Stellenrust has built an enviable reputation with its Chenin blancs
The Old Bush Vine Cinsault continues with the same quality. Ripe cranberry fruit, wonderful texture and ageability


All the stories we have produced since 2012
can be opened from the archive list near the top of the column on the right of this page
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Monday, June 15, 2026

Du Bois Chenin blanc launch

We were invited to the du Bois family homestead
on Sonop Farm in the Bottelary hills, Koelenhof to meet them and taste their Old Vine Chenin Blancs

First, we met on the lawn in front of the house and were warmly welcomed by the family

Homemade sourdough bread, cream butter with herbs, whipped Feta, great olive oil and balsamic
and a citrus cream cheese were there to fill us before we proceeded up their hill

A glass of Colmant Cap Classique served by sommelier Roxan Waldeck

Landbou Journalist Lucille Botha shares a joke with Johan Malan of Simonsig


Roxan making sure our glasses were topped up

Mist over the Simonsberg valley initially, but the mist cleared and we had a lovely warm winter's day

Winemaker Gabriel du Bois welcomed us all

Oupa Gawie and Ouma du Bois with the next generation, Gabriel's wife and newly born daughter

All aboard the bakkie for a trip up the hill through the vineyards

Oh, the views, here of the Simonsberg Mountain over a newly planted vineyard

and then as we climbed higher, the old Chenin blanc bush vines planted on the north-east slopes in 1982 and 1986

On the back of the bakkie, viticulturist Jacques du Bois spoke about their vines as we drove up the hill

Consultant viticulturist Rosa Kruger and market expert Jonathan Steyn who have both consulted for the du Bois family

Another bakkie packed with guests, riding through the newly planted eschelas (Stok-by-paaltjie/staked) vines
Yes, that is Lynne in the front seat

The top of the hill is very high and, from the top, they have magnificent 360 degree views

Chefs from Hygge preparing lunch

Roasted pumpkin

Set to take in the magnificent views was the long table at this marvellous venue

Old vine stems graced the table 

Rosa Kruger chats to Johan Malan of Simonsig

The du Bois 2025 Chenin Blanc from the old vines

Jacques du Bois told us about the history of the family and the vineyards growing at 240m to 280m
and explained the planting we had seen on the journey up the hill
The soils are red and blue shale with fractured clay beneath
allowing deep root penetration and retention of winter and spring rain
2025 stands apart as a vintage of real quality he says
The fruit is defined by freshness, vibrant acidity and natural balance

and pointed out what is visible from the superb 360 degree views in each direction

The sculptural beauty of the grape vine

Winemaker Gabriel du Bois told us about the climate and how it and the winds affect their planting choices

We were to taste two vintages of the du Bois Chenin with lunch

Lunch is nearly ready say the chefs,
carefully and expertly grilling deboned chicken 

The salad being prepared

A magnificent view of Table Mountain with our own Lion's Head just peeping through the mist

We were first poured a glass of the Du Bois 2024 Chenin Blanc
It was a little shy and restrained at first, then lots of classic Chenin fruit appeared, with hints of oak
It is elegant. It's nicely rounded on both the nose and palate; good depth with an insert of wood
Long flavours of yellow and golden chenin fruit. Lots of minerality, it calls for food and ends with some dark oak

We than tasted the 2025 which is similar to the first wine, but with guava, white peach and pear notes on the nose
A tingle on the tongue at first sip, good fruit balanced with crisp acidity, lime, loquat, citrus and peach
then dark oak, but gently used
A wine to savour with good food. And we then had some...

The sun shone. We needed the umbrellas and off came the winter coats

Lunch was served family style and we passed the dishes around

The menu

A fresh green salad with mixed leaves, cucumber, herbs, avocado, and a white balsamic dressing

Beautifully roasted golden pumpkin on a bed of Pearl cous cous,
(a very enjoyable find for us as it's not often we discover something new)
and this was delicious in a tahini, citrus honey dressing with toasted pumpkin seeds

 Roasted baby new potatoes in a herb and garlic butter

A new twist on beetroot, roasted  Hasselback style, topped with a lime leaf salsa and yoghurt cream

and the Piece de Resistance was the gloriously barbequed and spiced, succulent, grilled deboned chicken

and to go with the chicken, the du Bois 2026 Cinsault. Light in colour, but not in flavour
It has lovely fruit on the nose, the essence of plum and dark berry fruit
A bit of fizz on the tongue surprised us till we learned that they added 30% carbonic maceration
which is why it reminded us of a nouveau Beaujolais This sample was taken from the barrel the day before

Magic!

Dessert was termed a Sweet Bite 
 A small, tiny sticky caramel Canele (two would have been gratefully received as it's a favourite)
served with a citrus and cinnamon poached pear topped with crumble and cream

Thank you, du Bois family, for a healthy and really good relaxing lunch which went so well with your wines,
and for a lovely chance to meet you all and enjoy your company

Back to the house and our carriages awaited

All the stories we have produced since 2012
can be opened from the archive list near the top of the column on the right of this page
Posted by MENU at 4:54 pm 0 comments
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