Thursday, August 16, 2018

Launch of Mensa - a new bestseller with a twist

An invitation from Overhex wines to taste and experience their new range of wines called Mensa. A first in South Africa is the interactive labels. Scan them with your phone and the secret story of the wine is revealed. And there is no barcode in sight. The wine is named after grandmother Emmarentia Cornelia, whose nickname it was, and has no connection to the organisation for high IQ people
The launch was held at The Library, a restaurant in Kloof Street
This is the library, where we sat comfortably while we tasted the wines, ate some good food and heard the story from Caroline van Schalkwyk
One of the other rooms of this restaurant
Gerhard van der Wath, Executive Chairman/Owner tells us about the wines. There are five wines planned in the portfolio. We tasted the Chardonnay Pinot Noir, the Sauvignon Blanc and the Cabernet Sauvignon. They will go into the mid-price range market at R70 to R80 a bottle
Winemaker Ben Snyman talks about the wines. The Sauvignon Blanc has tropical passion fruit, gooseberries and herbal notes. The Chardonnay (80%) and Pinot Noir (20%) blush wine, he says, has backbone; he adds texture and layers of fruit. You can taste both varietals, the wooding is quite noticeable and the Pinot Noir speaks first. The Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 spends 8 months in oak and is from Bot Rivier, Swartland and Breedekloof grapes. It has sweet oak and the usual Cabernet flavours
Author Amy Heydenrych was there to sign copies of her novel "Shame on You". We were all given a copy by Overhex
The wines all use Amorim Cork's Helix cork closure, a mushroom shaped composite cork designed for easy opening without a corkscrew
The three wines. If you see them in the shops, scan the label for the secret story
The restaurant has this nice glassed in verandah
and a long table for big parties
PRO Gudrun Clark and Andisani Sibiya
Amy Heydenrych signing our book
Spring rolls with a dipping sauce
The book
small wrapped kebabs
The spicy squid was very popular. There were also very good prawns
Polenta sticks, breadcrumbed and deep fried
Some lovely sweet temptations

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