Blaauwklippen celebrates 10 years of Zinfandel

One of the highlights of our year is to be invited to Blaauwklippen for their annual tasting of this lovely spicy wine, a grape too rarely grown in South Africa. Blaauwklippen is one of the best producers and wins awards with this difficult to grow and make, but really rewarding wine. Each year there is a different theme. This year was the first ever vertical tasting of the wines since production started 10 years ago in 2004. It was a blockbuster tasting; we were astounded to see how well all of them have matured and the earliest one is still so fresh and full that we predict another 10 years of life for it

We began with their new rosé bubbly, carbonated before bottling, Ons Sprankel (Our Sparkle), made from Zinfandel of course. Although off dry and tasting of strawberries peaches and pears, this is not perceptibly sweet . The bottle has a very new cap which is self sealing in case you should happen (?!?) not to want to finish a bottle and keep some for another occasion. It is deliciously refreshing and only 9% alcohol.

Talking on the terrace to MD Rolf Zeitvogel and the winemaker about Ons Sprankel and eating some canapés before the tasting

10 years of Zinfandel for tasting. We take our seats

The line up from left to right. Blaauwklippen made their first Zinfandel in 2004 (extreme right) and the first wine on the left is the tank sample of the 2013, still to be bottled.

Only one of these wines needed to be decanted , their first Reserve in 2009. An incredibly intense, well made wine which is much heavier and more serious than some of the others which you can drink now but definitely keep it for luxury foods, which it so deserves.

There was not a bad wine in the whole flight, but we can rave about three of them. 2011, 2009 and the first, the 2004. This wine was still amazingly fresh and juicy, but with serious hints that it probably can last another 10 years. Blaauwklippen’s 2011 is their Single Vineyard Reserve and is a classic example of what a good Zinfandel should taste like. Wood smoke, forest floor, cassis beneath spicy ginger and cinnamon and then a rich glycerol mouth, with soft tannins, good fruit acids from red cherry maraschino flavours, with liquorice wood, dark warm alcohol and lots of fruit layers with a toasty end. If you have some or can get some, drink now for full enjoyment. And it will keep. Also much appreciated was the 2010

Rolf Zeitvogel, the Managing Director tells us about this very difficult to grow and under appreciated grape. It is susceptible to uneven bunch ripening, gives very good quantities and must never be irrigated as it is highly susceptible to bunch rot if it comes into contact with water when ripe. You can make (and Blaauwklippen do) white, rose and red wines and brandy and grappa from the same grapes.

Very large fruitful vines produce a lot of grapes but their sizes can be very different. These two bunches came from the same vine. And on each bunch you will find raisins, ripe grapes and unripe grapes.

We watch a technical slide show Zinfandel is also known as Primitivo and is also grown in Italy and California

Rolf is absolutely committed to Zinfandel and just wishes more people would try this wonderful wine. We agree with him, it is a neglected treasure that South Africa can grow well and turn into a huge asset. We don’t mistreat it at all like the Californians have done in the past

The beautifully sweet grapes and the wine

Why are you taking my photo John? Oh, it’s Samarie Smith, the photographer behind me, you want!

A pretty table layout after the tasting just to prove we don’t drink ALL the wine, we just taste and often spit.

The lunch menu with choices

Two of Blaauwklippen’s white Zinfandels to taste with lunch, the BVS 2011 and 2012

Not everyone could stay for lunch

Blaauwklippen has a historic connection with old wagons and carriages and many of the wines have them as names i.e. Barouche and Cabriolet

The tuna tartare

The kudu tenderloin with chocolate sauce

The nicely moist Cape Salmon with fennel foam

Karen Glanfield Pawley with Natalie Campbell, PA to Rolf Zeitvogel

The sweet Blaauwklippen Before and After Zinfandel Aperitif, a masterful blend of wood matured red Noble Late Harvest and Blaauwklippen Potstill Brandy, went very well with dessert

We were also served the Noble Late Harvest 2008 and 2011 and the Zinfandel Husk Spirit. Truly a day of immersion in Zinfandel in all its many guises

The triumphant end to lunch was a dessert platter matched to the four dessert wines: Apple and cinnamon chiffon cake, a great rich and intense chocolate brulée, a delicious white chocolate and banana spring roll - which oozed so you had to be careful - and candied baby pear

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014

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Paarl's Ommiberg Festival

So it was up and at ’em again on Sunday and off we went to this revived festival. We started at Spice Route and it was buzzing. But Clare, John’s daughter, had been there three weeks before and she said this was normal. Charles Back has really organised this farm, and his other farms, well. There is so much to see. We started by collecting our glasses, armbands and a slice of onion tart, tasted the new wine they had on offer and then split into two groups: girls to do the chocolate tasting and men to do the beer tasting. After a quick look at the sensational glass factory – sadly no blowing going on while we were there - we set off for Paarl’s Main Road where we believed most of the festival would be happening. It was very, very quiet. We tasted some wines from Painted Wolf at Proviant restaurant and then decided to go to Marc’s Restaurant. We had a lovely lunch, but we were almost the only people there. And this was supposed to be a festival day? Paarl, we think you need to trumpet louder and put on a few more exciting draw cards for people to come to the next festival. After lunch, we again split into two. The lads wanted to taste more wine at Proviant: Mason’s, Black Pearl and Mitred Edge and the girls wanted to go to the market and art exhibition, but it had finished at 3 and they were just too late. Perhaps because there were very few attendees? So we finished at KWV, tasting their new wine, having a lovely chat with Marc Friederich, owner of Marc’s, who said it had been busy there. We ate and enjoyed one of his spicy Mexican chilli tacos. There were several young people listening to the band, there was a petting zoo and tasting as normal inside in the tasting room. We looked at KWV’s stunning art collection, tasted a couple more wines and then it was 5pm and closing time. If you were staying in Paarl over the festival, there were no evening events. Sadly, not a terribly impressive event. Paarl organisers, PLEASE go and see what Robertson does at the Wacky Wine Weekend.

Magnificent views of Paarl and Stellenbosch from the lawns of Spice Route, in Agter Paarl

Our good friend, Peter from Holland, tastes the young white wine still fermenting in the barrel. This wine was picked in the last two weeks or so

You could also taste the still fermenting red wine. Taste and spit, NEVER swallow this wine, you will burp for days afterward

Then you could taste some of Spice Route’s current wines

We visited the Biltong bar but sadly they had sold out the snapsticks we wanted. Next time

The brewery where Wolfgang Koedel makes the Cape Brewing Company craft beers

R35 to do a tasting of these beers. Otto Joseph, on the right, a student at Stellenbosch University, served us with great enthusiasm

The girls did a De Villiers chocolate tasting and it was very good indeed. It costs just R25 and is very good value as you get a huge selection of different chocolate from all over the world to taste.

Clare could not resist one of the ice creams they sell and you can see the coffee roastery through the glass doors. There is lots and lots to see on Spice Route

We will definitely be back to try out one or all of the restaurants on this farm

They also have the Red Hot Glass blowing studio and gallery, 

filled with beautiful and amazing things to buy

Some very modern pieces

A lovely display of wall lights

Sadly, they were not blowing glass while we were there, another thing to return to see

Venetian style chalices. These would make very good wine awards

A large group enjoying beer and the view

We arrived in Paarl and parked at The Mason’s Winery for a tasting of four local boutique wineries' wines at Proviant, the next door restaurant

Proviant is in a classic old Cape vintage house with long shady porch. Paarl gets very, very hot in the summer. And, you can see, there were not many people and this was at 1 o’clock

Lunch at a sadly (and mysteriously, as his is one of the best places in Paarl) rather empty Marc’s restaurant was excellent. You can have classic dishes or nice easy lunch time choices

A huge hamburger topped with feta and olives and stunningly good chips was really enjoyed by Peter

Duncan had a selection of tapas: falafel, spanakopita and peri peri chicken

Lynne had the excellent fish soup, full of scallops, prawns, good mussels and fish and a classic creamy broth

And John and Clare both had really good Pizzas. We drank a bottle of Painted Wolf Shiraz and the bill came to R115 per head. You get a complimentary basket of crisp bread with tapenade when you sit down. So, very good value and lovely under the trees in the peaceful courtyard

Then an interesting and amusing tasting of The Mason’s wines with the owner, Derek Clift, who told us some good ghost stories and other tall tales

We had chats with Lance Nash of Black Pearl wines in the back area of Proviant. He was a bit disappointed at the low turnout that day. There was a band playing local music here

The restaurant walls were lined with really lovely children’s’ paintings and drawings they had been asked to do for Ommiberg Festival. We spotted some future talent. Very good for a six year old

Amazing graphic ability for an 11 year old

Off to finish the afternoon at KWV and taste their young wines

Some old classics inside the wine tasting room

They have some fantastic masterpieces by South African artists in their gallery.

© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014

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