A special tasting of the De Wetshof wines

Bennie Stipp, Marketing manager at De Wetshof, heard we were coming to Wine on the River and invited us to come and do a special tasting on the farm of their current and a couple of older wines and then have lunch with the family at their home. We tasted through six of their really impressive Chardonnays, their 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, 2012 Riesling, 2010 Nature in Concert Pinot Noir, 2013 Naissance Cabernet and their 2010 Bordeaux blend, Thibault. This is a farm that has produced serious quality, consistently. We tasted with brothers Johann (viticulture and marketing) and Peter (winemaker) de Wet. The chardonnays are very site specific and have made De Wetshof famous. Father Danie de Wet is the person who first introduced chardonnay vines into South Africa and they make it with such passion and commitment. Then we were treated to a visit to the private family home for a lovely lunch of Smoor Snoek, country Lamb chops with all the accompaniments and a delicious dessert. We thank them all for their very kind hospitality and great wines.

The very French style avenue of Plane trees taking you to the main building which holds the Tasting room . The De Wet ancestors arrived at the Cape in 1694 and the family has been involved in the wine industry ever since. The family bought this farm in 1952.

Two family horses grazing in their paddock

Spring vines reaching for the sun

The very imposing main building. The wine cellars are next to it and behind it

The entrance and grand staircase

THE ground floor is set up for tasting and relaxing

Beamed ceiling, and flagstone floor and good wood used on windows pillars and doors

A marvellous bronze Bateleur Eagle in flight. Bateleur is one of the Estate's premium chardonnays

Mrs de Wet and the new addition to the family, a teenage Weimaraner belonging to Johann’s wife

Talking with Mrs Lesca de Wet and son Johann

We move to the upstairs tasting room. Lynne needs her notebook for the tasting

Just waiting for Peter to join us

These are the wines we tasted: Danie de Wet Sur Lie Chardonnay 2014; Limestone Hill Chardonnay 2014; Bon Vallon Chardonnay 2014; Finesse Chardonnay 2013; The Site Chardonnay 2013; Bateleur Chardonnay 2012; 2014 Sauvignon Blanc; 2012 Riesling; 2010 Nature in Concert Pinot Noir; 2013 Naissance Cabernet and the 2010 Estate Bordeaux blend Thibault. All, without exception are excellent expressions of their cultivars and their terroir

Three different chardonnays

Their bottles

Johann took us through the flight of white wines

Wine tasting is boring for a good and patient dog

A lovely vista from an upstairs window

Winemaker Peter de Wet ready to take us through some wines

We learn more about the farm

Two more excellent wines. The Riesling must be influenced by Peter de Wet’s training at Geisenheim in Germany

We learn of their passion for red wines as well as the white

What we tasted

Conversation at the table

Benny Stipp joined us for lunch

Danie de Wet

The Thibault is named after Louis Michel Thibault whose designs inspired the main building

Johann in front of a picture of an ancestor. We see a family resemblance

Peter looking happy and relaxed

This is an ancestor of Lesca de Wet and we also saw family characteristics

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014

Robertson's fabulous Wine on the River Festival

This is one of our favourite festivals. Who wouldn’t want to taste lovely wines with very friendly and welcoming people from the area on the banks of one of our most beautiful rivers, in the balmy October late Spring weather. “Dit is die maand Oktober! Die mooiste, mooiste maand!”, to quote the song by C. Louis Leipoldt. We bought lots of wine, ate lots of food and tasted lots of good wines.  Next year we will try to go for longer. Just one day at the festival is not enough

What could be a better choice?   A guided tasting of Chardonnays of the valley OR a boat trip on the river with bubbles?

Or lazing on the side of the river with some good wine and food? Clever exhibition people covered up the hay bales!

In one of the wine marquees. Lots of people tasting and getting to know Robertson wines

Lourens van der Westhuizen  of Arendsig opening more of his good bottles of wine for tasting

Talking to customers

Showing us his new labels

Fun on the Quando stand.  Winemaker Fanus Bruwer tastes and his brother Martin pours. We loved his wines so much we bought a case of the Chenin Viognier and a case of the Pinot Noir.

Fanus discusses Pinot Noir with Journalist Graham Howe.

Time for some lunch. We had vouchers for the Zandvliet Fish and Chips and Waterblom Bredie

But we started with crisp and hot tempura prawns and some excellent sushi from the Mimosa stand

Bernhard Hess of Mimosa Hotel in Montague

Fida Hess, who was taking the food orders and was very busy, but not too busy to pose for John

The waterblommetjie bredie had lots of bones it in. It came with sweet potato mash. In the round container is the snoek, chips and fried onion rings

One of our favourite Bonnievale people, Elzette Steyn from Weltevrede

Fanus needs food and this late in the day all that was left was a Spur burger

Um ... there is something wrong with this picture. Shouldn’t she be on the pony and he be leading her around? Looks fun though.

A painting project underway in the childrens’ tent. Keep them amused so parents can get on with some wine tasting

A lovely selection of Weltevrede Bubblies. We came away with a bottle of the  LindeLize rose. Deeply refreshing and fruity but bone dry.

No, you are not getting him with the wine. Henk van Niekerk on the Wonderfontein Paul René stand.  A major attraction for the ladies that weekend

“NO I don’t want to nap like my twin sister. Multitasking mothers can have fun and mind the children

Emden & Monja Stemmet, Excelsior Winemaker Johan's family minding the stand

The afternoon draws on

A very long baby? No, tandem twins

Steyn Fullard of Weltevrede and Colyn Truter

A very happy customer with his purchases

He introduced us to his friendly family, having a lovely day on the riverside

Oh we SO approve

Time to wend our way to the tent to buy wine before leaving

The woman who organised it all was in the tent. Talented and fun Elizma Spangenberg Botha of The  Robertson Wine Valley.  We can’t wait for next year

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014