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Monday, October 26, 2015

Nedbank Green Wine Awards

It has now been six years since the inception of these awards in 2009 and we have seen such an improvement in our Green and Biodiverse wines. The awards were held in a new venue for us: In the Vine on the R44 in Helderberg. A total of 150 wines were judged across two categories (Best wines made from Organically Grown Grapes and Best Wines from Integrated Production of Wine category). The panel was led by internationally renowned wine judge Fiona MacDonald. Other members were Greg Mutambe, Dr Winnie Bowman CWM, Francois Rautenbach and winemaker Nomonde Kubheka. Wine journalists Anel Grobler of Spit or Swallow and Shante Hutton of Wine.co.za were co-opted onto the tasting panel as bloggers

The venue has lots of parking in the front

The interior is airy and spacious

And the lawn outside was a perfect venue for a welcoming glass of bubbly

Ramsey Media Getaway publisher Neil Piper opened proceedings

It was a well attended function

Sponsor of the Awards is Nedbank. Alistair Pearce of Private Banking gave the speech. The partnership with Ramsey Media started in 2008. Nedbank donate R200 million a year from customers' Green Affinity cards to conservation projects. They have issued a Green Wine map which they hope will boost tourism in the sector

The menu

The starter was a wild mushroom risotto, served with Ken Forrester's excellent IPW award winning Chenin Blanc, FMC.

Non mushroom eaters got a cheese Risotto

Inge Kotze, Senior Programme manager for WWF SA. Sustainability is key to the wine industry. South Africa is the smallest of the 6 global plant kingdoms but it is the most diverse. In the past vineyards, were a threat to this kingdom; now things have changed as biodiversity and wine partnerships have been born, steering farming away from threatened areas.

Head of the judging panel, Journalist Fiona McDonald. She told us that there were no fault wines this year. There were 78 IVW entries and 64 Organic entries. Reds outperformed white wines this year for a change. There was also an organic grappa entered. The Org de Rac MCC, which was served to us on arrival, was the Bloggers' choice

Kathryn Frew of Getaway

The award winners with their certificates. There are 15 top achievers. Org De Rac La Verne MCC 2012 took top honours in the Best Wine Overall in the Made from Organically Grown Grapes category (the wine was also the Bloggers’ Choice Award). Sijnn White 2013 scooped the Best Integrated Production of Wine Overall (the wine was also the IPW Best White). Wildekrans was named the Best Farming Practices Overall Winner. Wines from Organically grown Grapes: Best red won by Reyneke for Cornerstone 2013; Best White: The Ladybird Chardonnay 2014; Best value winner Stellar Organics Running Duck Sauvignon Blanc 2015/ Integrated Production of Wine winners wsere Best Red Waerley Hills Grenache 2014; Best White Sijnn 2013; Bloggers Choice Ken Forrester FEMC 2013 Best Value Winner Wildekrans Sauvignon Blanc 2015. There were also four more awards: Leader in Energy conservation: Lourensford. Leader in Water conservation: Spier. Leader in Eco Tourism: Villiera; Leaders in Community Development & Best farming practice, Wildekrans

David Trafford of Sjinn wines with his award

The venue has marvellous views of the Helderberg mountain

The main course of good tender fillet of beef on a bed of mash with a rather metallic and sour sauce of yellow and red capsicum peppers

Rene Barnard of Singita Private game reserve

Cape Wine Master Duimpie Bayly made a very amusing closing speech

A book published by WWF on our Wine Kingdom and conservation success stories

Dessert came as three separate items. A berry crumble, a custard tart and a cinnamon and ginger ice cream. All rather sweet

More winners with their awards

The entire group

Wine enthusiasts will be able to sample the winning wines from the 2015 Nedbank Green Wine Awards in Cape Town and Johannesburg in November. More information on these tasting events can be found at www.greenwineawards.com/tasting-events

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Sunday, October 25, 2015

Reciprocal Trading tasting of imported wines at The Vineyard

It is a special occasion when we are invited to taste good French and other nations wines like Spain, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand and South America. This event is held annually for the trade and media and good customers and we were delighted to be invited

Welcomed with a glass of Tio Pepe Palomino Fino (very dry) pale sherry. We think fans of Swartland wines should reacquaint themselves with sherry, which is an oxidised wine, matured in barrels for several years. It is delicious and a lovely aperitif

Then on to the Champagne stand to taste three Roederers. The Millesime was quite wonderful, mature, deep full of citrus and buttery lees and still lots of promise

We also tasted the Benoit Lahaye and Gratio Champagnes

and the Jacquinot Champagnes. Reciprocal is the importer of these French marques

Owner and MD of Reciprocal, Michael Fridjhon tells us about the wines on show

It was a very well attended tasting with lots of sommeliers, hoteliers, restaurateurs and media. We so enjoyed tasting both the Burgundy Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays and other white Burgundies. When Lynne tasted the famous Corton Charlemagne again, she could see the style that so many of the South African chardonnays are aiming to emulate as the beautiful minerality of this crisp elegant wine shines

It was also interesting to taste Cloudy Bay - so jam packed with asparagus, tinned peas and acidity and other similar New Zealand Sauvignons Blanc. We think we offer more variety with our local Sauvignon Blancs. The Bordeaux reds were amazing, but still too young to drink. They have layers of flavour, but lots and lots of chalky tannins to protect them. Some are still closed and need time to age and develop. You have to buy and put them away for a few years and hope to see the reward

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Fleur du Cap launches Unfiltered Chenin blanc and Pinotage

Fleur du Cap launched their new unfiltered 2014 Chenin Blanc and 2014 Pinotage at an exciting new venue in Oranjezicht on the 14th. It was a little hard to find using the GPS on our phones but thanks to helpful locals we did find our way to the historic Platteklip Wash House where centuries of servants and slaves came to do their masters' washing. It is managed by the Parks Board. A great place for weddings, and other medium sized functions if you have a PR or wedding budget

Wine was being served on the terrace under the trees and some good canapés circulated. Everyone was delighted to hear Chef Craig Cormack was doing the food, as he never disappoints

Sommelier Higgo Jacobs, cellarmaster Wim Truter and André Morgenthal of WOSA, chatting

Wim Truter opened proceedings and told us about the wine and the new labels

We also tasted the newly released 2015 Sauvignon Blanc

Chenin blanc and Chardonnay

Eco seating under the trees

Wim Truter introduced Kristen Basson, who makes the red wines

Media listening

PR consultant Gudrun Clark makes the final arrangements as it is time to move inside for lunch at the long table

Nadia Anthony, Junior brand manager, Fleur du Cap, with Chef Craig Cormack

Lots of chat as we taste the unfiltered Chenin Blanc. It is grassy and tropical and leesy and very refreshing with a touch of minerality

Warm bread rolls

The menu

The local poached trout was in a gentle broth with fresh peas, boiled potatoes & cooked and blanched waterblommetjies

Chef tells us about the food and the pairing with the wines

The main course of tender loin of kudu in an unusual but delicious Cape gooseberry sauce, fried gnudi dumplings, and seasonal vegetables to pair with the unfiltered Pinotage

Winemaker Pieter Badenhorst

Served with dessert: Fleur du Cap's sensational 2011 Noble Late Harvest, honey sweet but supported by good acidity

Dessert was a selection of mini bites of classic cape puddings: a malva pudding, a koosuster, a cheesecake, a wonderful semi freddo and a Queen of Puddings

The Fleur du Cap team with the Pinotage

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