Edward's Top 10 Wineries.
7 Nitida
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Tri-Nations tasting excellent for broadening the taste of your palate. Can just recommend it!
Great place! Peter Falke taps into the huge unused market potential by finally catering for local working people! Let me explain:
Recently I was thinking: why don’t we hang out more often at our wine farms? And with hanging out I don’t mean the occasional wine tasting or eating at fancy restaurants. I mean hanging out in the way you drag your ass to the pub around the corner after a busy working day for a beer or brandy and coke. Or let’s take the South African’s favorite pastime: having sundowners. Wouldn’t it be nice to spread your blankie on the lawn of a stunning wine estate, getting served some of the best wine in the world directly by the producer while you feast your eyes on the beauty of the sun disappearing from the African sky?
But hold on a second. When does the average Joe finish work? Around 17.00. When does the sun set in summer? Around 20.00. When does the average wine farm close? Right, there might be a problem. Why is it that our wine farms exclude South African consumers by having hideous opening times? Why don’t we have “wine bars” at our estates, where we can hang out with friends enjoying the wines by the glass in a comfy setting after work, with some music playing and taking in the great views offered by the estates already? Think about the opportunities to attract young customers to these bars who now go to pubs for a beer!
And that’s where Peter Falke Wine taps into a huge unused potential in the market. Open till 19.00 every day, with extended hours in summer, it offers exactly such a hang out spot. The style is refreshingly different from the standard boring earthy colour scheme – it is scandalously screamingly colorful, with the modern arty interior design finally having a word in tasting room decor. The brightly red lit up front desk at reception is visible through the glass doors from the road, shining as a beacon to attract all the wineflies who still want to visit a winery after work. Comfy outdoor furniture and shaded areas to put your blankie invite to linger till after sunset, and decent music playing in the background sorts out a chilled vibe. Ok, the giant red screwdrivers on the lawn are a bit of an eyesore, but who’s perfect? Anyway, Peter Falke does not only know how to get rich by selling socks, he might also have figured out a way to start a night life on SA’s wine farms.
While the average SA consumer pours liter after liter of beer, brandy and whisky down his throat in the pubs at night, the wine farms lie dormant in their cinderella sleep. Wake up!
Oh, you think I forgot to tell you about the wines at Peter Falke? Why don’t you stop by after work and find out yourself?
@__MrHyde
Uva Mira is rightly one of the highest rated wineries in the country! We arrived on a rainy Saturday afternoon, and were greeted friendly at the door and welcomed to the cozy tasting room. Close to the fireplace and next to lovely scenting protea flowers, we took a seat in comfy armchairs in our own private corner by the window. Although cloudy, the view was fantastic and I can only imagine what it must look like on a clear day. To make it perfect, we ordered a cheese platter for R100 which was loaded with some absolutely amazing goats cheese, camembert and figs that paired well with the wines.
The tasting was conducted absolutely professionally. Their Sauvignon Blanc grapes are sourced from both low and high altitude vines giving the wine a subtle balance between fragrant tropical fruit and the more classical SB green pepper, fresh acidity taste – which alone can put some strain on your poephole – as Neil Pendock puts it. But this one has the right balance and has become my favourite SB of all times. Still affordable at R75.
The reds are amazing, too, with the Vineyard Selection Shiraz clearly standing out, but with R200 a bit pricey, but worth it if you have that kind of spending money. Same price is the Chardonnay, which I’ve heard great things about but it is unfortunately not available for tasting.
A clear must-visit!
@__MrHyde
Best of Blaauwklippen? The Paulaner Weissbier! Sit in the beer garden on a hot summer day and enjoy a fresh German beer, or watch the rugby/soccer matches in their cellar atmosphere.
Whatever you do, don’t bother with the wines. Or with the rather disappointing lunch, for that matter. Although the Zinfandel 06 wasn’t too bad, admittedly.
Nice modern tasting room and helpful assistant. Try their Cabernet Franc, it rocks!
What a bizarre experience, didn’t like it at all! Kind of old-style, wooden cheapish looking tasting room with incorporated curio shop. Although the only guests, the tasting lady didn’t want to speak to us, even questions she answered only with a few words. Was awkward. Wines are cheap and easy drinking, nothing special.
The most bizarre aspect of the farm is certainly the Lion Park in the back of the garden, in the middle of the vineyards. “WTF?” was the only thing I could think of when I saw that! The white lions are kept in small cages, the cubs are separated early from the parents and kept separately. The sides of the cages are covered with white sheets, apparently to shield the lions from all the movement around them, so to view the lions you have to look through small openings in these sheets. This whole scene is so surreal and saddening that I can only discourage from entering the lion park.
Great experience, I love the authenticity of this farm! Greeted by owner and Ex-Springbok player Hempies du Toit and his equally massive Boerebul, I knew this visit will be quite special. And right I was!
No frills, no pretentions – this once was a horse farm and riding school and it still has this character. The tasting room is in a barn, with a warming fire place, love seeking dogs, a big dark wooden table, old pictures of Hempies in his rugby days, dust, spider webs and a rustic damp smell to it – like in my grandma’s storage cellar – if you know what I mean. The atmosphere is so cozy and homely, relaxed and un-rushed – I could sit there all day, forgetting the time and everything else.
It seems as if they do exactly the same: after filling the red wines in oak barrels, they forget about it. Minding their daily business, they only come back after 4 – 5 years to check what happened to it – oh boy, what a recipe! The first wine on tasting was the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon: 5 years on wood, another 3 years in the bottle. “This is not a rushed wine”, was the comment. Yep. Full bodied, full of character, smooth well integrated tannins, the right oakiness, a beautiful example of how CabSauv should taste. A bargain for R100! The only other wine on tasting was the Cavalier (can’t exactly remember the vintage), but similarly impressive. The port was sold out, but I will remember to come back in February when the next vintage will be released…
Sitting in Hempies’ barn at the fireplace, running your fingers over the dust-covered vintages of Alto wines down to 1965 and sipping his incredible Cabernet gives you a sense of timelessness, the rush of the world outside suddenly seems so far away. Not to be missed!
@__MrHyde
Never new this place existed, but I’m glad I discovered it! Approaching the 6 stories tasting/cellar/museum building after entering through the main gate, I thought it takes some balls to construct a building like this in the winelands, it is certainly not everyones taste. But I found it somehow blends in to its surroundings and it definitely gives an quite unusual view over the Idas Valley. I heard magnificent things about the gravity flow cellar, but unfortunately I was too late for a tour – definitely next time!
Inside, it seems that owner Madame de Lencquesaing made herself a home away from home. The interior of the tasting room has a modern French country Cafe style, with white wooden furniture and comfy couches. For sunny days, a spacious terrace allows the view over the Stellenbosch mountains. Madame’s second passion after wine is glass, so there is a quite impressive collection of glass sculptures and art in the first floor of the building.
Our hostess, Crescenda, provided us with very knowledgeable, personal service and even took a seat at our table for the tasting, so we had her all to ourselves and could squeeze her out about the wines and the history of the farm – a task which she managed brilliantly.
The wines are all still a bit young for my taste, with very strong not-yet-integrated tannins and astringency, but with beautiful aging potential. In 2007 they first released wines from their own property and got a new winemaker, and I could definitely taste a distinct shift in style – to the better. The 2006 signature shiraz based red blend missed a defined character, with the grapes being bought from neighbouring properties. The 2007 shows a bold fruity spiciness and lots of character. From the so-called “Glass Selection”, the 2008 Cab Sauv stood out for me. Given 2 – 5 years of time to settle, the wines should all be a winner!
It’s definitely a winery to keep on the radar, and with the tasting being free of charge I’ll definitely return more often. The flagship estate wine “Lady May” will be launched in a few weeks, and Cabernet Franc will also soon find its way into their wines. For a very young winery, I’m very impressed and looking forward what they get up to in the future…
@__MrHyde
Lovely setting, but mostly average wines for tasting. The tasting room staff was very helpful, knowledgeable and with a sense of humor, so I ended up enjoying my visit.
I didn’t like the coffee Pinotage at all, and also wasn’t very impressed by most of their other wines. Except: the Viognier! It is quite a memorable taste, so dominant in peach and flower and sunshine that you can’t wait for spring to come back. It instantly gives you a good mood. Their Malbec is also quite interesting, since a single variety wine of this cultivar is quite rare in SA.
It’s worth a visit if you are in the area.
@__MrHyde
Cozy cellar atmosphere in their tasting room, friendly and knowledgable staff. Their wines have generally an above average standard, with the Semilon standing out for me. We had a great time in their restaurant, Cassia, with live music and lovely view from the terrace. We ended up spending the whole afternoon here, the atmosphere was just great. Gem of Durbanville, will definitely return. @__MrHyde
Average wines in an average place. Nothing really that stands out for me – a really unmemorable visit. @__MrHyde
If you can visit only one winery in the area, make it this one! The involvement of the farm workers, social responsibility, the Museum van de Caab, the stunning setting, the picnics, tours and restaurant – it’s a recipe that works just beautifully. It’s a place where history and tradition are held up high and it creates a feeling of authenticity that gives you a big fat smile on your face and a good feeling in your heart – what more could you ask from a wine farm?
Hmm… maybe nice wines? Ok, let’s have a look. The terroir is excellent for Rhone style cultivars, and the winemakers have a lot of creativity to use this fact to make their wines a bit more ‘unusual’. They’re also the only SA winery to use the ancient method of desiccation, which leads to a concentration of flavours and colours. Does it work? Oh boy, you bet!
My favourite whites: Amalie, a beautifully balanced blend of Grenache blanc and Viognier. And the Koloni – who gets the idea of blending 2 kinds of Muscat and Riesling, put it in oak to make – NOT a sweet wine? It’s a wine in its own class, nothing like I’ve ever tasted. A revelation of possibilities…
And the reds? The Hiervandaan – Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan and Viognier blend. Fruit, wood, tannins – all are there in complex layers that let you discover something new every time you taste. Perfect to sit at the fireplace on a cold winter evening, philosophizing about life. I’m not a big fan of their flagship Africana Shiraz, but then I’m not a big Shiraz fan in general. The sparkling Cape Jazz Shiraz, on the other hand, is a super nice summer party wine, somehow similar to a Lambrusco, and will appeal to almost everybody. Their recently launched Gemoedsrus, a port-style wine made from Shiraz, fermented with ‘grappa’ is definitely worth a try as well.
It’s my favourite wine farm, with an atmosphere that is emotionally appealing and wines that are intellectually engaging – for me the perfect mix. A must-visit, if you haven’t been there.
Family run wine farm – ring the bell and someone will open for you and do a really personal tasting. Down to earth, no frills. If you’re lucky enough to get winemaker Danie to give you a cellar tour, you’ll realize how much of his passion goes into the wine.
Love their Chenin, they go through great effort to cool the grapes from the harvest to the tank and you can taste it. The Merlot won the last WineMag challenge, but probably sold out by now. Steytler range is excellent as well, but a bit pricy. Great “Cape Husk Brandy” (=Grappa).
Worth a visit anytime.
@__MrHyde
It’s just bad, what else could I say – for more details look down to Jan Laubscher’s review. Considering that most ‘bus tourists’ come here for their only wine tasting, they’re getting the completely wrong impression of South African wine. What a shame for the whole industry. Ok, the farm is beautiful, but you can only enjoy their wines if you’re wasted already. With the exception of the Shiraz 2007 – but for more than 100 Rand you’ll get something nicer next door – at Eagle’s Nest for example. It’s time that other wineries in Constantia finally open on a Sunday as alternative for this sorry excuse of a tasting ‘experience’. @__MrHyde
Very cozy and personal tasting experience. You feel like you’re sitting in someone’s living room. Staff is very friendly, knowledgeable – I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. The wines are excellent – the Viognier is one of the view white wines I’d enjoy drinking in winter in front of the fire place, very nicely balanced wood, caramel, vanilla and marzipan flavours. The Shiraz is nominated for 5* Platter rating and rightly so – yum! Pay them a visit, you’ll not regret it!