The Elgin valley had a busy weekend with the Open Gardens, so I don’t expect my experience at Iona the past Saturday to be representative of their tasting experience in general. They were third on our list of farms to visit, and the quality of the experience did not quite match up to what we experienced at other Elgin farms.

Their tasting room is still very new and quite sparse, but I like the idea of having one long table, where different tasting groups all sit together and discuss the wines. The wines left a bit to be desired, though. Their Sauvignon Blanc was very good, but I’ve come to expect that from Elgin Sauvignons and Iona’s does not exactly stand out among the competition. The Chardonnay was quite heavy (not really my style), and reeked of sulfur, which was a bit worrying. The reds were good, but nothing special. It’s also a pity their Syrah was not available for tasting. In their defense, they are currently on their fourth winemaker in five years, so it must be difficult to maintain consistent quality.

I was very disappointed to be charged a R20 tasting fee, the only farm in the area I’ve ever had to pay.

We have a coffee shop close to us that serve Môreson’s Miss Molly MCC. One Saturday afternoon we rocked up and they’re about to close. Unable to get our fix of the Miss Molly, we decide to drive to the estate in Franschhoek to buy a case (we love it that much!). While we’re there, we decide we might as well taste some of their other wines. The Miss Molly range was not available for tasting, but the Môreson range was. They have about four other Cap Classiques, which I enjoyed immensely. They have the usual Chardonnay/Pinot blend, as well as an interesting Pinotage/Chenin blend, available both as a regular Brut and as a Rosé.

Their pride and joy, however, is their Chardonnay, which impressed even me, a self-confessed member of the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) Club. They also have a delicious Pinotage (another varietal I’m normally not fond of).

The tasting room staff impressed me immensely. Our host, JP, was friendly, funny, knowledgeable and entertaining. I find that the tasting assistant can make or break the tasting, regardless of the quality of the wines on offer. Môreson seems to have gotten everything just right: good quality wines (at value-for-money prices) and great tasting room staff. I’ll be back for more soon!

Living in Stellenbosch, you get used to impersonal tasting experiences which you always have to pay for. Visiting the Elgin Valley is a nice change in scenery. Highlands Road Estate was probably the highlight of our visit. Mary was a fantastic host with fantastic wine knowledge and a wicked sense of humour. The wines at this estate is also top notch, particularly the Sauvignon Blanc and the Pinot Noir. I’ll definitely be back for more!

I decided to visit this farm since I heard they had the best-looking tasting room around. The tasting room and restaurant shares the same modern, clean, impressive space, making for a nice busy atmosphere. We sat down for a tasting and was informed that you can choose any 6 wines for a R30 tasting fee, which is a bit steep in my opinion. Our tasting assistant simply poured the wines without giving any information about them. However, when I asked a question, she answered knowledgeably. It’s just a pity you have to actively elicit this knowledge. Tasting rooms are great opportunities to educate the broader public about wine and I feel they are missing out on this opportunity by not giving as much information as possible up front.

The wines themselves were pretty decent, I just struggled to justify the slightly high asking prices. I guess they have to recoup the money that went into the fancy building somehow.

This cellar was on our way when we visited the Namaqualand, so we decided to stop here and taste a few of their wines. I started with the Sauvignon blanc, which was very sharp and grassy – not really my style. The barrel-fermented Viognier was quite good, if a little sweet for my taste. I tried the Shiraz next. Wonderful, complex nose, but it had a nasty bitter after-taste, so I decided to skip the rest of the reds and go straight for the dessert wines. The red muscadel was ok, but I much preferred the white. At R28 a bottle, it’s a real bargain.

The tasting assistant was friendly, but did not offer much information about the wines. Altogether a pretty pleasant experience. The wines are nothing special, but at those prices you can hardly expect show-stoppers.

Always up for something different, I decided to do the Tri-Nations Triple Tasting at Dombeya. We tasted the two Haskell wines, as well as a New Zealand Shiraz. Our host, Werner, made the experience very special with his enthusiasm and wine knowledge. Their cellar door experience is so far ahead of most estates in this area and I’ll definitely be back for more.

And the food at the Long Table Restaurant is not to be missed either!

The tasting room is quite small, but with a clean, modern look. Our tasting assistant was friendly and clearly knew the wines well. I really enjoyed their Riesling – they bottle two different lables: The drier, Stellenbosch-grown Riesling, as well as the slightly sweeter, more fruity Sutherland Riesling. The two styles vary considerably, but both are excellent! I’m planning another visit soon.

This must be the best-looking tasting room I’ve ever seen. A renovated Cape Dutch building with a thoroughly modern interior. Unfortunately all the tables were full, so we had to stand at the bar, which would have been a lot more comfortable if they thought to get some bar stools. The tasting assistant was friendly and knowledgeable and their wine was superb, though. And well priced. I would definitely visit this farm again.

I really like how they serve you all the wine at the same time in separate glasses. It makes it easy to compare the different wines you’ve chosen to taste. Having said that, the quality of the wine left a lot to be desired. The Ivory was quite good, but the others were somewhat disappointing. They have an interesting wine, the Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc, which is a blanc de noir. After tasting it I realised why white wine is not often made with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes: it really does not work.

I’m a big Riesling fan, but few wine estates make this varietal. I ordered a glass of Hartenberg Riesling at a restaurant once, and that prompted my visit to the estate. I got to taste both their 2007 and 2008 Riesling. The 2007 was harvested about a month later than they did in 2008, with the result being a slightly sweeter (but still nowhere near semi-sweet) wine. The 2008 was drier, which I preferred, even though it lost some of the complexity that you got from the 2007.
Their reds were equally good. They really know how to make a good Shiraz. Their Shiraz was not your typical, heavily-spicy wine. It was a bit lighter with a more fruity character than what you’d expect from a Shiraz.
So overall a very pleasant experience. The tasting assistant was friendly and knowledgeable, and they don’t even charge a tasting fee!