Cape Wines with a Wine Guru

19/07/2022

Last night's wine. A chilled rose and my first taste of a wine from Corsica. Interesting blend of Sciaccarellu and Niellucia. Citrus nose which follows to a lime palate. Paired with a Salad Nicoise. Ideal pairing in the current heatwave.

19/07/2022

Back from our UK sojourn on Saturday. Will be taking tour bookings from Tuesday after a break tasting an array of European wines.

15/03/2022

A grape thief enjoying himself on the leftovers.

15/03/2022

What the winery aspires to.

15/03/2022

Harvest in full swing. Merlot week. Fantastic grapes. Luscious ripe fruit, lovely brown seeds (pips).

14/03/2022

Interesting article. South African Bordeaux blends and Rhone style blends and Shiraz which we regularly taste on my Cape Wine tours are accorded favourable mention. However they are often available at the cellar door whilst impossible to find at run of the mill outlets. Perhaps another reason to consider joining us on a tour!!

Sold out. Its been an interesting past couple of weeks in the wine trade. As I sit sipping on a recently released bottle of Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon

08/03/2022

A gift from my guest from Pommard, Burgundy. A real and rare treat in store for us

08/03/2022

Had a fascinating and very interesting day with the owner of one of the most prestigious wineries in Pommard, Burgundy. Special thanks to Jeff Grier of Villiera, Lola Nicholls of Mitres Edge and Alistair Rimmer of de Morgenzon for affording my guest the time to discuss aspects viticultural and fermentation at this busy time.

15/02/2022

Fully operational at last. Tour bookings picking up and with the harvest in full swing a great time to visit the wineries. Book through my Airbnb link. If your preferred date is not open send me a message via Airbnb and I will do my best to accommodate you.

17/11/2021

Excited as I did my first Cape Wines Experience last week in 21 months. Very gratified with guests feedback. Click on the link on Facebook to access availability and reviews. Great to be hosting tourists again.

20/09/2021

Fully vaccinated so looking forward to once again hosting my Airbnb Wine Guru tours. The wineries are waiting for us so why not make a booking. Click on the Airbnb link to access availability and for a full description of the tour. In the interim hone your tasting palate.
Looking forward to spending time with you. 😁

12/07/2021

Good news. I get my second vaccination on Thursday 15th July. Once we are out of tier 4 I will be looking to commence wine tours again.

18/10/2020

Just back from spending 2 days in the lovely Breede River Valley wine region. A little off the beaten track but magnificent scenery to back up the quality wines. Second pic is taken from the tasting veranda at the Opstal Winery.

12/10/2020

Today, 12th October, is International Pinotage Day. In the past few years this unique grape from South Africa is making its presence felt internationally. Not tried it; then see if you can track some down for tonight's meal.
https://www.capetownmagazine.com/pinotage

It has a fan club dedicated to its awesomeness, well-attended wine festivals across the country. There’s even a white wine pinotage – and that’s just three of the impressive facts on pinotage.

12/10/2020

My kind of article!!!
https://www.thelist.com/44796/really-happens-body-drink-wine-every-night/

If you usually enjoy a glass of wine after winding down from a long day, get ready for some serious health benefits.

07/10/2020

Confused about which wines are what? We love this infographic of famous wine blends!

Take a look at this infographic detailing 19 well known wine blends from around the world and the grapes they contain.

01/10/2020

Visited Stellenbosch yesterday. The first shoots of spring showing on the Chardonnay vines at one of my favorite wineries. Not too long before they are transformed into those of the second photo.
Exciting news!! With South Africa on Covid 19 Level 1 the South African Government announced yesterday that it has opened its borders from 1st October to the following non African continent countries;
Australia, Canada, Finland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and the UAE.

14/09/2020

Exciting news for US travellers. It seems that South Africa is about to re-open its borders to international travellers. This in time for northern hemisphere travellers to escape the winter and enjoy the delights of a Southern Africa summer.
Even more exciting is that Delta will be offering flights to Cape Town out of Atlanta whilst United will be offering them from Newark, New Jersey.
Having been in hiatus since mid March I am really looking forward to again welcoming overseas visitors on my Airbnb wine tours, CAPE WINES WITH THE WINE GURU.
As the first Airbnb experience in Cape Town to receive 100 Five Star Reviews, I provide my guests with a veritable tasting indulgence.
This review from Lauren in March 2020 is one of my last pre lockdown.

Incredible, book this! The two of us joined another couple for a tour of the wineries with David. David took us to five different wineries, including one with a cheese/wine pairing and one for lunch, that were all spectacular. We were able to try large variety of great wines with beautiful views. David is incredibly friendly and has a unique background. He shared with us history of South Africa, wine, and himself. David picked us up from where we were staying, which was very convenient. He gave as a mini tour of the region and explained the itinerary as we drove to the first stop. He is very experienced with wine and was able to help us understand what we were tasting. He has clearly built friendships with the wine makers. We were able to tour the cellars and have a quiet tasting, often joined by the wine maker as well. The tours felt very private and personalized. Overall it felt like we were being introduced to new friends, with the friends we just met. We would come back to South Africa again just to experience this region and trip with David again. Highly recommend!

Access my Airbnb Webpage on the link below:
https://www.airbnb.co.za/experiences/11132

10/09/2020

Hoopenburg Estate: Pinot Noir Vertical Tasting.

For wine enthusiasts young warm climate Pinot Noirs have a marked depth of flavour but without the acidity of cooler climate ones whilst young cool climate Pinots, whilst refreshing, might often lack nuance.
But what of older vintages?
Conventional wisdom is that Pinot Noir does not usually age well.
Wine writers frequently allude to the fact that warm climate Pinot Noirs, think California and our own South Africa, should be drunk within four to five years. But does this square with reality.
Having recently tasted a well aged Burgundy whilst in France I can attest to the fact that the one I tasted which was 15 years old, was excellent. Pale in colour with a lovely bouquet with cinnamon and leather it tasted fresh and very satisfying.
This rather long preamble brings me to a recent vertical tasting I conducted of 3 Hoopenburg Pinot Noirs. These were tasted alongside each other so my panel could revisit each for comparative purposes.
The three vintages were 2002, 2004 and 2006. I invited a tasting panel of 9, not professionals but enthusiastic 40 plus year olds. My thinking being that whilst I too would be tasting I would be guided by their consensus.
For me the 2002 had hint of port on the nose. This, the oldest of the 3, was for me smooth and mellow on the palate.
Descriptions by my panel were a bit blue cheesey and biltong (a South African dried meat delicacy) like. One view was complex with a “bit of attitude”. The general view was that whilst these nuances added to the overall mystique of a 16 year old wine any remaining bottles would need to be polished off in the relatively near future. Notwithstanding this 3 of the panel enjoyed this aged wine rather more than the latter two.
Next up were the 2004 and 2006. I have grouped these together because the panels view was there was not much to choose between them. Whilst young Pinots often evidence red berry nuances, think strawberry and raspberry with perhaps hints of red cherry, these old vintages had evolved into something unexpected namely earthy tones of mushrooms and even some floral undertones. Also, whilst one was expecting some indication of Brett, none was in evidence.
The general view was that both had held up extremely with fruit still very much in evidence but with a complexity not evident in younger Pinots.
To sum up all 3 wines were still eminently drinkable with the 2006 shading the 2004.
However perhaps the best indication of the evening is that in the dinner that followed all three were quickly polished off. Thankfully, our host had a bottle of 2006 which was also drunk with alacrity.

David Geary is a graduate of the Cape Wine Academy and has hosted South African wine tastings internationally.
This review and others may be found on the Hoopenburg website under the news section.
www.hoopenburg.co.za

02/09/2020

Looking forward to return to the place I celebrated my birthday 2 years ago. La Maison Penet is a spectacular estate in Champagne! They are hiring grape pickers so if spending time in Champagne, France is on your bucket list, now is your chance.

25/08/2020

Following my son in laws challenge of the 5 South African wines in our collection that we most look forward to I chose the following.

No 1 Villiera Monro Sparking Wine 2012. A vintage sparking wine from Villiera. Only released in 2018. It was awarded the Trophy for best Sparking Wine at the Guildhall in London by the judges of the International Wine Challenge beating off all international challenger's. Also SA Top Sparking Wine.
No 2 Slaley Shiraz 2007. Lola's Nicholls of Mitres Edge brothers estate on the Kromme Rhee Road in Stellenbosch. He tends to hold back his wines until they are ready. E and I have tasted it at the estate and it is an excellent example of a Shiraz falling between a Northern Rhone style and an in your face Australian.
No 3. Mitres Edge Sholto 2012. Bordeaux blends tend to be my favourite and this is right up there with the best. 39% Cab Sauv, 26% Merlot, 17% Cab Franc, 9% Malbec, 9% Petit Verdot. Gold medals at the SA Wine Awards and the SA Sommeliers selection.
No 4 Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2014. The most expensive SA wine I have, currently retails at about R650. Was presented to me by Airbnb when I achieved the distinction of being their first 100 5 Star Experience host in Africa. Also a Bordeaux blend. 74% Cab Sauv, 17% Merlot and 9% Cab Franc.
No 5. Boschkloof Conclusion 2016. Not a true Bordeaux blend as it has a touch of Syrah Was awarded 96/100 by UK Master of Wine Tim Atkins in his 2018 South African wine report. 65% Cab Sauv, 22% Cab Franc, 9% Merlot and 4% Syrah.
Looking forward to tucking into them.

13/08/2020

York Food and Drink Festival 27th September 2018. Promotional Video

12/08/2020

The Chateau Leoville Barton he is bleating about. Untouched and in pristine condition,

12/08/2020

Given lockdown members of our wine tasting group were thrown out a challenge by my son in law who is a member of the group. What follows is the challenge and his wine choices.
I have decided to challenge you all to go into your cellars and take a picture of the 5 bottles of wine that mean something to you or that you are most looking forward to drinking in the future.
1: The first one I chose was the Sholto by Mitres Edge. I love all the wine from Mitres Edge. I really like Lola the winemaker and it has been great going into her cellar to have tastings with her. I have also been there with most of you and that is what makes drinking wine pleasurable for me. It is the social aspect of it and the good memories
2. The second bottle was given to me by DG and whilst champagne is not top of the tree to me there is something very special about champagne, it speaks to good times and being spoilt. Whilst we make great MCC in SA the French champagnes are always the gold standard. There is an extravagance to them.
3: The third one is a Tria Corda from Overgaauw. This never lets you down. To date probably still the best wine I have ever drunk. It also reminds me of my Dad, who normally has a R50 limit on wine, as when we drank this at Christmas one year he declared it to be the best wine he had ever had.
4: The 4th wine is the Grand Constance from Groot Constantia. Everyone should drink this once in their live. It was Napoleons wine of choice. It is simply delicious.

You will note there is no 5th Bottle. That is because the 2nd growth French Bordeaux that Andy gave me is sitting in DG’s maturation fridge. I have never drunk a second growth before and I am so looking forward to trying it. I just hope DG hasn’t drunk it. DG please send a picture.

21/06/2020

It looks as though lock down is as last being eased and we may soon be able to visit a restaurant. However uncertainty remains as to when we will again be able to visit wineries to sample the fruit of the vine. Until this happens we continue with our weekly Wine and Dine pairings.
This week we decided to go old world and pair what was very much a Sunday lunch meal in the 60’s – Roast Chicken with all the trimmings. The question was what wine to pair it with?
Conventional wisdom says a white wine. However since chicken can be a bit higher in fat contact and as Elaine was preparing a side dish of broccoli and cauliflower in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce I decide to break convention and go with a red wine. To counter the creaminess and possible fattiness I choose a 2017 Pinot Noir from Hoopenburg. Pinot Noir tends to have a higher acidity than reds in general and I felt this would be an ideal pairing. I was not wrong!!
Pinot Noir generally does better in cooler climates, as its trademark delicacy and acidity, tend to disappear in warmer climates.
However this is not the case with this Stellenbosch grown Pinot Noir. Harvested from low yielding bush vines it is medium-bodied and ruby coloured, with bright acidity, soft tannins and alcohol of 14%. On the nose is exudes red cherry, red berries, a hint of forest floor, spice and mushrooms. It has lovely complex flavours that include red cherry, raspberry, mushroom plus vanilla, from a year in used French oak barrels, and a lovely palate feel.
With the food I think I can say, truly a match made in heaven.
This wine is available at the estate cellar door.

11/06/2020

Given the current cooler weather we decided that for our latest Wine and Dine meal we would pair a bold red wine with a medium rare pepper fillet. We thus chose a Villiera Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 which was awarded a Gold Medal at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge: 2018. Fifty percent of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes hail from Devon Valley with the balance from Villiera. In addition 5% Cabernet Franc is in the blend. The grapes were crushed and fermented in pump over fermenters at ± 25° C. Racking to barrels only took place following malolactic fermentation. Thereafter it was matured for just over a year in French oak barrels of which 25 % were new.
The wine was opened an hour and a half before the meal and has a lovely garnet colour. On the nose black fruit abounds whilst we picked up hints of mint, violet and cedar wood. These followed through to the palate with Black cherry and Damson (Black plum) evident with a hint of vanilla. With accessible tannins and nicely balanced acidity it was a perfect match for our medium rare pepper fillet.
The 2015 vintage is no longer available at the estate but stock of the 2016 is available.

05/06/2020

Our latest Wine and Dine review. Last night Elaine prepared a superb Creamy Sweet Chilli, Prawn and Salmon Pasta. Pairing a wine with a spicy dish can be a problem but fortunately we have stock of our favourite Neethlingshof Gewurtztraminer 2018. In Europe is is largely grown in Alsace and Germany and in the latter country it is invariably dry to tone down its natural flamboyance. Gewurtz actually means spicy and this made it an ideal counterfoil to the sweet chillis.
Not widely grown in South Africa, it can be a temperamental but if the terroir is right is produces a lovely wine. Because of its often complex bouquet it has been referred to, by those who dislike it, as having a nose like a “tart’s boudoir”.
This one is dry and evidenced a lovely rose petal, honey and Turkish Delight nose. The taste was in harmony with a hint of sweet citrus giving it a nicely balanced acidity which offset the creaminess of the sauce.
If you have yet to try Gewurtztraminer give it a try it with spicy Asian dishes like Thai Green Curry.

28/05/2020

Our most recent Wine and Dine pairing saw a pairing of Elaine’s outstanding Spanish Paella with a Hoopenburg Integer Chardonnay 2015. The Chardonnay, which is a flagship wine from Hoopenburg, was a gold medal winner. The grapes are from estate grown low yielding bushvines. After pressing the juice is fermented in used oak barrels and thereafter spends 12 months in wood. After 12 months specific barrel selection takes place with only the best being barrels making the cut. Despite its age the colour is, somewhat surprisingly, pale gold. The bouquet is characterized by notes of vanilla, butterscotch and damp forest floor. At 5 years old is is drinking beautifully with the tropical fruit somewhat muted and a creamy taste characterised by a lovely nuttiness and caramel. This wine is no longer available at the cellar door. However the 2018 has been released.

18/05/2020

The fourth of our lockdown Wine and Dine meals. On this occasion we paired a Slaley 2008 Pinotage with a roast, rosemary and garlic infused Leg of Lamb. The lovely succulent lamb was courtesy of Sack’s Butchery in Westlake, Cape Town, with an added bonus being that online
orders are delivered.
To say the least a little worried that the wine, being 12 years old, might have peaked or worse.
However the wine turned out to be a joy. A beautiful deep red with little hint of age it has a generously perfumed nose of Black Cherry and Plum. This is followed through to the palate with the added attraction of a hint of liquorice. At 12 years old the tannins have softened and harmoniously balanced with the acidity. Truly a memorable pairing.
For those for whom Pinotage is a new name, it was propagated in Stellenbosch and is a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Cinsault (previously known in South Africa as Hermitage).
In the early 1990’s Pinotage reviews were often characterised by either a love or hate relationship.
However this recent quote from an article by Jane MacQuitty of The Times of London emphasises how far Pinotage has come.
“One of this winter’s biggest wine surprises is how delicious pinotage has become. Top-drawer pinotage has lots of body, alcohol and colour, but with less fruit and acidity than you might expect. For me, the best low-yielding, old-bush-vine, pinotage sites deliver bold, ---- black cherry and spice-laden reds.”
This wine is available at the winery cellar door.

10/05/2020

Just celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary. Decided to do something different so we got dressed up and instead of nowhere to go we had a slap up meal at home. Downton Abbey without the staff? No quite but you get my drift. Beef Wellington with all the trimmings, followed by Ice Cream topped with a Chocolate Ganache.
We chose a wine fit for the occasion. Mitres Edge 2015 Cabernet Franc.
This wine was the South African Cabernet France Challenge trophy winner and in my view rightfully so. Its a beautifully balanced big red. Although Cabernet Franc tends to be more lightly pigmented the Cabernet Sauvignon, it produces wines with similar intensity and richness.
This wine has a perfume with notes of raspberries, violets and blackcurrants. It is also characterized by green bell peppers. With soft tannins and black berry fruit it has a lovely mouthfeel and finish.
This wine is no longer available at the cellar door but its sibling gold medal winner is.