Raw Honey

Raw honey has grabbed our attention...not only because of its health qualities but did you know they make wine from honey? 

Mead is also called honey wine.  It is an alcoholic beverage that is produced by fermenting a solution of honey and water. It may also be produced by fermenting a solution of water and honey with grain mash, which is strained immediately after fermentation. Depending on local traditions and specific recipes, it may be flavoured with spices, fruit, or hops (which produce a bitter, beer-like flavor). The alcoholic content of mead may range from about 8% to 18%. It may be still, carbonated, or naturally sparkling, and it may be dry, semi-sweet, or sweet.  Mead is known from many sources of ancient history throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia, although archaeological evidence of it is ambiguous. Its origins are lost in prehistory.

Raw honey with its many health benefits is our topic today.

Long before drugstores pushed honey into the realm of folk remedy, it was used worldwide in the most acute of applications. The earliest recorded medical texts describing the use of honey are from Egypt, more than 4,000 years ago; as well as being used to treat burns and wounds, it was employed to calm diarrhoea and inflammation. In World War I, doctors mixed honey with cod-liver oil to treat injured soldiers. Honey fell out of favour as a go-to antibiotic quite recently---during the Second World War, when the pharmaceutical industry came to power.

Truly raw honey, as it remains in its original, fresh-from-the-hive form, is a much richer source of nutrition than the pasteurized form. For one, it retains all of its original enzymes (which are part of what makes it such a potent anti-infective), as well as a wide range of vitamins and minerals (calls micronutrients). The micronutrient content of honey varies depending upon the flowers the bees used to make it, so bees that aren't constrained to a single flower (clover honey, for instance) produce more nutrient-rich honey.

Raw honey is relatively easy to identify. First, smell it to be sure that it has a strong, distinct honey smell. Pasteurized honey has had much of its "stuffing" knocked out of it by means of heat-processing, and has a much weaker scent. Second, look along the top of the (ideally glass) bottle. Are there bubbles? If there are, it still contains the honey's natural surfactant, which would have been removed by pasteurization. If you're still unsure, put it in the coldest part of your fridge and wait a few hours. If it freezes, it almost certainly contains added sugar or preservatives---raw honey won't freeze in the fridge.

Honey supports healing and calms inflammation. As such, it's quite useful in a wide array of applications. A potent natural antibiotic, physicians have topically applied raw honey to wounds since the dawn of recorded history. It calms allergy symptoms, soothes gastrointestinal distress, heals stomach ulcers, lessens insomnia, and is even a useful tool to eliminate bedwetting. Many herbalists and naturopaths advocate the use of raw honey, applied directly to the skin, to aid in the healing of (and prevent scarring in) surgical wounds and burns.

The reason that honey is subjected to pasteurization in so many cases is that there is a slight danger inherent in consuming it; however, this danger is eliminated if one sources one's raw honey locally, from an organic farmer. Since the honey-producing bees harvest the nectar directly from flowers, any chemical that the flowers have been subjected to will make its way into the honey. Organic practices null this risk. Furthermore, tiny levels of botulism spores occasionally make their way into raw honey; if fed to an infant, the spores can grow in their immature digestive tracts and release a toxin.

Here are some more ways to utilize the healing power of honey:

BURNS - Apply freely over burns. It cools, removes pain and aids fast healing without scarring. Apart from being a salve and an antibiotic, bacteria simply cannot survive in honey.

BED WETTING - A teaspoon of honey before bed aids water retention and calms fears in children.

INSOMNIA - A dessertspoon of honey in a mug of warm milk aids sleep and works wonders.

HYPERACTIVITY - Replace all use of white sugar with honey. White sugar is highly stimulating with no food qualities. Honey provides the energy without the "spike."

NASAL CONGESTION - Place a dessertspoon of honey in a basin of water and inhale fumes after covering your head with a towel over the basin. Very effective!

FATIGUE - Dissolve a dessertspoon of honey in warm water or quarter honey balance of water in a jug and keep in the fridge. Honey is primarily fructose and glucose, so it's quickly absorbed by the digestive system. Honey is a unique natural stabilizer: Ancient Greek athletes took honey for stamina before competing and as a reviver after competition.

FACIAL DEEP CLEANSER - Mix honey with an equal quantity of oatmeal, and apply as a face pack. Leave on for half an hour, then wash it off. Great as a deep cleanser for acne and other unwanted blemishes.

POOR DIGESTION - Mix honey with an equal quantity of apple cider vinegar and dilute to taste with water. This is also wonderful for the joints – and promotes weight loss.

HAIR CONDITIONER - Mix honey with an equal quantity of olive oil, cover head with a warm towel for half an hour then shampoo off. Feeds hair and scalp. Your hair will never look or feel better!

SORE THROATS - Let a teaspoon of honey melt in the back of the mouth and trickle down the throat. Eases inflamed raw tissues.

FOR STRESS - Honey in water is a stabilizer, calming highs and raising lows. Use approximately 25 percent honey to water.

ANEMIA - Honey is the best blood en icher by raising corpuscle content. The darker the honey, the more minerals it contains.

FOOD PRESERVATIVE – If you replace the sugar in cake and cookie recipes with honey, they'll stay fresher longer due to honey's natural antibacterial properties. Reduce liquids in the mixture by about one-fifth to allow for the moisture present in the in honey.

BABY'S BOTTLE - Four teaspoons of honey to a baby's bottle of water is an excellent pacifier and multivitamin additive. If the baby's motions are too liquid, then reduce the honey by half a teaspoon; if too solid increase by half a teaspoon. (Caution: Don't give raw honey to babies under 1 year old; it's just too rich.) For teething, honey rubbed on a baby's gums is also a mild sedative and anaesthetic.

OSTEOPOROSIS – Research has shown that a teaspoon of honey per day aids calcium utilization and prevents osteoporosis – probably not a bad idea for anyone over 50.

LONGEVITY - The most long-lived people in the world are all regular users of honey. An interesting fact, yet to be explained, is that beekeepers suffer less from cancer and arthritis than any other occupational group worldwide.

MIGRAINE - Use a dessertspoon of honey dissolved in half a glass of warm water. Sip at the start of a migraine attack, and, if necessary, repeat after another 20 minutes.

CONJUNCTIVITIS - Dissolve honey in an equal quantity of warm water. When cooled, apply as a lotion or eye bath.

COUGH MIXTURE – Combine 6 ounces (170 grams) liquid honey, 2 ounces (55 grams) glycerine and the juice of two lemons. Mix well. Bottle and cork firmly, and use as required.

Raw honey may become granulated, as some does after a week and another maybe only after several years. If the granulations bother you, simply place the honey into a pan of hot water (not boiling) and let it stand until becoming liquid again.

The heat is on!

With the heat waves we have been experiencing the past view weeks, everyone is asking how this will affect the harvest…when a sudden rise in temperature occurs the grapes are forced ripe and the sugar content rises.

In South Africa we typically harvest from February to April.

During this period, growers closely monitor the development of the grapes. At the most basic level, as the berries ripen, they become sweeter. The acidity levels decrease and the sugars, which will be fermented into alcohol, increase; the more sugar in the grapes, the higher the potential alcohol level of the wine. In addition, in red grapes, the skin color begins to intensify in darkness. Flavour compounds develop, showing more fruit and fewer vegetal characteristics, and the tannins—compounds found in skins, stems and seeds that contribute to texture and structure—soften.

The weather has a tremendous impact on how the grapes in a given year will behave in a bottle of wine. For starters, the ideal weather for growing grapes includes a winter that is cool with good moisture. However, once spring hits heavy moisture is “discouraged” and throughout the summer cool nights with moderate days is the goal. During the actual harvest, wineries are praying for dry weather to bring the grapes home.

Heat waves shorten the ripening time of the grape leading to pronounced sugar ripening rather than phenolic ripening (a sudden increase in heat causes the sugar levels in the grape to rise faster than usual). This results in lower acid levels and hence higher pH levels. On the other hand phenolic ripeness increases with more time on the vine. However grapes need to be picked at the correct degree balling (a measure of sugar levels in the grape) in order to ensure the consequent alcohol level is where it needs to be.

Acids are very important structural components of wine. If a wine is too low in acid, it tastes flat and dull. If a wine is too high in acid, it tastes too tart and sour. Usually, the winemaker can easily manipulate the acidity.

Grapes grown in warmer climates have lower acidity than grapes grown in cooler climates.

The warmer the climate the higher the sugar content of the grapes.

In summary, warmer climates result in high sugar and low acid whereas cooler climates result in low sugar and high acid.

Winemakers may test grape juice, from a sampling of grapes across different parcels of a vineyard, in a lab to check pH and Brix (a measurement of sugar) to help them determine how ripe the grapes are. But they’ll also head into the vineyards regularly—sometimes daily—to taste and examine the grapes in the weeks leading up to harvest. They’re checking for what's referred to as phenolic maturity or physiological ripeness—gauging the intensity and character of flavours and the quality of the tannins. They'll look at skin thickness, berry texture, seed colour and texture and whether the stems have turned from green to brown. Ultimately, winegrowers are seeking a good balance between the sugars, acidity, tannins and flavour compounds.

Wineries want to get the grapes to crush, where the grapes are not “smashed” but “gently split” so that the juice starts to flow, as quickly as possible. Great pains are taken to escalate the process, while keeping the grapes from becoming too warm during the transport from vineyard to the crusher. For example, many grape varietals are cut from the vine in the cool, early morning hours.

If you harvest too soon, you will probably end up getting a wine too low in alcohol content (there won't have been enough sugar to convert to alcohol). These wines will be "thin." If you delay harvest, there may be too much sugar, which leads to too low acid content. This also affects the taste (and the aging possibilities) of the wine.

Depending on the grape variety, region and wine style, the ripening process can last anywhere from 30 to 70 days. Some grapes, like Tempranillo, ripen quickly. Others, like Petit Verdot, ripen long after other varieties are being transformed into wine. As for regions, cooler climates, like Hermanus, typically have longer ripening cycles, while hotter ones, like Robertson, have shorter cycles.

As harvest nears, growers follow weather reports very carefully to stay ahead of sudden changes. Heat waves, excessive rain and even frost can ruin a crop. A year's worth of hard work can be wiped out by a hailstorm days before picking. Sometimes a grower is forced to pick early rather than risk losing his crop or needs to leave grapes hanging longer than expected to dry out and regain balance after heavy rain.

The date of harvest is rarely ever the same from one year to the next, so winegrowers must call it as best they can. Pick too early, and tannins may be "green," or bitter and underdeveloped. Pick too late and the sugar levels may get too high, resulting in a flabby, unbalanced wine.

Finally, the style of wine being made also influences the time of harvest. In sparkling wines, high acidity is desirable, so the harvest is early. In dessert wines, by contrast, it's the sugar that counts and, thus, a late harvest.

Gin

Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries (Juniperus communis). From its earliest beginnings in the Middle Ages, gin has evolved over the course of a millennium from a herbal medicine to an object of commerce in the spirits industry. Today, the gin category is one of the most popular and widely distributed ranges of spirits, and is represented by products of various origins, styles, and flavour profiles that all revolve around juniper as a common ingredient.

Prepared to be blown away by these amazing, truly South African, gins!

Jorgensen’s gin is handcrafted in small batches from fine traditional as well as contemporary African aromatic botanicals, featuring wild harvested tuscan juniper, angelica, orris and calamus roots, naartjie, cape lemon and cumcuat, grains of paradise, rare African ginger, exotic ohondua, coriander apricot kernels, liquorice, cardamom, nutmeg and clove.

This exception-to-the-rule gin is hand crafted in tiny batches in a copper pot still.  The botanicals for each batch are suspended in the still above the purest wine spirit to bathe in its vapours.  This gentle bathing gives the gin delicacy and finesse appreciated by almost nobody as they only make small amounts for one-in-a-million individuals.

Inverroche is an independent and family run distillery which lies at the confluence of the Goukou River and Indian Ocean on the southern shores of Africa.

Here, mellow summers and misty winters create the rich Cape Floral Kingdom from which Inverroche gins are made.

Inverroche premium pot still gins are handcrafted in small batches.  What makes them unique is the addition of aromatic varieties of Cape fynbos botanicals which are found only along the southern coast of South Africa.  The dynamic environment at the tip of Africa brings forth subtle seasonal variances in the botanicals.  Therefore each year, Inverroche gin has it own nuanced identity.

 

You can taste and buy Inverroche and Jorgensen's Gin at Wine Village.

Please email us for further enquiries.

 

Bubbly

Champagne first gained world renown because of its association with the anointment of French kings. Royalty from throughout Europe spread the message of the unique sparkling wine from Champagne and its association with luxury and power in the 17th, 18th and 19th century. The leading manufacturers devoted considerable energy to creating a history and identity for their wine, associating it and themselves with nobility and royalty. Through advertising and packaging they sought to associate Champagne with high luxury, festivities, and rites of passage.

Sparkling wine is wine with enough levels of carbon dioxide to make the drink bubbly. Sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France is called champagne.

Methode Cap Classique (MCC) denotes a South African sparkling wine made by the traditional Champagne method. Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin blanc have been the traditional Cap Classique grapes but the use of Chardonnay and Pinot noir have been on the increase. 

The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved (as in the Charmat process), or as a result of carbon dioxide injection.

The most common method used in France for producing is by ‘methode champenoise’ or the champagne method. This process basically consists of the secondary fermentation happening in the bottle. After the primary fermentation and bottling certain amount of selected yeast and sugar are added in the bottle and it is closed with a crown cap. The wine is then left to age for a minimum prescribed period. On completion of this period the bottled are taken out and placed in special racks at a 45 degrees angle. They are taken out every few days and slightly shaken and then replaced in the racks at a slightly steeper angle. This process continues till the bottles are pointing straight down. This process ensures that the sediment of the yeast settles in the neck. The neck is then frozen and the cap removed pushing the sediment out. The bottle is quickly topped up and corked.

The sweetness of sparkling wine can range from very dry "brut" styles to sweeter "doux" varieties.

The cork flies at such speeds when released because of the pressure built up behind it.

The second fermentation process of champagne, also known as, en triage is where the pressure is built up. During the second fermentation process of champagne, cane sugar and yeast is added to each bottle. The cane sugar and yeast produces alcohol and carbon dioxide, which is the source of the pressure in the champagne. This is also the reason why all champagnes have extremely thick corks.

The pressure of champagne varies from different champagnes. The sources I encountered ranged the pressure of champagne from 4 to 6 atmospheres.   

A pressure of this magnitude is only seen from double-decker bus tires and champagne. 

Ambeloui

We do not need a reason to drink bubbly...especially not when Ambeloui is concerned!

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines were planted at Ambeloui, situated in the picturesque valley of Hout Bay, in September 1995 when the Christodoulou family moved from Pretoria to settle in Cape Town. The house and wine production facility with maturation cellar surrounded by a garden of lavender and roses was established in 1996.

The cellar produces only Methode Cap Classique, a bottle fermented sparkling wine in the true Champagne tradition. Grapes are harvested primarily from their own and other vineyards in the maritime climatic valley of Hout Bay, supplemented by a limited quantity from the cool areas of Elgin. Harvesting takes place in late January and early February and carefully timed for optimum berry maturity and balance. Winemaker Nick and his assistant winemaker Alexis, together with the cellar staff of Alfred and David attend to the production, while Ann manages the sales and marketing.

The mainly hand operated specialist equipment used in the cellar was imported from France and Italy. Riddling still takes place in traditional wooden riddling racks and disgorgement is meticulously managed to produce the hand crafted fine wines offered by Ambeloui. In a normal year 7000 bottles are produced and aged on the lees for 2 to 3 years before release. 

Ambeloui is very proud of its bubbly and as the label says “enjoy every drop…you never know if you will find another bottle.”

To enquire about Ambeloui please click here.

Platter's South African Wine Guide

South Africa’s first and still best-selling wine annual, Platter's Guide is the comprehensive, up-to-date and authoritative guide to who's who and what's what in the winelands. Featuring hundreds of producers, negociants and brands, and thousands of individual wines, Platter's Guide packs everything you need to know about the South African wine scene into an informative and entertaining format.
The Platter star ratings gives you a good indication of what to expect from a wine, where five stars is the highest rating a wine can get.   

Platter's Guide was conceived in 1978 by wine lovers and print journalists John and Erica Platter, after reading Hugh Johnson's ground-breaking Pocket Wine Book. The couple wryly recall that the first (1980) edition – an attempt at assembling a local version of the Pocket Book, recording as many of the why, where, when and how specifics as possible – was dismissed as “boring” and a “waste of their money” by a compositor employed by the very company commissioned to do the printing! But three decades, two Best Wine Guide Worldwide awards, and well over a million copies later, we’d like to think the Platters were onto something.

Veritas

After almost two decades the Veritas Awards has earned its reputation as one of South Africa’s most authoritative and credible competitions for market ready wines.

The Awards with its coveted Veritas emblem, has become synonymous with top quality wines. The results are trusted implicitly when international as well as local wine buyers use them to assist in their buying decisions and also when the ordinary wine lover simply selects a bottle from the shelf to enjoy with dinner.

The first National Bottled Wine Show in South Africa was introduced by the SANWSA in 1990 and renamed the Veritas Awards from 1991.

Gold and double gold awards are of significant value to the wine industry as well, as it offers a prestigious image for the wine, winery and winemaker and contributes to growth in sales.

Veritas is the only wine competition in South Africa for the industry by the industry and there is no commercial gain for the organisers, the South African National Wine Association (SANWSA).