An Evening with Vondeling

The third Hermanus Wine Club tasting was all about the Vondeling wines in the Greater Paarl area. The farm is situated between Paarl and Swartland against the lush side of the Paardenberg. Winemaker, Matthew Copeland, spoke about the area as well as seven of the ten wines in Vondeling’s portfolio.

The style of the wine can be described as a “hint of old world - charismatic and minimal intervention style” with alcohol between 12.5% and 13.5%. The lush side of the mountain where the farm is situated contains many species of fynbos, including some which have not been seen in many years. The fynbos is referenced to through the names of some of the wines, most noticeably in the flagship wine, Erica Shiraz.

The Sauvignon Blanc is made in a more scientific style where the wine is fruit driven. The vineyards also only receive three lots of water during the year, which is very little considering that the farm is in a warmer area. The Chardonnay that was tasted is a 2011 vintage, which is older than some of the red wines offered. Matthew’s personal belief is to drink a wine young and enjoy its vibrancy or allow it to significantly age and enjoy the complexities it releases.

The Chardonnay is made in a more Burgandian fashion where the balance is heavier. There is minimal intervention in the making of the Chardonnay. The grapes are pre-chilled and there is no settling or sulphur added. There is also no yeast added nor tartic acid to the wine. The barrels are also double format which allows the Chardonnay a good expression of the vintage.

The Babiana is a white blend which is led by Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay and Grenache Blanc. The name of the wine is derived from the fynbos flower, the last of which had been seen in 1957, until recently after a controlled burn of the fynbos on the Vondeling farm. The blend is contains no less than 50% Chenin Blanc as it is a grape that forms a part of the South African wine heritage. The wine has a long finish and can still be enjoyed in three years’ time.

The Baldrick Shiraz has got a more bright hue which is an indication of acidity and pH levels. The Shiraz is made with five clones and contains Mouvèdre and Viognier, which allows for a more subtle and peppery characteristics to be showcased. There are raspberries and violets on the nose and palate, where the Mouvèdre brings more earthinesses to the wine.

The Erica Shiraz is the Flagship wine of the cellar and is named after the indigenous flower that grows on the farm. The colour of the flower is the same hue as the capsule of the bottle. The Shiraz is made with three clones, which increase in richness. Matthew states that it is “Hard to make great wine off Shiraz”.

The final wine of the evening was the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon which was only in the second year of production. The Cabernet Sauvignon is made from a single vineyard which indicates that it from a single clone and location. The wine has mint characteristics and is eager and sleek.

Vondeling is the only known location of the Babiana noctiflora flower, a fynbos which had not been seen since 1957. There has been a new fynbos discovered, which the name of will be auctioned off in the near future. A photography book about the fynbos on Vondeling will also be released soon. Vondeling is open to the public from Monday to Friday 09:00-17:00 and Saturdays and public holidays by appointment.

The Hermanus Wine Club meets the first Tuesday of every month and each evening has a theme. The full roster is available on the website and guests are more than welcome to join.

2012 Pinot Noir Tasting with Hannes Storm

Hannes Storm and Paul du Toit 

 The theme of the third Wine Village Wine Club was Pinot Noir and was presented by Hannes Storm where he introduced the two wines from his own label, Storm Wines. Hannes has been the winemaker at Hamilton Russell for the last 10 years and has been with the farm for 13 years. He has a history with Pinot Noir as the subject of his final year seminar at university. His brother is also a wine maker but is situated in California, where he also focuses on Pinot Noir and created the label in 2006.

Five Pinot Noirs were tasted over the duration of the evening and the vintage of all of the wines were from 2012. The wines tasted were Newton Johnson’s Family Vineyards Pinot Noir, Storm Wines’ Moya and Vrede Pinot Noir, Sumaridge Pinot Noir 2012 and Bouchard Finlayson’s Galpin Peak Pinot Noir. Of the wines, three were from the Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley, while the last two were from the Hemel an Aarde Valley itself. The distance between the two areas is not large but the differences in the soil allows for different characteristics of the wine to be showcased.

The 2012 year was one of the best in terms of weather as it was dry and moderately warm throughout the ripening period as it allowed for the grapes to ripen slowly. “Pinot Noir need a few years to reach optimal drinking time, but we drink it when the wines are too young, but it is very hard to keep wines for four to five years due to financial constraints or popularity,” states Hannes.

Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Pinot Noir is made in the classic style with a European feel to the wine. The colour of the wine is slightly more garnet than the rest of the wine tasted and the nose of the wine has notes of mushroom. The vines are situated in the Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley, where it is cooler than the Valley below them, which causes the harvest to lag for about 2 weeks than their neighbours in the Hemel en Aarde Valley.

The Sumaridge Pinot Noir 2012 is unreleased as of this moment and the wine was presented from unlabelled bottles. The vines are in the Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley and are situated close to the Onrus River on unique decompressed granite soil which allows for more feminine characteristics of the Pinot Noir to be showcased. The Pinot Noir makes use of 16 year old vine material, which adds intensity to the wine. There is grunt strength tannin structure in the wine which allows for a bigger style of Pinot Noir to be produced. Dark cherries are a predominant characteristic of the Sumaridge Pinot Noir.

The Storm Wines are interesting in the sense that no yeast is added to the wine and it is not filtrated. The Moya and the Vrede were handpicked and destemmed and the bottles were labelled on the same day as the tasting. There were only 25 cases made of the Moya 2012 and Hannes tries to stay as close as organic as he can by using soft chemicals on the vineyards and no intervention to the wine itself. The Moya is “fine and perfumy” with rose petals and violets on the nose. There are big pebbles on the topsoil which is unique and allows for the fruit to yield differently. “There is good balance and don’t need 14% alcohol,” is Hannes’ answer to the lower alcohol of the Moya Pinot Noir.

Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir’s vineyards are situated in the Hemel en Aarde Valley and have firm tannins which are brought on by prolonged skin contact. The vines are densely planted with7000-8000 vines per hectare, almost double of the standard 4000-45000 vines per hectare. This allows for a dense root system. The wine is stored in medium toasted barrels and is a very robust wine. There is coriander on the nose and is more spicy and dusty on the palette of the other Pinot Noirs.

Storm Vrede Pinot Noir 2012 has a simplistic label and is the maiden vintage of the vineyard. The vines face to the north and the soil is shallow shale and clay based and is only 1, 5 hectares. The harvest of the grapes took place January 26 and was in barrels by mid-February, earlier than most Pinot Noirs. The wine has been described that it “speaks of purity” with a linear and fruit focus with violets and rose petals on the nose. Hannes was able to have special toasting added to the French oak barrels. There is 25% new oak and the perfume is in the background. The wine is a dark plum colour and as with the Moya Pinot Noir, no yeast was added and is unfiltered. The alcohol is 13, 8% which is lower than most of the other producers’. The wine is well balanced and fruit driven with a chalky end. The maiden vintage produced 250 cases of 12, of which 75% is accounted for export to America.

Five Pinot Noirs, each with different predominant characteristics of the varietal, made for an interesting and informative evening. Pinot Noir is one of the most difficult wines to make and the best approach to the wine is as Hannes states, “Treat Pinot Noir with an iron fist with a silk glove.” The Wine Village Wine Club meets the first Tuesday of each month and guests are more than welcome.

Pinotage

Pinotage is a uniquely South African grape variety. There are now plantings in other countries, but the origin of Pinotage is South African and it has achieved international success.  Pinotage is a grape variety that was created in South Africa in 1925 by Abraham Izak Perold, the first Professor of Viticulture at Stellenbosch University.

Because of the efforts of South African makers of Pinotage wines. South Africa has both practical and patriotic reasons for aggressively promoting Pinotage as a grape varietal which provides wines of superior quality, wines which can hold their own against any varietal from any wine-growing region of the world. Pinotage is the trump card of the South African wine industry. This is the philosophy that underlies the existence of the Pinotage Association.

In addition to South Africa, Pinotage is also grown in Brazil, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, United States and Zimbabwe. In New Zealand, there are 94 acres (38 ha) of Pinotage. In the US, there are plantings in California and Virginia.  German winemakers have recently begun experimenting with the grape.

The majority of the world's plantings of Pinotage is found in South Africa, where it makes up just 6% of the vineyard area but is considered a symbol of the country's distinctive winemaking traditions. It is a required component (30-70%) in "Cape blends".

Here it is made into the full range of styles, from easy-drinking quaffing wine and rosé to barrel-aged wine intended for cellaring. It is also made into a fortified 'port' style, and even a red sparkling wine. The latest and fastest growing trend is the production of coffee styled Pinotage.

The grape is very dependent on the skill and style of winemaking, with well made examples having the potential to produce deep coloured, fruity wines that can be accessible early as well as age.

Cultivars

Did you know that there are over 8,000 grape varieties harvested in the world, however, only a select few appear in our stores?  

All the wine grape varieties cultivated in South Africa, which were originally imported from Europe, belong to the species Vitis vinifera. Unfortunately the roots of European vines are susceptible to an insect disease called phylloxera and, in order to avoid it, they are often grafted onto American rootstock which is largely resistant to the insect.

A vine yields its first crop after three years and is fully productive after five. On average, the South African vineyard is replaced after 25 years but this depends on factors such as the area in which it is situated and how heavily it has yielded. Generally, its lifespan may be anything between 15 and 30 years although vines as old as 100 years still in production can be found.

The vine is a remarkable plant which lends itself to selection, propagation and grafting factors which make possible a continuous improvement in both plant and quality. Although most of the vine varieties cultivated here today were originally imported, up to now six local crossings have been released. The best known of these is a red variety, Pinotage, a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Hermitage (Cinsaut), which is cultivated locally on a fairly large scale.

White-wine varieties grown in South Africa include:

• Bukettraube
• Cape Riesling (Crouchen Blanc)
• Chardonnay
• Chenel
• Chenin Blanc (Steen)
• Clairette Blanche
• Colombar(d)
• Emerald Riesling
• Gewürztraminer
• Grenache (Blanc)
• Marsanne
• Muscat d'Alexandrie (Hanepoot)
• Muscadel
• Nouvelle
• Palomino (White French Grape)
• Pinot Gris
• Roussanne
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Semillon (Green Grape)
• Ugni Blanc (Trebbiano)
• Viognier
• Weisser Riesling (Rhine Riesling)

Red-wine varieties grown in South Africa include:

• Barbera
• Cabernet Franc
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Carignan
• Cinsaut Gamay (Noir)
• Grenache (Noir)
• Malbec
• Merlot
• Mourvèdre
• Muscadel
• Nebbiolo
• Petit Verdot
• Pinot Meunier
• Pinot Noir
• Pinotage
• Pontac
• Roobernet
• Ruby Cabernet
• Shiraz
• Souzào
• Tempranillo (Tinta Roriz)
• Tinta Barocca
• Touriga Nacional
• Zinfandel

Red Blends

South African wines are renowned as having some of the finest Red Blends in the world.

It is often understood that grapes which can be rather heavy on their own will work better by being mixed with a softer and more elegant wine, and delicate wines can be given strength and body through the addition of a meaty or more substantial wine.

In the past South African wine producers have concentrated heavily upon growing and making a single varietal of wine like Merlot or Shiraz.  After the fall of Apartheid, when European wines and grape vines were coming back into South Africa, there was intense planting of single varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Eventually, this led to over-production on the market of single-varietal wines, and some wine makers have been forced to branch out into other types of wine production, including making red wine blends from a mix of European and South African wine.

There are mainly three types of red blends:

Cape Blend

Any red wine blended with significant portion of Pinotage. (The statutory minimum portion of a variety to be mentioned on the label is 20% according to the regulations set by the South African Wine & Spirits Board) Pinotage is a uniquely South African grape variety and was bred by the late Prof Perold in 1925 as a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut, then locally known as Hermitage.

A patriotic Cape blend must thus surely be infused with the pertinence of Pinotage.

Bordeaux Blend

The Fab Five
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.  These five red grapes are the components of a classic Bordeaux blend. Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot usually play the lead role, while Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot act as the supporting cast. These three grapes help to add color, structure and body in varying amounts. A Bordeaux blend typically, but not exclusively, uses at least three of the five grapes to be labeled as such, but many wines in Bordeaux and else where stick to just two.

Rhone Blend

The Rhone region of France has a delightful selection of red varieties. The primary red players of Rhone blends are Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre.  Typical wines termed "rhone blends" will have two or more grapes from the Rhone region and occasionally, small percentages of the secondary varieties.

Rhone blends are often called "GSM" or "SGM" - using the initials of the grapes used, the most predominant variety being the first initial.

Winemakers also have great success with Shiraz & Viognier wine styles.

It is truly an art to get the percentages of the different cultivars exactly right and to be able to blend a wine that blows your hair back! Well done South Africa, we are so spoiled!

Egg-straordinary!

Have you heard of wine made in a ceramic egg shaped containers? 

The large ceramic egg container is perhaps the largest living vessel in the world and is designed specifically for wine fermentation. The egg shape naturally encourages liquids to move in the lemniscate, or figure of eight, promoting continuous passive convection within, allowing developing wine to move and breathe inside, without stirring. Please view the video explaining the process in more detail.

The Romans were using basically this shape of vessel to ferment wine more than 2,000 years ago.  A dolium (plural: dolia) is a large earthenware vase or container used in ancient Roman times for storage or transportation of goods.

A handful of winegrowers are currently using egg shaped clay vats in view of adding complexity to their unoaked wines. If these vintners express different schools of thought on the best techniques to associate with this sort of container, they all share the same objective, that of preserving the true characteristics of their wines.

Organic and biodynamic growers make a point of exploring the best ways to elaborate wine as naturally as possible.  A vineyard in Southeast France came up with the idea in 1991, of creating a museum with a vineyard and cellar, producing wine according to ancient methods. This initiative has since stirred the imagination of some modern-day vintners, interested in finding out if terracotta oval casks can be a viable substitute for concrete, stainless steel or oak vats.

One of our local organic wineries in the upper Hemel en Aarde wine area has started experimenting with this idea.  The wine is not for sale, but we will keep you updated on the topic.

Hermanus Wine and Food Fair

Wine, Weather, Whales, Weekend!

The 15th Hermanus Wine and Food Fair took place from 9 – 11 August and proved once again that the whales are not the only reason why people tend to flock to Hermanus.  The festival usually takes place over the first long weekend in August.

At this year’s Hermanus Wine and Food Fair the wine was once again flowing, the weather kept organisers on their toes and the whales were giving shows to those brave souls willing to face the wind and rain.

Wine Village - Hermanus sits at the heart of a number of excellent wine regions, including Elgin, Botrivier, Kleinrivier, Stanford and the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. The Hermanus Wine and Food Fair featured wines from the entire Overberg region.  While many of those sipping on the complimentary tasters were locals, many more made the short and picturesque drive from Cape Town, including international travelers from a host of countries.

The three-day fair filled a marquee pitched in the grounds of Wine Village, which serves as a one-stop shop for those seeking to taste local wines but without the time to go from farm-to-farm, with more than 700 producers from across South Africa represented.

The wines that were available to taste were for sale at the Wine Village at cellar door prices.  Apart from wine there were also two boutique distilleries showcasing their handmade gins, vodkas and a much raved about absinthe. There was also handcrafted cider on offer and while there was also port to taste and a couple of MCCs (Methode Cap Classique, the local name for Champagne), some of the best sellers were Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and Pinot Noir.

For those more interested in nibbling than sipping, entrance to the food tent was free and filled with locally-produced cheese, cured meats, organic nibbles and a host of enticing baked goodies for dessert. Local restaurants also showed that wine and food go hand-in-hand together and an exciting line up of food is already being planned for the Hermanus Wine and Food Fair 2013!

Away from the wine, live music played, kids got their faces painted and families shopped for food and crafts both within the tent and the rest of the Wine Village beyond. And if the wine tasting ever got too much, the town’s world-famous whale watching was only a short drive away.  Please remember to include this weekend in your diary for next year: 9 – 11 August 2013 and join us for Wonderful Wine, Wild Weather and Wonderous Whales over the winter weekend!

www.hermanuswineandfood.co.za