Lots of fun at Neethlingshof during Woordfees

The line-up of this year’s outdoor arts festival Slenterfees, which takes place on the Neethlingshof estate outside Stellenbosch on 4 March, is jam-packed with fun-filled activities. These include a braai demonstration, a wine and food pairing and a sunset music concert featuring hugely popular groups Romanz and The Gugulethu Tenors. Slenterfees forms part of the University of Stellenbosch’s annual Woordfees which this year takes place from March 2 to 11.  During the time of the Woordfees, KykNET will also be hosting a range of picnic concerts. 

Romanz

Slenterfees, which like Woordfees itself also has sustainability as a central theme, starts at 12:00. Visitors can look forward to Braaipraatjies and a demonstration by Jan Braai and Jack Parow; a bird-watching session with Dave Pepler, presenter of Groen on KykNET; a reading of a collection of “green” poems by Litnet’s Bibi Slippers; a wine tasting and pairing with local produce from sustainable food sources; children’s games with Bazoo the Mountain Tortoise; and finally a sunset performance at 18:00 by Romanz and The Gugulethu Tenors.

The cost of the entire experience is R250 per person. Children under 12 attend at no cost.  Those who only want to attend the music concert, can do so at a cost of R90 per person (students: R60).  

KykNET’s picnic concerts will feature Kitaar-konings, including James Grace, Tony Cox, Louis Mahlanga, Dan Patlansky and Richard Onraet (5 March from 20:15); Kurt Darren and Koos Kombuis (9 March, from 20:15); Die Heuwels Fantasties (10 March, from 20:15); and Kaleidoskoop and Chris Cameleon (11 March, from 18:00).  All concerts cost R90 per person (students: R60). 

Those attending are advised to arrive early to secure their picnic spots. No own food parcels, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages will be allowed as these will be available for sale from on-site food stalls and a cash bar.  Chairs and picnic blankets will be available for hire, but guests are also welcome to bring their own.

Bookings for Slenterfees, KykNET’s picnic concerts and picnic baskets can be made through Computicket. Visit www.computicket.co.za to book or contact 021 808 2019.   

Neethlingshof is situated on the M12 (Polkadraai Road) between Stellenbosch and Kuilsrivier.

Place in the Sun sponsors socio-environmental road trip

One of South Africa’s newest global wine brands, Place in the Sun, is partnering with the EXPEDITION Project, a highly innovative social and environmental campaign developed to inspire sustainable change across South Africa.  The easy-going, generous-spirited wine brand launched internationally last year is the lead sponsor of the project conceived by Capetonian social activist Roger Wynne-Dyke.

Roger Wynne-Dyke, with a glass of Place in the Sun Sauv. blanc

The year-long initiative, which essentially involves a road trip around the perimeter of South Africa, visiting 200 towns in 365 days, is documenting the challenges and opportunities affecting the communities it encounters, with a view to helping in developing practical and relevant solutions.

The entire voyage will be visually chronicled and include a series of interviews, culminating in a TV and online series on the journey, the people and the energy, wildlife, climate, cultural and business projects that emerge.

Says Deidre Samson, global marketing manager for the brand: “Place in the Sun is inspired by the imaginative but also very practical and positive approach of the EXPEDITION Project to addressing needs in South African communities.  Although the brand is making the journey possible, the initiative is also encouraging people in their personal capacity to support the project either materially or by donating time or skills.

“It provides a very well-matched fit with our own positioning. Through the Place in the Sun website, we have already embarked on a similar strategy, encouraging wine lovers to converse online about projects they know of, that have been developed to make a difference. The website provides a forum to express support for individual and broader programmes that literally help people and communities find their place in the sun.”

Starting and ending in Cape Town, the members of the EXPEDITION Project will be travelling from Cape Town along the west coast to the Namibian border and then move northeast across the country to the Mozambican border before finally turning southwest along the east coast back to Cape Town.  The stopovers will include towns and small villages from Alldays to Zeerust and in every instance, the project will take a souvenir that encapsulates the community encountered, while leaving something behind to seed the process of creative problem-solving.

Says Wynne-Dyke: “The first year is literally a journey of groundwork, identifying areas that can be meaningfully addressed. Our plan is not to impose solutions but to listen to the communities we meet and, based on what we discover, help develop a new way of thinking, where people find ways to create their own change.  Our role will be to inspire and facilitate change by showing what is possible, by networking, bringing skills, facilities and equipment to those who need them to make their solutions a viable, sustainable reality.”

Samson said the wine brand was similarly serving as a conduit to facilitate an improvement in the quality of people’s lives.

Place in the Sun, through its Fairtrade accreditation, is simultaneously working to accelerate community upliftment amongst farm workers. The range of one white and three reds is produced from grapes sourced from Cape vineyards that have been certified by FLO-CERT under the Fair Label Organisation (FLO) Standards that forms part of Fairtrade.  Growers are paid a premium for their fruit that is directed towards social development of the wine-farm workers, who decide on how the funds are to be spent.

Cape Town Diamond Museum opens

Cape Town Diamond Museum interior

The Cape Town Diamond Museum has opened its doors to the public in the newly upgraded Clock Tower precinct at the Waterfront. It is the only museum of its kind in Cape Town and the first to pay homage to the extraordinary story of the South African diamond industry.

The Cape Town Diamond Museum is the latest in Cape Town’s list of must-see attractions and is conveniently located at the gateway to the world-famous Robben Island.

Mariette Du Toit-Helmbold, CEO of Cape Town Tourism commented. “The Diamond Museum is an exciting addition to Cape Town’s diversity of attractions – telling the stories of our city and country and the journeys that shaped our history. The Diamond Museum will give visitors and citizens a first-hand experience of South Africa’s significant contribution to the international diamond industry.”

The museum features a number of authentic artefacts that tell the amazing story of diamonds, and in particular the story of South Africa’s diamond trade. The entire experience was designed to ensure that visitors feel the excitement and mystery surrounding these beautiful gems and learn more about one of South Africa’s greatest exports.

The museum tracks the entire journey of diamonds – from mine to finger, how they were shaped deep beneath the earth billions of years ago to how they are cut and polished – making it a one-stop resource for anyone with an interest in the glittering stones. Great care has been taken to show how South Africa’s own diamond industry was instrumental in shaping the global industry. During the 19^th century, South Africa produced most of the world’s diamonds.

Since diamonds were first discovered in South Africa in 1867, the country has produced some of the world’s largest, most valuable and most memorable stones, including the Cullinan, the Hope and the Taylor Burton. Visitors can see exact replicas of the world’s most famous diamonds and delve deeper into the amazing story of the South African diamond rush. Visitors will explore the romance of this fascinating era through the museum’s displays and knowledgeable guides, leaving them enriched with knowledge and insight about diamonds.

The Cape Town Diamond Museum is open 7 days a week, from 9am to 9pm. For more information, please visit www.capetowndiamondmuseum.org or call 021 421 2488 for bookings.

Tasting sensations at Plaisir de Merle

In keeping with its long-standing tradition of “classic elegance”, Plaisir de Merle has taken novel approach when it comes to tasting exclusive wines in an exclusive venue.

The Tasting Centre has a relaxed lounge atmosphere, where visitors can sample wines at their leisure, ensconced in comfy couches and fine surroundings.

This approach is designed to expand the whole experience and allow visitors to absorb not only the pleasures of the wine, but, at the same time experience the atmosphere of a by-gone era.

On fine days guests may also enjoy a relaxed tasting in the magnificent garden overlooking the vineyards under the shady trees.

Apart from the standard wine tasting, there are other tasting options. The Flavour Sensation tasting is designed to trigger your taste buds - bite-sized items of food are matched with a wine, bringing out the dominant flavour of each cultivar or wine tasted.  Sauvignon Blanc is paired with sundried tomatoes, Chardonnay with cashew nuts, Merlot with berries, Cabernet Sauvignon with fruit-cake, Shiraz with biltong and the flagship signature Grand Plaisir red blend with date balls.

Those with a sweet tooth will enjoy the Sweet Sensation tasting – which pairs Merlot with orange fudge, Cabernet Sauvignon with rum fudge, Shiraz with chili and lime fudge, and Grand Plaisir, the flagship signature red blend, with cherry fudge.

You may also wish to experience the line-up of unusual single varietal wines like Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, as well as a blend of all the cultivars to illustrate how these flavours integrate.  These limited edition cultivars are sold only from the farm.

In for a challenge, then the Blind Tasting is the one to go for – invite your friends and have fun – and the winner takes home a free bottle!

There is no restaurant at Plaisir de Merle but it does serve a light lunch - a platter of cold meats, cheeses and accompaniments served with a Croissant.  The platter is priced at R60 need to be pre-booked.  These can also served outside in the garden on fine days to enjoy with your favourite bottle of Plaisir de Merle wine which you may purchase from the tasting centre.

Plaisir de Merle is open for tasting and wine sales from Mondays to Fridays from 09h00 to 17h00 and on Saturdays from 10h00 to 16h00 from November to March and from 10h00 to 14h00 during the winter months (April to October).

The tasting facility and wines sales are open on Public Holidays but closed on Christmas Day, Good Friday and New Year’s Day.

Contact Plaisir de Merle: Tel 021 874 1071 or email plaisirdemerle@capelegends.co.za. Fax: 021 874 1689. Visit the website on www.plaisirdemerle.co.za

Stomp grapes to celebrate start of harvest at Delheim wines

Grape stomping fun!

I usually associate grape stomping with Harvest festivals that take place towards the end of the harvest. Well, here's news of one at the beginning of the harvest!  If you're in the area around the end of January be sure to get off your shoes, hop in and get stomping! 

 

"Get knee-deep in grape juice and family fun on Saturday 28 January at the 2012 Delheim Start of Harvest Festival.

Gather from 12 noon to the tunes of a live jazz band on the shaded lawns behind the historic Delheim cellar. Sumptuous picnics featuring gourmet fare can be pre-booked, while delicious snack foods such as ostrich panini and smoked salmon treats will be on offer at farm stalls throughout the day.

"A competitive grape stomp relay event will be held at 3pm to entertain the adventurous (and doubtless amuse other guests) with fantastic prizes up for grabs to winners and grinners (team spirit champs).

"Tickets will be restricted to 130 guests at R50 per adult, which includes a glass of partially-fermented grape must and a traditional sweet mosbolletjie. Entry for children and to the grape stomp relay will be free.

"Picnics are available at R130 per adult and R65 per child and takeaway foods will be on offer throughout the day. Bookings are essential, via delheim@delheim.com, www.delheim.com or telephone 021 888 4600.

"Delheim is located on the Knorhoek Road off the R44, between Stellenbosch and Paarl.

Uitkyk launches owl project

Uitkyk wine estate outside Stellenbosch has launched a new project to increase the owl population on the farm by creating suitable habitats for these birds of prey. Uitkyk, a Biodiversity & Wine Initiative champion, was one of the first in the Winelands to appreciate the value of owls in rodent control when several years ago it erected “owl posts” in the vineyards to facilitate their hunting.

Rudi Buys, viticulturist and general manager of Uitkyk, said the estate recently commissioned owl specialist Lianda Naudé to undertake a survey of which species of these nocturnal raptors were already present on the farm. She found evidence of both barn owls and spotted eagle owls, with Cape eagle owls higher in the mountainous areas of the Greater Simonsberg Conservancy on which the farm borders. She said that to find more than one species of owl was already proof of the health of the eco-system on the farm.

Uitkyk is almost 600 ha in size with over 300 ha set aside for conservation. The vineyards are located on the higher slopes which are dissected by four deep gorges that create natural corridors between them. These corridors enable small game and predators to move freely across the property.

“Lianda believes we can also attract African grass owls and the indigenous marsh owl to the farm if we are able to create a suitable habitat. On Uitkyk we have quite a large wetland area. Since 2008 we have been clearing 8 ha to 10 ha of land a year of alien vegetation and we are treating the clearing of the marshland as a priority in the programme for the coming year.

“Once the alien vegetation has been removed and the indigenous grasses have re-established themselves, we will not only have improved the water flow in the wetland but will also have created an ideal habitat for these owl species that prefer to hunt in the long grass,” Rudi said.

“Our owl project is part of a larger programme to re-establish a balance between predator and prey on the farm. In addition to guinea fowl, we also have caracal that help keep the number of duiker and grysbok in check. These small antelopes find the young vine shoots irresistible and create considerable damage in the vineyards in the spring.

“Although it is wonderful to have so many wild things living on the farm, we try to use nature in a way that will as far as possible reduce the need for chemical interventions to protect our crops. It is a matter of working with nature and not against it, and that in itself gives one massive satisfaction.”

Rhebokskloof Nouveau

'Tis the season of new wine releases.  Mostly new vintages of familiar wines, but also some entirely new wines.  New however does not always equate with exciting.  Who, frankly, cares if relative newcomer Chateau Smith Estate (pretentious names seem de rigeur in some circles) has now added an unwooded Chardonnay to their 2011 range?  Decent oak barrels are expensive, many consumers are close to broke and ... let's just say the unwooded Chardonnay's appearance probably has more to do with economics than the winemaker's epiphany described in the press release.

Rhebokskloof 2011 Viognier/Shiraz

Attending the relaunch of Paarl stalwart Rhebokskloof this week I was pleasantly surprised to find something truly new.  Winemaker Rolanie Lotz has turned the familiar Shiraz-Viognier blend on its head to come up with a Viognier-Shiraz blend (98% Viognier & 2% Shiraz).  I found the wine to be full of apricot and blossom flavours and even picked up some berry flavours from the dash of Shiraz.  Unlike most Viogniers this wine is unwooded and in its case I'm happy to attribute it more to epiphany than economics. It has a lovely full mouthfeel and smooth finish.  All in all it's my idea of a perfect spring wine.  At R62 per bottle ex cellar it is a bit more expensive than most wines on my quaffing wine list, but then it does also sport an environmentally-friendly treeless label (made from sugarcane fibres) which makes me feel better about spending a bit more!

I didn't try any of the Rhebokskloof reds on offer at the relaunch, but from experience know their Syrah and Pinotage to be well made wines.  The Chardonnay is also good and the Sauvignon Blanc under-rated in my view. Look out for the new packaging of their flagship Syrah - very nice!

The venue for the relaunch was the French Toast Tapas and Wine Bar in Bree Street Cape Town.  A bit of a schlep for us winelanders to get there, but a great discovery.  They should open one in Franschhoek - my hometown needs new ideas...

To learn more about Rhebokskloof or buy their wines click here.
To learn more about French Toast Wine & Tapas Bar click here.