It's Just Not Fair (But I Like It)

Leaving an estate up in the Helderberg after a fine tasting recently I was struck, just for a minute or two, by the unfairness of it all.
I mean  there we were,  departing with a box of the good stuff purchased at cellar door price, having spent a couple of hours taking up the precious time of the winemaker himself, having left no tasting fee and paid no charge for enjoying the stunning surroundings. We left behind a tasting room needing some re-stocking, a fireplace needing more wood, an empty olive and biscuit tray and a winemaker’s wife who got to see less of her husband that day than she expected (like every other day, I suppose.)
Through the vineyards we drove, without having to consider spraying or pruning or harvesting or irrigation. A quick wave to a group of farm workers but no thought about their wages, their housing or the community upliftment programmes so essential today in the winelands. And then on through the gates and into our world where South Africans in general have still not really taken to wine, and many who have still refuse to pay more than R35.00 for a decent bottle of red.
And this is what I mean about “the unfairness of it all”. We are welcomed as guests to these magnificent estates, soak up the hospitality and then leave at our leisure, often without having paid fair price for the experience or considering the footprint we have left.
But then this is what wine is all about, isn’t it? Those who make the wine are proud of what they have achieved and want to share it with others. When we find ourselves in possession of a good bottle we immediately seek out others to share it with, don’t we? And so I would encourage others to take the opportunity to travel the winelands and engage with the good folk who run these establishments.
It is a rare pleasure and privilege indeed. Oh, and buy a box when you leave ...

The Swig Tests for the Wineplebs

The news is that we now have our very own resident wine expert, The Swig (see above) who will be tasting a variety of wines for us in future editions.
Tonight he will be commenting on the newly released Obikwa Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 which was rewarded with a 4 star rating in the latest Wine Magazine - despite having a shelf price of only R28.00! Naturally to keep the Wineplebs from exploding into a feeding frenzy and rushing off to Checkers, we thought we had better get our expert to check it out first.
Some say that he can tell the difference between Meerlust Rubicon and Four Cousines Rose blindfolded, and that he is campaigning for all crash helmets to come with a straw ... All we know is that he's called The Swig!
And he's off, raising the glass to his visor to take note of the nose - all ripe red fruit.
Then its onto the palate where the frutiness is complemented by some characteristic Cabernet cigar flavours. The mid palate seems to lack some weight but The Swig seems satisfied with the mouthfeel.
Quickly on to the finish, and here again this is a satisfying Cabernet that leaves a few lingering flavours but overall just cannot compete with some of the great Cabernet's around at the moment.
However, at less than 28 bucks a bottle, lets not get all ponsy and snobbish.
So, the final verdict is - a great wine to bring out at the braai and one which will stand up to a lot more expensive stuff. Outstanding at the end of a long evening when your mates are calling for nothing but the best.

Kanonkop Goes Big

Firstly, a word of advice. Never presume, for as we all know, presumption is the mother of all f... ups.

It all started innocently enough with an invitation to Kanonkop for a tasting of their recently launched Black Label Pinotage. Just for interest sake, this bottle of ox blood retails at around R1, 200.00 a bottle and can only be sourced through a select group of merchants (hence the growing friendship with Wade Bales - but that is a story for another day.)

And so I left suburbia on a Monday evening to rendezvous with a fellow Pleb at the top farm. The first indication that this would be no low-key affair was the loaded cannon on the lawn, manned by a guy in a hat with matches who looked like Lord Nelson, not to mention the welcome table handing out Villiera Tradition Brut and some other white and red stuff I never got a chance to sample.

As usual we were the only Plebs there, my mate looking like Farmer Brown in his khaki shorts and two-tone shirt and me looking only slightly better in a faded jean pant and badly ironed top. Then things went slightly pear shaped as Lord Nelson let off the cannon while we were focused on downing the bubbly, scaring the crap out of us and leaving Farmer Brown with a classy wet patch where his bib should have been. Once the car alarms had been turned off and the heart attack guy removed from the lawn we were invited to move into the tasting area.

The formalities were mercifully brief, limited protocol and no array of guest speakers. First up was the Black Label 2006, for us the pick of the bunch, tons of fruit on the nose, beautiful feel in the mouth, moer of a complicated tastes going on and then a finish as long as the queue at a Steve Hofmeyer concert in Boksburg.

This was followed by the 2007 and the 2008, all top drawer and none tasting anything like the Pinotage the Plebs and I are accustomed to, all rich raspberry, leather and a touch of mocca (I got those words from the label on the back of the bottle...) And then, as the last drop left the glass, we resigned ourselves to the coming thanks and farewells. But no, Kanonkop had other ideas.

We were then directed to the art gallery and cellar for vertical tastings of Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon and Paul Sauer Bordeaux-style blend, some going back to 1988! It was a smorgasbord of the very best of Kanonkop, a feeding frenzy, as Farmer Brown remarked as his eyes glazed over. The collection of nectar was the best I have seen, we wandered between tables like two schoolboys at a cheerleader's convention.

Then, surely it must be over ... But no, we were then directed onwards to a famous Kanonkop snoek braai with homemade breads and konfyt, and ordered to enjoy ourselves by the management. Yes sir, said Farmer Brown as he headed for the drinks table and yet another selection of Kanonkop's finest.

It was a night to remember, some of the best wines I have ever had the pleasure of tasting and some solid Afrikaans hospitality. We even managed to strike up a chat or two with the snobs but they seemed to lose interest when I said I would not be ordering a case of the Black Label due to a problem I am having with my Pep Stores account.

Anyway, my thanks to the crowd at Kanonkop for a top class evening. And for the fellow Plebs out there, I suggest that every now and then you throw a bit of spare cash at a bottle of their Pinotage or maybe even a bottle of Paul Sauer if you are feeling flush. Which brings me back to the issue of presumption that we started with. Never underestimate the level of hospitality in the winelands and never presume that you will get home early and sober on a Monday evening ...

Why settle for middle of the road when the rest of the world views us as the best ...?

Having caught first rate public transport, been ushered by a friendly and professional police force, sat in a world class stadium, witnessed a spectacular game of soccer in a stunning atmosphere, amongst amazingly friendly people and then exited into a clean, safe city for the mother of all after parties, I could be forgiven for wondering why our wine does not share this awesome reputation worldwide?
I mean, what I have described above has been going on almost every night in each of our cities for the past few weeks! This is not just some random coincidence, it is the result of vision, investment, planning, teamwork, execution mixed with doses of passion, belief and enthusiasm. A fair reflection of our nation's DNA, I would say and probably a fair reflection of the way people make wine in our country.
Which brings me to my point. Surely we should be positioning ourselves as a producer of outstanding wines, the same way we are positioning ourselves as a host of first class sporting events? We must now have a track record which is the envy of the planet - World Cups in soccer, rugby and cricket, all regarded as among of the best ever staged.
And yet the SA wine brand seems to be based on the concept of good value, or less flatteringly, price. Surely we should not be competing on price? The weak Rand should be seen as no more than a welcome surprise when it works in our favour, not as one of our top selling points. There is no question that many of our wines are comparable with the best in the world and they are improving consistently. The diversity of our winelands matches that of our people. We cannot be easily categorised and can excel across a variety of wines, both red and white.
How about a bold and brave marketing initiative, positioning our wines as some of the most exciting and accomplished in the world. And why the hell not, we are already regarded as a miracle. Why should our wine be any different?

In search of value

The thing about a road trip is that there must be some purpose to it.
I mean, if we just headed off into the sunset with a full petrol tank and full cooler box, we would not have moved on an inch from our misspent youth when our behaviour resembled a Jerry Springer Xmas Special.
Now, this weekend the Plebs have a mission ... to travel in search of good value wine (and all the chaos that comes with such a venture.) And so, the merry band will pack an assortment of vile offspring, grumpy women-folk and grubby John Platters guides as we head for Rawsonvlle's Slanghoek Valley which holds the promise of a spicy Shiraz from Opstal, a subtle White Blend from Jason's Creek and a silky Chardonnay from Mountain Oaks (not asking for much, are we?)
Of course, there is every chance we will be disappointed .... but there is also every chance we will not.
There is confidence among the band of travellers that this trip will not degenerte into a scene from Apocalypse Now and that some real value will be found in those well hidden cellars, miles from the beaten track.
We look forward to reporting back on a mission well accomplished, although somehow we know all we will have to show for our pains will be throbbing heads, empty wallets, filthy motor cars and missing children.
But, if just one gem is unearthed during our quest, then it will have been time well spent ....

Bloody hell, now that's a tasting ...

Let me start by saying that a visit to Camberly wine farm is like attending an ANC Youth League meeting in a safari suit - not for sissies.

Winemaker and co-owner Johnny Nel is a man who provides a seriously big welcome and produces wines with a similar character.

I have been a fan for a while and visited often. No visit has been brief, partly because the company is always good and partly because the wine demands attention.

From his interesting selection of Cabernets, to the outstanding (but always sold out) Shiraz, very good Pinotage and popular Philosophers Stone blend, there is variety and value for everyone.

Having snapped a tendon fighting fires recently, one would be forgiven for thinking the man has been slowed down. Using his crutches to point out wines that should be opened "immediately", This situation surely offers the only self-service tasting experience in the Stellenbosch winelands. Praise goes to John's wife Gael for the grace with which we are always welcomed, knowing what is inevitably to follow ...

Highly recommended.

Urgent Action Required

It is with great concern that I today learned that some readers of this blog are reducing the national wine consumption average by drinking less frequently than ..., well, everyday. (see page 9 of the May 09 edition of Wine magazine)

I for one, felt a moment of shame when I read that the a full 42% of consumers polled got stuck into a bottle of the good stuff daily, compared with only 25% who confessed to partaking just several times a week, 16% to consumed 2 to 3 times a week, while a miserable 9% drank only once a week. The additional 8% are too miserable to even contemplate.
Realising the error of my ways, I immediately cracked a bottle of Klein Constantia Cab Merlot in an effort to contribute to the national average. I call on all friends of the vine to confess to this treason and to rectify their wicked ways ... even if it results in moments of extreme silliness (see photo.)

And now, where did I put that bottle?