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?

The Winepleb's Top Ten (Re-visited)

Following the publishing of this top 10, there has been much grumpiness over the prices of some of the wines mentioned - what a bunch of tight-arses. So, in a continued effort to stay true to our wine pleb roots, it has ben decided to split the top 10 into 2.
Firstly we have the - the Blue Label List (for the elite and brainless) and the Black Label List (for my fellow plonkers.)
While these lists have some serious price differences, I reckon both offer better value than a US $ in a Harare spaza shop ...
Please feel free to offer suggestions if you think there are omissions or you have discovered something special. Remember that if your information proves faulty, you will be hunted down and punished with a heavily wooded chardonnay paid for from your own pocket.
So, in no particular order, here we go ...

Blue Label List (tasty but will kill your wallet)

• Morgenster Estate
• Saxenburg Shiraz Special Reserve
• Guardian Peak SMG (Syrrah, Mourvedre, Grynache blend)
• Kanonkop Pinotage
• Camberley Shiraz
• Moreson Magia (Bordeaux blend)
• Boekenhoutskloof Chocolate Block (Shiraz/Cab blend)
• Tokara White (Sauvignon Blanc/Seillon blend)
• Glen Carlou Chardonnay
• Ataraxia Sauvignon Blanc

Black Label List (cheap but not nasty)

• Klein Constantia KC Blend (Cab/Merlot blend)
• Camberley Philosphers Stone (Bordeaux blend)
• Annandale Blend (Cab/Merlot blend)
• Bilton Shiraz
• Rickety Bridge Cabernet
• Stellenzicht Golden Triangle Shiraz
• Moreson Pinotage
• Glen Carlou Tortoise Shell (Shiraz blend)
• Hiden Valley Sauvignon Blanc
• Perdeberg Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

girls + red wine = fun

So there we were, a happy band of wineplebs on the lookout for good wine and fun. Strange how those two always go together .... To make matters worse, this was all going down on a Wednesday night - naughty, naughty.
Anyway, the ocassion was a tasting and dinner at the Stellekaya winery in Stellenbosch. As usual, the plebs arrived with a dash of Chenin under the belt (just to liven up the snobs a little.) A perky little white blend on arrival, followed by a tasting of juicy Pinotage and raspingly dry Cabernet and the irritating twitter of the snobs (blah blah blah) was smothered by the steadily increasing noise at the pleb-end of the table. We all know how noisy FUN can be.
A dash of their typically peppery Shiraz and now the girls were on a roll. You see, the evening started with much discussion about the insanity of midweek revelry and how we must not succumb to this evil. But now, with a really great Bordeaux blend (Cab/Merlot/Cab Franc) in hand and the fact that the two remaining full days of the work week were now long forgotten, the gals decided it was time to play (see pic ...)

At this moment, drawn by a mesmerising crescendo of pure fun, the winemaker herself joined us at the business end of the table. Ms Biyela suffered our hooligan behaviour, answered our moronic questions and, hopefully, saw the pleasure that her wine brings. Ntsiki, you are a star, in true Stellekaya fashion.

And finally, once the wealthy had dispersed in their massive imported 4 x 4 carbon generators, the plebs finally realised that all good things must come to an end. Thanks to the gang at Stellekaya for suffering our ignorance and sharing their passion.

If Dave Lello can make the transition from IT guy to cellar proprietor, then there is hope for all of us.

Hallelujah.

the art of appreciating the stuff ...

"Swirl the nectar in the glass, nose the subtle aromas, taste the lingering casis ..." says the wine snob. Blah, blah, blah.

In order to appreciate the damn stuff, just sniff, taste and enjoy. No mess, no fuss. For instance, view the look on the face of a friendly Winepleb pictured here. Is this not the picture of pure bliss without the pomp and ceremony.

So, fellow quaffers, instead of being drawn into hell, like a moth to the flame, by the develish Winesnob, resist at all cost and call out with meaning, "get thee to hell satan of the vine!"

Then resume your simple enjoyment without another thought of the evil vermin that stalk our beloved vineyards .... just model yourself on this jolly good fellow featured above.

Cheers fellow Plebs!

A Place Where People and Pinotage Blend

Like a cyclist with a hangover, a journey up a new road in the winelands can become a nightmare as one wobbles onwards in fear that the next pit stop will never arrive. However, ocassionally there is unexpected pleasure as instead of collapsing and expiring from dehydration, an oasis appears as a saviour like Jacob Zuma to the Youth League.
So as this merry band of tasters headed up the Devon Valley Rd in Stellenbosch, a pall of excitement hung over us like fragrant smoke at a Dr Victor concert. A quick turn into Clos Malverne but with only 15 min to go until the official closing for the day, would we be welcomed or rejected like fox hunters at a Greenpeace picnic. But wait, from the shadows of the tasting room emerged a man of similar spirit to the Winepleb - unaffected by the tedium of opening and closing times, unimpressed by the lack of a German luxury sedan among our band of plebs and undaunted by our obvious intent to settle in find something good in any plonk presented, however long that may take.
A salute to our host JP who took us enthusiastically through a range of good to excellent wines at prices that would suit the pocket of almost any tightarse and possibly the odd Scottish visitor or two. while our badly behaved brats lounged over the leather couches like a bunch of lazy bergies, we enjoyed the view and sipped.
So, with respect to sir Platter, here are the ratings:
Setting and atmosphere ****
Welcom and service *****
Quality and value ****
Favourite wine - Pinotage Reserve 2007 (already drinkable, fantastic colour, rich plums, soft aftertaste @ R90.00 per bottle.)