Cape of Good Hope

THURSDAYS 30th APRIL & 7th MAY

Having just returned from a month in South Africa I am once again enthused by the wine scene in this most beautiful country. The thirst among the Cape’s winemakers to improve their wines, expand into new terroirs and experiment with new varieties is like nowhere else on the planet.

I have visited South Africa every two years (sometimes more often) since the year 2000. That was just six years after Nelson Mandela was elected head of state, cementing the transition to ‘The New South Africa’.

It was also the impetus for the wine industry to take huge leaps forward on the world stage, with new generations of winemakers embracing the opportunity. Vineyards spread out from the traditional heartlands, and new estates and styles of wine emerged. But it would be a mistake to think of South African wine as ‘New World’: great vineyards and world-class wines have existed since the first vines were planted in 1655. We will taste both cutting edge wines from young producers and classics from established estates.

What We’ll Taste

‘Prime Cuts’ is a delicious white blend that uses ‘spinning cone’ technology to reduce the alcohol to just 11%. It will be fascinating to taste this wine, a nod towards a fast growing trend for ‘mid-strength’ wines that carry lower alcohol and calories. Our second white comes from Kloovernburg in Swartland. Though the estate was founded in 1704, the blend of Chenin blanc with Portugal’s Verdleho and the Rhône Valley’s Roussanne would be unheard of a few years ago. Up next is a real rarity: Gedeelte Wines is located among the sand dunes of the west coast and we’ll taste a dark pink (or light red) wine made from the Barbarossa grape variety of which only a few hectares exist in the world.

Our red selection begins with an old vine Cinsault. It’s made from gnarly, 40-year-old, unirrigated coastal vines that have roots so deep that they thrive in an area with little rainfall. Our second red is from the Bosman Family in the Wellington region. Grenache Noir is sometimes referred to as ‘blue collar Pinot Noir’, a bit unfair on this noble variety which has a character all of its own, but can offer similar aromas and flavours to Burgundy’s finest. We finish with South Africa’s national grape: Pinotage. This cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault was created exactly one hundred years ago by a South African professor. Our producer, Lanzerac, was the first to bottle a wine made from it and their wine today is a rich, plum and chocolate example of the Cape’s speciality.

The Wines

The six wines would normally cost £80.75 plus £9.95 delivery. Exclusively for this tasting they are offered for just £79 including UK mainland delivery. That’s a saving of £11.70.

The Tasting

This tasting runs over two sessions, from 7pm – 8:15pm each evening. The ticket price of £27.50 covers both sessions and is per household, not per person. We’ll open three wines each night, but they’ll drink just as well over the next couple of days so nothing is wasted. And of course, if you miss a live tasting session we’ll send you the video recording to taste along in your own time.