Curating Your Personal Wine Journey
Josh Isaacs picks a selection of wines he loves, to guide you in your South African wine journey and begin building up a collection for home.
Welcome, dear Together Store reader, to the first of our Together Store Staff Selections! This week I have chosen two mixed cases of wines in order to begin telling the amazing stories of the incredible wines and winemakers we represent.
2020 is proving to be one of the most difficult years in history for the South African wine industry; on the back of 10 years of severely challenging weather (including a once-in-a-hundred-years drought). According to Fin24 news, due to severe lockdown restrictions in the country, the industry is currently sitting on a 300 million litre surplus of wine. Rico Basson, Director of Vinpro states the industry has lost about R5 billion this year to date in domestic sales and tourism. Never has it been more important to support Africa’s only wine industry.
In 1685 the first major purchase of lands for vineyard took place. None other than Simon Van Der Stel (namesake of Stellenbosch) himself bought 1,900 acres for the creation of the truly iconic and undeniably top world producer of dessert wines: Constantia Wine Estate – now Klein & Groot Constantia farms. For perspective, the rivers Dordogne and Garonne and were dredged by Dutch engineers in the mid 1600s, creating the extra space for vineyards we now consider some of the finest on Earth. In fact, some could argue that without the influence of these Dutch engineers, the First Growths wineries of: Château Lafite, Latour, Mouton and Margaux would have not come into existence!
Beloved of the world since 1685, and acknowledged to be one of the very finest dessert wines on Earth.
In Edwin Drood, Charles Dickens tells of “…the support embodied in a glass of Constantia and a home-made biscuit”, while Jane Austen recommends that her forsaken heroine try a little Constantia for “…its healing powers on a disappointed heart”.
So, what does this mean? To put it simply, South Africa has been producing fine wines for as long or longer than large parts of the world’s most prestigious wine producing region, Bordeaux. As such, I have put together a couple of cases that reflect the diversity of Africa’s extraordinary wine regions. The following regions have been included (we’ve used Wines of South Africa’s official descriptions here, thanks WOSA!):
The dreamy, rose and cypress filled entrance to Paul Cluver's tasting room in Elgin
Elgin - Only an hour east of Cape Town, the high-lying cool-climate Elgin district, cradled in the ancient sandstone Hottentots Holland mountains, was traditionally an apple-growing region. Now award-winning wine showing exceptional fruit and elegance are produced here, with Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Shiraz doing particularly well in this later-ripening, cooler terroir. South Africa’s coolest wine growing region, offering exceptionally slow ripening times and the development of brisk, crunchy acids in whites and elegant, fruity, low tannin reds.
Look out for: Almenkerk, Paul Cluver, Iona, Belfield, Catherine Marshall
Ataraxia Estate in the Hemel en Aarde valley
Hemel en Aarde / Walker Bay / Hermanus - This district, surrounding the seaside town of Hermanus, is reputed for the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines which emanate from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley (Afrikaans for Heaven & Earth - very appropriate!) – this encompasses the wards of Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Sunday’s Glen and Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. The area is also being noticed for the outstanding and consistent quality of its Pinotage. Fine examples of Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Shiraz are also being produced here. The cool climate is the sought-after attribute in this area where vineyards benefit from persistent cooling winds from the nearby ocean. The soils – predominantly weathered shales – and terroir are also ideal for cool-climate loving varieties. Further to the east lies the Stanford Foothills ward.
Look out for: Bosman, Hamilton Russel, Creation, Ataraxia
Dry and warm, the Swartland presents difficult winemaking challenges, but offers exceptional rewards to those that can tame its rugged beauty.
Swartland - The Swartland literally translated means ‘the black land’ and the area takes its name from the now endangered indigenous renosterbos (rhino bush) which once turned the landscape a dark colour at certain times of the year. The district was traditionally a source of robust, full-bodied red wines and high quality, fortified wines. The Swartland Independent Producers (SIP) is a coming together of a group of like-minded producers working to express a true sense of place in the wines of the Swartland. In recent times, some exciting award-winning wines have emerged, both red and white, and the area continues to produce top port-style wines. Increasing percentages of Pinotage, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon are being grown here, as well as Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. It has six designated wards, Malmesbury, Paardeberg, Paardeberg-South, Riebeekberg, Riebeeksrivier and St Helena Bay. The district of Swartland borders Piketberg to the north, which is not dissimilar in both geography and climate.
Look out for: Painted Wolf, Mullineux, Sadie Family, AA Badenhorst.
The outstanding natural beauty and dramatic landscapes that make Stellenbosch an international wine destination
Stellenbosch - The historical town of Stellenbosch, which features some of the finest examples of Cape Dutch architecture, boasts a winemaking tradition which stretches back to the end of the 17th-century. The mountainous terrain, good rainfall, deep well-drained soils and diversity of terroir make this a sought-after viticultural area. The rapidly increasing number of wine estates and producers (more than 200) includes some of the most famous names in Cape wine. The district, with its mix of historic estates and contemporary wineries, produces excellent examples of almost all the noble grape varieties and is known for the quality of its blended reds. Stellenbosch, the 'town of oaks', is also the educational and research centre of the winelands. Stellenbosch University is the only university in South Africa which offers a degree in viticulture and oenology, and it has many of the country’s most successful winemakers as alumni. The Elsenburg School of Agriculture is also near Stellenbosch, as is the Nietvoorbij Institute of Viticulture and Oenology. This organisation has one of the most modern experimental wineries in the world and, at its experimental farms (situated in several winegrowing districts), important research into new varietals, clones and rootstocks is undertaken. The intensively farmed Stellenbosch district has been divided up into several smaller viticultural pockets including Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch.
Look out for: Thelema, Stark-Condé, Neil Ellis, Hartenberg, Ken Forrester, Longridge, Beyerskloof, Kaapzicht, Jordan
Blending history with natural beauty, the recently restored Lievland Estate in Paarl, now producing iconic South African cultivars, Chenin Blanc & Pinotage
Paarl - The Paarl wine district lies to the north of Stellenbosch and is bordered by the town of Wellington to the north-east, and the mountains of the Groot and Klein Drakenstein and Franschhoek ranges to the south-east. The Berg River, flanked by the majestic Groot Drakenstein and Wemmershoek mountains, runs through Paarl and is the life-giving artery of this wine-producing area. The valley land requires supplementary irrigation in the hot growing season before the harvest, but vineyards on the eastern slopes, having better water retention, frequently need none at all.
A large variety of grapes are grown in Paarl, of which Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc have the best potential. The Paarl district includes the wards of Simonsberg-Paarl, on the prime foothills of the Simonsberg, Agter-Paarl and Voor Paardeberg.
Look out for: Vondeling, MAN Family Wines, Lievland
My selections. Click Here to go to the purchase page and make your selection! Your mixed case will come with tasting notes for the wines, food pairing notes, and a recipe from my personal collection!
Option 1
Almenkerk, Elgin Valley | Lace Sauvignon Blanc
Bosman, Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley | Chardonnay
Painted Wolf, Swartland | Lycaon Grenache
Beyerskloof, Stellenbosch | Pinotage
MAN Family Wines, Paarl | Skaapveld Syrah
Glenelly, Stellenbosch | Glass Collection Cabernet Sauvignon
Option 2
Paul Cluver, Elgin | Sauvignon Blanc
Jordan, Stellenbosch | Inspector Peringuey Chenin Blanc
Painted Wolf, Swartland | Penny Viognier
Bosman, Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley | Pinot Noir (Magnum Opus)
Belfield, Elgin | Aristata Blend
Neil Ellis, Stellenbosch | Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot Blend