Last year I attended the ‘Season of Sauvignon’ Festival, my first visit to the Durbanville Wine Route. Today and tomorrow the fun-loving Durbanville wine valley once again celebrates a grape variety it has become synonymous with, the eleven wine estates winning awards, Diemersdal having recently won the 2013 Champion Young Wine for their Sauvignon Blanc, the first time in the history of the Young Wine Championships that the top wine comes from Durbanville.

The launch function for ‘Season of Sauvignon’ was held at Klein Roosboom, owned by Karen de Villiers, who has a wonderful decor touch in making her weathered cellar the centre for tasting the best wines of the Durbanville Wine Route, and pairing these with foods especially prepared for us by the regions’ top chefs. Rose petals were strewn on the floor, and the cellar had an old world romantic theme.  We were invited by Errieda du Toit PR.

The wine estate representatives ‘worked together as a family‘, we were told, in organising  the ‘Season of Sauvignon’ Festival.  The Route is very proud of winning a KLINK Award last year for the 2012 ‘Season of Sauvignon’ Festival, and is a Finalist for the same Award for 2013 for the Best Wine Route, and De Grendel and Eat at Diemersdal  are also Finalists in other categories.  I met Francois Haasbroek, winemaker at Bloemendal, as well as the interesting (and coincidentally musical) Rudi von Waltsleben of D’Aria. His Piccolo is the first brandy made in the Durbanville valley.  The farm belongs to Tokyo Sexwale, and we discussed the sale of sister wine estate Constantia Uitsig. Rudi’s father started the cellar on the farm and was the viticulturist.   I spoke to Thys Louw about his tremendous Young Wines Championship achievement, which will benefit all the wine estates in their valley.  I asked him about his role in the new petite Pendock Art Gallery, his Pinotage having been chosen as one of the six opening wines for the September Pinotage ‘exhibition’ theme, and he said he had no clue.  He did say that Nasty Neil had paid for all the wines he used to make up six-packs to sell. Durbanville Hills has a new Chef Louisa Greeff.  Festival co-ordinator Kate Jackson from Durbanville Hills said that each wine estate on the Durbanville Wine Route now has a restaurant.

In the wine cellar, four tasting stations were set up, offering the wines and the tasting portions of food of four of the wine estates.  Each wine estate was challenged to prepare four tasting bites each that represented a characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc, being Gooseberry, Minerality, Green Apple, and Tropical:

*   Eat at Diemersdal Chef and Kokkedoor judge Nic van Wyk made a salad of green apple, smoked chicken and minted yoghurt ‘tartare’; a green apple panna cotta served with jelly and an apple crisp (right); and apple marinated pork belly salad with green apple dressing

*   De Grendel’s Ian Bergh served a Spanspek gazpacho; smoked trout, citrus, ricotta, lime and vanilla salad (left); and granadilla parfait

*   Cassia at Nitida presented the most beautifully plated dishes, Chef Barend Gouws preparing Smoked West Coast sea salt marinated gravadlax, beetroot, with a Maltaise sauce and topped with quail egg, which was a beautiful presentation on coloured glass plates; grilled venison, crushed new potato, braised red cabbage, caramelized apple, and cumin jus; seasonal vegetable ‘Wellington’ with smoked olive pesto; and double baked camembert soufflé, a parmesan crisp, blue cheese mousse, and green fig preserve.

*   Durbanville Hills’ Chef Louisa made a smoked snoek paté with gooseberry jelly (left); springbok and apricot sosatie with potato crisps and hollandaise sauce; vanilla risotto, tomato, gooseberry and pepper concasse, and parma ham crisp; as well as pecorino mille feuille and aubergine pickle.

Each of the ‘Season of Sauvignon’  wine estates is taking its own bookings. As the attendance is excellent and good weather is predicted for the weekend, booking is recommended at each wine estate one is planning to visit.

Altydgedacht

Picnic baskets prepared by Eat at Altydgedacht, restaurant’s farm menu of pies, quiches, and platters available. Vineyard tours, entertainment, and special menu for children.  Saturday & Sunday: 11h00 – 16h00.  Booking:  Tel (021) 975 7815

Bloemendal

Newly relaunched with new packaging and wine.  Saturday’s activities already fully booked.  Live music, food and wine at Bon Amis restaurant on Sunday.  Sunday 11h00 – 14h00.m Booking Tel (021) 976-2682.

D’Aria

Rock with The Flashbacks, Rudi die Wynmaker and Gerald Clark. Themed ‘Alice in Wineland’, old-time food favourites such as jaffles, Flammkuchen, and home-baked pastries, as well as oysters. Petting zoo and dedicated play area for children. Saturday 10h00 – 20h00, Sunday 10h00 – 18h00.

De Grendel

The Sauvignon Blanc 2013 is the farm’s best vintage to date. Alfresco food stalls, oyster bar, Sauvignon Blanc cocktail bar, gourmet boerewors rolls, and a biltong stand. Tapas and Sauvignon Blanc pairing on Saturday. The rugby will be screened on Saturday afternoon.  A la Carte menu on Sunday. Tel (021) 558-7035 

Diemersdal

Umbrellas and a huge tent offer shade from the sun. Live music. Winemakers Thys Louw and Marie Branders lead vineyard hikes, exploring the spring vines, and terroir.  Diemersdal Farm Eatery Sauvignon slush puppies, ice cream, cheese platters, and artisan bread.  Activities for children.  Rugby screened on Saturday until 19h00.  Saturday and Sunday 11h00 – 18h00.  R50 entrance fee. 

Durbanville Hills

Interactive sensory tasting (R60) reflects how sweet, sour, bitter, and savoury flavours change the taste profile of a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.  Picnics, nachos, sushi, oysters, and charcuterie platters. Live music by Chris Rain and Ricky Nass. Children’s activities. Breakfast and lunch.  Saturday – Sunday 10h00 – 17h00.

 Groot Phesantekraal

Cheese platters, sushi, roosterkoek, and curry and rice.  Saturday 11h00 – 16h00.  Fully booked Sunday.

Klein Roosboom

‘Wyn in the Tuin’, music by Slip Jam, food trucks offer a variety of food. Activities for children. Rugby on Saturday until 19h00.  Saturday and Sunday 11h00 – 18h00. 

Meerendal

Live entertainment, Farmer’s Market today, children’s activities, tutored tastings by Cellar master Liza Goodwin, and aging talk and tasting by Bennie Howard showcases how well Meerendal and Durbanville Sauvignons can age.  West Coast Braai buffet with Sauvignon Blanc pairings. The Bistro restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Saturday 9h00 – 17h00, Sunday 12h00 – 16h00. Tel (021) 975-1655. 

Hillcrest

Blanc and Blues, On Tap Ice Bar, new Wine Theatre hosted by winemakers Graham Reed and Arno Smit. Smoked Norwegian salmon, oysters, and seafood wraps, hamburgers, and more. Children’s activities. Saturday 11h00 – 21h00 (R70 entrance fee), Sunday 11h00 – 18h00 (R60 entrance fee).  Tel (021) 976-4959

Nitida

Cassia Restaurant serves hamburgers, sushi, cajun chicken wraps, and footlongs;  jazz band; wine specials; children’s activities. ‘Tables at Nitida’ Restaurant.  Fully booked Saturday.  Sunday 11h00 – 17h00 (R100 entrance).

Each of the participating wine estates will offer ‘Ward in a Box‘, a collection of Sauvignon Blancs from each Durbanville Wine Route wine estate, which one can taste comparatively.

Disclosure:   We received a media pack with Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Nitida Sauvignon Blanc 2013, and Meerendal Sauvignon Blanc 2013.