Tag Archives: Lomond

Hermanus Wine & Food Fair celebrates food and wine from Elgin to Elim!

The Hermanus Wine & Food Fair is more low key than similar ones in Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, and Riebeeck Kasteel.  This year the Fair is expanding its reach by putting close to 50 wine producers’ more than 250 wines, from Elgin to Elim and including Hermanus and Stanford, on show over the Women’s Day long weekend, from tomorrow until Sunday, in the Hemel-en-Aarde Village at the entrance to Hermanus.  The proceeds of the Fair will go to the nearby Camphill School for children with special needs.

This is the 15th year that the Fair will be staged.  The wines on show represent a wine region which has more 4 and 5 star Platter-rated wines than any other in South Africa, says the Fair write-up in Bay.

For the first time an interactive website www.thevine.co.za will allow winelovers attending the show to rate and review the wines they have tasted, and so build up a history of their wine tasting experiences, and share these with other wine lovers.  The producers who will present their wines, many of them on the Hermanus Wine Route, are the following: Arumdale, Almenkerk, Ataraxia, Barton, Beaumont Wines, Belfield Wines, Black Oystercatcher, Boschrivier, Bouchard Finlayson, Brunia, Creation, Domaine des Dieux, Feiteiras Wines, Ghost Corner, Henry, Hamilton Russell, Hermanuspietersfontein, Hornbill, Iona, Jakob’s Vineyards, Jean Daneel, La Vierge, Lomond, Newton Johnson, Raka, 7Springs, Southern Right Wines, Spioenkop Wines, Spookfontein, Strandveld & First Sighting, Stanford Hills – Jackson’s, Southhill, Sumaridge, The Berrio, Vaalvlei, Whalehaven, Walker Bay Vineyards, William Everson, Winters Drift, and Zandfontein.  Paul du Toit, owner of Wine Village, is the co-ordinator of the Hermanus Wine & Food Fair.

The food at the Hermanus Wine & Food Fair will be provided by the restaurants in the Hemel-en-Aarde Village centre, including The Class Room, B’s Steakhouse, and Season.  EAT will run a Peroni Beer and wine bar.  In addition, cheeses, olive products, charcuterie, buchu teas, bee products, herb liqueurs, nuts, sundried tomatoes, pomegranate products, pesto pastes, artisanal chocolates, and breads will be available for tasting and to purchase.

Hermanus Wine & Food Fair, Hemel-en-Aarde Village, Hermanus. 9 – 11 August, 11h00 – 19h00. R 95 per day, or R200 for 3-day pass. Free parking.  www.hermanuswineandfood.co.za. Book via Computicket.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Cheers: Excellent week for Spier award-winning wines!

A number of wine competition results announced last week were recorded on www.wine.co.za on Thursday, and South Africa’s good performance in these, and that of Spier in particular, was noted.  Spier was the only local wine estate to have won Gold medal awards in each of the four competitions.

In London, the International Wine Challenge 2011 results were announced at the London International Wine Fair.  South Africa won 13 out of 406 Gold Medals (3%), and two of these went to Spier, for its Creative Block 3 2009 and Landmark 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2009.   The other Gold medal winners were Backsberg Family Reserve White 2009, Edgebaston Berry Box 2009, Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2005, Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Semillon 2010 and its Unfiltered Viognier 2010, Groot Constantia Grand Constance 2008 and its Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Kaapzicht Steytler Pentagon 2007, Nederburg Winemasters Reserve Noble Late Harvest 2010, Oldenburg Chenin Blanc 2010, and Tokara Reserve Collection Stellenbosch Chardonnay 2009.  

The Decanter World Wine Awards 2011 were also announced at the London International Wine Fair, and attracted 12252 entries.   South Africa won 26 out of 237 Gold Medals awarded (11%), and these included Spier Mitchells Pass Malbec 2010.  Other gold medal winning producers were Asda, Beaumont, Cape Point Vineyards (Chardonnay 2009, Isliedh 2010), Dieu Donné, Drostdy Hof, Fleur du Cap, Holden Manz, Jordan, Kleine Zalze, KWV, Lomond, Longridge (Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Chenin Blanc 2010), Nederburg (Private Bin Edelkeur 2007, Winemasters Reserve Chenin Blanc 2009),  Quoin Rock, Rickety Bridge, Rijk’s, Saronsberg, Saxenburg, Steenberg, Stellenzicht, Thelema, and Waterkloof.  KWV The Mentors Orchestra 2008 was the category winner for ‘South African Red Bordeaux Varietal over £10’, while Klein Constantia Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 won the ‘South African Red Bordeaux Varietal under £10’.

The Syrah du Monde 2011 evaluated 383 Syrah/Shiraz wines from 24 countries, and South Africa won 6 gold medals out of a total of 34 (18%).  Spier Private Collection Shiraz 2008 won a Gold medal, as did Durbanville Hills Rhinofields Shiraz 2008, Franschhoek Cellar Baker Station Shiraz 2009, Groot Constantia Shiraz 2008, Number One Constitution Road Shiraz 2008, and Oldenburg Vineyards Shiraz 2008.

At the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2011 7386 wines from 49 countries were evaluated, and South Africa won 45 out of 683 gold medals (6%).  Spier Private Collection Shiraz 2008 was one of only three South African wines to be awarded the highest honour, the Grand Gold Medal, as were The Grande Provence 2006, and Dieu Donné Cabernet Sauvignon 2008.  Gold medals went to Spier’s Creative Block 3 2009, Creative Block 3 2008, and Creative Block 5 2009. 

Our congratulations go to all the award winners, and a special toast to Spier for winning gold in each of the four competitions, a unique achievement.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com  Twitter: @WhaleCottage

Raka writes book on Shiraz!

Raka Biography Shiraz has won The Ferroprint Grand Prix Trophy in the International Michelangelo Wine Awards, as the highest scoring wine of the more than a thousand entries. It has been described as a “world class Shiraz”, according to the Bolander.

South African wines won six gold medals, more than any other country, in the Decanter World Wine Awards, reports the Cape Argus. Award-winners were Amani Vineyards Cabernet Franc/Merlot 2006, Lomond Single Vineyards’ Sauvignon Blanc Pincushion 2007, Paul Cluver’s Chardonnay 2007, Tokara White and Rustenberg Wines’ Five Soldiers 2006.