Michelangelo wine awards | WhaleTales Blog by Chris von Ulmenstein

Tourism, Food, and Wine news headlines

* Graham Beck Wines has been appointed as the official MCC supplier to Cape Town’s hosting of World Design Capital 2014.

* Wine writer Sherwin Lao from the Philippines, writing the column ‘Sip by Sip‘ for the Manila Standard Today, visited the Winelands of South Africa twice in 2013, and sings its praises, describing it as ‘a marvel to look at’, having visited Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Elgin. He also wrote about its ‘surreal mountain views, quaint looking towns and unparalled God-given beauty’. He was one of 14 international judges for the 2013 Michelangelo Wine Awards.

* The Guardian writer John Brunton visited the Winelands as a guest of SA Tourism, and titled his article ‘South Africa’s Cape top 10 wine route‘, recommending Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, the Swartland, Tulbagh, and Wellington generally, and Chamonix, Glenwood, Nabygelegen, AA Badenhorst, and Tokara specifically. He also recommended restaurants Franschhoek Kitchen at Holden Manz (before they lost their Chef Maryna Frederiksen, whom he mentions) , Fyndraai at Solms-Delta, and Readers in Tulbagh.

* The growing popularity of craft beers in South Africa is highlighted by Voice of America. The popularity of the artisanal Continue reading →

One of the fringe benefits of writing is that one meets some very special persons. One such lady is Melissa Genevieve Nelsen, who has just launched the first vintage of her new Genevieve Methode Cap Classique.

Melissa grew up in the lovely fruit-farming valley of Elgin, dreaming of becoming an air hostess. Her late mother challenged her to think big, and to become a pilot rather than a hostess. Despite the financial challenge of paying for the flying lessons, paid for by waitressing, Melissa persevered, and qualified with a commercial pilot’s licence, flying for a small charter company in Johannesburg.

When her mom became ill, Genevieve came back to the Cape to nurse her, and started doing beading. She also planted buchu on her stepdad’s smallholding, the buchu oil forming the organic foundation of artificial flavouring. This was followed by a stint at Wildekrans, where she ran the tasting room, and took over the marketing for the wine estate when the Marketing Manager moved to Plettenberg Bay.

Her boyfriend from school, Leon Engelke, a viticulturist at Beaumont in Bot River, entered a Garagiste Cabernet Unfiltered wine he had made at the Michelangelo wine awards, and to his surprise, won Double Gold for it. This inspired Melissa to make her own wine too, and she decided that it should be a sparkling wine. Using chardonnay grapes from a smallholding in Bot River, Melissa made her first Genevieve (her second name) Methode Cap Classique, receiving advice and support from Colmant, High Constantia and Ross Gower Wines.

The Genevieve 2008 MCC was launched at the Cape Royale Luxury Hotel 3 weeks ago. It is made of 100% chardonnay, utilising “whole bunch pressing ensuring quality juice”. A minimum of 18 months yeast contact time was allowed “before disgorgement”. The sparkling wine was made at Ross Gower cellars in Elgin, it was riddled at Avondale, and is stored at Luddite.

Her tasting note says:”Delicately elegant, with fresh and subtle aromas of white fruits. This 100% Chardonnay combines the characteristics of the grapes along with extensive time on the lees to bring depth and flavour to the wine.” Her first vintage has a production of 5 500 bottles.

Genevieve MCC: www.genevievemcc.co.za , cell 083 302 6562

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