{"id":49327,"date":"2013-10-05T09:50:00","date_gmt":"2013-10-05T07:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=49327"},"modified":"2013-10-05T18:28:11","modified_gmt":"2013-10-05T16:28:11","slug":"summer-arrives-just-in-time-for-season-of-sauvignon-festival-on-durbanville-wine-route","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/cape-town\/summer-arrives-just-in-time-for-season-of-sauvignon-festival-on-durbanville-wine-route\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer arrives just in time for ‘Season of Sauvignon’ Festival on Durbanville Wine Route!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Durbanville<\/a>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.<\/p>\n

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. \u00a0We were invited by Errieda du Toit PR.<\/p>\n

The wine estate representatives ‘worked together as a family<\/em>‘, we were told, in organising \u00a0the ‘Season of Sauvignon’ Festival. \u00a0The 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\u00a0 are also Finalists in other categories. \u00a0I 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 \"Durbanville<\/a>brandy made in the Durbanville valley. \u00a0The farm belongs to Tokyo Sexwale, and we discussed\u00a0the sale of sister wine estate Constantia Uitsig.\u00a0Rudi’s father started the cellar on the farm and was the viticulturist. \u00a0 I spoke to Thys Louw about his tremendous Young Wines Championship achievement, which will benefit all the wine estates in\"Durbanville<\/a> their valley. \u00a0I asked him about his role in the new petite Pendock Art Gallery,<\/strong><\/span><\/a> 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. \u00a0He 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. \u00a0Festival co-ordinator Kate Jackson from Durbanville Hills said that each wine estate on the Durbanville Wine Route now has a restaurant.<\/p>\n

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. \u00a0Each wine estate was challenged to prepare four tasting bites each that represented a characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc, being Gooseberry, Minerality, Green Apple, and Tropical:<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 Eat at Diemersdal Chef and Kokkedoor judge Nic van Wyk\u00a0\"Durbanville<\/a>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<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 \"Durbanville<\/a>De Grendel’s Ian Bergh served a Spanspek gazpacho; smoked trout, citrus, ricotta, lime and vanilla salad (left); and granadilla parfait<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 Cassia at Nitida presented the most beautifully plated dishes, Chef Barend Gouws\"Durbanville<\/a> 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 souffl\u00e9, a parmesan crisp, blue cheese mousse, and green fig preserve.<\/p>\n

* \u00a0 \"Durbanville<\/a>Durbanville Hills’ Chef Louisa made a smoked snoek pat\u00e9 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.<\/p>\n

Each of the ‘Season of Sauvignon’<\/em> \u00a0wine 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.<\/p>\n

Altydgedacht<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

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. \u00a0Saturday & Sunday: 11h00 – 16h00. \u00a0Booking: \u00a0Tel\u00a0(021) 975 7815<\/p>\n

Bloemendal<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Newly relaunched with new packaging and wine. \u00a0Saturday\u2019s activities already fully booked. \u00a0Live music, food and wine at Bon Amis restaurant on Sunday. \u00a0Sunday 11h00 – 14h00.m Booking Tel (021) 976-2682.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Aria<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Rock with The Flashbacks, Rudi die Wynmaker and Gerald Clark. Themed \u2018Alice in Wineland\u2019<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n

De Grendel<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

The Sauvignon Blanc 2013 is the farm\u2019s 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. \u00a0A la Carte menu on Sunday. Tel (021) 558-7035\u00a0<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

Diemersdal<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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. \u00a0Diemersdal Farm Eatery Sauvignon slush puppies, ice cream, cheese platters, and artisan bread. \u00a0Activities for children. \u00a0Rugby screened on Saturday until 19h00. \u00a0Saturday and Sunday 11h00 – 18h00. \u00a0R50 entrance fee.\u00a0<\/i><\/b>
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Durbanville Hills<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Interactive sensory tasting (R60) reflects how sweet, sour, bitter, and savoury flavours change the taste profile of a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.\u00a0 Picnics, nachos, sushi, oysters, and charcuterie platters. Live music by Chris Rain and Ricky Nass. Children’s activities. Breakfast and lunch. \u00a0Saturday – Sunday 10h00 – 17h00.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>Groot Phesantekraal<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Cheese platters, sushi, roosterkoek, and curry and rice. \u00a0Saturday 11h00 – 16h00. \u00a0Fully booked Sunday.<\/p>\n

Klein Roosboom<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Wyn in the Tuin<\/em>\u2019, music by Slip Jam, food trucks offer a variety of food. Activities for children. Rugby on Saturday until 19h00. \u00a0Saturday and Sunday 11h00 – 18h00.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Meerendal<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Live entertainment, Farmer\u2019s 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. \u00a0West Coast Braai buffet with Sauvignon Blanc pairings. The Bistro restaurant open for\u00a0breakfast, lunch, and dinner. \u00a0Saturday 9h00 – 17h00, Sunday 12h00 – 16h00. Tel (021) 975-1655.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Hillcrest<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

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). \u00a0Tel (021) 976-4959<\/p>\n

Nitida<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Cassia Restaurant serves hamburgers, sushi, cajun chicken wraps, and footlongs; \u00a0jazz band; wine specials; children’s activities. \u2018Tables at Nitida\u2019 Restaurant. \u00a0Fully booked Saturday. \u00a0Sunday 11h00 – 17h00 (R100 entrance).<\/p>\n

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

Disclosure:<\/strong> \u00a0 We received a media pack with Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc 2013, Nitida Sauvignon Blanc 2013, and Meerendal Sauvignon Blanc 2013.<\/p>\n

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‘Season of Sauvignon’ Festival,<\/strong> Durbanville Wine Route. \u00a0Twitter: @DurbanvilleWine<\/p>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com <\/a>\u00a0Twitter: @WhaleCottage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[3,124,1918,266,20,21,19],"tags":[4942,21443,21439,21440,11518,13331,32378,225,11519,2196,4301,5351,21438,3967,21432,21430,21433,21442,17247,9480,4921,21429,21437,17248,21431,17249,19809,21441,17266,2833,21436,21435,426,21434,422,19258,19262,945,21444,32373,21428],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t