Wine Diva

Adventure is the name of the game. Wine is all about trying new things. Sometimes you’ll want to spit it out to avoid the effects of the alcohol and sometimes you’ll want to spit it out because it’s ghastly; and sometimes it will grab hold of your nose hairs like the wild air of an exotic destination and follow-through on the taste buds with wild spices and aromas and leave you lusting for a lekker hot Durban curry. So pack your bags – wine is a joyful journey of discovery, even if it’s just a trip to the Makro liquor store to browse around and choose a different brand to experiment with and develop your palate. Every bottle of unexplored wine has it’s own unique story to tell – it may too young to be told but we make the mistake and tell it anyway, or it may be way past its sell by date but we don’t know until we try (and then spit), or hopefully it peaks just as we take our first sip and we know for sure that our corkscrew has made a new friend.

Wine enthusiasts regard relative newcomer Cape Point Vineyards as South Africa’s best emerging winery, ranking it ahead of heavyweights Tokara and Ernie Els Wines.

The premier ranking is one of the surprise results to come out of WINE magazine’s annual reader survey, which polls vinophiles on a range of topics as diverse as their favourite wine, winery and region to their views on organic wines, SAA’s wine selection and how they’d spend a tax rebate.

Less surprising is Vergelegen’s seemingly unassailable position as the country’s best winery, a spot it has held since the poll’s inception five years ago. With 37 percent of the vote going to this Somerset West cellar compared to second-ranked Thelema’s 14 percent, Vergelegen is set to remain the readers’ first choice for some time to come.

Another consistent performer is Shiraz, again coming out tops as the favoured red wine, while Merlot appears to be declining in popularity. There is continued support for Pinotage as SA’s signature grape variety.

Wine lovers are divided on the relevance of the Cape Winemakers Guild, but more certain on whether they would share a top-rated Kanonkop Paul Sauer ‘98 with a partner who knows nothing about wine or if they’d be willing to give up wine for a year to clear their credit card debt.

The full results of WINE’s reader poll are available in its June issue.

Since establishment in 1999, Durbanville Hills have featured prominently at local and international wine shows and this year will be showcasing their range of approachable as well as exclusive wines to the Gauteng consumer market at The Jo’burg Wine Show 2007.

The Hills range of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Pinotage, Bastion (Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz blend) and Merlot are finely crafted, yet easy-drinking wines suitable for any occasion, while the Rhinofields Reserve range and the vineyard specific range of limited release wines offer a tremendous variety for the discerning palate. The limited-release wines are only made in exceptional years and include the Biesjeskraal Sauvignon Blanc, the Luipaardsberg Merlot and the Caapmans Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot.

The Durbanville Hills area is officially considered one of the Cape’s two coolest wine regions, thanks to the sea breezes that drift inland from False Bay and Table Bay and to the late afternoon mists that bathe the slopes – conditions ideal for the slow ripening of the grapes that allow them to develop their full-flavoured and intense character.

“Durbanville Hills delivers not only a range of wines as remarkable and impressive as their view of Table Mountain but are also very well known in the market place,” explains Corinne Erasmus of Highwood Exhibitions. “We are therefore delighted to have Durbanville Hills participate in The Jo’burg Wine Show as it broadens the spectrum of wineries within our exhibitor list.”

One of the key successes for the inaugural Jo’burg Wine Show in 2006 was the addition of a Boutique Corner which gave smaller estates and garagistes an opportunity to promote their hand-crafted products to the all-important Gauteng market, securing the brand and essentially creating a demand for these relatively unheard of labels. However, larger wineries such as Durbanville Hills recognise the value of participating in a show where they are not only able to meet with their target market in a relaxed and informal environment, but also take part in what is expected to be one of the key wine events for consumers in the annual wine calendar.