The organisers went nuts!

I’ve nosed the Springfield Wild Yeast Chardonnay before, but I’ve never picked up the scent of nuts.  We wine geeks nose wines, we don’t smell them.  But even if you smelled the wine on that Saturday, you would have been surprised by the nuttiness.  The Chardonnay, the Chenin even the Cabernet had a bouquet of caramelised cashews.   Terroir can influence the aroma and in this case the Robertson terroir certainly was responsible for the nuttiness.   Mostly the terroir was influenced by the nut roasting stall in the middle of the wine tent.   This act of nuttiness describes more than anything else the organisers’ focus.  And exploring the wines of region was not the predominant focus.  Getting tourists to spend money in the region of the wine show, now that was their focus.  My focus was stocking up.

I waded amongst the usual suspects and some unknowns in search of something new for the stock room.    The usual suspects, in alphabetical order, are Arendsig, Ashton, Graham Beck, Kingsriver, Springfield, Windfall.  Missing for some reason were big hitter De Wetshof and underappreciated Major’s Hill.   The Arendsig Sauvignon Blanc did not have the guava from fermentation as the 2010, so no purchase.  Most Sauvignon Blancs were disappointing, but did eventually buy Graham Beck’s Pheasant Run, which went on to win numerous awards.

All of Springfield’s were as lovely as usual.  Just about the whole range is now living in the stockroom.  Something about the Sauvignon Blancs are just a bit different this year.  I do prefer earlier vintages.  I bought some extra Wild yeast Chardonnay on instructions of the Grey Gander.  I hoped he would forget about these, but reluctantly I’ve parted with some of those beauties.  Windfall’s Shiraz joined their older siblings.  They will sit there on the rack and look at the contents of my garage for the next couple of years.

 The local hospice sold cold drinks and ice cubes.   I thought it quite appropriate for the hospice to sell ice in the heat.   I missed the biterballen ⁽¹⁾  from Kingsriver that they made last year.   But I did get to taste and buy their apricot wine.  A different experience from grape wine, but still drinkable.   Apricots are slightly sour, so not surprisingly there is some acidity to the wine.  It will remain a novelty and not a everyday wine. 

After a while the crush of people enjoying themselves along the riverbank tripped over my people-o-phobia wire.  I had to go.  The actual buying bit took a bit longer than expected.  As bonus for the 4 times the credit card machine had to be primed I received two large carrier bags as special compensation.   Half an hour later my wine and I caught a lift with a shuttle.  A couple inside approved of my choice of vinous pleasure.   They were at a food and wine pairing event with Arendsig wines earlier in the year.  Enjoyed it very much, they said. 

With the Honda eventually located in the car park I filled the boot and set off.  The destination after this was “the wine shop on Robertson main road”.  Picked up a few missing pieces and headed for the only logical place to go after a wine festival.  A brewery. 

Saggy Stone brewery is a bit off the beaten track.  Coming from Robertson I took the road Robert Frost described.  Flood repairs were going on the dirt road.  No actual work was performed on a Saturday afternoon, but the stop and go sites were still up.  It wasn’t manned and didn’t need to be.  No other traffic impeded my progress.    It’s a good thing the website has good directions on it, because you are not going to stumble over Saggy Stone.  But it is well worth the trip.  They make a steam beer and an ale as well as seasonals (experiments).  I preferred the ale.  I had chicken quesadillas that were truly brilliant.  If you are in that part of the world, make a plan to go.  The setting is brilliant, the food good and the beer nice.  What else do you need to be happy?

(1)    Go read my bit about bitterballen in Franschoek. 

Bubble, bubble, it's no trouble

If you like legs, you should have been with me on Sunday in Franschhoek.  In fact, if you appreciate any part of the female form, Franschoek’s bubbles festival was the place to be.  Once again a wonderfully hot day ensured that the target audience dressed appropriately for the festival.  Appropriately in this case is my synonym for “If you got it, flaunt it”.  And quite a few had it⁽¹⁾.  Looking just at bubbling wine in a glass is only so stimulating.  Looking at the shapely holder of the glass as well increases the stimulation factor and I get to use more of my senses.  Supposedly if you use more of your senses, you remember more of an event.  I will long remember this. 

The theme was for the third year running “Black and White in a Hat”. So there I was with black shoes, black trousers and my new edition of white T-shirt with giraffe on it⁽²⁾.  No hat though.  I look like a prat in a hat. ⁽³⁾  Mostly people stuck to the theme.  So the woman in the figure hugging red dress had guts.  All neatly packaged where it should be.  One particular woman had legs that mesmerized me for quite some time.  Eventually I walked over.

“I’ve been objectifying you for the last half hour.  How about I get you a drink?”  

Should have saved myself a walk.  

Of the non female attendees there were a few using the Julian calendar.  That or they did not get the message that “A moustache is for Movember only, not for life.” 

The mostly stuck to Plan A was to sail into uncharted waters.  To boldly go where I haven’t gone before, although others have.  They must have.  They made the wine.  This year the Champagne Chauffeur only had The Blonde as passenger.  Various weak excuses were offered.  Ghana, Zambia, in laws, house fixing.  Other people’s priorities seem so twisted when seen through the bottom of my wine glass. 

At the always brilliant Krone I bought a bottle of Nicholas Charles Krone Marque 1 as I always seem to.  They were low on stock so I paid and said, seeing as the young Mr Krone looked trustworthy, that he should keep it for me.  Even if he had not looked trustworthy, I know where to get him during the week.  This I put up against Piper Heidsieck Brut as I find the Marque 1 the best bubbles from this country. The Blonde picked up which was which immediately.  You just cannot hide our sunshine!

At the House of Ahrens they make a very good MCC from bought in grapes from 11 different areas.  Thus they are not restricted with what nature has chosen to make grow next to their winery.  After 1 year in oak barrels they keep it for 3 years in the bottles before selling to the great unwashed.  They have an interesting marketing strategy.  At R315 a bottle they are comfortably at the very top end of local bubbles.  Yet they insist on selling it only in six-packs.  So a reasonable indulgence becomes quite an outlay and therefore not a sale to this punter. 

My Wyn.  A name that can lead to fist fights late at night.  “It’s MY wine I said!”  “Keep your grubby little mitts of MY WINE!”  With only 1500 bottle made a year it claims to be the smallest winery in Franschoek.  They have one less to sell and I have one more to drink.

Francois la Garde is not the name of the winemaker, but one of his ancestors.  The winery makes MCC from unusual grapes.  A brut from Semillion, a rosé from Mourvedre and another brut, this time from standard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Like the Shiraz bubbles from Ntida and Clouds or the Sauvignon Blanc one from Bramon it is different.  Well made, but the starting point ensures something unusual.  I don’t normally mind unusual, but the FLG did not grab me by the taste buds.From Namaqua comes a Rosé so red it is bordering on orange.  If you want to experiment, go and buy this.  The Laborie Brut that was offered as counter point was in a much better class.

At Genevieve they asked my name and my involvement in the industry, because I seemed familiar. Just a large consumer, I replied.  I should get a T-Shirt that says that.  The 2009 is tarter than the 08.  The delightful winemaker (Melissa Genevieve Nelsen) suggests I keep these a while.  So the twins will not be opened for a few months.   Years if I can show some self discipline. 

The name Claudia brings to my mind’s eye long, flowing blonde hair.  Amongst other images.  At Domain des Dieux that is what they call their brut.  It was just budgetary reasons that kept me from clutching a Claudia.  Sharon, the rosé, went untasted. 

At Chabivin they make a lovely local version and import a few French versions.  The tasting room just opened outside of Stellenbosch.  If the friendliness at the festival is representative a visit will be in order.

The Quoin Rock Brut was made from 75% Pinot Noir, but did not have the colour you would expect from such a high percentage.  The bubbles are made from grapes that grew up in Agulhas, cool as it gets in South African wine terms.  Money exchanged hands here as well. The Rickety Bridge used less Pinot Noir than Quoin Rock, but was redder in colour.  I held the two glasses up to check the colour difference.  The guy pouring got stroppy “I filled it to the line!” I thought the neighbours were going to lose it when I explained that his white shirt made a good background for comparing the colours.

All in all a good day, although the only place in the shade we could get was close to the musicians.  The regular, more famous MCC must wait for another time for a write up or until they are on special for New Years at the local supermarket.

(1)    They probably still have it

(2)    The giraffe says Hello.

(3)    And Doctor Zeuss let that title go.