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AWE Trip to South Africa
November 5th—12th 2005

Cape Wine Masters By Quentin Sadler 

Our first evening started well, greeted with glasses of sparkling wine by our hosts, the Cape Wine Masters, who had each brought along different wines for us to taste. We were at Indigo Restaurant in Gordon’s Bay whose lively little bar was crammed with the cream of the AWE and the Cape Wine Masters. Through an arch was the cosy restaurant, the walls covered with local art, including some striking naïve pieces á la Grandma Moses, so there was plenty to drink, plenty of people to talk to and much to look at as well as a beautiful sunset over False Bay, once the sandstorm had died down.

The evening worked simply; we tasted our way through the wines that appealed and then carried on drinking whichever we enjoyed with our dinner. The range of wines to try was very varied and fascinating, with lots of good drinking. However the standout experience for me was the wonderful Zonnebloem Pinotage 1982 in magnum (donated by Duimpie Bayly) – this was terrific, a perfectly aged, delicate and characterful wine that actually tasted earthy and reminiscent of a ripe Pinot Noir and spicily Cinsault-like.

So, great company, new friends, great wines and then a lovely seafood dinner (can anyone tell me why South African calamari is so good?)  - a very enjoyable and wonderful start to the trip.

© Quentin Sadler 2005

Pinotage, the “trump card of South African wine” by Michelle Cherutti-Kowal

The pinotage cultivar is uniquely South African, created in 1925 by Professor Abraham Izak Perold at Stellenbosch University. It took 16 more years of experimentation before the first wine was made. Success was both a blessing and a curse. As in the rest of the wine world during the 50’s and 60’s, quantity, not quality was encouraged. The apex came in 1976 when visiting MW’s decided pinotage had no future. Wide uprooting was followed but fortunately, some growers ignore the Brits (can you believe that?) and in 1991, Beyers Truter was named the IWSC Winemaker of the Year. Why?  His 1989 Kanonkop Pinotage.

The Pinotage Association celebrated its 10th anniversary this past November. It was founded by like-minded winemakers who believed the varietal was capable of competing on the world stage. Viticultural and vinicultural aspects of growing and vinifying pinotage were established⁽¹⁾ and in 1997, the Top Ten Pinotage Competition was launched.

With ten years behind them, the top ten winners have had the following in common:

• Old bush vines (30-40yrs) that grow under dryland conditions
• Medium-deep hilly slopes having soils capable of good water retention
• A cooler south-east or south-west aspect or a warmer north north-east aspect 

Our tasting consisted of 18 wines, single varietal pinotage and Cape Blends (pinotage and mostly Bordeaux varietals).

Outstanding examples were:

Simonsberg Redhill Pinotage 2003, a single vineyard wine from red soils of decomposed shale and granite. The wine spent 18 months in new oak, 94% French, 6% American.  It had vibrant fruit on the mid-palate, and finished with spicy notes at the back. I was surprised at the amount of new wood as the tannins were tightly knit and well-integrated, emphasising the density of the fruit character.

Laibach Pinotage 2004, a blend of 94% pinotage and 6% petit verdot with 16 months in new French oak. The wine was deeply coloured with the palate showing dense fruit characters with undertones of mint. This was a wine with huge body and smooth well-integrated tannins.

Kanonkop Pinotage 1998 finally gave up the familiar pinotage characteristics. The palate was earthy and feral with sweet red fruit and spice on the back. The finish was very dry and extremely long.   

The tasting was followed with some fine examples of South African beef, emphasising pinotage’s ability to match with food.  A fantastic finish to our first morning in the Cape.

⁽¹⁾ More specific information can be obtained from www.pinotage.co.za 

© Michelle Cherutti-Kowal 2005

Rustenberg Tasting by Michelle Cherutti-Kowal

Ever since Robert Parker gave the 1996 Rustenberg Peter Barlow 92 points, this winery has never looked back. So what could this Canadian say that hasn’t already been written? I decided to sit back and let the wines speak for themselves. But even better, was listening to Adi Badenhorst, the winemaker.

As a group of educators, we frequently enjoy discussing technical topics like clonal selections, American vs French oak, acidification techniques- I could go on.   Most winemakers respond with the expected answers. Few however, are as forthright as Adi. With great patience, he answered our questions in his own refreshing style. Here are some of my favourite responses:

• Do you believe in clones? Not anymore, I think its bullshit.
• How about cultured yeasts? Cultured yeasts are bullshit. If you don’t have good yeast to begin with, you’re f****d.

 Adi didn’t have to say much more- the wines did their own singing. We tasted Brampton 2005 Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz as well as the awarding wining Rustenberg 2004 Chardonnay and 2001 Peter Barlow. All were exceptional wines but not nearly as captivating as the barrel sample of the Rustenberg Syrah. It was deeply coloured and very perfumed with a typical cool climate white pepper character. The wine had a great balance of the finely knit tannins and lively acid reminiscent of Northern Rhône.

My parting comment to Adi as I left- Do you go on tour?

Simonsburg Tasting by Michelle Cherutti-Kowal

The slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain are unique with lean soils and cooling maritime winds from nearby False Bay. Sixteen wineries are located within this spectacular setting, a ward within the Stellenbosch region (not to be confused with Simonsberg-Paarl - the other side of the mountain). Each farm exploits a wide range of slopes and altitudes in order to produce wines of varying styles, concentration and structure.

Our tasting was located at the newest winery, Quoin Rock. Eleven of the members, each presenting one wine, waited patiently for us to arrive (we were visiting another member, Rustenberg, so all was forgiven).

It was an excellent range, demonstrating the versatility of the area - from a delicate sauvignon blanc from Uitkyk, a rich tropical chenin blanc from Knorhoek, and a pinotage rosé from Delheim. It is on the reds that this area has built its reputation. Those we tasted were mostly blends of both Bordeaux and Cape varietals (the latter having some pinotage), finishing with two examples of shiraz.

Outstanding examples:

2004 Laibach Ladybird, certified organic and a blend of 47% merlot, 31% cabernet franc and 22% cabernet sauvignon. The wine spent 13 months in French barrels, 35% new. It was a mouth filling wine - dense fruit, smooth and well-integrated tannins and a long peppery finish.

2003 Warwick Trilogy, a blend of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 15% of merlot and cabernet franc. It spent 20 months in French oak, 60% new. The wine had smoky and spicy layers combined with notes of black currants and damsons. This wine never lets me down, every time I taste it! 

©  Michelle Cherutti-Kowal 2005

Ken Forester Restaurant and tasting by Lindsay Oram

For our second evening we went to 96 Winery Road, the renowned restaurant of Ken Forester and Martin Meinhert. Ken has a passion for all things Chenin and Martin consults for Ken as well as owning Meinhert wines.

Surprisingly 80% of the world plantings of Chenin Blanc are in South Africa and it is often an abused variety here, but Ken fell for the variety and wanted to make a difference by taking what was seen as an unfashionable variety and producing some serious wines. He started 11 years ago on his quest.

We started with Petit Chenin with 4gms residual sugar, an un-wooded youthful wine tasting of fresh apricots. Originally sold to Oddbins, as they wanted an entry level Chenin Blanc, it uses some brought in young vines. We asked why Chenin seemed to be a problem - "Not for me", he replied, "but it must be allowed to ripen fully and have the right site".

We moved on to the Ken Forrester Range: the Chenin is barrel fermented in 400 French 1-5 year old barrels (which gives the wine a smooth apricot flavour) and has 6gms residual sugar. This uses all his own fruit from vineyards which are about 30 years old. Our third wine was FMC (Forrester Meinhert Chenin). The fruit for this comes from one 7ha vineyard facing south south-west, and is made only in good years. It is very full and honeyed and complex and contains some noble late harvested Chenin, which is picked by trie. The two wines are barrel fermented with wild yeasts to dryness then barrel aged; this really is Chenin Blanc with knobs on.

Ken had to leave us, and over dinner we had the chance to try the white wines of Uva Mira, a boutique winery 520 above sea level, the wines of Meinhert, including their Cape blend ‘Synchronicity’ and Yonder Hills’ Inada (meaning ‘beautiful place’) - a good way to end a beautiful tasting.         

©  Lindsay Oram 2005

Bon Cap - the biggest private organic winery in South Africa by Vivienne Franks

Following a dusty 2-hour trip from Stellenbosch to Robertson, Michelle Du Preez, wife of 7th generation winemaker Roelf, met us in the vineyard.  Her enthusiasm and passion for the family’s wines comes across very strongly. The vineyard, a green and lush oasis, is in the centre of a very pretty valley called Eilandia, between Robertson and Worcester. The Red Karoo and Sandy soils are typical of the area, and this 42 hectare farm has full organic status, certified by a Swiss company, SGS.

Low humidity and rainfall, combined with compost-rich soils make this area special. The cover crop of alfalfa with cormorant, bat and penguin manure all works to provide a balance and sustainability to the land. The main red cultivar here is Pinotage, but Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir and Touriga Nacional all have their place. The main white grape is Viognier, followed by Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Michelle explained that the first fruit trees were planted in 1920, Pinotage vines were planted in 1972, and both grapes and fruits were sent to the Rooiberg co-operative. Once the new cellar was completed in 2002, the family began to make and market their own wines. Roelf works alongside winemaker Jacques Conradie, and together they have won numerous Michaelangelo awards for their organic wines.

75% of Bon Cap’s wines are exported to 13 countries and we were able to taste a cross section of varietals and blends. Of the eleven wines we tasted my personal favourites were the Bon Cap Organic Pinotage and the Bon Cap Organic Viognier, both food-friendly, expressive and flavoursome wines.

© Vivienne Franks 2006

Graham Beck by Christos Ioannaou

Graham Beck has landholdings in Robertson Valley covering a whopping 3500 ha, though only 168 ha of this is actually planted under vine. As those of us who did not have sun hats or sun cream soon found out, Robertson can be blisteringly hot. Indeed viticulturalist Marco Ventrella, who gave us a fascinating tour in the vineyards, described the area as semi-arid, and pointed out that the annual rainfall averages a paltry 200-250mm. 

Robertson soils are some of the oldest in the world with an estimated age of 4-500 million years, and the whole area used to be sub-sea. After mentioning that nearly all of his vines are grafted onto R110 rootstock  (which is good for resistance against drought and the high salinity levels in the soil), Marco gave us a fascinating insight into the latest developments in water management and its effect on fruit quality. 

A procedure called Partial Root Zone Drying seeks to fool the vines that they are in a state of crisis, which encourages them to produce better fruit. Essentially, instead of the normal one irrigation pipe along the middle of a row of vines, two pipes are laid, one each side of and a few inches from the vines. The pipe on one side is turned on, but on the other side no water is introduced which fools the vine into thinking that it is in a drought situation. Consequently the stressed vine hovers on the edge of shutting down in the interests of self-preservation, and by doing this diverts energy from its foliage into its grapes. The alternate pipes are sporadically turned on and off to continue the process. So although vines are experts in recording every aspect of their growing environment, man can fool a vine in order to get the desired result of best fruit quality possible!

© Christos Ioannaou 2005

Springfield Estate by Quentin Sadler

This was one of those visits -  the winemaker spoke sense, he was modest, the place was lovely and the wines thrilled me. Our host, owner and winemaker Abri Brewer amused me from the beginning and I loved his attitude. “Customers are funny things”, he said, well, amen to that. “We make wine to drink, any left over we can sell to people”, he said later, so he does not find out what the market wants first then – music to my ears. He also told us that he was not making commercial “flappy, floppy wines” and we have all had some of those, haven’t we?

We tasted the range starting with their 2 Sauvignon Blancs: Life From Stone 2005 which was stunningly mineral and stoney, while Special Cuvée 2005 was richer and slightly creamy. Both were superb, the 2 best Sauvignons of the trip to me and what amazed me was that in this hot area he had to remove acidity (does he sell it on to people who need to add?). Wild Yeast Chardonnay was amazingly creamy, ripe, balanced and complex – quite delicious. Then 3 vintages of Chardonnay Methode Ancienne, 1999, 2004 and 2005 all wonderful, mouthfilling, honeyed and rich yet fresh with lively acidity too, perfectly balanced wines with integrated oak.

His reds were even more exciting: barrel samples to be used in Work of, Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Cabernet Franc 2004 and Merlot 2004 were all text-book examples, they had mint where they should, cassis where they should, plums where they should, coffee and earth where they should together with fine tannins and concentrated fresh fruit. Whole Berry Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 was a hedonistic delight, juicy and succulent while delicate and fresh with fine tannins – lovely right now. Cabernet Sauvignon Methode Ancienne 1999 was rich and elegant while the pièce de résistance was Work of Time 2001, a complex and fine Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot blend.

Abri declared that “elegance is what you call thin wine that’s expensive.”  Well his are certainly not thin and they are not really expensive and I for one consider all his wines elegant.

© Quentin Sadler 2005

KWV Tasting and Dinner by Trevor Elliott

We arrived at Laborie to a most welcome glass of Cap Classiqe Laborie Blanc de Blanc.

Piet Momberg (Business Executive: Americas, UK, Far East) introduced Tania Joubert, (winemaker), Penelope Horwood (Communications Specialist), Karen Veysey (Wine Educator) and Vanessa Schreyer, (Marketing Manager), and gave a short talk about KWV. He mentioned KWV’s launch into the home market (May 2004) and its move into the 21^st century as a market-driven, brand-focussed, commercial company.

We were able to taste some of the Cathedral Cellar range: 2005 Sauvignon Blanc, 2003 Chardonnay, the 2001 vintage Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz and also the 2003 Roodeberg and the 2002 Laborie Jean Taillefort.

Having tasted and enjoyed many vintages of Cathedral Cellars’ wines during past years, the most intriguing wine for me was the Sauvignon Blanc. It did not immediately appeal. I spoke to the winemaker who said she wanted to make something a little different from the previous vintages. 50% of the wine had been matured in 2^nd fill oak for 2 months, to add some complexity. The “stats” were interesting: 15.54%abv, RS 1.97, TA 5.89, pH 3.59. It seemed a little unfair to judge the wine so early in its life, so I look forward to tasting it again in 6-12 months time.

© Trevor Elliott 2005

Capaia by Susan Hulme MW

I was determined to visit Capaia on this trip, having been offered the opportunity of a private visit by the Von Essen family last time I was in South Africa for Cape Wines 2004. Tibor Gál would have been there then and I longed to go but felt duty-bound to stick to my sponsor’s programme. Since Tibor’s untimely death I regretted not going even more than I did at the time.

Capaia was our first visit that day in the new ward of Philadelphia out towards the Darling/Swartland direction but much closer to Cape Town, looking back on Table Mountain. Capaia started as a project between the Von Essen’s and Lodovico Antinori of Ornellaia hence the name – ‘Cap’ from Cape and ‘aia’ from Ornellaia. Vines were planted in 2000 and they were all Bordeaux varieties. There is even some Petit Verdot which apparently does well here.

After meeting the young winemaker, Mark van Buuren and vineyard manager Matthys Bothma, we piled into jeeps to look at the vineyards and were driven up to the Skalikop (Stoney Hill) vineyard, a windy hill of uncompromising-looking shale planted with Cabernet Franc where tender, young-looking vines shivered and tried to hide from the wind. They hope to get Cabernet Franc to crop at 1 bunch per vine here, if they are lucky. They don’t use systemics or insecticides in keeping with an ‘as natural as possible’ philosophy and are experimenting with closer density planting at 5,500 vines per ha to give protection from the wind and to increase overall yield while keeping a low yield per vine.

18 million years ago all of these soils came from the Karoo (250 million years ago, a vast inland sea) and we were told this area has the oldest soils in the Cape while being only 10km as the crow flies from Cape Town. Daytime temperatures can rise to 38o C and drop to between 9-15 o C at night. How’s that for diurnal difference! The physical austerity of this vineyard was almost like encountering a presence which fragile-looking vines struggled to survive.

We briefly toured the winery: some of the special features included lots of 50hl oak fermenters and a piece of equipment like a ski-lift to gently carry the 8kg containers of grapes and fill tanks from above.

A tasting of 5 wines followed:

The Blue Grove Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2005 – It was stylish and elegant with none of the over-the-top intensely herbaceous notes many Sauvignon Blanc producers seem tempted by. There followed a tasting of Blue Grove Hill red blend 2004 and 2005 but the outstanding wines for me were Capaia itself, their flagship blend. The Capaia 2004 was rich and multilayered on the nose with perfume and ripe fruits and on the palate it showed fantastically smooth tannins with the beautiful, seamless structure of truly great wines made by a master craftsman.

I remember tasting Capaia 2003 at Cape Wine 2004 and thinking this was one of the best South African red wines I had ever tasted. When Harpers asked me for my top 10 South Africa red wines, I didn’t include it because it was a barrel sample and I had only tasted it once at the show. I wish now that I had, as this is a great wine and deserves all the recognition it can get.

© Susan Hulme 2006

Darling by Stephen Barrett

Now well into the second half of our odyssey we eagerly awaited our visit and tasting in Darling. Situated to the due north of Cape Town, hugging the cold Atlantic Ocean on the west coast, we found a quartet of individual wineries working in close harmony to extol the virtues of succinct winemaking in the time-honoured way.

The tasting was held at Cloof, where an open-sided mini-marquee had been constructed beside the welcoming pool – it was nearing 30 degrees and we had eleven samples of wine to taste from the four neighbouring wineries so keeping cool was a must!

Oscar Foulkes of Cloof, who brilliantly and enthusiastically swooned over his good fortune to be making wine in this special district, delivered the overview of Darling. Redeeming factors include the close proximity to the icy Atlantic Ocean, the combination of dry lands, granite based hilly locations and the extraordinary differences between day and night temperatures, all offer the winegrower an unrivalled opportunity to make wines of serious quality and breeding. I couldn’t wait!

The pick of the wines shown were: Groote Post Sauvignon Blanc 2005, Trellised, south facing and Atlantic influenced. This 7 tonne crush ekes a mouthful of guava, citrus and minerals that plays with the palate, leaving it begging for more! Absolute drinkability - classy stuff and brilliant with the fantastic barbecued Yellow Fin Tuna!

Ormonde Chardonnay 2003, Barrel fermented and barrel aged in selected French Oak makes for a classic Burgundian style of Chardonnay. Toasty with hazelnut notes over a ripe rich autumn fruit compote and balanced citrus finish. One of the very best Chardonnays I tasted in the Cape.

Cloof Cellar Blend 2004, Pinotage, Cab Sav, Tinta Barocca and Shiraz make for a meaty, spicy wine of some distinction. Funky almost “Portuguese” note surprised and delighted.

Darling Cellars Onyx Kroon 2002, Syrah, Pinotage, Grenache and Cinsault fermented together for a voluptuous top end shiny-bright star of a wine. Ridiculously complex, with dark fruits yielding to chocolate and raisins over a silky tannic finish.

The two overriding factors of these extraordinary wines were their diversity and daring. I felt I had, with these four wineries, discovered a “whole new world” of South African wine, one that appears completely at home with its unique geographical position. 

© Stephen Barrett 2005

Swartland Tasting by Brian Davis

Following the al fresco tasting at Cloof, Darling we made the brief journey to the Meerhof winery, where nine Swartland wineries were waiting us to show us their wares! Thankfully the tasting was carried out in the cool Meerhof cellars.

Swartland district lies some 100km north east of Cape Town and comprises pockets of vineyards among the foothills of the four main mountain areas.The soil is mainly Malmesbury shale and although this is a dry and warm area, the Atlantic and the altitude help to combat the heat.

The main observation was the enthusiasm of the winemakers. In general the wines were well crafted and could be considered easy drinking with some notable exceptions listed below by each winery.

© Brian Davis 2005

Western Wines Presentation and Dinner by Jayne Bridges

It matters little how exotic the venue, on every wine trip there will be a few memorable visits and some that don’t quite live up to one’s expectations.  Frequently it is the ‘Big Boys’ who are the disappointments, so I confess to being a bit ambivalent about attending a dinner to be hosted by Western Wines. After all, as Kumala is probably the only wine that many UK consumers have ever tasted, no doubt we were going to get the Hard Sell.

My fears were proved groundless. Not only did we have an excellent dinner but James Reid proved a charming  and amusing host.

His presentation was hilarious but underneath his laid back appearance, even for allowing support from the UK, he must be something of a miracle worker. After all, since he first arrived in 1997 to head up Western Wines South African Office, with nothing but a mobile phone and a lap top computer, Kumala now sells well over 2 million cases and has broken into the UK’s Top 10 wines.

Not content with the success of their entry wines, Kumala has now launched their successful Reserve Range and goes from strength to strength, giving Winemaker Ben Jordaan the opportunity to display his skills on many levels.

Now that Charles Back has teamed up with Western wines to create a new line there seems to be no limit to their ambitions.  Added to the rest of the South Africa portfolio, it is little wonder that Mike Paul seems so cheerful. He has plenty to celebrate.

Elgin by Colin Wills

Elgin is the only wine ward in South Africa with natural boundaries, with its mountains and hills. This was one bus journey where the scenery more than made up for the early start. Among the wineries present were Thandi, a successful Black Empowerment Project, and Paul Cluver, who helped to set Thandi up. At this tasting Elgin vintners presented their wines to us, demonstrating their varied terroirs and their uniquely cool climate. Each of the wineries included had a unique character, but all emphasised structure and fruit balance. Reminiscent of California’s Ridge wine’s slogan – ‘No wimpy wines’ – was Oak Valley’s ‘No Floppy Flavours’ and it was certainly true of their Sauvignon Blanc! The Sauvignon Blancs from Iona and Elgin Vintners were different again and were another part of the unofficial Sauvignon Blanc seminar that for me was a running theme through the trip.

We saw here a variety of wine making and growing techniques as well as many grape varieties in this seminar. One highlight was Paul Cluver’s Gewurztraminer, made from early picked grapes, giving lean and dry, floral flavours. Thandi’s whole selection showed very well and their Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon impressed at their price points. The six growers represented, with their different terroirs, certainly demonstrated their diversity.

We then moved to Thandi’s Estate, where we were treated to a splendid lunch in their friendly restaurant. Run by Quakers from Yorkshire, we were made to feel at home with some of the winemakers from Elgin joining us to discuss the conditions in which they grow their wines. There was a brief power cut, which everyone seemed to think nothing of.

From here we went to Elim, to Flagstone Wines, a relatively new company, whose home vineyards have to contend with cold winds and a windchill factor that extends the growing season. Boss Bruce Jack has to be one of the most energetic wine trade people I have encountered, with a restless curiosity and a craft based, scientific approach to winemaking. The only person I have met with an MSc in Trichloroanisole, he gave us a potted history of the taint, explaining that until the first World War it did not exist, because its precursor, a fungicide, did not exist. Wine is not the only affected foodstuff; Marks and Spencer have detected it in chicken!

He had also thought about his audience; suggesting several questions we should ask students. Bruce Jack also suggested that Brettanomyces was encouraged by micro-oxygenation, and that brett itself is different in different countries. Never one to shirk controversy, Jack has a theory that Pinotage is like Kilimanjaro: an African challenge, though he did concede that fewer people had died trying to conquer Pinotage.

What of the wines? They have a lot of Jack’s personality, being vibrant and quirky, as well as extremely well made. They have names like the ‘Music Room’ as a reminder of the house that Bruce grew up in and where his mother taught piano. Finally, the tasting broke up when the first brand new piece of equipment that Flagstone ever bought arrived. A gleaming white truck soon had a schoolboy-ish Bruce at the wheel driving round the yard of the old Dynamite Factory where this happy and exuberant company is based.

© Colin Wills 2006

Constantia Valley by Michael Buriak

This was the last visit of the itinerary - and a most worthwhile visit it was to round off a most wonderful, informative, enjoyable week in South Africa. Very appropriately and sensibly, winemakers Adam Mason of Klein Constantia, who headed the talk and tasting, André Rousseau of Constantia Uitsig and Ruth Penfold of Steenberg Vineyards (so fortunate to have three winemakers present all at the same time) - organised a tasting of just nine wines of which eight were Sauvignon Blancs, the exception being a Semillon based wine from Constantia Uitsig.

A very informative talk was given by Adam Mason, with relevant interjected comments from André and Ruth before the eventual tasting. One new piece of information seemed to materialise. Generally speaking, grapes are harvested by hand in South Africa, with very little machine picking. However, in the Constantia Valley, and in particular at Steenberg Vineyards, a machine harvester is used which can cope with the steepness of the slopes. It is a French machine called a "pellenc" which can harvest the steep planted Sauvignon Blanc incredibly well - the most planted grape in the valley. Apparently with this machine, harvests can be planned easier just prior to picking, as it is speedy, efficient, causing little damage to the grapes - grapes being normally gathered in the coolness of the early hours of the morning - hand picking being far too slow. And as for the battles amongst ladybirds, microscopic wasps and mealy bugs - well that's another story altogether.

The eight Sauvignon Blancs were as follows:   

This was a most appropriate and fitting end to conclude a splendid week.

© Michael Buriak 2006