The moment the first shower of rain fell, I reached into the wine cupboard to check my stocks of Muscadels and ports, like Winnie-the-Pooh checking his honey supplies.
Winter is my favourite time of the year, wine-wise. It’s when I can enjoy those delicious sweet delights with a clear conscience.
I’m happy to report that my stocks are holding up very well, but like Pooh I felt obliged to check some for quality.
The 2006 Rooiberg Red Muscadel is totally delicious! A couple of years in the bottle have added a mellow softness to its natural raisiny sweetness. My only regret is that it’s in a 500ml bottle, so I shall have to ration myself carefully.
The 2002 Vergenoegd Old Cape Colony (what used to be called port before the EU interfered) is a perfect winter drink, loaded with suggestions of nuts and spice and sticky Christmas pudding. I must remember to get some of their 2004 vintage when I’m next in that area. My single bottle isn’t going to last a long time, that’s for sure.
Port producers tell me it’s actually not economical sense to make a tawny port. After maturing it for years and years, you’ll never get paid enough for it to justify the effort.
They do make it, however, largely for their own satisfaction and the gentle character that develops with age. There’s something so elegant and subtle about a good tawny.
It’s certainly there in my bottle of De Krans Cape Tawny Port (and to hell with the EU) which scored a well-deserved five stars in the latest Platter Guide. What a treat! There are flavours of nuts and toffee, biltong and dried apricots that unfold gently on the tongue, all held together with a clever little “ping!” of acidity.
Port Producers save the name “Vintage Reserve” for the very good years, so I approached the 1997 Allesverloren Vintage Reserve Port with some reverence. Deservedly so, it turned out. This is a big, powerful port, with plum cake character, nuts and raisins, dried fruit and still a grippy little tannic bite to add excitement.
By now, I hardly need say, I was beyond accurate judgement, so I shall write about the other sweet delights in my cupboard some other time.
One thing’s for sure. This is going to be a very happy winter for me.
Roll on the rain!

JOYFUL NEW DUO FROM JORDON
A new release from Jordan Winery is always a happy event, so I was delighted to attend the launch of their two new wines, The Prospector2008 Syrah, and The Outlier 2009 wooded Sauvignon Blanc.
The event was also a celebration lunch to mark the legal victory of Stellenbosch wine farmers over the people who planned to “prospect” for mineral in the area.
If it had not been for the alert farmers and their quick action, large chunks of wine farms would have been taken over for mining. The sneaky attempt at what was actually no more than a land grab was spotted just in time and fast legal action and a strongly worded petition, combined with plenty of press publicity halted the miners in their tracks.
Well done Jordans and Stellenbosch. May your efforts spur the Karoo anti-fracking farmers to greater efforts. You’ve shown it can be done.
The Prospector (rather an ironic name, considering), is typical of the care and thought that goes into a Jordan wine. It has the warn spicy notes one expects from a good Shiraz, laced with dark chocolate notes, some black cherry flavours, plums and a clean, chalky edge.
Already three years old, it’s just reaching easy drinkability now and should continue to age gracefully for a good number of years still.
The Outlier 2009 wooded Sauvign Blanc was my favourite of the two. Fermented in barrels, it has managed to keep the wood flavours well hidden under the fresh tangy fruit character. The overall character is one of bright freshness – fruity without being pushy, exciting without any aggression.
I kept coming back to my glass and discovering new subtle layers of flavour.
This is a real charmer.

Photograph: kitchenmishmash.blogspot.com

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It made me feel quite ancient to attend the 25^th anniversary of Clos Malverne wine estate in Devon Valley near Sellenbosch this week.
I remember being at the farm when its very first vintage was being pressed and vinified by the cellar’s first winemaker, Jeremy Walker.
The farm certainly has changed in the first 25 years.
Owner Seymour Pritchard used as his advertising slogan: “Stellenbosch’s Smallest Wine Estate”. Today Clos Malverne produces up to 75 000 cases a year (depending on the size of the harvest, obviously).
I remember being fascinated and amused by the labelling “machine” they used for that first vintage. It was a simple wooden contraption operated by turning a small crank handle, which rolled the bottles and attached a label to each one.
Today the estate boats a modern restaurant with an unsurpassed view across the valley, as well as a health spa run by the Pritchard’s daughter Belinda.
An attractive feature of the restaurant is the fact that the wines are served at the same price you can buy them from the cellar, and all are available by the glass at very modest price.
To mark the estate’s quarter century, they’ve released a new red blend called Clos Malverne Sophia Limited Release 2008 as a tribute to the farms gracious lady, Sophia Pritchard, who has always presided over events with calm efficiently.
Only 50 cases of the Sophia have been produced. It really is “limited release”.
It’s a blend of Cabernet and Merlot that’s been given 18 months of barrel maturation. Like the gracious woman it’s named after, this is an elegantly understated wine. At first sip it seems quite uncomplicated, but after a few seconds new layers of subtle flavours emerge – dried herbs, silky berry flavours and a suggestion of cedar wood.
Sophia is priced at R245 a bottle from the cellar.
The flagship wine of the Clos Malverne range has always been their Auret  blend, and it was interesting to taste the 2001 vintage and discover it to be still fresh and lively as ever, with subtle nuances of savoury meatiness and mulberries.
This is the first vintage to be presided over by Clos Malverne’s new cellar master, Suzanne Coetzee.
She certainly has a number of hard acts to follow.
I wish her well in her new career.

Photograph: Clos Malverne

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The grape harvest may be over, but the hard work is just beginning.
This is where wine farming differs from other branches of agriculture – you compete on a fiercely personal level with every other wine producer.
Beef, wheat, maize or potato producers send their produce to market and receive a cheque and that’s it.
Wine farmers have spent huge sums on labour, diesel fuel, electricity, barrels, bottles, corks, labels, cleaning materials, equipment maintenance and a host of other expenses.
They’ve spent sleepless nights in the cellar, monitoring every change in the fermenting wine.
Now it’s in the tanks and barrels, representing – probably – a very substantial overdraft.
Even if it’s the greatest wine ever made, it’s just debt until it is sold.
There are more than 6000 local wines on the market, every one of them competing with you for the customer’s hard-earned money.
This is why this time of year is marked by a flood of “fun” events – harvest festivals, outdoor concerts, picnics, tractor rides through the vineyards, harvest lunches, you name it.
There’s almost a feeling a desperation about it all. Every winemaker is saying: “Try mine!” If you can get a potential customer to your farm it’s one step closer to getting him to buy a case or two of your wine.
The fine line between success and struggle in the wine industry probably lies more in marketing than in actual winemaking skill.
In reality, of course, you won’t sell much if you produce lousy wine, no matter how many tractor rids you offer.
For us wine lovers this is a delightful situation and an exciting time of year. We are feted and entertained all over the Cape’s beautiful wine regions.
We have a huge advantage over or fellow wine lovers in other provinces. We should grab this advantage with both hands.
Now’s the time to explore the results of the 2011 harvest. Take time to visit a few wineries, attend as many of the events as you can.

There’s a whole new vintage out there just waiting to be enjoyed.

All over the Cape winelands the 2011 harvest is drawing to a close. Most of the grapes have been pressed and the wines are muttering to themselves quietly in tanks and barrels as they ferment.
Several wineries and wine areas have planned events to celebrate a successful harvest, so it’s a good time for wine lovers to go out and taste the latest vintage in its infancy.
The wineries of Wellington join forces on the weekend of March 19 to 21 for the fifth annual Wellington Wine Festival.
The varied programme includes action-packed items like the strong man and strong woman contests, mountain bike rides, quad-bike trails and walks.
For those less energetic there’s fishing, game drives, live music, helicopter flips and, of course, plenty of good food and wine.
Bovlei Winery will provide a party bus to shuttle festival-goers between the various venues
Participation costs R60 for adults and children under 13 are admitted free.
For further details and bookings, contact Emma on 021 873 4604 or click here.
Coinciding with the Wellington Festival, the Wellington Wine Walk, organised by Jaques Smit wines, Mont du Toit, Welgegund and Alkmaar Boutique Winery presents a leisurely wine walk on the 19th and 20th in the little known Blouvlei area. Wines can be tasted on each of the farms while tour guides amuse you with historical anecdotes of the region. You can either book for the early bird session at 9am or sunset at 4pm.
The tickets are R200 per adult which  includes wines to taste, shuttle back to your car, entrance to other activities Wellington Wine Harvest Festival 2011. Bookings via Computicket. For more details contact Wellington Info Office 021-8734604 or click here.
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Durbanville wineries celebrate their harvest festival on Monday, March 21 (Human Rights Day) and 12 wineries will be taking part, offering country fare, grape stomping, hay rides, live music and plenty of wine.
Each of the participating farms is offering a special treat to visitors. There will be rock ‘n roll at Hillcrest, picnics at Diemersdal, grape stomping at Altydgedacht and Italian music at Durbanville Hills, just for starters.
Klein Roosboom is offering a Greek feast, complete with a barrel-rolling contest. At Groot Phesantekraal you can enter a competition for the fanciest hat.
To book for the Durbanville Wine Valley’s Feast of the Grape festival, and to find out more about it, call 083 310 1228 or visit Durbanville wines.
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At Allée Bleue they’re holding a German-style end-of-harvest festival in the grounds of the manor house in the Franschhoek valley on April 2 from midday onwards.
Parents are welcome to bring their children, and child minders will be on hand to entertain them.

Photograph: Wellington Wine Festival

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