Gourmet Wine Tours of South Africa

A Day Of Wine And Food

Cape Town, South Africa 

December 7, 2013

By Sean Overpeck (CFE)

**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for 

Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:

By Cuisine  /  By Country

As a lover of food and wine, a trip to South Africa was something that I always wanted to do. Mainly the wine of course. In 2010, I went on a wine and food tour of France, visiting Bordeaux, Côtes du Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and Bourgogne. After that experience, I made up dream trips to all the countries in the world that had major wine regions, such as Stellenbosch in South Africa. I met and had many conversations with a buddy of mine at a camp in Kunduz, Afghanistan where I worked as Chef of the camp, and he was head of security, a South African. After several conversations about how I had interest in the wine and cuisine, my buddy Anton convinced me to go saying that the food and wine were very good, but the country of South Africa would be even better. Therefore, I began making the plans. When in the United States I had stopped into a used thrift store and was thumbing through the books and ran into a 2007 edition of Frommer’s South Africa. For $1.00, I bought the huge book, which had everything about South Africa in it and in detail.  When I read into the fifth chapter on the wines of South Africa, Stephen Flesch owner of Gourmet Wine Tours of South Africa was prominently listed as one of the main and better tour operators in the wine regions. Therefore, I sent him an email listed in the book, which was now nearly six years old, hoping it was still active, and I got a response. The details were worked out, and I hired Stephen for my South African wine adventure.

                                               

From the home page:

Explore the scenically stunning wine-lands of the Western Cape and experience the best of South African wine and food in the amazing variety of superb restaurants - a region which is an epicurean’s dream. Tours are offered for individuals or small groups covering the principal wine areas and estates of Constantia; Durbanville; Elgin; Franschhoek; Paarl; Somerset West; Stellenbosch; Walker Bay (Hermanus) and Wellington, combined with meals in selected leading restaurants. Arranged (pre-planned) tours are available or they can be tailored to your individual requirements. Scenic tours of the Cape Peninsula (including one or two wineries) are also offered. I am a registered tour guide and a member of the Cape Tourist Guides Association. The former Chairman of the Wine Tasters Guild of South Africa, I have a wide and intimate knowledge of the wines of the area, accumulated over forty years of wine tasting. I also know personally many of the winemakers and proprietors of the most important wineries. Currently, I am the Leader of the Cape Town Slow Food Convivium.

Main review:

Stephen Flesch owner of Gourmet wine Tours can arrange any type of tour you wish, as you can see from the excerpt from above. My interest was Stellenbosch and Franschhoek Wineries, with a tour of the Franschhoek area. We settled on the details of the day where we would visit six wineries, have lunch at Terroir, a tour of downtown Franschhoek, and up to the top of the Franschhoek Pass to view the entire valley, ending with dinner at The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français. I had visited the Constantia wine region a few days before, doing wine tastings at locations such as Eagles Nest Winery, where I tasted the best Shiraz I had ever had, Constantia Glen Winery, with wonderful views, Steenberg Vineyards, and  Constantia Uitsig, with dinner at Constantia Uitsig La Colombe.

Stephen picked me up from the condominium I was leasing from my friend who convinced me to visit South Africa in West Beach, Cape Town. As we began our drive going to Stellenbosch, leaving Cape Town we passed by the Cape Town Film Studios, where I could see three older ships in the distance sitting on a small pond of water. This is where the show Black Sails on Starz is filmed. Black sails now about to enter its second season is a story prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island. The drive from my condominium on West beach to our first winery visit was a good hour drive, so Stephen helped the time go by, and talked about the history wine in South Africa, and South Africa itself. Stellenbosch was named after Governor Simon van der Stel (1639 - 1712), and the word Bosch in Afrikaans means trees. Also as part of the conversation, Stephen mentioned that South Africa has 23 wine regions, with over 600 wineries, with 150 being in Stellenbosch alone. 

We arrived at the first winery on the list going up the long driveway with vineyards on both sides leading up to the main house and tasting room of Meerlust Wine Estate where during the tasting, they had an outstanding Meritage Blend called the  Rubicon given a 92 by Robert Parker. The palate is full bodied, structured but packed with fresh dark fruit and rounded, linear tannins with an aging potential of 15 - 20 years.

The next vineyard called Ken Forrester Wines, which was only a few minutes from the Meerlust Estate, where they had a nice patio area to sit down and get out of the hot sun. Stephen could tell that I really didn’t enjoy the white wine selections that they offered, but this is when Stephen found out that my favorite style of wines in this world are Rhône or  Rhône style blends, to which Ken Forrester did have The Three Halves and The FMC.

The third vineyard on the travels through Stellenbosch was one of my favorites of the entire day called De Trafford Wines, which also featured their sister winery Sijnn Wines. This vineyard had one of the best Merlots that I had ever consumed that reminded me of Emmolo Wine company, in Napa California. Also at De Trafford, I was shown and learned how to make Straw Wine, which is a process of drying grapes in the open sun on beds of straw, which is only done in South Africa by a handful of vineyards, De Trafford being one of them.

Straw Wine

The fourth stop on our tour was a beautiful estate that besides the wine vineyards also had a hotel, restaurant, golf course, and a gated neighborhood of upper-middle-class homes. The Estate was called Kleine Zalze, where is where we also had lunch at their restaurant Terroir. The vineyard had a nice Chenin Blanc, as well as a Shiraz, and the lunch was a good break. 

 

 

The fifth vineyard was called La Motte, which was a good 45-minute drive from Terroir and Kleine Zalze as we had to travel down a very scenic highway into the outskirts of the Franschhoek Valley. Franschhoek was originally a town settled by French Huguenots, escaping religious persecution from Europe and the Cape Colony, and the town’s focus is on education and theology with many schools and university’s as well as churches. At the center of the town was a large religious memorial dedicated to the Huguenots.  La Motte was one of the oldest properties in Franschhoek and focused on the life of a South African artist (Jacob Hendrik Pierneef 1886 – 1957). With the tasting room and restaurants, you could tell a lot of money was put into the property. They had a wonderful Chardonnay. 

The sixth and final tasting of the day was at the Cape Chamonix Winery, another wonderful property that had a fantastic Troika (meaning: Russian sleigh pulled by three horses), blended with Cabernet Franc 51%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40%, and Merlot 9%.

After that final tasting, we drove up to the Franschhoek Pass where I saw some beautiful views that were unlike any I had ever seen before, and it made me want to start looking for property to purchase. It was truly a magnificent sight to see.

 

 

As we drove back down near the town, we stopped at the Mont Rochelle Hotel for tea on the terrace. The property also had a mountain vineyard, but we did not do a tasting, just tea. Essentially we were killing time, and preparing for the main event of the day where Stephen joined me for dinner at the Tasting Room at Le Quartier Français, Rated #53 in the top 100 restaurants in the world by San Pellegrino for 2013. All I could say when the meal ended was wow.

 

 

 

Stephen drove me back to West Beach, collected all the wine that I had purchased from the tastings, and prepared them to be sent by air freight back to the United States for me, which would save me a fortune from shipping it, or ordering it from a distributor in the states at their outrageous prices. When I return to South Africa, I will use Stephen again. It was a wonderful and informative tour and made it one of the best days of the trip.

Tour Prices 

(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)

$£€¥ -                Under 50.00 (inexpensive)

$£€¥ x 2 -          51.00- 99.00 (moderate)

$£€¥ x 3 -          Over 100.00 (pricey)

$£€¥ x 4 -          Over 200.00 (expensive)

$£€¥ x 5 -          Over 400.00 (very expensive)

Currency:	Price
South African Rand (ZAR)	R 1,900.00
United States Dollar (USD)	$$$
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	£££
Canadian Dollar (CAN)	$$$
Chinese Yuan (CNY)	¥¥¥¥¥
European Union (EUR)	€€€

All rates include transport in an air-conditioned Mercedes B180 and tasting and admission fees, where applicable, but exclude the cost of meals and wines consumed which will be charged separately.

Address:         

P.O. Box 31353,

Grassy Park, 7888

11 peninsula Road

Zeekoevlei, 7941

South Africa

           

Cross streets:

Le Grange Road and Misrole Ave

Contact Information:

Website:	Gourmet Wine Tours of SA
Telephone:	021 705 4317
Fax	021 706 0766
Email contact:	Contact Stephen
Serving hours: South African Standard Time (GMT, Zulu, or UTC + 2:00)
Social Media  &  Accolades:	Facebook link
	Pinterest

Who is John Galt?

TTFN

“I like cooking with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.”

Sijnn Wines

&

De Trafford Wines

Stellenbosch, South Africa

There is nothing better than sitting in front of this computer typing up this blog, from the United States about a South African Winery. The reason it cannot get much better, is that I am enjoying a glass of their 2009 Merlot while I am typing this paragraph, and will enjoy a few more glasses as I finish this review. So here, we go…It was my fifth day in country touring South Africa, and my second day dedicated to wine tasting, first in Constantia and now Stellenbosch. In Constantia, I did a self-driving tour as I went from vineyard to vineyard, and by the end of the day did not feel like doing anymore driving, so when it came to Stellenbosch, I got smart and hired a wine guide. For two main reasons, the guide would drive, a guide could get me into more wineries, and I could learn more about the region by discussing it with an expert. I hired Stephen Flesch owner of Gourmet Wine Tours of South Africa. I discovered Stephen after reading a book on South African tourism in the wine section and saw that he had been recommended in the book by Frommer’s. Therefore, for R 1,900.00 per person for a build your own style tour, Stephen picked me up in Cape Town and we were off, and the next Stellenbosch winery tasting was at Sijnn, and their sister vineyard  De Trafford Winery. Wow there is some spice on this wine…Love it.

 

Trending wines:     

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World’s Top 100 Restaurants:

Alinea, Chicago                      

The French Laundry, Yountville

La Petite Maison, Dubai

The Test Kitchen, Cape Town

The Tasting room at Le Quartier Français, Franschhoek

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin

Follow Wine, dine, and Play:

Wine Dine and Play’s ratings for wine:

96 – 100	Extraordinary
90 – 95	Outstanding
80 – 89	above average
70 – 79	below average
60 – 69	poor/appalling/ “Cac”

Review basics:

Wine, Dine, & Play’s Rating	95/100, on the Merlot 2009 and Elevation 393 (2004)
Robert Parker The Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator	Syrah 2009 91/100, Syrah 393 2010 94 points,
John Platters wine guide	Sijnn Syrah 2011 5 of 5 stars.
Wines Produced - De Trafford	Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, & Red Blends, White: Chenin Blanc Dessert: Straw Wine
Wines Produced - Sijnn	Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Touriga Nacional, & Red Blends, White: Chenin Blanc, Viognier
Grape Blends - both vineyards	Red: Mourvedre, Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Syrah Cab-merlot blend White: Chenin Blanc, Viognier
Current Vintage for 2014	Reds: 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011 Whites: 2009, 2012
Region Map	Stellenbosch
Regulatory	W.O.
ABV %	Elevation: 14.56%, Syrah: 15.72%, Merlot: 15.26%
Barrel Types	New French oak
Barrel Aging	18 to 22 months depending on the wine

 

South African wine Quality Standards:

Unlike some European countries, South Africa does not have any requirements for the process of making wines in a particular region—for instance, allowing only certain trellising methods or varietals. However, there are certain quality requirements.  For a wine to be labeled as a particular varietal or as coming from a particular region, estate, or vineyard, it must also not display any “unacceptable quality characteristics,” which means the wine may not be turbid, contain excess sediment or crystals, have faulty/insufficient color, or display undesirable flavor characteristics. Among the several characteristics listed as unacceptable, a wine may not be overly tannic, thin or watery, or oxidized. For a wine to be labeled as coming from a particular area, 100% of the grapes used to make the wine must have been grown there, and producers may only label their wines using officially-recognized geographic areas.  In addition to designating a particular geographic unit, region, district, or ward, a producer may also designate the wine as coming from a particular estate or may label it as a “single vineyard wine.”  However, to do so the producer must first register the area where the grapes were grown with the Wine and Spirit Board.  Single-vineyard wines must have been made from a single varietal that is produced in the area registered with the board, and the area registered may be no larger than 6 hectares.  Estate wines must be made entirely—including bottling—in the registered area where the grapes were grown.  Also, if a particular varietal—or “cultivar” as the law defines it—is listed on the bottle, at least 85% of the grapes used in making the wine must have been of that type. This same 85% rule applies to designating a particular vintage year.

Cases Produced:                                          

Per Year:

                                                                                               

De Trafford Merlot 2009	689
De Trafford Blueprint Syrah 2011	539
Elevation 393 (2004)	710 / 6 p/cs
Sijnn White 2012	563
Sijnn 2009	1160
Sijnn Syrah 2011	143

                       

Price chart:

$ -                    Under $50.00 USD

$$ -                  Over   $50.00 USD

$$$ -                Over $100.00 USD

$$$$ -              Over $200.00 USD

$$$$$-             Over $400.00 USD

Bottle prices:

Wine Selction:	Currency:	Country:	Price Chart :
De Trafford Merlot 2009 (750 ml)
R200.00	ZAR
$18.28	USD		$
£10.98	GBP		£
€13.31	EUR		€
¥111.84	CNY		¥¥¥
De Trafford Blueprint Syrah 2011 (750 ml)
R185.00	ZAR
$16.91	USD		$
£10.16	GBP		£
€12.31	EUR		€
¥103.45	CNY		¥¥¥
Elevation 393 - 2004 (750 ml)
R500.00	ZAR
$45.69	USD		$
£27.46	GBP		£
€33.27	EUR		€
¥279.59	CNY		¥¥¥¥
Sijnn White 2012 (750 ml)
R150.00	ZAR
$13.71	USD		$
£8.24	GBP		£
€9.98	EUR		€
¥83.88	CNY		¥¥
Sijnn 2009 (750 ml)
R190.00	ZAR
$17.39	USD		$
£10.44	GBP		£
€12.64	EUR		€
¥106.24	CNY		¥¥¥
Sijnn Syrah 2011 (750 ml)
R170.00	ZAR
$15.54	USD		$
£9.34	GBP		£
€11.31	EUR		€
¥95.06	CNY		¥¥

Visit these sites to get up to date currency rates:

 

Alternatively, visit:

Coin Mill Currency Converter

Cost of wine tasting in USD (p/p):

Signature tasting:

$5.00

                                                                       

Scroll down below to the main review to read the tasting notes

From vineyards home page:

De Trafford Winery is situated on the beautiful Mont Fleur farm set at the top of a dramatic valley above Stellenbosch, 380m up between the Stellenbosch and Helderberg mountains. The history of wine growing on this mountain farm started with the purchase of the property in 1976 by the Trafford family as inaccessible grazing land. Many of the high altitude slopes were deemed suitable for high quality red grape varieties. Unfortunately, due to the absurd quota restrictions, planting a commercial vineyard had to wait 18 years. In 1983, a small vineyard was established to produce experimental wines – consumed by family and friends! These were our learning curve years (1984 – 1991), which included lots of help and advice from local winemakers and working experience in France, particularly in the Bordeaux area.

SIJNN is the original Khoisan name for the Breede River. This exciting new vineyard was established in 2004 on a stony plateau between the hamlet of Malagas and the fishing village of Cape Infanta, 230km east of Cape Town. The vineyards are 70m above the river, 25km from the mouth, but 15km from the sea as the crow flies. The complex stony soils, comprising pudding stones over fractured shale, together with a warm dry climate (350mm) moderated by the constant sea breezes, encourages the vines to produce tiny yields of concentrated fruit with a fresh, complex mineral character. The focus has been on top quality Mediterranean varieties: Syrah, Mourvedre, Touriga Nacional and Trincadeira as well as Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Roussanne for the White blend. Future plantings include Tempranillo, Nebbiolo and Grenache.

Main review:

Stephen Flesch of Gourmet Wine Tours of South Africa had picked me up in Cape Town, and we had just finished a tasting at Ken Forrester, and Meerlust vineyards, before stopping here at De Trafford. It was a nice country drive after leaving Ken Forrester before arriving on the property. The property is very small and their tasting hours are limited (see tasting hours below). When we arrived, they were very busy, which is to be expected since Wine Spectator wrote them up in a major article on South African Wines, the first such article they did on South Africa. 

Picture Courtesy of De Trafford Winery

The tasting consisted of six wines, three from the vineyard we were on and three from a sister vineyard 500 miles away called Sijnn. From De Trafford I tried the 2009 Merlot, which as I type this I’m on my third glass now, yummy, the Blueprint Syrah 2011, and the 2004 Elevation 393, which I also purchased a bottle of, and is sitting in my basement now at a nice cool temperature, waiting for a special day to open it. I also had a small tasting of their Straw Wine, which is a process of drying grapes in the open sun on beds of straw, which is only done in South Africa by a handful of vineyards, De Trafford being one of them.

Straw Wine production courtesy of De Trafford winery

The other wines I tasted were from the Sijnn Vineyard consisting of a 2012 white blend of Chenin Blanc and Viognier, a 2009 red blend, and a 2011 Syrah, the red blend being my favorite of the tasting. Of the tastings I had done thus far, De Trafford set at the top of my favorites, and I am glad that Cape Ardor out of San Francisco offers their wines here in the United States as well as Boutique Wine Collection out of Philadelphia. I will be ordering some more Merlot and elevation 393 soon, as well as some of the red blended Sijnn. For exporters outside the United States click this link of export agents for De Trafford.

Vineyard, courtesy of De Trafford

Now because I was part of a tour, the tastings were included in the overall price for each winery that day. As an American visiting South Africa, the tastings in both Constantia and Stellenbosch were an experience within themselves, much different to the tastings in Napa and Sonoma, California. Most tastings in California, Washington State, New York, and Oregon starts at $25.00-$40.00, so when I found out the cost for the tastings in South Africa I was shocked. The average is $3.00-$6.00, De Trafford and Sijnn being $5.00 (ZAR50.00)

This or these wines remind me of:

The Merlot, and Elevation 393 Merlot which I am now on my forth glass of from the bottle as I write this is one of the top five merlots I have had, and compare it to my number one favorite, from Emmolo Wine company, Napa Valley, California. In addition, the Sijnn red 2009 reminded me of Kamen Vineyards in Sonoma, California and their famous Rhone blend, just superb.

Bouquet & Palette:

Wine & Grape:	Nose:	Palette Experience:
De Trafford Merlot 2009	Attractive dark, bright red color. Pure dark red berry and cherry fruit with intriguing smokes nuts & spices and a little herbaceous character.	These flavors follow through on the palate with lovely fine, dry tannins and a soft, long finish. Probably best between 2014 and 2024. Good with Lamb or red pasta, or even writing a review like I am doing now.
De Trafford Blueprint Syrah 2011	Deep, dark red color. Intense dark berry and a little cherry fruit, black & white pepper.	Full, rich palate packed with intense ripe fruit and a spicy, peppery overlay. Expected best between 2014 and 2020.
Elevation 393 (2004)	Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 27%, Shiraz 13%. Wine was bottled by hand, unfined and unfiltered, on the property. Impressive deep red / purple color. Smoky blackcurrant and spicy fruitcake aromas.	Already well, knit structure with dense tannins and rich, complex fruit. Probably best between 2008 and 2015. Low sulphites – could qualify for an organic wine.
Sijnn White 2012	An attractive pale yellow color. A lovely mineral, apricot / peach nose with honey & nuts complementing.	A rich and full palate with fresh fruit & all the other complex flavors carrying it to a long finish. Excellent with a wide range of food from rich fish, seafood, creamy poultry or as an aperitif. Should age well over 3 to 4 years.
Sijnn red 2009	Shiraz 46%; Mourvedre 29%; Touriga Nacional 13%; Trincadeira 6%; Cabernet Sauvignon 6%. Slate, wild berries, herbs, liquorice and subtle barrel maturation character adding to the beguiling nose	Substantial palate with a rich texture and layered, complex flavors and an attractive dry finish. Already a wine worth savoring, we are convinced it will develop beautifully over the next three years or more.
Sijnn Syrah 2011	Subtle slate and red fruit on the nose. Quite restrained, but very attractive. Firm, but soft and quite a fine texture.	Quite restrained on the palate but with a long fine finish promising great development over at least 4 or 5 years. Has enough zest to go with a rich pasta dish, mushroom risotto and subtle red meat dishes.

Château or Vineyard Owner:

David Trafford and Family

Courtesy of De Trafford winery

Viticulturist:

HENDRY HESS

Contact Information:

Tasting room:	+27 21 880 1611
Fax:	+27 86 542 3959
Website:	Sijnn Wines
	De Trafford Winery
Email:	Contact Winery
	Sijnn on Facebook
	De Trafford Facebook
	Twitter @SijnnWines
	De Trafford Blog
	Sijnn Blog

Hours of tastings:

Friday and Saturday mornings between 10:00 and 13:00

S. African Standard Time (GMT +2:00)

“Explore De Trafford and Sijnn wines”

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Review by:

Chef Sean Overpeck (CFE) opening a De Trafford Merlot

Chef Sean cooks for soldiers in Afghanistan, 2012:

“I like cooking with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.”