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.”

Meerlust Wine Estate

Stellenbosch, South Africa

A magnificent Rubicon blend

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 to our first Stellenbosch winery tasting at Meerlust. 

 

Trending wines:

Kamen Estates,Sonoma         

Napa Wine Company             

Row 11 Santa Maria Pinot

Eagles Nest, South Africa

Silver Oak Cellars, Napa

Steenberg Vineyard

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	90/100
John Platters wine guide	4.5 of 5 on all wines 2008, 2009, 2010
Robert Parker The Wine Advocate	92/100 by Neil Martin on the Rubicon 2008
Wines Produced	Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux Blend (aka Meritage) White: Chardonnay,
Grape Blends	Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, & Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot
Current Vintage for 2013/14	Reds: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Whites: 2011
Region Map	Stellenbosch
Regulatory	W.O.
ABV %	13.67%, 13.9%, 14.1%, 14.7%
Barrel Types	French oak, new and second fill casks, New Allier Hogsheads, and 45% second fill casks
Barrel Aging	11, 18 months, Rubicon 20 months

 

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:

                                                                                               

Cabernet Sauvignon	3,000
Chardonnay	3,000
Merlot	5,000
Pinot Noir	2,500
Red	3,700
Rubicon	10,000

                       

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 :
Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (750 ml)
R225.00	ZAR
$20.38	USD		$
£12.23	GBP		£
€14.87	EUR		€
¥124.70	CNY		¥¥¥
Chardonnay 2011 (750 ml)
R181.00	ZAR
$16.40	USD		$
£9.84	GBP		£
€11.96	EUR		€
¥100.31	CNY		¥¥¥
Merlot 2009 (750 ml)
R225.00	ZAR
$20.38	USD		$
£12.23	GBP		£
€14.87	EUR		€
¥124.70	CNY		¥¥¥
Pinot Noir 2011 (750 ml)
R215.00	ZAR
$19.48	USD		$
£11.69	GBP		£
€14.21	EUR		€
¥119.15	CNY		¥¥¥
Red 2011 (750 ml)
R148.00	ZAR
$13.41	USD		$
£8.04	GBP		£
€9.78	EUR		€
¥82.02	CNY		¥¥
Rubicon 2008 (750 ml)
R300.00	ZAR
$27.18	USD		$
£16.31	GBP		£
€19.83	EUR		€
¥166.26	CNY		¥¥¥

Visit these sites to get up to date currency rates:

 

Alternatively, visit:

Coin MillCurrency Converter

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

Signature tasting:

$3.00

                                                                       

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

From vineyards home page:

Long recognized for producing world-class wines, Meerlust Estate has been the pride of the Myburgh family since 1756. Today, the traditional dedication to the art of wine making continues under the guidance of Hannes Myburgh, eighth generation custodian of this seventeenth-century national monument.

Meerlust, with its historic manor house, classic wine cellar, family cemetery, dovecote and bird sanctuary is situated fifteen kilometers south of Stellenbosch, with the blue crescent of False Bay a mere five kilometers away. Wines are only made from grapes grown on the Estate, which is uniquely positioned for the production of wines with exceptional complexity and character.

Main review:

Stephen Flesch of Gourmet Wine Tours of South Africa had picked me up in Cape Town, and we began are drive out to the Meerlust Vineyard, and along the way went into more details about the wine industry in South Africa. As we arrived at the Estate going down the long road with large tree’s covering us on both sides, and grape vines beyond them. The estate house and land was stunningly beautiful. The staff was preparing for a wedding or other large event, and we were early, so I walked around the estate a little.

 

Courtesy of Meerlust

When we began the tasting I was given a sampling of seven wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Red blend, and the premium wine at the estate, the Rubicon. All of the wines had a fantastic flavor, but for me the top two wines on the list were the 2009 Merlot and the 2008 Rubicon. This was a wonderful start to the day.

Courtesy of Meerlust

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, Meerlust being $3.00 (ZAR30.00)

This or these wines remind me of:

The Chardonnay was very full balanced and sharp reminding me of Rombauer Vineyards in St. Helena in Napa Valley, California. However, the prize, the Rubicon vintage brought me back to Bordeaux with vineyards like Le Château Prieuré-Lichine, and other wonderful Meritage blends that I have had in the past such as Cosentino Winery, 2009 “The Poet” in Napa a few miles from the Rombauer Vineyard.

Bouquet & Palette:

	Nose:	Palette Experience:
2011 Chardonnay	Very bright, polished platinum with green, vivacious hue. Complex, appealing nose with quince, citrus and floral notes developing into lemon cream, oatmeal and marzipan richness. Ageing Potential up to six years, provided wine is stored in ideal cellar conditions.	On the palate the wine is full bodied and generous, but still balanced by crisp acidity. There is ripe tropical fruit & creaminess balanced by a pure minerality typical of the variety. The wine has a long, very pleasant lingering finish indicating the richness and persistence of the vintage.
2009 Merlot	Intense dark fruit on the nose, mulberry and damson plum with hints of dark chocolate and spice. AGING POTENTIAL up to 12 years, provided wine is stored in ideal cellar conditions	The full-bodied palate offers generous, ripe, pure Merlot fruit with refreshing acidity, structured yet silky tannins and pronounced length and minerality. There is a core of juiciness, opulence and richness typical of the variety
2011 Pinot Noir	Lifted perfume on the nose with red berry fruit, musk, wild and hints of savory richness and spice and a pronounced minerality.	Very pure Pinot fruit flavors on entry with red cherry and musk flavors coupled with fresh acidity. The wine has layered complexity with great elegance and finesse. Very fine lacy tannin on the finish. Ageing Potential up to 2018, provided wine is stored in ideal cellar conditions.
2011 Red	The nose is expressive with powerful cassis, plum, exotic spice and hints of floral aromas. Ageing Potential is 12 - 15 years from vintage date. 52% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot	On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied with intense flavors of crushed black fruit, cassis, vanilla and dark chocolate. The tannins are soft and silky, the acidity fresh, the flavor profile focused and linear. The wine has a persistent and long-lasting aftertaste.
2008 Rubicon	Very deep, youthful color and intense almost purple hue. Very classic Rubicon nose with violets, ripe plum, cedar wood and intense spiciness. Still young and still intense, promising further maturation potential.	The palate is full bodied, structured but packed with fresh dark fruit and rounded, linear tannins. Ageing Potential is 15 - 20 years, provided wine is stored in ideal cellar conditions. 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
2010 Cabernet Sauvignon	On the nose, the wine shows intense cassis, plum and classic cedar wood-cigar box notes with lifted dark fruit aromas.	On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and impressively structured. Intense blackcurrant and plum fruit bolstered by refined tannins and fresh natural acidity. The palate is rich and dense with a wonderful lacy tannic structure. Very impressive in youth but the intensity, harmony and balance all promise maturation over the next 15 years.

                                                                                               

Château or Vineyard Owner:

Hannes Myburgh

Courtesy of Meerlust

Viticulturist:

Roelie Joubert

Winemaker:

Chris Williams

Altus Treurnicht

Tasting room address:          

Baden Powell Drive

Stellenbosch 7599

South Africa

      
Cross streets:

Simmons Way & Van Riebeeck Road

Contact Information:

Tasting room:	+27 21 843 3587
Fax:	+27 21 843 3274
Website:	Meerlust Wine Estate
Email:	Contact Winery
	Facebook Link
	Twitter@MeerlustEstate

Hours of tastings:

Monday      9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Tuesday      9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Wednesday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Thursday    9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Friday          9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday    10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Sunday        Closed

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

“Explore Meerlust wines”

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Review by:

Chef Sean Overpeck (CFE)

  

Chef Sean cooks for soldiers in Afghanistan, 2012:

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