INTRODUCING THE R310 PASSPORT

Passport to taste wines

Travellers and wine lovers alike will be excited to know that the “R310 Passport” launched last winter by five Stellenbosch wine farms situated along the R310 was so successful that they have decided to repeat the offering this season.

The idea behind the “R310 Passport” is to market the unique offerings at each of the participating cellars, at a specially packaged price, along the relatively short route. Whether a seasoned connoisseur, or just starting to ‘sniff out’ your preferences, all lovers of wine are invited to enjoy the pickings of the participating wineries.

Vergenoegd Wine Estate, Meerlust, The Company of Wine People (Welmoed), Spier and Stellenbosch Hills are the wineries on the R310 route, Vergenoegd being the first estate on your right hand side, having taken the Baden Powell/ Stellenbosch exit from Cape Town.

The offerings have been created to suit the personality of each winery and are so different that the intrepid traveller cum wine lover will feel that they have visited five ‘worlds’ in the space of a day.

Be sure to place aside a good part of your day to explore this route. At Vergenoegd, well known for six generations of classic, elegant red wines, you will be able to taste their Old Cape Colony vintage Port (usually not available for tasting) along with a hearty bowl of soup and freshly baked ciabatta slices.

Experience the icon wines of Meerlust, where winemaking follows time honoured tradition combined with modern techniques, and enjoy their hospitality at the same time.

‘The Company of Wine People’ adds sparkle to the day. Here dry rosés and sparkling wines can be tasted with kettle fried chips.

Spier explores the close relationship and balance between wine and cheese. A wine educator will pair three regional cheeses with three wines from the Spier Classic range.

An authentic South African taste sensation awaits the visitor to Stellenbosch Hills (flags from almost all major countries greet the traveller at the entrance) where you can indulge in a ‘Wine and Biltong’ adventure. Sip five Stellenbosch Hills wines perfectly matched to five variations of biltong. A new addition is the tasting of five different types of nuts, including chocolate covered Brazil nuts, with five specially selected wines.

The “R310 Passport” costs R100 and is available directly from the participating wineries. Times are 09h00 to 17h00 during the week. Booking is essential on Saturdays.

Fantastic review in May's Winelands Living!!!

http://www.living.co.za

Newsletter - May 2007

Dear Friend in Wine




The days are growing shorter, vineyards are turning colour, days are perfectly warm – it’s Autumn in the Cape. And harvest at Vergenoegd is behind us for another year.

We experienced favourable conditions during the growing season leading up to harvest, which was slightly earlier and smaller than our previous vintage. Even though we experienced some extremely hot days in the Cape, it was on average a cooler season. Very welcome rain followed the hot spell to assist ripening without too much stress.

PROMISING VINTAGE

The Merlot and Shiraz look very promising. I expect more concentration in the Cabernet Sauvignon as a result of the smaller harvest, which will result in a well-structured powerful wine. French Oak Barrels will then help soften the tannins

FIRST PICKINGS

We picked our first crop of Malbec at Vergenoegd this year and early indications are that it will produce a softer elegant wine that could play a complementary role in future Terrace Bay blends.

Our newer Cabernet Franc block, which has just delivered a second crop of grapes, looks very impressive. I predict that these grapes will play a major role in the Terrace Bay and Vergenoegd Estate blends. I might even be tempted to produce an individually bottled cabernet Franc varietal. Cabernet Franc wine!

WELCOME RAIN

A welcome spell of rain the day after harvest was just what the doctor ordered for our vines. These rains offer weary and tired vines some revitalization and set in motion the production of reserves within the vine itself. This wonderful process of nature ensures that the plant’s reserves are now transported into the root for winter, instead of feeding the grapes they have been supporting during summer.

POMEGRANATE RESTAURANT AT VERGENOEGD

Mike Israel continues to make inroads into the Cape Food Society. He is winning compliments for his superb dishes, as well as for his incredible knowledge when it comes to food and wine pairing. Mike and his chef Siraaj Allie have come up with some exciting new dishes for the winter season.

My favorite at the moment is the Deboned Duck Breast seared then cut into medallions, mounted around mash potato and baby vegetables. Using the stock from these ducks, a fine consommé is produced and used as dressing. Finished with a Duck Rilette, perfectly paired with Vergenoegd Merlot

The restaurant is well worth a visit - you can use the Vergenoegd telephone number to make your booking.

WINEMAKER’S RESPITE

A winemaker need a week’s break to recover from an arduous harvest of late nights and busy days, so that we too can come back refreshed, replenished and energized. Unfortunately, unlike the vines, we do not have the luxury of a whole winter’s break!

Start preparing for the indoor fires, thinking of slow food cooking and get that bottle of favourite VERGENOEGD ready to drink and enjoy along with that meal in front of the fire.

Sincerely

John Faure

Winefly Selection: Wine & Dine @ Pomegranate, Vergenoegd

http://http://wineflyselection.blogspot.com/2007/05/wine-dine-pomegranate-vergenoegd.html

The Wines

Our History

VERGENOEGD WINE ESTATE

Vergenoegd (which literally means ‘satisfaction has been achieved’ in Dutch) was originally granted in 1696 to Pieter de Vos, who must have felt that he had “achieved satisfaction” a short distance from the port city of Cape Town. The view from the homestead today towards Table Mountain in the west remains almost unaltered. The farm is virtually on the shores of False Bay and is overlooked by the impressive Hottentots Holland Mountains. One of the three great wine estates of the False Bay area, Vergenoegd is close to Stellenbosch, Somerset West and Cape Town.

The homestead, with its beautiful “holbol” gable, has become the well-known trademark of the Estate. It was built by one of the previous owners, Johannes Colyn. Dated 1773, it bears the name “Vergenoegt” - incorrectly spelt. Plasterwork on the side of the Manor House and the original slave bell are examples of the functional building traditions of Europe made uniquely Cape by early tradesman.

Johannes Gysbertus Faure took ownership of the Estate in 1820, by which time wine had been made there for fifty years. Johannes Albertus Faure, who was a member of the Cape Legislative Council, bred racehorses on the Estate and his brother Sir Peter Faure was also a politician and a friend of Cecil John Rhodes.

Winemaking has been an integral part of the Estate during its whole existence. The natural flor yeasts used in the making of Sherry were found on Vergenoegd by Dr Charles Niehaus in 1936 and shortly afterwards Vergenoegd was producing sherry for the KWV. It was Dr Niehaus who persuaded the Faures to plant Cabernet Sauvignon. The Vergenoegd Cabernet Sauvignon made its name on the National Red Wine Show five times as Champion and four times as Grand Champion wine. This success has continued through the years until today with all the Vergenoegd wines consistently being awarded excellent star ratings in both the John Platter South African Wine Guide and the authoritative Wine Magazine tastings.

the Vergenoegd philosophy

There is a single-mindedness in this partnership to build on the Vergenoegd tradition of excellence and to continue to make quality red wines that age well, from only the best grapes.

The wines are made with modern and attentive vineyard management, a minimalist approach to irrigation, selective harvesting and non-invasive vinification. They are then aged in mainly French oak barrels for 16 to 20 months and are further aged in bottle for one year before release.

The process of wine-making at Vergenoegd strives to achieve a unique Vergenoegd character. A wine that has balance, elegance, complexity and fruit: a wine that complements fine dining and good food - to be enjoyed at about three years of age, but that will continue to improve and mature over the next few years, keeping its peak till at least 10 years or longer.

Unique terroir

Vergenoegd’s soil profile varies from alluvial loam to sand with yellow clay and calcareous layers, probably of marine origin. The soils, together with the cool maritime climate, as a result of the prevailing sea breezes from the nearby False Bay coast, give Vergenoegd a unique and interesting terroir. This terroir has proven over the years to be suited to producing full bodied, rich red wines with a distinctive mineral quality.