Greenside, Johannesburg, Wednesday, 31 August 2011: In a world where for every business mogul to own a wine estate is fashionable and supermarkets are making their own wines, finding good wine can be a daunting exercise. Step in, Appellation South Africa, the new kid on the block! Appellation South Africa (ASA) specialises on the distribution of fine wines from some of South Africa’s best boutique wine estates. In celebration of Spring, oDD Café will be hosting a wine tasting evening with ASA on September 1, 2011 from 18h30 to 19h30. That’s an even better reason to ditch that plonk at home!
Janine Lyn Sievers is the front runner of ASA. She is a wine connoisseur who studied wine making with Stellenbosch University and has been running the distribution company for 4 months now. ASA’s specialty is unique high end wines from small wineries. They distribute only one of each wine varietal within specific price brackets. An affordable Chardonnay would be the only Chardonnay in the affordable range, as would be a Shiraz in its respective bracket. “The concept behind Appellation South Africa is drawn from the tradition of wine appellation and in this regard, our wine selection criteria is fine wines from boutique estates,” says Janine.
For Spring day at oDD Café, ASA will engage patrons in a tasting of 4 varietals from 3 wine estates from Stellenbosch. These are Kleinood Farm’s Tamboerskloof Syrah, Uva Mira’s Sauvignon Blanc, Uva Mira’s Merlot/ Cabernet Sauvignon blend and Crystallum’s Chardonnay. These wine estates each possess a unique characteristic that is epitomized in their wines and distinctly separates them from the rest.
Tamboerskloof Syrah
Kleinood Farm houses multiple award winning wines that continue in the signature of South African winery. It stands out from other wine estates in its emphasis on winery design thanks to Gerard de Villiers, the winery design extraordinaire. He has worked with over 150 wineries including such reputable estates as Rupert & Rothschild, Graham Beck, Boschendal, Bellingham and Plaisir de Merle. It is therefore no surprise that the design of Kleinood Farm would be flagship. De Villiers’ design lies in the intercourse of cutting edge technology and centuries old French tradition; all in the backdrop of simplicity. Because of this genius, he has been contracted to work on the design of such international wineries like Nyetimber Estate in the UK and Gusbourne Estate in Kent. It is in this ‘mise-en-scene’ that the Tamboerskloof Syrah is produced. This elegant wine has scooped awards locally and internationally in the UK and the USA. With a John Platter Wine Guide rating of 4 ½ stars, the Syrah is a certified pleasure to drink.
Uva Mira Merlot/ Cabernet Sauvignon
Uva Mira is perched high on the Helderberg Mountains of Stellenbosch. This high altitude setting ensures their elegant reds and aromatic whites. Here, new world meets family tradition in the partnership of estate owner Denise Weener and youthful winemaker and viticulturalist, Matthew van Heerden. The inspiration of Uva Mira’s wines lies in the picturesque setting of the estate with 360 degree views of Table Mountains and Robben Island. Against this backdrop, the Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot/ Cabernet Sauvignon are produced. With numerous accolades to their name, including the Michelangelo Grand d’Or award, Uva Mira wines are indeed a celebration of elevation.
The Crystallum brand boasts of superlative hand crafted wines that reflect estate owners Andrew and Peter-Allan Finlayson and the territory on which the estate rests.With just over 4,000 bottles released in their first vintage selection in 2007 under the banner Walker Bay wine of origin, Crystallum bring a new dimension to winery.
Crystallum Chardonnay
The young wine estate has been an active participant in Wine Cellar Tastings in Cape Town, whose chosen favourites set the trends in wine making. With acclaimed attention to detail, Crystallum is part of the young wine estates that will ruffle feathers as they question, “…do we really need a textbook to make wine?” The Crystallum Chardonnay is part of their 2008 vintage collection in which resides also the Pinot Noir and the Sauvignon Blanc. Because Crystallum sources their berries from high altitude Elgin, one can expect an aromatic chardonnay. What a way to welcome spring!
Four wines to usher in the beautiful weather, all in the comfort of delicious food, Spring day will undoubtedly be memorable at oDD Café. Patrons will be able to order their wines through Christina or Janine.
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