Tag Archives: South Africa

Bring on Happiness

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Le Bonheur 2020 Chardonnay from the Western Cape wine region is dry, medium-plus-bodied and bright, with mineral notes. Nicely balanced and excellent value. This winery dates back to the 1700s when the original owners, the French Huguenot De Villiers family, named the winery “Le Bonheur,” which translates to “happiness.”

Buttery and Complex

Pick a food. Pick a mood.  Pick an occasion – and you can pick this one to go with it.

CHARDONNAY – LE BONHEUR

$15.99 regularly $17.99

13.5%

UPC: 06001497413209

Flower Power

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The inspiration behind the name of the brand is South Africa’s national flower, Protea. It got its name from the shape-shifting Greek god Proteus because it comes in a dizzying diversity, as each blossom is somehow more exotic and special than the last one.


Protea Chenin Blanc is produced by Protea Wines, a company that belongs to Johann Rupert, owner of luxury brands like Cartier and Mont Blanc. 


Very appealing.  Tangy and crisp flavours get your attention, and holds it through a lovely fullness towards the end. 

The preceding winter was cold and wet, resulting in good dormancy and healthy dam levels prior to the growing season. The cool weather continued into spring which in turn resulted in delayed but relatively even bud break, flowering and fruit set. The moderate summer temperatures slowed the ripening period and resulted in harvest starting about two weeks later than normal. The usually hot month of February was uncharacteristically cool, allowing for the gradual ripening of fruit with good flavours and acidity. An exceptional vintage which promises to deliver outstanding wines.


Protea has a remarkably aromatic nose for a Chenin Blanc.  It’s very palatable and quite distinctive.

CHENIN BLANC – RUPERT WINES PROTEA

$13.99 regularly $14.99

13.5% Alcohol

UPC: 00086891081144

Feed me too

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The vineyard features fully sustainability.  I’d like to stop by, stay a night or two, and sample the food as well as their wines.  Restaurant. Deli.  And you can even do a farm picnic.


Their vision is to balance tradition and experience with contemporary innovation to produce classic wines with measured modern new world attitude that are uniquely Boschendal.


So we are sampling their Chardonnay.  The one with  hints of oak spice. Unirrigated, well drained, rocky shale terroir. Whole bunch pressed. Natural fermentation. Then 11 months in oak.


It is big on aroma and flavours, great nose with citrus on the palate. Well balanced, good complexity and roundness.


Early sampling sorta screamed pasta – so we did … with lots of garlic, red and yellow pepper strips, red onion, egg noodle pasta.

CHARDONNAY – BOSCHENDAL WESTERN CAPE 2019

$19.99

13.5% alcohol

UPC: 06001660003824

Running and Galloping

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A little person present at dinner made concentrating on the wine a little difficult.  Besides, she didn’t want any.  She just couldn’t understand the concept of Running Ducks down on the Galloping Goose Trail.  Just doesn’t make any sense to a 6 year old. (Doesn’t to her 73 year old Great Grandpa either).


Deep in colour, medium weight but still fresh, given it’s 14% alcohol content.  Nicely rounded finish.


A red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70%) and Pinotage (30%), produced from organic grapes in a vegan friendly and fair trade way.


South Africa’s Western Cape Province, Stellar Winery is a producer of organic, fair trade wines. Farm and winery employees own 26% of the enterprise through shares in the Stellar Winery Empowerment Trust. In addition, the Stellar Foundation is in its first phase of “Getting Off The Grid” renewable energy initiative. The focus of the pilot project is to develop sustainable electricity solutions, as well as to help farms/wineries save money on electricity.


First time was with a homemade meaty spaghetti (one of Little Person’s favourites). Next time?  A lamb tangine maybe. (another of Little Person’s favourites).

CAB SAUV PINOTAGE – STELLAR ORGANICS RESERVE FAIR TRADE

$14.49 regularly $17.99

14% alcohol

UPC: 6009679895959

Climbing the Charts

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The ‘will buy again’ chart.


What we really appreciated was the ‘lack’ of citrusy’ overtones.  There are definite hints of apricot and pear.

It’s very refreshing.


it took us a little by surprise, because, to us, Chenin Blancs don’t usually stand out when by themselves.  They always add to the roundnesswhen added to other whites for a blend.

CHENIN BLANC – RUPERT WINES PROTEA

$14.99

13% alcohol

UPC: 00086891081144

In Normal Times

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We probably would have saved this for a dinner visit from a South African born lass – but these aren’t normal times, so it got opened for a dinner for two – us. Sorry J.


Roast Chicken or grilled lamb patties were the options. Roast Chicken with sheet pan veggies won out.


The sulphite content was definitely under control, because I didn’t end up with a migraine.  They focused on retaining maximum flavour after the harvest.  Cold settling probably helped a lot here.

It’s rich, concentrated, and very full bodied with a very nice structure.  The finish certainly hangs around to remind you that this is a very nice wine indeed.


Maybe Osso Bucco next time as a pairing?


CABERNET SAUVIGNON – KWV CATHEDRAL CELLAR

$15.49 regularly $18.49

14% Alcohol

UPC: 00748294066110

Ulterior Motives

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What motivated this choice (not from a Mystery Case)?  One of the upcoming wines in the next mystery case had a gift “Cheers” glass with it.  She wanted the extra glass so we had a pair!  


The cool Atlantic and warmer Indian oceans come together at the southern tip of Africa and create interesting and extraordinary grape growing conditions. The grapes come from vineyards in the Breede River Valley.  Everything takes time here and the results are fresh and quite delicious.  


The menu was traditionally Moroccan. Chicken with apricots and honey cinnamon/ginger/cayenne pepper). B’s couscous with slivered almonds. 

The wine would be good with light salads, cold cuts, or just sitting on the deck in the warm sun.

Pinot Grigio – Two Oceans

$10.99 (but came with a Cheers Glass)

11.5 % alcohol

UPC: 06001108045102

It just goes

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Hailing from the coastal areas, hence Seaward, this is a narrow band that is close to the cool Atlantic and also the temperateFalse Bay.  Nature takes it course to produce big, flavourful harvests each year.


Multiple prominent reviewers have given this a 90+ points, and it won a Silver medal at the International Wine and Spirits competition of 2019.


To us, it went very well with our ‘all but the kitchen sink’ home made pizza.  Bright – just like the red and yellow peppers.  Fresh – like the garden tomatoes. Robust and able to hold it all up, like the Middle Eastern Pita base. Full of flavour like the garlic and red onion, and it really brought out the flavour of the Feta.

Spier Seaward – Cabernet Sauvignon

$19.99

14% Alcohol

UPC: 00819457001320

5 on the Plate 5 in the Glass

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Glen Carlou Grand Classique

14.5% Alcohol

$22.99

The components used in Grand Classique, a blend of 25% each of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, with 13% Merlot and 12% Petit Verdot, are all individually vinified to allow for the development of each one’s unique character. After assemblage the blend is barrel matured in 225L French barriques for 18 months. The mouthfeel is richly textured with a firm yet accessible tannin structure.


Glen Carlou Vineyards is less than 35 minutes’ drive from Cape Town in Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa and covers a 145 ha property.  The vineyard is well known for it’s award winning whites.  (We’ll be going to to try to find some of these.)


You get a full palate that lingers through to a lovely finish.  Full Bodied and well balanced.  Deep rich red colour.  Initially it comes off as spicy and peppery and then settles down into almost an elegance.

We teamed it with a mixed charcuterie, potato salad and coleslaw.


It should have been Raki, instead of Sambuca, with the mixed fruit on frozen yogurt. [Hee Hee]