bottle – Herman van Bon Photography

Now I also have a Fraai Uitzicht Syrah

No I’m not going to taste it; just let it mature for a few years. Well that’s what I do with quality wines. Recently I wrote a review about Le Neuf Papesch of this South African wine cellar and I had critics from …. the wine critics who make a living out of drinking/tasting wine and write about it. There are quite a few of them I found out. I received 13 emails (what a number!); two of them asking if I could please withdraw my review from the internet. Others found it of bad taste to inform readers about a simple method of distinguishing qualities; as it’s a secret amongst that particular profession. One (from South Africa) found the review ‘intriguing’ and from the UK I got the remark I was “too honest” …. The French ‘Vigneron’ (wine-maker’) with over 300,000 followers (re-)tweeted the link several times and French tweeting about South African wines ….. that’s quite something; I feel obliged.

In the meantime I acquired a second bottle for my collection from Fraai Uitzicht. This time a Syrah. Now I also want to have their Merlot, Viognier and Grenache…

The wines are not cheap and one cannot expect that real quality is cheap. These are wines for special occasions including a dinner or lunch at the restaurant of Fraai Uitzicht that has so many awards that the owners lost count. The wines (if in stock) are also online available. For Europeans: The wines are distributed from Germany.

Still 6: This bottle should be 2000 years old …

still7

Jumping out of the glass

I’m not a wine connaisseur; let me tell that first. But in 15 years living in wine producing areas in South Africa I learned how to distinguish a good quality wine (even if I don’t like the taste of it) from the lesser qualities. In the core it’s quite simple. The poorest quality is wine that you smell by only opening the bottle. Pretty sure you will have a hangover the next morning by drinking just one glass. Poor quality wines are those that you smell when these are poured in a glass.

A good quality wine is a wine that you can only smell by sticking your nose in the glass. And when drinking it the taste remains indulging your palate. The REAL connaisseur is able to distinguish the best of the good qualities and won’t even touch the lesser (poor) qualities.

Now we got a Pinotage (2013) of Orange River Cellars in the Northern Cape. I should have read the label better: ” …. with aromas of raspberries, blackcurrant and nutmeg jumping out of the glass” ….

Think we’re gonna give it away …. 😀

The Wall Painter

Roger Williams from Cape Town is well known around the globe with many international accolades. In South Africa he is just ‘known’ …….. here and there.

Last weekend I witnessed Roger and his assistant Nick here in the village engaged in a wall painting. Not finished yet (see last picture) but you can see the finished wall from October onwards when tasting wine in the new tasting room in a winery/restaurant (name is mentioned in the last image). As you can see the ghost comes out of the bottle.