NEWS

THE SCOOP

Twisting & turning Innovation in packaging usually involves bottles or labels – seldom the closure.

Franschhoek wine valley’s Anthonij Rupert Wyne, the makers of the popular Protea range of wines, has adopted an exciting new closure for its range of eight wines. Already recognised for being uncompromising in its commitment to quality, the Protea range’s bottles were designed with upcycling in mind. The beautiful bottles are intended to be reused for water, oils, vinegars or even cut in half and remodelled as wine glasses.

So utilising the latest available method of cork closure was not a big stretch for the award-winning estate. The Helix closure combines tradition with convenience since this unique, ergonomically-designed cork- and glass packaging solution is a marriage between the benefits of traditional cork with a userfriendly, re-sealable closure. It has a broad top – almost like a Champagne stopper – and is easily twisted out of the bottle neck ... so no mechanical tools are required. And better yet, you can pop the Helix cork back in! Simple twist of the wrist – both in and out.

Research has shown that consumers prefer cork and associate it with quality, even though screwcaps are extremely effective. Helix retains the tradition of cork, while at the same time providing functionality.

The Protea, found in the Cape’s floral kingdom, appears in stunning graphic prints on the bottles.

Fun under the big TOPS! Society has become a little jaded with technology enabling instant access to anything at the press of a button.

TOPS at SPAR’s Wine Show harks back to a different time: a time when the circus came to town and the hurdy-gurdy music mingled with the smell of popcorn in the air and sawdust in the ring.

There are no elephants or lions – except perhaps on a label or two – but the TOPS wine show hits Nelspruit in November and Cape Town in December.

Organisers have dubbed it “The Greatest Show on Earth!” and are eager for as many people to attend – and have fun – as possible.

Nelspruit’s event takes place from 30 November to 2 December while the Mother City gets a chance to sip and sample a host of wine styles and top producers from 14 to 16 December. For ticket prices and more info: www.wineshow.co.za

Hennessy Special Limited Edition with JonOne Hennessy is proud to announce the latest art-inspired packaging of the classic Hennessy Very Special Limited Edition collaboration with New York’s Harlem born graffiti artist-turned-art world phenomenon urban artist, JonOne. The creation of the design itself mirrors the elaboration process of the cognac. “JonOne is a unique talent who shares many traits with Hennessy,” notes Bernard Peillon, Chairman and CEO of Maison Hennessy. “JonOne has an open spirit, he stays curious. His passion lies in constantly pushing his work to new heights, new territories, even though he is already a true master, and has nothing left to prove. Like Hennessy, he never stops and never settles.” With an energy that has come to define his style, JonOne applied layer upon layer of splashes of colour, intermixed with Hennessy’s own imagery – thus echoing the complex layers of flavors and aromas the Master Blender creates during the blending process. Over the course of several days and nights, JonOne painted layer upon layer to create a canvas that would become the bottle design itself, and in doing so, established a rich visual language for the collaboration. This Hennessy Very Special Limited Edition by JonOne is the latest addition to an ongoing series of collaborations between Hennessy and internationally renowned urban artists, including Scott Campbell, Ryan McGinness, Shepard Fairey, Os Gemeos and Futura.

60 for 40 A once-off, 40-year-old potstill brandy from Van Ryn’s Distillery in Stellenbosch which sold for R60 000 at the Nederburg Charity Auction has left South African shores for the United Kingdom where it will be presented as a gift. The unique bottle was bought by Dawid Justus for a fellow South African colleague who marks 25 years at a London investment firm this year.

“Dr Jonathan Knowles gave me the biggest opportunity of my life when he hired me 13 years ago. I wanted to give him something of true excellence from our beloved continent,” Justus said.

The noble spirit last saw the light of day in 1977, and has spent the last four decades maturing in French oak casks under the careful custodianship of four previous master distillers at Van Ryn’s in Stellenbosch.

“There will never be another brandy quite like this,” explained Van Ryn’s current master distiller, Marlene Bester. “It is the result of experimental brandymaking which represents early forays into modern barrel finishing techniques, where barrels previously used for sweet wine maturation were chosen to add complexity during the maturation process. The brandy was tasted at regular intervals to ensure optimal flavour and aroma development. I’m honoured to have had the privilege of bottling and releasing this unique brandy.”

Befitting such a rare tipple is the unique 1.2 ℓ hand-blown decanter, created by South African glass blower, David Reade, whose creations are coveted by collectors both locally and abroad.

Fizz, pop & bang! Bubbly is something used for celebrations – and the celebrations don’t get any bigger than when they’re for Méthode Cap Classique sparkling wine, the South African version of French Champagne. Held for the 16th time, the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge has now become South Africa’s second-longest consecutive wine competition behind the Absa Pinotage Top 10 event.

Overall honours went to Simonsig Estate, which won with its Simonsig Cuvée Royale Blanc de Blanc 2012, a sparkling wine which had quietly aged on its lees for a full five years! Simonsig is the pioneer of bottle fermented sparkling wine in South Africa with its Kaapse Vonkel the first to adopt the méthode Champenoise secondary fermentation in bottle. The dry – or Brut – category prize went to Hemel-en-Aarde Valley producer Domaine des Dieux for its Claudia Brut MCC 2011 while Graham Beck’s Brut Zero 2005 won the Museum category.

Speaking at the function, Joaquim Sá, MD of sponsor Amorim South Africa, said that the country today has 220 Cap Classique producers responsible for 300 labels.

“And the growth doesn’t stop here as 2017 promises to excel again. As a note, our local Cap Classique cork sales January to August are 27% up compared to 2016, so another rosy year is expected,” said Sá. T OPS Buy!

The prestige fizz from Stellenbosch bubbly pioneer, Simonsig, impressed the judges with its class and elegance.

Third time’s the charm

Boplaas Family Vineyards achieved a rare hattrick recently when its Port was named South African Champion at the SA Young Wine Show for the third consecutive year. “Wines are singled out by the judging panel for their potential prior to public release, which is why we’re very excited about the 2017 vintage of our Port having done well again,” said Boplaas owner Carel Nel. “Just as our other champions over the years, the 2015 and 2016 went on to win numerous awards in diverse competitions.” Excluding the performance of its still wines, Boplaas has now been named SA Champion for Port no less than 10 times and includes the very first Port it made in 1986. Achieving this consistency of excellence requires meticulous attention to detail. “The making of a fine Port begins in the vineyard, which is why fruit quality is so important,” Boplaas winemaker Margaux Nel maintains. “During harvest, the grapes are deposited and pressed in traditional open tanks, or lagares as they’re known in Portugal, to ensure maximum extraction of flavour and colour. Then, after vinification, the wine is blended with fine brandy and matured in old Portuguese vats for 18 months.” Situated in the arid Klein Karoo town of Calitzdorp, the farm’s history dates back to 1880 when it was owned by Carel Nel’s great grandfather. Over the years, a variety of fruit has been grown on the property, but in 1980 the focus changed to wine once Carel had completed his BSc studies in winemaking.

SA’s latest rainbowdelish liqueurs It’s time to jazz up your game with exciting new cream liqueurs by Natures Own Beverages (Pty) Ltd: CuppnChino Red Velvet and Django’s cream liqueurs. Django’s is like bottled sunshine - a cream liqueur that bursts with delightful mango freshness, pleasantly rounded with a touch of tequila. With bright and playful colours to match, Django’s will be the centrepiece of any bar. It is best enjoyed chilled, as a shooter, long drink or cocktail ingredient with outrageous garnish, or over ice cream and even cheese cake. CuppnChino Red Velvet is an evolution of the popular CuppnChino that has taken the beautiful cream liqueur with rich aromas of freshly ground coffee and creamy vanilla to the next level. The silky beverage is now made with scarlet colour, which makes a dramatic statement when served in a martini glass or chilled and over crushed ice. Luscious and more-ish, CuppnChino Red Velvet can also be used as that secret ingredient in baked puddings and similar desserts. The liqueurs are crafted in Bonnievale, a Cape village surrounded by mountains at the centre of SA’s dairy region. This is the source of the goodness that goes into every liqueur.

Hammertime! The third quarter of every year sees a lot of auction action in the Cape winelands.

First to the auctioneer’s block in midSeptember was the annual Nederburg Auction, held for the 43rd time in 2017. Around 8 800 litres of wine was sold off for more than R6.3 million (or 129 individual items from 65 producers).

Continuing the trend from previous auctions, red wines fared better than white because of their potential age worthiness with Cabernet Sauvignon living up to its tag as the king of reds, attaining the highest prices and increasing 10% on 2016 prices. Cabernet Franc hit the highest average per litre price with R1 286.50.

There were a number of notable individual achievements – such as Ken Forrester’s superb FMC 2009, a Chenin Blanc, which a keen buyer paid R11 000 for just six bottles.

In the past few years, organisers of the Nederburg Auction have made a concerted effort to build awareness and appreciation of some of the country’s old gems – and a 1957 Chateau Libertas didn’t disappoint. Six bottles were sold for R55 000! And a Lanzerac Cabernet Sauvignon from 1970 started at R3 000 and kept going briskly until it was knocked down for R37 000.

Two weeks later the Cape Winemakers Guild auction took place at Spier near Stellenbosch, raising a total of R13.2 million for 2 962 six-bottle cases in its 33rd year.

Top selling items included some of the country’s most sought-after labels – such as the Kanonkop CWG Paul Sauer 2014 which went for an average of R9 000 per six-bottle case, or the Boekenhoutskloof Syrah Auction Reserve 2012 which hit a high of R12 000 – or R2 000 per bottle!

Overall the average case price was R4 464 – or R744 per bottle – which was slightly down on the 2016 record sale of R13.8 million with the average case price of R5 697 or R950 per bottle.

Matt Stow Photography

Summertime sippers The hot and hazy days of summer call for something crisp and refreshing – and Constantia wine farm Steenberg is covering almost all the bases with their latest releases.

Three of the wines pay homage to three British tall ships involved in the battle of Muizenberg which took place a stone’s throw away from the renowned wine farm way back in 1795.

“We are excited to launch these new wines as they fill a gap in our portfolio, allowing us to offer wine lovers more choice at an attractive price point. We have really concentrated on quality, and are proud to have these three wines as part of our Steenberg collection,” said cellarmaster JD Pretorius.

Steenberg Ruby Rosé 2017 is a blend of Syrah (51%) and Cinsault (49%) that is strikingly fruit-forward and has already won a double gold medal at the Rosé Rocks 2017 competition. Think juicy raspberries, wild strawberries and hints of spice. This dry Rosé has lovely depth and refreshes with a zesty citrus finish.

Steenberg Sphynx Chardonnay 2017 is a lightly barrel-fermented Chardonnay from special vineyards in Robertson and Bonnievale. While Steenberg Stately 2015 is a generous, full-bodied blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (63%) and Shiraz (37%).

THE 2018 WHISKY BIBLE HAS LAUDED GLEN GRANT’S 18 YEAR OLD AS SCOTCH WHISKY OF THE YEAR, SINGLE MALT OF THE YEAR AND BEST SINGLE MALT IN 16 TO 21 YEAR AGE CATEGORY ... FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW! HISTORY IN EVERY BOTTLE

“WHISKY IS FAR MORE THAN JUST LIQUOR IN A BOTTLE: IT EMBODIES TRADITION AND HIGH CRAFT, SOCIAL HISTORY AND TOPOGRAPHY, POETRY AND SONG. IN OTHER WORDS, IT COMES WITH A PEDIGREE, UNLIKE LESS NOBLE SPIRITS, LADEN WITH ASSOCIATIONS THAT EVEN THE MOST CUNNING SALESMEN CANNOT OVERLOOK. IT IS QUITE LITERALLY, ELEMENTAL, MADE FROM CEREAL GRAINS (THE QUINTESSENTIAL PRODUCT OF THE EARTH), BREWED WITH WATER, MADE ETHEREAL BY FIRE AND MATURED BY THE ACTION OF AIR UPON WOODEN CASKS.”

– CHARLES MACLEAN’S FOREWORD TO WHISKY AND PHILOSOPHY

BELOW: The crystal water source which Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm (right) uses in the making of this singular Scottish whisky.

The book, ‘Glen Grant: The story of single malt as it should be’, opens with this sentence: “The intrigue of the Glen Grant legacy owes much of its fascination to a whisky-making family who grew their business on a curious combination of smuggling and entrepreneurship. The most public and fondly remembered of the Grant sons – James Grant, or The Major, as he would become known – worked his way into the hearts of all who knew him.”

He took over the business in 1872 and is credited with applying “unconventional and forward thinking vision to the design of the innovative tall slender pot stills and unique purifiers still used to this day which give Glen Grant single malt its delicate, light and fresh character – distinguishing it from any other brand”.

The stills are tall and slim and, coupled with the two purifiers on both distillations, it results in only the purest vapour passing from the still to condenser, making for a fresh, light whisky.

“For years my most memorable dram was my first: a flowery, sweet Glen Grant when I was 19. I fell in love with Glen Grant all over again when I visited the distillery.” – Michael Jackson, renowned whisky writer was quoted in Whisky Magazine, issue 58.

Acknowledged as one of the foremost authorities on whisky worldwide, Jim Murray publishes a book rating Scotch whisky annually. In the 2008 edition of his Whisky Bible he wrote of Glen Grant 10 year old: “Really mouthwatering, clean and fresh; not an off-note in sight.... A relaxed confident malt from a distillery that makes great whisky.” And in the latest edition he selected Glen Grant’s 18 year old as the Best Scotch Whisky of the Year for 2017 – as well as his Best Single Malt of the Year in the 16 – 21 year old age category, for the second time, saying “Scotland owes a debt of honour to the celebrated Glen Grant distillery which again displayed Speyside whisky in its most sparkling light.”

With 50 years in the whisky trade under his belt – and having the unique distinction of having been born at Glen Grant and trained as a cooper in its workshops, current Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm is ideally positioned to keep the legacy alive.

“Glen Grant has always led the way in single malt production since it was founded in 1840. From our unique stills to bottling plant we continue to grow in our founders’ vision,” he said.