The Jordan Winery in Stellenbosch produces a magnificent wine in their Chameleon range: a wonderful blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. What is there not to enjoy about the beautiful dark red colour and the rich, fruity flavour?
The Cape Dwarf Chameleon on the label is perched on the flower of a Cape Honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis), such as this one growing in my garden.
The wine is intriguing – like the crossword that accompanied it!
We are half way through our holiday in Hout Bay, where we are thoroughly enjoying the company of our daughter and youngest grandchildren. The weather has varied from being beautifully warm and filled with sunshine to clouds hugging the mountains, reluctant to leave.
On a particularly sun-filled evening we enjoyed this sauvignon blanc with dinner.
Kaalvoet Meisie means a barefoot maiden – the name is evocative of all sorts of images. Apparently Hermanuspietersfontein was the original name of the coastal town we now know as Hermanus.
My daughter and I lunched at the local nursery yesterday and I was amused by a rows of the large ants created from stones that lined a path.
If I wasn’t flying home, I might have been tempted to get one to lord it over our garden at home which hosts ants of various sizes!
Then there was a display of pincushion proteas for sale – also very difficult to resist!
After a very windy day the clouds came down as the sun set, making the afternoon darker much earlier than usual.
Before long the wind howled and the temperature dropped dramatically. Mulled wine was called for. This wine proved to be an excellent one to heat with spices, raisins and some sweet sliced oranges.
A ratel is a badger.
I admit to a weakness for choosing wines according to their labels. Naturally the price, type of wine and whether I have tasted them before also plays a part. Perusing labels remains, however, an intriguing part of choosing wines when I have time to browse. Here are a few of the labels I have photographed over the past few months.
The Zandvliet Wine Estate produces a delightful wine called my best friend … that makes for easy drinking and sharing amongst friends. I was introduced to this Cape Red in just such a milieu and have enjoyed it ever since – to share with interesting, fun company. The hand-written look of the name suggests the easy intimacy friendship.
A true value for money wine which I tasted for the first time many years ago is the Black Granite Shiraz produced by Darling Cellars Reserve. It has remained a firm favourite and I rather like the gold embossed depiction of a very old bush vine.
Speaking of reserves, when I saw this bottle of wine on the shelf, I simply could not pass it by for the bat eared fox is one of my favourite animals! Just look at this drawing which drew me right in:
The Game Reserve Bat Eared Fox pinotage produced by the Rooiberg Winery stretched my budget somewhat, but was worth every cent.
Orange River Wines caught me hook line and sinker in a similar way with this delightful sketch of a hedgehog:
We were asked to look after a wild hedgehog once and were bowled over by how fast it could run down the passage on its little legs. This full-bodied wine caught me by the label, but has me hooked on the flavour.
I was introduced to this very pleasant Cape Blend produced by the Kanonkop Wine Estate during my recent birthday celebrations. The pinotage in this Cape Blend is complemented with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot – all are favourite wines in their own right.
Lastly, the label that set me off on this train of thought, Railroad Red, which I opened last night, is also a blend of wines I enjoy on their own: shiraz and cabernet sauvignon. Created by the Franschhoek Cellar, it is named after the old railway that skirts the picturesque town of Franschhoek. This versatile wine is also a firm favourite thanks to both its flavour – and its label!
Some of you may remember the surprise courier packages I received, one of which carried the prominent label FRAGILE Handle with care LIQUID INSIDE. The first of the bottles I sampled is Bruce Jack Cabernet Sauvignon.
When you turn to the more serious looking label you might find there is something cheeky about the ‘stamp’ declaring it to have been INSPECTED by the Bruce Jack Dept of Utmost Quality, which has passed it as having been crafted for freshness.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating, it is said – but before twisting open the screw cap on the closure, take a close look at the capsule. The one on this bottle contains intricate drawings of grapes being cut from the vine in the company of South Africa’s national bird, the Blue crane.
A rooster perches on top of filled wine barrels.
An all-important bee features prominently above the globe – an indication of the reach of this wine company – with swallows flying in the sky. The details here fit in with the company’s claim to “aim to leave our land in a better state than we found it.”
The first thing I noticed after pouring this wine is the beautiful dark red colour, which I like very much. The rich smooth taste is soft and full-bodied, but initially left a fairly sharp aftertaste. I found it was best to let the wine breathe in the glass for a while for the best tasting experience. The rest of this ready-to-drink wine still tasted delicious the following day. If you are put off by cheeky looking labels, do yourself a favour and look past this one in order to enjoy to the full what lies behind it. I didn’t detect the notes of mint chocolate crunch with a twirl of blueberry – you might!
Ursula K. Le Guin tells us that it is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters in the end. We had an end in mind for our journey south that was particularly good to have – a celebration that was worth travelling all that way for. So far I have shown you glimpses of various things along both ways of our journey that made those passing kilometers interesting and the journey feel like a holiday in itself.
Join me in the feast that lay ahead: a selection of sweet and savoury eats to enjoy on a sunny afternoon in the garden of a home with beautiful views and in the company of delightful people. The proteas on the paper serviettes are an apt motif in this area where they grow in abundance.
These arum lilies were picked locally, where fields of them are blooming next to the road, in ditches and damp hollows.
Take your pick.
Who can resist these?
Or these?
The children made a bee-line for these luscious strawberries.
While grapes in both this and the bubbly form went down well with the adults.
Of course there was cake too!
Finally, after much talking and laughter; congratulations and enjoying each other’s company, the afternoon light took on a softer hue; the clouds gathered over the mountain tops; inside lights were switched on; and the guests began to take their leave.
Something Over Tea 