A little wine lover must have been there, South Africa. This crazy wine country is not only vast and breathtakingly beautiful, it also has many wine regions where you can taste. We opted for a trip to the Western Cape, where it all began.
Text: Château Petri | Image: René de Waal
Winemaker Louis Roos takes us in his jeep for a bumpy ride across the grounds of Mooiplaas. With great height differences, this is also a mountain biker's paradise. It is a bit of a struggle, but the reward follows as we stand in a breathtakingly beautiful spot, all the way up the hills with nothing but mountains and vineyards around us. On top of the world. We toast to the wine estate's new vintage. Afterwards, the rest of the wines are already waiting in the Pronk Room of the former residence.
We taste the particularly beautiful range made from the well-known grape varieties chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinotage, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and shiraz. Our top three? The Coco Merlot and the Bean Coffee Pinotage stand out for their full-bodied flavours with chocolate, coffee and mocha-like aromas. That's because Louis ages them for five months in heavily toasted French oak. Top of the list is the Houmoed, a Chenin Blanc from bush vines With a fantastic balance in freshness, spiciness and a gossamer thread of honey.
Historic moment
South Africa has been growing wine grapes since 1652, but it took until the 1990s before we could buy the wine here in the Netherlands. Because it was only after the release of Nelson Mandela and the abolition of apartheid that import sanctions on wine to our country were lifted. Since then, it has been impossible to imagine our wine shops and supermarkets without wine from here. No wonder, South Africa is bursting with ambitious, creative winemakers who are conquering the world with their beautiful wines. We got the chance to meet them locally on a journey through spectacular nature, delicious food and an incredibly fun-loving population.
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