February 1, 2010
I’m half way through completing a year long course in Financial Analysis and Portfolio Management so the next topic is of some interest to me:
Can you make money from wine?
(Click above link to read full Fin24 article)
I have some friends who have dabbled in some wine investment funds in the UK and they have made some good money out of it. In fact one or two of my friends aren’t even wine drinkers and even they bought some Bordeaux First Growths for investment purposes.
With Kanonkop having recently sold 600 bottles of their Black Label Pinotage 2006 for R1000 en primuer - it begs the question: is South Africa ready to enter the En Primeur market? do we have the wines for it? do we have the market presence for it?
What do you think? What wines could you see being sold en primeur in South Africa?
Posted in SA Wine Industry 
4 Comments »
January 22, 2010
Don’t wait too long to open that special bottle of wine - it may be past it’s prime.
Something I learnt with a heavy heart last night - a wine I have been eyeing out for years in my little rack of treasures was finally dusted off and consumed last night (well only half the bottle).
It was 10 years old and sadly past it’s prime - the only reason we managed to drink half the bottle was because I just couldn’t come to terms with the fact that it was a gonner!
So what then is the rule of thumb for South African wines - how long from date of vintage should you wait to drink a treasured bottle?
How long is a piece of string is probably the right answer - but I do think that there are some guidelines:
- Everyday plonk - immediately to max 3 years
- In general most South African wines will keep for 5 years or so.
- Exceptionally well made wines from top estates will probably peak anywhere between 5 and10 years - with 10 years being about the max.
There are of course exceptions to the case but I think this is a fairly reasonable guideline - what do you think?
Posted in SA Wine Industry 6 Comments »
January 19, 2010
I’m hitting a wine tasting this Thursday at The Roundhouse with Under the Influence.
I’ve never been the biggest fan of Sauvignon Blanc but occasionally a good one comes along and slaps me in the face. My good friend The Wine Thief will be conducting the wine tasting and he tells me that there are some superalitve specimens in this line up of sav blancs.
Well I’m going to go along and see for myself because as you know - never trust a thief. - hopefully I’ll see some of you there.
Under the Influence presents another wine exploration leading up to White Wine Awareness Month! We explore Sauvignon Blanc, a grape that beautifully expresses its terroir. The tasting will uncover the flavours and aromas of Sauvignon Blanc in the different regions in South Africa and explore some of the top producers in the country. Producers to taste include Lismore, Paul Cluver, Graham Beck, Oak Valley, Iona, Southern Right, amongst others.
Venue: The Roundhouse Restaurant, Kloof Road, Camps Bay
Date and time: Thursday 21st January 6:30pm start
Cost R90 per person
Booking: info@undertheinfluence.co.za or call 021 438 4391
Posted in Tastings No Comments »
January 4, 2010
Happy New Year everyone!
Here’s to an amazing 2010 - I have a feeling its going to be a good one.
There are so many exciting things happening in South Africa on all fronts this year - alive with possibility indeed!
I hope and promise to post more this year!
Posted in Uncategorized No Comments »
December 11, 2009
Which wine estate is the oldest in South Africa?
Well it’s not such a clear cut matter and has recently been handed to the historians to figure out according to this article.
Of late, the likes of Blaauwklippen and Boschendal have used their advertising avenues to claim that they are the oldest - naturally Groot Constantia have taken offense to this and commissioned a historian to clear the matter up.
Here are the findings of historian Dr Con de Wet:
Blaauwklippen:
Blaauwklippen was indeed handed to Gerrit Jansz Visser in 1682, and that he owned it until 1690, but there is no evidence that it produced wine at that time.
Boschendal:
As far as Boschendal is concerned, De Wet’s conclusion is that there are no supporting documents indicating that Boschendal had been handed to the first owner, Jean le Long, as early as 1685 or 1686. Le Long arrived at the Cape only in 1688.
Groot Constantia
Groot Constantia’s title deeds were, according to De Wet, given to Simon van der Stel in 1685 and there are indications that he immediately began producing wine there.
De Wet concludes his report with the deduction that Constantia was the first farm to produce wine and hence the oldest.
Nou daars a ding.
Interestingly my good friend Mooti (Marc Cloete) once owned Groot Constantia - well not him but his ancestors. They stupidly sold the farm some while back and Mooti to this day, cries every time we drive past the estate.
To be honest I would cry too. In fact if I were him I’d put in a land claim with the land bank - you never know.
[UPDATE: Pendock has an interesting angle on this claim by Groot Constantia]
Mooti I would demand that they clean up the graveyard - it’s bullsh*it that they treat your ancestors’ resting place like that.
Posted in SA Wine Industry 4 Comments »
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