WHERE TO EAT on the Constantia Wine Route, on a farm, among the vines? And which wines to seek out, what has been highly recommended by the panels of experts? For lunch, you could consider the new venues: Steenberg’s Tryn (main dining area pictured above) has various general indoor, outdoor and private fine-dining spaces, a bar and a menu
THE ORGANISERS of the UK’s International Wine Challenge (IWC) have named their 2019 trophy winners, chosen from the gold medal-winning wines. The awards followed two weeks of judging, involving thousands of entries from 49 countries and over 400 wine experts serving on the various panels. Each medal-winning wine was blind-tasted on at least three separate occasions by at least 12
BEST in Constantia, one of the Top 10 in South Africa. Groot Constantia Chardonnay is one of the three most successful wines from the grandest estate on the Cape Peninsula, among the country’s Top 100 Wines Overall and in the Top Wine SA Hall of Fame. Last year the 2017 vintage was a star at the National Wine Challenge and considered Outstanding
A GOOD YEAR it was for South Africa at the 2019 edition of Chardonnay du Monde, an international competition that takes place every year in Burgundy, France. After three days of judging, involving 696 wines from 36 countries assessed by 300 experts from around the world, the 2018 Bon Vallon from De Wetshof Estate in Robertson topped the list of
A GREAT restaurant by all accounts: awards aplenty, word of mouth and Cape chefs’ favourite – see here. Special food and amazing view from up on high. Although there aren’t many of South Africa’s top restaurants that require a deposit of R250 per person when making a reservation… So, the meal at Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia will set you back
IN THE 2019 poll conducted by The Inside Guide as to where in Cape Town [and surrounds] South Africa’s top chefs like to dine when not eating at their own establishments, Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia was voted Best Restaurant for a Special Occasion and Best Restaurant Overall. Interestingly though, their choice of Best Restaurant for a Winelands Experience didn’t go
DARN! It was sad to hear that the Wine & Bubbly Festival scheduled to take place on the beach at Plettenberg Bay in March had been cancelled due to ‘late withdrawal of the sponsorship’ – though good to read that Plett Tourism and Plett Winelands ‘will return with another world-class experience in 2020’. Instead then, the main focus of attention in
PRETTY handy if you’re going wine-tasting or shopping on one of Cape Town’s wonderful wine routes, the following are those reds, whites and sweets with the very best track records from the wineries of Constantia, Durbanville and elsewhere in the city according to the SA Wine & Cellar Classification. • For the full Cape Town Wine Classification, click here. •
WHO SAID the Constantia wine route was mostly about Sauvignon Blanc?! There’s some good Semillon, several fine white blends, a couple of very good Shiraz, and what about the decent Chardonnay, respectable Bordeaux-style red blends and those lovely dessert wines! Beau Constantia Constantia Nek Tel: +27 (0)21 794 8632 Email: winesales@beauconstantia.com Web: www.beauconstantia.com Owners: Pierre & Cecilly du Preez Restaurant: Chefs
ONLY R94 a bottle, and in such good company! You might well have expected Bon Courage to lead with their flagship Inkará Shiraz, yet it’s with the relatively humble Pepper Tree version that they have excelled at Syrah du Monde in the Rhône Valley, France – the 2016 vintage from this Robertson wine estate selected among the Top 10 gold
BELOW are the top Cabernet Sauvignon producers in South Africa over the past 10 years, those with the best track records spanning 2008 to 2017, presented according to where you’ll find their tasting rooms on the various wine routes. For the 2018 SA Cabernet Sauvignon Classification, see here, and for the contact info and addresses of those outfits that can be visited
HOWZAT! In a survey conducted by The Inside Guide, 38 of the best chefs in South Africa were asked where they like to eat in Cape Town and surrounds when taking a break from their own restaurants. Voted ‘favourite winelands experience’ experience was Overture at Hidden Valley on the slopes of the Helderberg in Stellenbosch, with the nod for ‘best
BELOW are the top Chardonnay producers in South Africa over the past 10 years, those with the best track records spanning 2008 to 2017, presented according to where you’ll find their tasting rooms on the various wine routes. For the 2018 SA Chardonnay Classification, see here, and for the contact info and addresses of those outfits that can be visited and/or
YAY! AND YET! It was great to hear that there are a couple of new venues to choose from come lunchtime in the winelands of Constantia. Not so great was to discover that at one of them they don’t sell any wine to accompany your meal, and at the other the management is somewhat cheeky… At the Nest Deli on Constantia
