This summer season, we’re taking you on a tour of a few of our favorite wine areas by way of their cultural riches. Subsequent cease: South Africa.
For a rustic overlaying a lot landmass, it’s hardly a shock that the local weather in South Africa is various. But even inside the slender realm of the winelands, the variation in climate from one area to the subsequent is basically fairly excessive. I keep in mind visiting Richard Kershaw a couple of years in the past, who makes scrumptious cool-climate Chardonnay and Syrah in coastal Elgin. His property is round a 40-minute drive over the mountains from Franschhoek, but the local weather is usually worlds aside.
He would drive from his vineyard carrying trousers, jumper, a raincoat and a hat on account of torrential rain and a chilly wind to go to a buddy in Franschhoek — the place the solar would have been shining all day, employees in shorts and t-shirts mopping their sweating brows. His buddy would usually greet him with a quizzical look and “Richard, are you fairly properly?”
I seen this drastic shift in climate when visiting Constantia. To the south of Cape City, and protruding into the ocean, it has its personal microclimate: cool with frequent cloud cowl and rain showers. This spit of land has quite a few wineries but in addition Simon’s City, well-known for its penguin colony. I usually joke to wine college students when educating them about South Africa that there’s a cause there are penguins right here; it could get astonishingly chilly. And while the temperature might not fairly dip as little as Antarctica, even in summer season there’s a near-constant cool breeze.
For these of us having fun with summer season within the UK this 12 months that is heartening to know, I feel. It doesn’t, actually, want a lot creativeness to move ourselves to South Africa – albeit one of many cooler, coastal areas of this various nation.
What to drink
2022 Constantia Glen, Sauvignon Blanc
The microclimate in Constantia has two key results on the grapes on this area, leading to greater acidity than fruit grown inland, and in addition brisker fruit flavours. The result’s mouthwatering wines which are preferrred with meals.
This stunning Sauvignon Blanc from Constantia Glen has all of the refreshing character one would count on from this grape, however not one of the overtly natural and leafy flavours that may generally dominate in Sauvignon Blanc. A tiny proportion of Semillon within the mix additionally provides a contact of richness to the wine, making it a pleasure to savour by itself, in addition to with meals.
What to eat
In fact, if recreating the South African expertise in your again backyard, the one meals to actually take into account is braai. Being introduced up on conventional English barbecues – rain, grocery store burgers, and disposable BBQs used too swiftly, leaving the meals scorched on the skin and undercooked within the center – I’m unable so as to add a lot perception right here. Fortuitously, associates from Durban tackle this necessary accountability, diligently tending to the grill and offering stacks of completely cooked strip steak, chops, and boerewors.
Spicy and tannic purple wines, reminiscent of Syrah or Cabernet Sauvignon, usually pair properly with such spreads. However while we wait (and wait, and wait) for the meals to be cooked to perfection, there’s at all times loads of spicy biltong to snack on; for me, a calming glass of Sauvignon Blanc contrasts with this fantastically.
What to learn
The Smallest Kingdom, Michael & Liz Fraser (2011)
Probably an uncommon alternative, that is neither insightful political historical past, nor a rip-roaring web page turner of a novel. As an alternative, it’s a fantastically illustrated overview of probably the most necessary, however arguably least understood plant kingdoms on the planet (and, because the title suggests, by far the smallest).
The soils and local weather within the Cape have resulted in a really distinctive ecosystem of vegetation, one which has beguiled botanists for hundreds of years. It’s no coincidence the fynbos show gained finest in present at Chelsea this 12 months. For anybody within the setting of South Africa, and the way vines match into that, this can be a distinctive and delightful ebook.
What to take heed to
Matthew Mole
A singer and songwriter from Cape City, Mole describes his music as folks with an electronica affect. Nonetheless, that arguably pigeonholes him an excessive amount of. There’s an indie really feel to his music, and a beautiful humour woven by as properly. On prime of this, he’s a multi-talented artist, enjoying guitar, piano, drums, ukelele and banjo, amongst others.
His songs span from upbeat at a jogging tempo (for instance Run, at 107bpm, good to take heed to on a lightweight lunchtime lap of the park) to extra mellow with digital beats woven by (Gentle, preferrred music for a lazy afternoon within the backyard, Sauvignon Blanc in hand).
Purchase the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc from Constantia Glen right here
