Wineblog

Visiting the winemakers of Robertson Winery for an article on their Pinot Noir plantings, the newest addition to the WineLand team, journalist Elona Nel found the time to investigate further.

A town known for its warm temperatures and people, it is also one of the bigger and well-known wine routes in the country. With quality producers such as De Wetshof, Graham Beck and Springfield stomping up a perfect storm, there are also crowd-pleasing festivals for every season, like the ever evolving Wacky Wine Weekend.

A drive down the inviting Voortrekker road and a quick stop at La Verne Wine Boutique is a definite must for every passer by. This well-priced wine shop offers the ranges of most of the producers of Robertson valley and the surrounding areas – at cellar door prices, which, let’s face it, is already very competitive compared to the inflated other side of the mountain.

The daily selection of wines for tasting did the trick to cool me down, although it would not have been my selection for a taste of Robertson. The friendly and helpful Rosemary represents the valley well and with a chilled glass of wine and a warm smile, she sends me off with one of my favourite summer Sauvignon’s – Life from Stone by Springfield Estate.

Another big name and probably one of the best known producers in this area, is Robertson Winery. With over 43 grape growers, the winemakers can take their pick of the crop to make anything from the popular semi-sweet Rosé, to the more serious vineyard selections range.

A visit to the cellar with the man in charge of these premium and experimental wines, Jacques Roux, gives a welcome escape from the hellish heat of the mid-harvest summer sun. Together with Julia Moore, freelance PR contributor for Robertson Winery, we take to tasting the renowned No.1 Constitution Road Shiraz.

First up was the 2008 – although this wine was not made from a single vineyard, the selection process was very strict and grapes from only four producers were used. After an extended barrel maturation of about 32 months, the process continues to assure that only the best gets bottled under this label. This vintage was made up of a pin-pointed 32 barrels and Jacques believes that the use of different cooperages and forests are crucial to achieve top quality and complexity.

Although the 2005 was one of his personal favourites, the 2006 received the coveted regional trophy at the Decanter world wine awards. The 2007 achieved gold status at the local Michelangelo competition and, accordingly, the 2008 also promises to live up to these standards with its deep colour and intense spice-driven aroma.

Lunch time in Robertson is usually a family-affair, but an excellent selection of restaurants and cafés line the main road. Dig a bit deeper and you will find the praised and sought-after Robertson Small Hotel, with celebrated Reuben’s restaurant as the pinnacle point of attraction.

The business started approximately three years ago and owner, Vinimark’s Tim Rands, assures constant expansion and innovation. Once you enter the haven, you go straight to heaven – it is the perfect setting for a lazy lunch.  We settled down with the chef’s finest – a caramelized onion and gorgonzola tartlet, with tomato, chilli jam and rocket salad – topped off with some chilled Robertson Winery Pinot Noir 2010. What a way to start!

Continuing where we left off with Jacques, a glass of No.1 Constitution Road Shiraz 2008 is brought out to complement the crispy roasted duck leg and pork rib eye. A quick look around before dessert and assistant manager, JD de Villiers, shows us to the luxurious rooms – of which there are only ten in total. An invitingly chilly pool stretches across the length, with certain rooms walking out straight into their own blissful piece of aqua.

One of Jacques’ newer inventions, the 2009 Gewürztraminer, is the perfect sticky to compliment the finale cheese platter, with its floral nuances and good acidity to keep the creamy cheeses at bay. At the end of the day, the only thing more alluring than the perfection of lunch and luxury of the hotel is the price tags found among the wines of the valley, and particularly of Robertson Winery. Time to stock up, fill up and head on home to the fermenting Boland.

Delectable cheese platter - all's well that ends well.

Reënwolke het gebluf om ’n demper op die land se suksesvolste Bacchus-basaar te plaas, maar soos wat die nuutaangestelde roetebestuurder, Elizma Spangenberg, vertel – was dit “omtrent net die bergfietsresies wat minder aftrek geniet het”.

Mens hoef net te kyk na die getalle om te sien presies hoe suksesvol Robertson se Wacky Wine Weekend is: daar het oor dié naweek 16 076 feesgangers deur die vallei se 48 deelnemende wynmakerye geproe, kuier en knibbel.

Met Bon Courage wat alleen 7 492 bottels van hul gewilde Blush vonkelwyn oor die naweek geswaai het, wil ek nie eers weet hoeveel geld die fees in totaal vir die vallei ingebring het nie.

Navorsing deur wynbedryf-kenner, dr Johan Bruwer, toon dat die vallei nou jonger besoekers, met die klem op die sogenaamde Generasie X-ouderdomsgroep (29 tot 44 jaar), lok. Hierdie groep geniet, volgens Bruwer, die feit dat wyn sy elitistiese beeld verloor. Hoewel hierdie navorsing buite Robertson se feesseisoen gedoen is, geld dit nóg meer met die informele, gasvrye beeld wat die vallei uitstraal tydens die WWW.

’n Minder elitistiese beeld kan ook die rede wees hoekom heelwat feesgangers bereid was om tot amper duskant buurplaas, Viljoensdrift, te parkeer vir die Blush-party wat heel naweek by Bon Courage laat waai het. Hoewel stampvol tente, Afrikaanse treffers en boereworsrolle nie in almal se smaak val nie, het trollievragte pienk bottels gewys dat dié kelder ’n wenresep beet het.

 ’n Tannie met ’n trollie vol Blush-bokse het selfs oppad na haar FS-registrasie Camry luidkeels oor haar selfoon verkondig: “hierdie pienk wyn is die lekkerste goed wat ek al geproe het – julle moet dadelik bestel!” Hou maar Bloem se Blush-verkope dop… 

’n Ander sleutel tot WWW se sukses is die verskeidenheid wat daardeur gebied word. Aangesien al die plase, asook 13 deelnemende besighede in die dorp, hul eie produkte, kos, aktiwiteite en algemene vibe bepaal – behoort daar iets te wees vir elke smaak.

Die meer ernstige wyndrinker kon gaan aansluit het by Danie de Wet se Chardonnay-proe in De Wetshof se kelder of Graham Beck se Masterclass-proe. Albei hierdie spogproeë is meer as ’n week voor die fees reeds volbespreek – ’n bewys dat WWW ook aanklank vind by die meer gesofistikeerde proeër. Diegene wat wil wegkom van die massas, kan ook ontsnap na McGregor en Ashton – wat ook saam feesvier, maar rustiger is as Robertson self.

Robertson se wacky hoogtepunt is vanjaar al ses jaar op die wynkalender en as getroue feesganger, het ek verlede jaar gewonder of die makietie nie, as gevolg van ekonomiese druk, sy piek bereik het nie. Vanjaar se fees het my egter verkeerd bewys en as mens kyk na Bruwer se studie, blyk dit asof dié fees net van krag tot krag behoort te gaan.

Verskeie ander streke en roetes het intussen ook wynfeeste, grootliks geskoei op die WWW-model, geloods – maar nooit naastenby die voete (of rande) van Robertson se voorbeeld gelok nie. Of dít toegeskryf kan word aan Robertson se ligging, wyne of boereworsrolle, weet ek nie – maar dat Wacky Wine Weekend een van die wynbedryf suksesstories van die dekade is, is vanselfsprekend – selfs in Bloemfontein.

'n Jonger mark - feesgangers by Graham Beck