That night we had a Wine Makers Dinner at the Mount Nelson. We were treated to wines made by some excellent up and coming winemakers.
They all work at other wineries, and the owners of these wineries encourage them to pursue their own wine making dreams and allow them to use the equipment of the winery. What a great concept!
There were 3 Winemakers:
- Natasha Williams – Lelie Van Saron
She poured a Chardonnay/Pinot Blanc Pét–nat (an abbreviation for “pétillant naturel”—a French term that roughly translates to “naturally sparkling.’ – the wine gets bottled part way through fermentation and continues to ferment in the bottle. This is slightly different to Methode Champenois.
She also poured a Chardonnay and a Syrah
- Next was Kayleigh Hattingh of Rebel Rebel wines
She, too, poured a Pét–nat made from Pinotage (South Africa’s signature grape.)
Followed by a Colombar and a Syrah.
- The third winemaker was Rüdger van Wyk of KARA-TARA wines – named after a river near George, Western Cape where he grew up.
He poured a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir and a Reserve Pinot Noir.
All these wines were spectacular – and of course, so was the food but I forgot to take notes on the food! I was too involved in the wines. 🙂