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November 2008 - Wine Cellars

Wine Cellars For Your Reading Pleasure

Best Wines from the Paarl Valley - Cape Town

Paarl is situated just over fifty km from Cape Town and the superb wines are so popular that Paarl Tourism is booming with international and local wine lovers. The vineyards of Paarl are distributed across three main types of soil. In the area along the Berg River they are grown in sandy soils of Table Mountain sandstone origin - while in the town of Paarl and the surrounding lands they are planted on granitic soils. The third soil type is of Malmesbury shale origin and the vineyards planted in the north-east grow mainly in this kind of soil.

Simonsvlei wine estate

Set against the foothills of the magnificent Simonsberg Mountains, this estate has been honoured at the highest levels for the quality of their wines. The Paarl area is renowned for its high quality Shiraz wines and even though Simonsvlei focus on a combination of terroir and grape varietals, they have the added bonus that Paarl's terroir is perfectly suited to Shiraz production. They plant their Shiraz on the eastern slopes of the valley in order to promote optimum photosynthetic activity. This activity is the determining factor in the accumulation of sugars and flavour components. Aromas inherent to Paarl Shiraz are spicy; resembling cloves, green peppers, smokiness and rich ripe plums. This grape is also known as Syrah. It makes a soft and rich wine often characterized by smoky and chocolaty aromas. It matures faster than cabernet and is sometimes blended with it to speed accessibility.

Pinotage-the unique South African grape

On an almost equal footing to Shiraz regarding the production is Pinotage; the only true South African grape varietal. In the cooler parts of the valley the grapes tend to have more floral flavours, whilst the Pinotage planted in the warmer areas bear more berry or plum aromas. It is a unique South African grape made from a cross of pinot noir and cinsaut. It is hardy in the vineyard and generally produces a wine that is full bodied with good fruit flavours and a distinctive spiciness. It is often referred to as possessing a "sweetish acetone" flavour. Previously thought to be early maturing, it is now believed that Pinotage benefits from extended maturation.

Award-winning wines
Simonsvlei was established in 1945 on the initiative of a group of leading grape farmers. They were determined to provide the area's farmers with the facilities and expertise to produce quality wines. This vision has been fulfilled and quality, affordable wines have become characteristic of Simonsvlei who now export wine to a wide range of countries, amongst which Germany, Sweden and Denmark are the biggest. Simonsvlei was the first regional cellar to be crowned with Superior awards for red (1973 Cabernet Sauvignon) and sweet wine. More recently the Hercules Paragon range earned double gold, and gold at Veritas and Michelangelo's as well as Silver at the International Wine Challenge.

De Zoete Inval-family wine estate
Another wine estate in the Paarl region that has superb credentials is De Zoete Inval; a shining example of the Boland's traditional family estate. The Frater family has been making wine here for more than 115 years. Today, the fifth generation on the estate continues to produce fine wines of singular character - an art developed through 3 centuries.

Here tradition sets the pace with the tasting room being managed exclusively by a family who offer personal attention, opinions and advice, and good value for money; especially when it comes to well aged Cabernets. De Zoete Inval was originally granted by Simon van der Stel in 1688. Robert Frater arrived here in 1878 to find the original cellar (which today houses the tasting room) and vineyards in production on the farm. For many years, Port was made here for KWV. One of the farms' highlights was winning the General Smuts trophy for the grand champion wine of the South African Wine Show in 1955. Cabernet Sauvignon was planted on quite a big scale and with some pre-1920 vineyards, dry red wines have been produced on De Zoete Inval. More Chardonnay has been planted and some interesting white wines are now made which last five to six years. New planting of Shiraz, Merlot and Petit Verdot were planted in August 2001.

Cabernet Sauvignon - A South African specialty
Wine Recommendations include the medium-bodied Shiraz, Maiden release of De Zoete Inval Estate's second label, Eskdale. This medium-bodied juicy red has upfront cherry and raspberry flavours, followed through by hints of spice and vanilla, ending with a racy finish. The Cabernet Sauvignon 1980 is an Old Clone Cabernet Sauvignon fermented dry in open fermenters - matured and bottled with old-style earth/tobacco whiffs, dry sweet and sour tannins with a menthol-like finish. Most of the great red wines of Bordeaux and some of the finest wines of the New World are based on Cabernet Sauvignon. It is often blended with Cabernet Franc and Merlot and its flavour is reminiscent of blackcurrants or cedarwood. It demands aging in small oak barrels, and the best wines require several years of bottle age to reach their peak.

About the Author

Oak Tree Lodge is ideally situated for tourists in search of a memorable Cape Town winelands stay-over. While stocking up on your favourite Shiraz, Pinotage or Cabernet; why not stay at this renowned Cape Town Guesthouse/Boutique Hotel in Paarl. The beautiful garden setting - enhanced by mature oak trees - provides the perfect ambience in which to sit and imbibe from your cache of superb wines.

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Best Wines from the Paarl Valley - Cape Town

Paarl is situated just over fifty km from Cape Town and the superb wines are so popular that Paarl Tourism is booming with international and local win...

Click Here to Read More About Wine ...

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Wine Classes: When School Gets Cool

When most people think of school, they are usually transported back to their elementary school days, a time of crayons, grumpy cafeteria ladies, and tennis shoes filled with playground gravel. Because they are taken back to a time of youth, people don?t usually think that ?school? and ?wine? belong in the same sentence; the school board would have had a fit the instance cartons of chocolate milk were replaced with bottles of Pinot Noir.

However, in adulthood wine and school often go together, merging with each other in the form of a wine class. A wine class, despite what some people may think, isn?t merely a class where students read the Grapes of Wrath or A Raisin in the Sun. Instead, a wine class teaches its students about wine tasting, wine clubs, wine glasses, wine openers, wine corks, and just about every wine related subject on the vine.

Why Take a Wine Class

From the newest novice to the ripest connoisseur, wine classes offer all sorts of things. For beginners, wine classes teach people how to truly taste wine, savoring its aroma and intricacies. This wine tasting helps novices to learn their preferences, get to know the vintages they really like, and allows them to identify the differences in wine, arming them with the ability to provide evaluation.

For the connoisseur, there is always more wine knowledge to obtain, no matter how much is already known. This is because wine contains so much information. From learning about the variety of wine glasses to learning about the differences in wine corks, the most accomplished wine drinker will still benefit from a class. When it comes to wine, the knowledge is nearly bottomless.

Wine classes also provides an outlet for people with commonalities to get together, discussing their hopes, their dreams, their Merlots. The classes are fun, lacking the monotony of reading a book or watching a film, and give the learner more hands on learning, a chance to grab the grape by the vine.

What Happens During a Wine Class?

On the first day of a wine class, people may understandably feel nervous, they might not know anyone or be worried that they have forgotten their corkscrew. But, of all the classes known to ever fill a schoolroom, wine classes are among the neatest to take. Trigonometry has nothing on ?em.

The syllabus of a wine class will differ from class to class and level to level. Overall, however, classes touch on a variety of topics. Some of the lessons include the basics of wine tasting, how to recognize specific flavors, how to compare wines, wine history, reading a wine label, navigating a wine store, at-home wine tasting, compiling a wine tasting kit, the differences of wine regions, using wine vocabulary, pairing food and wine, wine openers, wine corks, and ordering wine in a restaurant. Many of the courses include several in-class wine tastings as well as a few bottles for practicing at home.

Different Types of Wine Classes

Wine classes, like wine itself, come in all shapes and sizes. There are classes aimed at teaching people the specifics of wine glasses and there are classes that focus only on pairing wines with desserts. Some classes only offer instruction on tasting Italian wine, while some are focused on the tasting of wines from Australia. Certain classes may instruct a person how to purchase wine, while others may focus on the variety of wine openers.

While there are a variety of wine classes offered all over the world, some people may not be able to locate one near them. Others, wanting to get a leg up on other students by doing extra ?homework,? may simply be better off not driving. For these folks, online classes are offered. While these don?t allow for the interaction of physical wine classes, they are the next best thing. Some people, wanting to study independently or go at their own pace, may even prefer online classes to others.

The length of the wine class, as well as the cost, can drastically vary. Some classes are only a few hours long and cost around 40 dollars while other classes can last for several weeks and cost a few hundred dollars. Many of the classes have access to study materials online and offer, upon completion, certificates and diplomas (to frame and hang from the wall of your wine cellar).

Wine classes are a great, easy, and quick way to learn about wine. They allow you to go from novice to connoisseur in no time at all, arming you with the knowledge to impress friends, family, and yourself. Along these lines, they are also fun and enjoyable; while a pottery class takes a field trip to an art store, you may find your wine class taking a field trip to Napa Valley.

Jennifer Jordan is the senior editor at http://www.savoreachglass.com. With a vast knowledge of wine etiquette, she writes articles on everything from how to hold a glass of wine to how to hold your hair back after too many glasses. Ultimately, she writes her articles with the intention that readers will remember wine is fun and each glass of anything fun should always be savored.

Another short Dessert Wine review

Wine Classes: When School Gets Cool

When most people think of school, they are usually transported back to their elementary school days, a time of crayons, grumpy cafeteria ladies, and t...

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