Dear reader
  
Herold Wines in the Outeniquas near George have quite a mission to bottle their wines for the new season. They need to manage the delivery of pallets of bottles all the way up the Montagu Pass, but are, in their own words "... determined to keep our wines close to our hearts and bottle on our own premises."
 
They show the dedication that is typical of the producers in the Klein Karoo, producing quality wines, their efforts visible in this year's regional Young Wine Show and Southern Cape Bottled Wine Show.

  

Klein Karoo Young Wine Show 2010 Each year, the young wines of the winelands are judged to see what the quality of the harvest is and the results are always eagerly anticipated.
 

This year, in the Klein Karoo, Calitzdorp Cellar was appointed the Reserve Champion Co-op Cellar with the Champion Wine of show, their Hanepoot/Muscadel blend. The Champion Private Cellar is Boplaas Family Vineyards who entered the Reserve Champion Wine (the Champion Non-Muscat Fortified Wine), a Cape Tawny Port and for the fifth year in a row, the Champion Cabernet Sauvignon.
  
The Champion Co-op Cellar is Montagu Wine & Spirits Company (Uitvlucht) with their Champion Merlot as well as the Champion Dry White Wine and the Champion Natural Sweet Wine which they share with Bergwater Vineyards. Montagu Wine & Spirits Company (Rietrivier) delivered the Champion Red Table Wine of the show, a Touriga Nacional, the Champion Pinotage and the Champion Sauvignon blanc.

 
 Left to right (back):
Alwyn Burger (Calitzdorp Wine Cellar);
  Chris Crafford (Montagu Wine & Spirits Co.- Uitvlucht);   Christiaan van Tonder (Montagu Wine & Spirits Co.- Rietrivier); Boets Nel (De Krans Wines); Eljay Geldenhuys
(Montagu Wine & Spirits Co. - Uitvlucht)
  
 Left to right (front):
 Hermias Volgraaff (Southern Cape Vineyards - Ladismith);
Carel Nel (Boplaas Family Vineyards);
Mariska Vorster (Bergwater Vineyards);
Eben Rademeyer (Montagu Wine Cellar)

 

Southern Cape Vineyards (Ladismith) produced the Champion Shiraz and the Champion Ruby Cabernet. Montagu Cellar entered the Champion Chardonnay and De Krans Cellar is the Reserve Champion Private Cellar with their Champion Chenin blanc.

   

Southern Cape Bottled Wine Show 2010 Each year bottled wines from the Klein Karoo/Southern Cape are judged in the Southern Cape Bottled Wine Show. Only wine made from grapes harvested in the region may be entered. This year delivered a few exciting results.
 

De Krans Cellar was appointed as the Champion Cellar and Karusa Vineyards in Schoemanshoek, Oudtshoorn as the Reserve Champion Cellar in the region with the Champion Dry White, a 2009 Chardonnay/Viognier blend. The Madder Botha Trophy for the Champion Wine was awarded to the De Krans 2008 Cape Vintage Reserve Port, the Champion Port of the competition. Their 2009 Wit Muskadel Jerepiko shares the Champion Fortified Wine trophy with the 2009 Montagu Wit Muskadel from Montagu Cellar.

 
 Trophy winners at the Southern Cape Bottled Wine Show    

  
Boplaas Family Vineyards received the trophy for the Champion Unusual Red Wine, a 2009 Touriga Nacional. The Champion Dry Red is the 2008 Joubert-Tradauw Syrah from Joubert-Tradauw Private Cellar and the Champion Potstill Brandy, the Joseph Barry Potstill 10th Anniversary, was entered by Southern Cape Vineyards (Barrydale).
  
To learn more about the wine of the region visit us at www.kleinkaroowines.co.za.

  

Southern Cape Vinpro Block Competition The producers in the Klein Karoo and Southern Cape pride themselves in the quality of their vineyards and each year the best block is chosen in a regional competition. Vinpro is the organisers of the competition and the trophy for the best block for 2010 was awarded to Meyer Joubert of Joubert-Tradauw Private Cellar, Barrydale with a block of Cabernet Franc. In second place was Gerrit Lategan of the CM Barry Trust in Calitzdorp with a block Chardonnay and in third place, also in Calitzdorp, Boets and Stroebel Nel of De Krans Cellar with a block Cabernet Sauvignon.


 
 Johannes Mellet of Vinpro (left) and                  
Meyer Joubert of Joubert-Tradauw (right)               

  

The annual Kwagga Wine Auction took place on Friday, the 13th of August at the Outeniqua High School in George, totaling the amount of R68000. The auction is jointly presented by the Outeniqua High School and the Dutch Reformed Church of Calitzdorp in aid of the Carpe Diem School, the Geelhoutboom project and the Emmaus Centre in George and the Dutch Reformed Church of Calitzdorp.
 

50 lots of choice wines from all the winelands were auctioned and the highest bid per lot was the amount of R6400, paid by Mr. Bennie Raubenheimer of Label Leaders in George, for three bottles Joseph Barry 10th Anniversary Cape Potstill Brandy from Barrydale Cellar. The last item auctioned off, was an 18 liter 2009 Vintage Reserve Port from the Calitzdorp cellars (Boplaas, Calitzdorp Cellar and De Krans) and was bought by Mr. Jan van Rensburg of Van Rensburgs Foods for the amount of R5750.


 
 Riaan Marais of Barrydale Cellar, Jeanette and Bennie      Raubenheimer of Label Leaders                  

   

And to celebrate all their achievements, Rietrivier Cellar near Montagu is hosting a show with the group Skallabrak on September, 11th. They start at 19h00 and costs are R120 per person, including a light meal.
  
For more information or to book, please contact Surina van Tonder at 084 433 5350 or admin@wynland.com.

  

Yours Sincerely
  
Ellen Marais
KLEIN KAROO WINE ROUTE
Tel: 028 572 1284
 
Email: info@kleinkaroowines.co.za
Website: www.kleinkaroowines.co.za