Recently the Sankara Hotel hosted a wine tasting extravaganza showcasing the wines of the old and venerated Meerlust Estate from South Africa. This was not the first visit of the Meerlust Estate to Kenya. Some years ago the then wine maker at Meerlust the legendary Cape-Italian Giorgio Dalla Cia visited Kenya and established much goodwill. Although Giorgio left the Meerlust estate some years ago he still maintains a prominent position within the South African wine world including his own wine estate. He is also the wine advisor to the Sankara Hotel developing an impressive wine list with exciting additions in the pipeline. The Sankara Hotel connection with Meerlust continues with a recent visit from Hannes Myburgh the owner and Chris Williams the cellar master.
Situated 15 kilometres south of Stellenbosch, South Africa’s wine capital, and with the blue crescent of False Bay just 5 kilometres away, Meerlust dates back to 1693. A German immigrant to the Cape Henning Huising recognised the beauty of his new farm and named it Meerlust meaning “pleasure of the sea”. Beginning in 1756 the Myburgh family have had a continuous presence at Meerlust representing some eight generations.
The Meerlust Estate is recognised as one of the world’s great wine estate and their wines are appreciated and treasured in many countries around the world. The emphasis at the Meerlust Estate as Chris explained is to produce wines that reflect a sense of place, or that difficult to translate French word terroir. As a relatively small estate with approximately 106 hectres under vines, it might be expected that soils would be fairly uniform. In fact soil types change over very short distances on the farm creating a diversity of growing conditions. Meerlust grows mainly red grape varieties led by Cabernet sauvignon and Merlot with a small amount of Pinot noir and even smaller amount of Cabernet franc. The remaining 10 per cent of vines are the white grape variety Chardonnay.
Chris introduced a selection of Meerlust Estate wines. Starting with the Chardonnay bright and brilliant in very clean Sankara Hotel glasses the wine has a complex bouquet with citrus and floral notes with vanilla and toast from the delicate use of oak barrel maturation. On the palate the Chardonnay is full, but still balanced by crisp acidity. The second wine we tried was the Pinot noir a youthful purple-ruby in colour. Pinot noir is known for being a difficult grape to grow being particularly susceptible to the vagaries of climate. Too wet and the grapes have too much water content and too hot they lead to over ripe wines that can taste jammy. Not so with this Pinot noir, this has lots of strawberries on the bouquet and palate with nice spice and fruits. The last wine we tried was the Merlot again a youthful purple colour in the glass. The Merlot grape can produce very soft and even voluptuous wines and the Meerlust example definitely shows these characteristics.
Something Chris commented on was that his wines tasted different here in Kenya compared to how they taste back home in South Africa the bend of False Bay. I think this could be due to a number of reasons the least likely being a bit of bottle-shock the wines had from their journey from South Africa. More likely and what I notice regularly is the effect of altitude has on taste. Taste of anything including wine changes with altitude and is a reason why sipping very expensive wines at 35,000 feet in an airplane may not live up to expectations, although chance would be a fine thing.
The Meerlust Estate wine tasting at the Sankara Hotel was a real treat for we wine enthusiasts. I must congratulate the Sankara Hotel for a number of reasons. It was great to have quality and most importantly clean glasses that showcased the wines to their full. You would be surprised how really good wines can be spoiled by inappropriate and dirty glasses a big bug-bare of mine. Congratulations also to the Sankara Hotel chefs for providing some delicious food pairings, which again showcased the Meerlust wines excellently. All-in-all this was a very successful and enjoyable wine tasting at the Sankara Hotel. All the Meerlust Estate wines are available and can be enjoyed at the Sankara Hotel.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Interesting Wines In Kenya
I have been mulling over what I and other wine enthusiasts refer to as a modern-day paradox. On the one hand, we wine drinkers have never had it so good. The world is awash with well made, technically sound wines for prices that are relatively cheap. On the other hand, here in Kenya the wines available, at least on first inspection, appear to be restricted to the brands of a handful of mega-sized multinational companies. These homogenised, safe and consistent wines are fine and even dandy; it’s just that they can be just a bit boring. Is there some sort of ‘coca-cola-rization’ going on whereby wherever we are in the world the wine seems to taste all the same? I am of course protesting too much and you would be right if you are thinking there are more important things in Kenya to worry about than a variation on the ‘Anything-But-Chardonnay/Cabernet’ syndrome. Truth is that if you do dig a little it is surprising what interesting and even unique wines you can find in Kenya.
I am prioritising the wines available from South Africa because in terms of volumes of wine imported and sold in Kenya, wines from South Africa occupy first place. After Angola and Nigeria, Kenya imports more South African wine than any other sub-Saharan African country. Leading the fray and available in all supermarkets across Kenya from the hypermarkets of Nairobi to the road side dukas in even the smallest towns, are the products of the giant South African wines and spirits company Distell.
The South African company Distell should not be mistaken with Distell Kenya Ltd. Although the names are the same the two companies are not formally connected. This becomes more confusing because Distell Kenya Ltd as do other wine wholesalers companies in Kenya market some Distell SA brands. The biggest sellers in Kenya from what Distell SAs describe as their basic range are the boxed offerings from the Overmeer brand. Some of the grapes for the Overmeer Selected Stein and Semi-Sweet offerings are grown in Dodoma, Tanzania where Distell SA have a major operation
Also to be found in the major supermarkets is the Distell SA ”Two Oceans” brand, which I am quite impressed by in that they offer particularly good value for money. In Kenya we get the Two Oceans Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend, Pinotage, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Finally, from the Distell SA stable we have the big-three brands; Zonnebloem, Fleur du Cap and the Granddaddy of them all Nederburg. Nederburg have won prizes galore including the Platter’s South African Wine Guide’s, , “Winery of the Year” award for 2011, and an extensive range of Nederburg wines are available in Kenya. Incidentally, John Platter was brought up and in Kenya and worked for the Nation newspaper before moving to South Africa.
The various brands of Douglas Green Bellingham (DGB) are the second largest South African wines sold here in Kenya and are available from Wines of the World. The DGB brand Bellingham markets mostly at the entry level red (cabernet sauvignon), white (chardonnay) and rosé (Shiraz based). In Nairobi, the Bellingham brands are displayed on billboards far and wide, which give them some recognition amongst the wine buying public. Like Nederburg, Bellingham has also upped their game in recent years although their basic range, while technically good is nothing necessarily to get the nose twitching. More interesting I find is Bellingham’s Fair Maiden a roussanne led blend and both the 2008 and 2009 are available in Nairobi. Up another level is The Bernard Series DGB-owned Bellingham range which is named after the wine maker Bernard Podlashuk, who it is said was the first to produce a shiraz in South Africa. The one I like from this range is the Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2009.
We are gradually moving upwards in terms of wines I would describe as interesting. The definition of interesting is of course purely subjective and for me mostly relates to bouquet and taste. It also includes how and where the wine is produced. For something really interesting I would recommend the Black Pearl Vineyards Shiraz 2003, a case of which I found tucked away in the storeroom of one of Nairobi’s wine suppliers Mia Wines and Spirits International.
I met Mary-Lou Nash Sullivan, winemaker and viticulturist at Black Pearl Vineyards, in Paarl a few years ago during a trip to the Cape. She explained her and her family’s commitment to a natural approach to winemaking and endeavouring to express that elusive terroir. Originally hailing from New England, USA, the Nash family have set about converting the 240 hectre farm including about 7 hectres of vineyards to as close they can get to ecological harmony as possible. Kenyan’s probably associate the Black Pearl with the ship in the hugely popular Disney Pirates of the Caribbean films, although the name actually relates to the fact that the vineyards is situated on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, and Paarl rock resembles a black pearl after it has rained. As for the taste, well Mary-Lou might be interested to know that the Shiraz 2003 has held up well even though it is several thousands kilometres from home. There is still plenty of fruit (blackberries) on the nose and palate and the oak flavours, which if I remember on previous tasting used to give quite a whack, have integrated nicely. I am not sure how the Black Pearl sailed to Kenya, but I for one am glad that it did.
Last but not least in the world of interesting wines to be found in Kenya comes perhaps the piėce de résistance in the form of two wines from Sadie Family Vineyards, Malmesbury Swartland also available from Mia Wines and Spirits International. I have also had the good fortune to meet Eben Sadie, winemaker and much more at Sadie Family Vineyards, and taste his wines at the unimposing cellar, actually more a rather large garage, at the vineyard. Apart from the wonderful wines, what I was fascinated to see was the line of empty bottles of Northern and Southern Rhône Appellations wines on a ledge almost completely surrounding the barrels of Sadie Family Vineyards maturing wines. The empty bottles included Chave Hermitage, Auguste Clape Cornas and Château de Beaucastle Châteauneuf-du-Pape and are testimony to Eben’s admiration for these wines. The Sadie Family Vineyard wines in the form of the red Columella is not a reverential copy of famous Northern and Southern Rhône Appellations. Instead, Eben is trying and succeeding to express as much as possible the fruit from very old Swartland bush vines and the overall sense of place and of his wines. I am amazed and delighted to find several cases of Columella 2008 and Palladius 2009, a white blend of eight mainly Rhône white varieties here in Kenya. I cannot imagine what these fabulous and very interesting wines are doing here, but if Eben is ever comes to Kenya we will definitely make him most welcome.
I am prioritising the wines available from South Africa because in terms of volumes of wine imported and sold in Kenya, wines from South Africa occupy first place. After Angola and Nigeria, Kenya imports more South African wine than any other sub-Saharan African country. Leading the fray and available in all supermarkets across Kenya from the hypermarkets of Nairobi to the road side dukas in even the smallest towns, are the products of the giant South African wines and spirits company Distell.
The South African company Distell should not be mistaken with Distell Kenya Ltd. Although the names are the same the two companies are not formally connected. This becomes more confusing because Distell Kenya Ltd as do other wine wholesalers companies in Kenya market some Distell SA brands. The biggest sellers in Kenya from what Distell SAs describe as their basic range are the boxed offerings from the Overmeer brand. Some of the grapes for the Overmeer Selected Stein and Semi-Sweet offerings are grown in Dodoma, Tanzania where Distell SA have a major operation
Also to be found in the major supermarkets is the Distell SA ”Two Oceans” brand, which I am quite impressed by in that they offer particularly good value for money. In Kenya we get the Two Oceans Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend, Pinotage, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Finally, from the Distell SA stable we have the big-three brands; Zonnebloem, Fleur du Cap and the Granddaddy of them all Nederburg. Nederburg have won prizes galore including the Platter’s South African Wine Guide’s, , “Winery of the Year” award for 2011, and an extensive range of Nederburg wines are available in Kenya. Incidentally, John Platter was brought up and in Kenya and worked for the Nation newspaper before moving to South Africa.
The various brands of Douglas Green Bellingham (DGB) are the second largest South African wines sold here in Kenya and are available from Wines of the World. The DGB brand Bellingham markets mostly at the entry level red (cabernet sauvignon), white (chardonnay) and rosé (Shiraz based). In Nairobi, the Bellingham brands are displayed on billboards far and wide, which give them some recognition amongst the wine buying public. Like Nederburg, Bellingham has also upped their game in recent years although their basic range, while technically good is nothing necessarily to get the nose twitching. More interesting I find is Bellingham’s Fair Maiden a roussanne led blend and both the 2008 and 2009 are available in Nairobi. Up another level is The Bernard Series DGB-owned Bellingham range which is named after the wine maker Bernard Podlashuk, who it is said was the first to produce a shiraz in South Africa. The one I like from this range is the Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2009.
We are gradually moving upwards in terms of wines I would describe as interesting. The definition of interesting is of course purely subjective and for me mostly relates to bouquet and taste. It also includes how and where the wine is produced. For something really interesting I would recommend the Black Pearl Vineyards Shiraz 2003, a case of which I found tucked away in the storeroom of one of Nairobi’s wine suppliers Mia Wines and Spirits International.
I met Mary-Lou Nash Sullivan, winemaker and viticulturist at Black Pearl Vineyards, in Paarl a few years ago during a trip to the Cape. She explained her and her family’s commitment to a natural approach to winemaking and endeavouring to express that elusive terroir. Originally hailing from New England, USA, the Nash family have set about converting the 240 hectre farm including about 7 hectres of vineyards to as close they can get to ecological harmony as possible. Kenyan’s probably associate the Black Pearl with the ship in the hugely popular Disney Pirates of the Caribbean films, although the name actually relates to the fact that the vineyards is situated on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, and Paarl rock resembles a black pearl after it has rained. As for the taste, well Mary-Lou might be interested to know that the Shiraz 2003 has held up well even though it is several thousands kilometres from home. There is still plenty of fruit (blackberries) on the nose and palate and the oak flavours, which if I remember on previous tasting used to give quite a whack, have integrated nicely. I am not sure how the Black Pearl sailed to Kenya, but I for one am glad that it did.
Last but not least in the world of interesting wines to be found in Kenya comes perhaps the piėce de résistance in the form of two wines from Sadie Family Vineyards, Malmesbury Swartland also available from Mia Wines and Spirits International. I have also had the good fortune to meet Eben Sadie, winemaker and much more at Sadie Family Vineyards, and taste his wines at the unimposing cellar, actually more a rather large garage, at the vineyard. Apart from the wonderful wines, what I was fascinated to see was the line of empty bottles of Northern and Southern Rhône Appellations wines on a ledge almost completely surrounding the barrels of Sadie Family Vineyards maturing wines. The empty bottles included Chave Hermitage, Auguste Clape Cornas and Château de Beaucastle Châteauneuf-du-Pape and are testimony to Eben’s admiration for these wines. The Sadie Family Vineyard wines in the form of the red Columella is not a reverential copy of famous Northern and Southern Rhône Appellations. Instead, Eben is trying and succeeding to express as much as possible the fruit from very old Swartland bush vines and the overall sense of place and of his wines. I am amazed and delighted to find several cases of Columella 2008 and Palladius 2009, a white blend of eight mainly Rhône white varieties here in Kenya. I cannot imagine what these fabulous and very interesting wines are doing here, but if Eben is ever comes to Kenya we will definitely make him most welcome.
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