Karin’s wine trip to South Africa

Visit to Babylostoren and Warwick

Contribution by Karin Wild

Dear customers, after the brief tequila interlude in the last report, it is of course now back to our real protagonists; the wines and their stories. Today I will take you to two very different wineries and tell you about a very personal evening at Warwick, with a lot of that unmistakable South African hospitality.

Lunch at Restaurant Fyn

But before we leave for Stellenbosch, I would like to tell you about our lunch at the FYN restaurant in Cape Town. From the outside, only a small, unobtrusive sign indicates that this inconspicuous building in the city centre hides a gem that is one of the best restaurants in the world. The atmosphere is elegant and at the same time very relaxed – in true Cape Town style. Depending on your table, you may even have a direct view of Table Mountain. The food is a culinary highlight course after course, both for the eye and the palate. Together with a glass of wine, you will not soon forget this experience. However, you should not forget to make a reservation.

Beautiful Babylonstoren

Once in Stellenbosch, Babylonstoren is on the agenda. The wine estate with its 700 hectares and almost endless gardens, covering 3.5 hectares alone, is just the right place to stretch your legs on a guided garden tour. You can breathe in the wonderful fragrances, which you will also recognise in one or two of the wines. In addition to the Babel restaurant, there is also a bakery, a spa and much more.

However, I am quickly drawn to the cellar, where Klaas, one of the winemakers, shows us the state-of-the-art technology of a modern cellar, where two of my favourite wines are produced. One is the Vintage MCC Sprankel Brut – what else – with its straw-yellow colour and a bouquet of apple, tropical fruit and, of course, biscuit and brioche from the 52 months of maturation on the lees. All in a great balance with lots of freshness and a hint of grapefruit on the palate at the end. Then, of course, there is the fantastic Bordeaux blend called Nebukadnesar, which has just been awarded 92 points by Parker. An opulent wine whose grapes come from the slopes of the Simonsberg, with lots of dark fruit, graphite and structure. Taste these wines and feel like you are in the Garden of Eden of Babylonstoren.

To Warwick in Stellenbosch

After this lovely afternoon between Franschhoek and Paarl, we head to Stellenbosch for a wine tasting and braai at the Warwick wine estate, where CEO Christiane and winemaker JD are already waiting for us. At the large “Stubätisch” we savour the great new vintages of Warwick wines. I was once again impressed by the latest 2022 White Lady Chardonnay vintage. Great structure, inviting aromas of white peach, pears, apples and citrus blossom. Anyone who likes to drink Chardonnay will definitely not be able to ignore the White Lady. The Cabernet Franc 2023 is great cinema, the grapes come from Block 7. The vines were planted back in 2008 and JD conjures up a wine with great texture and aromas of lavender, rosemary, dark fruit and a hint of pepper year after year – absolutely perfect for the braai.

In the meantime, a fillet of beef sizzled on the fire, prepared personally by the winemaker, what a great honour. Before the meat is ready, we try another wine that I don’t want to keep from you: Trilogy 2020, a very elegant, large Bordeaux blend that contains 44% Cabernet Franc, alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Simply wonderful and difficult to choose. So I simply drank both wines with the fillet – perfectly grilled by JD. Of course, this is also my tip to you: put both wines in your cellar, the barbecue season will start soon…

Thank you, Christiane, thank you, JD. What a lovely day! Tired, we all fell asleep and I was especially looking forward to the picnic on Warwick the next day. You should definitely put this on your bucket list. Reserve a sun umbrella by the small lake, order a picnic box and treat yourself to a fine glass of Sauvignon Blanc with a flavour of elderflower, lime and peach. Lean back, think how beautiful life is and simply enjoy the day and life. Enjoy!

Cheers and see you soon when the journey continues…

Your Karin

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