DRINKS TO GIFT

WHETHER IT’S WINE, BUBBLY OR BOURBON, A DRINK TO SHARE AND CELEBRATE THE END OF THE YEAR WITH IS ALWAYS WELCOME

Celebrate With Weltevrede Wine Estate

#HelloLifestyle

by Renate Engelbrecht Images: Supplied

IMPRESS YOUR GUESTS WITH WILD AFRICA-INSPIRED COCKTAILS

Wild Africa Cream is an unspoken invitation to explore the world of Elegance Untamed. Whether you’re celebrating the end of the year, indulging in a Christmas filled with food and family, or entering the New Year in style, Wild Africa might be just what you need to elevate the celebration.

Find some exciting, creative recipes for celebration and indulgence on www.hellolifestyle.co.za by scanning this QR code

ALVI’S DRIFT BUBBLY

Alvi’s Drift is known for its fruit-driven wines and it’s no different when it comes to their Cap Classiques. Hailing from ancient shale soils on the slopes of the winery’s cool, south-facing vineyards, their Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays are outstanding. They use Chardonnay grapes for their Sparkling Brut Blanc de Blanc. These grapes are hand-harvested in the early morning hours, preserving the crisp fresh acidity required for a world-class bubbly. For their Sparkling Brut Rosé, they use Chardonnay grapes and Pinot Noir grapes – the latter aiding in bringing forth a beautiful rose gold hue. These bubblies go for R120 per bottle and are available online at www.alvisdrift.co.za.

Two new Philip Jonker Cap Classiques have recently been launched by the Bonnievalebased Weltevrede Wine Estate. Located in the Robertson Valley, the estate made its first batch of Philip Jonker Brut in 1994 and now, almost thirty years later, they’ve launched two rising stars in addition to the popular Philip Jonker Entheos and Philip Jonker The Ring. The new Rosé has been dubbed the Philip Jonker Rosetta – a Brut Rosé (R189) made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It’s dry and refreshing, while posing as the perfect, elegant drink to celebrate with. Secondly, the Philip Jonker Nectar (R249) is a deep, rich and glamorous Demi Sec with a voluptuous sweetness on the finish. Find these bubblies online at www.weltevrede.com.

Durbanville Sauvignon Blanc

The second vintage of the Durbanville Sauvignon Blanc was released this year and it’s been a huge success once again. The wine is a collaboration of the wine region’s thirteen producers, with its first iteration of 10 000 bottles selling out last year within a mere six months. If you can get your hands on a bottle of the second vintage, we say: Grab it! It is a wonderfully aromatic wine with a prominent acid structure and balance. It harnesses the season’s early and later-harvested fruit, showing notes of tropical fruit and lingering hints of fresh-cut grass. Buy it at R120 per bottle on www.durbanvillewine.co.za

The Best Red In The Southern Hemisphere

Tokara’s Reserve Collection Syrah recently won the trophy as the best red wine overall at the inaugural Southern Hemisphere tasting of the Intercontinental Wine Challenge 2023. In addition to that, their Director’s Reserve White also struck Gold. Their Reserve Collection Stellenbosch Syrah 2020 is a classically styled, single vineyard wine melding the best of old and new world attributes. It comes with a nose of purple fig, cigar box, salted liquorice and violet perfume and a palate that boasts dark fruit and a chalky finish with a hint of red pepper kernels. The Tokara Reserve Collection Syrah 2020 costs R385 per bottle and it’s available on www.tokara.com.

Muratie Cabernet Sauvignon

While 31 August marked International Cabernet Day, we celebrate Cabernet Day every day, easily. One Cabernet Sauvignon that we truly enjoy is the Muratie Martin Melck Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, which is made from Cabernet grapes that grow on the slopes of the majestic Simonsberg in Stellenbosch. Stellenbosch’s rich combination of ancient soils, sites, skilled winemakers and a Mediterranean climate with maritime influences make for some excellent wines, and it’s the main reason for it being known as the Cape Winelands’ Kingdom of Cabernet. The Muratie Martin Melck Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 has an intense ruby colour in the glass, with captivating aromas of dark fruit and spice. It’s a full-bodied, complex wine with a lingering finish. Find it online on www.muratie.co.za with an approximate retail price of R310 per bottle.

A VOTE FOR VAN RYN’S

Van Ryn’s brandies have received yet another World’s Best Brandy trophy. In the short space of only four months, they’ve been awarded a second trophy – this time for their Van Ryn’s 12 Year Old Potstill Brandy. It was dubbed the World’s Best Brandy for brandies eleven years and older at the 2023 International Spirits Challenge in London. In May this year, they received the award for the World’s Best Wine Brandy at the 2023 World Brandy Awards, also announced in London. The brandies are crafted in Stellenbosch and, made from wine grapes, double distilled in copper potstills and aged in oak barrels with no flavour preservatives added, they are made exactly according to the French traditional Cognacs. The Van Ryn’s range is available online at www.brandycollective.co.za.

BEFORE & AFTER

It might have started as a blending blunder between a tank of Noble Late Harvest red wine and some brandy spirit in Blaauwklippen’s cellar, but turns out it’s no blunder at all. Known as Christmas in a bottle, the 1682 wine estate’s Before & After –presented in the most eye-catching packaging – is a brandy fortified aperitif featuring sensuous flavours of Christmas spices. It costs R440 per bottle and is available on www.blaauwklippen.com.

P.S. Blaauwklippen also just relaunched their muchloved Chardonnay, last launched in 1993. The 2022 vintage is available from the tasting room at R250 per bottle, or from select outlets nationwide.