Thanks to Real World TV and Bar Bar Black Sheep for this video of Adi. Take a look inside the cellar and into the office on Kalmoesfontein. Where the magic happens…
video (c) Real World TV
A look into the cellar (and the office)
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Category Archives: Paardeberg
Bold reds and lush sweet whites
A brilliant (read flattering) article in the UK’s Daily Mail on the Swartland wine region. Olly Smith writes that “Many of (these) young stars cut their teeth in big-name wineries before striking out on their own, and with a progressive approach to social media (I like to think that he is referring to my work on this blog and for the Swartland Revolution;) and an emphasis on fun, theirs is an example other wine regions could learn from.”
He also talks about our Family Red Blend:
An outstanding red blend is AA Badenhorst Family Red 2007 (£29.95 at Harrods) – bold, harmonious and spicy, and an impressively restrained 13.5 per cent. Its creator Adi Badenhorst has an enviable bounce that’s more than matched by his winemaking skill.
And I love this quote by Marc Kent:
‘Bank robbers rob banks, because that’s where the money is; we’re getting more involved in the Swartland, because that’s where the quality is!’
Pressing time
This post is a tribute to the small, hard working and loyal team that helps us make amazing wines on Kalmoesfontein!
The team consists of Adi’s assistant wine maker Jasper Wickens, Elena Kotzev a Viticulture student from Alsace, France who has been doing an “internship” and helping out during the harvest and season of 2011, farm workers Fortuin (a Swartland local) and Zimbabwean Trust! Also special mention to Pierre Rossouw, neighbour and grape farmer.
Fortuin, Elena and Trust, not scared to get their hands dirty!
Jasper in the thick of things…
Trust and Fortuin keeping a close eye!
Elena getting stuck in there (not literally, she got out again…)
Adi and Jasper hard at work (with all that view!)
Oom Pieter, Adi and Jasper discussing something important (The stormers?)
Thanks guys (and girl, Merci beaucoup) your hard work and dedication is immeasurable to our success!
OesAf party(berg)
Only stumbled upon this post about our OesAf festival today. The Foodie remembers being there, enjoying great wines and even better (possible?) braai broodjies.
He tackled a dog.
Caught Jasper in some funky “jhorts” (jean shorts)
And “hugged Kingsley Holgate” 🙂
Partyberg in-deed…
Read about his adventure here: http://thefoodie.co.za/uncategorized/the-paardeberg-the-partyberg/
The juniors in the cellar
Samuel Sunnyskies and Ana Kalander Badenhorst were seen in the cellar this weekend, trying their hands at wine making. By the looks of it Dad will have to give a few more tips… but you have got to start somewhere…
Step one: check that the tank is safe for your little sister to climb in.
Step two: help your little sister into the tank
Hats off to a new Côte
The Yorkshire Post has published a lovely article on the Swartland. With focus on last year’s revolution – and particularly the tasting by Stephane Ogier of the Northern Rhone, Christine Austin tells the story of a wine region that is fast becoming world class.
“The reason for Stéphane’s presence in South Africa that day is because Swartland shares many of the characteristics that create some of the Rhône’s finest wines. The soil is complex with granite, clay, slate and river shale creating individual pockets for different varieties; the climate is hot during the day but a cooling breeze spreads over the region in the afternoon; and there is enough distance between the Swartland and the manicured vineyards of Stellenbosch to feel that this is the pioneering, Wild West of wine growing.”
She also focusses on Eben and Adi’s journeys to the Swartland and rates some of their wines, including our “fresh-tasting complex, pepper and aniseed Badenhorst Family Red 2007, which is on its way to becoming one of South Africa’s great wines.”
Revving up for another Revolution…
We are once again in full swing planning the Swartland Revolution. After the overwhelming success of the inaugural Revolution, this year promises to be bigger and better.
With 250 tickets available there will not only be more guests, but more tastings and more goodies and fun entertainment awaits you, come 11/11/11.
This year’s tastings (three, compared to two last year) includes a Friday afternoon tasting by Olivier Clape presenting six of his world class French wines. On Saturday there will be a tasting of eight wines from the local Mullineux Cellar as well as a tasting with wine journalist Jamie Goode (all the way from London) and Michael Fridjhon, a revolution favourite. They will treat us to four of their favourite wines each.
As they say, dont fix it if it aint broken; so celeb chef Reuben Riffel will once again be in charge of the braai tongs on Friday night while local hero Mynardt Joubert and the team at Bar Bar Black Sheep will have to pull out all the stops to top their Festival Feast from 2010 for lunch on Saturday.
And finally, a new poster has arrived…
For the entire programme of events, click here!
Hope to see you in the Swartland in November!
Happy Easter, news and updates!
A few bits of news from our side as we get ready to relax on Easter Weekend.
Adi extended his visit to the US by a few days when he was made an “offer-you-cant-refuse”. He spent the last few days in billionaire Sean Parker‘s mansion in Palm Spring, serving our wines to some of Hollywood’s biggest names. (we will keep the details to ourselves, this is not People magazine, and we value our clients’ privacy…)
The rest of us had a (slightly) less exciting week, but non the less, here are some details:
Wine Master Tim Atkin has once again honoured us with the title of Wine of the Week on his website. This time for our Family White Blend.
Also, while Adi is “entertaining” in the USA Jasper conducted an early morning tasting in the cellar (coffee first!) with www.wine.co.za‘s Dusan Jelic. This was part of Dusan’s Swartland Revolution Roadtrip and the stories will be published on wine.coza this weekend.
And last, but most definitely not least, we got some mention by James Molesworth in the May issue of Wine Spectator. James spoke to Adi about importing to the USA, quite apt when you consider this week’s activities…
And that is all the news from us.
Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and blessed Easter Weekend.
Drive safely and enjoy the time off!
News and updates
While Adi is in the USA life continues on Kalmoesfontein.
I finally received (two!) images from the Swartland Oesaf Party (harvest festival) that was held on Kalmoesfontein on April 1st. The venue and the Rosé at the venue… Hopefully someone will send more pics soon!
Other news is that we bottled some Secateurs Red blend 2010 last week (more info and notes on this wine soon) and this week it is time to bottle some Rosé…
And Adi gets mentioned in a post about South Africa’s wine of origin on the Montreal Gazette…
“Swartland:
This is the new frontier in South African wines. Winemakers like Eben Sadie (Sadie Family Wines), Craig Hawkins (Lammershoek) and Adi Badenhorst (Badenhorst Family Wines), all love their chenin blanc, and for the most part eschew technological winemaking and concentrate on grape growing. As Sadie preached, “We are on the 33rd parallel. Why are we trying to grow grapes that are best on the 44th (Bordeaux)?”
So this the place for the syrah, mourvèdre and other heat-loving vines.”
Take note of Swartland. he says… well IN-DEED…
Harvesting the last block!
Yesterday we harvested the last block of grapes. The very old Cinsault bush-vines in front of the Cellar were planted in 1964!
That’s a wrap for the Kalmoesfontein Harvest of 2011, now we start crafting the wine in the cellar!
Badenhorst Family Wines 