The Tim Atkin SA Report 2017 is out and we got a table of wines on the 90+ list!
Say’s Tim: “Both at home and overseas, there is a growing awareness of the winemaking and viticultural revolution that is unfolding in the Cape. Consumers worldwide are becoming increasingly passionate about South African wines. And not before time! My annual report is, I hope, a part of that success.”
It sure is Tim!
Our school report reads as follows:
Not too shabby hey Nige.
As the Christmas decorations went down the back-to-school posters went up. Now the pink hearts, teddy bears and red decorations pop up everywhere in a clever attempt to market and sell love to us.
We’re not big on marketing gimmicks or Valentines (last year we spent the day with Jack Parow, nothing romantic about that) but, in the spirit of love and the ones we love we have decided to run a little competition in conjunction with our family members who make the amazing Prince Albert Olives.
We want you to show us some love, and in return we will give you some lovely products…
‘What can I win?’ I hear you ask
Well, we will give you 2 bottles of Secateurs (Red and Rosé) as well as a Badenhorst Family Red Blend (red and pink wine in theme with Valentines) along with two liters of Prince Albert Olive oil and two pots of their amazing olives (one Manzanilla and one Kalamata).
What do you have to do to win that?
The classic “follow us” (BOTH @aabadenhorst and @PAolives) on twitter OR like both brands (AA Badenhorst Family Wines and Prince Albert Olives) on Facebook.
Tell us what you would cook for your loved one, using PAO oil, and which of our wines you would pair with it.
Either tweet “I will serve my love xxx prepared w @PAolives paired with @aabadenhorst’s xxx #valentines.”
Or write something like that on our walls.
*by doing this you give us permission to blog the hell out of your ideas if/when you win.
Winner will be announced on Monday 11 Feb in order for us to get the prize to you by 14 Feb.
Go ahead, spread the love.
x
Wine writer Tim James and Wine Cellar recently had a blind tasting of French vs Swartland Shiraz-based blends.
James reports: “Shiraz-based blends, not too complicated ones but fresh and delicious, are my own “house red”. If they were eatable, then something between comfort food and an infallible quick-and easy dish; for when a challenge to tired tastebuds or tired spirits is not wanted. Modest wines – in the best sense of a word that is too seldom appropriate in a world of wannabes, of over-oaked, over-ripe, over-everythinged wines. And not too expensive.
So it was not only with the aim of learning something to pass on to others that I asked Roland Peens of the invaluable Wine Cellar in Cape Town to arrange a small comparative tasting of such wines. Half imported by him from the south of France, others from the Swartland – the region which has most assiduously promoted the style locally (including some grand versions but they were not what this tasting was about).”
He concludes that “Coming second by arithmetic, but first for me, was Badenhorst Secateurs 2011 – beautifully just what I wanted: plenty of flavour, but not sweetly fruity, harmoniously balanced with structure – a firm but gentle “grip” so the wine doesn’t flop around in your mouth!”
Read more on Tim’s blog by clicking here. The article also appeared in Mail & Guardian, 28 September-4 October 2012
A few words from a man of many words. Adi gives some feedback on our spring day brunch / “Secateurs launch”
“Was a moerse lekker kuier on Saturday, I think we had more fun than the guests!
There was enough wine and food to go around. Some people left their cars in Malmesbury with broken gear boxes and still made it to the farm in time and then pitched in to make delicious salads to go with the late afternoon chicken and rabbit pies!
Harry helped plant tomatoes and beans – he will be back in 90 days to collect the harvest – much like he did with the Secateurs (Harry spent a few days on the farm harvesting in February and then came to drink as much as he could of the new release on Saturday!)
Roland from wine cellar even bought a bottle of wine in case ours was not up to scratch! Thanks for the Drouhin Roland!
Melissas staff brought lovely flowers and we now have a very cool collection of Melissas hand-me-down cafe chairs in and around the old house.
In general it was a fantastic bunch of people gathered together on a beautiful Swartland day.”
So there you have it, thanks for all the support and look forward to seeing you all at the next one!
Some photos with love and thanks to Maree Louw, I am sure she snapped pictures while husband Callie braaiied the chickens?
See more photos on Maree’s naturallight photography Facebook album.
DC food writer “Tasty Trix” attended our 5-course tasting-pairing in Baltimore recently and wrote a very flattering and fun blogpost about it.
“The dinner was structured around the South African wines of A.A. Badenhorst, and the pairings, conceived by chef Josean Rosado, managed to be smart and inventive without feeling at all gimmicky or forced – all of the elements worked together organically and unforgettably.”
Of Adi she says, quite accurately,
“Although I have not met the winemaker Adi Badenhorst, I suspect that, given what I learned over the course of the evening about his independent spirit and originality both in his approach to winemaking and life, he would definitely approve of such spontaneity.”
See some lovely photos by her husband as well as some nice tasting/pairing notes here.
If you will excuse me, I feel a sudden great hunger coming over me.
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…
Our wines have finally made their way to France – and the first wine shop selling Secateurs Red is ‘Le Gout des Vignes’ (ie the Taste of Vines), in the 15th district of Paris.
No massive volumes but they started with 36 bottles and has already sold 16 in 10 days.
Badenhorst Family Wines 