Soft acoustic music, picnic blankets and bean bag chairs strewn across the lawn, glorious sunshine and the kind of stunning backdrop that only Cape Town can provide – can you think of a more divine way to spend an afternoon? Well, how about adding sumptuous samples of some of SA’s top Pinot Noirs into the mix? ‘Pinot Noirtistes’ from 13 wineries gathered on the lawns of the Vineyard Hotel & Spa in Newlands to celebrate the arrival of autumn and to share this notoriously finicky varietal with 150 wine-loving attendees.
For me, the afternoon was an education as well as a delight. I tend to get a little set in my ways with wine – I latch on to a varietal or two and stick with them, perhaps as a way to feel safe when I’m handed a wine list. I’ve never been much of a Pinot Noir drinker but after just one sip of Bouchard Finlayson’s fruity Galpin Peak I was definitely a convert (or at least I would be if I could afford it!). Choosing a favourite was a tough call, but for me La Vierge’s 2010 La Vierge Noir might just have stolen the crown. I hate to think that I am swayed by gimmicks and although their funky, cobra-like decanter certainly grabbed me, it was the unmistakeable berry flavours within that had me going back for a second sample.
Sadly the Vineyard Hotel’s outdoor tasting events are over for a few months, but the change in weather brings with it the arrival of another series of unmissable events. The hotel launches its fifth annual season of gourmet wine dinners on 29 April, kicking off with a five-course banquet paired with wines from the hotel’s partner estates – Waterford, Meerlust, Simonsig, Warwick and Klein Constantia. The dinners continue throughout the winter and with a further 13 events showcasing vintages from all of the Western Cape’s main wine regions, there’s bound to be something for every palate. It seems my days as a conservative ‘cab sauv’ drinker are numbered as the wine education continues. And like every good education, I envisage it will come with a hefty student debt!
