4 sensational wine-drinking experiences

Wednesday, 16 July, 2014
Claire Hu
It’s not just what we’re tasting but where we’re tasting it that adds to our wine appreciation. Claire Hu recalls her top four recent wine and place combinations.

Our enjoyment of wine is linked to so many more factors than just taste.

Our senses define how we smell, taste, see, hear and touch wine and the more we are in tune with them the greater the enjoyment.

Another major influence is setting. It’s why a glass of fino sherry is so alluring if you’re sitting in front of a huge pile of seafood by the beach in Spain, or why a winter braai cries out for a big glass of hearty shiraz.

Global wine companies are becoming more aware of this psychological side of wine appreciation, and it’s influencing everything from tannin content to the label design.

I’ve been travelling a lot recently and I’m realising more and more how setting influences wine enjoyment. Here’s my top five wine-drinking experiences from the past couple of months:

Johnny Clegg concert, Pretoria Botanical Gardens, with Ken Forrester Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre
We’re here with friends, babies and toddlers all sprawled in a messy heap on blankets beneath the indigenous trees. The uplifting Zulu songs from Johnny, the relaxed vibe and the hot sun call for a cheerful wine that goes well with all kinds of food, from slap chips to chilli chocolate. Ken Forrester’s Rhône-style blend (made exclusively for Woolworths) fits the bill perfectly. It’s the kind of wine that makes you smile with the first glug. Radiant cherry, plum and sweet spice notes. It’s not too heavy but with enough depth to keep you coming back for more – perfect for picnics.

Marakele National Park, Limpopo, with Creation 2011 Reserve Pinot Noir
We’re sitting round the fire at Griffons Bush Camp. There is no electricity and no fence to keep out the animals (including LIONS), so I studiously swing the torch round in an arc to look for glowing eyes as I’ve been advised. I don’t care I’m being laughed at. It’s been an amazing day. We drove to the highest view point in Marekele via treacherous roads carved into the mountainside. This is a spectacular national park characterised by wooded hills and deep, hidden valleys. It feels like proper Africa. We are in the mood to celebrate and Creation’s wondrous, velvety and complex pinot noir goes down like a homesick mole as the old man would say. It’s a wine to mull over and we sit in silence watching the flames as the night deepens into utter darkness.

Groot Bos Private Nature Reserve, Gansbaai, with Groot Constantia Gouverneur’s Chardonnay 2013
I could gaze at the sea from the deck of this paradisal hotel for eternity. It’s managed to achieve five-star luxury while gently blending into this area of amazing natural beauty. Winding pathways through gnarly milkwood forest take you to the rooms, which nestle on the hillside with awesome views across the feinbos plains towards Walker Bay. Now it seems to me there’s fynbos and there’s fynbos, and this is the real deal. In some places a metre high, an amazing diversity of plants are woven into a dense mat of multi-coloured beauty. The smell – of salty seawater, tropical blossom and fresh herbs – is a masterpiece to rival Chanel. This needs a wine that compliments rather than clashes with the surroundings and Groot Constantia Chardonnay 2013 does just that. It elegantly expresses its terroir, blending rich minerality, a smoky note on the nose and white blossom with stone fruit notes to make for an outstanding chardonnay.

Winter fire-gazing with Soms Delta Amelie 2013 or Oldenburg Cabernet Franc 2011
Joburg is freezing at the moment. It’s the kind of bone-dry cold that cuts straight through to your bones. I’ve invariably been dining next to the gas fire. It’s a position that leads to hibernation as it’s so hard to leave and walk across the Arctic tiles. You need a wine that can keep your interest for a long period of time, therefore, and Soms Delta’s Amelie does just that. A blend of grenache, chenin blanc, roussane and viognier it’s fantastically elegant, minerally and complex. Proof that white blends are where it’s at currently for SA wine. For a red, Oldenburg’s cabernet franc is a winner. Velvety, rich berry fruit, mint and clove notes in this gorgeous wine will keep you fire-gazing through the evening.