This winery,
situated in the up-and-coming Voor Perdeberg region of Paarl, is leading the
way with this grape and has other exotic varietals to be planted in the
pipeline as well.
“We decided on a
clone from Sardinia after lots of deliberation with one of Italy’s best-known
viticulturalists, Augusto Fabbro, who was present on the day to see his
brainchild being reborn in a new country and led a formal tasting of some of
Sardinia’s best examples of this varietal” explained Ayama winemaker Michela
Dalpiaz.
“Vermentino is a perfect match for our terroir, which is
hot and windy and features mostly clay soils with sandy areas from
disintegrated granite. The berries and
bunches are large and the grapes are late ripening, all of which fit in
perfectly with the existing varietals on the farm and the harvesting
schedule. I also know and love the
varietal as it produces aromatic, white wines which can handle wood and gives
you a beautifully powerful wine,” she says.
The wines
tasted were Cala Reale – Sella &
Mosca 2013(Vermentino Di Sardegna DOC), Canayli – Cantine di Gallura 2013
(Vermentino di Gallura DOCG SUPERIORE), Monteoro – Sella & Mosca 2013
(Vermintino Di Gallura DOCG Superiore) and Genesi – Cantine di Gallura 2013
(Vermentino Di Gallura DOG Superiore).
The consensus
after the tasting was that this grape would perform well in South Africa, and
well-known guest and winemaker Giorgio Dalla Cia summed it up by saying that
once the vineyards have reached maturity, we could expect to see quality like
the best from Sardinia. The styles
ranged from easy-drinking, light and crisp with typical spiciness to more
serious food wines which would handle ageing and offers enough complexity to titillate the taste buds.
The day ended off with dinner featuring a mix of the best of Italian and South African cuisine, live music and lively conversation and a selection of Ayama’s wines.
Caption: Attilio and Michela Dalpiaz with Giorgio Dalla Cia.