A year in the life of a wine writer: My top 10 tastings of 2014

Monday, 12 January, 2015
Graham Howe
We swirl, we sip, we swallow and we spit. Graham Howe picks his top of the pops from seventy media tastings and wine events he survived in the line of duty in 2014. It’s a tough job but someone has to do it - and get up and do it all again in 2015!

You’re never too old to learn a new trick. After two decades of spotting trends in the food and wine scene in the Cape on an ever-changing lifestyle beat, I’ve learned many new lessons in the art of getting wine wisdom. I always enjoy my weekly wine tastings - but some stand out over the course of the year - none more so than in 2014.

Looking back on 2014, a few key trends emerge in media tastings on the wine scene:

* The shift from city launches to wine farms, the home of the brand, to help writers communicate the provenance or unique sense of place of wines to consumers.

* In situ presentations by viticulturists in the vineyards to demonstrate how clones, soil, irrigation, canopy and climate shape the thumbprint of terroir in wine.

* The trend to in-depth showcases of signature varieties - like Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc - and MCC to demonstrate vintage variation, winemaking techniques, regional terroir and the evolution of subtle wood regimes.

* The trend to comparative global tastings of benchmark and Cape wines as well as alternative varieties like Pinot Grigio or Vermentino suited to warmer climates, and

* The shift to more intimate winemaker tastings with smaller parties of journalists.

Now for my personal choice of top ten wine tastings in 2014 - in no particular order:

#1 Staring down at decomposing or evolving soils in profile trenches is all in a day’s work for a wine journo these days. Hats off to Etienne Terblanche and Reg Holder of Delheim who taught us a trick or two about bushvine Pinotage and Shiraz in their Vera Cruz vineyards. And owners viticulturist Attilio Dalpiaz and winemaker Michela Sfilgoi who invited wine writers to plant a row of the first Vermentino vines in the Cape at Ayama in the Voor Paardeberg - and treated us to a comparative tasting of the aromatic, salty wine of Sardinia. The fiesta of Italian cuisine and Ayama wine was one of the most memorable parties of the year. It’s not every day you get to plant five vines under the eye of Augusto Fabbro, one of Italy’s top viticulturists who reckons late-ripening Vermentino is a perfect match for the granite terroir of Ayama.

#2 Talking of terroir, a rare vertical tasting of Pinot Noir, the passion of Jan “Boland” Coetzee in the Paradyskloof, was another highlight of the year that was. The legendary Springbok winemaker gave a definitive discourse on the great grape of Burgundy - known poetically as the ghost grape and the heartbreak grape. South Africa has only 1118 hectares planted to Pinot Noir (2.47% of the Cape vineyard compared to 12 000 ha in California). But over a vertical tasting of Vriesenhof Pinot from 1994 to 2013 Jan demonstrated the nuances of clones, older vines, vintages and older wood. After 35 vintages at Vriesenhof, he reckons he knows every stone, block, barrel and vineyard. He says Pinot Noir hits the sweet spot when the vines are eight years or older - and that “A second-fill barrel is always better than a new barrel”. 

#3 The biannual Celebration of Chardonnay at De Wetshof in the Robertson Wine Valley was one of the major events on the wine calendar in 2014. Andrew Jefford’s scholarly sermon on the other great grape of Burgundy paid tribute to “the grape that makes the greatest white wine in the world”. Describing Chardonnay as “a stealthy vehicle for expressing a sense of place”, he reminded us, “The essential appeal of Chardonnay lies in its secondary aromas and textures, its ageing potential in the bottle … its craftsmanship lies in restraint”. The tasting of some forty Chardonnays from a dozen regions from Chablis to Elgin demonstrated his five or so golden rules: find a great site for Chardonnay, pursue “the perfect point of ripeness” (“complete the phenolic journey”), “trust the grapes (never alter the must)”, make a wine of subtlety (not over-wooded or over-ripe), “an original with an express sense of your place”.

#4 Moving from the old world of Burgundy to new age winemaking, another highlight of 2014 was the lesson in biodynamic wines from viticulturist Jonathan Grieve and winemaker Corne Marais of Avondale in Paarl. One of the leaders in organic wines in South Africa, Avondale practices a holistic commitment to terroir from its credo “terra est vita” (soil is life”) and “expressing the lively minerals of the land” to eschewing the use of additives from acid and enzymes to commercial yeasts or fining agents - and only using natural cork. At a tasting (on a root day!) of its white and red blends, Jonathan spoke convincingly about the microbial life of the soil, organic soil preparations and farming attuned to cosmic influences and rhythms - how they try to express the natural energies of the earth in the vibrancy of Avondale wines. 

#5 Of course, family values and traditions lie at the heart of the Cape winelands. It is always a privilege to participate in the milestones and share the celebrations of the families which have farmed these vineyards for generations. Watching old black and white home videos from the 1950s in the cellar at Delheim with legendary Spatz Sperling and sharing a German dinner with his family and excitable Jack Russells was another highlight of 2014 on the family's seventieth anniversary. The relaunch of the iconic Spatzendreck (inspired by an impolite visitor who told Spatz his wine was “dreck”!), twice winner of “worst wine label in the world” on its launch in 1961, was a memorable occasion - and a reminder of how a good story builds any wine brand. 

#6 One of the wine families with deep roots in the Robertson Wine Valley, Rietvallei celebrated its 150th anniversary in style at an intimate tasting of its new JMB flagship range with a chef’s table at Planet at the Mount Nelson in Cape Town. IN the kitchen of the grand hotel, chef Rudi Liebenberg paired exquisite dishes to a tasting of the acclaimed JMB Chardonnay (rated the fourth best in the world on the Chardonnay du Monde in 2013), Esteanna Red and White blends, and the sublime JMB Cabernet Franc 2011 (after the late Johnny Burger). Sixth generation winemaker Kobus said, “I’m so privileged to be the current custodian of Rietvallei. I make these wines in a very humble old cellar” (next to the magnificent Muscadel vineyard planted in 1908).

#7 The ninetieth anniversary of Alto was another milestone on the tasting circuit in 2014. Celebrating the release of the first Alto wine in 1924, Schalk van der Westhuizen, winemaker at Alto Estate since 2001, following in the big footsteps of the likes of Hempies du Toit, also celebrated his own fortieth vintage at Alto and at Neethlingshof by leading a tasting of Alto wines going back to 1993. Of the iconic Alto Rouge, he praised the heritage, legend and personality of the wine, “The blend changes every year but the wine remains the same with consistency in style”.  

Sigh. I’ve run out of time and space. The last three tastings to make my top ten in 2014 would be a series of intimate “meet the winemaker lunches” at three of the top restaurants in South Africa - events where writers get to taste and talk wine close-up:

#8 First up would be the vertical tastings of Kleine Zalze Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz 2005 - 2010 paired to chef Michael Broughton’s sublime cuisine at Terroir. On a learning curve, wine writers heard from viticulturists and winemakers how manipulating light diffusion in the canopy reduces the herbaceous side of Cabernet. 

#9 And Oldenburg cellar master Philip Costandius led an unforgettable tasting of old and new wine Chenin, Chardonnay, Rhodium red blend and Cab Sav & Franc at The Test Kitchen, Eat Out 2014 Restaurant of the Year, paired to a sublime five-course lunch prepared by chef Luke Dale-Roberts - winning my best wine lunch of the year.

#10 Last but not least, the trio of chef Richard Carstens, viticulturist Aidan Morton and winemaker Miles Mossop led a full-house tasting of old and new releases going back to the maiden director’s reserve white blend of 2004, a wine with staying power. 

I can’t wait to see what 2015, the new vintage and the new wine calendar will offer.

Graham Howe

Graham Howe is a well-known gourmet travel writer based in Cape Town. One of South Africa's most experienced lifestyle journalists, he has contributed hundreds of food, wine and travel features to South African and British publications over the last 25 years.

He is a wine and food contributor for wine.co.za, which is likely the longest continuous wine column in the world, having published over 500 articles on this extensive South African wine portal. Graham also writes a popular monthly print column for WineLand called Howe-zat.

When not exploring the Cape Winelands, this adventurous globetrotter reports on exotic destinations around the world as a travel correspondent for a wide variety of print media, online, and radio.

Over the last decade, he has visited over seventy countries on travel assignments from the Aran Islands and the Arctic to Borneo and Tristan da Cunha - and entertained readers with his adventures through the winelands of the world from the Mosel to the Yarra.

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Jan-Boland Coetzee
Jan-Boland Coetzee



De Wets
De Wets

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Philip Costandius
Philip Costandius

Miles Mossop
Miles Mossop

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