Category: Locations reviews

Delaire Graff Estate, South Africa – Part ll Wine Tasting

History
The estate was founded in 1679 by Simon van der Stel. Simon brought with him a sound knowledge of viticulture. In 1982 John Platter (wine writer) purchased the estate which was then known as Avontuur. Looking at the magnificent view, John decided to rename the wine farm Delaire Estate, meaning “From the Sky”. Laurence Graff, Chairman of Graff Diamonds International acquired the estate in 2003 and vowed to transform it into South Africa’s most desirable art, hospitality and wine destination. In just three years the estate was rated one of the top ten wine producers in South Africa.

The Estate
The estate currently owns 20 hectares of vineyards which are located on the slopes of Botmaskop Mountain. The vines benefit from a north-facing aspect as well as high-altitude and maritime influences. Winemaker Morné Vrey produces excellent red blends dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, with impressive single block Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz, a 100% Cabernet Franc rosé, and some supremely elegant vintages.

It is interesting to note that Delaire Graff Estate wines rank among the most prestigious in the Southern Hemisphere, where their cutting-edge 450-ton gravity-fed Estate winery is a celebration of both old and new.

After a lengthy tour of the “Owner’s Villa” we headed to the main building walking through breathtaking landscaped gardens, stunning sculptures, and art.  It’s interesting to note that the gardens have over 350 indigenous plants, exotic plants and flowers.

Once inside I had to ask …. for a brief visit to the Graff Diamonds store as it begs for further investigation. Once inside (no photos allowed) it was certainly the ultimate experience — so many enticing pieces and iconic stones were on display. I felt like I was inside a beautifully designed jewelry box.

After a twenty-minute conversation with the Assistant Manager on Graff Diamond’s history, we headed off to the Delaire Graff Tasting Room.

On route, we came across Laurence Graff’s recent acquisition the original of Vladimir Tretchikoff’s ‘Chinese Girl’, which is currently displayed at the entrance of the winery. This is said to be one of the most recognizable paintings in the world.

Delaire Graff Tasting Room
The Tasting Room offers incredible mountain and vineyard views. The sommeliers were quite knowledgeable on South African wines, and their service was quite intuitive – this is certainly hospitality at its best!

Delaire Graff Estate Wines Tasted

Delaire Graff Estate ‘Sunrise’ Brut MCC 

The Backstory
This wine was named after the magnificent 118.08 carat “Delaire Sunrise Diamond” the largest square emerald cut fancy vivid yellow diamond in the world.

Alcohol: 12.5%
Method: Traditional Method
Dosage: Brut
Blend: 58% Chenin Blanc, 34% Chardonnay & 8% Cabernet Franc

Tasting Notes
Light yellow gold in colour; a stream of fine and persistent bubbles; with green apple and melon dominating the nose; the palate shows finesse and intensity, some citrus flavours [lemon and grapefruit] along with toasty brioche; zesty and fresh – elegantly balanced; lovely long yeasty citrus finish.

The Delaire Graff Sunrise Brut MCC spoils the eye with its radiant, golden colour and unquestionably lives up to its name!
92/100

2022 Delaire Graff Estate Rose Cabernet Franc

The Backstory
This unique Rosé is handpicked and gently pressed to obtain the perfect, subtle salmon pink hue.  This wine is also a Delaire Graff Estate employee favorite.

Alcohol: 13.5%
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Franc

Tasting Notes
Medium-intensity salmon in color; has aromas of strawberry, red plum, dark berries with a hint of candy floss; a creamy and structured palate with layered flavours of fresh strawberry, red berries, cassis, and a seductive spicy finish.
92/100

2021 Delaire Graff Banghoek Reserve Chardonnay (Estate)

Backstory
Winemaker Morné Vrey is committed to meticulous vineyard management.  The grapes are handpicked, whole bunch pressed, fermented, and matured in small French oak barrels for 10 months.

Alcohol: 13.6%
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay

Tasting Notes
The wine is a buttery yellow hue; complex aromas of citrus, peaches, concomitant spice, vanilla and salted butter; The palate repeats the aromas with to a long lingering finish.
94/100

2019 Delaire Graff Estate Banghoek Reserve Merlot

Backstory
These wines come from the oldest vineyards on the Estate.  These wines are a raconteur weaving the tale of the property’s humble beginnings. Expressions of the site’s splendor, with its rich earthiness and bountiful fruit. These Single Vineyard wines are also handpicked and are matured in 80% new French oak for 16 months.  Vinification – extensive sorting of the grapes formed part of the quality management process. The grapes were de-stemmed only, not crushed, to ensure gentle extraction of fruit flavours.

Alcohol: 14.5 %
Varietal: 100% Merlot

Tasting Notes:
Firm and well balanced, this Merlot is characterized by spice, dark plum and dark red berry flavours and aromas whilst silky, ripe tannins with a long and lingering finish; a luxurious elegant wine.
93/100

Conclusion
What an extraordinary experience to sip Delaire Graff terroir-specific award-winning wines with these stunning views of the Winelands and being surrounded by Laurence Graff’s personal art collection.

From Laurence Graff’s own words

“Delaire means ‘from the sky’, and the wines we craft here are an invitation to savour this unique piece of heaven and earth in Stellenbosch.”
Laurence Graff

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Delaire Graff Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa – Part 1 The Owner’s Villa

I recently had the distinct pleasure of having a personal tour of Laurence Graff’s private villa also known as “Owner’s Villa” at Delaire Graff Estate. The Owners Villa is also available to rent out (by application) if available for $25,000 USD/night.

The estate is anchored on the vineyard slopes of Botmanskop, high above the Helshoogte Pass (which links Stellenbosch to Franschhoek), The estate offers a stunning 360-degree view in which Table Mountain can be seen to the west, and Franschhoek to the east. There are absolutely stunning views wherever you look!

The Owner’s Villa

The Owner’s Villa certainly sets a new standard in luxury accommodation. Exclusivity is what it’s all about, starting with a private entrance and being totally secluded from the rest of the lodges.

The villa is spread across two floors, with two bedrooms on each floor, is 7,100-square-foot and features two living rooms, a dining room, a welcoming appointed kitchen, walk-in temperature-controlled wine cellar, a 45-foot swimming pool, a jacuzzi terrace, family room, a fully equipped gym, and about every luxe amenity imaginable. All meals, are bespoke, prepared by the Villa’s chef to match the high Delaire Graff standard and for nannies and security there are two ensuite rooms. The luxurious Villa offers discerning guests demanding opulence and space in a relaxed country setting.

Two helipads are also on the estate, allowing guests to travel directly from the Cape Town International Airport. Rumor has it that a business executive recently rented the villa out for a month and parked his new Ferrari out front.

The villa also acts as a gallery for Laurence Graff’s personal art collection and is truly something to behold! He is frequently named one of the world’s top art collectors. As one of the world’s most respected diamond magnates and philanthropists he says, “Curating the art for the Owner’s Villa has been a very personal project. Among the remarkable displays of international talent are works by new and established African artists, demonstrating the immense wealth of creativity discovered across Africa and showcased and celebrated throughout Delaire Graff Estate.” Graff’s art collection is contemporary South African art by iconic and emerging South African artists. Works by William Kentridge, Lionel Smit, Dylan Lewis, Deborah Bell, Sidney Kumalo, Durant Sihlali, Cecil Skotnes and Stephane Graff define many of the interior and exterior spaces.

Today’s ultra-high-net-worth travelers are looking for exceptional experiences and seeking the best of everything. This is the place to experience all of this and some. The bar has certainly been raised!

…continues Delaire Graff Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa – Part 2 Wine Tasting

#tourism #winetourism #DelaireGraffEstate #holidaydestination
#CapeWinelands #DrinkSouthAfrican #SpectacularSouthAfrica #SouthAfricanWine #wine #winelovers #DrinkSouthAfrican #SouthAfricanWine
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#fineart #artcollection #relaischateaux #delairegraff #luxuryliving

Airbnb Adds a ‘Vineyards’ Category [ with 100,000+ Winery Vacation Experiences]

Last month Airbnb’s CEO Brian Chesky announced, at a media event in New York, the vacation rental platform’s new features, including a website redesign that now focuses on “Categories”.

The 56 Categories were created through machine learning, Airbnb’s curation team and reflect industry trends. According to the company, nights booked in the first quarter of 2022 for summer travel to unique homes have grown 80 % over 2019.

“Vineyards” was one of the listed categories. Visiting a vineyard is one of the best ways to better appreciate and learn about wine.  For wine lovers, one of the best experiences is to wake up to vineyard views, eat local delicacies and to taste the terroir of the wines!

#airbnb #wine #instatravel #travelgram #winetourism #vineyards #vines#travel #traveldiaries #wheretonext #airbnbvineyards #wineestates #winelovers #winelover #wine #vin #vino #winewednesday #ww #winenews #tourismnews

Scala dei Turchi, Sicily

Today I traveled to see one of the most stunning natural sights in Sicily “Scala dei Turchi” and it was definitely worth the visit!

The Name
The Turkish Steps, or sometimes called the “Stair of the Turks” is translated from the Italian name la Scala dei Turchi and is one of the most stunning natural sights in Sicily and apparently one of the most photographed.

The Origin or Legend
The Turkish Steps are located along the eastern coastline of Sicily in the Agrigento province. These cliffs were named in the 1500s when pirate raids were common along the coastline, and according to legend, it was once a shelter for Turkish ships plundering along the Sicilian coastline.

How Did These Cliffs Form?
This unique sedimentary rock or marl consisting of clay and lime gives the formation it’s amazing dazzling white color and features. Over millions of years, the waves and wind have eroded the cliffs giving them the distinctive soft, sloping curves, which are among the most beautiful in the Mediterranean.

Scala dei Turchi officially became an official UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.

#travelsicily #siciliaenprimeur2022 #siciliaenprimeur #sicily #Sicilia #travelling #instadaily #traveler #travelgram #traveling #AssoviniSicilia #sicilytourism #UNESCO #ScaladeiTurchi

New Sweetness Scale for Alsace wine labels

A standardized sweetness guide will be required on all Alsace wine labels starting with wines produced from the 2021 harvest.

While most French wines are labeled by origin, wines from Alsace are indicated by grape variety and location information, including if the wine is from one of the 51 grand crus. Now wine buyers and trade can also consult the bottle for a visual sweetness scale or one of the following appropriate terms.

The New Alsace Wine Sweetness Scale

The new sweetness scale is straightforward.  The scale is in both English and French. Dry (sec) sugar content of the wine does not exceed 4 g/l

  1. Medium-Dry/demi-sec: sugar content of the wine is between 4 g/l and 12 g/l
  2. Mellow/moelleux: sugar content of the wine is between 12 g/l and 45 g/l
  3. Sweet/doux: sugar content of the wine exceeds 45 g/l

This change was prompted by the Alsace wine industry and centers on sweetness guidelines already in place in the European Union.

“In Alsace, we produce many different styles of wine, from dry wines to sweet wines to sparkling wines,” says Foulques Aulagnon, export marketing manager, for CIVA (Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins d’Alsace) which is also known as the Alsace Wine Board. “This new standardized sweetness guide doesn’t affect how we produce our wines, but gives greater clarity on the style of what’s in the bottle.” Crémant d’Alsace, traditional method sparkling wine from the appellation, already has sweetness guide regulations and isn’t impacted by this new round of rules.

In addition to labels, the new system applies to advertising, marketing materials, invoices, and other containers. This is designed to be helpful to trade partners such as educators, retailers, and sommeliers.

According to CIVA data, export sales of Alsace wines grew by 22.4% in 2021. With more buyers outside of France, this move provides further understanding to new customers that may not be as familiar with what Alsace has to offer.

* According to EU regulations, “Dry” represents sugar content does not exceed 4 g/l (or 9 g/l if the total acidity in grams of tartaric acid per liter is not more than 2 g/l lower than the residual sugar content). “Medium-Dry” represents sugar content of the wine is above 4 g/l but does not exceed 12 g/l (or 18 g/l if the total acidity in grams of tartaric acid per liter is not more than 10 g/l lower than the residual sugar content).

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