August 2013

August is always a big month for us at the Wine Village as we host the Hermanus Wine and Food Festival!
For more information on the event visit www.hermanuswineandfood.co.za

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 2013

Whale spotting and wine hopping!

This year has truly flown by! Whale season and spring has arrived and we celebrate the beloved creatures of the deep by opening some wines that deserve a tale wave and a big breach!

Please join us from 20 September - 6 October to taste the wines of:

·         Bosman Family Vineyards

·         Du Preez Estate

·         Strandveld Wines

·         Oneiric

·         Belfield

·         Jean Daneel  

·         Richelieu 10 year brandy (This is just to add the spring in your step)

On Saturday from 09:00 to 14:00 we have a lovely market at the Hemel en Aarde Village courtyard garden. Join us for a fun-filled morning in our beautiful garden with with some of the best home bakes and handcrafted items in town!

Purchase wine online

With over 6000 wines on our database you are spoilt for choice. Please view a selected few from the Elgin to Elim area or email us your wish list. We'll provide you with a quote within 24 hours. Please visit our website.

Join our Wine Club

For more information about joining our wine club please email winevillage@hermanus.co.za

Running the cliff path at night...Swimming with the whales...Cycling in the mountains!

If any of these words grab your attention, please visit www.hermanusadventures.co.za for more information about these events.

Santa Shoe Box

Before we know it Christmas will be upon us!  The Santa Shoebox Project collects and distributes gifts at Christmas time to underprivileged children throughout South Africa and Namibia, especially these in rural areas.

For more information on how to get involved please visit www.santashoebox.co.za

July 2013

The Hermanus Wine and Food Festival promises to be a vino-experience where you will meet friends, discover new wines and find that whales are not the only reason for people visiting Hermanus.  Like eating with a 20-pronged fork, the festival allows you to taste lots of different things at once. Savour local flavour at the Hermanus Wine and Food Festival 2013!

Entrance to the Food Marquee is FREE.  Entrance to the Wine Marquee is R120 per person. This includes a glass and informative booklet on all the producers. 

As always, children are welcome and we have a special activity centre for them to play and be entertained while you explore the offerings on show.

We are offering special deals on the wines and discounts on purchases of 6 bottles and more.

We hope to see you there for a fun-filled and informative time.

Kalfiefees

An annual cultural festival held in the seaside town of Hermanus, celebrating the birth of the whales in Hermanus. The Kalfie Festival has a very strong focus on theatre and drama, with many of the performers who headline at the annual Klein Karoo Kunstefees (KKNK), a popular annual South African arts festival held in the Karoo, also perform. The annual line up will usually include a Woman’s Day celebration, dramatic and comic theatre, entertainment for the little ones, as well as a book show, great food and music.
It is a mostly Afrikaans festival – with a wide variety of excellent theatre productions, musicians and traditions.

 

There’s Hahaha! Then there’s Ah Hah! And then there’s … the Ha!Man. A musical phenomenon, this multi-talented, former musical child prodigy will be back in Hermanus with a once-off performance on Saturday 24 August. The cello will never be the same again for anyone who has experienced this musical whirlwind.

Francois le Roux grew up in a traditional Afrikaans household, where his father was a dominee and his mother was a music teacher. But Francois was different. From a very early age, it was clear that he had music coursing through his veins. Improvising on the piano from the age of four and acting as the church organist from the age of ten, he became a professional musician and performer in his early twenties. With a passion for exploring new ways for music to reflect emotion, he combined his classical training with a wide array of musical influences to develop a mind-altering experience. Although he plays a variety of instruments, he has taken the cello to amazing new heights of musical expression.

From busking on street corners to conducting major orchestras and accompanying top classical singers, Francois is a truly inspirational troubadour of the 21^st century. His Ha!Man show has travelled all over the world, with over 200 performances a year. He has produced 70 albums of his unique brand of music, with cello at its core, but combining voice and a pool of electronic recordings. His performances are an ever-evolving musical journey, mental images and creative surprises, which enchant audiences of all ages and cultures.

How lucky for Hermanus that he makes time in his hectic international schedule to return here to perform on a regular basis. Once again, this performance has been organised by the Wine Village to raise funds for Camphill School. On the occasion of his last appearance he also made himself available to visit the School where he interacted with the children, creating a magical space where they could spontaneously express themselves through musical sound.

You dare not miss this mind-stretching experience where anything could happen … and usually does. The performance, hosted by the Wine Village, will take place at the Wine Forum above the Wine Village on Saturday 24 August at 18h30 for 19h00. The performance will be preceded by wine and a light meal provided by the restaurants in the Hemel en Aarde Village Centre. Space is extremely limited, so don’t delay, book now. Tickets at R120 each can be bought by contacting Camphill School at

028 3124949 or e-mail school@camphill-hermanus.org.za; or Cathy or Paul at the Wine Village at 028 3163988 or e-mail winevillage@hermanus.co.za.

On a whole the beautiful town of Hermanus is great place to visit – a seaside destination with lots of activities and good restaurants.

   

Hermanus Wine & Food Festival 2013

June/July Winter Sale

Winter is here

……Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding cake.               Robert Louis Stevenson

Saturday, the first of June, started with a great thunderclap, rolling thunder and then the heavens opened to a wonderful downpour. This was later followed by buckets-full of tapioca sized hail (which I at first thought was snow!) as it came down in soft drifts with the rain and lay on the ground, slowly melting in the downpour.

Bean soup was the thing we want most when it is so cold and wet and we immediately made a white bean soup with home cured prosciutto and then added 4 chillies for a little heat. We enjoyed this with a bottle of Beaumont Hope Marguerite 2008….aah, bliss.

The Hope Marguerite, a naturally fermented and barrel matured Chenin Blanc, has become one of the Cape’s benchmark wines. The vines were planted in 1974 with the first vintage of Hope Marguerite produced in 1997.

The current vintage of 2011 Hope Marguerite is available at R165 per bottle. To order, click here, or email me on winevillage@hermanus.co.za.  

The Aloes in our garden are flowering at the moment and it is a beautiful sight indeed. The Aloe Barberae is also flowering at the moment. The tree is 7 years old and is nearly 4 meters tall. I love watching the birds and insects feast on the flowers. We are blessed with many bird species in our small garden and the fork-tailed Drongos think the garden is heaven, as they get to eat nectar and bees in one go.

Hermanus Wine & Food Festival

Friday 9 and Saturday 10 August from 11:00 to 19:00

Two days of indulgence offering a wide array of world-class premium wines from nearly 50 wine producers from Elgin to Elim and an assortment of fresh, local culinary creations.

Jolly June Promotion
For the next 20 days we will be offering an in-store sale with discounts of up to 20% on all marked stock. Hurry, to avoid disappointment, don’t delay. This offer valid for 20 days or while stocks last. 

June 2013: South African Wine Pairing with Food - Join us!

Wine Village presents:

Essential Partners – South African Wine Pairing with Food

The first Wine Appreciating Course with Paul was informative, fascinating and above all, fun. For the next four weeks he will lead you on a tour of the fascinating world of South African wine with food.

Every evening will include a tasting of at least six wines with a variety of adventurous food samples to pair with. Paul will take you on a journey to discover the How, the Why, the No No, the Why Not and many other informative discoveries of our fascinated world of wine.

It will be informative, sharing and above all, fun!

June 5, 12, 19 & 26, 18:00 for 18:30

Only 16 persons will join us on this expedition! Book now and avoid disappointment. R600.00 per person for the course of 4 lessons.

For more information visit www.winevillage.co.za. Or contact Wine Village on 028 316 3988 or at winevillage@hermanus.co.za.

 

May 2013

Autumn

The falling leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sun-burned hands I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall

Beautifully sung by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Barbara Streisand. It brings such wonderful memories from my childhood with Sunday afternoons playing Scrabble and eating deliciously fluffy pancakes dusted with cinnamon sugar.

To celebrate this wonderful season we are offering a 12% discount on the following 12 wines for 12 days only:

1.Garden Route Shiraz 2011

Normal Price: R97

Promotional Price: R85.36

2.Meinert Synchronicity 2007

Normal Price: R249.90

Promotional Price: R219.91

3. Klein Genot Black Swan Reserve 2008

Normal Price: R172.00

Promotional Price: R151.36

4. Bergsig Pinotage 2010

Normal Price: R74.00

Promotional Price: R65.12

5. Simonsig Merindol Syrah 2010

Normal Price: R269.90

Promotional Price: R237.51

6. La Motte Cabernet 2009

Normal Price: R137.00

Promotional Price: R120.56

7. Agaat Christina 2012

Normal Price: R67.00

Promotional Price: R58.96

8. Tokara Walkerbay Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Normal Price: R99.00

Promotional Price: R87.12

9. Le Grand Jardin Chenin Blanc 2012

Normal Price: R59.90

Promotional Price: R52.71

10. Simonsig Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Normal Price: R68.00

Promotional Price: R59.84

11. Jackson's Chardonnay 2009

Normal Price: R79.00

Promotional Price: R69.52

12. Pearlstone Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Normal Price: R57

Promotional Price: R50.16

 

That is a massive saving of R171.56

Don’t delay as stocks are limited. Email or phone us on 028-316-3988 now!

April 2013: Paul Cluver Seven Flags launch

Paul Cluver Seven Flags Pinot Noir 2010

There is a lot of hype about Pinot Noir, the red wine grape of Burgundy. One of the more attractive contenders in this field is undoubtedly the Seven Flags of Paul Cluver. Much sought after by those in the know, this fine and elegant wine is considered one of the more distinctive; growing in predominantly decomposed Bokkeveld Shale at a height of 250m to 400m above sea level.

Cool summer conditions allowed for a long hanging time, with harvesting only starting in middle February. Only 4380 bottles were produced, which means 26 oak barrels were carefully nurturing this wine for just over 2 years. This has been a long term goal to produce a wine that will be the ultimate expression of the estate’s terroir.

So with great excitement we went to the launch of this very auspicious wine. My favourite Paul Cluver wine has always been their Riesling, but the Seven Flags blew me away. A thrilling wine which shows wonderful purity of fruit. Ripe red spiced berries with layers of dark chocolate and a light sprinkling of white pepper assail your senses. This wine is the perfect accompaniment to that Springbok pot roast that I am going to cook for my loved one’s birthday. I think it should do just fine with tuna and a thick beef steak too.

For the next 10 days we will be offering the Seven Flag Pinot Noir at a specially reduced price.

Normal Price: R399

Promotional Price: R365

A saving of R34 per bottle

March 2013: Feast of Wines

Enjoy a fine wine time with us and enjoy an experience not to be forgotten.

• Discount on purchases of any 12 wines

• FREE wine tastings

• Open every day, 7 days a week

• Wine delivered world-wide

• Ample free parking

We are passionate about wine. Let us help you with your food and wine pairing, or selecting the perfect gift for that special person or occasion.

Join us in tasting many decadent wines including:

• Belfield
• Eenzaamheid
• KWV Mentor Range
• Blaauwklippen
• Jean Daneel
• Arendskloof
• Mount Rozier
• Keermont
• Jakob’s Vineyards

People also rave about our local Gin, Brandy, Grappa and Port tastings. Join us for a fine wine time!

Hemel en Aarde Garden Market

Every Saturday from 09:00 to 14:00 we have a lovely market at the Hemel en Aarde Village. Join us for a fun-filled morning in our beautiful garden with homemade jams and preserves, freshly baked cakes, breads, pies and rusks, the best coffee in Hermanus, sweets and savouries, crumpets, pancakes and freshly grown greens from the valley, yummy wraps and steak rolls with all the trimming, cheese platters with a glass of wine and beer on tap, to name but a few.

Hermanus wine route charity

Thanks to the Hermanus Wine Route, the R320 has become one of the most important roads on the South African tourist landscape. A magnificent limited blend, celebrating the generosity of the surrounding terroir, was created with the aim of social upliftment of the local community by providing educational assistance to learners in the area.

By buying this wine you are supporting a very worthwhile cause, the education of our children and grandchildren’s future.

Was R100 per bottle

NOW R50 per bottle

Generous and broadly structured, with the aromas repeated on the palate. A soft grip of fine tannins adds complexity and good length.

Hemel en aarde pre-school

Angelique Herbst and her team re-opened the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Pre-School this year.  Sales from the Hermanus Wine Route R320 wine has enabled her to do so. With the very steep cost of the crèches in Hermanus,  the need was felt to assist the labour force in the Hemel-en-Aarde area with pre-school education for their children – a crucial step to assure the successful completion ultimately of their schooling. To assist with the funding of the school, Angelique has applied for a government grant, unfortunately, this process will take a number of months to complete.  Until the process is completed, the pre-school runs on donations and sales of the R320 wine.

The school is now home to 25 children from the Hemel-en-Aarde area and also some children from Hermanus.

Any assistance financially would be much appreciated, but also, any educational toys, puzzles, building blogs, outside toys, cots, clothing, eating utensils, etc would greatly help to enrich these children’s lives.

Wine Shipments

Wines delivered world-wide best to suit the requirements of the client.

For rates please contact us on winevillage@hermanus.co.za.

Feast of Wines

March 2013

Let us Serenade you with wines from here and there

Serenade by Edgar Allan Poe

So sweet the hour, so calm the time,
I feel it more than half a crime,
When Nature sleeps and stars are mute,
To mar the silence ev'n with lute.
At rest on ocean's brilliant dyes
An image of Elysium lies:
Seven Pleiades entranced in Heaven,
Form in the deep another seven:
Endymion nodding from above
Sees in the sea a second love.
Within the valleys dim and brown,
And on the spectral mountain's crown,
The wearied light is dying down,
And earth, and stars, and sea, and sky
Are redolent of sleep, as I
Am redolent of thee and thine
Enthralling love, my Adeline.
But list, O list,- so soft and low
Thy lover's voice tonight shall flow,
That, scarce awake, thy soul shall deem
My words the music of a dream.
Thus, while no single sound too rude
Upon thy slumber shall intrude,
Our thoughts, our souls- O God above!
In every deed shall mingle, love.
__________________________________

On a lovely sunny Friday afternoon we drove up to Southern Right Vineyards to taste the latest sea-aged Sauvignon Blanc.

At the tasting Anthony Hamilton Russell awarded Lee Burman a beautifully sculptured Southern Right whale as a thank you gesture for all her hard work on Fynbos conservation in the Overstrand. Congratulation to Lee and a well-deserved award. Lee is a walking encyclopaedia on Fynbos and very very knowledgeable on the subject.
We were offered a tasting of the 2010 and 2011. The bottles were freshly pulled from the sea that morning. And decidedly quite delicious.
You will remember that the 2004 Sauvignon Blanc was sealed with normal capsules but this time round the bottles were sealed with wax and me-oh-my, what a stunner.
The wines were put to sea in August 2011 and will either be fished out this year or next year in August.

I am mighty curious to see how it will show then.
We will of course let you know as soon as it is released. The 2004 sea-aged vintage was sold out within hours. We loved that particular vintage and the barnacles and sea grass on the bottles was of course another draw card!

So as to not feel left out we have some delicious golden drops for you to smack your lips on this month with daily tastings on the following:

Belfield

Beautiful Aristata2009. Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon Blend with incredible finesse.
Eenzaamheid
Boutique winery with a 1688 farmhouse that is the oldest registered building in South Africa.
KWV Mentor Range
Sterling performance at this year’s Michelangelo International Wine Awards
Blaauwklippen
Come and taste the sensuous Before & After fortified.
Jean Daneel
King of Chenin Blanc’s range of wines
Arendskloof
Intense and complex wine from Moddergat-Oos farm in the Worcester district.
Mount Rozier
Wines from the top of Schapenberg, located next to Vergelegen.
Keermont
Fantastic wines from the beautiful Blaauwklippen valley.
Jakob’s Vineyards
A dream farm of the de Lange family set against the Babylonstoren mountains.

          People also rave about our local Gin, Brandy, Grappa and Port tastings.

 

Yummy Specials for March

○ Bon Courage Chenin Blanc 2012

WAS R33.00 NOW R27.95

○ Robertson Sauvignon Blanc 2012

WAS R42.00  NOW R32.95

○ Hermanuspietersfontein Sonner Nommer 2011

WAS R69.50  NOW R59.00

○ Jean Daneel Initial White

WAS R59.50  NOW R52.00

○ Jean Daneel Initial Red

WAS R77.50  NOW R59.90

○ Jean Daneel Signature Red

WAS R169.900  NOW R115.00

           Prices valid till 30 March or while stocks last.

To purchase any of the above wines simply click here and complete your order, or email me directly. This offer is valid in-store as well. Phone us on 028-316-3988 if you’re in a hurry or afraid that you will miss out!

Wine Shipments
Wines delivered world-wide best to suit the requirements of the client.
For rates please contact us on winevillage@hermanus.co.za