Let's talk little, let's talk wine
Groot Constantia , located a few kilometers from Cape Town, is the oldest estate in South Africa. It commemorates its 336th anniversary in 2021! We are here on a chardonnay which is regularly multi-awarded across the globe and was voted “best chardonnay in the world” in 2013. The vines are trained on vertical trellises and vine operations, such as pruning, canopy management and harvesting, are carried out by hand. Pest control is organic , and soil health and weed control are managed naturally. The grapes are picked by hand and pressed by whole bunches. Fermentation and aging last 10 months and take place in French oak barrels, 1st, 2nd and 3rd filling. On the palate, this cuvée shows great aromatic richness with notes of candied lemon , yellow peach , pear , apricot , toasted almonds , vanilla , fresh butter, toasted bread, and orange blossom. . It is a smooth wine, with a beautiful structure balanced by saline notes and linear acidity. The finish is long and delicious. A superb chardonnay!
The Chardonnay du Monde ® event is an international wine competition that has taken place annually since 1993, focusing specifically on Chardonnay wines. 35 countries participate in this international competition and 700 of the world's best Chardonnay wines compete to compete for coveted titles. A panel of 300 international expert judges evaluate incoming wines according to rigorous judging criteria over a three-day period. Only around 50 bottles obtain the gold medal and only one vintage will obtain the title of best chardonnay in the world. Groot Constantia Chardonnay won the gold medal in 2017 and 2018 and was voted best chardonnay in the world in 2013 .
Where are we traveling?
The little history of the country
South Africa
The first vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really begin to take off until the arrival of French Protestants, in the 1680s, with their skills and their knowledge of viticulture. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, with the first vineyards being planted there in the 1690s. Today South Africa is one of the most important wine producing countries in the southern hemisphere. With over 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. The majority of wines are produced using New World winemaking techniques, but they often have more in common stylistically with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has received international attention and acclaim for its wide variety of styles. South Africa's wine industry is spread across the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, the abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaus allows winemakers to produce a wide variety of styles. Vineyards can also be found in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, where the flat, arid landscape is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Most of South Africa's wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, strongly influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, an indigenous cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut that is rarely found in quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often combined in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.