Top SA wineland destinations include Vergelegen, Delaire Graff, Creation

THAT IT IS sponsored by the respected International Wine Challenge in the UK makes this 2019 list of the world’s 50 best wine farms notable, for sure. However, we are not told the names of the judges. What we are told is that ‘The World’s Best Vineyards Academy’ comprises nearly 500 leading wine aficionados, sommeliers, and luxury travel correspondents from across the globe who were selected for their expert opinion of the international wine and wine tourism scene. The Academy appointed a regional chair for each wine-producing area of the world and each chair appointed 36 individuals to nominate up to three wineries in their region and at least four wineries outside their region. The names of these individuals were not disclosed, but all of the regional chairs were – all that is with the exception of the South African among them who ‘pulled out at short notice’ and who will be replaced by another South African in due course.

There were no preset requirements; the voting process was driven by the judges who went beyond the wines and looked at the whole experience – the restaurant, tour, ambience, staff, the view, the price, reputation, accessibility, everything that makes a vineyard visit valuable and rewarding. This is about good wine but it’s more about the most amazing places to taste wine and learn about winemaking. Argentina’s Zuccardi Valle de Uco was named best in the world and Uruguay’s Bodega Garzón the runner-up. The USA’s Robert Mondavi Winery was considered the best in North America, Spain’s R López de Heredia Viña Tondonia SA the best in Europe, Lebanon’s Château Heritage the best in Asia, South Africa’s Vergelegen Estate the best in Africa and New Zealand’s Rippon the best in Australasia.

For all of the South African destinations among the Top 50 award winners, see below – the info about each of the properties as supplied by the event organisers. For more about the Academy and all of the ‘World’s Best Vineyards’, click here.

 

Vergelegen Estate, Somerset West

SUPERSIZED LUXURY. A classic example of that special brand of luxury wine experience, with an extensive heritage display, a beautifully preserved homestead, 17 gardens, two restaurants and an array of fascinating tours.
PRICELESS HERITAGE. Founded in 1700 by the first Governor of the Cape, the visionary yet controversial Dutchman Adriaan van der Stel, the estate has passed through many hands since those early days. Now owned by the Anglo American mining company, it is viewed as one of the most valuable heritage sites in South Africa, with two-thirds of the estate declared a Private Nature Reserve and given the same level of government protection as the Kruger National Park.
BORDEAUX BLENDS MASTER. André van Rensburg, a legendary figure in South African wine circles, has been the winemaker here since 1997. He makes a wide range of wines from this diverse 3000ha estate but is an acknowledged master with Bordeaux varieties. Since 1992, he and his wines have benefited from the construction of an impressive, multi-levelled, sunken hilltop winery – opened by Baron Eric de Rothschild, owner of Château Lafite in Bordeaux. The design of the winery is unlike any previously built in South Africa and based on the principles of gentle handling and natural gravity flow.
CAPE CULTURE. Tastings guided by experienced staff can be enjoyed overlooking the postcard-pretty octagonal-shaped herb garden (choose to taste outside on the patio if weather permits, which it almost certainly will). Cellar tours take place several times a day throughout the week.
www.vergelegen.co.za

 

Delaire Graff Estate, Helshoogte

GONE TO HEAVEN? Delaire Graff’s location high up on the pass between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, and the sensation that ascending up to the estate through such a jaw-droppingly beautiful landscape provides, might certainly fool some into thinking so. Luxury is the order of the day at this immaculately presented estate – as befits the owner, Laurence Graff, who made his fortune in diamonds.
DIAMOND GRADE. This could be the ultimate wineland retreat. Features include: 10 positively-presidential lodges overlooking a majestic valley, complete with oversized beds and fine linens; a luxury spa; stunning outdoor infinity pool, private cinema… And let’s not forget the Graff diamond store, an opulent salon of Emperor marble and Indian rosewood, dazzling visitors with its collection of classic diamond bracelets, solitaire rings, pendants and luxury watches.
WHEN HUNGER STRIKES… A two-pronged gastronomic offering. The Delaire Graff Restaurant provides creative bistro ‘sunshine cuisine’ using homegrown fruits, vegetables and herbs picked straight from the estate greenhouse and gardens. Or you can do Pan-Asian dining at its finest: Indochine head chef Virgil Kahn puts together some spellbinding dishes to pair with Delaire Graff’s award-winning wines. Try to get a terrace table with sweeping views of Table Mountain.
LEST YOU FORGET… Under the expert guidance of winemaker Morné Vrey, this estate has developed a reputation for producing some of the most vibrant and refined wines in the Cape winelands. Sample as many as you can in the beautiful setting of the timber-roofed Delaire Graff Wine Lounge.
www.delaire.co.za

 

Creation Wines, Hemel-en-Aarde

A STAR IN THE FIRMAMENT. Situated high up on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge in Walker Bay, Creation Wines has worked assiduously over the past two decades to turn what was an anonymous mountain enclave into one of the most-visited wine estates in the region. ‘Hemel-en-Aarde’ translates from Afrikaans to ‘heaven and earth’ in English, and this serves as a reliable shorthand for the drama and beauty of the scenery surrounding the property, with its verdant fynbos and vine-covered slopes rising up to the Babylonstoren mountains.
BURGUNDIAN BLISS. Hemel-en-Aarde has a particular aptitude for producing elegant, complex Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It’s the area’s cool-climate conditions and 450-million-year-old clay-derived shale soils, which winemaker Jean-Claude Martin, who runs Creation with energetic wife Carolyn (née Finlayson), has harnessed to create his range of terroir-focused wines.
MATCH POINTS. Recognising the food pairing potential of these elegant cool-climate wines, Carolyn has introduced a repertoire of no fewer than seven pairing menus, creating a gastronomic oasis for wine and food aficionados from all over the world. Among them are the Brunch Pairing, the popular Small-Plate Pairing, the Charcuterie Pairing and the decadent Chocolate Pairing. Perhaps the ultimate temptation is the ever-evolving Story of Creation Pairing. The menu changes every quarter to regularly bring visitors a new sense-stimulating taste adventure with a unique theme.
AND THERE’S MORE… Creation’s wide array of year-round wine tourism activities for individuals and groups extends to music events to art exhibitions to blind-tasting competitions to food-and-wine festivals. Almost two decades after its first vine took root, Creation is very much a wine estate that is living up to its name.
www.creationwines.com

 

• Earlier in 2019, La Motte in Franschhoek was a repeat winner of the Food & Wine Matching Award in the Drinks International Tourism Challenge (UK)

 

 

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