StyleISSUE

August 3 to 9 2014 THE STANDARD STYLE / FOOD & DRINK / WINE 15
FNB Limpopo WINE Show 2014 –
A ‘SPARKLING’ Moment
Lebbie Musavaya
What did Dom Perignon say to fellow
monks after he invented champagne????
“Come quickly, I am tasting the
stars.”
THE eighth Limpopo wine show,
held annually over two days,
was off to a slow, yet exciting
start at Meropa Casino and Entertainment
world in the bushveld
province of Limpopo, in Polokwane,
South Africa. Thanks to OutSorceress
Marketing, I had complimentary
entry to both days. With the promise
of wine lovers being treated to
yet another prestigious array of
Cape producers and award winning
wines, I could feel my excitement
mounting in anticipation. There
was no two ways about it, I had
made up my mind, I, was going to
celebrate my life, with none other
than “sparkling” wines on the first
evening.
With an Ellen Dean attitude of
“Think Champagne, drink champagne!”-
A glass in hand and a sparkle
in my eyes, I was ready to “taste
the stars”.
A ‘sparkling’ wine is a wine,
which bubbles when poured into a
glass. The bubbles are a result of
carbon dioxide held under pressure,
dissolved in the wine. The most famous
sparkling wine of all time
is Champagne. This is made in the
North East of France in a region
called Champagne. For that reason,
a sparkling wine made in that
region only, is referred to as Champagne.
There are several methods of
making sparkling wine, and yet, the
traditional method (traditionally
used in France) is the most meticulous
way of making wine sparkle,
where a second fermentation takes
place in the bottle. In South Africa,
sparkling wine, made in the same
method as Champagne is labeled
Methodé Cap Classique (MCC).
My first sip was a R556 Champagne
Gardet Brut Premier Cru
NV, a smooth start to my evening
with freshness, elegance and a full
body texture on my palate. I was in
heaven. It is the type of ‘sparkling,’
you want to sip on all evening. Now
I didn’t have that liberty and next,
I set my sights on a Steenberg 1682
MCC 2013, with a price tag of R125.
The fresh apples on the nose followed
through on the palate with a
crisp yet lively and creamy palate.
My ‘sparkling’ journey was awakening
all my senses and sending me
into a celebratory mood.
Next, The house of Krone aka
“The House of Stars” caught my
eye and the little girl inside me
could have skipped across the floor.
The Krone Borealis Cuvée Brut
2011 costing R115, filled my mouth
with stars. This, their flagship and
numerous award winning MCC’s
elegance filled the palate with a persistent
fresh apple finish.
The Nicholas Charles Krone
Marque 1, a special release at R279,
did indeed live up to being a true
celebration of the vintner’s art.
Complex on the nose and elegant
on the palate, it was a mouthful and
delicious. To end my Krone “starlit”
‘sparkling’ tasting, a Krone Rosé
Cuvée brut 2011, brought refreshing
aromas onto my palate. The nose
of red berry fruits gave the MCC a
pleasant finish at a price tag of R152.
I happily sauntered off to a R100
Haute Cabrière Pierre Jourdan Brut
NV, though crisp and dry, and dominated
by the lime characteristics of
chardonnay, was rewarding and livened
up my palate. It’s a refreshing
sparkling on its own.
Next, a R182, award winning Pinot
Noir dominated 2009 “The Wayfarer”
Brut, Sumaridge, Walker Bay,
stunned me. It melted in my mouth.
This maiden vintage is a limited release
of about 3000 bottles and maturation
in the bottle takes 3 years.
This sparkling wine had developed
to its full potential, full of rich flavours
and ready to drink. A smile of
satisfaction was spread across my
face as I headed towards the sweet
sparkling wines.
A R52, Du Toitskloof Vin Doux
Red Sparkling NV, had me licking
my lips at thoughts of a dessert moment.
This carbonated red blend
driven pinotage is sweet and fruity
and ideal for everyday drinking or
with dessert.
Robertson Winery put the sweet
cherry on top, with firstly, a sweet
white and gentle sparkling, showing
ripe fruit flavours on the nose, which
followed through on the palate. The
second, a sweet red sparkling wine
was full of ripe strawberry aromas
and a mouth full of sweet berry flavours
on the palate.
With flavours ranging from crisp
and dry to sweet and lively, and
a sparkling for everyone from all
tastes of life, I wrapped the evening
with an extra glass of Champagne
Gardet Brut Premier Cru NV, just to
reaffirm that “Champagne is one of
the elegant extras in Life.” – Charles
Dickens
Lets celebrate life with a “flute full
of stars,”……Cheers…..TO LIFE…..
MyLifeAndWines@icloud.com