De Wet Cellar is the oldest cellar in the Worcester area and was founded in 1964. Originally producing only 3 000 tons of grapes per year De Wet now produces around 20 000 tons yearly.
They have vineyards spread around the area starting from De Doorns and then also on your way to Villiersdorp.
We arrived at De Wet Cellar for a wine tasting experience and lunch. We were welcomed by Winemaker, Phillip Vercuiel, he has been the winemaker at De Wet Cellar for 11 years.
The tasting lounge greets you with an impressive full size wall mural of a vineyard and a cosy fireplace on the one side. It is a beautiful renovated tasting area with an outdoor patio to suit your preference.
Phillip took us through the winemaking process and about each wine cultivar. A fun but unique wine tasting experience awaited us as they literally took blind tasting to another level by blind folding us. Not seeing what you are drinking plays a lot of tricks with your mind and senses.
On the back of the Blindiana Wine we received as a gift at Blindiana Barista, the following is written:
“Close your eyes and open your mind. What’s more powerful? Your perception or your reality? Tasting a wine blind is the only way to formulate an unbiased opinion. Any pre-conceived knowledge that you have about the wine can cloud your judgement. So take the challenge, close your eyes, open your mind and enjoy the blind tasting with friends, whilst testing your senses and your knowledge of wine”.
WINE TASTING EXPERIENCE
•PETTILANT PERLÉ WINE FRONTÉ•
Pettilant Fronté has flavour and taste in abundance without the high alcohol and kilojoules of the average table wine. With its fruity character and low alcohol, this is ideal for every time of the day, with or without a meal.
100% Muscat de Frontignan – also known as White Muscadel. Semi sweet wine and so versatile. The bouquet is floral and semi sweet while a light sparkle adds freshness to the pallet.
•SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019•
This is a vibrant charming wine with tropical and herbal flavours, a good body and an appetising crisp, sustained finish. A finely structured wine.
De Wet proudly found the huge export brand named FirstCape which is a large brand leaving the country for the UK.
•CHARDONNAY 2018•
A full-bodied wine with citrus and lime freshness, hints of caramel and a lingering oak finish.
There is a limited amount of wine on their premises, as they mainly cater to wholesalers, but they do offer wine tastings by prior arrangement. The fertile soils, lush setting, and picturesque views, complete the traditional wine-farm setting, though modern equipment is used during the wine-making process.
•CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017•
A full-bodied wine with chocolate and nutty flavours. Rich toasty oak to compliment a berry and vanilla finish.
The variety of terroirs in the De Wet-Overhex-Nuy-area where De Wet Cellar’s grapes are grown, secures the style of wine De Wet Cellar is known for.
•RED MUSCADEL 2018•
100% Red Muscadel. This fortified wine was produced from hand-picked sun-ripened grapes. The strong raisiny flavour blends perfectly with the well known Muscat of this grape variety. This is a perfect dessert wine and will warm many cold winter nights.
Muscadel is one of the hidden treasures of the wine world, with these sweet dessert wines delighting palates for centuries. Muscadel is one of the oldest grape varieties in South Africa.
After a wonderful fun wine tasting experience it was time for lunch and the chef took us through the dishes he prepared for us.
FIRST COURSE: BUTTERNUT SOUP
We started off with an enjoyable cup of Butternut and Lemon soup served with crispy onions and garlic on top for extra flavour and texture. Accompanied with the soup was a cheese straw filled with cheese. Such a fragrant golden soup and the lemon really takes this souo to another level with a zesty flavour. Light and delicious!
SECOND COURSE: OXTAIL
Main course was a 2 day braised richly flavoured Oxtail stew. The chef added some De Wet Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon to the stew and finished it iff with homemade stock, mushrooms, onions and served with a little bit of coriander pesto on too for freshness to cut through the hearty, mouthwatering flavours.
This stew was served with a Beetroot salad as well as fresh, green vegetables, garlic, ginger and lemon juice to break down the fatty, rich flavours of the Oxtail.
DESSERT: SAGO PUDDING
What is more comforting than ending a hearty lunch with a warm, creamy dessert? Our dessert was a delicious bowl of Sago pudding served with custard and a dollop of apricot jam.
We had a wonderful time at De Wet Cellar. They have some amazing wines at really affordable prices – definitely value for money. Visit their facebook page to keep up to date with any future events.
CONTACT DETAILS
Tel: +27 (0) 23 341 2710
Email: admin@dewetcellar.co.za
Categories: De Wet Cellar, Region, Worcester
