Wanna take your love for wine to the next level with an interactive Wine Blending experience at Slanghoek Wine Cellar?
Slanghoek Wine Cellar lies in a picturesque valley, surrounded by the majestic Slanghoek Mountains, from which the cellar derives its name.
ABOUT SLANGHOEK CELLAR
We received a warm welcome from Werner du Plessis, who is Slanghoek Cellar’s Red Winemaker. He gave us an overview of Slanghoek Cellar and that it is a company that supplies wine to other clients within the wine industry, whether it be local or international. A tank gets contracted and they get sent a container with a huge plastic bag in it. It gets loaded with 24 000 litres of wine and the moment it leaves the Slanghoek premises, it is no longer a Slanghoek wine.
Slanghoek Wine Cellar do however bottle their own wine. About 2% of their production gets labelled under the Slanghoek valley. It will range from bubbly, red wine and a selection of fortified wines. Slanghoek Wine Cellar harvest about 42 000 tons per year. Basically the winery is owned by all the producers that lives in the Slanghoek valley.
Harvest starts last week in January and first week in February which is a little bit later than some wineries in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. Main reason for this is that the valley is a lot colder than a lot of other places. The valley is flanked by mountain ranges and as a result the cold air will come into the valley and doesn’t escape. They also get a lot of rain and the valley has the second highest rainfall in South Africa.
WINE BLENDING EXPERIENCE
This is a fun interactive activity to do with a group of friends where you are given the opportunity to attempt the delicate art of wine blending.
It is here that the real wine-making fun happens. You get to create your own unique style using a combination of three red cultivars, blend the wine and it gets bottled under your own personalised label.
The important key is to taste the different cultivars (we were given Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) in order to define their individual characteristics. Identify the different components of each wine, decide what you like, and then choose a combination that will bring out the best of all three cultivars once blended.
The next step is to measure out the percentages in the cylinder provided. Once you are satisfied with your blend you get the opportunity to bottle, cork, seal and label your blended wine. It is really that simple.
It is an enjoyable and informative experience and so much fun. There is something really satisfying walking away feeling like a winemaker, taking home your own blended, bottle of creation.
For more information you can contact Slanghoek Cellar: Tel: 023 344 3026 | Email: info@slanghoek.co.za
Categories: Breedekloof, Slanghoek Wine Cellar
