Why Seidelberg is not PH Balanced
Posted by ymartiny | Filed under Wine@ventures
Great Wine Capitals – Best of Wine Tourism 2011 – Blog Tour
Arts & Culture | Wine Tourism Services
The weather was exactly the same as about a year ago when we visited this farm, and as we drove up through the vineyard I recalled our last encounter and consequently … recoiled. Always the promoter of redemption though, I packed away my prejudice and decided to give them another try.
Our friendly hostess was trained well. So well that the acid of corporate ‘selling’ stripped away every bit of personality she might have had. Not reading her guests or asking them how extensive their knowledge of wine and winemaking is, she kicked off with ‘History 101’ and perfectly executed every factual element required for this introduction. ‘Winemaking 101’ shortly followed with the pace of a Durban July mare. She properly established both of the farm’s brands and explained how the tasting worked. I struggled to get my spinning head back in alignment for a good half an hour after that.
We then ventured into a territory which was unfamiliar to our hostess and not in her script, you could see the stress lines appear on her face. Eventually, after having to excavate the recesses of her general knowledge on the farm, we discovered that it offers visitors the chance to partake in glass-blowing (if you missed it on your way in), they have the oldest guesthouse (4-star) located on the property and if you pre-book, you could get an exclusive cellar tour in German with Mr Seidel himself. Now that’s how you tickle interest.
They have as many wines on their list as there are stars at night over the Drakenstein area which might be a bit confusing for a first time traveler and wine novice. Nonetheless, variety is never a bad thing and choice is the basis of all things liberal. This quote fits as much into this review as the Backstreet Boys’ Greatest Hits fitted in with the décor and ambiance of the bricked cavity we had the tasting in.
Townies and Tourist groups must definitely cream this place in summer with their pale skins trying to soak in every ray of sun. The expansive lawn, seating area outside the bistro and the restaurant which can take up to 100 guests is perfect for those extended, lazy days and here you will never run out any wine varietal or get bored looking out onto the unrestrained vista.
Tip: Amaze yourself when you do stop over for a visit next time and see if you can get your friends to make peophol-faces? Introduce them to the Viognier ….
Also check out: http://www.batonage.com/?p=402
Tags: Arts & Culture, Best of Wine Tourism, Cape Town, GWC, Seidelberg, Tourism, Wine, Wine Tourism Services
One Response to “Why Seidelberg is not PH Balanced”
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Hennie Says:
September 2nd, 2010 at 22:43Couldn’t agree more on your take of the place… AND the Viognier…
