Harvest Report and Upcoming Festival at Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate

The harvest at Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate is well underway and due to extreme heat conditions it was earlier than the 2015 harvest and is the earliest in nearly 20 years. The team at Benguela Cove kicked off with Sauvignon Blanc, and took the first two blocks in at a low sugar in order to capture the greener spectrum of flavours.

The viticulturist noted plenty of apple and green figs at the crushing of the first samples, which indicates yet another promising vintage. The first few blocks of Sauvignon Blanc grapes were harvested over a period of 14 days, in order capture different flavours and ripeness levels from the 27 different blocks on the estate.
This process helped to create a complex wine, which represents a true picture of the different clones and terroirs found at Benguela Cove. Sixty tons of grapes were both hand and machine picked, in order to ensure that harvesting took place at optimum ripeness.

Benguela Cove invites guests to come and experience the excitement of harvest-time and join them to celebrate the release of their latest vintages on Saturday, 19 March. The day will be packed with fun activities for young and old including a blind wine tasting experience, cheese and charcuterie boards as well as grape juice tasting and face painting for the children.
The event will showcase the following new release wines on the day: Noble Late Harvest 2015, Matilda’s Secret Rosé 2015, Matilda’s Secret Sauvignon Blanc 2015, Matilda’s Secret Red 2014, Benguela Cove Cabernet Sauvignon 2014, Benguela Cove Merlot 2014, Benguela Cove Shiraz 2014 and Benguela Cove Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2015.
Entry to the event is FREE and guests can look forward to hearing the results of the first Benguela Cove Harvest Photo Competition. The competition is still open for entries and entrants are encouraged to like and follow Benguela Cove on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates about the competition. Competition entries are accepted by means of social media tags using the hashtag #BenguelaGlamour.
This competition comes with some amazing prizes. The winning image will be used extensively by Benguela Cove, while the photographer will receive a canvas print of their picture, a case of Benguela Cove wine and a cheese and wine pairing for two people.

There are a set number of timeslots available in January and February to venture into the Benguela Cove vineyards to snap the perfect picture. Interested parties are encouraged to enquire with the Benguela Cove Tasting Room staff about harvesting days and timeslots prior to their visit to avoid disappointment.

Contact the Benguela Cove Tasting Room on 083 645 6198 or visit www.benguelacove.co.za for additional information on the competition or to book your visit.