The Durbanville Wine Valley gets its groove back

With all the fanfare surrounding Pinot Noir coupled with the obsession South Africans seem to have with Sauvignon Blanc, it’s sometimes hard for people to remember that the Durbanville wine region produces a lot of other different kinds of wine. It’s even harder, it seems, to get people to drink some of it!

Angela Fourie,  the newly appointed marketing manager of the Durbanville Wine Valley Association, seems to have hit her stride, by pulling of the best Feast of the Grape Festival to date this past weekend.

Angela Fourie

Angela Fourie

A couple of years ago, very few winemakers or wine drinkers considered the Durbanville valley a producer of high-quality wine. Well, the money’s been spent, and the word is out on the street that the Durbanville region is a primo place for not only Sauvignon Blanc, but also wines made from lesser-known grapes like Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Riesling.

Don’t believe me? Here are a couple of facts about the Durbanville Wine Valley that you probably didn’t know:

  • 9 out of the 12 wine producers makes Methode Cap Classique style wines of supreme quality.
  • The valley has its own wine called ”The Durbanville 12”. The wine is representation of the comradery in the valley as well as the premium quality of Sauvignon Blanc in the area. Each farm contributes one ton of grapes to this project. On a specific day in February each year these grapes are brought to the cellar at Diemersdal and crushed. The wine is released each year at the Season of Sauvignon Festival and proves to be extremely popular. The 2015 vintage of 8 000 bottles sold out in three months!

Durbanville-Twelve-1

 

  • South Africa’s only Grüner Veltliner  can be found at Diemersdal Estate in Durbanville.
  • The valley is a popular destination for locals and visitors looking to chow down on some country cuisine, with 13 restaurant to pick and choose from.

With 12 wine producers, each offering its own characteristic landscapes and wines, the Durbanville wine route is a great place to visit if you wish to discover the wine connoisseur in you.


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