South Africa Wine Tasting l Western Cape Vineyards

Road Trips Through Cape Towns Wine Tasting RoutesCape Town and surrounds has a rich culture of wine tasting and viticulture, boasting many wine farms, vineyards and wine routes which make up a perfect trip from Cape Town where you have ample time to drive and visit all the wine establishments and experience the tasting opportunities within its estates and farms. When Jan van Riebeek arrived in what is now known as the Cape in 1652, he brought with him Dutch settlers, European culture, and consequently wine. Just under four hundred years later, the Cape has become one of the worlds favourite destinations for wine production. Discovering the Cape Wine RoutesThere are many wine routes in the Cape to explore. Stellenbosch has four main routes: the Bottlary Hills, Devon Valley, Helderberg and Simonsberg routes. It is also one of the most popular routes to explore by car, not only because of the scenery, but because all the wine farms are in relatively close proximity, thus you are able to squeeze in more travel in a day. A Typical TripAn example of a vineyards road trip could be started in Cape Town in the suburb of Durbanville, home of the Durbanville Wine Valley and vineyards. The accommodation is always of a high standard at any point on the trip and Durbanville has hotels, guest houses, bed and breakfasts and much more to offer. Explore the 9 wine farms, taste their produce, eat a wonderful lunch at one of the farms delectable restaurants and relax in the evening at the theatre, shopping mall or just having an early night as your next days trip kicks off with exploring Wellington. Wellington is a quiet mountainside town, a figure of history and is situated next to the Kromme River in the Boland area of the Western Cape. Begin the day with the hour drive from Cape Town to Wellington. After checking into a local bed and breakfast, hotel, guest house or back packers, the Wellington Wine routes are yours to explore! Wellington has over 20 wine farms to offer and a brandy route. Explore wine farms, restaurants, beautiful scenery and outdoor activities for two days and two nights. On day 4, the journey moves on to Worcester.Worcester is situated in the Breede River Valley, a picturesque town with historic buildings and sweeping parks with bright flora and fauna. After checking into one of the towns guest houses, bed and breakfasts or camp sites, the tour of the Worcester wine route begins. Many famous wine farms are situated in Worcester, offering wine tasting, restaurants and shops. White water rafting is highly recommended as one of the best things to do in the town. After spending the night, the wine tour extends to the seaside whale spot, Hermanus, for two days of wineries and fun activities.Hermanus has many hotels and accommodation options such as guest houses, bed and breakfasts and back packers. The town looks over the Indian Ocean where Whales venture in spring to mate and calve and provide the jolly atmosphere for the Hermanus Whale Festival. The Hermanus wine farms are situated in the Hermanus Wine Wander known as Hemel en Aarde (heaven and earth in Afrikaans). Hermanus offers many other activities to wine farming so if you feel like whale spotting, visiting a spa or nature reserve or even paintball, you can find all of these activities in this lively seaside town. After taking days 5 and 6 to explore Hermanus, it is time to relocate the tour to Somerset West for days 7 and 8.Somerset West has many options in terms of accommodation: hotels, guest houses, bed and breakfasts. After checking into your accommodation, it is time to explore this lovely town. Somerset West is home to the Helderberg Wine Route: an exploration of over 30 wine farms and estates. The route boasts many famous cellars and farms: Vergelegen, Alto, Eikendal and Rust en Vrede to name a few. The town also has a shopping mall, Monkeytown, golf and a nature reserve. The trip stays in Somerset West for two days giving plenty of time to explore the activities and wine farms on offer.On day 9 the trip departs for Cape Town to spend the last day and night visiting wine farms in Constantia, an area which boast the famous and oldest winery in South Africa: Groot Constantia. The area of Constantia boasts 5 top class wine farms, including Buitenverwachting, Constantia Uitsig and Klein Constantia. The area has the usual options for accommodation set in a charming suburb of Cape Town.Road trips through the Cape winelands really do offer a great getaway and tour opportunity for all ages and cultures. The wines are first class and international standard yet even if you are not a fan of viticulture, the area has so much more to offer. About The Author:sTourEagle.com is a revolutionary new way for creating your own itinerary. From choosing wine tasting routes, destinations to booking your hotels, restaurants and activities. Become your own travel consultant by using http://www.toureagle.com

I Love Italian Wine And Food – The Tuscany Region

If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Tuscany region of central Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you’ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour.

Tuscany is located on the central western part of Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It gets its name from an Etruscan tribe that settled the area about three thousand years ago. It has belonged to the Romans, the Lombards, and the Franks. More than four hundred years ago under the Medicis, Tuscany became a major European center. It is undoubtedly one of Italy’s top tourist destinations as well as an ideal place for your villa when you hit it big, really big. According to one Seinfeld episode there are no villas to rent in Tuscany, but that was several years ago. On the other hand, time in Tuscany as elsewhere in Italy is measured in centuries. Tuscany’s total population is about 3.5 million.

Florence is the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and the administrative center of Tuscany. It is one of Italy’s top tourist destinations, whose sites of interest are too numerous to list here. Siena and Pisa are two other major tourist destinations.

Tuscany is a center of industrial production, in particular metallurgy, chemicals, and textiles. Given the region’s importance as an international art center for centuries, don’t be surprised that it is an excellent place to appreciate and purchase fashion, jewelry, leather goods, marble, and other items of beauty. Florence is the home of the house of Gucci.

Tuscany produces a wide variety of cereal, olives, vegetables, and fruit. But not only vegetarians eat well. It is home to cattle, horses, pigs, and poultry. One local specialty is wild boar. On the coast, seafood is abundant.

Tuscany devotes over one hundred fifty thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 4th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 58 million gallons, giving it an 8th place. About 70% of the wine production is red or rosé, leaving 30% for white. The region produces 44 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine and 7 DOCG white wine. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. The region produces 9 DOC wines. Tuscany also produces Super Tuscan wines, wines that may not have a prestigious classification but that are known to be outstanding. These wines are arguably the main reason that Italy was forced to revise its wine classification system. Fully 55% of Tuscan wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. And remember, many of Tuscany’s best wines carry neither designation. Tuscany is home to more than three dozen major and secondary grape varieties, about half white and half red.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Trebbiano, Malvasia, and Sauvignon Blanc. The best-known strictly Italian white varieties are Vermentino and Vernaccia.

Widely grown international red grape varieties include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The best-known Italian red variety is Sangiovese, which is grown elsewhere, including California. A strictly Italian variety is Canaiolo.

Before reviewing the Tuscan wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.

Start with Panzanella, Bread and Tomato Salad.

For a second course, eat or share a Bistecca alla Fiorentina, (Texas-sized) Beef Steak.

If you have room, indulge in a Torta Rustica, Cornmeal Cake with Cream.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico 2004 12.8% alcohol about $21

I’ll start by quoting the marketing materials. “…A wine that would complement a veal chop or game birds, expect aromas of cranberry and cherry. On the palate, it should be round and ripe with enough tannin for balance.” As a point of interest, the label included the warning “contains sulphites” in ten languages.

I first tasted this wine with slow-cooked boneless beef ribs and potatoes accompanied by a spicy commercial Turkish salad. The wine was thick, loaded with plum and cherry flavors, and some tobacco. The tannins were moderate. Dessert was a cocoa cake whose label said strudel. The wine went well, its fruit really came out.

I next tasted the Chianti Classico with slow-cooked meat balls, cauliflower and chickpeas in a tomato sauce, and potato wedges. The wine was plumy and powerful, with very pleasant tannins, a little tobacco and a little earth. Just so you know, I’m not usually partial to tannins. The wine was so round that I enjoyed finishing the glass when the food was gone. No dessert this time.

I decided to follow the distributor’s suggestion and grilled a veal chop with a mixture of spices (minced onion, cayenne, and a bit of curry powder), accompanied by grilled eggplant slices with the same spices, and a commercially prepared Turkish salad, based on red pepper and tomato. The wine bounced nicely off the delicious somewhat fat, somewhat rare meat. It didn’t add flavors of its own, but accompanied the food’s flavors excellently. It was powerful, but not overpowering.

As its name indicates, Pecorino Toscano cheese comes from Tuscany, where it has been made from sheep’s milk for thousands of years. The cheese is moderately strong smelling and has a complex nutty flavor. The wine was smooth and round and had a pleasant tinge of tobacco. Just for the record I am not a smoker. In the presence of Asiago cheese from the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy, the wine became more robust.

I remember when Chianti came in straw-covered bottles. In fact, I remember the bottles more than the wine itself. But times have changed. This Chianti Classico was excellent, quite deserving of its top-of-the-line DOCG classification and well worth the price.