We’re halfway through 2021. That means there’s less than 6 months to go before Christmas arrives. We know; that’s a little random. But doesn’t it make you feel happy to think of Christmas?
The weather has certainly been a little frosty recently. So we thought we’d remind you of a few of the delicious treats available at our tasting room and restaurant… Our Soup & Samoosa combo, for example, is sure to warm you up from the inside. Read more about that below.
We stopped by the cellar to have a chat with winemaker, Christo Kotze, about what he’s been up to. Things are quieting down after a busy harvest season, so he had a little time to tell us about some of the exciting wines heading your way in 2022.
Don’t forget to read about our winter trading hours, our ever popular private tastings, and the special offer currently running at the tasting room.
Great wine wishes –
The La Vierge Team
Catching up with the cellar dweller
After the dust had settled on a rather eventful harvest season, the centre of activity moved from Babylon Farm to our cellar. It is here that we caught up with winemaker-extraordinaire, Christo Kotze, to find out what he’s been up to recently.
“Now that this year’s wines are all in barrels, things are a little quieter,” says Christo, “so I can now start blending the wines from last year’s harvest.” It might surprise you to know that there is a lot of cleaning and scrubbing involved before reaching this point… When wines from the previous vintage are taken out of the comfy homes (the barrels) they have been maturing in, these barrels have to be steamed, thoroughly cleaned with a high pressure hose, and dried properly before a new wine can be placed inside. It is therefore quite an operation when a new batch of wines enters the cellar.
But this new batch represents another opportunity to create something spectacular and it is evident that Christo is very excited about it. “The quality of the fruit that came into the cellar was really good. The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley experienced moderate temperatures that gave the grapes ample time to develop excellent character.” We pressed him for the juice (pun fully intended) on which wines to splash on next year when the new vintages are released. “It has been a fantastic year for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. These wines are going to be really special.”
We reckon, if most of the manual labour is done, the blending is surely the best part of the process. You get to taste the wines after all! “As a winemaker, you are always a little nervous to find out (a year later) if you did a good job with a wine you placed in a barrel 12 months before. But it is also very exciting to get closer to creating the final product.” The first order of business for Christo and his team will be to blend the new Anthelia Shiraz for the 2020 vintage. From there, it will be the Satyricon Sangiovese’s turn next. And in about 2-3 weeks the final versions of these wines will be decided on. Exciting times in the cellar!
“People who have come to like La Vierge wines are going to love the new vintages of their favourites. There’s some truly great wine heading their way,” says Christo. We bet you are as excited as we are to taste his new creations. Keep an eye on your inbox – we will keep you updated about every step of the process.
Tasty triangular treats
We might be slightly biased, but we reckon the person who thought of combining soup and samoosas in one glorious meal deserves a medal. The creamy deliciousness of soup combined with the crunchiness of a samoosa is a match made in winter comfort food heaven. We have three delicious soups for you to choose from and, naturally, a beef and vegetarian option for the samoosas.
Get two mugs of soup and six samoosas for only R145. The best value lunch with a spectacular view to match.
Bookings 028 313 2007.
Ooey-gooey cheesy deliciousness
Is there anything better than cheese? Surely not. Although, the sesame crusted brie served at B’Stro’s @ La Vierge is a seriously good upgrade to your average brie with crackers. There is something truly magical that happens when you deep fry it and the melted goodness tries to escape through the tiny cracks. Can you tell that we’re getting a little carried away? But why are we telling you about it? Come taste it for yourself!
Order sesame crusted brie with a bottle of Redemption Chardonnay for only R165. It’s the perfect accompaniment to sundowners, or just a tasty mid-afternoon snack.
Bookings 028 313 2007.
Chocolate lovers unite!
Now that we’ve made you sufficiently hungry with talk of soup, samoosas, and crunchy brie, how about some dessert? Whether you’ve never tried our Chocolate, Nougat and Wine Pairing, or you’ve enjoyed it 7 times before… It’s still fantastic!
Four beautifully handcrafted confectionary treats, paired with four beautiful wines. Watch yourself, because you might just fall in love! R80 / tasting.
Bookings 028 313 2007.
On the road again…
Covid has changed how we entertain and it has definitely placed a few limits on our movement. We’re all a little more careful about where we go, how many people are present, who we hug, and which surfaces we touch. That is why there has never been a better time for you to book our travelling private tastings.
With winter upon us, entertaining from the comfort of your home seems like a cozier option than going out. So we will bring the party to you. Book our fabulous tasting team (Barry and Ryno) and they will bring the tasting stock as well as wine to be sold on the evening with them.
Book them in advance on sales@lavierge.co.za. But hurry… When word starts to spread, these tastings quickly become extremely popular.
New Tasting Room Hours
During the winter our trading hours look slightly different. Make sure you don’t show up to find there’s no one here to pour you all your favourites.
Tasting Room Hours
Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 – 17:00 (Until the end of July.)
Closed on Mondays during the winter period – except during school holidays.
Remember, you can purchase all our wines easily and conveniently at lavierge.co.za.
Special Offer
If you plan to stop by our tasting room to stock up on a few of your favourites, make it worth your while. During June and July 2021, anyone who spends R700 or more at our Tasting Room will receive a bottle of Redemption Unwooded Chardonnay absolutely FREE.
For inquiries, get in touch on 028 313 0130.