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Wine News
Can you believe it’s the end of another year already? Busy in the vineyards (http://www.t..
2012 has already been extremely busy here on the southern-most tip of Africa. The year started w..
Here we are at the end of another year. It seems that although it has been a particularly chall..
Winter has been good on the Agulhas Plain (../agulhas-plain.htm) this year. Cold weather and amp..
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"If your vision does not scare you, it's not big enough."
ANGUS BUCHAN
August 2010 Newsletter 19-Aug-2010
Winter has been good on the Agulhas Plain
this year. Cold weather and ample rain is just what we need for nice
even bud bursts in the Spring which will contribute to producing
consistent, well-balanced wines.
We have been extremely busy with pruning the vineyards
and planting cover crops, like oats, for mulching. We did manage to
take a short break to stay in Sandrif and go climbing the spectacular
Wolfberg “cracks” in the Cedarberg.
World Cup fever had us watching football regularly for the first time and Francis even listened to it on the radio!
We
were also delighted to be able to introduce Holland supporters to The
Berrio wines at the Oranje camp at the Bergrivier Resort.
Pruning
In the vineyards we’re grafting Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon over an
existing Cabernet vineyard which will be in full production in a year
or two. We are thrilled with the quality of our cover crops – they’re
looking like they’ll make outstanding mulch!
Pruning grapevines is not difficult, but it’s hard work and very
important to ensure a good harvest. It takes years of shaping vines by
pruning them to make sure you’re able to maintain consistency of the
quality of the fruit and the productivity of the vine.
Find out more about this part of the winemaking process
2008 at its best
 Unfortunately the 2008 Weather Girl is ‘finito’ …but the good news is that the 2008 Sauvignon Blanc is at its best at the moment and we do have in stock. This vintage received 4 ½ Platter stars and Francis says it’s “drinking better than ever!”.
If you don’t have any – don’t stress - you can now order direct from us and we’ll have it delivered to your door. (Min. 2 cases/12 bottles). You can also order the imminent 2009 Weather Girl and Sauvignon Blanc now to ensure you don’t miss out!
In the cellar we’re busy blending the 2010 vintage of the Weather Girl and our Sauvignon Blanc, as well as the 2009 Shiraz which is tasting fantastic.
The 2009 Pinot Noir is just about ready for bottling and we’re excited
to see what you think of it as it has been an amazing challenge for us.
Wine, whales and more for you to do on the tip of Africa
Elsje (our right-hand-lady) had a great time staying over at De Hoop
recently. She took The Berrio to a tasting of local wines at the
restaurant. Elsje says it is absolutely stunning and worth a visit as
soon as you possibly can. It’s whale season, the whales are arriving
and De Hoop are having loads of specials. (And we’re on the wine list
of course ;)
De Hoop is considered the nursery of the Southern Right whales and is
truly magnificent. There are a lot of things to do and see there, in
fact there is an enormous amount to experience on the Agulhas Plein, so
take a look at a few we think are “must sees” for when you visit.
With the Elim Wine route at the top of the list of course.
Fish Escabeche
Pickled
fish is popular in South Africa and delicious with Sauvignon Blanc. So
seeing as The Berrio’s 2008 is so delectable at the moment we’re
sharing a recipe for a Malay version.
You can use any fresh fish but we recommend a yellow tail. Click here and enjoy!
The Berrio has passed its BWI (Biodiversity
Wine Initiative) audit for the 6th year in a row. The BWI is a
pioneering partnership between the South African wine industry and the
conservation sector. The goals are to minimise the further loss of
threatened natural habitat, and to contribute to sustainable wine
production, through the adoption of biodiversity guidelines by the
South African wine industry.
The Berrio wines have gone down a treat
in Sweden, Germany and Holland which we’re thrilled about! The Swedes
especially… they don’t seem to be able to get enough of our 2008
vintages.
Our wines were also enjoyed at The Burgundy restaurant in Hermanus by
a group of 15 restauranteurs and sommeliers, thanks to an event
organized by Great Grapes. We attended The Wine Show at the Coca Cola
dome in Johannesburg in June, and had a great weekend at the Hermanus Wine & Food Fair in Hermanus over the Womens Day weekend.
We’ll be tending the vines fastidiously over the next while; have The
Platter tasting for the year coming up in August, and are attending a
number of wine events we hope to see you at!
So, although the winter months have been very busy for The Berrio
wines, it seems we’re shifting to full steam ahead as we head towards
the warmer months.
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