Dormancy is an important part of the life cycle of the vine. All the nutrients are stored in the roots and once the vines start budding there are enough reserves to potentially grow into a strong vine with healthy berries.
In general, it is also a quiet time in the cellar and an ideal time to bottle. Very soon we will be bottling our next Revelation and our 2019 Chardonnay here at Mellasat Vineyards. Both wines are popular locally and overseas and we are looking forward to releasing these wines soon.
August is also a busy month filled with sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, where South Africa is doing well. The Springboks are playing Championship rugby against the All Blacks, and the Proteas are playing international cricket in Ireland and England during the month.
It is also Women’s month and the 9th August is Woman’s Day, whereas International Cabernet Sauvignon Day is celebrated on the 30th of August. Talking of Cabernet Sauvignon.
We were going through our Cemetery of Forgotten Wines and found older vintages of our premium wines. Forgotten or discovered!! They were certainly not forgotten as we always keep certain wines back for comparative assessment and to see how they would develop over the years. Let’s say that it’s always interesting to discover how well our premium wines mature with age!
Certain wines need to be stored and matured to achieve their peak, and maturing or aging wine is both a science and an art. A science, in that chemistry is the engine that drives the whole process. The individual reactions involved are well understood, predictable and clearly illustrate why proper storage is so important.
But it is also an art - wine composition is so diverse and complex; each bottle can react differently. Therefore, it can be difficult to predict the end result that aging will have on different wines. It can be just as tough to predict results among different vintages of the same wine. Taste is subjective - some people prefer aged wine for their secondary and tertiary flavours while others prefer younger wine for their primary fruit flavours.
As International Cabernet Sauvignon Day is celebrated this month we decided to make some wines available to you, our loyal fans. Many of our mature wines contain Cabernet Sauvignon which forma the backbone of such longevity.
We have some mixed cases of varietals that may include blends, however, should you only be interested in a specific wine from a specific vintage, we would suggest contacting Elzaan and she will gladly give you the pricing and quantities.
This month Gizelle’s taste buds are taking her to South West France as Pork Cassoulet is on the menu. We will be serving this dish the weekend of the 13th & 14th August 2022 from 11:00 – 15:00. Book today and enjoy Mellasat’s hospitality.
This dish works well with our White Pinotage as well as any of our red wines. The price for two people including a bottle of our Dekker’s Valley range is R425.00
Please let us know of any dietary requirements. Children are welcome as we have something for the little ones. A small dessert menu will also be available.
For Museum wine specials click HERE
