Rory Shone and Jeanette Fox from Ninesprings Wine in Hitchin gave an excellent presentation of their South African wines at our tasting on 15 May...
The tasting started with a sparkling Chardonnay, Seidelberg MCC Brut (£13.00), made by the champagne method, and a lovely way to start the evening. Three more whites followed and all were well received. The Louis Nel Sauvignon Blanc (£11.00) was particularly good and had a lovely grass and apple aroma. Apparently it is nicknamed Fruit Bowl which was very apt. Three reds followed, all of which were enjoyed by the group. The Pinotage especially was a typical South African wine and Rory reckoned there was sunshine in every mouthful (but he was somewhat biased!). Another red was the Bizoe Estalet Syrah (£19.50); apparently the name Bizoe means kiss. The Bizoe was served with cheese and sausage both of which went really well with the wine and improved the experience of drinking it. A Du Toitskloof Hanepoot Jerepigo dessert wine (£11.50) then followed (Hanepoot is a grape variety of the Muscat family). The Hanepoot was really popular and a lot of people placed orders for this one. Last but not least was a Cape Ruby port style wine De Krans Cape Ruby (£13.00) so we all ended the evening feeling very mellow. A good time had by all!
Ninesprings provided sheets to enter a free draw, and one lucky group member, Sue Reeves, won a bottle of Hanepoot. It was a nice touch. There was also an opportunity for members to order wines and for those that missed the event, wines may be ordered online at www.ninespringswine.co.uk.