Honouring May de Lencquesaing – Grande Dame of Glenelly

May de Lencquesaing received a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's International Wine Challenge (IWC) awards. Her career spanning over 40 years saw May de Lencquesaing or "La Genrale" as she was affectional known take over the reins in 1978 at famous Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Bordeaux and after a hugely successful tenure, she sold the Château to Champagne Louis Roederer in 2007 to concentrate on her new wine estate in South Africa.

It's such an exciting time for South Africa and we are so happy to be part of an international wine culture
where our wines are taken as seriously as the most revered wines in the world."
- May de Lencquesaing

May de Lencquesaing, always a pioneer, had visited South Africa several times and recognised the great potential to grow world-class wines with the right microclimate. With this belief, in 2003 aged 78, she started a new adventure on South African soil when she bought Glenelly Estate on the lower slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain in Stellenbosch. She replanted the former fruit farm to pristine vineyards, built a state-of-the-art winery, a tasting centre, a museum for her precious glass collection and a school for the children on the farm, and began producing a highly-acclaimed range of wines.

Congratulations Madame on this incredible achievement and we raise our glasses to salute your vision and tenacity.

Stellenbosch Wines shines in wine competitions

Stellenbosch Wine Routes is not known as the Wine Capital of South Africa for nothing. Our producers consistently perform well in competitions. Here is a round-up of our achievements for the last month or so ...

Stellenbosch takes Absa Top 10 Pinotage competition by storm

The Stellenbosch Wine Routes has again been singled out from its peers with no less than six of the 21st annual ABSA Top 10 Pinotage competition winners stemming from South Africa’s premier wine route.

The ABSA Top 10 Pinotage is South Africa’s biggest competition for producers of wine from this South African-developed variety that is now successfully grown around the world and the Stellenbosch wines that took this year’s contest by storm were:

Delheim Pinotage 2012
Flagstone Writer’s Block Single Vineyard 2015
Kanonkop 2012
Lanzerac Pionier 2014
Stellenbosch Vineyards Bushvine 2015
Niel Ellis Bottelary Hills 2015

In addition the Museum Class Award (for wines at least 10 years old) went to the Neil Ellis Vineyard Selection Jonkershoek Pinotage 2007.

"This achievement shows our passionate commitment to support this proudly South African varietal and we salute all our Top 10 Stellenbosch champs for flying the Pinotage flag high." says Stellenbosch Wine Routes Manager Elmarie Rabe.

Sommelier Selection 2017

Now in its third year, the Sommelier Selection is the first South African wine competition judged solely by a panel of South Africa's Top Sommeliers, in categories moulded around those of a "wine list".

The Sommeliers Selection is young, plugged-in and targeting the everyday wine drinker through new and innovative ways. Winning wines, referred to as "Listed Wines" will be listed on the sought-after Sommeliers Selection Wine List. This wine list will be distributed countrywide to trade and restaurants. Look out for:
Alto Wine Estate Alto Rouge 2015
Cavalli Wine & Stud Farm Cremello 2015
Flagstone Wines Dark Horse Shiraz 2014
Flagstone Wines Dragon Tree - CabSauv/Shiraz/Pinotage 2014
Flagstone Wines Truth Tree Pinotage 2016
Flagstone Wines Treaty Tree Reserve - SauvBlanc/Semillon 2016
Hartenberg Wine Estate Alchemy - Merlot/CabFranc/Malbec 2015
Idiom Shiraz Mourvèdre Viognier Blend 2010
Laibach Vineyards The Ladybird Red Organic 2015
Lothian Vineyards Pinot Noir 2016
Oldenburg Vineyards Syrah 2013
Spier Wines Creative Block 2 2016
Spier Wines 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2015
Villiera Wines Tradition Brut NV
Villiera Wines Jasmine 2017
Villiera Wines Domaine Grier Rosé 2016
Villiera Wines Domaine Grier Grenache 2014
Villiera Wines Tradition Brut NV

Novare Terroir Awards

The Novare SA Terroir Wine Awards honours the wines which truly portray South Africa's different wine growing areas. After receiving more than 320 entries for the 12th annual Novare SA Terroir Wine Awards, almost equal to last year's record entries, wines were tasted, judged and awarded. Click here for the results.

Bottelary Hills Winemakers Lunch (Sunday, 27 August and 19 November)

Bottelary Hills Pop Up Lunches pay homage to heritage fare! Chef George Jardine to enthral with traditional tastes and champion wines 28 May (Sold Out), 27 August (Sold out) & 19 November. Discover what makes fine country food and slow-crafted wine so special when you book a seat at this year's trio of Pop Up Lunches featuring the Stellenbosch wine route of Bottelary Hills and celebrated, chef George Jardine. To get your tickets for the November lunch go to www.wineroute.co.za (events / book online).

Other events along the Stellenbosch Wine Routes in August...

BLINK at Cavalli Wine Estate

The Cavalli Gallery in collaboration with the University of Stellenbosch’s Visual Art Department is proud to present BLINK. This exhibition will open on Sunday 23 July 2017, between the hours of 4pm & 6pm and will run until 3 September 2017. Exhibition curated by Amy Lyn Eveleigh.

Gallery Hours are Wednesday - Sunday 10h00 -18h00.
For more information please contact the gallery on gallery@cavalliestate.com or 021 855 3218.

Celebrate Women's Day at The Bakery @ Jordan (Wednesday, 9 August 2017)

Treat yourself or that special lady in your life at The Bakery at Jordan this year.
Duration: 3 Hours | Price From: R190.00 pp | Kids under 12 years: R65.00

Spoil her with our delicious high tea, comprising of a selection of savoury and sweet treats. A selection of meals will be available for the kids as well. Click here to book or contact The Bakery at 021 8813004.

Simonsig Vintage Day (Saturday 12 August 2017)

Taste the Simonsig Wine Icons of Yesteryear. Simonsig celebrates its fourth Vintage Day where wine-lovers will once again be given the rare opportunity to taste and buy of the estate’s older vintages. All tickets (R165) can be purchased through webtickets.co.za or at the Tasting Room.
For further information, contact Simonsig at 021 888 4912.

For more information on events in and around Stellenbosch, visit our website www.wineroute.co.za (events section) or contact the Stellenbosch Wine Routes Visitor Centre at 021 886 4310.

For more profiles, special offers, winter warmers or recommendations follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
    

The Stellenbosch Wine Routes promotes a logistics partnership with Aramex South Africa. Our #DeliveryUnlimited partner, Aramex, has a wide network of delivery solutions not only geared for the wine industry but also addressing local and international courier and logistics needs. We believe it will add value and have a positive impact on our members.

  
Until next time, cheers and keep warm!
The Stellenbosch Wine Routes team