{"id":8381,"date":"2017-08-15T16:38:27","date_gmt":"2017-08-15T14:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.melkkos-merlot.co.za\/af\/perdeberg-wines\/"},"modified":"2022-08-18T11:46:26","modified_gmt":"2022-08-18T09:46:26","slug":"perdeberg-wines-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.melkkos-merlot.co.za\/af\/perdeberg-wines-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Perdeberg wines, Paarl wine route, South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"

Taking the N1 north out of Cape Town is always a bit of a treat. Granted, the first few kilometres can be a challenge, with normally dense urban traffic raised to near chaos level by seemingly permanent road works. But then round about the 30km mark something magical happens \u2013 malls and suburbia make way for tranquil countryside with almost dizzying speed. In the distance the Du Toitskloof\u00a0mountains beckon with crystal blue skies overhead and the marvellous Paarl wine region at its feet.<\/p>\n

There are many fine producers in this premier South African wine appellation, but one of my favourites is in the Agter-Paarl. (Literally meaning \u2018behind\u2019 Paarl). Here, at the foot of the Paardeberg Mountain \u2013 named after the Cape zebra that once roamed the region \u2013 you\u2019ll find Perdeberg <\/a>Wines.<\/p>\n

Now if you\u2019ve ever cast an eye over the wine shelves of pretty much any South African supermarket, you\u2019re probably already familiar with the Perdeberg Classic Range and its charming zebra-inspired bottle design. It\u2019s one of my go-to everyday, easy-drinking wine choices \u2013 their Shiraz and Merlot especially putting in regular appearances at my winter dinner table.<\/p>\n

But Perdeberg<\/a>\u00a0Wines is about so much more than good-value everyday wines. Some years ago their focus expanded to also include premier wines, and the accolades are rolling in. A recent invite to come visit allowed me to taste just how special their wines are and see what they\u2019ve been up to.<\/p>\n

On arrival we were greeted with a glass Perdeberg M\u00e9thode Cap Classique bubbly. 100% Chenin, it\u00a0dances on the tongue with that typical biscuity finish I so love in a good bottle-fermented bubbly. Perdeberg are indeed masters of Chenin, producing numerous examples of this cultivar across all their\u00a0ranges.<\/p>\n

Tasting their top-tiered The Dry Land Collection Barrel Fermented 2015 Chenin<\/em> (a winner in the 2016 Standard Bank Top 10 Chenin Challenge) was a wonderful privilege. So too was tasting Chenin straight out of the barrel in their impressive barrel cellar. (Which incidentally you can rent for functions.)<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Perdeberg wines:<\/span> So much to offer \u2013 a lovely wedding venue, a conference venue, a party venue and… very fine wines.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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A lovely\u00a0five-course tasting menu (prepared by Two Chefs catering) followed. We feasted on butternut soup paired with Perdeberg\u2019s Vineyard Collection Grenache Blanc 2015<\/em>. I fell a little bit in love with this wine with its full peach and stone fruit nose and wonderful lingering fruity palate. Being part of their Vineyard Collection, this is a mid-tiered wine and currently retails online at R92 a bottle. It is very definitely on my white wine must-buy list.<\/p>\n

Next up was pan-fried rosemary-infused potato gnocchi with shitake mushrooms\u00a0and a sage beurre blanc. Yip folks, what can I say, I suffered much. It was paired with the award-winning The Dry Land Chenin<\/em> mentioned earlier.<\/p>\n

A very prolific grape, Chenin can be a nastly little beast when grown indiscriminately and treated without care. But when treated like a precious princess, this variety is a true gem and the Dry Land Chenin 2015 is a treat really worth putting your hand in your pocket for. Online price at time of publication is R114 and I consider this truly phenomenal value for a seriously premier wine. Christmas is coming and if you have white-wine lovers in your family \u2013 hint, hint\u2026<\/p>\n

Next up was ostrich and wild mushroom potpie\u00a0served with the Vineyard Collection Malbec 2015<\/em>. Yum. I no longer really had space, but it didn\u2019t matter because I couldn\u2019t refuse the\u00a0slow roasted lamb rib with garlic puree and salted caramel pumpkin fritter. Oy. The wine served with it \u2013 their Rex Equus 201<\/em>4 \u2013 all but blew my socks off. This is not really for sale and according to our charming hosts we were the first media crowd to get a taste of this incredibly complex red beauty. But it made the point rather forcefully that Perdeberg has now firmly established itself as a premier producer.<\/p>\n

The tasting menu ended with a white chocolate and pistachio mousse thingy with a citrus curd and other stuff. Honestly I was beyond noticing because I had had what my mum used to politely call an elegant sufficiency. But I did have space to appreciate the The Dry Land Collection Natural Sweet Chenin Blanc 2016<\/em> served with it. I didn\u2019t have to drive back to Cape Town. I was grateful.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the bottom line here?<\/strong> If you live in Cape Town or visit and are interested in a very wide range of truly fine wines at exceptional prices, Perdeberg<\/a>\u00a0Wines should be one of your stops. And if you don\u2019t live here and don\u2019t plan to visit, order onlin<\/a>e and discover a Paarl wine region treasure.<\/p>\n

FAST FACTS:<\/strong><\/p>\n