Hello everybody, greetings from the Southeys Manukans!

It has been a couple of months since my last Newsletter in January, and since then, the 2010 harvest is mostly complete, Argus has come and gone, albeit very slowly for me, and there are only 85 days to the World Cup kick-off!

The Harvest has certainly not been an easy one, by all accounts, with some farms reporting serious crop shortages due to wind damage late last year, but most of the local fruit was safely picked before the recent heatwave.

A consensus would indicate lower than average yields, but good quality from the remaining fruit. We shall have to wait a few months for most of the results, though some 2010 wines will be making their way onto shelves from next month onwards.

We remain true to our “mantra” of not drinking the new vintage before Christmas – the 2009 Sauvignon Blancs are drinking so well now, and the quality 2008s and even 2007s will still be good for some time to come.

Meet the Winemaker Evening – Weds 24th March

Sorry about the short notice, but it is difficult to get hold of winemakers at this time of year. However, next week we will be hosting MAN VINTNERS This Brand is all about fun, and particularly over-delivering on quality at a remarkably friendly price.

I will let them describe themselves, as on their website:

About our team
Charles Back Lives in a cave on the hillside of Paarl Mountain with a ferocious band of wild goats. Owner/Cellarmaster of SPICE ROUTE WINES and FAIRVIEW, highly acclaimed winery and fine cheese maker extraordinaire. The guy behind the super success of the "Goats do Roam" wines.
Jose Conde Ex-graphic designer, reformed winemaking masochist. Born in the Year of the Rabbit in Independence, Missouri (USA). Speaks with funny accent (locals say.) Owner/Winemaker of STARK-CONDE WINES, a boutique family winery specializing in hand-crafted premium wines.
Tyrrel Myburgh Fifth generation farm boy, the youngest and possibly the most handsome. His philosophy degree comes in handy when cleaning tanks. A surfer at heart but too busy in the cellar to ever get his board wet. Owner/Winemaker of award-winning JOOSTENBERG WINES.
The Perdeberg Team Very serious bunch of grape growers based in the Perdeberg Hills in Paarl. Making wine is about growing grapes; these are the people that make it happen.


With a team and philosophy like that, I’m sure we are in for a most entertaining evening, and with the Shiraz scoring as high as 89/100 and the Cabernet Sauvignon scoring 88/100 in Wine Enthusiast Magazine, for well under R50pb, these are wines that are not only friendly on the palate, but on the pocket too!

And to keep the evening pocket-friendly, it will be a pizza/pasta evening, with a starter, followed by a pizza or pasta from the menu, cost R99pp incl service fee, and starts at 6.30 for 7.00pm. Booking is essential. Tel 087 808 2013 or 021 851 6060

Our April wine dinner will be with Kevin Grant of Ataraxia, and although Kevin only makes 3 wines, we will be tasting and comparing various vintages of those wines, including the 5* Chardonnay! That takes place on Weds 21st.

In the Wine Shop
Recent additions to our range include:
Splattered Toad Sauvignon Blanc R39 (From Cape Point Vineyards)
Trizanne Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon (Highly rated in Business Times recently)
Solo Viognier from Philip Costandius, ex-Cellar Master for Lourensford
De Trafford Merlot 2007
Raats Original Red Blend 2008
And of course, many more names and wines with which many of you are familiar.

Saturday Tastings
Our up-coming free Saturday morning tastings are as follows:
Mar 20th – Saronsberg & Beaumont
Mar 27th – Rupert & Rothschild and Stoneycroft
Apr 3rd – Elgin Vintners
Apr 10th – Waterkloof and Gabrielskloof
Apr 17th – Freedom Hill and Dornier
Apr 24th – Bilton

Please feel free to drop in, chat to the Farm’s representative, and enjoy a discount on the wines on promotion.

Cape Wine Academy
The next Introductory Course to be run at Manuka will begin on 10th May.
Please visit www.capewineacademy.co.za for further details.

We look forward to seeing you again in the not too distant future.
Best regards,
Stephen, Alison, Morné and Team Manuka!
087 808 2013 or 021 851 6060
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