Squish-squash!

Get knee-deep in grape juice and family fun at the 2012 Delheim Start of Harvest Festival to the tunes of a live jazz band. Gather from 12 noon on the shaded riverside lawns behind the historic Delheim cellar. Sumptuous picnics featuring gourmet fare can be pre-booked (menu here), while delicious snack foods such as beef fillet ciabattas, bratwurst hot dogs and chicken salad will be available on the day.

A competitive grape stomp relay event to be held at 3pm will entertain the adventurous (and doubtless amuse other guests) with prizes up for grabs to winners and grinners (team spirit champs).

Tickets will be restricted to the first 130 guests at R50 per adult (children under 18 free of charge); which includes entry to the festival area, live jazz, a glass of partially-fermented grape must, a traditional sweet mosbolletjie, a cellar tour at 12h30 and participation in the grape stomping competition. Picnic hampers can be pre-booked at R130 per adult and R65 per child, and takeaway foods, Delheim wines, soft drinks and coffee will be on offer throughout the day. Please note no BYO.

Vera Cruz Shiraz 2008                                                   4½ stars

Delheim Cabernet Sauvignon 2009                            4 stars

Delheim Shiraz 2008                                                     4 stars

Delheim Grand Reserve 2008                                      4½ stars

Delheim Spatzendreck Late Harvest 2010                 4 stars

Delheim Edelspatz Noble Late Harvest 2011            4½ stars

Delheim Merlot 2009                                                     3 stars

Delheim Pinotage 2010                                                  3½ stars

Delheim Chardonnay Sur Lie 2010                              4½ stars

Delheim Gewürztraminer 2010                                     4 stars

Delheim Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz                           3½ stars

Reg Holder has been appointed as winemaker at Delheim wine farm. Well-travelled and driven by a passion for terroir, Reg hails most recently from a five-year winemaking tenure at Neil Ellis Wines.

Having extensive experience of the Stellenbosch terroir, Reg is greatly enthused by the Simonsberg ward in which the Delheim vineyards reside. This, he feels, is ideally suited to classic cultivars; among them Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and his personal favourite, Shiraz – largely for its natural fruit and performance with minimal oak.

“Respecting the terroir and planting it to the right cultivar is a top priority,” Reg says. “Clearly expressing the region should be the ultimate goal of all activities, from vineyard management practices to choice of wood regime.”

“It’s critical to recognise that wine is a living thing. It will evolve long after bottling, and it must remain true to terroir, and unique.”

Wines with identity, Reg believes, are “South Africa’s real opportunity”, rather than a specific style or chosen cultivar. “If we stay true to the region and site with which we are charged, planting it to the right variety and handling it carefully, we are sure to create wines that are different and unique. With our incredible choice of top terroir, generic wines should not be considered a possibility.”

Reg is keen to experiment with lesser-known cultivars – such as Delheim’s popular Gewürztraminer; and looks forward to working with dessert wines made in “traditional style”. Methods and styles are likewise up for trial, in their ability to contribute to ultimate wine quality. The single proviso, Reg says, is that “the region remains clearly evident to the person holding the glass”.

Get  knee-deep in grape juice and family fun on Saturday 28 January at the 2012 Delheim Start of Harvest Festival!

Gather from 12 noon to the tunes of a live jazz band on the shaded lawns behind the historic  Delheim cellar. Sumptuous picnics featuring gourmet fare can be pre-booked,  while delicious snack foods such as ostrich panini and smoked salmon treats will be on offer at farm stalls throughout the day.

A competitive grape stomp relay event will be held at 3pm to entertain the adventurous (and doubtless amuse other guests) with fantastic prizes up for grabs to winners and grinners (team spirit champs).

Tickets will be restricted to 130 guests at R50 per adult, which includes a glass of  partially-fermented grape must and a traditional sweet mosbolletjie. Entry for children and to the grape stomp relay will be free.

Picnics are available at R130 per adult and R65 per child and takeaway foods will be on offer throughout the day. Bookings are essential, via restaurant@delheim.com, or telephone 021 888 4607.

Delheim is located on the Knorhoek Road off the R44, between Stellenbosch and Paarl.

Delheim will be open to the public for a mountain bike and trail run event on Sunday 20 November 2010. The annual Delheim MTB & Trail Run event is the single day of the year that runners and mountain bikers can access the vineyards and surrounds of our lovely farm, traversing a cross-section of the Greater Simonsberg Conservancy.

On offer on the route are panoramic views over the winelands as far as Table Mountain, challenging single-track biking trails on a 12km route – this can be attempted  twice to form a 24km route – and a less technical loop of 7km for social bikers and families. Both tracks will be open to trail runners, and prizes will be awarded to the winning bikers and runners on each route.

Registration opens at 7am at Delheim and the first ride starts at 8.30am. Entry fee is dependent on distance and entry time, ranging from R40 to R100. Prizes for category winners and lucky draws are on offer from Delheim estate; breakfast on-the-go can be bought at registration and lunch at the Delheim restaurant subject to bookings and availability – telephone 021 888 4607 or email restaurant@delheim.com.

A donation will be given in support of the Anna Foundation; a non-profit group for children living on farms. Among other initiatives, the foundation introduces underprivileged children to various sports, including mountain biking. Use of the equipment is incentivised (no read, no ride!) to encourage scholastic achievement.

For further information visit www.dirtopia.co.za, email theteam@dirtopia.co.za or phone the Dirtopia Trail Centre on 021 884 4752.

Delheim wine farm is situated on the Knorhoek Road, off the R44 between Stellenbosch and Paarl.

Indulge your romantic side with a full moon hike up Klapmustskop near Stellenbosch, and enjoy a picnic with breathtaking views clear across to Table Mountain.

Starting at the Dirtopia Trail Centre on the Delvera farm as the sun descends, the trail forms a 9.75 km circuit through the Greater Simonsberg Conservancy. En route are two rare finds uncovered in the process of alien vegetation clearing: the critically threatened Swartland Shale Renosterveld and an extremely rare tract of Breede River Yellowwood forest aged 300 years.

Hikers can pack their own snacks or pre-order a picnic to enjoy on the peak in full view of Table Mountain on clear days. Transfers are available to the halfway mark at the Pepper Tree, shortening the route to a little less than 5 km. The hikes are an annual series that enable the Sperling family, the owners of Delvera and the neighbouring Delheim farm, to “share the rare privilege” of the ecology that they love.

Pioneering members of the Greater Simonsberg Conservancy, Delheim is a Champion of the BWI, or Biodiversity & Wine Initiative, and is open to hikers and mountain bikers seven days a week, with entry via Dirtopia on the Delvera farm. Permits for the full moon hike, which must be pre-booked, are priced at R50 per adult and R20 per child; these including the shuttle service and a trail map.

Bookings can be made at the Dirtopia Trail Centre, telephone 021 884 4752 or email theteam@dirtopia.co.za. Picnics must be booked a minimum two days in advance; menus and further information can be found at www.dirtopia.co.za.

Accommodation for out-of-town hikers is available at the Oakleaf Lodge at Delvera; for bookings or enquiries telephone 082 809 987 or email info@oakleaflodge.co.za.

The 24^th of September will see en-masse gathering around the great South African braai, Ukosa or Chisa Nyama depending on culture of origin, all in the name of national pride; while at Delheim wine farm in Stellenbosch, the home-fires will burn throughout the week.

National Braai Day, or Heritage Day, is a call to all South Africans to stand together and celebrate the things that make us unique. At Delheim, the Garden restaurant will serve delicious lunchtime braai-kos (cuisine) from Monday September 19^th until Sunday September 25^th. The pinnacle of activities will take place on Braai Day itself, when live ambient music will play from 13h15. Clear views of Table Mountain (weather dependant of course!) will form a fitting backdrop to the proudly South African scene.

Those who haven’t done so are encouraged to visit the National Braai Day website and Facebook page: the latter offering lamb giveaways and other goodies throughout the week. Weekly bonus giveaways of 12-bottle cases of Delheim wines will reward lucky Facebook fans, while others will win tickets to the National Braai Day event at the farm.

Those who’d rather not take the chance of entering the draw are invited to book at restaurant@delheim.com, or phone 021 888 4607. Tickets for the day are priced at R150 per head, while the standard braai lunch menu will be R130 per head.

The three course braai-kos menu starts with a choice of grilled brown mushrooms stuffed with garlic and blue cheese, or smoked Weskus snoek pâté, and Delheim’s delicious freshly-baked farm bread. Mains will be a medley of a succulent braaied Karoo lamb chop, traditional boerewors, marinated chicken sosaties, chakalaka, salad and veg – potato and mealie of course – and what home-grown meal would be complete without koeksisters for dessert?

Phone 021 888 4607 or e-mail restaurant@delheim .com to book.

A fire in Kayamandi near Stellenbosch claimed ten informal settlements on Women’s Day, leaving the occupants destitute, so a decision was  made to donate all the warm and colourful blankets we gathered after the benefit performance of Misa Criolla in Delheim’s cellar to these unfortunate people.  We received the following letter from Nina Landman:

Dear Nora and team ~ Thank you for another  wonderful evening Delheim! I am very aware of the months of advance planning and tension associated with such a function.  Your continued  support  helps us to make a difference to many lives in our community. The photos were taken in Kayamandi. Ten shacks burned down and the people lost everything. There was much gratitude! Love, Nina

“It is in the nature of human beings to yearn for freedom, equality and dignity.  If we accept that others have a right to peace and happiness equal to our own, do we not have a responsibility to help those in need?” ~ asks the die Dalai Lama.

So many, many thanks to all those who contributed towards this very worthwhile cause!

From http://www.nederburgauction.co.za/ : Limited speciality wines to open Saturday’s bidding floor at 37th Nederburg Auction posted on July 12th, 2011  

Some are there because of their age; others because of their sense of occasion. Whatever the reason for their extraordinariness, you’ll find a piece of bottled exceptionality in this year’s Nederburg Auction Private Collection category, which opens the second day’s bidding at this year’s event on September 16 and 17 at Nederburg in Paarl.

Introduced for the first time, the Private Collection category serves to accommodate exceptional wines that are available in extremely small quantities, from producers who have literally been treasuring their last few bottles for an event such as this. “Each wine included in this year’s selection of 14 items has an original story to tell that enhances the rarity, uniqueness and collectability of these wines”; says Nederburg Auction business manager Dalene Steyn.

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Dalene concludes; “Buyers who bid on the Private Collection wines at the start of the Saturday auction on September 17 will not  only be buying a special wine – they will also be purchasing their own special piece of bottled exclusivity.”

The complete list of this year’s Private Collection wines is included in the catalogue, available for electronic download on the auction website.

Delheim is offering an exclusive six-bottle wooden box of Grand Reserve 1984.  As the box cannot be opened without being damaged, and even we do not have a single bottle of this vintage to photograph, all we can offer is an image of the box itself!

Original tasting note by then-winemaker Kevin Arnold: “With the 1984 vintage having produced very rich and flavoursome Cabernets, one can expect this Grand Reserve, with the extra wood from the barrelling, to develop into a very good wine. It has the breeding from a good vintage, the spice from the Cabernet Franc and the longevity from the barrels to develop further still.”