Elgin, the picturesque mountainous area 70
kilometres east of Cape Town, on the N2 to Port Elizabeth, was for a hundred
years known mainly for its apples. Then, about 25 years ago, the first vines
were planted, and today Elgin is regarded as a prime wine-growing area.
It is noted for its sauvignon blanc and
pinot noir, cool climate wines made from slow-ripening grapes, but the farmers
of Elgin have, of course, developed other cultivars as well.
One of the producers is a group called
Elgin Vintners, founded ten years ago by six farmers who have combined their
resources to make and market high quality wines. They are rejoicing now because
their first sauvignon blanc/semillon blend, a 2011 vintage called Elgin
Vintners The Century, has won the prized diamond status at the recent
Winemakers’ Choice Awards.
This wine, 65 percent sauvignon and 35
percent semillon, is described as having intense aromas of guava, jasmine and
peach, full on the palate with a silky finish.
It is dedicated to Douglas Moodie, an Elgin
pioneer who is now 100 years old. He is the father of Douglas Moodie, one of
the partners in Elgin Vintners, the others being Paul Wallace, a
viticulturalist of long experience, Derek Corder, James Rawbone-Viljoen, Max
Hahn and Rob Semple. Nicky Wallace, Paul’s wife, is the business manager.
The Moodies have various farming interests
called the Melsetter Group and presumably they are members of the Moodie family
who came from Scotland more than a century ago and established the town of
Melsetter (named after a place in the Orkney Islands) in eastern Zimbabwe.
Elgin Vintners produces nine different
wines, including chardonnay, viognier, merlot and pinot noir, and they have won
various awards. The wines are not cheap - cellar prices range from about R40 to
R120 a bottle - but they are all of top quality.
If you are in Cape Town, the 45-minute
drive to Elgin will take you to lovely scenery and lovely wines. It is best to phone Elgin Vintners first on
021 859 2779. – Michael Green
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