“Wine farms may continue to offer wine tastings and sale of wine for off-site consumption during normal licensed hours.” @presidencyZA
We are grateful and pleased to be allowed to have both our tasting rooms open over the festive season. Pop in for a relaxed tasting at either our Wellington tasting room or at Bosman Hermanus in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus. We can guarantee beautiful surroundings, friendly service and, of course, a comprehensive range of excellent wines to match.
OPENING TIMES
Bosman Hermanus | Hemel-en-Aarde Vallei
Tuesday – Friday: 09h00 – 17h00 Saturday & Sunday: 10h00 – 16h00 Monday: CLOSED Public & Religious holidays: Closed
Bosman Wines | Wellington
Monday – Saturday: 10h00 – 16h00 Sunday: CLOSED Public & Religious holidays: Closed
GRATITUDE
If there’s one thing 2020 has taught us – it is to slow down and appreciate the exquisite beauty of an ordinary day. As you can tell we are filled with gratitude. Thanks to the loyalty shown by you, we have managed to keep our doors open despite the rigours imposed on the local wine industry.
There is so much to look forward to in December: limited edition wines, including the much-loved favourites Pinot Gris and Weisser Riesling; Oysters and Bubbles at the Frame House in Hermanus over Christmas; and of course spectacularly curated Bosman Wine Club selections to keep your wine racks full.
Now with all that in mind, let us help you make this the best summer ever. Avoid the queues and shop with us for convenient home or office deliveries. Place orders before the 18th of December to ensure on time delivery.
LOVE GIFTING?
Pay it forward and send your loved ones a R100 online voucher, just to show you are thinking of them. Easy to redeem online, and including a gift card with their name and special mesage from you, this is a painless way to send someone special a treat.
Email marelie@bosmanwines.com with the following details: the person’s name; email address and a personal message from you. We will then send them the gift voucher on your behalf.
Please note: only a single message will be sent, this is not a marketing ploy.
TOWERBOS
So we all know blueberries are a super food right? But did you know we grow blueberries on the Bosman farm? On the cool valley floor, in between the vineyards, we have planted rows and rows of this magical berry, and most of our harvest is exported.
However, Corlea saved some of these berries and distilled them into what is traditionally considered to be an ‘eau de vie’. This French term means water of life, referring to the age old belief that these volatile spirits would lift the human spirit and prolong life.
So while we know these berries are packed with anti-oxidants, all we can say is that a shot of Towerbos will put a spring in your step and a twinkle in your eye. Serve it in a little glass as a digestif at the end of a meal, or add lemonade and a swizzle stick for an attractive cocktail. A great gift for a spirited human being.
SUSTAINABILITY IS OUR WATCHWORD
This year we started an ambitious project called The Integrated Sustainability Programme on the farm. We are proud of the many transformation projects that are flourishing including the crèche, aftercare programme and social clubs. But we realised we can do even better. So together with the farm community, we did an audit to see where we can devise additional projects that will meet the needs of our community and our environment.
For example, for several years now we have been taking out alien vegetation on the mountain slopes above our vineyards. Not only does the eradication of aliens encourage the regrowth of the indigenous fynbos, but taking out water guzzlers like blue gums and black wattle greatly improves water availability.
The new phase in our environmental sustainability plan is to step up the eradication of aliens by focussed clearing on a weekly basis. We have also purchased 23 goats who will be grazing this area. Not only do they eat the alien vegetation, but they spread fynbos seeds through their excrement and so encourage their growth.
A goatherd is employed to take care of the animals, and additional work will be generated for retired or under-employed workers who can chop up the aliens to sell as firewood and also to build furniture or jungle gyms for the farm children to play on.
This project is still in its beginning stages but there are great plans to develop hiking trails and mountain bike routes through the newly rehabilitated area and perhaps even a nursery where the farmworkers can propagate and sell fynbos seedlings.
Covid or not, the relentless cycle of seasons continues on the farm. While we managed to get all the grapes into the cellar before lockdown, Level 4 arrived just in time for us to start cutting “stokkies”.
“Stokkietyd” is the best time of year for many on the farm because that is when everyone gets to escape the cold and rain in the shelter of the Groenfontein Stoor, spending their days cutting long vines into “stokkies” ready for grafting onto rootstock.
Not even the social distancing rules and masks have dampened the jolly banter in the store.
EXPLORE THE HEMEL-EN-AARDE
Tired of being stuck at home with the kids? Bosman Hermanus is the perfect place to venture out and fill your lungs with fresh air and your souls with natural beauty.
The farm is open and you are welcome to drive up to us and enjoy a bracing walk in the pristine fynbos. The Koppie Trail is a gentle stroll up to a viewing site encompassing the spectacular Walker Bay; while the Wetland Trail is a longer undertaking that traverses a variety of terrains through kloofs, vineyards and interesting plant biomes.
Permits to walk are R50 for adults and R25 for children and include a 350ml bottle of water. Once you’ve completed the walk, you are very welcome to relax on the lawn for a while and enjoy a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
VISIT US IN WELLINGTON
Our tasting room in Wellington is also open from Monday – Thursday for wine sales only.
Why not make a weekend of it and book at our Bosman Vineyard Cottage or treat yourself to a night or two in the luxurious Andreas Guest House next door. Bosman Wine Club members qualify for a special discount of 30% off to stay at Andreas Guest House, renowned for its personal service and delicious breakfasts.
The Bovlei is well-known for its spectacular Mountain Bike trails. Take your pick from a wide variety of routes by browsing here. Hitch up your bike, pack in the family and head out to Bosman Family Vineyards for unforgettable weekend in a beautiful, safe and healthy environment.
CHENIN CHARGE
This time last year Corlea was wilting in the baking heat of Angers in the Loire Valley of France. You might remember she joined the Chenin Blanc Association on a trip there to attend the first ever Chenin Blanc International Congress.
This year, to celebrate International Chenin Blanc Day on 17 June, and to reach across barriers created by geographical distance and Covid isolation, Corlea reached out to Domaine Huet winemaker Sarah Hwang to reminisce about their visit and discuss the touch points between Chenins made on either side of the planet though with the same philosophy of heritage, sustainability and care of ancient vineyards and time honoured practices.
NEW IN STOCK
You might have not have noticed but the new 2018 vintage of our retro rock star Twyfeling Cinsaut has just been released. Reminder: 2017 vintage was awarded 5 stars in the Platter Guide and sold out weeks after that announcement. So it might be prudent to stock up now before the launch of this year’s Platter Guide.
Cinsaut was used to make the popular ‘vin ordinare’ in the 60s and 70s when it was known for its value-for-money quality. But ‘ordinary’ does not feature in Corlea’s vocabulary and instead she has championed this varietal, made from an organic single vineyard on the historic Twyfeling farm, creating a wine that holds the perfect balance between luscious fruit and savoury notes, exhibiting an elegance that is classic but definitely not old-fashioned. This is a wine to keep, a wine to celebrate, and even a wine to show off and impress.
We are really looking forward to seeing you again on the farm now that Lockdown rules are being phased out. While you are welcome to visit us by appointment, we cannot set a date for our Release Celebration yet, as large gatherings will be prohibited for some time.
We’ve had such fun at these celebrations, we definitely are planning to host one as soon as we can. One person in particular who is waiting impatiently for the next big day on the farm is Cheslin Lyne (35). He has been tending the Lelienfontein gardens now for several years, along with his father Manus. The two spend hours every day sweeping up the leaves that the majestic oaks shed with annoying regularity, weeding, pruning and nurturing the beautiful plants that create the lush haven we love. But when we host an event, Cheslin fills in as a parking attendant, making sure everyone gets a space and directing them towards the festivities. “I really enjoy helping the visitors and showing them where to go,” he says, “I can’t wait for the next Release Celebration, I have so much fun.”
Well we can’t wait either. So keep safe, keep sane and (hopefully) see you soon!
We’re nearing the end of the 2020 harvest and it’s been another cracker! Watch this brief clip of how it’s been going so far.
BOSMAN WINEMAKING FROM START TO FINISH | TOLD IN PICTURES
There is no single recipe for making wine. That said, there are a lot of well-known processes and techniques that produce the major styles of wine.
It all starts with picking grapes.
So, let’s walk through the actual process of winemaking from start to finish:
STEP 1: PICK GRAPES
All hands on deck: pickers, tractors, metres, presses, tanks; early mornings, long, hot afternoons; incentive, investment and ingenuity … everything working together at an unrelenting pace for the once-off chance to make the best wine we can with what nature has blessed us with this season.
STEP 2: PROCESSING THE GRAPES
After the grapes are picked, they’re delivered to the winery. Wine grapes are never washed. It would ruin the fruit-quality concentration! So that means we cannot blast them with pesticides, but rather nurture them naturally. Upon arrival at the cellar they are sorted to take out leaves, insects and even the odd chameleon. Then they are pressed and gently prodded into submission.
STEP 3: FERMENTATION
Once the grapes have been pressed they are inoculated with yeast and left to ferment in a variety of vessels usually stainless steel tanks, open cement tanks or the traditional wooden barrels.
White grapes are usually fermented without the skins to avoid potentially harsh tannins, while red grapes are fermented on their skins because the lovely dark ruby colour is extracted from these skins, and the tannins lend the structure to the wine.
STEP 4: THE ESSENTIAL PART OF WINEMAKING
So, once the grapes have been pressed, yeast is added to the juice to start fermentation. Imagine the original Pac-Man as a yeast cell gobbling up sugar cells and then giving off alcohol as a by – product. The more sugar our Pac-Man consumes, the more alcohol is released and the dryer the wine becomes.
STEP 5: PUMP OVERS AND PUNCH DOWNS!
While the wine is fermenting, carbon dioxide is released, which causes grape seeds and skins to rise to the surface to form a thick crusty layer.
Natasha, our winemaker, and her team control this by punching down the cap 3 times a day so that the skins remain in contact with the juice for maximum colour extraction.
She actually prefers “pump-overs” with our bolder wines like Adama Red (Shiraz) where juice from the bottom is gently poured over the top of the skins for the same effect.
STEP 6: CLARIFICATION
Once fermentation is complete, clarification begins. Clarification is the process in which solids such as dead yeast cells, tannins, and proteins are removed. These heavy particles sink to the bottom of the vessel so the wine is transferred or “racked” into a different vessel such as an oak barrel or a stainless steel tank.
STEP 7: WAITING AROUND
Finally, the wine moves into what the French call “élevage” which is really just a fancy way of saying “waiting around.” That said, a lot happens in the winery while we wait for the wine to mature into something great.
Wines go into barrels, bottles, or storage tanks. Some of our wines such as the ERFENIS and CABERNET SAUVIGNON will wait for five years before being released.
STEP 8: RACKED, TESTED & TASTED
…wines are racked, tested, tasted, stirred (lees stirring), and often blended together to create a final wine.
STEP 9: BOTTLING
Ageing and bottling is the final stage of the winemaking process. Our winemakers Corlea and Natasha have two options: bottle the wine right away; or give the wine additional ageing either in the bottle, stainless steel tanks or oak barrels. Ageing the wine in oak barrels will produce a smoother, rounder, and more vanilla flavoured wine. Steel tanks are commonly used for zesty white wines. After ageing, wines are bottled with either a cork or a screw cap, depending on the winemaker’s preference.
STEP 10: CONSUMING
That’s the best part
No explanation necessary.
WINE ENTHUSIAST MAGAZINE
Today, the pursuit of the greater good, especially in business, is not necessarily a given, but it’s one that rings louder and truer with each passing moment. Ahead, we shine a light on some of the successful strategies employed within South Africa’s wine industry.
Special thanks to @laurbuzzed & @wineenthusiast. Take a look at the recent article that appeared in the latest edition of Wine Enthusiast. Recognised as South Africa’s largest producer of Fairtrade wine, we are very proud to be able to generate funds for upliftment programmes on the farm and see the success of investing in people grow annually.
You should quickly spot the shiny blue crown cap of our newly released Pét-Nat in your shipment of wine. Only, it isn’t actually Pétillant Naturel this time. While the method of production is exactly the same, the wine ended up with more bubbles and therefore has to be called Méthode Ancestrale instead. The striking new packaging pays homage to the fields of proteas surrounding the vineyards in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde where the grapes for this wine are harvested, while the sparkling blue packaging reflects the sea and the sky between which these grapes grow.
Whatever we call it, this sparkling wine is made by bottling the wine before fermentation has finished, so the residual fermentation in the bottle causes the bubbles to be trapped inside.
This is a great wine to serve as an appetiser, and the little story of its production makes it all the more appealing.
Pet-Nat is what we should be drinking now as we stay home, enjoy our family and take a deep, grateful breath of fresh air. A few pantry staples thrown together will make a perfect match. This weekend I threw together some bottled beetroot, tinned sweetcorn, toasted nuts and a dollop of yoghurt – delicious!
Price: R150 Member Price: R135
COVID-19: RECOGNISING OUR RESPONSIBILITY
Following the President’s state address, we recognise that it’s our responsibility as an industry to take the COVID-19 precautionary measures extremely seriously, for the continued welfare of our guests & staff. We’ve put the following measures in place so that guests who choose to visit us can feel assured that they are as safe as possible from the potential risk of infection:
⟢ We urge all guests who have a) travelled to identified risk zones in the past 21 days b) who have had close or casual contact with someone infected with COVID-19 c) who have experienced symptoms congruent with COVID-19 to please postpone/cancel their bookings with us immediately.
⟢ All international guests will also be proactively contacted to reschedule or cancel their bookings.
⟢ Order forms and brochures offered to guests will be discarded after each use to avoid possible contamination.
⟢ We will continue to implement our existing, stringent hygiene protocols, & new safety measures have been added to mitigate further risk, including the immersion of all glassware, crockery & cutlery into scalding water prior to use.
⟢ Both tasting rooms are closed this week, subject to further notice, due to extra precautionary business measures.
⟢ We urge all guests and staff to follow the Control & Prevention protocols (no handshakes/hugging/touching of the face and practising frequent handwashing etc.)
⟢ Security at the farm’s entrance will monitor all visitors with a questionnaire.
⟢ Hand sanitizers at all entry points.
We’ll still be providing excellent customer service via phone, email, and live chat. Email | taste@bosmanwines.com, www.bosmanwines.com or call us at 021-873 3170, Monday to Friday 08h00‒17h00.
The online delivery service is recommended, however, the delivery process will be changed to ensure that couriers do not come within one meter of the receiver of the parcel. Handshakes and close contact of any kind will be limited. The receiver of the parcel will also not be required to sign the handheld device to update the proof of delivery. Instead, the receiver will be required to verbally confirm their full name to the courier who will enter it on the device. All couriers will be instructed to not hand any parcel directly to a customer, but instead place it in a desired area on the floor or a desk where the customer can pick it up from.
…AND TO END OFF ON A POSITIVE NOTE
Adam Appollis was the foreman on the farm in the 1930s and 40s. He was Oupa Jan Bosman’s right hand man. His daughter Mina, was Ouma Anna Bosman’s right hand lady. Together they made the most wonderful meals. They were famous for their jams made from the fruit of the farm, and their milk tarts were legendary. Mina’s granddaughter is Rita Andreas, who is involved in community development at local government. She often used to accompany her grandmother to work, and loved listening to Ouma Anna play the piano.
Ouma Anna, an accomplished pianist, always hoped her children would inherit her love of music but it was Rita who was inspired by Ouma Anna to take piano lessons.
Today Rita’s Bosman Adama choir is legendary, a fitting tribute to Ouma Anna.
Here is Christopher Kammies telling his story about the Bosman farm Choir under the leadership of Rita.
So far we can report a good harvest with a higher yield on the Wellington farm and good quality all round. Thankfully December and January were largely free of heatwaves which allowed the grapes to ripen slowly. When the searing temperatures arrived in February the grapes were ripe and ready for pressing.
We have a great team in the cellar, headed up by winemakers Corlea and Natasha. They and their dedicated team work very long hours to make sure the grapes get the best attention necessary to produce great wines.
We were happy to welcome again to the harvest Nero aficionado Salvatore Licciardi from Sicily. He has been instrumental in bringing out the very best in each vine. He loves to stroll through the vineyard chatting to the vines in his lilting language, watering, nurturing, encouraging. Salvo takes his work very seriously, and very passionately, and by this, he inspires us!
NERO AT THE SAFTA AWARDS
Have you managed to secure a bottle or two of our Nero yet? It is currently on several restaurant wine lists, but to be sure, you can find a bottle at your local Woolworths, our sole retail stockist. Or it’s easy and quick to buy online through our website; we offer free delivery for 12 bottles or more. Actor/filmmaker Thapelo Makoena, @mokoenalive, is doing a great job promoting the Nero in Johannesburg, so look out for him jamming with the glitterati. One such event was the recent 13th Annual South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) where Bosman Wines showcased Nero and Bosman Wine Club wines.
Thapelo came down to the farm to help us harvest the Nero grapes with his lovely wife Lesego. They bring their own unique flair to our team and loved the chance to get into the vineyards to snip off the big, succulent bunches and shiny black grapes. They also spent time in the cellar learning more about the winemaking process with Corlea and Natasha and jetted back to Jo-burg inspired and informed.
PICK UP YOUR HOLIDAY WINE IN HERMANUS
So if you are dreading the trek out to Hermanus for the holidays, why not take a different tack? Instead of cursing your way through the traffic, and trying to ignore your children’s “when are we going to get there?!” start your holiday the minute you leave home.
As you near Hermanus, take a left at the Karwyderskraal sign and stop off at Bosman Hermanus where your holiday wine order will be waiting along with a freshly brewed cup of coffee and an open field where your kids can stretch their legs. Make sure you get your order in 2 days in advance and we promise to take the hassle out of wine shopping this Easter.
BOSMAN NEAR YOU
A TREAT FOR KZN MEMBERS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY
The Beverly Hills Hotel will be hosting a wine pairing on Thursday, 4 April where the best of Bosman wines will be paired with a four course meal. We will be there to present the wines, and true to form, the Beverley Hills chefs will create interesting dishes that bring out the best in each wine.
The evening promises to be something really special so we hope you can join us.
We welcome small parties, couples and single guests. These events are very popular and reservations are essential – only confirmed on receipt of payment.
ABOUT BOSMAN WINES
THE BOSMAN FAMILY HAVE BEEN VINE GROWERS IN WELLINGTON FOR 8 GENERATIONS, THEIR PROUD HERITAGE FORMING THE BEDROCK FROM WHICH INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY ARE A NATURAL PROGRESSION.
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