WHAT ARE WE UP TO?

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 soul 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. Hitch up your bike, pack in the family and head out to Bosman Family Vineyards for an 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 through with the same philosophy of heritage, sustainability and care of ancient vineyards and time honoured practices.

NEW IN STOCK

You might 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.

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN…

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!

LET’S MAKE WINE: A PICTUR(-ESQUE) STORY

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.

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MéTHODE ANCESTRALE AKA PéT-NAT

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 sanitisers 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 not to 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 the local government. She often used to accompany her grandmother to work and loved listening to Ouma Anna plays 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.