Aaldering Successful Trio, This Year Awards in Review
We were very eager to see the results of our first year of participation in international wine competitions. In no small way, it represents a significant marker in how far we have come in the past year. And we are pleased to announce that the Aaldering Pinotage was just selected as Best South African Wine in the Japan Wine Challenge 2011!
If you missed some of the results, here is a review of all the awards won by the first vintage of Aaldering Shiraz, Pinotage, and Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot. |
Aaldering Pinotage 2007
Michelangelo International Wine Awards 2011
Japan Wine Challenge 2011
Aaldering Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot 2007
Top 100 South African Wines 2011
Mundus Vini 2011
International Wine & Spirit Competition 2011
Decanter World Wine Awards 2011
Aaldering Shiraz 2007
Decanter World Wine Awards 2011
Mundus Vini 2011
Michelangelo International Wine Awards 2011
|
Gold
Gold & Best South African Wine
Winner
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Silver
Silver
Silver |
| |
Blueprints of the new State-of-the-Art Aaldering Winemaking Facility
The latest development within Aaldering Vineyards & Wines is that we are in the process of building a State-of-the-Art winemaking facility. The existing Aaldering barrel cellar will be paired with a winery tailor-made for the Devon Valley estate. The winery will feature an intimate tasting room, opened daily to the public and overlooking the idyllic pond and vineyards. This will be the perfect atmosphere to get a taste of Aaldering Wines when you visit the Cape Winelands. Our winemaker Dustin Osborne expects the winery to be fully functional before the 2012 harvest in February.
|
|
Aaldering Press Lunch in South Africa
There it is, the Aaldering Chardonnay 2011. In the picture you see a glimpse of one of the first bottles as it was introduced to the elite of South African wine & lifestyle press at the award-winning restaurant The Greenhouse in Constantia, Cape Town this October.
Renowned Chef Peter Tempelhoff opened his restaurant exclusively for this lunch, and for the first course he perfectly paired the Aaldering Chardonnay 2011 with an herb crusted salmon trout, lovingly enhanced with a green apple & fennel marshmallow, citrus salad, and a vanilla-apple cream. Delicious!
This first crop of Aaldering Chardonnay was much appreciated for its delicate use of oak (7 months in second and third fill French oak barrels) and for its charming balance between its initial fresh, citric acidity and lingering taste of tropical fruit, nut, and butterscotch on the finish.
For pictures of the press lunch and the fierce putting contest on the breathtaking slopes of the Table Mountain at the Cellars-Hohenort prior to it, visit us on Facebook.
|
What is new on the second vintage back labels
You will now find a QR code (short for Quick Response code) on the Aaldering back labels. The two-dimensional code can be scanned with your smart-phone camera and gives you an immediate access to our website. Convenient when the bottle is on the table, you are enjoying the new vintage, and you long for more detailed information about the wines.
|
Aalder|din|ing: Aaldering Sommeliers Lunch at Librije’s Zusje in The Netherlands
On 31 October 2011 the first Aaldering Sommeliers Lunch was held at Librije’s Zusje. The restaurant owned by Jonnie and Therese Boer is situated in a former woman’s prison from the 18th century and also situates their boutique hotel. Oddly enough nowadays, both ladies & gents wish they could stay behind these bars forever! A group of 50 Dutch sommeliers were welcomed with a glass of the new Aaldering Chardonnay 2011 by Leontien Aaldering, responsible for Sales within the Netherlands.
After a nerve-wracking few seconds while the sommeliers tasted the first sip, we were much pleased with great compliments on the elegance and sophistication of the first vintage Chardonnay. Short speeches followed by Fons Aaldering, guest of honor Therese Boer, and key note speaker Edwin Raben.
Edwin presented the 5-course wine lunch. Looking back we still fondly remember the sensational mouth-feel of the phenomenally prepared ‘smient’ (local duck) with crispy quinoa, watercress & parsley root which paired perfectly with the seductive Aaldering Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot 2009.
The sommeliers were impressed with the quality of the red 2009 vintage wines which were only recently bottled. The wines were said to show even more elegance than the 2007 vintage and are expected to have an even greater aging potential. We are excited to watch the development of these wines and hopeful to have another success with the second vintage in the international competitions as well!
Another lunch extraordinaire, and we are looking forward to gather more Dutch Sommeliers with an interest in our wines at our next Sommeliers lunch early 2012.
 Go to Facebook to find all pictures of the Sommeliers Lunch at Librije's Zusje.
|
Calendar
For all people in the Dutch wine business: Do not forget to mark your calendars and meet us for a taste of Aaldering Wines at the 10th edition of The Wine Professional. Amsterdam RAI Exhibition Centre, January 9-11, 2012.
|
|
|
    |
| |
|
|
