A PLACE TO CALL HOME THIS SUMMER
Clear blue skies, sprawling vineyards and an average temperature of 26 degrees Celcius… This and more make Stellenbosch a summer hotspot. But if you want to experience all the good without the rest of the world, you will find peace and privacy in our luxury lodges, situated on Aaldering Vineyards & Wines in Devon Valley. We have three guest houses that offer 5-star accommodation. And a home away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Start your day with a farm-style breakfast and end it with sundowners by the pool… So where are you going this summer?
COOL IN THE POOL
Our new sparkling swimming pool will help you beat the heat during your stay in our luxury lodges. Along with a chilled bottle of Aaldering Sauvignon Blanc, of course! Completed just in time for summer, this 26-metre pool has a rim flow and overlooks the dam. When you’re done lounging by the pool, you can continue the relaxation in the bubble tub. A sul-soothing escape indeed!
Y you should definitely try
The story of Aaldering (Lady) Y starts in Japan. And we have the president of our Japanese importer, Vinos Yamazaki, to thank for it.
Yuko Tanemoto saw our success with Aaldering Lady M – a Pinotage with intense fruit flavours and an elegant structure. She wanted a special wine for her birthday. So she made a trip to South Africa and together with our winemaker Guillaume they made a blend with her name on it.
In its second year now, the private label wine is based on our Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, which is barrel matured for 25 months.
Pulling corks at Prowein 2017
ProWein is highly regarded as the number one international trade fair for wines and spirits. The annual three-day event takes place in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Aaldering was 1 of 22 South African wines represented at the Wines of South Africa stand from 19 to 21 March. Madri Gerber and Gert-Jan Posthuma went along to introduce potential new importers to Aaldering’s latest vintages, which were very well received. They also used this opportunity to strengthen relationships with our current importers.
We’re looking forward to next year’s event!
ProWein attracts key decision makers from around the world. This year saw a record number of 58 500 visitors over 3 days.
Spotlight on Shiraz
Shiraz is our spiciest grape on the Aaldering Estate. It complements oriental dishes and a local favourite, roast pork belly. Try it with this recipe.
The 2013 vintage is the result of two different batches from the north and west-facing vineyards, blended together after a beautiful harvest. Rich with plenty concentration and a good combination of dark fruit and spice, you get aromas of dark cherry, raspberry, white pepper and cloves on the nose and a full structure on the palate.
The shiraz vineyards have now been divided into smaller sections that are managed separately due to differences in soil type, vigour and time of ripening. This ensures all our grapes are harvested as close as possible to the optimal ripeness levels, while each area receives individual attention.
Watch as our winemaker Guillaume Nell gets spicy.
A toast to ten years
This year, we’re toasting our 10th harvest at Aaldering Vineyards & Wines with a vintage worth celebrating.
The 2017 harvest started on 23 February – 11 days later than the 2016 vintage. Caught in the midst of the worst drought in 100 years, this has been our driest harvest yet. While we were blessed with the occasional drizzle towards the end, we did not have enough water to supplement irrigation.
On average, Stellenbosch was 20% cooler than last year. We experienced mild days and cool nights. In mid-February, usually the hottest month of the year, we had a few days where the temperature reached mid-thirties. These scorchers were followed by rather chilly evenings.
The Aaldering crop was as robust as last year with an increase in Shiraz. This was as a result of viticultural practices and is not vintage related. Despite the drought, the quality is expected the surpass that of 2016 and in some cases, even 2015.
Compared to last year, the red varieties have great colour, good concentration and softer tannins. The white varieties have good flavour. In the cellar, the available nutrients in the juice for the yeast was below average, but fermentations went smooth without any hiccups.
It’s safe to say that you can lift your glass, in good time, to an exceptional vintage from our 10th harvest.
Wine glam – presenting the 2nd edition of our wine magazine
The second edition of The South African Dream Wine Magazine has just been released. A magazine in which you will read about every little detail of our estate vineyards, the winemaking process, what to do when you are spending 24 hours in Stellenbosch, and The Big Five Delight to name a few examples.
The reason of our existence as a boutique winery is celebrated with the featuring of three top fine dining experiences. Starring The Test Kitchen in Cape Town, Trussardi alla Scala in Milan and Rijks Restaurant in Amsterdam. Mouthwatering stories and worthwhile a check on your bucket list.
Asiana Airlines hand selects Aaldering Estate Sauvignon Blanc
The Aaldering Estate Sauvignon Blanc is one of our hidden treasures and has just been selected by the wine committee of Asiana Airlines for their well-respected Asiana Airlines Business Class passengers.
So what is the secret to the success of our Sauvignon Blanc? Growing such a delicate variety in a valley mostly known for red wines is quite surprising. Our Sauvignon Blanc grows high up on the southwestern slopes of the estate at an altitude of 160m above sea level where soil temperatures can differ up to 5 degrees Celcius from our warmer sites. The vineyard overlooks False Bay where our prevailing summer wind comes from, and the exposure to the ocean offers us the wonderful cool-down effect which this variety craves to produce its delicate aromas.
Our vines offer a different flavour profile which includes grassy notes, bell pepper and riper tropical flavours. The majority of the grapes offer lovely Cape gooseberry, green fig, grapefruit and white pear flavours. The sophisticated wine making process results in a sublime gastronomic Sauvignon Blanc.
Just 1 night’s sleep away from a luxury retreat at the Aaldering Lodges
A calm overnight flight will get you from pretty much anywhere in the world to the magical Cape.
With the new season around the corner, you feel the energy in the streets of Cape Town and Stellenbosch. Wine tasting centres are opening up again and the restaurants are impressing with new seasonal menus. The whales are making their way back to the deep ocean and the shimmering coast line is starting to buzz again.
Our 3 luxury lodges are just been redone to guarantee you the ultimate 5 star luxury feel. Better book your plane ticket now and stay with us for a real Cape Winelands retreat!
A gum boot walk through our vineyards
After what has been an extremely long and dry summer (driest in a century) we had sporadic rain but luckily enough for our farm dam to start overflow during the second week of August. Our winter rains are treasured, as this is our only source of water.
We are now going into spring and temperatures are starting to rise gradually, even the Chardonnay started to bud here and there. Our season has officially started and even the bees are excited!
The flowers are awakening and slowly we shift our focus from the cellar to the vineyards, on our gum boots.
Aaldering CabMerlot showing its muscles in the award shows
Some great new awards have been received lately which we would like to share with you. The South African Wine Index (SAWI) awarded three of our beautiful wines. No less than a Platinum award went to our Pinotage and Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot. The Aaldering Estate Sauvignon Blanc won a shiny Grand Gold medal.
The Aaldering Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot 2012 is clearly showing its muscles in the recent awards and listings, and also in Japan this did not stay unnoticed. During the annual Sakura award show, judged by lady wine professionals only, our CabMerlot was chosen to be a Gold medal winner. It goes without saying that we are stoked with this news. For an updated overview on our accolades throughout the past years, please have a look at our accolades overview online.
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