Brothers New Vintage Releases Now Available at Wine Concepts Country Wide

Very chuffed once again to have all of our latest wines (Legacy '13, Chardonnay Reserve '14 and Sauv Blanc '14) represented at Wine Concepts stores around the country.

Wine Concepts SA has boutique, specialist wine stores: Wine Concepts, Newlands, Cape Town, Wine Concepts Kloof Street Cape Town and Wine Concepts Blubird centre, Illovo in Jo'burg.

What I really enjoy about these guys is that they are all incredibly passionate, highly educated wine specialists (many Cape Wine Masters), and can advise one no matter what one's preference or knowledge of wine may be. What makes me particularly proud to have had my wines in their stores since my second vintage Legacy 2006 though, is that they don't stock any wines which they haven't scrutinise themselves in each of the three stores independently, prior to listing it amongst their magnificent range.

Brothers now at Cargill's Restaurant - Rondebosch

In line with my philosophic passion for wine and food, I only aim to see Brothers Wines listed in restaurants that I personally believe offer the same values, romance, passion for their food and service as I aim to create with my wines. Restaurants offering beautifully prepared food with only the freshest of ingredients, i.e, places we love to eat at.

With that said, I am pleased to say that Brothers Wines have just been listed at Cargill's Restaurant, Rondebosch for the first time, a restaurant owned and run by passionate Chef/Patron Joszka Nagy and his wife Vicki.

Cargill's is an intimate (max 8 tables), romantic and sophisticated restaurant, specialising in contemporary French cuisine. It has always boasted excellent service and attention to detail and unlike so many restaurants today has stood the test of time . 

See more..http://www.dining-out.co.za/md/Cargills/50

Act of Brotherly Love

Since writing this in a Brothers Wines Newsletter back in 2010, I have had numerous folk ask me for a copy. I have therefore decided to put the relevant segment online here for all to access bearing in mind the time of year. I hope you enjoy...

[What I'm referring to here, is Brotherly Love. I don’t mean in some soppy sense of the term, but rather in considering our siblings, both past and present. And it is with that in mind that I write to you, as an actual brother. Whether it be brother-to-brother or sister-to-brother, it’s irrelevant really. Some may not automatically consider one’s brother as their best mate, and that may be true. However there is a bond there that we cannot deny, and something that should endure no matter what, in the long-run at least. Leonardo DiCaprio said, “Brothers don't necessarily have to say anything to each other, they can sit in a room and be together and just be completely comfortable with each other.”

I was recently reminded of this fact when chatting to a mate, and fellow wine maker who happened to lose his brother some years ago, and in chatting about it I was moved by the emotion he showed. Having lost my brother too, far too early in our adult lives, I am well aware of how much of a void this forms, no matter how much one had or didn't have in common. As much as the name ‘Brothers Wines’ was a sentimental dedication to my boys, Dylan and Alex, and their incredible friendship overriding the niggles and irritations, it was with my own brother, Trevor, in mind too that I decided to call my winery ‘Brothers’. Dylan Thomas put it nicely into perspective for me when he wrote, “Last year it snowed too: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down and then we had tea.” That kind of sums it up for me.

And so, for those of you still fortunate enough to have brothers, and may or may not have thought about them much this past stressful year, for you it’s not too late to use this time of year to show them that you actually do give a damn. The ideal of course is to celebrate this reality together, but that may not always be possible for practical reasons... Therefore, why don't you give your brother two bottles of wine this Festive Season..

The idea here is that you pull the cork on one, at the most appropriate occasion, possibly around the fire with your brother after the rest of the family have all gone to bed, or perhaps shared with the entire family at Xmas. Just make it count! The second bottle, is a gift for them to decide when and how to reciprocate the gesture.]

I hope you make full use of the opportunity and have a Fantabulous Festive Season and a brilliant New Year!

Cheers!

Greg

Brothers Wines now proudly grace the wine list of the famous Chefs Warehouse, Cape Town

Highly acclaimed kitchen king, Liam Tomlin's restaurant, Chefs Warehouse, at Heritage Square on Bree Street in the heart of Cape Town’s foodie mecca (formerly home to Caveau), has recently invited Brothers Wines to grace their illustrious wine list. 

Irish-born chef and founder of the award-winning Banc Restaurant in Sydney, Australia, Liam has always had a knack for preparing extraordinary fare, and since moving to the Mother City has also been very involved in chef training.  However with the opening of his new restaurant he returns to more focused cooking, using techniques that first won him prestige and plenty of accolades back in Australia.

This small, relaxed restaurant is situated in a beautiful historical building (built in the 1780′s) is also home to the oldest surviving grape vine in the Southern Hemisphere, estimated to have been planted by the French Huguenots in 1770.  The kitchen serves up a selection of mainly tapas dishes which change daily.  These include options such as Rillette of Duck or Pork, Potted Shrimp or Crab, Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls and Duck Confit with Lentil Du Puy, Roasted Bone Marrow, Saffron Risotto, Squid Ink Calamari, Barbeque Pork Pancakes, Chicken Liver Parfait with Grape Chutney, BBQ Pork Ramen Soup, Pumpkin Soup with Pumpkin Fritters & Parmesan, Crayfish Tails amongst others.  The desserts include the likes of Warm Chocolate Fondant with Chocolate Sorbet, Baileys Coffee Parfait with Praline & Sabayon, Lemon Posset and Raspberries, Gorgonzola with Black Mission Figs and Caramelised Ginger.

The restaurant, a favourite amongst the Cape Peninsula’s unpretentiously knowledgeable foodie and wine world, marries its food offering with a careful selection of artisan beers, alcoholic ginger beer, locally made brandy and a hand-picked selection of top quality wines (now including Brothers Chardonnay Reserve).

Long-time fans of Liam’s prowess can experience from Chefs Warehouse the level of culinary quality that he’s famous for, whilst lingering in a modern, vibrant atmosphere, eating delectable food and socialising with good friends over a bottle or two of Brothers, whilst watching the man himself in action in the kitchen.

Tell the statuesque Monique, the manageress or Liam I sent you..

92 Bree Street | City Centre | Cape Town | +27 (0) 21 422 0128

Old Stithian Wine Makers - Wine Tasting Coming up..

Oldest Vine in the Southern Hemisphere

Just had lunch at the Chef's Warehouse next door to this with an old mate, and thought I'd get a little nostalgic, as this is after-all the oldest fruit bearing vine in the Southern Hemisphere (243 years old).  It was planted in 1771 in what is now Cape Town's Heritage Square next door to what used to be the Farmer's Market.  

It is believed to be a Crouchen Blanc, though for years thought to be a type of Riesling for some reason.  It originates from the Western Pyrenees of France (home to the angry Basque Separatists on the border of Spain, a beaut part of the world it must be said). It is suggested to have have arrived along with the French Huguenot settlers to the Cape at the time.  In France, the cultivar has been virtually wiped out due to downy and powdery mildew.

Despite its vintage this vine has thrived over the years, and remains un-watered, other than the Cape's annual Winter rains, and still flourishes, producing 20 litres of wine annually from its grapes.  This pic was taken in the middle of winter, hence its dormant stage.

Anyway, thought you should know..

2012 & 2013 Vintage Update

I have been neglecting my blogging obligations, and for that I apologise most profusely.  Thanks though, to those of you who've kept bugging me to get cracking again.  It’s encouraging to know.

I don't like to blog for the sake of blogging, as I know that time is precious and somewhat cluttered with information overload.  So, clearly I believe that you ought to know that the labels for the much anticipated Shiraz 2012 and Chardonnay Reserve 2013 (Naturally Fermented) are in the throes of production.  All going well, I hope to have the wine labelled by end June, just in time for the truly nasty part of Winter (just in-case you thought that you already had it bad..).  The new labels go back to the original, Highbuild, tactile finish, as opposed to the foiled and embossed labels of the past three years.  I have found this to be far better and more visibly striking on the shelf, warranting a desire to use one’s additional sense of touch (over and above the obvious – sight, nose and taste).  Perhaps I could patent this as being a 4D wine experience (patent pending..).

The Shiraz, is already 2.5 years matured, with 16 months in barrels and a further 12 months unwinding in the bottle.  The Naturally Fermented Chardonnay is, having been in the barrels for 9 months (mixture of new and 2nd fill) has been lingering in the cellar for a further 7 months, also to relax and unwind after the shock and horror of bottling. It's a bit like being woken up after a 16 month hibernation in a cocoon and poured unceremoniously into a small glass jar, corked, capped, slapped with clothes and packed cheek-by-jowl into a carton, with 11 other relations.  

More importantly, I don't like to release anything that I wouldn't be very keen to drink already myself, without lengthy decanting and/or mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.  A simple 'kiss' (sip) should be all that is required in order to get in the mood, and to simply want more, and more.. There's no poo-pooing the idea that this process of a simple 'first kiss’ in itself may be a form of 'foreplay', and may just lead to other less inhibited forms of 'social interaction'.  Keep it safe though and consensual.  However, some may find that the very first sip is merely enough to simply wish to sip some more (otherwise known as multiple-sips), to chat amongst splendiferous company, eat great food, ponder, debate - vigorously, resolve worldly conflicts or simply linger longer in a state of silent ecstasy.   It all works for me, and that’s what motivates me to make the wines that I do.  At the risk of sounding needy, my only further wish is that you continue to do so too, as I prefer to share my passions with people I like and respect.  One may equate it to going to the movies, eating in a good restaurant or travelling abroad alone; it’s just something that’s better done when one’s got someone great sitting beside you, to share.

So, watch this space, the new Shiraz and Chardonnay vintage releases are imminent..