June 2016 • edition fivewww.sumaridge.co.za

GrapevineTHROUGH THE

As, anything but an expert in the field of viticulture andwinemaking, who happily admits to having no more relevantqualifications than a GSCE in agricultural science, and Alevels in biology and art, we asked co-owner HollyBellingham-Turner for her views.

When it comes to wine, whether it’s art or science is as much of a“chicken and egg” question as asking whether Leonardo da Vinciwas predominantly a scientist, or chiefly an artist.

From the moment land is identified as having the potential to growvines, to the day the wine finally goes into bottle, many an “raphy”and an “ology” come into play. Geography, topography,meteorology, geology, geomorphology and oenology. All goodwords for Scrabble! It’s probably why, the monks of Burgundycoined the seemingly simple word “terroir” to try to condense it all;but it’s a word that almost defines “je ne sais quoi” roughlytranslated as “a quality that defies description”. When the firstappellations of Burgundy, arguably the most famous wine growingregion in the world, were demarcated, no geologist would havesampled the soils – the monks just knew their land, its soils andfrom whence the wind blew. Hundreds of years later and 10,000kms away, it is this sense of place, and a complete empathy witheach varietal, that is pivotal to the wine making philosophy of ourEstate.

What is so important is one question.

What is it that you want your grapes to tell you? Wine never lies.

The cultivation of vines is again a recipe of science and art. Thereis a train of thought that for the vines to truly flourish they needpoor soil a case in point of “treat them mean to keep them keen.”It’s almost always true, that the poorer the topsoil the deeper theroots will burrow, all the while digging themselves deeper into oldermore inorganic ground.

The wine farmer must also take into account climatic conditions –particularly humidity and wind, and ensure that trellising optimisesshade while allowing photosynthesis and encouraging theoptimum yield – which is not the same thing as maximising crops.The risk of pests and disease must also be minimised. AtSumaridge, the use of pesticides is kept to a minimum; we preferour rather noisy guinea fowl to eat the bugs! Pruning is definitely anart. Like any experienced gardener, you must know how gentle orhow severe to be, and when to prune. Keeping it silly simple, anymore than dead heading roses in summer would lead to disaster.

Once harvest approaches, samples are taken and tested, but farmore significant is an empathy with the vines to know when to callthe harvest, and experienced hands, eyes and palette to sensewhen the grapes are ready “to come in”, and equally expert handsand eyes to hand pick the fruit.

When the grapes reach the cellar, both technology and virtuosityare needed. “The tank fermented wines must be kept at specifictemperatures which is pure science – but for those wines that arebarrel fermented, the art is in choosing what French oak barrels tobuy from which coopers and what wines to put into which barrels.New barrels or “pre-loved”? Medium or lightly toasted? And forhow long? After that; making the wine is a whole other story! Tome, that’s neither science nor art - it’s down to the alchemy of ourwinemakers.

I have found myself completely unable to answer, what seemssuch a simple question. I can only quote Leonardo da Vinci,himself a winemaker:“The discovery of a good wine is increasingly better formankind than the discovery of a new star.”

Is wine art or science?

Smoked Salmon Tortellini with

Horse Radish Yoghurt, Celery

Emulsion and Truffle Oil

We asked Anton to pair a special dish with Maritimus...

Always a delicious wine with fish and seafood.

The ingredients are simple, but to make your own perfect pastatakes a bit of time and quite a lot of effort!

The pasta:

• 4 large whole eggs plus 2 large egg yolks

• 500 gr “oo” flour

The filling

• 500 gr finely chopped smoked salmon seasoned with whitepepper and celery salt.

The horseradish yogurt

• 500 mls yogurt

• 5 tbsp creamed horseradish

The celery emulsion

• A bunch of celery - diced (chop the leaves and keep themaside for garnish)

• 1 small onion - diced

• 2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped

• 150 mls of single cream

• 100 mls of water

• 1 tsp celery salt

• 1 tbsp oil.

Garnish

• Celery leaves

• Truffle oil

• Salmon caviar or chopped smoked salmon

Ingredients:

The simplest thing is to make the dough in a food processor.

Throw all the ingredients in together, and mix it until it lookslike breadcrumbs.

Tip the mixture on to a work surface and bring the doughtogether into one lump, using your hands.

You then need to knead and work it with your hands todevelop the gluten in the flour. Pretend you are angry with it!Push it, pull it, slap it, stretch it and then do it all over againand again until the dough is silky smooth. Thoroughly wrap itin cling film and let it rest for half an hour or so.

While the pasta is resting, make the horseradish yogurt andprepare the vegetables for the celery emulsion.

If you don’t have a pasta machine (most Italian Mamas don’t!)you will need a long rolling pin. Don’t try to roll it all at once -roll it in batches on a lightly “oo” floured work surface.

The trick is to keep rolling it until it is thin enough to work with,which is very thin indeed. Italians say you should be able toread a newspaper through it!

Then, using a 100 mm cookie cutter, cut the pasta into circlesand place a spoonful of the chopped salmon into the centre ofeach one. Run your finger dipped in water around the edgeand Gently fold it over into a half moon. Draw the cornerstogether into a bonnet shape and press them tightly to seal.As you are working set each batch aside on a floured bakingsheet and cover with a lightly dampened tea towel to stopthem drying out.

To cook the tortellini, bring a large pan of lightly salted water tothe boil and gently drop them in to boil for three to fourminutes.

To make the celery emulsion, sweat the onions and garlic inthe oil until they are translucent. Add the celery and fry for oneminute. Add the cream and the water and allow to come tothe boil. Season with the celery salt and blend until smooth.Strain the emulsion through a fine sieve and season to taste.

Spread a little of the horseradish yogurt on a plate andallowing three as a starter or six for a main course, place thetortellini on top of the horseradish yogurt and pour over thecelery emulsion.

Garnish with finely chopped celery leaves, a few drops oftruffle oil and a sprinkling of salmon caviar or finely choppedsmoked salmon.

Method:

Fisherman’s Cottage Restaurant

The eponymous Fisherman’sCottage restaurant lies on thecorner of Harbour Road at theheart of the original old fishingvillage of Hermanus, a stone’sthrow from the picturesque OldHarbour. Some of the oldcottages, including the buildingthat houses the restaurant,date back to the mid 19thcentury.

Once calledHermanuspietersfontein, in 1906the appropriately namedpostmaster, Mr. Gift, thoughtthat that was too long to keepwriting out, and shortened thename to Hermanus, a namewhich has stuck for 110 years! There are many quirky storiesabout this wonderful andpicturesque little town on theunspoilt coast of the WesternCape. From a railway station thathas never seen a railway line - letalone a train, to the firstpoliceman who was deemed towork for the Post Office… luckilythen, as now, the people ofHermanus were, and are, prettylaw abiding! Hermanus also boasts theworld’s best land based whalewatching, and the world’s onlywhale crier. A post currently heldby whale enthusiast EricDavalah. The residents ofHermanus, and visitors alike,love the Southern Right whalesand resounding cheers can beheard when, usually in June, thefirst whales are first spotted backin Walker Bay, to breed one yearand calve the next, before their

long migration back to Antarcticwater.

The fishing industry moved tothe New Harbour in the early1950s. The New Harbour, to thewest of the centre of town, isalso home to NSRI Station 17,which receives a donation forevery bottle of Maritimus thatSumaridge produces and withwhich Sumaridge to proud tohave a close association.

The old harbour is now an openair museum, while the cragsabove it are a haven for dassies.Small, furry and cute, butcapable of giving a nasty nip –it’s difficult to believe its closestrelative is the African elephant!

While Hermanus has grown inrecent years, and enjoys aflourishing tourist industry, it hasretained its friendly villageatmosphere. In recent years,Harbour Road has reinventeditself and it, together with thelittle alleys and courtyardsleading from it, is thriving onceagain. It has become a magnetfor artists and galleries ofnational and internationalacclaim. It is also home toHemmingway’s Bookshop –another wonderful Hermanusinstitution.

Holly said “If I say I’m justnipping down to Harbour Road; Iwont be long. Simon raises hiseyebrows and parks himself in a‘man crèche’, knowing I may,like Captain Oates, be gone forsome time!”

Great art picks up where nature ends

Hermanus has a rich history as a hub foracclaimed artists working in a variety ofmediums, and is further establishing itselfon South Africa’s arts and culture mapwith the annual Hermanus FynArtsfestival which takes place in June and isnow in its fourth year. “FynArts" is a playon words, taking its name from thebeautiful and very diverse collection offynbos (pronounced f eɪ n b ɒ s) coveringthe mountains above the town.

FynArts offers an equally varied celebrationof visual arts, literature, music and award-winning food and wine, featuringinternationally acclaimed artists, from bothSouth Africa and internationallyand Sumaridge has been pleased tosupport this wonderful initiative since it’sinception in 2013.

Born 1958 in Rustenburg in the North WestProvince. Guy du Toit uses a wide range ofmedia in his sculptures. Sometimes

appearing irreverent he is undoubtedly oneof South Africa’s most accomplishedsculptors, happily turning his attention torevelling in form, concept and media fortheir own sakes. His series of huge rabbitslooked magnificent displayed around ourdam.

www.everard-read.co.za

Jono Dry, was born in Pretoria and nowlives in Cape Town. Jono was raised inHermanus, where he has lived, workedand exhibited for most of his younglife. Entirely self taught, his uniquephotorealistic-surrealist works are usuallycreated on a large scale, using graphite onpaper or board.

For further details and to see Jono’s workvisit Rossouw Modern in Hermanus

www.rossouwmodern.co.za

Shepherd Ndudzo was born in RusapeZimbabwe in 1978 and now lives inBotswana. Before attending a University ofSA visual arts course in 2000 he trainedunder his father, the acclaimed sculptorBarnabus Ndudzo. Working predominantlyin ironwood and stone, Shepherd hasacquired a loyal following, having exhibitedinternationally, and his works are nowfound in public and private collectionsacross the globe.

Examples of his work can be seen at theAbalone Gallery in Hermanus

www.abelonegallery.co.za

Holly said “Simon and I firmly believethat the future lies with young people,and we are very keen to encourageand promote a subject that is, all toooften, sidelined because of academicand other pressures on both studentsand teachers”. She went on “ We bothhope that this competition will becomean annual award embedded withinFynArts, an event that grows in staturein the South African Arts calendar yearon year.”

Holly’s mother, Violet, was anaccomplished water-colourist -receiving her first certificate from theRoyal Drawing Society in London at theage of six in 1926 . Vi' Bellingham waskeen to go to art college, but herparents disapproved. World War IIintervened and she became a WRENofficer instead. Painting remained alarge part of her life, and in later yearshad many solo exhibitions, with worksgoing into private collections as farafield as USA and Australia.

Holly’s sister Anne, was equally if notmore accomplished, particularly in thefield of textiles and design. Havingtaken her A levels (the equivalent ofmatriculation) aged 16, Anne wasoffered a place at the London school ofArt in 1966, but by law was not allowedto take up her place until she was 18.Anne took a year's internship with theQueen’s dress maker Norman Hartnell.Tragically Anne died of leukaemiabefore she could take up her place atcollege.

Art submitted for the competition will beexhibited in the tasting room atSumaridge over the period of FynArtsand the trophy will be presented onYouth Day.

So said Marc Chagall, and perhaps it’s the natural beauty of Hermanus that has encouragedmany artists to settle here.

Sumaridge was keen to consider something completely innovative for FynArts 2016, anddecided to promote a new competition for Grade 10 - 12 students from local schools.

The Violet and Anne Bellingham

memorial trophy for art.

Maritimus

As winemakers we don’t chopoff our own ears for inspirationbut use knowledge and skillsinstead.

Once understanding the sciencebehind the viticulture andvinification, winemakers use theirimagination and creative skills toform their own pieces of art thatultimately manifests in a bottle.

I truly believe that blending wineis the ultimate form of art in abottle and the Maritimus is aprime example of this:

Over years of observations andexperiments it was establishedthat the grapes grown on ancientgranite and more recent TableMountain sand stone soils, at thetop end of our Estate (Altitude:210m – 270m), have distinctivecharacteristics to the AtlanticOcean only 8km away.

Having a vision to create a pieceof art that truly reflects the beautyof the terroir and surroundings,Sumaridge gave birth to the

Maritimus, a blend between Sauvignon Blanc,Chardonnay and Semillon.

All grapes are handpicked early in the morningwith the mist, originating from the AtlanticOcean, still hanging in the air.

We ferment all components separately withspontaneous “wild” yeast, some in stainlesssteel tanks and others in French oak barrels.Batches are kept separate on its fermentationlees for three months.

Before blending we carefully taste each andevery barrel to ensure that only the best of allcomponents ultimately ends up in the blend.Once carefully blended the wine is matured foranother three months with fine lees throughwinter and then bottled in spring. After bottlingwe cellar the wine for at least a year before thepiece of art is ready for the market.

The wine shows poise and finesse distinguishedby an expansive mid palate weight and alingering lively finish. A serious maritime foodwine!!!

Get in touch with your inner artist and try ourMaritimus. Perhaps Van Gogh would never cutoff his own ear had he tasted the Maritimus!

‘ear ‘ear - it’s an art don’t you know...

We asked our winemaking right hand man Walter Pretorius to explainwhy Maritimus exemplifies art in a bottle... The simple answer is not from

supermarkets - but there are lots ofindependent wine merchants around theworld from whom Sumaridge wines canbe bought - and who can usually ensurequick and easy delivery.

While the wine making team look after “thesharp end” of viticulture and wine makingon the Estate, owners Simon Turner andhis wife Holly spearhead UK and NorthernEuropean sales. We asked them to explaintheir philosophy when it comes to sellingSumaridge Estate wines outside SouthAfrica.

“Sumaridge is, in volume terms, a verysmall cog in the very large wheel of wineproduction.” Says Simon, who likensSumaridge wines to a well tailored suit,and always says, “Our wines are handmade - not manufactured!” Hollycontinued “we are proud to be an Estatewhich is really just the equivalent of aBodega in Spain or a Chateau in France.All of our wines are hand made in the cellarfrom grapes grown on our farm, and theydeserve to be hand sold.”

“Viticulture may be at the romantic end offarming, but it’s farming all the same.”Says Simon, “Neither Holly or I come fromagricultural stock, but we have alwayslived in farming communities, and haveseen many of our farming friends haveproblems when they have become overreliant on one supermarket chain as theirprimary point of sale.”

“We saw, and see, selling throughsupermarkets as a quick fix that may notbe viable in the long term,” said Simonwho continued, “When we were luckyenough to be able to buy Sumaridge, wewanted to ensure that our wine saleswould be sustainable, and that loyalcustomers would be able to purchase ourwines for many years to come”. “It alsomeans that we can have a more flexibleapproach to which of our wines aredistributed where, according to local tasteand buying trends. It was an activedecision not to sell “on the high street” andit’s not one we regret.” We both very muchenjoy working with a network of specialistindependent wine merchants and wineclubs.” Endorsed Holly.

Wine, like many things, is subject tofashion, and the popularity of almost allvarietals ebbs and flows according to boththe season and trends. In the UK, theimport of poor quality mass manufacturedPinotage, lead to it becoming unpopular,but “we have seen a resurgence in itsfavour in recent years.” says Holly andgoes on “and while the film Sideways leadto A.B.C. - Anything But Chardonnay, theSouth African and International awards,Sumaridge Chardonnay continues to winhave ensured it is always highly soughtafter.”

“We export a container of wine to UK &Europe about every six weeks, and as theyare all packed on the Estate, it gives us theflexibility to load them according to ourclient’s requirements.

Since day one of us overseeing theimportation of our wines into the UK, wehave enjoyed close working relationshipswith various distributers, two of whom weknew of old, from buying their wines.”laughs Simon.

The Wine Company has a rich East AnglianHistory. George Wheeler joined the family'swine merchant business, established byhis uncle John Lay, in 1883

From 19th to 21st century, the Wheeler'straditional wine merchant firm hascontinued to evolve, reflecting the waypeople buy and enjoy wine. The family hastravelled the world, visiting premiervineyards for many decades, giving them a

rare and invaluable understanding of whatmakes excellent wine, as well as anappreciation for the best independentgrowers.

Richard, and his son Johnny, now run TheWine Company, and are the fifth and sixthgeneration of Wheeler family to do so.

In comparison to The Wine Company, BonCoeur Fine Wines is very young. It’s ultramodern premises, just 5 minutes awayfrom Scotch Corner, belie its traditionalvalues and approach to wine.Yorkshireman, James Goodhartestablished Bon Coeur 22 years ago.Family run by he and his wife Saantha, andnow employing 15 people, it has growninto one of the UK’s leading independentwine merchants.

Over the years the business has developeda loyal following amongst UK privateclients, as well as leading hotels andrestaurants.

It’s probably the most frequently asked question from guests at the cellar.

Where can we buy your wines

when we get home?

In the September edition of “Throughthe Grapevine” we will meet some ofthe Sumaridge importers anddistributers in Mainland Europe.

Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Hermanus, South Africa. Tel: 028 312 1097 GPS: -34° 22' 1.416" , 19° 15' 19.116"www.sumaridge.co.za

S u m a r i d g e E s t a t e W i n e C l u b

Become part of the Sumaridge Estate extended family and enjoy VIP service, exclusive offers reserved only for Members and free delivery

to your front door anywhere in South Africa. Our wines are delivered door to door, from our family to yours.

EARTHLY EXPRESSIONPORTRAYED TO HEAVENLY EFFECTS u m a r i d g e E s t a t e W i n e C l u b

Sumaridge Estate Wine Society

In January, Sumaridge launched its Wine Club for South African residents.Becoming a member is quite easy - all you have to do is complete a short formand commit to buying a minimum of two 12 bottle cases of our wines per annum.Benefits of membership include:

For further details, please contact Lisa Dunn, by giving her a call on: 028 312 1097 or emailing info@Sumaridge.co.za

■ Enjoying two cases of wine per year delivered, door to door, free of charge anywhere in South Africa.

■ Receiving a welcoming gift upon joining the club

■ VIP priority bookings for tastings, lunch and events at the cellar

■ Free group tastings for you and your guests at the cellar.

■ A 5% discount on cellar door prices

■ Complimentary access to Sumaridge Tastings throughout South Africa

■ Advance notice of new and limited releases

■ Exclusive Members only offers

■ Exclusive access to vinoteque stock

■ Invitations to member only meet the winemaker events.

■ News from the vineyard through our seasonal newsletter “Through theGrapevine”

■ Wine Concepts will host their 6th exclusiveChardonnay & Pinot Noir Celebration at thestunning The Vineyard Hotel, Cape Town on10th June. Guests will be treated to a fineselection of charming Chardonnay’s andpraise-worthy Pinot Noir’s! This popularannual festival gives wine lovers theopportunity to taste the best offering ofthese two varieties from the country’s topproducers. Tempting and delicious snackswill be served with the wine throughout theevening. See www.wineconcepts.co.za for furtherdetails.

■ Celebrating its 11thsuccessful year, crownedas Gauteng’s largestOyster Festival. TheOyster Wine & FoodFestival will take place atMontecasino from 10th -12th June. It is awonderful day out for visitors who can sit inthe warm Highveld sun and drink lovelywines and eat oysters. Seewww.tsogun.com/montecasino/whatson/events for further details.

■ Yet another opportunity for great oysters &wonderful wine will be over the weekend of4th-5th July. The Knysna Oyster Festival,probably one of the most popular annualevents in the Western Cape. It is is alsosomething of a celebration of the good lifeand sport and has taken place every year

since 1983. You could even let the train takethe strain! See www.oysterfestival.co.za forfurther details.

■ The much fêted JulietCullinan Standard BankWine Festival, returns toSummer Place, Hyde Parkon the 12th and 13th July2016. Now in its 26thyear, this event is uniquelytailored to showcase thewine industry’s premier names. For further details, seewww.julietcullinan.co.za

■ Regarded as the event of the year by manyof the wine-loving public, RMB WineX inPort Elizabeth from 28th -29th July and inBloemfontaian from 4th -5th August are theplaces to be to ‘sip ‘n savor’ premiumwines. For further details visit www.winex.co.za.

■ Billed as “The greatest show unearthed” anda glorious “pourformance” is awaiting winelovers in Pretoria from the 25th - 27thAugust at the Tops at Spar wineshow atMenlyn Park. Visit www.wineshow.co.za for details

Forthcoming Events

Over the coming months, before we produce the September edition of “Through the Grapevine”, if you cannot come to visit usat the cellar, there will be plenty of opportunity to meet “Team Sumaridge” at lots of great events throughout South Africa.