Month: May 2022

South Africa we love sharing our Wines

Whirlwind travels continue showing our wines around our beautiful country. Currently typing this blog post I am sitting 35 000 feet above air on flight BA6412 to Johannesburg to present a wine evening in Pretoria at Pachas Restaurant.

In the cellar most of our red wines is finishing or has finished malolactic fermentation and is tucked away in the barrel cellar for maturation now. Perks of my job is to taste them from time to time and follow their development over time. 

We are planning our bottling of the Rikus Neethling Sauvignon blanc 2022 in the next few days also. Sauvignon blanc from our Elgin grapes blended with 10% Sauvignon blanc from Stellenbosch is sure to be a little block buster. In the near future we will also bringing out our first Grenache Rose from Breedekloof under the Rikus Neethling Wines labels. You being part of our journey will definitely be the first to know about this exciting release.

The past month was a real whirlwind, trips to Durban to attend the Buxton’s Wine Festival – thanks to Buxtons for some great orders and excited seeing the wines being available in KwaZulu Natal. Week spend in the Garden Route with Jo and Nick Lowe from The Grape Hustle is always a highlight and a hustle. Wine events held at Ile de Pain, Knysna, it was a fun evening with a new concept. Serving bite size courses and getting the audience to choose a Bizoe Wine to complete the pairing was interesting. Interesting choice was made and the people loved it and we loved Ile de Pains food also.

Barringtons Plettenberg Bay “Wine Wednesdays” is a weekly highlight in the lives of the Plettenberg Bay community. New wines, new estates and new faces each week at Barringtons make sure to schedule it into your plans when in Pletternberg Bay.

Nina’s Cafe in George, my good friend Wernhard van der Watt. Probably the restaurant I have mentioned most often in my blogs – there is a good reason for it, I won’t elaborate again, it’s time to experience it for yourself. Tell me if I am wrong but I am sure you won’t be disappointed. 

Like mentioned above on route to Pretoria and Harare Zimbabwe over the weekend for the Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe Wine Festival with the folks of Tamassa Trading – Looking forward crossing our borders again and giving you feedback soon.

Henriëtta

“Ou Hetta”

With mother’s day around the corner, how can we not write about Henrietta, the wine and the person? Mom, grandma and friend, an all in one, and so we describe the wine also named after Henrietta.

Bizoe Henrietta Semillon/Sauvignon blanc is the first wine made by Rikus that was released under the Bizoe label in 2008. Semillon/Sauvignon blanc also known as a Bordeaux White Blend, the wine has helped us to shape Bizoe Wines the way it is today. 

Semillon has always been the main cultivar of the Henrietta around 70% of the wine. Semillon would mature approximately 7 months in French Oak barrels before blended with Sauvignon blanc. Because the Semillon in the barrel undergoes natural fermentation and spend time in oak, some of the natural acidity goes missing in the process. Sauvignon blanc is the perfect blending partner to lift the natural acidity of the wine again. It thus prevent that I have to use commercial tartaric acid. I believe in making the wine as natural as possible.

After explaining the essence of how the wine is made, now the next question what has it to do with my mom. My mom, an all-round wonderful person and supporter of me, Estalet and our kids. A mom that will always be there to encourage, support and defend in our corner.  The Bizoe Henrietta is an all-round good wine that would please most of the pallets around world. 

Thanks you, Henrietta Neethling for the inspiration and guidance you gave us over the years and it’s only an honor to keep on naming one of our corner stone wine after you!

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