The Cape
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A Wine Loft at the end of the world
The Cape. Once called The Stormy Cape because of the strong fast-moving currents, today re-baptised The Cape of Good Hope. Found at the foot of the famous Table Mountain,
In front of us, an immense glass and steel wall frames the entrance to the impressive wine store at the totally new hotel One&Only Cape Town. Bottles rise up over three levels, one of them reserved for tasting only! Kent Scheermeyer, sommelier in the hotel’s different restaurants, doesn’t stop for a minute: he knows all 600 wines listed off by heart (well almost!). A task that required months of thought to put the emphasis on different terroirs and regions. “We hope that our unique range will charm international visitors just as much as local clients” Kent points out excitedly. The result is there to be seen: an impressive collection of more than 5000 bottles. “We’ve put the emphasis on South African wines” Kent Scheermeyer clarified; indeed, 450 South African wines listed against 150 “overseas” wines. And, for some of them, their very first stop-off in the Cape! France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, USA, Chile, Argentina or Australia and New Zealand even are present on this dizzying list.
There’s no way we’re going to budge from this airy mezzanine, suspended between two floors of glass and bottles. A one-off invitation letting us explore over one hundred of the region’s vineyards, with all wines available by the glass - 50, 150 or 250ml - like the Three Bears, you can quench a little, medium or big thirst. We begin our tasting session with Kent in this Wine Loft with a Raats Chenin Blanc 2007 from the Stellenbosch region. I would have the opportunity to meet Bruwer Raats the next day, I love his fruity wines and will leave with a few bottles in my luggage! But Kent’s preferred choice of region is Swartland. So, I’d discover Chris Williams’ Foundry Viognier 2007 (who also makes Meerlust), Palladius 2007 and Sequillo white 2007 from Eben Sadie, one of South Africa’s most decorated producers who has been a major factor in South Africa’s wines moving up a notch. A traditionalist who also makes wine in Spain: the Dits del Terra in Priorat.
Meerlust, Vergelegen, Kanonkop, Warwick, Thelema, Eben Sadie’s Columella or Palladius will soon be familiar names to you, and you’ll undoubtedly be won over by vintages such as a Warwick Trilogy 1988 or Meerlust Rubicon 2003. Rare bottles sometimes come from wine stores and private cellars, or wines bought during the prestigious Cape Winemakers Guild auctions. A Château Latour 1986, Château Lafite 1979, Henschke Hill of Grace 2001 calmly sit on these glass shelves waiting for that Great Globetrotting Wine Lover (our GGWL), unless the occasion more simply deserves a Cheval Blanc 1985, also possible…!!!
But if you want to know a bit more, it’s possible to go off and meet the producers: private cellar visits followed by tastings are organised regularly. Just like signing up to a “Cape wines beginners course,” so you no longer waver over Merlots, Sauvignons and Cabernets. So there you go, you’re now ready to order: as many of these wines are available for sale, they can be delivered to your door! No more excuses for not putting together your South African wine cellar.
I leave this glass and bottle tour with sparkling eyes. A quick break at the Vista Bar: the panoramic view over Table Mountain, through eight metre high glass bays, is the ideal spot for a cocktail, our summer issue having given them pride of place. To the traditional Mojito, Daiquiri, Old Fashioned and Manhattan; you can add a touch of One&Only spice to remind us that the Spice Route, which passed through the Cape of Good Hope, isn’t very far away. Hence the Manhattan I picked while thinking of you is made like a smoked infused tea, with a shot of Kentucky Bourbon. Those sweet honey aromas on a bed of angel’s hair… Time stood still for a few moments; that’s better.
We have to make a decision now: dinner at Nobu (South Africa’s leading restaurant) or at Gordon Ramsay’s little brother’s highly rated restaurant (three stars) Maze? Maze and its little dishes, ok then. Ramsay and his side-kick Jason Atherton were wise to make the most of the incredible variety of local produce: I tried for the first time a Karan steak (local beef), Cape rock lobster, Kudu fillet (antelope for those of you who’ve forgotten) and Karoo lamb. This is a really unique culinary experience and, if you like, a tailor-made ten-course menu will be laid on, where each dish is matched with a wine. The setting for this foodie adventure is spot-on: comfortable, elegant and very Zen suites; the relaxing spa, doing lengths (necessary, as you can imagine) in the huge 350m2 pool will add to making your stay unforgettable, hopefully we’ve convinced you. Time to go off and explore this part of the world’s treasures: a choice of safaris in one of their national parks, a dip in the company of Boulders Beach’s penguin colony, without forgetting that famous Wine Route, to name just a few.
A palace’s unique character is also in the detail: I won’t leave you without highly recommending you listen to the hotel telephone’s on hold music (you don’t have to do it on a loop like me), a little marvel by Henri Dikongue, Wen te mba wenge. I’ll get it as soon as I get back. A few months later, with a glass of Thelema in my hand, listening to this piece (the whole album isn’t bad) is still the best way I’ve found of reliving a few minutes of this magnificent trip.
Patricia Lepic
Since you insist, a little practical info:
One&Only Cape Town is part of the luxury One&Only Resorts hotel chain.
+27 21 431 5800
The seasons are the other way round (southern hemisphere!) but your journey can be all year round without jet-lag from Europe. The currency is the Rand (1 Rand = 1 €).
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