Tag Archives: South African Wine

Rovos Rail Bar Staff

A toast to our bartenders

All hail International Wine Day! In his departure speech, our CEO Rohan often jokes about how seriously we take drinking here at Rovos Rail so we thought we’d pour ourselves a glass of bubbly and tell you a little about the bar staff on board and how they can often be the toast of the train.

Operating a luxury product can come with some tough customers so, as we are not positioned to employ qualified sommeliers, we provide regular bar, wine and cocktail training for our bartenders and ensure they know about our incredible South African offerings. The two-year pandemic gave us pause to revisit our menus and include more local produce wherever possible. In the last decade, it has been wonderful to see young entrepreneurs creating interesting wines, spirits and mixers and, with South Africa being one of the top 10 traditional wine-producing countries in the world, we have a brilliant selection to choose from. See our wine and spirit stories below.

Preparation for each journey begins in our beverage store where a dedicated on-site team pre-packs the stock required on board. This includes wine, brandy, gin, rum, vodka, whisky, spirits, digestifs, grappa, liqueur, beer, cider, non-alcoholic options and mixers. The bartenders check, count and load the stock into cages, which are trolleyed to the train. Then it’s off to the kitchen store where they check out their glassware, swizzle sticks, olives, Maraschino cherries and all the other goodies they need, which are also trolleyed to the train. Once on board, they unload and pack the bars to their liking as it is their domain for the duration of the journey. When the guests arrive, the fun begins.

Out of our whole crew, the bartenders are the most recognised and sought after as they not only serve all the guests but sit up late into the night chatting away with them. They sometimes make long-lasting connections, especially on our long journeys. We’re fortunate that we haven’t had too many raucous parties but there have been many dawns met with strong coffees and Bloody Marys at breakfast.

Our teams work hard and deserve the lovely feedback they regularly receive about their service. During one of our recent video shoots, Tristan – one of our young barmen – happened to be available so we followed him around for a while. Listening to him talk about his passion for South African wine and our selection on board left an impression on us. To see a young man so eager to learn and do his job well, and leverage the education and opportunities received at Rovos Rail, feels hugely rewarding.

So, as it is International Wine Day – and our 35th birthday – let’s raise a glass to our stellar team and all the sommeliers, connoisseurs and winemakers around the world. Cheers!

Stories: Floral Rum, Rum, Vodka, Meerlust, Thelema, Hamilton Russell, Vagabond, Mr Bubbles, Silverthorn, Fable Mountain.

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Rovos Rail and the Hamilton Russell Chardonnay

Rovos Rail has enjoyed a long love affair with the Hamilton Russell Chardonnay and are proud of our happy relationship with the family and team. The superb dry white has been a firm favourite on our wine list since our early days and it has always been an incredible treat for our guests.

The plaudits keep coming in for their 2021 Chardonnay and we are delighted to be in a position where we can still serve this delicious wine on board all of our trips as well as our guesthouses. Especially on our Cape Town journey as the estate is not too from the Mother City and absolutely worth a visit!

It marks the 40th vintage of Chardonnay from one of South Africa’s most renowned estates with 2021 being an exceptional vintage for the farm. Owner Anthony Hamilton Russell is clearly excited about this wine: “Both the winemaker Emul Ross and I believe this to be the best vintage of Hamilton Russell Vineyards to date.”  

Considering how well Hamilton Russell wines do both locally and in the international marketplace, this is an impressive claim with those who have tried it believing it has all the hallmarks of an absolute classic. 

Back in 1975, successful advertising executive Tim Hamilton Russell (Anthony’s late father) bought 170 hectares of land (a former sheep and wheat farm) not far from Hermanus and planted the first vineyards in what was to become the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley ward (appellation) in 2009. 

Image courtesy of Hamilton Russell Vineyards

Hamilton Russell had been encouraged by his friend Dezso Pongracz (whose surname was given to the well-known MCC) to look outside of conventional wine-making areas in South Africa. Hamilton Russell senior himself believed that the southern location and cool climate of the area would produce excellent wines and this wine-making pioneer was soon proven correct. 

The estate is located only three kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean and the cool breezes that come from the ocean make this one of the coolest regions for wine production in South Africa. 

In the spirit of experimentation, Hamilton Russell senior made 11 wines from eight different wine varietals with the first harvest in 1981. But it was not only in wine-making that he was a forerunner. In an industry not renowned for its progressive politics at that time, Tim was a passionate advocate of minimum wages for Black workers and was a prime mover in the abolition of the “dop” system of paying wages in wine. In 1989, Hamilton Russell and four other Cape winemakers formed the Cape Winelands Commitment, which rejected apartheid and outlined improved farm employment practices. 

In 1991, his son Anthony Hamilton Russell, the current second generation owner, took over and purchased the property from his father in 1994.  Anthony and his wife Olive conducted extensive soil research and immediately changed the farm’s focus entirely to only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – ideally suited to the sunny but cool, maritime climate and the “stony, iron- and clay-rich shale derived soils” in Africa’s southern tip. 

Today there are 30 Ha of Chardonnay and 22 Ha of Pinot Noir vines, specialising in producing highly individual terroir driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay which are widely regarded as the best in South Africa and among the finest in the New World, and are available in restaurants and shops in more than 50 countries worldwide. 

While production is small, the impact on international and local markets has been significant.  Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay is different to most New World Chardonnays; low-vigour, stony, clay-rich soil and a cool maritime mesoclimate give rise to a tighter, drier, more complex mineral character and length to complement the varietal fruit. The yields are smaller and the wines perfectly express the terroir in which they were grown. 

The Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2021 was matured for nine months in a combination of 228- and 300-litre barrels, of which 26% were new, plus a small portion in foudre*. 2021 is regarded as a stellar vintage that was later and cooler than usual. The nose shows blossom, intense citrus and pear, subtle oak and a little smoky reduction while the palate has soft oak spice, well integrated creaminess, good fruit purity and bright natural acidity. 

It is a wine with classic Hamilton Russell Vineyards’ length and complexity – elegant, textured and intense with a strong personality of both place and vintage. This wine pairs wonderfully with poultry, fish and seafood served with creamy sauces. It’s ready to drink now but will get even better over the next few years. 

Anorak Facts

  • Alcohol: 13.40% 
  • Acid: 6.80 G/L 
  • Ph: 3.32 
  • Residual sugar: 1.90 G/L 
  • Barrel fermentation: 68% 228 litre, 26% 300 litre French oak barrels 
  • Foudre: 6% 
  • Barrel ageing: 9 Months 
  • 1st fill: 26% 2nd Fill: 32% 3rd Fill: 31% 4th Fill: 11% 
  • French coopers: 100% Francois Freres 
  • Yield: 2.35 tons/ha, 15.65 hl/ha 

* A foudre is a large wooden vat, popular in France’s Rhône Valley, significantly larger than typical oak barrels, often with the capacity to hold more than a 1000 litres of wine. Using a larger vat or barrel than a typical barrique means there is less wine to wood exposure and less obvious wood or oak flavours. 

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Rovos Rail and Mr Bubbles

South African sparkling wine and the name Pieter Ferreira, aka Mr Bubbles, are as synonymous as fish and chips, James Bond and a shaken martini and Rovos Rail and a world-class travel experience.

One of South Africa’s fastest growing wine categories, Cap Classique is the South African version of champagne with the wine made by the same “traditional method” used by the French whereby the second fermentation occurs in the bottle.

Pieter – who proudly carries the moniker “Bubbles” and who is chairman of the Cap Classique Producers Association (CCPA) – is considered by many to be the godfather and the guru of the local industry which he has helped elevate on an international stage.

He has been instrumental in cementing Graham Beck as one of the world’s leading producers of premium Cap Classique and has been with the estate since its maiden vintage in 1991. He recently became Graham Beck’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) after 32 years in charge of the cellar.

However, a life in wine wasn’t always on the cards for the ebullient Ferreira. The Durban born, self-confessed “surfer dude” loved science and also considered becoming a dentist.

However, rugby Springbok and South African wine pioneer Jan Boland Coetzee arranged for a young Pieter to work as an apprentice to Achim von Arnim at Clos Cabriere in Franschhoek. The rest, as they say, is history and Ferreira helped Von Arnim launch his Pierre Jourdan bubbly with Ferreira also working in Champagne: at Mumm in 1987 and at Moët & Chandon two years later.

Pieter and his wife Ann Ferreira started their boutique Cap Classique Pieter Ferreira label in 2012 with the first vintage released in 2019.

This new venture comes from their dogged pursuit of the perfect bubbly, striving to produce sparkling wine which showcases the very best expression of South African Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with their Blanc de Blancs, a 100% Pinot Noir Rosé and a blended Brut Vintage.

This 100% Chardonnay Cap Classique (Blanc de Blancs) 2015, currently being served by Rovos Rail, is sourced from carefully selected sites from the Robertson region, renowned for its rich limestone and weathered shale soils. The limestone content allows for an ideal platform for growing grapes with the acidic backbone and chemical composition required for the making of a perfect Cap Classique base wine.

A small portion of the base juice undergoes fermentation in French barrels. Once in bottle, it spent a minimum of 72 months on the lees.

Sip on a glass or two of the 2015 Pieter Ferreira Blanc de Blancs and you should pick up balanced flavours of citrus fruit and lime zest that are layered between notes of brioche and pastry combined with a vibrant mouth-feel with flavours of citrus, tropical fruits, honey and toast. It has a fine mousse and elegantly dry lingering finish.

Says Pieter, who happily admits that bubbles have consumed his life: “The beauty of Cap Classique is that it is uniquely South African. It will forever remain the better alternative for those who don’t want to do Champagne. There is a great amount of respect for Champagne but with our great weather and sunshine we will also always provide great value. I still believe it is the most ‘underrated’ wine category in the wine world.

“We’ve developed a uniquely New World style while remaining true to the essence, technique and tradition of champagne itself. Bubbly or Cap Classique has become a lifestyle drink and is not only there for celebrations anymore. A great glass of bubbly sets the tone for ‘what-ever-happens-next’! It is a great palate cleanser and makes for the best aperitif,” he explains.

Pieter says that bubbles are the most versatile wine for food pairing: “There is no right or wrong anymore. Bubbles have the ability to play the ‘enhancer’. My favourite pairings are Brut Blend – oysters on the rocks (anytime); Blanc de Blancs – fresh pan-seared fish with a beurre blanc sauce; Rosé – breast of duck (still moist and pink inside) with roasted vegetables and a matured Cap Classique– cheese board (mainly hard cheeses).”

We are so thrilled to welcome the Ferreira family to ours and look forward to serving this delicious bubbly on board our journeys.

2015 BLANC DE BLANCS ANAYLSIS

Alcohol: 12.59%vol; RS: 3.12g/l – Extra Brut; TA: 7.14g/l; pH: 3.17

ACCOLADES

2020 Platter’s South African Wine Guide Newcomer Winery of the Year

Platter’s 5-star for the current 2015 vintage

CE’s rating: 95/100

Without doubt, it’s the best Cap Classique I’ve tasted to date” – wine writerAngela Lloyd, January 2021

Both the Ferreira’s are at the top of the sparkling pyramid” – Madeleine Stenwreth MW, January 2021

“This is categorically the best bottle-fermented sparkling wine I’ve ever drunk from South Africa” – Christian Eedes in Wine Magazine, April 2019

Please note that items on our wine list and bar menus are subject to availability and might not always be available on board.

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