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06 February, 2023
Summertime and the sipping is easy.
La Residence
The perfect wine pairing is not just about matching what’s in your glass with what’s on your plate. It’s also about selecting a wine that fits with the context, including the setting and the season. That’s something that our Group Beverage Manager Wayve Kolevsohn excels at. Her passion for picking the ideal wine for every moment includes helping our guests enjoy the perfect glass year-round.
Wayve has helped us build up a wine collection featuring over 300 labels and more than 6 000 bottles in our hotel cellars. With so many options, it can sometimes be difficult to decide which wine to enjoy. Fortunately, we’re always able to tap into Wayve’s knowledge. With warmer weather now very much here, we asked her for her recommendations for summer wines. Think crisp, refreshing white wines, lighter reds and rosé wines with hints of summer fruits.
To celebrate the start of our favourite season here in South Africa (and the ideal time to visit, if you’re looking to escape the northern hemisphere winter), we asked Wayve for her top summer wine picks for 2023.
Sit back, relax and let us pour you a glass…
Colmant Brut Reserve (MCC)
We’re proud to have this fresh, elegant, and sophisticated non-vintage Méthode Cap Classique as our house MCC. A blend of roughly equal amounts of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this is the perfect drink before, during and after an al fresco brunch or lunch at La Residence. With each release, this delicious sparkling wine seems to get better and better!
La Residence Rosemary Jane (Rosé)
To complement a stroll through our very own Syrah vineyards on the La Residence farm, enjoy a glass of a wine named after a member of the Biden Family. It’s bursting with orchard aromas of ripe red apples, as well as sunny afternoon strawberries, redcurrants, fresh summer herbs and a throwback to spring blossoms. Dry, refreshing, and medium bodied, this wine has a juicy acidity and an elegant creaminess. It goes particularly well with fish and shellfish.
2014 Naudé Grenache
Being able to purchase wines with the intention of ageing them until they’re at their optimal drinkability is a privilege we enjoy at all of our properties. One sip of this wine and you’ll see why we go to this trouble – and that when it comes to vintages, patience can be its own reward.
Recently added to our wine list, this 2014 Grenache is the maiden vintage of this wine made by Ian Naudé of Naudé Wines.
Derived from a single vineyard in the Agter-Paardeberg and fermented in smaller barrels, it has the most lovely balance of refreshing, juicy, red berry aromas combined with an intriguing sweet and savoury spice contrast.
The grape’s natural predisposition and careful ageing resulting in a surprising earthiness, and result in a really interesting and delicious wine.
Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse (White)
Despite being wonderfully complex, this white blend is very drinkable indeed. It’s made from Roussanne , Semillon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Clairette Blanche grapes sourced in The Swartland, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Ceres Plateau. As a proudly South African sommelier, Wayve especially enjoys introducing this wine to overseas guests who may be new to local white blends.
Whether you find yourself at The Silo, La Residence, Birkenhead House or Royal Malewane this summer, be sure to follow Wayve’s advice and enjoy the perfect glass as part of your perfect stay. You’ll find that our expertly curated wine lists feature bottles for every occasion and mood, from a sunny afternoon to a cooler evening, and from celebration to relaxation. Sadly you’re unlikely to have time during your stay to try every wine in our collection – but then that’s all the more reason to return to South Africa. Whatever you like best, we’ll keep a bottle ready for you at the perfect temperature.
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Franschhoek
Award-winning dining and breath-taking natural beauty in the gourmet capital of South Africa.
Winelands Wonders
Discover a valley that’s rich in vintage wines and motor cars, contemporary art and classic golf courses.
Spa Treatments
Lie back, relax and let time slip away in the care of our therapists as you enjoy your choice of revitalising treatments.
Franschhoek
Award-winning dining and breath-taking natural beauty in the gourmet capital of South Africa.
Winelands Wonders
Discover a valley that’s rich in vintage wines and motor cars, contemporary art and classic golf courses.