It’s winter in the Cape Winelands, and the vineyards of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and the Swartland are bare of leaves. As the temperature drops and winter rains fill the soil for the upcoming growing season, it’s a time of rest for the vines. But this doesn’t mean rest for the winemakers who tend to them.
While the neatly trellised rows of Vitis vinifera get some well-deserved time off, the talented cellar masters of the Cape are hard at work transforming the 2024 harvest into memorable wines for the future. Despite this year's harvest being smaller than usual, the combination of a cold winter, excellent rainfall, and optimal growing conditions mean that winemakers anticipate the 2024 vintage to be exceptional for the Cape.
“We may have had a smaller yield, but we gained superb varietal expression, concentration, and perfect balances between sugar and acid,” commented Bertho van der Westhuizen, winemaker at the iconic Stellenbosch estate Alto.
“Focused, defined, concentrated, and balanced, the reds of the 2024 vintage summed up in four words,” adds Mark le Roux, cellarmaster at the nearby Waterford Estate.
“One of the many things I love about wine is its ability to capture both a moment in time and a sense of place,” enthuses Manuel Cabello, Operations Manager, and Sommelier at Ellerman House. “With the harvest now safely in the cellars, we want to share some of that excitement with both in-house guests and local wine lovers, which is why we are launching the Terroir Series this winter.”
The exclusive wine dinners will see three of South Africa’s leading winemakers host a one-of-a-kind wine and food experience in the striking Ellerman House Wine Gallery, which is home to a 9000-bottle collection of fine and rare wines from South Africa and abroad.
A hand-picked selection of the featured winemaker’s wines from the Ellerman House cellar will be paired with the cuisine of Ellerman House Head Chef Kieran Whyte.
Each dinner begins with drinks and canapés served (weather permitting) on the ocean-facing terrace of Ellerman House before guests move indoors to the Wine Gallery. Here, guests will enjoy a four-course dinner paired with selected wines from the featured cellar. With the winemaker on hand, diners can look forward to an informative and entertaining evening in the company of some of South Africa’s most respected wine personalities.
The Ellerman House Terroir Series dinners are limited to a maximum of 30 diners per evening and are priced at US$80 per person. The full line-up for the inaugural series includes:
22 August 2024: BlankBottle Winery
29 August 2024: Newton Johnson Vineyards
26 September 2024: Savage Wines
