Thys louw

Thys Louw has just spent a frosty Cape thys louw in the vineyards. I like to be involved in every aspect of the business.

There are too many ways of recognising a wine snob to mention in one brief column, but I think I have pretty much seen them all. Lord knows I might even be one. For what is a snob other than someone passing condescending opinions on the whims of others? In any event, the wine world is known for attracting self-appointed arbiters of taste and manner who loftily opine on all things to do with the modest fermented grape. One of my neighbours still — after 23 years of mostly agreeable friendship — refuses to accept that some Stellenbosch Bordeaux red blends deserve status as honouring the soul and spirit of the Medoc in terms of quality. Or the general impression South African wine critics have that Sauvignon Blanc is some kind of homogenous, one-trick pony.

Thys louw

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This includes a substantial range of white and red wines with eight different sauvignon blanc offerings, including a Noble Late Harvest. Things are becoming more selective in this regard. First, to add further impetus for entrants by getting wine sellers to stock the Michelangelo winners, thys louw, the producers of whom would take an increase in sales thys louw the nice warm feeling that comes with winning a medal.

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Diemersdal is the home of Thys Louw, seventh generation owner and winemaker of this historic family wine estate in Durbanville in the Western Cape of South Africa. Diemersdal blends the old and new worlds of winemaking. In pursuit of the award-winning red wines that give expression to the rich diversity of the terroir, they use traditional open fermenters to enhance the natural flavours and soften the tannins in our grapes. They take great care in choosing the barrels for each cultivar. For the white wines, they have a brand new state-of-the art winery where they adopt an approach of minimum intervention to conserve prominent varietal character. To continually produce unique wines, the winemakers pay meticulous attention to detail and spend time experimenting with new techniques, barrels and yeasts. This is a bold, leesy, spicy and concentrated wine that shows a touch of oak, flavours of quince and tropical fruit, some grape tannins and a smoky flourish. Intriguing stuff. This vibrant, classically styled Sauvignon Blanc presents a brilliant lemon-lime colour. The distinctive aromas support a wonderfully balanced palate, presenting purity of ripe fruit, coupled with a lingering harmonious finish.

Thys louw

We crossed the Loire River as the rain came. A surprisingly cool rain for summer, but very welcome after the past few weeks of blistering heat Europe had had to endure. Ahead, the village of Sancerre perched on a butte, just as it had been for centuries, looking over the undulating hills, slopes and valleys where 2 ha of vines, including the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world, pushed their verdant leaves forward to take-in the fresh wetness of the drizzle bucketing down from above. The aim was to immerse his winemaking team in Sancerre and Sauvignon Blanc, let this get into their heads and their soul, inspire them to further share Thys's fervour and devotion for the wines of this part of the world. Let them experience it and buy into the Diemersdal vision of making the best Sauvignon Blanc possible. Diemersdal's consultant on all aspects vinous, Dr Carien Coetzee, came along to handle technical details that required explaining. The Sancerre region is known as the "central vineyards" of the Loire Valley, not because it lies in the centre of this long river, but because Sancerre is pretty much in the very middle of France. In fact, if the country was a dart-board and you wanted a bull's eye, one would be aiming for Sancerre. The region is located north of the city of Nevers and 35 kilometers northeast of Bourges.

Putas torre pacheco

In any event, the wine world is known for attracting self-appointed arbiters of taste and manner who loftily opine on all things to do with the modest fermented grape. His father Tienie he describes as his anchor crediting his precise farming methods as one of his main inspirations, that and how he paved the way for Diemersdal getting into the volume wine market. Things are becoming more selective in this regard. Vineyards grow in cool Durbanville, with chilly south-easterly breezes a feature of the long summers and layers of Atlantic Ocean mist covering the region in spring and autumn. The Gauteng propagandists constantly claiming the superiority of Johannesburg and Pretoria in wine -buying terms were dealt a bloody nose recently. With an innovator like Louw at the helm of this important generational estate, the future does indeed look bright for South African wine. For what is a snob other than someone passing condescending opinions on the whims of others? And secondly, by aligning the competition with accessible outlets, the consumer is now able to easily access ranges of awarded wines that generally remain in some lofty realm of unapproachability. From the periphery this development is going to shake-up South African wine competitions, most who have rested on their laurels assuming wine producers deem the honour of recognition enough reason for entering a show. It has been interesting to note recent developments in the Michelangelo International Wine and Spirits Awards. Take it from us on the wine marketing side, the bang is going to have to bet bigger to get wineries spending the bucks on entries, parties and stickers. First, entries fees could see a fairly range-heavy producer forking out R30 on four local competitions. I sincerely believe in this approach and believe it to be major contribution to our wine quality. One of my neighbours still — after 23 years of mostly agreeable friendship — refuses to accept that some Stellenbosch Bordeaux red blends deserve status as honouring the soul and spirit of the Medoc in terms of quality. This undeniable commercial interest embedded in wine competitions makes me wonder why many shows are so slack in following through.

Thys Louw has just spent a frosty Cape morning in the vineyards. I like to be involved in every aspect of the business.

The kids each have to make their own barrel of wine, which they also have to oversee the design process of the label, as well as sell it themselves through the tasting room. Then a sense of adventure has taken us to the Winter Ferment, where we make a wine in July from sauvignon blanc juice frozen at harvest in February, leading to a wine with intense thiols and freshness. Lord knows I might even be one. And at the week-end SAA came on board, saying it is using the Michelangelo selection to choose wines for on-flight lists as well as in its lounges. Thys Louw, current winemaker and proprietor at Diemersdal, created the legacy of the Eight Rows. One of my neighbours still — after 23 years of mostly agreeable friendship — refuses to accept that some Stellenbosch Bordeaux red blends deserve status as honouring the soul and spirit of the Medoc in terms of quality. In any event, the wine world is known for attracting self-appointed arbiters of taste and manner who loftily opine on all things to do with the modest fermented grape. Each year my clients and I sit down and discuss the merits of entering wine competitions in general, and then go through the list of shows on offer before making a decision on which to enter. First, entries fees could see a fairly range-heavy producer forking out R30 on four local competitions. WoSA News. And secondly, by aligning the competition with accessible outlets, the consumer is now able to easily access ranges of awarded wines that generally remain in some lofty realm of unapproachability. New time for showtime, it is. So here we are, the first discussion of a wine from the vintage. As what to me is a defining Cape Sauvignon Blanc. If any.