JOSHUA LAYTON
ATEQUILA sunset retreats from the skies over the vineyard as Ken Forrester unfurls his passion for wine in terms worthy of one of his acclaimed vintages. The seasoned winemaker travels the world as the figurehead of his award-winning brand, most noted for the elegant tang of his beloved chenin blanc, but is nowhere more at home than on his neatlyarranged country farm near Cape Town in South Africa’s coastal winelands.
There’s a touch of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or perhaps Charlie’s ageing dad and the vineyard cellar, as my tour group moves from the darkened vinerows by the Helderberg Mountains in the Stellenbosch region and into the tasting room on the aptly-titled Winery Road.
The farm and neighbouring guest house lie off a dusty highway far from Bordeaux or Tuscany but the cool sea breeze and warm days might as well be a blessing from the gods.
Our disarming host, who welcomes us inside with Sparklehorse Chenin Blanc Méthode Cap Classique at the door, has certainly made the most of the optimum growing conditions, with the wind blowing in off False Bay bestowing an invigorating crispness to his handcrafted blends.
“This climate, if you look around in the morning or you come off the plane you think about the fact you have cypress trees, you have stone pine trees and grapes, olives, tomatoes, basil, lavender, wild garlic growing outside,” says South Africa’s unofficial Mr Chenin Blanc.
“You think about where else in the world all of these things grow, they grow only in the south of France, in the Rhone Valley.
“This valley is defined by the World Meteorological Society as a Mediterranean climate.”
The ‘Sparklehorse’ tag was chosen by Ken after a walk on London’s South Bank when he chanced on a fairground carousel and was reminded of how chenin blanc keeps the nation’s winemaking industry turning.
Turning to a 2014
‘petit’ vintage of the wine, he explains: “We wanted it to have its very own identity, a bright, fresh wine which is apples, pears, quince. You can almost taste the crunchy green apples.”
Enterprising winemakers across the Western Cape have turned the region into a red, white and rosé powerhouse, rearing blends using traditional farming methods.
Ken Forrester Wines can be found across first, business and economy classes onboard Emirates Airline, which is hosting our visit to some of its partners in the region.
The airborne connoisseurs have invested more than US $700m in their wine programme since 2006, offering a changing on-board list sourced from 12 countries.
After two nights at the sedate guest house, the next stop on our week-long tour is Fairview Cheesery, a chic house of dairyland artistry fronted by flowers, vines and a spindly goats’ tower.
Fine wines and meats are also produced at the cheesery, a 35-minute drive from Ken’s House of Chenin Blanc.
Tasting sessions pair Fairview’s in-house cheeses and wines, producing exceptional combinations of taste, texture and afterglow, such as a sharp, clean and balanced Rose Quartz 2018 and an earthy, warm and intricatelytextured cut of cream cheese, tomato and herb.
It’s one of seven matches we try in a hall looking out to a garden on one side and an immaculate barrelling warehouse on the other.
Each cheese and wine has its own story, often resulting from years of tinkering with growing and production techniques.
End results, such as the fabulously soft and giving ‘Blue Tower’, can be wetted with an on-point glass or two by visitors.
A small shop offers the chance to take home larger portions.
The jet-setting superstar of South African wines is The Chocolate Block, a luscious, headstrong red made by Marc Kent’s Boekenhoutskloof brand, and a visit to his vineyard amid the rugged greenery and mountain slopes of the Franschoek Valley didn’t disappoint.
Marc is the award-winning managing partner and technical director, but tells us he almost had a different calling in life as an air force pilot before his entrepreneurial spirit led him to buy the farm at the age of 21 in 1993.
Based on the dark-skinned syrah grape, The Chocolate Block is among the much-lauded wines we try in the Liverpool fan’s mountainfacing tasting room decked with his memorabilia, including Star Wars figurines.
A terrace opens up views over the neatly-trained greeneries that form a wine-lover’s Wembley below.
Traditional production techniques and a self-sustaining
WASHINGTON DC’s iconic Dupont Circle Hotel is set to relaunch in the spring as part of The Doyle Collection, following a massive makeover that means it will be home to some of the US capital’s most sought-after rooftop suites.
Top billing goes to the 5,000sq ft two-bedroom Penthouse suite, complete with a spacious living and dining room area, plus a vast garden terrace with its own firepit and projector for al fresco film nights.
Perfectly located in the historic and political centre of the city, the glamorous Doyle Bar (formerly the Bar Dupont) will be the social hub for both visitors and residents alike. Doubles from $300 a night.
See thedoylecollection.com
MAKING its debut next May, Dakota Deluxe Manchester, inset, will be the fifth hotel in the awardwinning Dakota boutique hotel brand, a partnership between Evans Property Group and Malmaison founder Ken McCulloch.
Conveniently close to Piccadilly Station, the 137-room hotel will boast some of the largest rooms and suites in the city. Expect brasserie-style dishes in the stylish Grill. Doubles from £150 a night. See dakotahotels.co.uk
ROAD trip specialist Trek America has unveiled its 2019 brochure with a range of beer-focused itineraries.
Destinations will include the Pacific Coast with San Francisco, Portland and Seattle, the East Coast taking in New York City, Boston, Washington DC and Atlanta, and the Deep South visiting Graceland and Austin.
A spokesman said: “Beer buffs will get the opportunity to sample some of America’s best beers, as well as visiting some of the most famous US brands and soaking up the culture.”
Visit trekamerica.co.uk