Douglas Green’s little Chenin Blanc makes a big impression at Michelangelo

Douglas Green’s Vineyard Creations Chenin Blanc 2010 has confirmed its celebrity status winning a gold medal at the Michelangelo International Awards on Friday. It was joined by the Vineyard Creations Chardonnay 2010 making it a double whammy for Douglas Green’s white wines.

“The 2010 Chenin Blanc has quite a reputation,” says Douglas Green Oenologist Jaco Potgieter.”It has done us proud locally and internationally with a string of awards this year.”

“This is a charming unwooded wine with all that deliciously generous passion fruit, ripe melon, yellow apple and honeysuckle that you might expect of a Chenin Blanc from the Perdeberg area. I am very pleased with the consistent performance of this 2010 vintage across the board, reinforcing the consistency and value for money that we strive for with Douglas Green.”

 

“The performance of our Chardonnay 2010 is also pleasing. This is a very lightly wooded style with a focused core of tropical fruit enhanced by a creamy complexity and great body from extended fine lees contact. It’s a very attractive wine at a very attractive price,” says Jaco.

The 15^th Michelangelo International Wine Awards attracted a record number of entries from 226 producers. Douglas Green is delighted to claim 2 of only 176 Gold medals awarded y the prestigious panel of 15 international wine judges.

Vineyard Creations Chenin Blanc 2010 and Chardonnay 2010 are widely available from major grocers and fine wine retailers at around R35.00.

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Interesting study: Sold-out products create a sense of immediacy for customers

An empty store shelf spurs shoppers to buy the closest substitute for the product that isn’t there. This is according to a recent Canadian study which found that “Sold-out products” create a sense of immediacy for customers.

Paul Messinger, a professor at the University of Alberta, found “sold-out” signs create a sense of urgency.

“Sold-out products create a sense of immediacy for customers; they feel that if one product is gone, the next item could also sell out,” Messinger said in a statement.

“Our research shows there’s also an information cascade, where people infer that if a product is sold out, it must have been good and therefore a similar available product will also be desirable.”

A study of Merlot wines found 49 percent of consumers would buy a bottle if they had one choice, but if they thought a similar wine had sold out next to it on the shelf, nearly twice the number of shoppers would buy the available bottle.

Source: upi.com

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Douglas Green at Cellar Rats

The ever popular  Cellar Rats Spring Wine Festival was held in
Magaliesberg at “The Old Mill”, on the banks of the picturesque Magalies
River.

This was a really fun event and we would like to thank everyone who visited
our stall. Which wine was your favourite?

  

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SPRIZZO CELEBRATES SPRING IN SOWETO

Can you feel the joy of spring?

Sprizzo is ready to welcome you to our sparkling stand at Soweto wine festival this weekend.

Come on … sip into something a little more comfortable and put spring in your step with Sprizzo!
See you there?

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Douglas Green at The Mercury Wine Week

Douglas Green Wines will again be one of the exhibitors at this year’s Mercury Wine Week.

Now in its 33rd year, wine-lovers will be given the opportunity of tasting the widest variety of wines available, all under one roof, at the annual Mercury Wine Week.  Over 140 of the country’s top wine estates are expected to book their places at ‘South Africa’s Premier Wine Event’ to showcase their popular ranges as well as some previously untried wines. The signature event will take place at SUNCOAST for the 7th successive year.

 

Date:
Wednesday, 24th August- Friday, 26th August 2011

Venue:
SUNstrip (Staff Car Park)
Entrance through SUNzone (World Chefs Tour)

Times:
Doors open at 17:30
Event Ends at 21:00

Tickets:
• Ticket price is R95- to include a free glass and holder
• Tickets will only be sold through Computicket
• Club Festival Members to receive R20 discount off the ticket price
Club Festival prices: R75 per ticket

For More Information, visit www.mercurywineweek.co.za

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Wine Myths

There are many myths and ‘false truths’ about wine which the general public believes or lives by.

Myths exist in other areas of our lives. And for various reasons, we hold onto these “false truths” long after we should. Some may call it faith, others simply chalk it up to tradition: once an object gets an image, it’s hard to shake it.

Here are a few wine myths:

1.      Aged wine is better than young wine.

Not all wines need aging. Generally speaking, red wines — particularly those high in tannins — require more aging than whites.

2.      Red wine should never be chilled.

Some light reds, like Beaujolais, benefit from chilling.

3.      “Reserve” wines are top of the line.

“Reserve” on US and SA wine labels has no legal meaning. Winemakers can use the term at their whim.

4.      Wines with sulphites will give you a headache.

Sulphites are the cause of headaches in only about 1 percent of the population — mostly asthmatics.

5.      Screw tops are a sign of cheap wine.

Au contraire! Increasingly, top winemakers are using screw tops to avoid cork contamination of their wines.

 6.      Wines should always breathe.

In general, breathing is only necessary for wines that need further aging.

7.      All wines have the same amount of alcohol.

The level of alcohol depends on the amount of sugar that has been converted during fermentation.

 8.      The more a wine costs, the better it is.

Price is related to many factors: the cost of the vineyard land, the type of grapes used, whether it’s aged in oak barrels, and — most of all — the reputation of the winery or winemaker.

Source: netplaces.com

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Douglas Green Chenin Blanc continues its trail of Glory

The International Wine Challenge (IWC) has released the results of the 2011 Great Value Wine Awards and Douglas Green is a winner!

 

The IWS Thierry Cabanne Great Value Wine Awards for 2011 is considered one of the world’s most prestigious and influential independent wine competitions and we are proud and delighted that Douglas Green Vineyard Creations Chenin Blanc 2010 has brought home the coveted best value award for a wine under £7.

Douglas Green Vineyard Creations Chenin Blanc is a no-nonsense unwooded wine with all the deliciously generous passion fruit, ripe melon, yellow apple and honeysuckle that you might expect of a South African Chenin Blanc.

“This is an amazing little wine that is notching up a big reputation,” says Douglas Green Oenologist Jaco Potgieter. “It won the Best Value Award and a 4 star rating in The Wine Magazine Chenin Blanc Challenge in South Africa earlier this year and went on to bag silver medals at Monde Selection in Brussels and at IWS 2011 as well as a commendation from Decanter World Wine Awards.”

This local and international praise is confirmation of Douglas Green’s tremendous quality at great value that is our unwavering consumer promise. Just rewards for the dedication of our viticulturist on fastidious vineyard management and the focus of our cellar team to produce consistent quality in large volumes.

“Hot on the heels of a cracking 2009 vintage, our Chenin blanc showed signs of greatness straight from the vineyards in 2010, packed with purity of fruit and character. I don’t think many winemakers ever experience 2 consecutive vintages that are particularly standout in their careers.” Says Jaco.

Douglas Green is available in local liquor retail outlets, supermarkets and fine wine stores at around a mere R30.

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Adding a dash of wine can make a good dish great

Adding a dash of wine can transform a good dish into a superior culinary experience.

Cooks throughout history have discovered that wine adds a little magic when added to a recipe. Wine improves marinades, dressings, sauces, casseroles, desserts and bakes.

The complex combination of flavours of wine provide body and depth to dishes as well tenderising and adding moisture. Its acidity softens the tissues of tougher cuts of meat, its sweetness marries well with herbs and spices.

Traditional matches of wine and food can often be disregarded in cooking. For example red wine is not normally an accompaniment for fish or egg dishes. However, several traditional French dishes use eggs and fish and red wine to perfection. For example, poaching salmon in pinot noir helps counteract the richness of the fish.

Read more…

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Douglas Green – The Man

Douglas Green knew his wine. Besides having been to South Africa’s famous wine school, Elsenburg and being a qualified as a winemaker and viticulturist, his fine palate and talent for tasting was well known.

He began his business with the purchase of the Forrer brother’s Stukvat liquor business in Paarl’s main road in 1938, and he is recognised as South Africa’s first true ‘negotiant’ wine merchant. It was risky and unconventional in his day, but he successfully ignored regionalism in favour of quality and price sourcing grapes and wine from across the Cape to blend his top quality range of wines.

By 1942, his label was famed for its superiority and consistency year after year. His progressive approach established Douglas Green wines at the forefront of fantastic, affordable lifestyle wines in South Africa.

Today, Douglas Green wines capture the character and the vibrancy of the Cape. For almost 70 years people from around the world have come to appreciate that beneath every cork lies a true taste of Africa in all its diversity.

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A quote from the Weekend Argus

A quote from the Weekend Argus : “No-nonsense and unwooded, the Douglas Green Vineyard Creations Chenin 2010 (R35) was rated Best Value winner in Wine magazine’s current Chenin Blanc Challenge. Unfettered fruit – melon, passion fruit and apricot – combine companionably in a crisp refreshing wine.”

Read article – IOL

 

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