VALENTINE’S “MONTH” CELEBRATED AT AVONTUUR ESTATE
February is usually dominated by the colour Red, hearts and cupids everywhere, choccies and red roses for lucky lovers – and all of it to celebrate Valentine’s Day. At Avontuur, we’ve decided to play along, but make the whole month an Avontuur LOVE-FEST!Western Cape Yearling Sale
We start off with the first of the Yearling sales taking place at Sandringham Farm near Stellenbosch on Sunday, 7 February. Pippa and her team have a good selection of 5 yearlings (4 Fillies and 1 Colt) to tease potential buyers into parting with their hard-earned cash!
Click on Sales 2010 to find out more about the yearlings for the sale and lose your heart on one of these beauties.
New Wine ReleasedEasing into the month, we’re very proud to offer our newly released single varietal Avontuur Cabernet Franc for sale in our tasting room only! The world is divided between those who love Cab Franc, and those who’ve never tasted it! Do yourself a favour and pop in for a taste sensation.
Eating out for Valentine’s
Valentine’s weekend itself promises to be a fun time, with our romantic Valentine’s dinner for two (booked out already) on Saturday night, 13 Feb, but you can still enjoy a scrumptious Avontuur breakfast with bubbly on the actual day itself. Bookings are essential at 021 855-4296 or openhand@polka.co.za.
Tasting Room Special
In the tasting room, for Valentine’s weekend only, we’re offering our premiere beautifully wooded Chardonnay Reserve, Luna de Miel 2008 for only R70 per bottle if you buy a case of 6! Only from the tasting room and whilst stock lasts. (Normal price: R95 per bottle) Valid: Friday, 12 Feb-Sun, 14 Feb. This is one of the wines named after our race horses and with the name meaning “Honeymoon” in Spanish after our imported founder mare, we thought it appropriate to highlight this wine in the month for lovers!
There are so many reasons to visit Avontuur this month – we’re looking forward to welcoming you!
AVONTUUR VISIT TO HONG KONG A GREAT SUCCESS!
| Avontuur’s GM, Pippa Mickleburgh returned earlier this week from a whirlwind visit to Hong Kong with many new contacts made and much support drummed up for Avontuur’s award-winning wines in that very sophisticated market. “I was looked after very well and spent quite a lot of time with our importers, Fine Vintages, getting to know clients and visiting wine outlets, both on-con and off-con,” she says. “The market is definitely there to exploit and with our connections in the world of racing and breeding, Avontuur wines are differentiated from many of the other imported brands on the shelves and wine lists.” |
 SA jockey, Greg Cheyne, who is now riding in Hong Kong, Richard Paine from Avontuur's Distributors in Hong Kong, Fine Vintages, Pippa Mickleburgh, GM of Avontuur Estate; Mark Richards, the Chairman of the Hong Kong Racing Club who held the function with Avontuur's wines and Paul Dixon, F & B manager of the Hong Kong Jockey Club |
One of the highlights of the period spent in Hong Kong was a very glamorous dinner and wine tasting on Friday, 22 January at the Hong Kong Racing Club where many of the younger set, especially those who are enthusiastic supporters of horse racing, attended. “Also in a different league from our racing here in South Africa, was the actual race day which I attended on Sunday. It’s all very professional, hugely lucrative and very slick – but one does miss the more personalized approach which you find in South Africa,” she says.
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| Greg Cheyne and Pippa Mickleburgh with a bevy of beauties enjoying themselves at the function on Friday, 22 January. |
Pippa Mickleburgh, Greg Cheyne and Paul Dixon with some of the "party animals" at the function where guests were given some of Avontuur's VAR wine as a gift to enjoy at home |
Pippa barely has time to recover from her trip with the Cape Town Sale upon us and a list of visitors waiting for her to show off this year’s yearlings to potential buyers. “It was a tiring, but successful trip and I look forward to welcoming many of the people I met in Hong Kong to South Africa and Avontuur in particular over the next few months – and hope we sell lots of wine in the near future,” she says.
2010 KICKS OFF AT AVONTUUR
January started off with a bang at Avontuur Estate with visitor numbers up over the December period and the last of the local holiday makers visiting the tasting room, restaurant and winery to stock up for the year ahead before hitting the long road home! The exciting World Cup period with lots of visitors coming up in June and many more successes for VAR’s offspring on race courses country-wide, ensures a bumper year!
On the stud side, Pippa and her team are slowly settling down after a very busy birth season and VAR’s full book, which kept them busy till mid-December!
We are looking forward to the yearling sales in 2010 with the Cape Town sale at Sandringham Farm from 5th to 7th February coming up soon. Pippa has listed 5 yearlings for that one with 20 stunning yearlings going up to the National Yearling sale in Johannesburg from 23-25 April. “We have a great draft this year with offspring from many of SA’s most successful stallions on offer,” she says. “There is truly something for everyone!”
For more info on the yearlings allocated to each Sale, click on “Sales 2010” on the website.
Wine launches planned early in the new year include the 2008 Cabernet Franc and Estate Shiraz, both of which have been wowing the critics who had a preview of the wines late last year.
By March we are hoping to release the long-awaited 2008 Above Royalty Noble Late Harvest, which will complete the range of 6 wines in the premiere range, available at the winery and from selected stores country-wide. The gorgeous black and gold gift box, specially created for the premiere range will then come into its own and will guarantee satisfaction from anyone lucky enough to receive one!
As always our monthly newsletter carries updates on our activities and specials for the year. So, sign up now and ensure you are kept in the loop with all our news as we are preparing for a busy, productive and successful 2010!
FESTIVE SEASON HIGHLIGHTS AT AVONTUUR
Local and international visitors are streaming into the winery and restaurant at the moment, to enjoy the great wines and fantastic food on offer. Sitting out on the terrace in the morning, enjoying a “Champagne” breakfast or chilling out under the shady gazebo for lunch whilst relaxing with a glass of chilled Estate Sauvignon Blanc, is hard to beat!
Our restaurant now offers some innovative and fun “winetails” which is the perfect, cooling summer drink when you’ve visited a few farms on the wine route – and really feel like something new to enjoy! At only R25 each, they are proving a great hit!
Over and above the casual and informative tastings in the tasting room, manned by Pieter and Annie and their teams, visitors can also stock up on stunning Christmas gifts for the significant others in their lives. Most ladies won’t say no to being wooed with a bottle or two of the newly released Avontuur non-vintage Brut with it’s soft, biscuity flavours and fine mousse, whilst very few gentleman won’t appreciate one of the beautifully packaged Avontuur Estate 10 yr old brandies which are so moreish, that it’s best not to start!
The tasting room also offers various specials for the festive season like a 6 pack of Avontuur Cabernet/Merlot 2005 at only R200! Easy-to-pack and wallet-friendly gifts include a professional waiter’s friend corkscrew, a wine saver and some of the Avontuur-branded, brightly coloured Chilla bags, which are all far less than R100 each.
New releases include our 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc, the inaugural vintage of the reserve Dominion Royale Shiraz 2008 and the already mentioned, very popular Avontuur Brut MCC.
Don’t miss out on a visit to one of the Helderberg’s top wineries over the festive season. We are open daily for tastings and meals, except for Christmas day. Breakfast and lunch is served daily, with dinners on Wednesday and Friday. As the restaurant is busy, reservations are recommended at 021 855-4296. For more info and directions to Avontuur, click on Map & Directions on this website.
Helderberg Wine Festival 2009 – a great success!
26 October 2009
The 2009 Helderberg Wine Festival drew the crowds to the winery for wine tastings and sales and the cocktails, as presented by the team from the Restaurant, was a great hit at only R25 each with many asking that it be available on an ongoing basis! Pieter and Annie in the tasting room had a ball with keen wine tasters thronging into the venue throughout the weekend – festival pack and glass on hand!
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| Winemaker, Natalie Nel & keen wine lover from Somerset West, busy tasting the premiere range. |
Annie & Pieter had lots of tastings to handle over the weekend. |
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| The mares and foals in the paddock just below the cellar building once again drew visitors who “Oohed and Aahed” over the cute babies! |
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AVONTUUR LAUNCHES PREMIERE WINE TO CELEBRATE A GREAT HORSE
| Avontuur Estate in the Helderberg region of the Stellenbosch winelands took their commitment to the production of premium wine a step further this week with the launch of their fifth premiere label wine, “Dominion Royale Shiraz Reserve 2008”. According to Avontuur General Manager, the release of this wine commemorates the life of Avontuur’s stallion, Dominion Royale who stood at Stud at the farm for just over 15 years. “Dominion Royale was a horse who did us all proud and produced offspring who earned millions on race courses around the world. He passed away on 10 October 2007 and was buried on the farm. He always knew he was the “main man” and we believe that this wine will stand the test of time, like he did for breeding and racing,” she said. |
 Many well-known faces from the racing fraternity attended the launch. Pippa Mickleburgh and Joey Ramsden share a laugh |
 Schalk Honeyman, Natalie and the team from Woermann & Brock enjoyed the day |
The wine, produced by young Avontuur winemaker, Natalie Nel, is dense and intense with soft spice and liquorice on the palate. “I really believe that Avontuur can make great Shiraz,” she said. “More and more wonderful examples of this varietal is coming from vineyards around us and with a slightly cooler climate than some of the other great Shiraz-producing areas in South Africa, we aim to produce a more elegant, French-style wine with full-bodied taste and longevity as main aims.” At the same time, the second vintage of the farm’s premiere Sauvignon Blanc, Sarabande 2009, was released and Natalie is looking forward to the release next year, of the long-awaited Noble Late Harvest, Above Royalty. Other wines in this range include Luna de Miel Chardonnay Reserve, Minelli Pinot Noir Reserve and Baccarat, a Bordeax-styled red blend. |
| At the launch, the third Gr 1 Avontuur Estate Fillies Guineas which takes place on Saturday, 5 December at Kenilworth race course, was announced. With an increased sponsorship which takes the total stake to R750 000, Avontuur once again proves its commitment to breeding and racing in South Africa. After the launch of the wine, guests were treated to wine cocktails and canapè’s, courtesy of the Avontuur restaurant which is offering this as part of their summer season specials. Don’t miss out on a visit to Avontuur Estate to taste these great wines, get festive with a few cocktails and enjoy the view of thoroughbred race horses in the green paddocks against the stunning setting of the Helderberg. The restaurant and tasting room is open daily. |
 Natalie Nel with the new Dominion Royale Shiraz Reserve 2008 |
COCKTAILS, CANAPè’S & GREAT WINE AT AVONTUUR FOR FESTIVAL
The Helderberg wine festival which takes place on 28 wineries in the Stellenbosch/Somerset West area from 22-25 October, is a not-to-be-missed event at Avontuur Estate.
Festival packs and glasses will be for sale at R75 pp from Thursday till Sunday, with free wine tastings on selected wines, part of the experience.
On Saturday, the main events start when winemaker, Natalie Nel offers a tutored, vertical tasting of 7 wines to introduce visitors to our premiere range – and launch some new vintages at the same time! The cost for the tasting is R30 pp. Times: 10h30 & 15h00 on Sat, 11h00 on Sunday.
After lunch on Saturday, when the feeling is more laid-back, guests can enjoy canapè’s and specially created Avontuur wine cocktails, courtesy of the Avontuur Restaurant. These are perfect to wind down, whilst enjoying the view from the terrace over False Bay and the Helderberg – and planning where to pop in for supper! From 14h00 onwards.
The restaurant is open daily for breakfast and lunch, with the early-bird dinner offer on Friday from 17h30 -18h30 and the a la carte dinner from 19h00, sure to be booked out! Reservations are essential, especially for this weekend.
To round off a special weekend, the Thoroughbred Farm has lots of mares with foals at the moment, which are picture-perfect to view and photograph in the green paddocks with white fencing! These are always a draw card during the month of October, so feel free to visit the paddocks close by the restaurant and tasting room, for a view of these beautiful animals. Kids are welcome but please ensure that they do not enter the paddocks as the mares are obviously very protective of their offspring.
Don’t miss a visit to Avontuur during the festival. We’re ready to entertain you!
For more information about the festival, please visit www.helderbergwinefestival.co.za
WINES FOR EVERY TASTE AT CLEARANCE SALE
31 August 2009
Wine lovers from around the Peninsula will have a ball at this weekend’s Big Spring Clearance sale at Avontuur when 1000’s of bottles of wine will be up for grabs at prices ranging from R12 per bottle for unlabelled wines to R28 per bottle for labeled wines.
“We have a lovely, fruity easy-drinking red blend for R15 per bottle and also a slightly more serious Bordeaux-styled dry red for R25 per bottle. Inbetween there’s some mystery reds and a lovely rose-coloured blend at only R12 per bottle,” says winemaker Natalie Nel.
“On the labeled side, clients will jump for the Vintner’s White 2008 and the Cab Merlot 2004 at R12 and R28 respectively. But remember all the wines can be tasted before being purchased, so you can make sure you really like the wines you’re buying. But at these prices, what’s not to like,” she joked!
We’re hoping to have a bumper sale and clear out the warehouse in time for our 2009 releases – and hope to benefit our loyal clients at the same time,” she concluded.
The sale is on from Friday, 4 September-Sunday, 6 September from 10h00-16h00 daily. Wine must be bought from the winery directly and cash and credit cards are welcome.
Make a day of it and taste Croydon Estate’s great olive products, enjoy stunning gourmet choccies from Chocolates by Tomes as well as fantastic coffee from The Coffee Roasting Company. To round off the experience, the Avontuur restaurant offers Boerewors rolls and pancakes to enjoy outside in the sunshine.
The Tasting Room is open for tastings of the rest of the range and visitors are invited to pop in there as well after the Sale.
STOCK UP FOR SUMMER AT AVONTUUR
30 July 2009
Wine lovers shouldn’t miss out on the Avontuur Estate Spring Clearance sale when thousands of bottles of wine will be for sale at incredibly low prices from Friday, 4 September to Sunday, 6 September.
“We’re planning to release quite a few new vintages – and some totally new wines - in September and October and would like to clear the cellar and tasting room of older stock so as to make a bit of space,” says winemaker Natalie Nel. “Wine prices start at R12 per bottle and range to R28 per bottle. Wines on sale include a selection of bargain buys from our range and includes a wine for every palate” she concluded.
Visitors to the farm over that weekend are welcome visit the tasting room to taste the Avontuur wines which are not on sale and the popular restaurant will be open for breakfast and lunch as usual.
The sale runs daily from 10h00-16h00 and cash & credit cards can be used for payments. Wines are only sold in cases of 6.
Please note that the special prices are only valid whilst stocks last.
For more information, don’t hesitate to contact our tasting room at 021 855-3450 or email info@avontuurestate.co.za
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT JENNI PRINGLE AT (021) 855-3450
