Bellingham The Bernard Series Bush Vines Pinotage 2007
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2014-
Suckling
James
The Podlashuks realized that they needed the help of individuals with farming experience and promptly enlisted the assistance of 13 Italian POWs who helped them to replant the vineyards. Hungry for knowledge, Bernard and Fredagh travelled to France and Germany and returned resplendent with experience and initiative. They buckled down and released the Cape's first rosé in 1949, followed in quick succession by the Premier Grand Cru in 1951 and Bellingham's first single varietal Shiraz in 1956. ?
The 80s and 90s saw vineyard developments, cellar extensions and the beginning of Bellingham’s classic new world winemaking philosophy. The turn of the century inspired a shift in the Bellingham portfolio and The Maverick range was launched in 2002 – a challenge to both custom and convention.
Boldly exploring new territories in the fine art of crafting wine, Bellingham has received numerous international awards and garnered far-flung acclaim. The current Bellingham generation celebrates the historic momentum that has shaped its wines through time in four chapters that tell the stories behind the gable.
South Africa’s signature grape, Pinotage is a distinctively earthy and rustic variety. In 1924 viticulturists crossed finicky Pinot Noir and productive, heat-tolerant Cinsault, and created a variety both darker and bolder than either of its parents! Today it is popular in South Africa both as a single varietal wine and in Cape blends. Somm Secret—The name “Pinotage” is a subtle portmanteau. The Pinot part is obvious, but the second half is a bit confusing. In the early 1900s, Cinsault was known in South Africa as “Hermitage”—hence Pinotage.
South Africa’s most famous wine-producing district, Stellenbosch, surrounds the historic town with the same name; fine winemaking here dates back to the late 1600s. Its valleys of granite, sandstone and alluvial loam soils between the towering blue-grey mountains of Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Helderberg have the capacity to produce beautiful wines from many varieties. The climate is warm Mediterranean, tempered by the cool Atlantic air of nearby False Bay.
Perhaps most well-known for its Pinotage and Bordeaux blends, Stellenbosch also produces noteworthy wines from Syrah, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. The district’s wards—Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch—all produce distinctive wines from vines with relatively low yields.