Seasons greetings from our family to yours!

The calendar year has come to an end and we are all off for a short break before the harvest starts...

News from Kalmoesfontein is that the farm is looking more and more beautiful every day and as you might have seen our sexy new concrete tanks are in place (officially making them the most expensive winery equipment after the vega coffee machine).

The cellar has just about been cleaned out of wine due to the wonderful sales we enjoyed this year and in 2011 we will endeavour to make even better wines for all those who loyally support us.

The vines are in excellent condition and there is quite a large crop hanging - this is all relative though;  if we get more than 4tons/ha of Chenin Blanc it’s a big crop! But the vines are healthy and look like they are ready to jump into a bottle of AA Badenhorst or Secateurs!

We will start to harvest our Verdehlo grapes from the middle of January and the whole team is looking forward to the first fermenting juice - from then on there will be a steady flow of grapes coming in and once again, we woun’t do anything fancy in the cellar - we let the grapes and vineyards speak for themselves!

Jasper Wickens, wine enthusiast, wine maker and party man extraordinaire is once again joining us for the vintage to chase the spice and all things nice!

Wishing you a safe and wine filled festive season,

Thanks for all the support and we look forward to a memorable 2011!

From everyone on Kalmoesfontein, over and out for 2010!

Family portraits by neighbour Maree Louw,  www.naturallightphotography.co.za!

Wine of the month, and what a month it is!

It's 10 days to Christmas and this year has surely flown by! This December Kim Hoepfl, wine expert at Woman&Home magazine, makes our AA Badenhorst White Blend 2008 her WINE OF THE MONTH>

Happy holidays, pick your wine right;) 

Secateurs on Christmas eve...

David Williams picked a few wines for the festive season in The Observer - and our Secateurs Red blend will be next to the xmas tree this season as they get into the festive spirit.


Make sure you have a bottle of two close by, find out where to buy (clicky-click) or mail aabadenhorstwine@gmail.com to place an order that we can deliver to your door (in most major cities of South Africa)... 


"Something like the gutsy, southern Rhône-style AA Badenhorst Secateurs Red Blend, Swartland, South Africa 2009 (£9.99, swig.co.uk) with its succulent mix of dark fruit and wild herbs..."


Or try a Chenin if you are having a summer Christmas under the African sun! 

Pardon that Vine interview in Manhattan

Adi talks about wine, blends, um foreskins, "working on the rich man's land" and breaking free to do his own thing, from a rooftop in Manhattan, NYC.

A.A.Badenhorst from Christopher Riccobono on Vimeo.

Ho Ho Ho and a bottle of Secateurs!

Hamish Anderson, Head Sommelier and Wine Buyer for Tate Britain chooses the wines for the Telegraph Magazine's Christmas table. Our Secateurs Chenin is the only South African wine that tickles his fancy. So I guess this year it's Ho Ho Ho and a bottle of Secateurs...

So add this wine to your shopping list when getting ready to celebrate life, love and family this festive season.

Revolutionary success!

 We didnt even have time to give feedback after the amazing (busy!) Swartland Revolution.

 For pics, feedback, a write up and more, go check out www.theswartlandrevolution.com. And make sure you save-the-date for 11and12 November 2011, for a bigger, better revolution...

Watch.this.space!

Good reviews and great deals...

A pleasant review for our wines, and some great deals if you are in the UK, all in time for xmas!


Says the wine merchant:


"Not one to begrudge the southern hemisphere and it’s offerings I was pleasantly impressed with the massive quality in Adi Badenhorst’s Family Red 2006."


and


"In a nutshell, if you’re thinking of buying a standard Cotes-du-Rhône for your everyday drinking – don’t. Buy Secateurs Red 2009 instead."

Read it all here: http://blog.jnwine.com/post/Badenhorst-Family-Wine.aspx

Another pairing with Reuben Riffel

Last Friday our wine was present in Swaziland when Ngwenya Glass launched their new range of glassware, designed by Reuben Riffel. 


This is a collection of tableware that Ngwenya has been working on with top SA chef Reuben Riffel, the inspiration, Source SA, the design team and Boardmans, the marketing arm. 


Read the article here: http://www.ngwenyaglass.co.sz/news.html
or some more listings of the event:


http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/pendock/2010/11/06/riffels-not-riedels-this-xmas/#more-6260

http://www.themess.co.za/2010/11/08/supper-in-swaziland-anyone/

"Very happily the wine Mr Pendock chose is the wine we’d already decided to serve at Mess next yr! SECATEURS! We were much impressed with our new found taste-skills and celebrated by drinking much. "

http://www.visi.co.za/News/News/8/Reuben-Riffel-to-launch-glassware-range/1025

cheers! 

Ready for the Revolution~

Tomorrow the Revolution starts! The first ever Swartland Revolution takes place in Riebeek Kasteel this weekend, and with only ONE more sleep, we are really ready to roll!


There are still 20 weekend packages for sale and lots of wine to taste at the open tasting on Saturday afternoon. 
The programme of events is set to blow you away:
* A Swartland style welcome hamper.

* A fantastic in-depth sit down seminar and tasting of 8 world class wines from Stephane Ogier of Cote Rotie.

* A truly gatskop Braai by Reuben Riffel, including wine and Jukskei lessons.

* Breakfast and coffee on Saturday morning.

* An insightful sit down seminar & tasting of the experiences and next level Swartland experiments of the AA Badenhorst and Sadie Families, moderated by Tim James.

* A presentation by Michael Fridjhon on the Independent character and spirit of the Swartland.

* Saturday Lunch at the World famous Bar Bar Blacksheep, including wine.

* Entry to the Real Men Ferment Wild tasting where you get to taste over 50 wines from more than 22 wineries, convened by Neil Pendock.

* and more, see the full programme, with wines and more, here!

Great wine, great food, a stunning small town setting and some awesome people with real passion for what they do and where they do it.

We hope to see you at the Royal tomorrow afternoon, or in the square on Saturday with a glass of wild wine in hand!

Viva the revolution!

Tasting video!

Adi explains to Lucy from the JN Taste Team how his rustic techniques makes his family wines so appealing. On WittySparks... 

More reviews from the UK...

Rosemary George reviews some wines from the South African tasting last week and finds a liking in Adi, his wise words and his great wines...


"More relevant to the Languedoc was Adi Badenhorst. He made his reputation as the winemaker at Rustenberg and now runs his own family estate, focusing on southern French varieties, and he stated quite categorically that the future of South Africa is with the Mediterranean grape varieties, such as Shiraz, and Cinsaut, which is making a strong come-back. It is one of the forgotten grape varieties of the Cape. The younger generation is discovering old plantings of grape varieties such as old Grenache. He showed a couple of Bordeaux blends and then his 2006 AA Badenhorst Family Wines Red, a blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre and just 3 % Cinsaut, which has some lovely perfumed fruit, with a smoky nose; it was very ripe and perfumed, concentrated and almost port-like, and redolent of warmth."


Read the whole review on her blog.

Cocks and business lounges; flights and international exposure...

Adi and his big cock proudly poses for G&W magazine, the ultimate South African lifestyle magazine for the European market. 

G&W is available on all First- and Business-Class sections of South African Airways, Swiss Air, Lufthansa, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air Mauritius and Air Seychelles for all direct flights from Europe (UK and Germany) to Southern Africa.

You can read the entire article on The Foodie's site. 

It is one of the best profile pieces on Adi to date, captures his personality and style really well.

"This is just the kind of thing that has made Adi Badenhorst a household name. That is, if your household is into drinking some of the most unique and interesting wines made in South Africa."

"Both ranges have possibly the most distinctive and quirky label design of any South African wine. If you have seen a bottle you will not forget it and rightly so because the label is an important symbol of recognition in the modern, saturated market."

"Walking through the cellar, the barrels have some pretty interesting names written on them in chalk, like “007 / Licence to Kill” and amusingly, “Dodgy.” Nothing seems to be done by convention here, which probably explains why his wines stand out so much."

"Family is definitely a priority for him. “Work and life are hard to separate,” he says, and then gestures around him, “Here it all mingles, as it should.” He looks off into the distance. “The intermingling destinies of man and vine,” he adds rather profoundly, contemplating a second before bursting into laughter."

Good TIME to be in the Swartland

It is a very proud moment to see you brand in TIME magazine, and we did it! 
The Swartland Revolution, which we have been planning vigorously for months, is next weekend, and it has received some publicity in TIME magazine... 


"Grape varietal is one area in which they are setting up the barricades. South Africa's southern latitudes would place it between Sicily and Rome in the northern hemisphere. Yet most South African vineyards grow French grapes such as cabernet sauvignon or merlot (hence South Africa's bold, alcoholic reds), or sauvignon blanc or sémillon (source of its flinty, floral whites). The revolution demands a more geographically appropriate focus on Mediterranean varietals, such as shiraz, cinsault and grenache for reds, and chenin blanc and clairette blanche for white. "Every now and then, South Africa produces a great bordeaux wine," says Badenhorst. "But it's not what we should be doing. And if I drink another sauvignon-sémillon blend, I'll puke," he jokes."


Check out the entire online article here, or buy the next issue of the magazine!

12 -13 November is going to be GREAT... 

Visi vision: Jhb Food Wine Design Fair

 Issue 51 of VISI magazine, with this amazing cover, warns Joburgers to get ready to visit the Food Wine Design Fair held at The Rooftop, Hyde Park Shopping Centre from Fri 26 - Sun 28 November.

The Fair focusses on traditional produced food, wine and design. With Justin Rhodes and Cameron Munro (Neighbourgoods Market, Woodstock, Cape Town) in charge of food, Neil Pendock in charge of wine and Trevyn and Julian McGowan of Source curate the design component, this is set to be a great event.

More info in VISI issue 51.

An illustrated report on some great SA wines

Wine journalist Jamie Goode reviews the Badenhorst Family Wines from the UK based seminar, South African Wines, A Decade on. He writes for Wine Anorak. 

He says of Adi's wines: "His 2007 Badenhorst Family red is one of South Africa’s great wines: complex, pure and balanced."

Read the whole review here.

South Africa, a decade later...

A very interesting article on the South African wine industry by UK based Sarah Ahmed, for Wine Detective. 
Adi is in the UK at the moment and she met him at the South Africa - A decade On seminar.


Read what Sarah and Adi, and many others have to say about the SA wine industry, here.

Family affairs...

Fred Badenhorst (brother to Andre, Father to Hein and Uncle to Adi) farm with olives in Prins Albert in the Karoo (where Cornelia's mom also lives...).
This story recently appeared in the Tourism publication, Verve, in The Star.

Good olive oil is much like good wine, and we are happy to have a local producer in the family.

Adi, a wine rock star...

Pairing our wines...

Emma Odendaal discusses the idea of pairing cheese with wine in her latest article on wine.co.za. 


She mentions our AA Badenhorst White Blend 2007 as the perfect partner for SAINTE MAURE (A classic, moulded Chevre made from Saanen goat’s milk. Soft and delicate flavour.) as well as DRUNKEN PECORINO (A truly inspired name for a cheese! Four to six months matured then immersed in special wine must which permeates the cheese giving it a fermented tang. Then matured again for further six months. A powerful cheese with a distinct red rind.)


Also on the list is father-in-law Jan Boland Coetzee's Paradyskloof Pinot Noir 2008, perfect paired with CUMIN GOUDA (a lassic Dutch cheese made from unpasteurised milk. Matured for four months with cumin to provide a strong, distinctive flavour.) 

Read it all here. And make sure to have us on the table next time you do cheese&wine!

Kalmoes-where, Paarde-what?

If you are still unsure of where exactly we are located and how far Malmesbury is from The-middle-of-nowhere, this should help...

only 70km from Cape Town!

Climb in, come see the shiraz...

Adi gets so excited about his 2010 Shiraz fermenting as whole bunches in the open fermenters, he almost climbs inside.





A nice video to watch, with thanks to A minute of Wine.

The Secateurs Story

We have received lots of praise for our innovative labels, designed by Peet Pienaar, but this article explains the story behind the Secateurs label very well.


Tim James tells the history behind the iconic yellow label and agrees, it is one of the best wine labels on the market.


"The labels brilliantly correlate to the wines -- a chenin blanc and a shiraz-based red blend. All the sophistication in the world is summoned up and subversively used for an effect of unpretentious, even naive, honest and warmly human engagement. "

                            

 

Read it all in the online M&G article here.

Drink Out?

Clare Hu from Eat Out magazine recently spent some time with Adi on Kalmoesfontein and I think she sussed him out well.


"Nothing can quite prepare you for the whirlwind that is Adi Badenhorst. Within five minutes of meeting him I am sitting in his bakkie being driven at top speeds along bumpy dirt tracks through his vineyards, young son clambering around and two clearly beserk dogs running in front."


I can just imagine little Samuel on the back of the bakkie and yes, those dogs are special:)


Read the full article here.

Praises for the Paardeberg

Adi's dad, Andre Badenhorst, recently purchased the farm Far Horison, (with wine label Horse Mountain) and in the magazine accompanying the Rapport Newspaper on Sunday 10 October featured this news, along with some great insight on the Swartland.

Next generation...

Two young, up and coming winemakers, Peter-Allen Finlayson and Donavon Rall both name Adi as and inspiration and mentor in this month's new look Wine Magazine, a great honour to receive.

Racking the Red (2010)

Adi recently started racking the 2010 red wines out of the 4000L wooden vats on Kalmoesfontein. The rackings were done when the moon was just right and just after September, which means it's time to actually do something in the cellar for a change...

 Step one, look serious while opening the valve... 

 When the flow decreases, open the door with manly force... 

 Watch the beautiful wine flow out... 

 Here you can see the lees at the bottom of the vat.

and lastly Adi makes sure all the wine is siphoned off the lees...

Exciting stuff as another vintage of great wine is on its way... 

May the Force of Vriesenhof be With You...

Father(-in-law) Jan Boland Coetzee receives praise for his amazing Chardonnay on Wine Goggle. 

Cornelia Badenhorst (nee Coetzee) grew up on Vriesenhof, where charming Chardonnay is still being made every day.


"In Beaune, capital of Burgundy, Danie de Wet and Jan Boland Coetzee are recognised as having of the finest Chardonnay minds outside of spitting distance from the Hospice de Beaune. Since the early 1980’s they have worked tirelessly towards capturing the essence of the wonderful Chardonnay grape 10 000kms from its spiritual home through the kind of tireless toil and nurturing it takes to make a sensitive foreigner feel at home."


Read the entire article here...

Ana Kalander Badenhorst turns One!

Many congratulations and happy wishes to the Badenhorst Family on the first birthday of the most beautiful little girl.
Ana celebrated her 1st birthday om Tuesday on the farm, surrounded by loved ones and friends.

Love from Winchester

Stone Vine and Sun raves about the Secateurs Chenin 2009:

Here is a terrific wine we haven’t been able to recommend as we would have liked to, as most of our first shipment vanished very fast: we have just had more in from the Cape.  It’s a wine which is ripe and rich enough to make a terrific aperitif, but also has weight and complexity to ensure it can stand up to strong-flavoured food, either fish or fowl.

We always said we would keep an eye on the ebullient, fascinatingly hairy, parrot-breeder Adie Badenhorst, who was the chief winemaker at Rustenberg. He surfaced last year with a decrepit winery and some family-owned land on the Paardeberg. This wine is from dry-farmed old Chenin Blanc vines in Swartland: to us it has a wonderful texture and displays exotic fruit with honey and even marzipan nuances, but here are a couple of press recommendations, the first from the August 2010 report of The Wine Gang, and the second by Jancis Robinson last year.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

AA Badenhorst Secateurs Chenin Blanc 2009

Swartland, South Africa

Dry White (Screwcap), 14.0% abv

Secateurs, made from vines over 40 years old, is Adi Badenhorst's second wine – second in the sense of ranking rather than chronology – and it's both extremely good and good value. It's rich and fleshy with tropical, peachy fruit and nutty richness lifted by vivacious citrus and mineral flavours.

Score:   90/100 

One of this month's Bunch of Five Best Value Wines

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

A A Badenhorst, Secateurs Chenin Blanc 2009 Swartland

8 Nov 2009 by JR

RS 2 g/l
A fabulous bargain. Very fresh, floral and honeyed with masses of intensity and flavour (presumably because of the age of the vines) but with a satisfyingly dry finish. VGV. 2009 to 2011.  17/20

Still on top!

Neil Pendock adds his voice to the choir of experts singing praises at Adi's entry into this years Cape Winemakers Guild Auction taking place this weekend. 


According to his blog on times live, "with first places from Christian Eeds, Christine Rudman, Tim James and I, Adi can safely be declared the Pundit’s Pick for the CWG Auction.."


The A.A. Badenhorst Family Noble Late Harvest Kalmoesfontein Vol. 2 Cape Winemakers Guild Coastal Region 2008 goes on auction this Saturday at the Spier Conference Centre.


For more info, go to their website.