we have relocated

Dear fans, friends and followers (I love alliteration)

We have moved, virtually.

In order to keep up with the times we have merged our blog and website, and in the future you can follow our blogposts by simply going to www.aabadenhorst.com.

Also make sure to pop in there and look around, we have put up some new info, updated vintages, links to fact sheets and more.

Be sure to let us know what you think.
So from blogger,
over and out~

in the summer time when the harvest is fine!

Just look at these, Chenin Blanc grapes from the 1957 planting - one of the oldest vineyards in the Paardeberg!

This cask (above) is for Cornelia's own consumption. Every year Adi makes a wine especially for his wife.  This year, Chardonnay! (it must be love)

 Above and below, other casks furiously fermenting... 

Jasper and Meike (our German intern) loading the (in)famous Klappomp - unique to Kalmoesfontein and says Adi, "it makes other winemakers nervous"...

for the love of meat and wine

When you think about celebrating Valentine’s Day you probably conjure up pictures of pretty couples eating dinner by candlelight. Maybe you envision tacky window displays of hearts and bouquets of red roses or cuddly toys and boxes of chocolates... 

We head over to Melissa’s Food Shop on Kloof Street and did it a little different this year. Keeping in mind that 2012 is a leap year, we catered for the men and took care of South Africans’ biggest love affairs: braai, wine and humour.

Infamous Afrikaans Rap artist Jack Parow tanned a few lamb chops on the braai, deliciously marinated in his own Parow Braai Sauce. Food from the Karoo meats, available at all Melissa’s Food Shops, is the real deal – no preservatives, no additives, in fact no human interference at all. Just lamb, as nature intended it to be.

Together Adi and Jack were the Hairy Beasts, a theme inspired by the quirky gingerbread person range Melissa's got into store for the month of love. Adi poured guests some of our fine wines, also on sale at Melissa’s (Kloof Street and Stellenbosch stores only) from the entry level ‘value for money’ Secateurs to the ‘spoil your wife’ premium range - the Badenhorst Family Wines. 

Parow Sauce and Secateurs - the love affair of the day!

Kids at Jan v Riebeek High School across the road, screaming for Jack's attention!

be our valentine, yo!

Swing by Melissa’s Food Shop on Kloof Street this Valentine’s Day to see our secret ingredients in action.

Jack Parow & Adi Badenhorst, our Hairy Beasts, will make your hearts pump meat and wine this lovers day. 

Join us for a knee buckling lunch where the braai master Jack will show you how to braai for your bokkie, while Adi will whispers in your ear that a spoonful of sugar will make it all better!

We will light the fire around 11h30, so don’t arrive much later than 12h00, otherwise you might not get ‘n ribbetjie...

RSVP to aabadenhorstwine(@)gmail(dot)com by Friday the 10th of Feb if we can expect to see your face covered in JP braaisous.

Like Jack says: "“Baby, voor ek jou oopmond soen, sê vir my,

kan jy braaibroodjies maak…?”

working weekends

On Saturday our financial manager Gerrie got out of his office chair, put on some shorts and left the aircon behind to come help harvest on Kalmoesfontein. He brought his cute kids to lend another two pairs of hands (we are all for child labour here in the Swartland).

Gerrie with Alexander and Lenae.

Cheer up buddy, one day you can also drink wine! 

The "karookop shiraz" was everywhere.

Jasper sustained some minor injuries, but nothing worth writing home blogging about.

Young Guns

It's true - if you use an old photo of Adi in a current article you can still call him a young gun!

Following up on the article by Matthew Jukes that we shared here on our blog at the end of 2011, here are the pages from December's Decanter magazine.

Are you excited yet!?

Victoria Moore meets the next generation of winemakers at South African wine festival Swartland Revolution and concludes: 'When it comes to wine, nowhere in South Africa is as exciting as Swartland right now!'

Moore attended the Swartland Revolution in Riebeek in November last year and writes a very nice article for The Telegraph. 

Read the whole story here.