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We have just celebrated the Calitzdorp Succulent Festival over the weekend and it always warms our hearts to be able to share our small town beauty and Klein Karoo hospitality with visitors. Even though the nights are still cold and there has been some snowfall in recent weeks, one can definitely feel the shift in the air – the smell of apricot blossoms and the promise of new beginnings. As a result of a proper cold and wet winter, we are looking forward to a good 2023/2024 crop of apricots in November and December and grapes in February/March 2024.
As the hibernation period comes to an end (thank you and good bye, winter), it is time to dust off, repaint and freshen up. The cellar, built in 1964, got a complete fresh coat of paint, with the untouched shiny floors waiting in anticipation for the 2024 harvest. With the 2023 white wines all bottled, with the exception of the Verdelho, which is still maturing in the barrel, it is almost time to bottle our blend our flagship red blend, Tritonia Red (Calitzdorp blend). We are so excited to be able to produce this wine again after a few years of not being able to due to the drought. Be sure to look out for our 2022 Tritonia Red real soon – we can’t wait to share it with you. We will also soon be changing to the 2022 vintage of our Basket Press Cabernet Sauvignon – new season, new beginnings.
On the trade and marketing front, this year has been nothing short of chaotic (but in the good way), with plenty of travel, tastings, festivals and events. Being able to share our wines with the consumer is really what it’s all about – the cherry on the cake. Seeing the consumer light up when tasting something new and interesting, gaining new knowledge, or simply enjoying their favourite wine is a fantastic feeling and we love building the connections, sharing stories and sharing a mutual love for all things wine. We also have exciting things coming your way, including a change in our labels, but more about that in our summer newsletter.
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It is hard to believe that we are talking about our summer fruit picking dates already. Time is simply flying and before we know it, we shall be soaking up the Klein Karoo sun, and welcoming everyone to the farm to pick their own fruit – an absolute highlight on the De Krans calendar. There is just something so wholesome, special and rare about having the opportunity to pick fresh fruit straight from the trees and vines. Whether you eat them on your way home, keep them in the fridge, make some Hanepoot jam, apricot chutney, or even canned apricots for the brave ones, De Krans’ summer fruit picking is a fun activity not to be missed. Bring your family and friends to enjoy a day at De Krans where you will also have the chance to enjoy a breakfast or lunch at our Bistro under the vines and of course, taste our wide range of award-winning wines. Please note that dates are subject to change and can only be confirmed closer to the time. Check out our social media platforms for any updates or dates changes. We look forward to welcome you to the farm.
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If you follow us on social media you may have noticed that our winemaker Christoff de Wet is currently in the Douro region of Portugal, where he is spending a few weeks at Quinta da Formigosa gaining more knowledge, learning some new tricks of the trade and simply seeing first hand how the Portuguese do it when it comes to Portuguese varietals and port-style wines. With the beautiful Douro valley as a backdrop, warm summer nights, language barriers, hard work, sightseeing and of course lots of amazing new wines to taste, Christoff is off to having an unforgettable time. We are looking forward to hear all his stories and his experience will no doubt positively impact his winemaking at De Krans Wines. We wish him all the best with this great adventure and opportunity.
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With award season in full swing, we are so proud to announce that we have had a fantastic run thus far and remain grateful for the recognition. De Krans Wines in Calitzdorp once again solidified its reputation as one of SA’s leading port producers, when they were awarded the SA Champion Port-Style wine at the 2023 SA Young Wine Show – the fourth consecutive year. This annual highlight on the awards calendar took place on the 25th of August. Dating back to 1833, the SA Young Wine Show gives winemakers the opportunity to showcase the best wines of the current vintage. Participating regions include Robertson, Worcester/ Breedekloof, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Oranje-Vaal, Olifants River, Swartland and Klein Karoo.
De Krans also took top honours at the Klein Karoo Young Wine Show 2023, for the categories including the Reserve Overall Champion Wine for one of their Port-style wines and Champion Non-Muscat Fortified Wine. They also received the honours of being named the Champion Private Wine Cellar Of The Klein Karoo.
As they say things happen in three’s, which certainly is the case for De Krans, when two of its Port-style wines and two still wines scored 90+ by revered UK authority Tim Atkin MW, in his highly anticipated annual review of South African wines. The results were announced on 5 September. These sought after scores were awarded to the 2021 Cape Vintage Reserve (95 points), Cape Tawny Limited Release (92), the 2021 Tritonia Red (90 points) and the 2023 Garden Route Sauvignon Blanc with 90 points. In 2019, the 2017 Cape Vintage Reserve was announced as the Overall Fortified Wine of the Year, which reaffirms why this Port-style wine is one you want to add to your collection.
The most recent wins were at the 2023 Terroir Awards where De Krans was named Calitzdorp district winners with their 2019 De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve, 2021 De Krans Tritonia Calitzdorp Blend and 2022 De Krans Tritonia Verdelho (wooded). Our Classic Varietal Range also raked in some noteworthy awards at both the Gold Wine Awards 2023, where the Pinotage Rosé received a Double Gold and the Free Run Chenin Blanc received a Gold award, and the Vitis Vinifera Awards 2023. All four wines in the range, including the Free Run Chenin Blanc, Pinotage Rosé, Wild Ferment Chardonnay and the Basket Press Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc walked away with a Gold award at the Vitis vinifera Awards. A big congratulations to Christoff and his entire team, both on the farm and in the cellar.
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When it comes to our wine selection for spring, it is so difficult to choose only a few. With the days getting warmer but the nights still chilly, it really is the best of both worlds, giving us the chance to enjoy a nice white for lunch and a cozy red for dinner. Of course, if you live in Cape Town and often experience four seasons in one day, the options are endless.
The 2023 Pinotage Rosé remains one of the firm favourites at De Krans with its amazing fruity palate and balanced and refreshing acidity. This wine is the perfect choice to enjoy either on its own or paired with delicious seafood, chicken or snoek pâté. The wine is made of 100% Pinotage grapes, and spent merely a few hours in contact with the skins to get a beautiful light, blush pink colour. The Pinotage Rosé has also raked in a noteworthy amount of awards in the last few years, including Double Gold at Rosé Rocks, Gold Wine Awards, Vitis Vinifera Awards and others. If you haven’t tried this Rosé, you are in for a treat.
When it comes to white wines, the 2023 Free Run Chenin Blanc is probably one of our most underrated wines. Unfortunately, a common notion remains that the Klein Karoo is too warm to make quality white wines, and this wine proves that is far from the truth. The wine delights with flavours of tropical fruit like ripe banana, guava, and passion fruit with a hint of lime and a balanced acidity. This complex fruit flavour is a result of only using the free run juice (the pure, first batch of juice before the crushed grapes are pressed), which causes maximum fruit character and roundness and minimum phenolic oxidation.
No wine embraces the changing of the seasons quite like one of our Portuguese varietal red blends, 2021 A Twist of Fate. Someone recently described this wine as the Pinot Noir of the Klein Karoo and we couldn’t agree more. With its light red colour, red fruit flavours, earthiness, subtle oak and well-balanced acidity, this wines lends itself to a Grenache or Cinsault-like red, and is the perfect accompaniment, served chilled, with both lunch and dinner. In the production of this blend only the free run juice of Tinta Amarela and Tinta Barocca grapes are used, resulting in a delicious, juicy light red that will no doubt become one of your spring and summer favourites.
Last but not least, the Muscat Blanc is definitely a must-have for spring. Formerly known as Muscat de Frontignan or good-old Muscadel (the name was changed beginning 2021), this dessert wine is so versatile when it comes to pairing options. Be sure to serve it chilled and pair with baked desserts like Malva pudding or crème brûlée, or a spread of dried fruits, nuts, honey and a selection of cheeses. The wine is packed with incredible flavours of muscat, peaches, litchis and spring blossoms. Our favourite part of the Muscat Blanc is that it’s not overly sweet, with a refreshing acidity and freshness.
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Not only did we release the 2023 vintage Sauvignon Blanc in the last few weeks but we also have exciting news – we will be launching a brand new website solely dedicated to the Garden Route Range (including the Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz), while still being able to find the wines and their information on the De Krans website. The Garden Route range was born from Boets Nel’s love of Sauvignon Blanc, with the grapes hailing from the Upper Langkloof area, close to George. During harvest, the grapes are transported to De Krans where the wines are produced and sold. We are so excited to give this range the true focus it deserves, while also honouring the strong bond between the Garden Route range and De Krans. Be sure to look out for the launch of the new website in October.
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Two people will be the lucky winners of our Spring Giveaway where each person will receive a Cape Vintage Reserve Port 2004 magnum. To stand a chance to win, simply place an order to the value of R2000 and you could be the lucky winner. The competition will close on 15 October and the two winners will be announced on the 17th of October. All persons over the age of 18, with a valid South African delivery address, are eligible to enter.
Order wine to a minimum value of R2000 and receive a free door-to-door delivery nationwide (one delivery address per order). Should your order be for less than R2000, we are happy to calculate a delivery quote based on your delivery address. We will then furnish you with a pro forma invoice with our banking details. After payment you will receive an invoice. Please note that regardless of the value of your order, we will only courier wine in multiples of 6 bottles (a full case) to minimize breakages.
We wish you a wonderful spring filled with new beginnings.
The De Krans Wines team