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Wine Club Newsletter Summer 2021

Dear De Krans Wine Club Member

If there is one thing that South Africans know how to do best, it’s summer – lazy, sunny days, and warm, balmy nights serve as the backdrop for a string of festivities with friends and family, food and wine. Although we are all still feeling the adrenaline of the year end crunch time just before we dive head first into silly season, a sense of relief inevitably follows as Christmas creeps closer and we give our minds a rest and allow our hearts to dream, feel and recharge. 

We know there is still plenty of challenges and uncertainty, but we can definitely look back and say we are grateful that it isn’t this day a year ago. We are immensely grateful to have yet another year to look back on and once again, we look forward to share in your holiday and festive experience when you sip one of your De Krans favourites – and the more ice, the better!

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Summer at De Krans Wines

De Krans Wines: A family friendly destination

Whether you visit De Krans for fruit picking, or simply to taste our wide range of award winning wines (or both☺), your visit won’t be complete without a stop at the De Krans Bistro & Deli for a chilled glass of De Krans wine and a cheese platter, a cappuccino or a delicious breakfast or lunch. The De Krans Bistro & Deli, situated under the vines on the farm, is home to a selection of delicious country cuisine and guests can look forward to hearty, wholesome dishes, ranging from a variety of delicious breakfast options, open deli sandwiches, light lunches, a selection of gourmet burgers and seasonal salads. All the dishes have been paired to be enjoyed with wines from the De Krans range, creating the perfect food and wine pairing. For those with a sweet tooth, be sure to keep an eye out for the delicious desserts on offer. Visitors can choose to sit indoors, which is air conditioned and a blessing on a warm Karoo day. Alternatively, choose to sit outside in the shade of the trellised Hanepoot vineyard. There is also a playground for young children, two boules courses, as well as a walk-around chess board, making De Krans a wonderful place for the whole family to visit this summer.

The deli also offers visitors a wide selection of only the finest products sourced in and around Calitzdorp and the Klein Karoo. These include local olives, olive oil, canned and dried fruit, and preserves. Other treats include homemade rusks, Calitzdorp honey and other delicious gems from the area, including our very own homemade De Krans port reduction.

De Krans is home to a range of more than 20 superb wines and your visit won’t be complete without sampling some to add to your collection. The collection ranges from still wines to port-style wines, and boasts numerous local and international accolades amongst them. While visiting us, be sure to stock up on your favourite wines, all available to purchase directly from the cellar.

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Pick your own fruit at De Krans

It is that time of the year again where you get the opportunity to pick your own fruit at De Krans Wines. Please save the following dates:

– Bulida apricots: 26 November – 5 December (R7.50 per kilo)

– Oom Sarel cling peaches: 17 – 26 December (8.00 per kilo)

– Hanepoot grapes: 1 February – 20 February 2022 (R9.50 per kilo)

With fruit picking at De Krans being one of the most anticipated events on our calendar year, we were devastated following a recent hailstorm that caused widespread damage on De Krans and in the Calitzdorp area (the worst hailstorm since 1993). As a result of this damage and the loss of quantity of fruit, we have decided to shorten the picking period and also to lower our prices of the apricots and peaches. However, we can assure you that despite these challenges we remain positive and look forward to welcome you to share in this age-old tradition at De Krans.

As always, fruit picking is highly subject to availability, and this year even more so. We advise you to please follow our social media platforms for any announced changes and to please phone the farm at least a day before your planned visit to confirm availability.

Holiday Trading Hours

We are pleased to announce that we will be open seven days a week throughout the holiday season with the exception of Christmas Day, 25 December. The wine tasting and wine sales will be open from 9am – 5pm and the Bistro and Deli from 10am – 4pm, with the kitchen closing at 3.30pm.

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De Krans Awards

Platter’s Wine Guide 2022

The De Krans Wines Cape Vintage Reserve 2019 received a sought-after 5-star rating in the latest edition of the authoritative and internationally recognised Platter’s South African Wine Guide 2022, due for release in this month. Furthermore, 4 ½-star ratings were awarded to the Cape Tawny Ltd Release, Cape Vintage 2019, Muscat Blanc 2020, Tritonia Verdelho 2020 and Tritonia Calitzdorp Blend 2018, respectively.

Prescient Awards

The 2021 Prescient Awards were held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Waterfront, Cape Town, where the De Krans Muscat Blanc 2020 announced as one of the Top 20 Wines in South Africa after it was judged as the best Muscadel with a rating of 93 points. The annual Prescient Awards is presented by Winemag.co.za, with a judging panel chaired by Christian Eedes.

Ultra Value Wine Challenge

The Free Run Chenin Blanc 2021 and Basket Press Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 were both awarded Double Gold, with the Chardonnay 2021 and Pinotage Rosé 2021 receiving Gold. This is the seventh set of Ultra Value Wine Challenge results, a competition which aims to identify the very best wine buys that sell for under R130 per bottle. This is the largest price point sector in the SA wine industry and puts consumers in the first place by giving them a trusted list of high quality, well-priced wines.

Veritas Awards

At the recently announced Veritas Awards, De Krans Wines was awarded Gold for their Cape Vintage Reserve 2017, and received silver awards for their, Pinotage Rosé 2021, Tritonia Red 2018, and Garden Route Sauvignon Blanc 2021 respectively. The Veritas Awards dates back to 1991 and is the longest running awards celebrating both wine and brandy.

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Our summer wine selection

The new release - De Krans Tritonia Verdelho 2020

We are excited to announce the NEW RELEASE of the De Krans Tritonia Verdelho 2020. The Tritonia wine range originally started with the Tritionia Red (Calitzdorp Blend), followed by a Tritonia white, which is a blend of Verdelho and Malvasia Rei. The Tritonia Verdelho, meant to ultimately replace the Tritonia White, embraces the Verdelho grape, a cultivar which flourishes in the Klein Karoo Terroir. The Verdelho vineyard at De Krans, situated not far from the banks of the Gamka River, was planted in 2015. The vines are trellised on a Perold system and row direction is east-west, to reduce direct sunlight exposure and this preserve maximum natural acids and fruit flavours. The wine spent 12 months on fine lees in 3d and 4th fill barrels, resulting in aromas of toasted almonds, honeysuckle, orange peel and floral blossoms, with ripe fruit on the palate with orange, nuts, soft oak and integrated acidity. This wine was awarded 92 points in the 2021 Tim Atkin MW SA Report.

The classical Sauvignon – Garden Route Sauvignon Blanc 2021

The Garden Route range is produced at De Krans Wines using grapes sourced from the cooler Upper Langkloof area at 600m above sea level, close to the Outeniqua mountain range. This crisp and fruity wine, that scored 90 points in the annual Tim Atkin MW SA Report, has all the key elements of a great Sauvignon Blanc, including gooseberries and green peppers, with a delightfully balanced acidity, making this a wine to enjoy on its own or paired with seafood dishes. The Garden Route range consists of a Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir – both cooler climate cultivars that prefer the Upper Langkloof/Waboomskraal areas in comparison to the Calitzdorp continental climate (although the distance between the two sub climates is only a mere 94 km).

The pink all-rounder – De Krans Pinotage Rosé 2021

The De Krans Pinotage Rosé has become a firm favourite in the past few years, since the cultivar and name changed to Pinotage. This dry Rosé is packed with red fruit flavours, and finished off with a crisp and balanced acidity. Whether you enjoy this wine with a picnic, braai, or homemade pizza, this pretty Pinotage Rosé will surely delight as much with its taste, as it does with its beautiful colour. This Pinotage Rosé again won Double Gold at the Rosé Rocks competition this year – the fourth vintage in a row!

The Cocktail mixer – De Krans original Cape Pink NV

Summer in South Africa is synonymous with delicious cocktails! A far cry from the traditional fireplace, the De Krans original Cape pink port-style wine is used as a cocktail mixer, and works well with ingredients such as ginger ale, berry juice, soda water, gin, vodka, mint, lemon, and even Brut bubbly. The Cape pink port-style wine (we are not allowed to use the name port on our labels since 2011), is a lighter port-style wine with an alcohol of 16.5% and get its vibrant blush colour from a few hours skin contact. The wine has fragrant red fruit flavours of strawberries, cherries and plums, with hints of candy floss.

The summer trio – De Krans Premium Moscato Range

The De Krans Premium Moscato range consists of the Premium White Moscato Perlé (2021), Premium Red Moscato Perlé (2020/2021) as well as the latest addition to the range, the De Krans Rosé Moscato Perlé (2021), released earlier this year. The idea behind this range was to embrace the muscadel grape that is so synonymous with the Klein Karoo and to present it in a sophisticated, easy drinking and refined way that elevates the muscat flavours. While Moscato refers to the style of wine and the grapes used (Muscat de Frontignan and Muscat d’Alexandrie), the perlé refers to the slight fizz (a slightly lower pressure than a sparkling wine), which gives the wine that lovely zing and refreshing taste. What also makes these wines special and very consumer friendly, are the lower alcohol levels of 7.5%, 8% and 8.5% for the White, Rosé and Red Moscato respectively. 

The Moscato also works well as a cocktail ingredient (think delicious sangria) and is the perfect food partner to spicy foods such as bunny chow, or sushi and wasabi. The Premium Moscato range is also often used as a substitute for a bubbly – a more affordable and lower–alcohol alternative that works great with all palates. You can even add a bit of Cape Pink to the White Moscato in a bubbly glass for a beautiful welcome drink, which will no doubt impress your guests. Browse through our website at www.dekrans.co.za for ideas on our De Krans cocktail recipes.

De Krans Summer giveaway

Buy De Krans wine to the value of R2000 and you will stand a chance to win your own selection of De Krans wines to the value of R1000. The giveaway competition closes on 11 December 2021 and the winner will be announced a few days later (the competition is only valid for wine club members with a SA delivery address).

 

Place your order now

Order wine to the minimum value of R1500 and receive FREE door-to-door delivery nationwide (one delivery address per order). Should your order be for less than R1500, 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. 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 would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our wine club members for your support throughout this year. We appreciate it and we love sharing our wines with you. We hope to see you on the farm during the festive season. We wish you a peaceful and special time with all of your loved ones.

Sending our warmest regards, until next year,

The De Krans Wines team