Tuesday 5 October 2021

#WineRoutingWithLloyd - Middelvlei

Have you ever wanted to say that you've got a bottle of wine with your name on it? Well, like literally, you can have your name on it - one you blended & bottled yourself? Well - it's a rather exciting experience that you can get in on at Middelvlei in Stellenbosch. 

This unique experience allows you to create your own personalised bottle of wine that you can take home with you. So, it's official - I have the 1st bottle of #WineRoutingWithLloyd Middelvlei red blend


On arrival welcomed with a glass of their latest Rosé on a chilly morning, I sat down in the tasting room with a fresh stoked fire blazing to warm up. In front of me - the whole blending kit, 3 bottles of wine fresh from the barrel, tasting glasses, a pen & paper for notes. I've been wanting to do this kind of thing for a while, so to say that I was excited, is a bit of an understatement. 



Whilst going through the motions of tasting & creating your own blends, you'll get to snack on Middelvlei's famous freshly baked Potbrood served with their home-made Snoek Pâté & sweet strawberry jam. 

In those 3 bottles -
1. Pinotage: a Momberg classic. Deep ruby red with fresh fruit on the nose & palate. Accompanied by oak & some spice. 


2. Merlot: an easy drink glass with ripe red cherries & a smooth finish. 
3. Shiraz: a bit of body with pepper & darker fruits with a beautiful aromatic nose.  


Now that you understand a bit about each wine the fun starts - pour yourself a glass of each & taste. Taste & feel what your palate enjoys. Then into a 100ml test tube you pour your own desired mix of the 3. Go on a have a taster, see what stands out, make some notes - the good & the bad. And if you don't like what you've put together, you pour it out & start again. And again - until you find that perfect personalised blend that works for you. 


Multiply your final choice of blend by 10, give it a good mix & now it is ready for bottling. Time to put a cork in that bottle & add a foil cap & label your new creation. (Yes, you do all that too.) Check out my bottling experience here.


Also - there is enough left, after filling your bottle, for you to enjoy a glass or 2 of your final blend whilst you sit back & relax taking in the surroundings of the Middelvlei farm & finishing up the last piece of your Potbrood and jam. 

At R250, this is a lot of fun and the creativity you can express here with this experience is endless & can really be enjoyed by everyone.  If you love your own blend that much, you can have them make you a few extra bottles at R180 each & have them delivered to your door or collected at a later stage. 

No comments:

Post a Comment