It’s the Summer Wine Series! Part One: Durbanville Hills

It’s here! Summer that is. And to celebrate its long awaited arrival we are launching our three part summer wine series. We’ll be sharing wonderful reds and whites to sip at cottages, parties and on patios until the leaves turn. This week we’re celebrating summer with a pair of wines cultivated a world away in Cape Town, South Africa. So get your shorts and a glass cause it’s going to be a smooth ride.

Welcome to Durbanville Hills

Minutes from the city center in view of the Table Mountain and Table Bay, lay the vines of Durbanville Hills. Its geography ensures cool, stable temperatures year round while it’s sea level elevation surrounds the estate in early morning mist. The strange and unusual mixtures of soils mixed with low annual rainfall have allowed wine makers to grow a range of grapes.

Cool Conditions

Cool south facing slopes and summer winds at Durbanville Hills mean excellent sauvignon blanc. The marquis wine for this winery is great for summer and delivers hints of lime, grapefruit and green fig. This citrusy wine is best paired with olives, sharp cheeses or fresh summery dishes so I served it with a tomato arugula, Parmesan pasta. This Sauvignon Blanc can also be served with Mexican, Greek and fragrant chocolates like Morning Mist designed by Durbanville Hills themselves. This smooth and flowery white chocolate was specifically designed to complement the wine’s fruity elements grassy notes.

Where to enjoy: Though I typically prefer a dryer, richer white wine, the fruity and light style of this sauvignon blanc makes it perfect for picnics, patio lunches and afternoon drinking in the sun.

Available at the LCBO for $11.95

Meanwhile, in the Valley

A good red wine requires higher temperatures. And thanks to Durbanville Hills’ versatile terrain, warmer climes can be found in the wineries outskirts where grapes are protected from cooling winds. In the valley we find our second pick: a peppery shiraz. This wine has elements of spice, cloves and a bit of fruit. Its full and rich taste pairs (of course) with red meats, mushrooms and all things spiced. The shiraz also has a chocolate yin to its grapey yang aptly named Spiced South Eater. A soft milk chocolate infused with cardamom, nutmeg and a hint of cinnamon gives the wine a fuller meaty taste. Naturally I prepared this with filet mignon and shitake mushrooms in a red wine reduction. Carnivores rejoice!

Where to enjoy: This kind of spicy, full-bodied wine is the kind I like best. This is a nighttime wine and is a perfect fit for BBQ’s, dates and dinner parties.

Available at the LCBO for $11.95

Extra Credit

Durbanville hills are bottled with a Sustainability Seal from the Wine and Spirit Board certifying that the product is 100% South African and cultivated using environmentally friendly methods. The company is also uses environmentally friendly grape growing practices that aim to manage and limit waste water ensuring agricultural longevity.

Learn more about Durbanville Hills by visiting their website or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DurbanvilleHills

The writer received complimentary products for testing. Durbanville Hills did not review or approve this article.