WeeklySA_AdminWINTER WARMERS: Leading producer of premium port-styles, De Krans consistently produces fortified wines of international class…
By Len Maseko
Port makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilised – once mused one wine buff.
No exaggeration, of course, given Port’s innate charms to heighten fine dining experiences, leaving lasting memories. Indeed, it has warmed many a cockle of the heart worldwide for generations, having been introduced to our parts – the Southern tip of Africa – during the times of the adventurous Portuguese mariners in the 17th century.
Since then, Port has become synonymous with South African culinary culture, and crafted by a posse of 12 local wine farms with passion and excellence matching authentic offerings from Portugal. Today, South Africa remains one of the prolific Port producers outside of Portugal, where it is produced in the north in Douro Valley.
Typically a sweet red wine, and often served with dessert or cheeses at the end of a meal, Port is fortified with neutral grape spirit at production stages. It can also be dry, semi-dry, and consist of white varieties as well. The majority of South Africa’s Port industry is based in Calitzdorp, a town on the Western side of the Klein Karoo in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.
The dry climate and poor soil here is well-suited to growing grapes like Portuguese grape varieties Tinta Barocca and Touriga Naçional, both of which are used in South African Port, and often blended with other grapes like Merlot and Shiraz.
Meanwhile, due to an agricultural trade agreement signed between South Africa and the European Union, from January 2012, all “Port”-styled wines produced in South Africa are bottled under the prefix Cape followed by the appropriate style. Therefore, South African port may no longer refer to similarly crafted fortified wines as “Port”, as it has been the case for decades, but according to their styles.
And the four Port styles generally recognised in South Africa are Cape Ruby, Cape Pink, Cape White, Cape Tawny, Cape Vintage, Cape Vintage Reserve, Cape Late Bottled Vintage and Cape Dated & Vintage Tawny.
Yet, despite their disparate geographical locations of the two countries, Port produced by the two countries is arguably produced to more or less the same exacting standards.
In fact, the 2020 Cape Vintage Reserve, produced by one of the leading wineries in South Africa, recently received an excellent score of 97 out of 100 points from a panel of international judges at the Trophy Wine Show early this month.
No doubt, the Port agreement might be confusing to a casual wine drink rather than an avid tippler, argues De Krans Wines director Boets Nel. To illustrate the point about the illogicality of all, he reasons: “But if it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, right?”
Indeed, it is a duck. Quack!
“Of course, produced worlds apart, and with the ports produced in Portugal leaning towards a slightly drier style, the same grape varieties are used, the same techniques implemented, and no doubt the same passion that filters through into the product,” Nel sums up.
Nonetheless, the Nel family still pursue their passion amid taxing weather elements dished out to it by the arid Karoo in the Western. Consistently, they are inspired by multiple accolades to produce “Ports” of superlative quality and character – impervious to the European Union’s trademark restraint.
As De Krans’ tagline “A Winter Warmer” proffers, the 2019 Cape Vintage is no doubt a sleek winter-warmer of distinction. Exquisitely composed and poised, it imparts no intrusive alcoholic spike, while pleasuring the palate with seamless voluptuous and delicious fruit which explodes in the mouth. Small wonder the outstanding four-and-a-half rating it garnered from the Platter’s Guide for its splendour.
With winter in our midst, few genres naturally provide as warm and happy medium for traditional wine and spirit drinkers as sleekly as traditional Port-styles. The combination of wine and spirit in Port can be an alluring and seductive sweet spot for tipplers of either gin or brandy or any other spirit or even both categories – all in the comfort of a sofa by the fireplace.
PORT-STYLES FROM DE KRANS
Cape Ruby
The De Krans Premium Cape Ruby, named after its brilliant, vibrant ruby colour, is a non-vintage port-style wine, indicating a blend of different vintages to produce a well-rounded wine. It’s smooth and has velvety tannins to compliment the ripe plum, blue and red berries with a touch of cinnamon, spice, and violets, making it the perfect port-style wine to use for cooking (or baking). Generously add it to a potjie or any meat dish in a slow cooker – guaranteed to take your meat dish to that next level. It also pairs well with traditional Cape bobotie, waterblommetjie–bredie, rustic pasta, and hearty soups.
Cape Vintage
Looking to enjoy your port-style wine either on its own or paired with a yummy dessert? One can definitely can’t go wrong with the De Krans Cape Vintage, which pairs beautifully with a baked dessert like chocolate fondant, a piece of dark chocolate, or well-matured cheese.
Vintage ports also pair well with Karoo lamb potjie, venison pie, or roasted vegetable lasagna. This port-style wine has a deep purple-red colour, indicative of its intense, full, and rich palate of red fruits, dried prunes, cocoa, and spice. Tannins are more prominent in this port and this style is made to bottle age (up to 20 years) or can be enjoyed at an early age as well.
Cape Tawny
Of all the different port-style wines, the De Krans Cape Tawny Limited Release is probably the most unique and different from the other port-style wines. It is named after its amber/tawny hue, a colour acquired by spending an average of eight years ageing in an oak barrel.
Due to this ageing and slow oxidation, tannins are soft and fruity flavours that have developed into nutty, toffee, and caramel flavours. It is an excellent alternative to sherry and is best enjoyed slightly chilled.
It, not only pairs well with baked winter puddings like malva pudding, and crème brûlée, as well as baked cheese with drizzled honey, nuts, and rosemary, but will also elevate dishes like brown onion soup, loin of pork stuffed with dried fruit, or prawns prepared in a light Malaysian style.
WIN TWO CASES OF PORT
Two lucky readers stand to wine a case of six Port bottles each worth R5 000 when entering our competition and correctly answering the following question.
- Port is an indigenous product of South Africa. Yes or No?
Send your answers via Whatsapp to this number: 060 936 2673. The competition closes on Tuesday July 25 2023, 12h00. Entries with correct answers will be entered into a raffle. Judges’ decision is final. Regrettably only entrants currently living in South Africa are eligible to enter. And WSAM staff and their families are not eligible to enter the competition.
