The Volvo Ocean Race

With the arrival of the boats from The Volvo Ocean Race we have decided to tie this posting in with the festivities that are happening around town. Two wines that have recently arrived all the way from South Africa like the Boats themselves are Winery of Good Hope’s Shiraz and Chardonnay. Both of these great wines come from South Africa and the winery shares its name with the Historical Cape of Good Hope, a point that the contestants in the Ocean Race sailed around last November after their second stop-over in Capetown.

The Winery of Good Hope, as the name suggests encompasses everything characteristic about the New South Africa. A diverse cultural and racial mosaic, combining indigenous South Africans with Northern and Southern Hemisphere adoptees - a blending of ideas, of values and of purpose. The Winery of Good Hope's distinctive wines originating from the most established vineyards of the Cape and wines from the most over-looked or undiscovered sites, the exciting cutting-edge micro-climates from previously ignored locations across the Cape. The Winery of Good Hope produces approachable, classy and elegant wines.Primed with Southern-Hemisphere fruit these are very affordable, highly drinkable, all occasion wines.

The Winery of Good Hope Chardonnay

This unoaked Chardonnay sets-out to give you an easy-drinking yet classy wine, at an excellent price. It has wonderful freshness, elegance and depth and no sickly-sweet or artificial flavours. The wonderful citrus zest and mineral tang of its aromatics and bedded in the fruit and seductive texture characteristic of good Chardonnay. For those of you who despairingly thought that Chardonnay had to taste like butterscotch, this will restore your faith in this wonderful grape, go on give it a try!.

The Winery of Good Hope Shiraz

This wine is fruit focused, generously constructed; with smooth layers of red fruits with some smoky oak nuances. It has a balanced style that promotes drinkability, but which releases flavour, spiciness, individuality, balance and freshness. This wine is a great crowd pleaser, it is suitable to have with a meal or to sip away as we wish the ‘Green dragon’ crew ‘go n-éirí an bóthar libh’ as they head off for Sweden.