Du Toitskloof Tasting Room Review
Du Toitskloof tasting room review
Which wineries are worth visiting? Every month two of the same calibre are put to the test. By Rob Morris.
The humble co-op should be your “go-to guy” in these dark days of near economic ruin as even familiar quaffers increment towards some point of no return. The trick is to trade off volume and side-step any mark-ups. So why not visit the Breedekloof district around Rawsonville? It’s an hour from Cape Town on the N1 and, after emerging from the Huguenot Tunnel, a right onto the R101 brings you to the co-op Du Toitskloof Cellar.
If your sole motive is blitz buying, to load up the Pajero with Sauvignon Blanc for summer, then you might forgive the folks at Du Toitskloof for only having four parking bays (three of which are occupied by staff vehicles on the day), no signposting to said bays, a mute serving you despite obviously having something better to do, air-con approaching 0° Kelvin in July, the Cape’s “number-one-hit-musicstation” playing, and zero assistance volunteered in lugging your haul to your vehicle in the torrential rain.
That said, it’s good Sauvignon Blanc. There are two versions available from the tasting counter – a reserve 2007 for R30 and a standard offering at R26 per bottle, the latter really over-delivering on price. In all there are some 45 products available for purchase, with the Red Muscadel and Hanepoot Jerepigo also worth mentioning. Reds-wise, nothing much impresses besides the 2005 Shiraz, still very much together despite its humble origins and R34 price tag. There’s also some novelty in the maiden Nebbiolo 2007 (R40).
The Mute disappears inexplicably, leaving me to give the place a once-over. ISO glasses, crackers, water – and cheeses of various descriptions, some as ready-to-eat packs in a chest fridge. There’s a bracket in the ceiling for a projector with a substantial screen in front of it (bizarre).
A Bosch wine cooler at the pouring counter lends some sorely needed contemporary design to the terracotta-tiled space. And ample seating inside and out suggests quite a following. Where does everyone park?
The reception area remains devoid of life until all at once the jig is up. Two office gals with some apparent authority appear and eye my every scribble, and suddenly The Mute returns with disturbing enthusiasm. Too little too late.
Du Toitskloof is the most consistent achiever of WINE magazine’s Best Value Award. For many, it’s a reliable brand. However, with off - licence prices much the same or even better than cellar-door prices, it’s also faceless enough to make it an almost avoidable encounter.
OPEN Mon-Fri 08h00-17h00,
Sat 10h00-13h00
SERVICE: 7/10 - needs little
improvement.
AMBIENCE: 5/10 - potential co-op
frigidity cleverly disguised.
VALUE: 8/10 - impeccable value
for money.
QUALITY: 6/10 - a consistent range
of very credible quaffers.
