Graham Beck tasting room review
Graham Beck tasting room review
By Rob Morris.
It’s a test match Saturday in Cape Town, so what a joy to hit the road in the opposite direction. We eventually head along the R45 past the Groot Drakenstein mountains towards Franschhoek, which is covered in a low mist. Roughly 10km out of town, Graham Beck’s tasting room beckons on the right-hand side. But it’s an hour before their advertised closing time. Will anyone want to receive us?
The contemporary dry-stacked stone façade is imposing, with glass, downlights and clean modern lines the order of the day inside. The bottling plant is visible from the tasting room, a reminder that this is a working cellar. But big friendly smiles from the staff warm what could potentially be a space too modern for comfort.
There’s plenty of intimate seating at the bar or on plush leather couches. Maybe too intimate. Two patrons are getting very comfortable and they’re letting everyone know it. It’s a tad unpleasant but they soon move on.
The layout of the space is actually more suitable for groups, so corral your friends. However, it’s probably advisable to leave the kids at home.
Elrenzo is our host and he welcomes us with bubbly. You can taste over 30 wines with no fee charged, and these are brought to your table in flights, served in the appropriate stemware. We relax. The discourse on each wine is unobtrusive. Gentle lounge vibes emanate from the sound system and it isn’t long before groups begin to mingle.
There is a strong focus on varietal bottlings and some vintage scope, with the flagship Ridge Syrah from the 2002 vintage and the red blends Andrew, Joshua and William all from the 2003 harvest. No wine is off limits by virtue of its price tag, and large-format bottles can also be purchased. The Lonehill Chardonnay 2005 is a hit on the day and, with wine flowing liberally, the merriment picks up a notch. We’re soon in dire need of solids but there’s no food of any description sold on the farm. This is a bit of a let-down. For now the crackers will have to do.
“We try to offer some added value every couple of weeks or so with a special,” says Elrenzo. “Buy six bottles of the Andrew blend and you’ll get 12 free.” 18 bottles for R528 is a steal. Load the car. There’s also a standing offer: purchase 12 bottles of one particular wine and you’ll get another bottle for free.
It’s too easy to linger here. We have little doubt that the festivities we’ve left behind will continue after the advertised closing time. The brand’s pay-off line is “Nothing less”. It’s hard to comprehend anything more…
OPEN: Mon-Fri 09h00 -17h00,
Sat & Sun 10h00-16h00
SERVICE: 8/10 – nice people who
know their stuff at your beck and call.
AMBIENCE: 8/10 – chic, chilledout,
intimate lounge vibes.
VALUE: 7/10 – no tasting fees and
regular bulk discounts.
QUALITY: 7/10 – commercial
quaffers and reliable premium wines.
