Nostalgia down wine memory lanes
Through the passageways of time, Andrea Freeborough leads us to what lies beneath Die Berkgelder. Famous ‘cellar in the mountain' and home of Fleur du Cap wines on the outskirts of Stellenbosch, the re-opening allows a traverse down memory lane.
From 1968 the first bottle maturation cellar of its kind in the southern hemisphere, Die Bergkelder fulfilled the dreams of Dr Anton Rupert and Dr Alfred Baumgartner, directors of Distillers Corporation (SA) Limited, the owner of the property at the time. It was a major shift from the brandy focus.
In the 1970's, with Dr Julius Laszlo as visionary Cellarmaster between 1978 and 1992, Die Bergkelder played a pivotal role in changing the face of the South African wine industry. Determined to produce world-class wines, he was one of the key protagonists in finding new plant material and encouraging grape-growers to introduce classic noble varietals to their vineyards such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
In 1979, Die Bergkelder took the lead by introducing maturation of quality wine in small casks of new French oak and in 1998, the unique range of Fleur du Cap Unfiltered wines was launched. Made with minimal human interference allowing the full expression of the grape, these are elegant wines of great complexity with abundant fruit and flavour showing their true varietal character. In 2007, Fleur du Cap released the exclusive signature blend, Laszlo 2004, a fitting tribute to this innovative, visionary Cellarmaster who almost single-handedly catapulted South African winemaking into the international league in the 1980s.
Die Bergkelder also holds a special treat for wine collectors. Pick your favourite wine from the Vinotèque and allow it to mature under perfect conditions in the cellar until you can delight in your favourite bottle when the time is just right.
The wines are matured in the underground maturation cellar where temperature and humidity are constantly controlled. They are then transferred to the bottle-maturation cellar where, under controlled conditions, the wine is smoothed and mellowed and the real bouquet is built. Each bottle released by Die Bergkelder attests to its absolute commitment to quality.
Dr Baumgartner, who was the Chief Chemist and Wine Technologist for 35 years, harnessed the world's most modern machinery, equipment and techniques to produce some of the finest wines in the country under the Fleur du Cap and Stellenryck labels.
Die Bergkelder is open Mondays to Saturdays for cellar tours and tastings. For more information or to make a booking, call Tel: (021) 809 8025 or visit www.fleurducap.co.za.
