Introduction
It is almost impossible to think about South African wines without thinking of Nederburg. Nederburg is one of the best and biggest producers of wine in South Africa, having a long and proud winemaking legacy.
Innovation and history go hand in hand at Nederburg with its rich winemaking heritage going back for more than two centuries. Today, Nederburg is one of South Africa’s best-known and most awarded wine brands.
History
Nederburg was started in 1791 when the German immigrant Philippus Wolvaart acquired 49 hectares of land in the Paarl Valley, which lies at the foot of the Drakenstein Mountains. He named the property Nederburgh, in honour of the VOC commissioner, Sebastiaan Cornelis Nederburgh. Later, the ‘h’ was dropped from Nederburgh and it became Nederburg as it is known today.
The Nederburg’s manor house, built in 1800, houses a restaurant that spills out onto the terrace and lush gardens. The eatery offers freshly-prepared lunches. Wine tastings are also provided in the sprawling gardens surrounding the manor house.
Now situated in the Heritage Centre, the museum offers a fascinating glimpse of the Nederburg story, from the early days of Nederburg’s founder Philippus Wolvaart to his successors, including winemaking legends like Johann Graue and Günter Brözel.
Grapes Used to Produce Nederburg Wines
Nederburg uses different wine grapes for their different wines. Here are the grapes used by Nederburg in making their wines;
Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes
The grapes are used to make red wine. They are sourced from top-performing vineyards situated in the Darling, Stellenbosch and Paarl wine-growing areas. The vines are grown in granite, sandstone and shale soils, resulting in grapes with higher natural acidity and resulting freshness.
Pinotage Grapes
The Pinotage is a red wine grape that is South Africa’s signature variety. Pinotage is a grape crossing of Cinsaut and Pinot Noir grapes. It is a deeply coloured and flavoured wine, fuller-bodied with lower acidity and pronounced dark fruit flavours.
Merlot Grapes
The Merlot grape is a dark-skinned grape used to make medium-bodied red wine or used in blends with other red wine grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon.
Shiraz Grapes
This is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to make red wine. Shiraz is the name given to the dark-skinned Syrah grape. Shiraz grapes produce fuller-bodied, bold and powerful wines with earthy qualities of pepper, truffle and leather.
Chenin Blanc Grapes
Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. They are sourced from vineyards across the Western Cape. The viticulturist works hand-in-hand with the grape growers in managing each vineyard block to ensure the best quality fruit for this wine.
Some of the most common tasting notes of Sauvignon Blanc are fruit flavours like white peach, grapefruit, lime, pear, passion fruit, and other tropical fruit.
Sauvignon Blanc Grapes
The grapes are used to make white wines. They are sourced from top-performing vineyards situated in the Darling, Cape Town and Ceres districts, all cool climate wine-growing areas with the benefit of slower ripening of the grapes to achieve greater flavour intensity.
The vines are grown in granite and sandstone soils, resulting in grapes with a zestier and higher natural acidity, which adds to the freshness and longevity of the wine.
Some of the other grapes used in their blends are:
- Pinot Noir
- Grenache
- Carignan
- Muscat de Frontignan
- Petit Verdot
- Malbec
- Cabernet Franc
Nederburg Wines
The number of wines produced at Nederburg is staggering and it is no wonder that it is South Africa’s most awarded wine. Let’s find out more about these award-winning wines;
Nederburg Manor House Shiraz
Grapes: Shiraz/Syrah
Alcohol Content: 14.55%
Pairing: Beef, lamb and poultry
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Nederburg Manor House Cabernet Sauvignon
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol Content: 14.5%
Pairing: Beef, lamb and poultry
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Nederburg Manor House Sauvignon Blanc
Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc
Alcohol Content: 14.5%
Pairing: Served with light meals, chicken, seafood, salads
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Nederburg Merlot
Grapes: Merlot
Alcohol Content: 14.5%
Pairing: Fish, chicken, salads and vegetarian dishes
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Nederburg Pinotage
Grapes: Pinotage
Alcohol Content: 14%
Pairing: Beef, lamb, pasta, pizza
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Nederburg Rose
Grapes: Grenache (67%), Carignan (33%)
Alcohol Content: 12%
Pairing: Smoked salmon, seafood, salads and vegetarian dishes
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Nederburg Sauvignon Blanc
Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc
Alcohol Content: 14%
Pairing: Light meals, chicken, seafood, salads, sushi, goat’s cheese and Thai dishes.
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Nederburg Shiraz
Grapes: Shiraz
Alcohol Content: 14%
Pairing: Richly-flavoured casseroles, grilled beef and roast lamb
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Nederburg 56 Cabernet Sauvignon
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol Content: 14%
Pairing: Burgers, grills, roasts and casseroles.
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Nederburg Baronne
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon (46%), Shiraz (39%), Other varieties (15%)
Alcohol Content: 14%
Pairing: Roast lamb, red meat steak, venison, mature cheese, pizza and pasta dishes.
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Nederburg Cabernet Sauvignon
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol Content: 14.5%
Pairing: Roast lamb, red meat steak and poultry
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Nederburg Chardonnay
Grapes: Chardonnay
Alcohol Content: 14%
Pairing: Thai dishes, creamy seafood dishes and other dishes made with nuts, cream or butter
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Nederburg Cuvee Brut
Grapes: Chenin Blanc (80%), Sauvignon Blanc (20%)
Alcohol Content: 10.65%
Pairing: Fresh oysters, seasonal fruits, omelettes, and eggs Benedict, but is also excellent and enjoyed on its own.
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Nederburg Edelrood
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon (61%), Merlot (31%), Other varieties (8%)
Alcohol Content: 14.5%
Pairing: Casseroles, game, pizza and pasta dishes.
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Nederburg Foundation Duet
Grapes: Shiraz/Syrah and Pinotage
Alcohol Content: 14%
Pairing: Spicy lamb, kebabs and barbecued steaks
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Nederburg Late Harvest
Grapes: Muscat de Frontignan (64%), Chenin Blanc (36%)
Alcohol Content: 10.5%
Pairing: Spicy dishes, roast duck served with fruity sauces, smoked fish, dried fruit, strawberries and cream, fruit salads and baked puddings
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Conclusion
Nederburg predominantly produces dry wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinotage, Shiraz, and blends.
You might want to get yourself and/or a dear friend a bottle of one of the most-awarded South African wines! You can purchase Nederburg from our website, here. Buy Nederburg Online and we will deliver at your doorstep, in Nairobi, and its environs for free. We also have next-day delivery within the country.
Would you like to ‘gift’ someone? We do personalized gift hampers, gift wrapping and engravings for that special love, friend, or family member.
By Roseline Maina: Digital Marketer