WHAT happens when you take a fresh-faced South African winemaker, two Edinburgh restaurateurs with an insatiable love of wine, a Scottish wine merchant, a bar in downtown Stellenbosch and a liberal supply of alcohol? The answer is a drunken plan to make the most drinkable sauvignon blanc sold in Scotland – and a bet to try the highest bungee jump in the world.
One year on, and the winemaker (Kaapzicht estate's Danie Steytler Jr) and the wine merchant (Great Grog's Richard Meadows) have jumped, while the restaurateurs (Jake Millar and Graeme Lumsden, co-owners of Fishers, in Edinbugh) have a new house white
for their latest venture, the Shore at Leith: the first vintage of Handmade sauvignon blanc.
"Like all good ideas, we cooked it up over a few beers," says Meadows from his expansive wine warehouse in Leith. "We certainly hadn't planned to invest in a vineyard – we were just there on a buying trip. But here we were, in South Africa, with a young winemaker who had the facilities to make wine. We had a retailer and a restaurateur eager to take the wine and a ready market, so we thought, 'Why not? We can launch this wine without any marketing costs as we already have a direct route to market.' It just seemed a no-brainer."
The next day, the four men tramped up to Steytler's vineyard, which sits in the Bottelary hills on the edge of Stellenbosch, where, over a few tank samples, they fleshed out the plan.
"We wanted to get away from the big, heavy, blowsy wines that are typical of New World sauvignon blanc," says Meadows. "We were aiming for a lighter style. Jake and Graeme wanted a wine that would slip down easily while their customers were ordering their food."
To achieve this style, Steytler scoured all 190 hectares of his family's wine estate. Eventually he chose grapes from the south-east-facing vineyards high up on the Bottelary hills, 400m above sea level.
Never one to skimp on the research, I popped in to see him when I was down in his neck of the woods last month. "We picked three tons of sauvignon blanc from two different blocks," Steytler told me over a glass of Handmade. "The vineyards face south-east so they catch the morning sun."
The result is a wonderfully gentle white wine with fresh acidity and soft notes of kiwi and passion fruit. At 12.5%, a light wine by South African standards, it is also criminally easy to drink.
With a first vintage of 3,000 bottles, Steytler aims to increase production this year. There are also plans to launch a red and he is even experimenting with his own ice wine, although that may die in a fog of EU legislation. And there is of course the small matter of the 206m Bloukrans Bridge bungee jump. "Richard and I have already done it," he smiles.
Jake and Graeme at Fishers, it's over to you.
2008 Handmade Sauvignon Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 12.5%, £7.99A perfect wine to have in the fridge, ready for whenever you're feeling in the mood for a quick glass. But beware – half a bottle can disappear very easily. Soft, supple and easy to drink, it slips down to a tune of mellow, tropical fruit.
Two more South African wines to try
2005 Mischa Eventide Cabernet, Wellington, 14.5%, £8.99Elegant and restrained yet blowsy and youthful, this is a cabernet sauvignon that blends Old World structure with New World charm. The nose is sensational – a glassful of blackberry, mulberries and cinnamon. It has smooth tannins and a smoky, leathery finish.
2007 Brampton Rustenberg, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Stellenbosch, 14.5%, £6.99This is the second wine from Stellenbosch's hugely impressive Rustenberg estate. A big, round, forward wine with masses of fruit and an intense, moody colour, it is exceptionally easy to drink. This is a well-made wine at an affordable price.
Stockists: Great Grog, 161 Bonnington Road, Edinburgh (0131 555 0222,
www.greatgrog.co.uk); The Shore Bar and Restaurant, 3 Shore, Leith, Edinburgh (0131 553 5080,
www.theshore.biz)
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2007 Inycon Fiano IGT, Sicily, Italy
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