“A superior customer experience”. This is the sentiment behind the 2017 Certificate of Excellence award De Grendel received from TripAdvisor, which follows on from the same award in 2016.  This achievement celebrates businesses, which have consistently achieved glowing traveler reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year. The restaurant is located at De Grendel, a Durbanville wine estate with a rich heritage and reputation for fine wine.

“De Grendel Restaurant has received many accolades in the past, but a vote of confidence from our customers is the ultimate compliment,” says Sir De Villiers Graaff, 4th baronet. De Grendel Restaurant is a favourite for the following reasons:

• Our menu is based on classic, locally sourced ingredients. Head Chef Ian Bergh changes the menu regularly to ensure the fare we use is in season. You will also find produce grown a stone’s throw away on the estate, such as our beautiful blueberries.
• De Grendel Restaurant has one of the best views of Table Mountain you will ever see. Our restaurant is designed to maximise the stunning views of the Mother City’s iconic mountain – our location is unbeatable.
• All our staff has a love of wine. When you dine at De Grendel Restaurant our waiters will recommend which De Grendel wine is suitable to pair with your meal. Each dish is crafted with a wine that will accompany it in mind. You can order De Grendel wines by the glass in the restaurant, and can purchase bottles to take home from the restaurant at cellar door prices.

“The De Grendel Restaurant team is extremely proud to have received yet another TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. This award shows us that hard work pays off and motivates us to be even better going forward. With the amazing team that we have working together, chefs and service staff, we aim to provide an experience that you will never forget,” Belinda Visser, De Grendel Restaurant FOH Manager.

Click here to find out more about the De Grendel Restaurant and to make a booking.

We have been so excited to launch our all-new Sir David Graaff, First Baronet of Cape Town 2013 red blend. This premium wine is a wonderful addition to our offering, and a highly-collectible, says De Grendel cellarmaster Charles Hopkins. But what really makes a wine collectible, and whats the difference between a delicious bottle of red that comes with a R70 price tag compared to one that clocks in at over R1 000?

Is it oaked?

The most desired wines in the world age their wines in oak. The process ads “flavours” to the wine and exposes it to oxygen. “Oxygen does some amazing stuff to wine: the tannins become less intense and the taste of the wine becomes smoother. Since oxygen permeates through the barrels, some of the wine inside also evaporates at a rate of about 2% per year. This evaporation is called the ‘angel’s share’ but the result is that the wine in the barrel tastes more concentrated,” explains WineFolly. Regarding the First Baronet, “the wine spends 20 to 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels,” says Hopkins.

What grapes are used?

A vine that produces less grapes will also produce grapes that make wines with more intensity. The First Baronet is a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. “I used blocks that I have been making wine from for many years and I know the potential of each lot. The Cabernet and Shiraz are older than 25 years and bear very small crops with very small berries. Very old block grapes are jewels on their own and sadly there is not a lot left in South,” says Hopkins. The grapes were also hand picked at optimum ripeness and were vinified to extract maximum colour, tannin and varietal character in the process.

Limited in numbers

With the above factors in mind, De Grendel produced 3 344 bottles – all hand numbered. We have released a portion, but will be releasing it in limited numbers in the years to come. “This is a highly collectible wine because of its quality, exclusivity and that fact that is has really good potential under ideal conditions to last for 15 to 20 years,” says Hopkins.

The Sir David Graaff, First Baronet of Cape Town 2013 is available for R1 380 here.

Why De Grendel cellar master Charles Hopkins is excited about this year’s wines.

“It’s an exceptional vintage,” is the verdict of De Grendel’s cellar master Charles Hopkins. The 2017 vintage was produced on the back of one of the driest summers the Western Cape has experienced in decades, but two factors contributed to a successful crop this year, compared to last, he says. “We had about 10 millimeters of rain in December and we had cool nights, which led to a good crop. Last year when we had heat wave conditions we also had very hot nights,” recalls Charles.

On the size, Charles reports the Sauvignon Blanc in particular produced about 15% more fruit, which he accounted to an absence of wind “in the critical days when the vines are flowering”. All in all, Charles is impressed with the acidity of the harvest in general.

Last year required an exceptionally early harvest, while 2017’s conditions allowed the De Grendel team to harvest a full week later, around the fifteenth of January for the “bubbly”, and then Charles reports they waited a further 10 days before harvesting Sauvignon Blanc. “We were able to harvest a full week to two weeks later this year as the fruit ripened later,” he says.

A small portion of De Grendel’s fruit is bought from eleven farms that Charles works with. “We were able to produce 70% percent of the grapes we needed this year at De Grendel, which is the ratio we usually work towards,” he says.

When asked to compare the vintage to last year, Charles says he doesn’t believe in comparisons. “I see winemaking as a journey, not a destination! The quality we were aspiring in this vintage is there; I’m very happy about that.”  When pushed to highlight a star of the harvest, Charles raves about De Grendel Koetshuis 2017, with nearly tripled the tones of grapes produced this year compared to last. “It has great potential,” he says.

To celebrate Mothers' Day on the 14th of May, a lucky De Grendel fan will walk away with a wine and fashion hamper that is simply WOW! Enter as many times as you like via the widget below.

The prize consists of a R3 500 shopping voucher at Habits Fashion boutique, redeemable online at www.habits.co.za or in store, PLUS 6 bottles of our brand new vintage De Grendel Sauvignon Blanc 2017, not yet released for sale, & 6 bottles of De Grendel Rosé 2017!

PS: You'll be one of the first to taste this new vintage of Sauvignon Blanc!

Win a R3 500 Habits Gift Voucher & 12 Bottles of De Grendel Sauvignon Blanc 2017

*Standard T&Cs apply. Entrants must be 18 years or older and reside in South Africa. Competition closes on 13 May 2017 at 12pm.

New year, new wine! We are thrilled to announce that we have a new signature wine available at De Grendel. It is inspired by, and honours, Sir David Graaff, who went from being a poor shepherd boy in Villiersdorp to First Baronet of Cape Town. Sir Graaff (1^st baronet), who died in 1931, was an extraordinary man and an iconic figure playing a vital role in the civil, economic and agricultural landscape of Cape Town during his lifetime. 

Each of the 3 344 numbered bottles Sir David Graaff, First Baronet of Cape Town 2013 carries his signature, the quality of the wine reflecting his high values. “The values of my great-grandfather serve still serve as a reminder to future generations to lead meaningful lives and contribute to society”, says his great grandson Sir De Villiers Graaff, the Fourth Baronet of Cape Town.

To celebrate the release of our brand new flagship wine, the Sir David Graaff First Baronet of Cape Town 2013 red blend, we're giving online shoppers the chance to win a numbered bottle of this amazing wine valued at R1 380!

To be eligible to win, all you have to do is shop online at www.degrendel.co.za during the month of April and spend R1 000 or more.

SHOP NOW !!!

To find out more about the story behind this amazing new wine click here.

*Standard T&Cs apply. Not for sale to persons under the age of 18. Available to South African residents only. Valid for orders valued at R1000 or more placed from 1 April 2017 to 30 April 2017. The winner will be selected via random draw and contacted via email.

The Habits Pre-Fall collection 2017, in collaboration with De Grendel, was presented in a beautiful tented venue along Camps Bay's famous beach front strip. Top media and the who's who of Cape Town were out in full force and celebrated fabulous fashion with us.

Are you ready for some food envy? Our restaurant team, Head Chef Ian Bergh and Sous Chef Garth Davids have been huddled in the kitchen for weeks dreaming up new dishes for our Winter Menu. We caught up with Garth to ask him to reveal what you can expect on your plate when you visit us. 

Why did you decide to launch a new menu?

We wanted to change the dishes to reflect the produce available with the new season. We've really looked hard at how we can incorporate local and organic produce. It's good for De Grendel and the local suppliers. We had some new ideas we wanted to try out. The dish creation process is also about uplifting our trainees – we want to teach them how to create new dishes and think out of the box. 

What are two of the new signature dishes?

We've brought in a lot of smoked meat into our dishes. For example, we've got a smoked lamb shoulder which we're doing with a sweet melon labneh. We're excited about the sweet and smokey combination. 

We've also created a pulled duck dish with polenta. It goes with pickled ceviche, a blue cheese velouté, dehydrated basil, red peppers and mixed herbs. 

What's a new concept you've brought to the menu?

We're working with a lot of cured meat. We've been experimenting with the method sous-vide. You first vacuum pack the meat and then submerge it in a water bath and cook it on a low heat for 12 hours. It seals in the flavour and prevents meat drying out.

Best dessert?

It would have to be the chocolate "Aero". We make a homemade Aero using an airation method on a beautiful French chocolate. We serve it with chocolate mousse, milk chocolate ice cream and dolce ganache. 

How does the menu work with De Grendel wines?

We always create dishes to combine well with our wines. Our wines are quite bold so we've brought in bold flavours to stand up to them. We also use many of our reds in our sauces – we love the spiciness of the Shiraz and the boldness of the Merlot. 

One of our beautiful new dishes comes in the form of a cheese course: Crumbed brie, torched goat’s cheese, blue cheese custard, HuguenotTomato chutney, cashew nut chutney, blueberry preserve, pineapple, fig, pomegranate, apple
Marbled rye, lavash

Our menu is based on classic, locally sourced ingredients, served in creative flavour combinations and served with a an inventive, modern edge.

"We like to surprise our guests, that’s why you’ll find that our menu lists only the ingredients with no indication of how your meal will be prepared or which ingredients dominate, of course, if you ask, we’ll gladly tell you more," says De Grendel Chef Ian Bergh.

We took our creative cue from the family farm house, blending it with the present with touches of De Grendel’s past.

Click here to view the De Grendel Restaurant menu online and to make a booking please call 021 558 7035 or email restaurant@degrendel.co.za 

Three signature De Grendel wines have been awarded a MUNDUS VINI medal at the Spring Tasting of the Grand International Wine Award, held at the end of February. They are De Grendel Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc 2016 (Gold), De Grendel Shiraz 2015 (Gold) and De Grendel Merlot 2015 (Silver).

Nearly 200 international wine experts judged almost 6,200 wines from more than 150 wine growing regions to select the winners. MUNDUS VINI is regarded as one of the leading competitions for sparkling, still and liqueur wines.

Says De Grendel cellarmaster Charles Hopkins of the De Grendel Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc 2016 award:  “This is amazing news for a wine that’s made by a team effort – from vineyard managers, to me as the winemaker. It’s not been an easy 2016 vintage because of the challenging growing conditions which makes it even more special.”

The other Gold winner, De Grendel Shiraz 2015, has already won three local competitions in 2016 and did extremely well in some ratings on the local market. “For this wine to win a Gold award at Mundus Vini just gives the nod that this really is an exceptional wine,” says Hopkins.

Regarding the Silver award for the De Grendel Merlot 2015, Hopkins says: “A lot of credit must go to our viticulture team for the very fine meticulous adjustments they made, such as leaf plugging, to ensure the ripe and sweet Merlot that’s been recognised by this competition.”

The De Grendel award-winning wines of the MUNDUS VINI Spring Tasting will now be presented to the trade audience at ProWein in Düsseldorf, 19-21 March 2017, at the MUNDUS VINI Tasting Area.

De Grendel’s award winning wines are available online at www.degrendel.co.za, at the De Grendel Tasting Room and at the De Grendel Restaurant.

The Sakura Japan Women's Wine Awards, now in it's fourth year, is one of the biggest international wine competitions, hosted by women, in Japan. Receiving over 4,200 entries from 37 countries in 2017, the competition has seen tremendous growth compared to 2016's 3,543 entries.