Winters Drift wines, grown
on the historic Glen Elgin farm in the cool-climate Elgin Valley, release the 2013
vintages of their popular Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and continue their quest
to broaden the visitor experience at the Tasting Station and Platform 1 Eatery.
So head out to the
historic Elgin Station, which is home to Winters Drift wines, and relax ‘just
off the spoor’, soaking up the rural bliss and old world charm. Enjoy the new
Winters Drift wines and the ever-changing fine seasonal fare at the quaint
railway-style café whilst your children revel safely in the new kiddies’
playground.
Go French and end your
meal with a game of boules and you might be lucky enough to see one of the
grain- laden trains trundling past. And don’t miss the Elgin Cool Wine and
Country Festival on 3rd Drift and sixteen other Elgin wineries will
be offering a day filled with fine wines, good food and plenty of entertainment
for the whole family, between 09h30 and 17h00.
WINTERS DRIFT’S NEW
VINTAGE RELEASES
Winters Drift Chardonnay
2013
Tasting notes: This
partially wooded wine has a voluptuous nose displaying gorgeous aromas of ripe
tangerine and honeydew melon with buttered toast, vanilla and marmalade
undertones. The palate is full and rich and beautifully balanced by the lemony
acidity which affords a delightful freshness to the wine, and the long finish displays
ripe citrus notes. This wine will age well over the next three to four years.
Food pairing suggestions:
Thai green chicken curry with lemon grass and ginger in a rich coconut sauce,
or Smoked duck breast salad with peaches and toasted macadamia nuts drizzled
with a creamy honey dressing.
Retail price: The Winters
Drift Chardonnay 2013 is available nationally and retails at ±R97.
Winters Drift Pinot Noir
2013
Tasting notes: This wine
delivers everything you expect from a young Pinot Noir, including an abundance
of red cherries, varietal spice, truffles, forest floor notes and subtle oaking
from 11 months in first and second- fill French oak. The palate is complex and
satisfying with a softness that is unique to Pinot Noir. It will age well over
the next three to five years.
Food pairing suggestions:
Ostrich fillet with wild rice and a creamy porcini mushroom sauce, or Aubergine
Parmigiana.
Retail price: The Winters
Drift 2013 Pinot Noir is available nationally and retails at ±R120.
ELGIN COOL WINE AND
COUNTRY FESTIVAL AT WINTERS DRIFT
On Saturday 3rd
offering a day filled with fine wines, good food and plenty of entertainment for
the whole family. Day Passes can be purchased on the day, at any of the
participating wine farms or at the Elgin Tourism office, for just R50 per adult
including all wine tasting and entertainment. Children enter free of charge.
Breakfasts and teas will be available but all lunches need to be pre-booked and
paid for in advance.
Winters Drift Festival
Breakfast at Platform 1 Eatery
(09h30 until 11h00)
May when Winters
May, between 09h30 and
17h00, Winters Drift and several other Elgin wineries will be
• Platform 1 Breakfast
(R55) with two eggs, bacon, mushroom, sausage and tomato on toasted ciabatta bread
• Platform 1 Breakfast
(R40) with an egg, bacon, mushroom, sausage and tomato on toasted ciabatta bread
Winters Drift Festival
Lunch and All Day Menu at Platform 1 Eatery
• Rustic butternut soup
with ciabatta (R45)
• Camembert wrapped in
vine served with ciabatta and garden greens (R69)
• Festival basket:
Jalapeño poppers with cream cheese, crunchy tempura vegetables, pear and blue cheese
spring rolls, and crumbed chicken strips with sweet chilli sauce (R85)
• Home-made beef burger
with caramelised onion and potato wedges (R70)
For lunch on 3rd
For further information on
the Elgin Cool Wine and Country Festival please visit http://ecwcf.elginwine.co.za
WINTERS DRIFT’S OTHER
WINES
Winters Drift Sauvignon
Blanc 2013
Tasting notes: This wine
is intensely fruity on the nose displaying gorgeous notes of soft pineapple,
litchi, pear and white peach, as well as typical cool climate green vegetative
aromas. On the palate, the wine has refreshing acidity and a lingering
aftertaste that finishes with crisp green notes.
Retail price: The Winters
Drift 2013 Sauvignon Blanc is available nationally and retails at ±R75.
Winters Drift Rosé 2012
Tasting notes: A
refreshing dry Rosé made from Merlot grapes, it displays a lovely soft pink
colour and is characterised by notes of fresh summer berries wrapped in floral
overtones, most notably white and pink rose petals, with hints of candyfloss on
the finish.
Retail price: The Winters
Drift 2012 Rosé is available nationally and retails at ±R55.
Winters Drift Shiraz 2012
Tasting notes: The 2012
Shiraz exhibits a bright crimson colour with rich spices, lavender and soft oak
on the nose and ripe red and purple berry flavours. The mouth-feel is given
structure by ripe grape and oak tannins.
The wine will age very
well over the next three to five years.
Retail price: The Winters
Drift 2012 Shiraz is available nationally and retails at approximately R99.
WHATSUP AT PLATFORM 1
EATERY
Platform 1, a must
stop-off in Elgin, is now open on Sundays as well from 08h30 until 16h00.The
experience is cosy and relaxed and the ever-changing blackboard menu offers
delectable seasonally-inspired dishes, served on wooden boards, with a
commitment to local and sustainable ingredients. The dishes are complemented by
the Winters Drift range of fine wines which can be ordered by the glass or the
bottle - at cellar door prices.
Platform 1 Eatery also
offers:
• Koek en Tee: On
Wednesdays as usual
• Music nights: A ticket
for R170 per person includes the show, a light supper and a glass of Winters
Drift wine.
Next up: Multi award
winning cabaret artist Godfrey Johnson Live on Friday 25 April.
• Movie nights: At
Platform 2 on Tuesdays. Tickets at R115 per head include a movie ticket and a delicious
home-cooked meal. All bookings need to be made 24 hours in advance.
Next up: Tuesday, 29 April
2014 - The Selfish Giant
• Special events: Platform
1 Eatery will be hosting a Gourmet Mushroom Day, with mushroom guru Gary
Goldman. Dates: 29 April, 30 April, 1 May and 2 May 2014. Each day will include
a quick talk on mushrooms, mushroom foraging and lunch with a glass of Winters
Drift wine.
Cost: R395 per person per
day
May contact Dre Johnson on
082 379 2623 or platform1eatery@wintersdrift.com
For more details, visit www.mushroomguru.co.za
GREEN MOUNTAIN TRAIL
The Green Mountain Trail
is a four day 60km slackpacking trail around the Groenlandberg. It is a walking
experience that incorporates the changing landscape through fynbos, vines and
orchards, and wine and food from the diverse farming area. The accommodation is
four-star farm stays and the package includes full board, guiding, wine
tastings, and transportation of baggage. Emy Mathews of Winters Drift presents
the wine tasting on Day 1 at Porcupine Hills.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON
WINTERS DRIFT
History
Winters Drift wines, named
after the ‘winter ford’ crossing of the Palmiet River, on Glen Elgin, which
formed part of the original ox wagon trail through the Overberg, honour the
remarkable story and legacy of two pioneering and philanthropic bachelor
brothers, Ted and Harry Molteno. These young men purchased Glen Elgin in 1903
and dedicated their lives to transforming their farm, and in fact the whole
valley, into a leading fruit-farming area. In time ‘Elgin’ referred not only to
Glen Elgin, but also to the railway station built upon their farm, and soon the
entire valley became known as Elgin. Glen Elgin was bequeathed to the Molteno Brothers
Trust, with profits to be used for the furtherance of ‘educational, cultural
and charitable interests’.
Elgin Station
After the 1970s, when road
transport sidetracked rail, the Elgin Station building had become an object of ongoing
vandalism and fallen into disuse and disrepair. When Molteno Brothers, owners
of Winters Drift wines and Glen Elgin farm, bought the Elgin Station
residential houses, they embarked on lengthy discussions with Transnet to get
permission to renovate the historic station building and finally to open the
Winters Drift
Tasting Station and
Platform 1 Eatery.
Tasting Station
On arrival at the Tasting
Station, one is ‘transported’ back in time, greeted by the quaint old ticket
office, and the elegant Molteno brothers’ 100-year-old mantle clock which
personifies the passage of time (and is depicted on the Winters Drift wine
labels). Meander through the wealth of memorabilia, chancing across vintage
suitcases, original railway benches and antique telephones while station
masters’ caps, adorning the walls, are tipped as if to welcome ‘travellers’.
So, stop the clock, come along and relax and soak up the old world charm, and
taste the Winters Drift wines atop a counter made from old railway sleepers.
TASTING STATION CONTACT
DETAILS AND OPENING TIMES
Tuesday to Friday: 9am to
4pm
Saturday: 10am to 4pm
Sunday: First Sunday of
every month between September and May
Monday: By appointment
only
Contact: Emy Mathews
(Marketing and Tasting Station Manager)
Telephone: 021 859 5534 ·
082 494 1265
PLATFORM 1 EATERY CONTACT
DETAILS AND OPENING TIMES
Tuesday to Sunday: 08h30
until 16h00
Contact: Dre Johnson
Cell: 082 379 2623
E-mail:
platform1eatery@wintersdrift.com
