Iona Red Blend

Upwards and seawards

Spier has become an institution in Stellenbosch – recognised for its commitment to the environment, its people and crafting organic, vegan-friendly, and world-class wines. This winery has adapted itself over the years, celebrating art and culture and never did they ever compromise on quality, whether it is hospitality, food, service, or characterful award-winning wines. Heads up, should you plan a special celebration at Spier, please leave those balloons at home. Spier supports a plastic-free environment, and even the picnic packaging is environmentally friendly and biodegradable. On the wine side, they continue their trajectory of success and invite you to enjoy an informative and relaxing wine tasting before you saunter down its green pathways.

Spier was organically certified in 2014 and 2018 launched the Growing for Good initiatives that empower communities to make a positive social and environmental change.

The winery received top honours in 2021 with the Duimpie Bayly Veritas Vertex Award for the 2018 Spier Creative Block 5, crowned the best wine in South Africa.

Spier was awarded the Platter’s by Diners Club South African Wine Guide Editor’s Award – Winery of the Year in 2021, recognising their team’s track record and outstanding international representation.

“Spier has one of the oldest dated cellars in South Africa, and they are committed to crafting wines expressive of terroir. The winemaking team is being awarded for their dedication and the wines, for showing consistent quality. – Georgio Melletiou

TIPS FOR MATCHMAKING SPIER SEAWARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 WITH FIGS IN SEASON, PARMA HAM, CAMEMBERT AND BRUCHETTA

  • Basil is a good starting point. The sweet-cool pungency of this herb needs an equally vivacious partner, like Sauvignon Blanc. The herb nudges a frisky character of the Sauvignon Blanc to the fore, accentuating its savoury side.
  • On the other side, the camembert cheese calms it down, introducing a mild character soothing to the palate and taming the acidity with its creamy mouthfeel.

  • Sauvignon Blanc and figs are two peas in a pod. Black figs are chewy and textured with delicate floral notes making them highly seductive. The Sauvignon Blanc wraps itself around it, leaving you craving more.
  • Before the party dies down, you need to invite some strong personalities like tomato and Parma ham, who will unmistakably try to knock Miss Sauvignon off her pedestal. But again, although the Parma has the last say, it needs the Sauvignon to add that pithiness, and the tomato, its cousin, bringing a refreshing twist.

  • The faces of Sauvignon Blanc makes for uncanny food and wine partners and debunk any preconceived idea of being mundane. It is incredibly relevant when it comes to food and can be a chameleon and the heart of the party.
  • Going back to the figs, you can feel your palate mellowing down, enjoying the contrasts and the tease of different nuances of sweet, sour and savoury. 
  • We purposefully left the garlic to the end as the silent assassin. If used too generously, it can add an unpleasant bitter note to the aftertaste of the wine and suppress its lively fruitiness. On the other hand, if used wisely, it adds a bit of heat and, as with alcohol, viscosity.

Our Experience

Wine loves a smorgasbord. It tells the wine that you are giving it the freedom to make friends throughout the night and show different sides to itself without becoming boring company. Grapes for the Seaward range is selected from South Africa’s top coastal areas, growing in a narrow band close to the cold Atlantic Ocean and the temperate waters of False Bay. These uncharted territories produce great harvests with the maritime influences chiselling wines with natural acidities.

According to cellarmaster Johan Jordaan, they look toward the sea for our quality terroirs. Grapes grown close to the cold Atlantic Ocean ripens slower, resulting in concentrated, well-balanced wines.

And the truth is in the pudding, as they say, as the Seaward Sauvignon Blanc delivers on that quintessential pungency while doing it in a very sophisticated way. Sauvignon Blanc wants to be the heart of the party, and that is no reason to dismiss this expressive grape. On the contrary, if executed with precision, the grape will keep you enticed all night.

Sauvignon Blanc will please most guests as the acidity can cut through the salt and fattiness of Parma ham. Adding a creamy cheese to your snacks, the delicate sweetness of figs will never derail a Sauvignon Blanc of this stature. Ancient Greeks believed figs was a gift of Demeter, the goddess of the harvest. As we are still in the middle of harvesting activities, this is a beautiful combination to honour our winemakers and viticulturists.

Initial aromas of freshly cut herbs like thyme and basil add a fresh and welcoming lift with a slight hint of olive brine and blackcurrant leaf betraying its inherent intensity. Then, edged with a bright, limy hue, sweet pea, and melon aromas, one cannot wait but to dive in.

A perceived sweetness adds viscosity to align the bright acidity, but the wine is still dry bone on the finish. The wine arrests your palate, making a full circle to captivate your senses with sweet, sour, and salty nuances. Acidity is what refines this wine, and its unadulterated fruit expression is what makes it memorable. Adding to this, the wine has good palate weight, the fruit is backed with briny nuances of crushed seashells, and the finish persists.

The Seaward Sauvignon Blanc is a class act, capturing both the terroir and the attention of Sauvignon Blanc lovers who want to enjoy life and choose a wine that suits all occasions.

See it for yourself

Gallery of our experience.
All images copyright Samarie Smith and/or the featured estate.

More Romantic Inspiration.

To have your wine featured and reviewed, please contact us.

EMAIL

info@marriedtwowine.com

MOBILE
Samarie +27 82 072 5451

Georgio +27 83 326 3016

INSTAGRAM
@marriedtwowine
FACEBOOK
@marriedtwowine