Lanzerac Alma Mater Rose 2013

Stellenbosch is perhaps the most well known of all the wine regions and considered the wine capital of South Africa. This university town, sometimes referred to as Eikestad (oak city) due to the many magnificent oak trees that line the streets and cobbled walkways, is steeped in history and boasts some of our nation’s oldest buildings.

In 1971, Stellenbosch became the first wine region to establish a wine route and today they have over 150 participating wine farms, many of which have excellent tasting facilities and fine restaurants.

One of these farms is Lanzerac which is situated in the leafy suburbs of Stellenbosch and dates back to 1692. Ever popular with students and visitors, it also produced the first Pinotage in 1961 under the name of Lanzerac, although the grapes came from a nearby farm in the Bottlery Hills.

Visitors to Lanzerac in the ’70s and ’80s will remember many a happy afternoon enjoying a traditional cheeseboard on the stoep with a glass of Lanzerac rosé served from the famous skittle shaped bottle. Nevertheless, not everyone shared the same sentiment for this wine since it was a very sweet beverage which later put many people off the idea of ever drinking rosé!

However, over the last six years or so we have seen a huge resurgence in rosé wines (sometimes referred to as Blanc de Noir) which are now produced predominantly from red cultivars and made in a drier style.

In fact, France leads the way with this style of wine. Statistics show a growing popularity over the past few years – so much so that rosés are now the biggest selling category of wine in France! So too are South Africans warming to rosés, and our climate and cuisine make it a natural choice of wine, especially over the summer months.

With this in mind and in particular for our modern day students, Lanzerac has introduced their Alma Mater range which includes a rosé. The trio of wines (a red, white and rosé) are presented in the original skittle shape bottle and are sealed with a screw cap.

All the wines are made in an easy style yet are full of fruit, giving a juicy mouthfeel and soft tannins and I would call them happy wines which can be enjoyed by both young and older generations.

The Lanzerac Alma Mater Rose 2013 has a lovely salmon-pink colour with aromas of strawberries and cream with hints of ripe watermelon. The slightly off-dry palate offers luscious silky strawberry flavours which linger on the fresh clean finish.

It’s a delicious wine to enjoy with summer cold buffets or just a glass or two while watching the sun go down. Although this 2013 rosé is housed in the traditional bottle it is a far cry from the wine made in the ’70s!

Expect to pay: R57.00