Set deep in the Papegaaiberg on the outskirts of Stellenbosch, Die Bergkelder is the renowned home of the award-winning wines of Fleur du Cap, one of South Africa’s best-known and oldest wine brands. Passing through the wooden doors of the cellar, visitors enter a magical world of wine set deep within the mountainside. Thousands of bottles from past vintages lie maturing in wine racks in the alcoves of a long corridor of stone arches, which lead deep into the ‘mountain cellar’.

Adjusting to the subdued light and cool temperature, I stopped to admire the exquisitely carved old wine vats depicting the history of wine in South Africa from the arrival of the first fleet to the first harvest at the Cape in 1659. We entered The Laszlo Room, dedicated to the late Dr Julius Laszlo, the visionary cellar master of Die Bergkelder who changed the face of the South African wine industry in the 1980s.

On our fascinating tour of Die Bergkelder, we learned about the legacy of the man who played a pivotal role in modernising winemaking in South Africa. The far-sighted Dr Laszlo pioneered innovative viticultural techniques, new vine material and noble cultivars in the Cape. He introduced the use of small oak barrels from France, Spain, Hungary and America to mature both red and white wines, laying the foundations which have won Fleur du Cap – named South African Producer of the Year 2010 at The International Wine and Spirit Competition in London – many prestigious awards.

In the intimate ambience of the Laszlo Room, Andrea Freeborough, the current cellar master at Die Bergkelder, led a tasting of Fleur du Cap’s Laszlo 2006. This flagship Bordeaux-style red blend – released only in 2004 and 2006 so far – is a fitting tribute to the visionary winemaker. Only the finest vineyard blocks and barrels of the noble varieties, which Dr Laszlo helped to establish are selected for the wine that carries his name.

Not for sale to persons under the age of 18.

May/June 2011 Issue

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