Celebrate Kwanzaa With House of Mandela Wines

Kwanzaa is right around the corner. As you get ready for your celebrations and freasts, pick up a few bottles of House of Mandela Wines.

When you hear the name Mandela, you probably think immediately think of Nelson Mandela. As a way to keep his legacy alive, Mandela's daughter, Makaziwe Mandela, and his granddaughter Tukwini Mandela, started House of Mandela Wines. While some people may be surprised that the Mandela family is in the wine business, they believe that it goes hand in hand with what their family stands for. Their company has made a commitment to give back to the community. A part of the proceeds from the wine are donated to the House of Mandela Family Foundation and Africa Rising Foundation.

Instead of starting a winery from the ground up, the Mandela's source their wine from established winemakers in the Western Cape area of South Africa. Every detail about the wine has been thought about from where the grapes that are sourced to the labels on the bottles. All of the wines come from fair-trade farms. The wineries that farm and blend the House of Mandela Wines are Thelema, Hartenberg, and Fairview.

The wines are currently in limited distribution, but you can get the chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon from their Thembu Collection at Zachy's. The Thembu Collection gets it name from the Mandela family's royal linage.

House of Mandela Chardonnay, 2014 
The Thembu Collection

Tasting Note:

Critrusy and light with a hint of spice. Apples abound on the palate, softened by a creamy oak texture. Well integrated and balanced with a full mouth feel.

House of Mandela Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014
The Thembu Collection

Tasting Note: 

Intense dark berries, tobacco, and chocolate. Fresh fruit bursts on the palate, well-balanced with supple texture and smooth on the finish.

The wines are the perfect selection for any of the seven days of Kwanzaa. Even if you don't celebrate the holiday there are many reasons to check out this wine. South Africa is really stepping up their wine game and House of Mandela Wines is a part of the movement. Above all else, the wines are really good. Need I say more? Cheers!

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Babylonstoren: Divine South African Wine

South African wine has a history dating back to 1659, but it hasn’t been until recently that they are gaining acclaim as one of the top wine producers in the world. That brings us to Babylonstoren, one of the oldest Cape Dutch farm yards that makes its own wine. The farm is an oasis of fine food, accommodations, and gardens.  I recently got acquainted with Babylonstoren wines during a tasting and wine dinner that they hosted in Manhattan.

Their cellarmaster, Charl Coetzee, was also in attendance. Coetzee is quite humble about making the award winning wines. I asked him how he got into the wine business and it was not a life long dream of his. It kind of just happened. I would say that it appears that he has found his true calling. When Coetzee saw the cellar at Babylonstoren, he knew that it was where he wanted to be.

The unique logo on the wine bottle captures the essence of the wine The pipe represents the farm. the flower represents the garden, and the bird represents nature. There are six wines  Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Mourvèdre Rosé, Babel Red, Shiraz, and Chardonnay.  The chenin blanc was probably my favorite of the evening, with the rosé coming at a close second. All of the wines were quite good, the ones that I sipped on were great for a hot New York day.

If you can't make it to South Africa to check out the winery, there is a cookbook, BABEL by Maranda Engelbrecht, which shares the same name as the famous restaurant at Babylonstoren. The book is packed with gorgeous pictures of the farm and farm to table recipes. It is a peak at what happens behind the scenes in South Africa. It would make a wonderful table top book or a gift for a foodie.

This unique wine may be hard to find, but it's worth your time. You can also order from their website