Sat, 15/02/2025, 12H00 - 15H00
The Pringle Proms’ Brian Berkman will lead a Compelling Conversation with Melissa Nelsen about the making of her range of wines after which Melissa will conduct a detailed tasting.
Lunch will be salmon mousse and borscht (beetroot and yogurt soup) to start; rare roasted beef with Béarnaise mayo; fire-grilled red peppers, blistered baby tomatoes and seasonal vegetables and, to end, a red-berry parfait.
Previously, Melissa spoke to Brian Berkman for a feature in the August 9, 2024 issue of Farmer’s Weekly magazine.
In the feature it said: “Melissa started her business by first buying grapes in from a beautiful pocket of older, well-established chardonnay along the Van der Stel Pass in Botrivier, and under the mentorship of Ross Gower started the Genevieve production. Only in 2017 did she manage to buy a farm in Botrivier with established vineyards to grow the Genevieve production. Even from her first 2008 vintage, released in 2010 of 5000 bottles (an amount that Melissa jokes was a little more than she and her friends would drink), she determined to position Genevieve as a premium product at a concomitant price. “Although in the ensuing years I have not managed to keep increasing the price by more than an inflationary amount,” she tells Farmer’s Weekly, I’ve expanded the range,” she says. “Costs have tripled but I haven’t been able to triple the price,” she admits
After working as a pilot she decided she preferred working on and with terra ferma and Bot River in the Western Cape, close to her native Elgin, called.
“Serious yet playful” are her buzzwords and the word “Journey” is on the picturesque wine-tasting barn. Peacocks and hens scatter as one approaches along with a chicken or two. Her faithful rescued hound, Lilly, is her constant companion.
The Blanc de Blanc (R295) was the first 100% Chardonnay she produced. In 2020, 13, 000 bottles were produced,” she says adding that the grapes came from her favoured Van der Stel pass but also included another old Chardonnay block closer to Bot River. “Minimal but precise intervention” its how she describes her winemaking approach.
Following the Cap Classique Association’s regulations of only whole bunch pressing she ensures the pressure is relatively gentle on the skins and it doesn't crush the seeds or the stalks, minimises tannins and preserves great acidity which is responsible for the delicacy of the wine. Once the wine has been bottled, and sugar and yeast have been added to the bottle to start the second fermentation, it is then matured for 42-months. Yeast lees maturation gives the tertiary flavours to the wine, before disgorgement.
All these methods contribute to the Genevieve Cap Classique signature: candied citrus, yellow peach, honey melon and almond on the palate. The high acidity, minerality and effervescence makes this an especially food-friendly wine and at 12% alcohol it also means I can enjoy the whole bottle,” she says.
To further her goal of offering a premium product, the RD 2013 (R560) is Extra Brut and comes from an 18-year old Chardonnay vineyard and while also picked at 19 balling is matured on the lees for 10-years. “The RD or Recently Disgorged is a style of winemaking, where the wine is matured on crown cap for the entire duration while on lees instead of cork. The naturally higher acidity achieved from earlier picking also acts as a natural preservative, helping to maintain its structure and giving good longevity to the wine. Aging is one of the prime methods of creating a beautiful mousse.”
Guests will be able to order Genevieve wines at cellar-door prices.
The event, which includes the talk, tasting, lunch, wine, soft drinks and tea and coffee is R700 per person.