CAPE TOWN, 06 May 2019 – South Africa’s happiest wine has just hit double digits. That’s right: Polkadraai – the deliciously cheery Stellenbosch wine that invites you to break out and live on the Polka side of life – is a whole 10 years old. And to mark this delightful occasion, it welcomes a newbie. Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for Polkadraai Rosé!
This cherub of a wine is the cherry on the cake; the polkadot on a pristine canvas, that leads the Stellenbosch Hills range into its new decade. As its loyal fans already know: since the launch of Polkadraai in 2009, the fun has never stopped.
Now observe the superb newcomer. The Polkadraai Rosé shimmers with a delicate, salmon pink. Give it a little nasal snuffle and the lush bouquet reveals its opulent blooms – suggestions of red berry and the gentlest of petals. Hints of sweet melon and stone fruit wash over the tongue from the first sip.
To be sure, this wine is crafted with all the care and attention that makes it excellent. It hails from Shiraz grapes, hand-picked from healthy vines in the Polkadraai region of Stellenbosch. Carefully shaped through vinification to a classic style, the wine is fresh and dry. The palate is medium-bodied with a satisfying crispness that is simply happiness in a glass.
Chill it and there’s no occasion the wine won’t fit. For food, Polkadraai Rosé’s the secret bombshell ingredient when served with creamy pasta with salmon, prawns or chicken; soft cheese; or, strawberry pavlova.
The wine is the brainchild of Stellenbosch Hills, an award-winning winery in the farming district of Vlottenburg. Grapes are sourced from 16 member-farms that encompass a spectrum of soils, climate and topography, enabling selection of the best cultivars and premium quality fruit to produce a greater variety of distinctive wines, all of which are vinified in the winery’s state-of-the-art cellar.
The Polkadraai wine range gets its name from the winding road connecting the diverse vineyards used by Stellenbosch Hills. It’s also the philosophy of the range: a fun-loving tribute to all things polka, from the lively dance to the playful polka dot pattern.
Its launch on the anniversary of the range comes as the most recent in a line of milestones. These include the 65th anniversary of the winery in 2010, the year Polkadraai Pinot Noir Sparkling was launched. A year later, Polkadraai got more social with the launch of its three-litre pack.
The community initiative Polkakids was also born. The project sees every Polkadraai wine purchase contribute to education. A percentage of all sales is donated to the Vlottenburg Primary School through the Polka Kids Community Project of which Stellenbosch Hills has been a patron since 2009. The school has some 400 learners that include the younger children of most of the vineyard and winery employees at Stellenbosch Hills.
The Polkadraai range of easy-drinking, well-balanced wines includes the blends of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinotage and Merlot; Pinot Noir Sparkling Rosé; Sauvignon Blanc Brut; and, the three-litre Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot/Shiraz.
Polkadraai has always been easy on the palate and just as easy on the pocket. The new Polkadraai Rosé follows in this tradition, selling from the cellar door for just R48/bottle.
The Stellenbosch Hills tasting room is located at the corner of the R310 and Vlottenburg Road, Stellenbosch. The tasting room is open Monday – Friday: 09h00 – 17h00 and Saturdays: 10h00 – 15h00. It’s closed on Sundays and public holidays.
For more information, call 021 881 3828/9 or email [email protected]. Visit www.stellenbosch-hills.co.za.
Also share your Polkadraai moments on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/StellenboschHills/), Twitter @STBHills and Instagram @stellenbosch_hills ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
