Coming back home after the Perold Cape Blend tour I`ve had a few requests to sum up the experience. This morning I had an interview with Lise Roberts on RSG and it prompted me putting pen to paper or rather fingers on the keys. Thought I`d like to share it on the blog also.

Our main visits:
In Saint Emilion we visited:
• Chateau Franc Mayne
• Chateau Lessegue
In Margaux we visited:
• Lascombe
• Cos d`Estournel
In the Loire we visited:
• Domain Huet
• Domain Vincente Careme
In Cognac we visited:
• Baron Otard
• Martell

We also visited the Vicard, Boutes and Tonnelerie du Monde cooperages with wonderful outcomes on the technology and skill being applied in producing the barrels we use.
Involved was a trip to Paris, one flight to Bordeaux, 2 tanks of diesel in our Opel Meriva 1200 and a problematic GPS system.

My insights include:
We need to be more proud of our heritage and wine traditions. The French own that category while some of our own producers have wine lineage that could trump a lot of the modern day owners in France.

We are doing the right thing in investing in our vineyards and our viticulturists. We do not have the boundaries set by classification systems. We should flaunt it!

Great insights into our South African context. Spending 10 days with two colleagues meant a lot of experiences and thoughts about our own industry shared.

One can’t go on a trip like this and not have your horizons broadened. I cannot and shouldn`t be the same winemaker I was before. Even if some of the things I saw made me more astute in some of my ways – other things did ignite a lightbulb moment. If this was the goal for the sponsor and the Association – it was a goal well met.

Maybe the most important would be the Thank You list to end off with:

Elsabe Ferreira from the Pinotage Association – thank you for our itinerary and getting us there with a plan in hand. You are one of the most concise professionals in our industry.

Andre Kotze from Cape Cooperage with your colleagues Frank Renaudin and Emmanuel Boudariac in Beychac et Caillau (Tonnellerie du Monde) for your hospitality and sharing your Cooperage story and wine contacts in especially Saint Emilion with us. www.tonnelleriedumonde.fr

Wynand Hamman from Boutes with his colleagues Thibault Chaperon and Julien Segura for showing us beautiful Saint Estephe and Margaux. www.boutes.com

Michael Fernandes and his colleague Pierre from the Vicard group for your hospitality and showing us Cognac! www.groupe-vicard.com/eng/

Michael also got us into contact with Tania and Vincente Careme from Domaine Vincente Careme. Thank you for the hospitality and showing us a piece of Chenin blanc heaven in the Loire!

ABSA, the sponsors of the Pinotage Association and of the Perold Cape Blend tour. Your visionary support of the Association and the members thereof is noted and greatly appreciated. It is a long term input of which I am sure you will reap the rewards.

My tour-partners Andries (Captain) Blake and William (everything is better in Botrivier) Wilkinson. You were kind and enthusiastic companions. I would do another tour with you any day.

Now to go and blend that next Bosman Family Vineyards Erfenis for the 2013 competition…

For twitter references to the tour #Peroldblendtour and for Facebook Photos search for Corlea Fourie or on Bosman Family Vineyards`s page.