DELHEIM

The South African Youth Choir

In aid of Stellenbosch Child Welfare, Delheim presents Ariel Ramírez’ MISA CRIOLLA performed by THE SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH CHOIR conducted by André van der Merwe and featuring Minette du Toit-Pearce (mezzo-soprano).

 In 1964, Argentine composer Ariel Ramírez’ monumental Misa Criolla marked the beginning of a period of high musical productivity for the composer. The Misa Criolla was an early non-Latin Mass.   The Washington Post described Misa Criolla as “a stunning artistic achievement, combining Spanish text with indigenous instruments and rhythms”. It led to album sales numbering in the millions internationally. Ramírez once told The Jerusalem Post how Misa Criolla was inspired by a visit to Germany after World War II. He had an encounter with a group of nuns, which led him to consider writing “a spiritual piece”. This would eventually become the Misa Criolla.

 The Misa, a mass for either male or female soloists, chorus and orchestra, is based on folk genres such as chacarera, carnavalito and estilo pampeano, with Andrean influences and instruments.  Through the years recordings have been made with famous soloists such as George Dalaras (1989), José Carreras (1990), and Mercedes Sosa (1999). Plácido Domingo recorded the Kyrie (i.e. the first movement of the Misa) with Dominic Miller on guitar in 2003. 

 Now, the vibrant and exciting South African Youth Choir will join forces with mezzo-soprano Minette du Toit-Pearce for one performance only at 19h30 on the evening of 22 July 2011 in the atmospheric cellar at the historical Delheim wine farm near Stellenbosch as the opening act of the annual Stellenbosch Wine Festival.

 The choir, conducted by internationally acclaimed, highly innovative conductor André van der Merwe with Elzeth Germishuys as accompanist, is truly going from strength to strength. Not only did they grace last year’s Huisgenoot Skouspel stages, both at GrandWest and Sun City, with their contagious energy and excellent musicianship, but they also received two SAMA nominations and performed at the 2010 Die Burger Pops. They also performed at Tuynhuis recently at an event attended by President Jacob Zuma and other prominent dignitaries.

Du Toit-Pearce is a full time singing lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch. She is a much celebrated mezzo-soprano who has won many awards, including the ATKV Muzique competition in 2006 where she was declared the overall winner. She completed her Unisa Performers Licentiate cum laude and was placed on their roll of honours. Percussion instruments will be played by choir members.

Tickets for the performance are R280pp, with all proceeds going to Stellenbosch Child Welfare. Bookings essetial at delheim@delheim.com or phone 021 888 4600.

Well, the short answer is, not like the grapes you buy at your grocery store!  At Delheim we are committed to offering you an honest, unpretentious look at the magic of winemaking, so join us for a relaxed, fun opportunity to taste the actual grape varietals together with the wines made from them.  This exclusive and educational tasting will be conducted by Winemaker Brenda van Niekerk on Sunday, 20 February 2011 at 11h00 in Delheim’s Vat Cellar, and costs R50pp. Only a very limited number of guests can be accommodated, so please book early at delheim@delheim.com or tel. 021 888 4600.

by Myrna Robins, 4 February 2011 

We’re seated in a living area off the farm office at Delheim on a sweltering morning, Vera and Spatz Sperling and an assortment of Jack Russells in prime positions on, in front of and under chairs.

Daughter Nora serves iced water and leaves us to travel back in time some 60 years when the Sperlings started farming at Delheim.

This was on a portion of the original 17th century grant named De Driesprongh.

No ordinary octogenarian: Spatz Sperling tastes the flaghip Delheim Grand Reserve.

Although a trained farmer, Spatz had no knowledge of winemaking but enthusiasm and determination, with advice from other German winemakers living at the Cape, all helped and by 1970 Delheim was an established Simonsberg producer and Spatz was already renowned for his colourful personality and warm hospitality.

 In 1971 Frans Malan of Simonsig, Spatz Sperling of Delheim and Niel Joubert of Spier started the first wine route in South Africa with a dozen members, a pioneering forerunner to the present Stellenbosch Wine Routes with 130 members. In those days not only was wine tourism non-existent, but, given the extent of restrictive laws governing the industry, it’s something of a miracle that anyone bought wine.

 The iron fist of the KWV and the absurdities of conservative national laws combined to engender ingenious schemes as farmers proceeded to outwit both regulations and officials. With many a wry chuckle, Spatz and Vera take up the story:

“We weren’t allowed to put Delheim signs on the R44 to indicate where travellers should turn off.”

So the Sperlings persuaded son and daughter Victor and Nora to stand beside the road with a banner emblazoned with Delheim’s name during the week between Christmas and New Year.

“Of course weekdays were important as we had to close at three on Saturdays, and weren’t allowed to open on Sundays at all.”

Having set up a tasting room, the Sperlings wanted a restaurant where visitors could have lunch with their wine. A long battle with officialdom ensued.

Vera recalls how they applied for a vendor’s licence which allowed them to portion and serve food brought in from outside sources such as bakers and cheesemakers.

 “Diners could not drink outside, they were not allowed to buy wine while at table, they had to buy a bottle from a designated area, take it to their table, where we quickly exchanged it for a chilled version.”

 Other legislative burdens involved the time-consuming KC6 – a form which had to be filled out in triplicate for every case of wine sold.

 Regulations forbade the processing of grapes other than his own in his cellar. Neighbour and friend Frans Malan had decided to try his hand at a dessert wine, and needed to use a small press, which Spatz had, to crush his maiden harvest. To avoid being spotted, the grapes were brought to Delheim under cover of night.

 The 1998 Platter guide lists Delheim as producer of 80 000 cases comprising a wide range of both red and white wines, with a restaurant and facilities open seven days a week. The farm was an important destination for visitors and, as the new century dawned, the future looked rosy.

 But nature played cruel tricks in 2000 with disastrous fires that razed mountain areas including Delheim’s indigenous forest, much beloved by Spatz.

 “He replanted the entire forest,” says Vera matter-of-factly, “and, just when it was coming on, we had an invasion of caterpillars.

 “I wondered if I should collect them, deep-fry them and serve them as snacks – it worked with the snails.” (I still have a tiny terracotta pot labelled Vera’s Vineyard which was used as baking utensil.)

 In the rustic tasting room Nora and Victor Sperling pour Delheim’s most popular wines. We sample the Heerenwijn (R39), first made in 1976, a light-hearted blend of sauvignon, chenin and colombard, followed by the perennially popular pinotage rosé, packed with fruit balanced by tangy acidity. The award-winning chardonnay Sur Lie 2009 (R125) is rich with butterscotch and citrus flavours.

 In 1975 Spatz bought a second farm as he needed land suitable for red grapes. This resulted in tight financial times, patiently endured by his ever-supportive wife.

 A single vineyard produces the grapes for Delheim’s fine shiraz and its name, Vera Cruz, reflects the “cross she bore with fortitude”.

 No Delheim tasting could finish without the famous late harvest Spatzendreck, an early effort by Spatz that got scant praise when first produced. Not only did he persist until he had a fine wine, but he retained both name and label: Spatz being a German colloquial term for a sparrow, “dreck” its droppings, both illustrated by a sparrow perched on a barrel.

 Lunch at Delheim is a relaxed experience with children and dogs competing for space between the tables on the terrace. Chilled gazpacho, the robust house salad, pasta with wild mushrooms and Franschhoek trout are relished and pinotage ice-cream makes a refreshing finale.

 Siblings Nora and Victor uphold the hard-working tradition established by their parents, with Nora handling exports, marketing and overseeing the restaurant operation. Victor heads viticulture, watching over 375 hectares of vineyards while fulfilling the environmental criteria that have seen Delheim listed as a Biodiversity Wine Initiative champion.

 Dedication and enthusiasm are tempered by new problems faced by contemporary farmers. Victor is only half joking as he elaborates: “Farmers are becoming an endangered species. With the job being a 24/7 one, the thought of being a lawyer or someone who goes home on Friday afternoon and doesn’t think about the office again until Monday morning is very tempting.”

 Lack of government support and farmland eyed for exploratory drilling by mining companies are worries compounded by the recession, a stagnant local market and a strong rand inhibiting exports.

 Yet, brother and sister say they planted cabernet and pinotage last year, so they must be optimistic about the future. And with a 60th anniversary to celebrate this year, plans are being hatched.

 As I said my farewells, Spatz Sperling, who is coping admirably with Parkinson’s disease, displays old-fashioned courtesy as he escorts me to the car park.

 “Africa has been good to me,” he says. “Don’t forget to put that in your article.” – Sunday Argus

An Unique Experience at Delheim

Here is an exclusive opportunity for a limited number of special guests to experience the excitement of harvest-time firsthand!  Join us at Delheim on Saturday, 12 February at 09h00, when we will take you on a tractor and trailer ride up into our Sauvignon Blanc vineyards to enjoy a delicious al fresco brunch, after which Viticulturist Victor Sperling will guide you through the process of picking the grapes at optimum ripeness.  Then it is off to the cellar where you will be guided through the processing of the grapes, and taste grape must and juice at various stages of fermentation directly from the tanks!

This is a once-off event and only 24 persons can be accommodated, so book now at Tel (021) 888-4607.  R200pp (includes brunch, grape picking, cellaring and tasting).

'Spatz' Sperling, son Victor (viticulturist), and Brenda van Niekerk (winemaker)

Ready, steady...

Delheim’s “Start of Harvest” Festival went off with a swing of jazz, with guests lounging around like decadent Romans feasting on bratwurst, zwiebelkuchen (a traditional German onion pie eaten at harvest time), watermelon, koeksisters, paninis, and much more. 

Around 15h00 we rounded up the six teams participating in the Survivor-style grape stomping challenge.  Each team of five were allocated a colour which they prevailed upon the assembled audience to wear.  The atmosphere was electric and fun even before the first team members set out on their assigned tasks – a relay of collecting the barrel, crossing the ditch on planks to fetch the crates of grapes, and stomping them in the barrel to extract as much juice as possible.  The team with the most juice at the end won.  This was accomplished with much noise, hilarity and cheering, and everybody left happy and vowing to come back for the harvest festival next year.

Action!

Team Loretta

A well-deserved rest

In 1979 we visited South Africa for the first time with our 4 year old Son Adam. On our tour of the region we visited Delheim and were taken with the beautiful surrounds and the wine. We purchased some Delheim Pinotage vintage 1978 and most was drunk however one bottle was left. Over the years as my husbands worked in various regions in the world much of our passions were put into long term store. When we finally settled in Shropshire we discovered the bottle of Delheim Pinotage and felt it should be returned to its home.

James Kelly & Bronwen Kelly from Baschurch Shrewsbury Shropshire, UK / 1. Feb. 2011