Often described as the Valley of Abundance, Tulbagh has its own unique beauty and tranquility. Pieter Potter, surveyor general to the first governor of the Cape, Jan van Riebeeck must have felt this way back in 1658 when first setting eyes on the Tulbagh Valley. However he would not have known then that one day the valley was to produce a wide range of exquisite wines.
Tulbagh is the fourth oldest town in South Africa (after Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Swellendam) dating back to the early 1700s, but in more recent times, wine has moved centre stage. It is situated in a bowl surrounded by the imposing Obiqua Mountains to the west, the Winterhoek Mountains in north and the Witzenberg Mountains to the east. The Southern side of the valley is open to cooling south-east winds during the hot summer months. Accordingly Tulbagh enjoys some of the most diverse and attractive conditions for viticulture in the Cape, attributes that have attracted many new producers to the valley.
The Taste Of Tulbagh now brings these suburb wines to an exclusive online wine selection, which has received a string of national and international awards including Diners Club Wine Maker of the Year and a healthy spread of gold and double gold Veritas awards.
Shiraz is king in Tulbagh, and the wines made from this grape are often made into traditional Southern Rhone blends along with Mourvedre and Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon and red Bordeaux blends. The most important white-wine variety is Chenin Blanc but Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are also common plantings in Tulbagh. The three century-old Twee Jonge Gezellen Estate also produces traditional Methode Cap Classiques (MCC) sparkling wine under the Krone label.
Other famous names like Drosty Hof (Est 1804) and the world renowned Theuniskaal Riesling might take pride and place amongst the wines of Tulbagh, but the valley is dotted with graceful old estates, interspersed with conspicuously new vineyards and architecturally designed state-of-the-art cellars and boutique wineries.
