{"id":2385,"date":"2022-10-04T12:27:54","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T12:27:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/?p=2385"},"modified":"2022-10-04T12:32:16","modified_gmt":"2022-10-04T12:32:16","slug":"a-new-addition-to-alvis-drift-private-cellar-221-range-the-2022-vintage-alvis-drift-221-sauvignon-blanc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/index.php\/2022\/10\/04\/a-new-addition-to-alvis-drift-private-cellar-221-range-the-2022-vintage-alvis-drift-221-sauvignon-blanc\/","title":{"rendered":"A new addition to Alvi’s Drift Private Cellar 221 range: the 2022 vintage Alvi\u2019s Drift 221 Sauvignon Blanc"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At Alvi\u2019s Drift, the launch of every new wine is a moment to be celebrated like the arrival of a cherished child. We celebrate the newest member of the Alvi\u2019s Drift family of award-winning wines \u2013 the 221 range Sauvignon Blanc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like its counterparts in Alvi\u2019s Drift\u2019s popular 221 range (created not just for wine lovers but also for restaurateurs and lovers of fine cuisine with fun food pairing in mind), the 221 Sauvignon Blanc is an intriguing blend of barrel-matured and fresh, crisp, tank-fermented Sauvignon Blanc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In keeping with the style of the 221 range, approximately 25% of the 221 Sauvignon Blanc was wild-yeast fermented before being aged in older French oak barrels to provide both complexity and depth of flavour. The remainder of the wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks, highlighting its wonderful, primary-fruit characters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why was the decision taken to add a Sauvignon Blanc to Alvi\u2019s Drift\u2019s 221 range of wines? \u201cOur multi-award-wining 221 wines have proven incredibly popular with wine lovers, restaurateurs and sommeliers. With our 221 Chenin Blanc crowned one of the winners in the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge 2022, and our Reserve Sauvignon Blanc achieving the same feat with its maiden vintage, the demand has grown for us to add a food-focused Sauvignon Blanc to our 221 range,\u201d said winemaker Alvi. \u201cAs Sauvignon Blanc grapes often yield thinner wines, and Chenin Blanc bolder ones, our complex and alluring 221 Sauvignon Blanc offers wine lovers something in between. It\u2019s a bigger, bolder wine that plays nicely with excellent food, but those characteristic Sauvignon Blanc flavours are still very much present.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alvi\u2019s Drift\u2019s  221 range<\/a>, named for the winery\u2019s maverick founder, \u201cOupa\u201d Alvi van der Merwe (the 221st player to don the national Springbok rugby jersey and first-ever to score a goal against the All Blacks on African soil)), shares some of the characteristics for which their patriarch is so fondly remembered. Elegant and sophisticated, yet extraordinary with a bit of a wild streak, their 221 wines are just as unconventional and memorable as Oupa Alvi<\/a>, whose antics and eccentricities are still shared among family and friends to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur 221 range really offers wine enthusiasts the best of both worlds,\u201d said Cape Wine Master and celebrated South African wine expert Junel van der Merwe. \u201cThese wines have so much charm and elegance, with just a touch of grandness about them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, Alvi\u2019s Drift winery has grown to become a widely recognised name. Both locally and abroad, the third-generation Boland winery <\/a>is regarded as one of South Africa\u2019s fastest-growing wine producers, offering wine enthusiasts not only superb wines but excellent value too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Year-on-year, Alvi\u2019s Drift wines have been honoured with numerous prestigious local and international wine awards<\/a> (including taking top place in the 2022 Viognier Challenge<\/a> and being ranked among the Top 10 in the 2022 Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top Ten Challenge<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

More about Alvi\u2019s Drift 221 Sauvignon Blanc<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2022 harvest at Alvi’s Drift will be remembered as the silver lining to a very difficult time for the global wine industry. Despite many challenges, at their Breede River Valley<\/a> winery, the grapes, weather and terroir conspired to deliver something truly magical. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The moderate weather throughout the entire season, specifically during harvest time, resulted in grapes ripening more slowly than usual, developing exceptional flavour in the process. Harvesting started two weeks later than usual, resulting in grapes of exceptional quality \u2013 fruit with low pH levels and high natural acidity, with perfect phenolic ripeness \u2013 factors which all point to the production of extraordinary wines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can wine lovers expect to see and taste when they open a bottle of this remarkable wine? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sparkling bright with a pale-straw colour and youthful, lime-green edge, Alvi\u2019s Drift\u2019s 221 Sauvignon Blanc boasts a forthcoming nose with intense aromas of fig leaf, gooseberry, and lemon zest. Conjuring images of spring and early summer, this wine\u2019s crisp acidity and lively acids are beautifully balanced with ripe-fruit aromas following through on the palate, lingering to a fresh, lemony finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alvi\u2019s Drift 221 Sauvignon Blanc is best enjoyed with freshly steamed asparagus, ceviche or goats\u2019 cheese-and-tomato quiche, as well as light, white meat and seafood dishes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultivar information<\/strong>: Alcohol: 13.7% | Residual Sugar: 4.5 g\/l | Acidity: 6.6 g\/l | pH: 3.3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retail information: <\/strong>This wine can be purchased at selected restaurants, lodges, fine wine stores and retailers, as well as from our online wine shop<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More About Alvi\u2019s Drift <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story of Alvi\u2019s Drift began in 1928 when our family patriarch, Albertus Viljoen van der Merwe, acquired a piece of fertile Boland farmland on the banks of the Western Cape\u2019s life-giving Breede River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1928 \u2013 Oupa Alvi makes rugby history<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born in 1909, Oupa (grandfather) Alvi, as we still fondly refer to him, was a promising rugby player throughout his teenage years. In 1928, the international sporting community took note when, in the course of a single match, the unknown 19-year-old made rugby history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How exactly did Oupa Alvi achieve his historic feat? In 1928, New Zealand\u2019s All Black rugby team (known as \u201cThe Invincibles\u201d) arrived on South African shores, having just completed an undefeated tour of France and the British colonies. Expecting to continue their winning streak, the Kiwi national side and the entire rugby world were stunned when young Albertus Viljoen van der Merwe, \u201cAlvi\u201d to his friends, went on to score the first try in history against the All Blacks on African soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our charismatic founder gripped the rugby world\u2019s imagination with his historic effort, going on to be selected as the 221st player to play for the Springboks. With Alvi in their ranks, the South African national side turned the tide on \u201cThe invincibles\u201d, going on to tour the UK and Europe undefeated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1930 \u2013 The construction of Alvi\u2019s Drift<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1930, to allow residents easier access to both sides of the farm, Oupa Alvi commissioned the building of a low-water bridge across the Breede River running through the property. Locals soon named this little bridge Alvi\u2019s Drift, after Oupa Alvi. Today, the bridge is still known by this same name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1959 \u2013 Oom Bertie takes the reins<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1959, one of Oupa Alvi\u2019s sons, Albertus Viljoen van der Merwe II (known as Oom Bertie by all), took over the management of farming activities and wine production on the family farm.  A former KWV vice chairman and chairman of the South African Brandy Foundation, Oom Bertie, who passed away in 2021, was inducted as a Legend of the SA Wine Industry in 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1999 \u2013 A new era at Alvi\u2019s Drift<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1999, after pursuing a successful career as a medical doctor abroad, Albertus Viljoen van der Merwe III (like his grandfather, known as Alvi to all) returned to pursue his dream of creating world-class wines from the family farm\u2019s vineyards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2003, with his father\u2019s blessing, Alvi produced his first bottled wines, going on to win several local and international wine awards. Inspired by the recognition, Alvi determinedly pursued his passion for winemaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2005 \u2013 Alvi\u2019s Drift winery is born<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2005, following five years of pursuing his winemaking dream as a hobby, our winemaker decided it was time to market the winery\u2019s increasingly popular, award-winning wines under its own trademark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alvi chose to honour his grandfather\u2019s legacy by naming the winery after Alvi\u2019s Drift, the little low-water bridge commissioned by Oupa Alvi almost a century ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2022 \u2013 World-class wines of exceptional quality and value<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today Alvi\u2019s Drift winery is known around the globe for producing internationally acclaimed, award-winning wines of exceptional quality and value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their 221 range pays tribute to their patriarch, Oupa Alvi, and the phenomenal South African Springbok rugby team.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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