Wine Tasting at Capaia Wines

About Wine Tasting at Capaia Wines

Baron Alexander von Essen and his wife Ingrid first visited South Africa on a hunting mission which soon turned to a goal is to make one of South Africa's best wines from the land on the former farm, De Hoop.

The Baron is well known in Europe since 1987 with its wine trading company Selection Alexander von Essen and now he's added Capaia to the new Philadelphia wine-growing region, near Durbanville. It may delight you to know that he ensures good quality wine as all selections are his personal ones.

Once the soil scientist's 300 diggings revealed slate soil with impressive water-storage properties and many minerals, the von Essen's purchased the land in 1997 and built the winery into the slope at an altitude of 200m. 2003 saw the first harvest and this maiden vintage of Capaia sold out both locally and internationally and received 5 Stars from Wine magazine. Winemaker Mark van Buuren attributes Capaia's performance to their four best red grape varieties being used: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

Many a connoisseur has been impressed by the fruit's vibrancy and elegance of the tannins in the blended reds, which is attributed to fermentation in large wooden vats, using natural yeas. What makes Capaia winery unique is that the blend is assembled is done a few months after harvest which allows components to merge in the barrel and integrate over a long period.

To view more wine estates in the region see Durbanville Wine Estates or see South Africa Wine Estates for a general overview and links to other wine producing regions.