Bottles of Sunshine

Just some of the many grapes we pressed...

Things may be a little grim in the UK over the long nights of winter but here in South Africa they are bottling sunshine...A local wine maker gave us a glimpse into how these grapes go from being food to wine.

They are carefully picked by hand at the perfect moment for making a bottle of bubbles; then loaded by the crateful to begin their journey in becoming the drink of choice at any special event.

Wine-maker Paul in action.

It's tradition in the industry to start off the days work with 'Sabrage' a tradition that is said to be good luck. The wine maker uses a blunt Sabre to open the bottle of Champagne. The pressure inside the bottle and a weakness at the neck of the bottle means that the cork and collar get pushed off the wine bottle quite easily. This only works with a bottle of bubbles and really is best not to try at home!

I got stuck into carrying duty.

After the dramatic opening of a bottle it's time to get down to work. The harvest has to be stored in a large cold room for long enough to cool to an even temperature before they are loaded into the press. Ensuring only the best juice comes out.
Then it's all hands on deck to get the crates of grapes into the press.

First press of the juice being caught.

The first juice to come off the grapes is collected in large plastic tubs to be used to make other wine because this juice is produced from bruising rather than the juice from the best part of the ripe grapes which has to be gently pressurised by the press to extract.

Large vats for fermenting.

The sparkling wine we were helping to make only uses the juice from a gentle first pressing of the grapes to make really special bubbly. This first press gets piped into huge vats; where the juice, in time, and with the loving attention of the wine maker becomes the wine we so love to pop at weddings.

Barrels of bubbles.

Bubbles made anywhere but Champagne in France cannot actually be labelled as Champagne but sparkling wine is made beautifully right here in the Cape.

A well earned cool down.

So next time you make a toast think of the sunshine that goes into the bottle.











Please drink responsibly and within safe limits.