Situated in Somerset West, Morgenster (Morning Star) is known not just for award winning wines but also world renowned olives and olive oils.
Since olives and wine are some of my favourite things, I’ve decided visited the farm and taste what they have to offer…
The Wine:
Morgenster produces three different ranges of wines: The Lourens River Valley, The Morgenster and the Italian collection.
Morgenster Wine
The Lourens River Valley 2008
This Bordeaux style blend offers fresh dark berries with an elegant tannin structure. The aftertaste lingers with dark cherries and has a smoky finish.
Cabernet Franc / Merlot / Cabernet Sauvignon / Petit Verdot
Morgenster (Flagship) 2008
This is a well put together and complex; the wine has layers and layers of flavour that reminded me of red cherries, cigar box with earthy characters.
Merlot / Cabernet Franc / Cabernet Sauvignon / Petit Verdot
Italian Collection
Caruso 2011 Rosé – Made from 100% Sangiovese and is named after Enrico Caruso, the Italian opera singer. This delightful wine is perfect for summer picnics. Light, fresh and packed with strawberries and pepper flavours.
Tosca 2008 – Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot Blend. Rich and fruity with a wonderful velvety mouth-feel.
Nabucco 2008 – A great Nebbiolo, Merlot and Petit Verdot blend. Smooth, rich with plums and blackberries.
Delicious Morgenster Olives
The Olives:
I don’t know a lot about olives, before this tasting I thought there were only three types of olives in the world (Black, Green and Kalamata). So I was delighted to learn more about one of my favourite snacks.
Morgenster have 22 different types of olives trees planted on the farm.
The three table olives that they serve for the tasting – Kalamata, Moresca (black) and Nocellara Del Belice (green).
Olive oil paste – Made from a variety of green and red olives, the black and green olive pastes are perfect as spread on the bread that they offered with the tasting.
The Morgenster Olive Oil Tasting
The Olive Oils:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Grassy and nutty with a peppery finish (an indication of the freshness and the ripeness)
Lemon Enhanced Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Infused with lemon zest for 72 hours, this olive oil has an intense lemon character with the same pepper and grass flavours.
White Truffle Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Love it or hate it, you cannot deny this intensely flavoured olive oil. I would love to add a dash of this olive oil the next time I cook a risotto.
Monte Marcello Ev Olive Oil – An olive oil that reminded Morgenster’s owner of the olive trees situated around his home in Italy. The olives used to make this oil ripen later. The result is an oil that is creamy and smooth.
Balsamic Vinegar – Imported from Modena and made in a traditional method that goes back from medieval times this balsamic vinegar has been fermented in old oak barrels and aged for three years. The vinegar is rich with loads of flavour.
All in all this was a wonderful taste experience. I’ve tasted interesting wines and learned about olives and olive oils. Thank you Morgenster, you’ll see me again soon!
Morgenster: http://www.morgenster.co.za/index.php List of Morgenster olive products: http://shop.morgenster.co.za/index.php
View of the Helderberg Mountain from Morgenster's tasting room
