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Zur Deutschen Website


>>> the 2002 vintage
>>> the 2003 vintage
>>> the 2004 vintage
>>> the 2005 vintage

>>> the 2006 vintage

>>> the 2007 vintage
>>> the 2008 vintage
>>> the 2009 vintage

News

last update 2010/01/06 
in chronological order 

Click for Cape Town, South Africa ForecastCape Town time and temperature:  

The current vintage   
Observe us in vineyard and cellar and follow the origin of the new Bein Merlot

Complete vintage report, with regular updates !
--->vintage report

2009 - The South African Wine Industry celebrates 350 years of winemaking!
Although South Africa is counted amongst the New World’s wine producers, 
the first grapes were pressed for wine at the Cape, 350 years ago,in 1659 
under Jan van Riebeeck.... read more about our interesting wine history

3/09: Precision Viticulture in Bein's Vinyard, or a new concept of terroir?
Read more about it on our page about the vineyard, or download directly our interesting info-poster "Precision Viticulture in Bein's Vineyard" (PDF, 256 KB)

Dec 2008:    GOLD Medal for Bein Merlot 2006 at Emozioni dal Mondo 2008, the international wine competition for Merlots and Cabernets in Bergamo, Italy www.emozionidalmondo.it 

NEW:  Scenic Donkey Vineyard & Wine Tasting Walk through our Polkadraai Hills 
Walk with us through the vineyards of the Polkadraai Hills and discover the beauty of our area. Our donkeys will carry your bags and everything for a memorable wine-tasting experience on the most beautiful viewpoint of the area, overlooking False Bay from Stellenbosch till Cape Town
Price: ZAR 100.00 per Person
(minimum of 6 participants or R600.00 per walk)
This includes the walk with us and the two donkeys, a wine tasting of different fine wines of the Polkadraai Hills and a lekker picknick.
Booking is essential!  Call Ingrid on  
021 881 3025 or email to lib@beinwine.com  |  more info on www.polkadraaihills.co.za

July 2009: NEW RELEASES:
-  Little Merlot  2008   
A robust though jammy vintage, with a  splash of Cabernet Sauvignon, matured for one year in French oak 3rd fill barrels  - available from the farm at the  attractive price of only R60.00 per bottle. 
-  Pink Merlot 2009      our fun wine, a fruity dry rose made from free run juice of our very  best grapes, available at the farm for only R40.00   

4 1/2  Platter Stars for the Bein Merlot *****
Dec 2007: in the 2008 edition of the South African wine guide, our Merlot was rewarded with 4 1/2 Stars with the comment:    " Serene, unshowy yet increasingly compelling. Youthful 06 as beguilingly as superb 05 though richer, bigger, with denser texture & tannins; well able to handle increased new wood"

Dikkop breeding in our vineyard
Nov 2007: The highlight of the season was the pair of Dikkops that chose our vineyard as breeding ground, and they successfully raised 2 chicks. They are beautiful birds with stunning bright yellow eyes (see picture). We appreciate their presence as reward for our efforts for a sustainable viticulture.  

Everybody enjoyes our Scenic Donkey Winetasting Tours!


The Spotted Dikkop, Burhinus capensis


Decanter honours Bein Merlot 2005 with Silver Medal

During the Decanter World Wine Awards 2007, our Merlot 2005 was awarded a Silver Medal, an excellent result in this highly regarded international wine competition in London

We say Good-By to corky wines....
May 2007 saw us bottling the 2006 wines as well the Pink Merlot 2007 - and for the first time, we closed all our bottles with the brand-new  DIAM-closure, which promises to exclude in future any type of closure failure and cork taint! But don't worry, it is still made from natural cork, though treated in a very elaborate but naturally sustainable and chemical-free process in order to avoid any possible off-flavors in the final product (more information on www.oeneo.com)

Dec 2006: Steven Tanzer awarded the Bein Merlot  89(+) points
The wellknown American wine critic Stephen Tanzer rewarded the Bein merlot 2004 and 2005 with 89 and 89+ points respectively. Look up his comments on our pages vintage 2004 and vintage 2005 or visit his web page International Wine cellar  www.wineaccess.com/expert/tanzer

Dec 2006: Bein Wine Cellar amongst the top ten fastest improving producers in South Africa according to the BRITISH WINE REPORT 2007, the annual global wine industry report, authored by Tom Stevenson

Oct 2006: Bein Merlot 2004 rewarded with the Press Prize in Bergamo / Italy
At the international wine competition Emozioni dal Mondo for Cabernet and Merlot in Bergamo/Italy (21.10.06), the panel of wine journalist rewarded our Merlot with the Press Prize (86/100 points), as best wine from South Africa and the third-best Wine of the show in the opinion of the media people www.emozionidalmondo.it

Bein Merlot 2003 in the TOP TEN Merlots of South Afica
At the occasion of the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year Award 2005, the Bein Merlot 2003 landed in the Top Ten. Read the entire article at www.winemag.co.za

GOLD for Bein Merlot 2003 at the Concours Mondial Bruxelles
April 2005: Not only a great success for us at this prestigious competition, but also for the South African Merlot, which won 10 gold medals out of the total of 21 Gold Medals won by South African wines! 

Harvest into our own new cellar on Petrus Place!
March 2005:  The new cellar is finished, just in time for the harvest 2005. Designed according the latest enological standards, it is specifically tailored for the production of our handcrafted quality Merlot (more about it on our new page About the cellar). 

**** Four stars from  GRAPE Magazine for the Bein Merlot 2003
January, 2005: In its latest tasting of new releases, GRAPE, South Africa's Independent Wine Viewpoint, rewarded the Bein Merlot 2003 with four stars (of five) and the following comment: 
   "From a single vineyard, it combines class and personality with clearly defined varietal character and a comfortable 13,5% alcohol. A glimps of good French oak (40% new) is presently visible alongside the unshowy layers of bitter dark chocolate and fresh red plums; these will fuse with time. Complementing the lovely fresh fruit with its finishing bite of savouriness, is a rich, silky texture, both supported by the sort of structure that will allow for at least 6-8 years' beneficial aging. It deserves at least a few years before opening" !  

Goldmedal for the Luca and Ingrid Bein Merlot 2002 in Basel, Switzerland
October, 2004: On the occasion of the Basler Weinmesse in Switzerland, in the home town of Ingrid and Luca Bein, the Bein Merlot 2002 has been awarded a Grande Medaille D'Or at "La Séléction", an independent wine competition of the Basel and Lucern wine fairs.


 

To contact us:

Luca and Ingrid Bein
Tel/Fax: +27 (0)21 881 30 25
Email: lib@beinwine.com