No.9 Nitida - Durbanville

Meet wine farm number nine!Nitida Wines in Durbanville is a family run farm and is one of the most popular wine farms in Durbanville.Why?Well, they have great wine, a fine dining Restaurant (Cassia), a boutique Café with great coffee, lunches and cakes (Tables at Nitida) and even a Montessori school.             There is a clearly marked entrance and plenty of parking.             As you drive in, just look at these views!A quick drive past the restaurant and café will take you to the wine tasting cellar which has inside and outside seating.Open Monday to Friday from 09h30 - 17h00. Saturdays from 11h00 - 16h00. Sundays and Public Holidays from 11h00 - 15h00.Let's go inside!It is R30 to taste 4 wines or R60 to taste the available selection which could be up to 12 wines!It is a small to medium sized tasting room but what I love about it is the wine barrels and Terrior mud wall.The cellar has a rustic yet glamorous feel (note the chandelier and modern furniture).During winter you can sit right by the fireplace and there are different sized tables for smaller or larger groups.I don't recommend bringing children. This is more of a romantic venue or for a good laugh with friends.However, if you visit Tables at Nitida just a short walk from here, there is a jungle gym.It was such a pleasure visiting the farm. I like to visit farms unannounced in order to get the real experience (sometimes I go 2-3 times).On my 3rd visit to Nitida, I was very warmly invited for a full wine tasting with the Wine Maker, Daniel Keulder.I quickly learnt that Nitida prides themselves on producing fine quality Terrior wines (Terroir is how a particular region’s climate, soils and aspect (terrain) affect the taste of wine).If you visit the tasting room, you will actually see the Terrior soil wall :)Daniel highly recommends Nitida's white wine selection.Fist up was the newly bottled Sauvignon Blanc 2016.Only 13.9% alcohol and 4.2g/l sugar. Just look at how light the colour is.The 2015/2016 ripening season was one of the driest on record and was therefore an early harvest.Incredibly crisp with notes of fresh cut grass, green peppers and orange blossom. R85 a bottle.It was slightly wet when I visited but I did manage to enjoy some of the sunshine peaking through the clouds.If you prefer sweet wines, then you have absolutely got to try this!It is not a dessert wine, just sweet enough to get your taste buds going.Think peaches and litchi! It would pair amazingly with a good curry!Only R90 a bottle.8.5g/l sugar and 13.5% alcohol. As we got talking, I noticed the beautiful labels on the wine. Each one is different and get this...Each was hand painted using the sap/juice from the vegetation in the area and even features animals from the farm.Needless to say, I almost fell off my chair when I saw the snake! Can you spot it?Nitida's Semillon tasted similar to a Chardonnay for me.It is due to the full flavour having been fermented in french oak barrels and left of the lees for 6 months.You may pick up notes of grapefruit, litchi and almond wood. I could certainly smell the almonds!Imagine this with a good prawn pasta! yum!Only 1.97g/l sugar and 13.5% alcohol.Note the change in labels and colour on each varietal. The level of detail and care that goes into each bottle fascinates me!The Wild Child 2014 is one of their flagship wines having won a 5 star Gold Platters award.At R140 a bottle, it is a really good Sauvignon Blanc! I love being outside on the trails and the smell reminded me of the local vegetation - Fynbos and a sweet undertone of Guava!Did you know that Durbanville is considered to be the home to some of South Africa's best Sauvignon Blanc wines? It is due to the high clay content of the soil, the strong South Westerly winds and intermittent rainfall.Only the free run juice is used and extra care is taken into ensuring that each grape is handpicked at maturity.Cold fermented in French Oak barrels, stainless steel tanks and then left on the lees for four months to enhance the tropical flavours.Finally, a touch of Semillon is added to give it a round flavour.2.8g/l sugar and 14% alcohol. They also have a great red wine selection.Pinot Noir is quite a new type of wine varietal for me.It is served cold and tastes like a white wine, but it is red :)R95 a bottle. Think strawberries. It is apparently an extremely hard varietal to produce because the grapes can "go vrot" as we call it here in SA (go off).Nitida takes great care in ensuring that the grapes are looked after once harvested and only the best picking is fermented.3.4g/l sugar.13.5% alcohol.I am a big Cab Sauv fan and this was right up my ally though it is currently sold out and I can't wait for it to be in stock again! The Calligraphy is Nitida's flagship red wine at R185 per bottle.Blackberries, Mulberries and red cherries.So what's new from Nitida?They are planning to release some special wines soon -  a "Golden Orb" varietal named after the spiders that live in the vineyards.So we will need to keep out eye out for that release :)I had a really great time!Although you can ask for Cheese and Meat platters to  be brought up to you from the Café to the cellar, I opted to try my luck at the Café.I didn't make a reservation but I was in luck and managed to get a table before the kitchen closed!The Café is called "Tables at Nitida" and one thing that I can advise is to BOOK because it is very popular with the locals.The service is quite slow so be prepared for a relaxing, slow breakfast or lunch. I guess quality takes time.Enjoy coffees, cakes, lunches and wine whilst overlooking the gardens complete with a jungle gym for the kids.Delicious!  

OVERALL RATING

WINE

SERVICE

FOOD

LOCATION

78%

87%

60%

85%

79%

I do not recommend the cellar for children but the Café is great for it!Good for most groups of people (2-8 people).Click HERE to view the ranking of this farm against others I have already reviewed.Booking is recommended for Tables at Nitida: Telephone: 021 975 9357 |  Email: tables.nitida@gmail.comYou can contact the cellar on: Telephone: 021 976 1467 | Email: info@nitida.co.zaGreat in Summer or Winter. Here is my experience:https://www.instagram.com/p/BIhQzxXgpqX/?taken-by=thewinegirlcapetown What did you think of Nitida? [polldaddy poll=9497040]Leave your comments below or leave your review on Trip Advisor:https://www.tripadvisor.co.za/Attraction_Review-g1057715-d3475713-Reviews-Nitida_Cellars-Durbanville_Western_Cape.html