Truly A Glass Act
When May de Lencquesaing sold her famous Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande estate in Bordeaux and established the Glenelly Winery in Stellenbosch, South Africa, she took her world-renowned glass collection along. The modern Glenelly winery building was designed to incorporate the Glass Museum in one of its wings in order to continue to showcase this treasure trove of unique pieces. It is one of the largest privately-owned collections in the world. The exhibits range from the 1st and 2nd Century to modern classics, including pieces by Salvador Dali and Lino Tagliapietra. Any visitor to Cape Town ought to make a bee line for the Glenelly property to taste their wines and tour the museum, only a leisurely 45 minute car ride away. Not to be missed as well is savouring a meal at the winery’s Vine Bistro. The breathtaking view overlooking the vineyards and towering Drakenstein mountain range in the background will never be forgotten. It serves classic French bistro food with a modern twist and is paired with their award-winning Glenelly wines. The kitchen team, headed by chefs Christophe Dehoss and Michael Saville, work with the best local ingredients available to present diners the art of French cooking. It comes as no surprise, then, that Glass Collection is the name of Glenelly’s range of estate bottled varietal wines. Merlot, the classic Bordeaux varietal with a South African twist, gives us red berry, vanilla and spice in the nose wrapped up in a balanced, complex yet soft body. Braai is the South African term for BBQ. Since we are now in the depths of Canadian winter, pick up some prepared baby back ribs that are readily available at your local supermarket to spare you trying to be a hero with the below zero BBQ thing. 2018 Glenelly Glass Collection Merlot #26669, $16.95, Then, there’s the winery’s flagship wine, Lady May, a super premium Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc blend. Meant to be laid down for a number of years, it’s drinking well now.