Comments on: A bottle from the past

By: Magnus Reuterdahl

Magnus Reuterdahl — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:43:52 +0000

Thanks for the info

By: Mariëlla

Mariëlla — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 13:27:32 +0000

Wine was produced in South Africa from 1659, the first harvest. Cuttings were brought on the Dutch East India Company ships as early as 1652/53, but the were not succesful. The Constantia Estates date from 1679, and were owned by Simon van der Stel, governor of the Cape.
Constantia was a very highly sought after wine, that commanded big prices. It was only for the happy few, and I didn’t come across it much in Dutch sources. But it was imported, probably in small quantities.
I don’t know if the grape variety at the time was muscat too.

By: Hur smakar Groot Constantia ca 1790? | Aqua vitae – livets vatten

Hur smakar Groot Constantia ca 1790? | Aqua vitae – livets vatten — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:06:35 +0000

[...] Jag fick en kommentar från François Audouze, som förr skrev fantastiska krönikor i Livets Goda om viner vi dödliga bara kan drömma om (tyvärr verkar man dock plockat bort honom från skribentlistan), angående Groot Constantia. Uppenbarligen är flaskan inte fullt så unik som man kunde tro – han drack nyligen en från 1791! Läs mer här och se bilder på flaskan mm (se även nyare inlägg!). [...]

By: What does a Groot Constantia ca 1790 taste like? « Testimony of the spade

What does a Groot Constantia ca 1790 taste like? « Testimony of the spade — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:02:57 +0000

[...] does a Groot Constantia ca 1790 taste like? By Magnus Reuterdahl I got a comment on a recent post on the ca 1790 Groot Constantia bottle from François Audouze. I’ve read his columns in [...]

By: Magnus Reuterdahl

Magnus Reuterdahl — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:44:48 +0000

Dear François Audouze

I’ve been reading your articles with great pleasure and interest over the years in Swedish and international wine press, thanks so much for sharing those amazing experiences. I’m sorry to say that this bottle was empty so there is unfortunately nothing to taste but just a beautiful bottle with a history that caught my interest. According to your reply you’ve recently drunk a 1791 Constantia of South Africa, is it published on-line or in an article? If not what did it taste like?

I wrote a bit more on it here
http://inventerare.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/a-few-words-on-prehistoric-and-historic-wine-imports-etc/

Best wishes

Magnus Reuterdahl

By: François Audouze

François Audouze — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:23:02 +0000

I have drunk recently a 1791 Constantia of South Africa. If this bottle were to be tasted, I would be happy to be a “witness” of taste, as I have an experience of wines of this age. Of course I would pay my share of the cost of such an event, but as I report on all what I drink,including thousands wines of more than 50 years, and hundreds before 1900, I would be happy to bring the testimony of such a wine. The bottle that I have drunk had a different shape.
Please contact me

By: A few words on prehistoric and historic wine imports, etc. « Testimony of the spade

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 22:30:42 +0000

[...] och Sprithistoriska museet (the Wine and Spirits Historical Museum) collections a couple weeks ago, read more here. Since then, I been reading up a little on wine imports in prehistoric and historic times, read [...]