Heading out to the Cape winelands to explore, and taste, the rich diversity our South African wine regions have to offer is a gift to oneself. Arriving at our tasting lounge, located in picturesque Franschhoek, you are greeted with a striking architecture that invites you in and immediately makes you feel like you have arrived at the place to be seen. This setting creates the ultimate environment to discover the wines that Paserene has to offer.
With all the characteristics to describe wine, it can be a bit disarming on where to start. At our tasting lounge the team of knowledgeable people will effortlessly guide you through the range to make you well acquainted with our handcrafted wines.
Tasting at its simplest is about experiencing the balance of a wine, taking in its appearance, the nose, and the palate. These tell a story of marrying terroir and winemakers’ skill through the wine in your glass.
As you lift your glass allowing you to tilt to look through the wine and notice the colour variations. With our white wine you might observe the hint of green or a flicker of gold, while with our reds you see the depth of colour in the heart of the glass and how it transforms toward the rim. Your eyes start to point you in the direction of the story of what you have in your glass.
On the nose you are curious of what is first to spark in your mind and then you start to sniff out what else lies in your glass, these are the primary and secondary characteristics of the wine. In our Elements and Paserene ranges you will notice primary characteristics that transport you to our selected wine regions, telling the story of the terroir. While the secondary characteristics start to give you an insight into the handcrafting the wine has gone through to arrive in your glass.
As you take your first sip you notice the entry and as the wine makes contact with your tongue, cheeks and palate, the aromas come alive deepening the story that started with your eyes and nose. With white and rose wines you are looking for the balance between the fruit, acidity, sugar characteristics, and the lingering mouth feel. While reds are a balance of fruits, acidity, and the significant structural element of tannins, that culminate into the lingering mouth feel. Tannins are extracted from the grape skins and the oak used in the wine making that give the backbone to red wines. Something special to experience in Paserene’s offerings are the accessible tannins of the Elements range of red wines and the robust tannins of the Paserene range that provide the framework for the Marathon and Union, both perfect wines for aging.
Tasting wine is especially captivating when shared with friends and family, there is a magic that happens when people taste wine together. You spark off each other with your different tastes and experiences finding nuanced ways to describe and make the wine come to life.