The Mont Destin Pinotage Wine Bath

Posted on 14 December 2010

Mont Destin 2006 Passione Pinotage: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Shiraz – A plush, velvety red colour leads into notes of punchy cassis, rich concentrated blackberry, with hints of mint chocolate, cinnamon and pencil shavings. Intense mouthfilling flavours of red and blackberry fruits, interlaced with creamy dark chocolate and a long, lingering finish.

It had been long, it had been lingering, and my wine glass was empty. I surged up and ran inside to get the bottle, leaving a trail of red footprints in my path. The aroma of wooded grapes followed me out of the bath as I refilled my glass and turned Mozart up on the CD player. On return to the bath (with bottle in hand) I plunged back into my puddle of redness.

This is no joke – I actually bathed in a bath of Mont Destin Wine Farm’s double gold award winning 2006 Passione Pinnotage for an afternoon. Submerged in red, red wine, contentment and utter relaxation, this deliciously unique experience had me drunk on perfection.

The experience began in near Stellenbosch, in the Mont Destin tasting room, where my friend Louise and I were treated to a private tasting of the Mont Destin Chenin Blanc with the farm’s owner, Ernst Burgin and his wife and wine-maker Samantha.

The Burgin’s’ warmth and hospitality set a mood of ease that would follow us for the rest of our stay. As we sipped wine and chatted, Ernst lovingly told us of how the pinotage bath came to be, a story he has undoubtedly told many times, yet he told it like it was the first.

The idea came to Ernst in 2006. It was Samantha’s birthday and he was struggling to think of a unique gift for her. At the time they were building their new house and sitting outside was a not-quite-right bathtub. Whatever had been wrong with the bath before was wrong no longer. It was taken down to the vineyard boma on a forklift and filled up with a barrel of Ernst’s favourite Cape Red.

The contentment that came from being outside, being alone and being together was what the very first Pinotage bath was centered around. It’s this contentment that has people coming from far and wide. The bath has been enjoyed by couples looking for something different and special to do. Who needs water when you’ve got wine? And who needs walls when you’ve got mountains and vines? Not me, that’s for sure.

On the walk from the tasting room to the vineyards, Ernst put us at ease by explaining the only unexpected visitor we might get was the resident pot-bellied pig, Claudia, who likes to drop by and make sure everything’s going ok. Upon arrival at the bath’s location, it was very clear that piggy had nothing to worry about; we would be more than ok.

All ours for as long as we pleased, was a private boma with a deck overlooking the river and the sound of a fountain to set the scene. Inside the boma was an area to relax in once your fingers have become wrinkled from the bath, and two beautiful white toweling Mont Destin gowns to keep as a souvenir. Hidden behind some tall grass and a very tall pile of empty Pinotage bottles, sits a bath of redness that UB40 would sell their souls for.

On the ledge of the bath sat the last bottle of Passione begging me to pour it in before I surrendered to the tranquility and relaxation of this ultimate liquid treat.

Water being turned into wine – it’s not everyday you get to see real miracles in action. Still can’t believe I forgot my straw.

Contact Mont Destin Wines:
Telephone: +27 (0) 21 8755870
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Mont Destin Wines






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