BelGusti

Essence of Authenticity

Food Wine People

journal3

Journal

On Sunday 2 February 1659 Jan van Riebeck wrote in his diary “Fine warm weather … Today, praise be to God, wine was made for the first time … the grapes were mostly Muscadel and other round white grapes, very fragrant and tasty”. This was the birth of the South African wine industry.

This unique wine tasting journal, conceived, designed and manufactured locally in South Africa, continues the spirit left by Jan van Riebeck, “local is lekker”.

After the initial publication, the second issue provides a 172 page journal, providing the basics of wine tasting, 20 point scoring system guide, a colour aroma wheel, wine tasting terms and a page per tasting, allowing one to jot down their wine tasting experience and score the wine.

The journal covers are hand-made, using various fabrics, allowing us to create tailored journals, for various markets, events and to client specifications.

Wine

BelGusti ‘Il Primo’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

  • 100 kilograms of optimum grapes were obtained from the Stellenbosch, Simonsberg area, at 24 Balling.
  • Hand destemmed, having sprayed grapes with a +/-2.5mg/L solution of SO2.
  • Hand pressed in a 160 litre ‘Big Jim’ container.
  • Natural, wild yeast fermentation lasting 10 days, with regular punchdown.
  • Free run juice, sieved and funnelled into 50 Litre Oak (second hand shaved) barrel.
  • Balance, hand pressed, sieved and funnelled into barrel.
  • Natural Malolatic fermentation allowed to take place in barrel.
  • Bottling after 5 months. Slow pumping of juice, with no filtering.

Technical Analysis

  • BelGusti ‘Il Primo’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
  • Grape Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Region: Western Cape, Stellenbosch
  • Ward: Simonsberg
Alcohol 13.38%
Residual sugar 1.63g/l
pH 3.85
Total Acid 5.19g/l
Free SO2 10mg/l
Total SO2 38mg/l
wine

About Mike

After many successful years in the computer industry, Michele (Mike) Giovanni Lombardi, decided it was time to explore some uncharted passions, as well as some unknown to him. There began “the Journey”, as he likes to call it.

Briefly, on his return from spending a working holiday in Scotland and England, serving in the hospitality industry, he had his passion for wine, food and people ignited, and then was left with the question … “what now”?

Fortuitously, to keep himself busy, he went on Clive Torr’s wine ambassadors course. Now here is where the ‘journey boat’ gets some ‘rocket-fuel’. Mike says that it was Clive’s incredible knowledge, raw passion and educational skills, that literally infused Mike with the desire to explore this new found, “world of wine”.

Three years later having started his company, BelGusti, published the Wine Journal (a personal tasting journal to note ones wine experience), completing Clives International Ambassadors course, as well as the Garagiste course at Stellenbosch University and making his first wine, “Il Primo” a 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, unfortunately not for sale; licences in the pipeline; is ready to put the ‘technicolour dream coat’ on his company frame and marry his passions of “wine, food and people”.

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