There may not be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but Kanu Wines on the outskirts of Stellenbosch has made it possible for everyone to enjoy “gold in a glass” with the introduction of their premium Angelina Gold Cap Classique. What makes this bubbly unique and exceptional is the fact that it contains 24 carats of edible gold flakes, the first for sparkling wine in South Africa.

“This Cap Classique also pays homage to the 50^th anniversary of this exceptional wine style in South Africa,” says Johan Grimbeek, winemaker and cellar master at Kanu.

The pinot noir grapes for this sparkling wine were sourced from the best Stellenbosch vineyard blocks and the fruit was bunch-pressed, then cold-fermented with neutral yeast before the juice spent six months on the fine lees. The wine spent 12 months in the bottle after the second fermentation before disgorgement.

“The Angelina Gold Cap Classique is rich salmon in colour and gold-flecked with a very pale rim,” Johan explains. “It is fresh, refreshing and crisp, and displays red berry fruit, crunchy red apple and delicate candyfloss flavours. It enters the palate on a dry note with persistent red fruit, malted barley and wild strawberries, and has an extended finish with a toasty undertone.”

This is not Johan’s first foray into sparkling wine production. He’s been making Cap Classique since 2012, but “this is the first time a bubbly gets the gold treatment”!

“Extensive research and development has been undertaken regarding the insertion of gold flakes into wine,” he says. “These flakes are completely edible and harmless.”

Another feature that puts this Cap Classique in a different league is a light-emitting diode (LED) unit in the bottle’s punt which lights up the gold flakes when switched on.

The Kanu Angelina Gold Cap Classique, which also comes in eye-catching packaging, sells for R1 200 per bottle, and is initially available from the estate or online at www.kanu.co.za.