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Collectable dram
Three Ships whisky master distiller Andy Watts was happy to report the sold out signs went up in just hours when the seventh release of the Masters...
Collectable dram
Three Ships whisky master distiller Andy Watts was happy to report the sold out signs went up in just hours when the seventh release of the Masters Collection took place late last year.
The response to the 400 bottles of six year old whisky which had spent time in chenin blanc wine casks was overwhelming, with many successful online purchasers taking to social media to boast their success.
“Just bought my bottles of @ThreeshipsSA #Masterscollection chenin cask while in the middle of Mombasa harbour doing field measurements. Gotta love technology.” wrote Rikus le Roux on Twitter. @man_whisky tweeted: “Finally. Worth the wait? Yes. Lovely and fruity. Well done @TheWhiskyMaker on yet another South African whisky first.”
The first ever Masters Collection release was held in 2015 with 400 bottles of 10 year old single malt single cask PX sherry finish on offer. Subsequent releases have included the utterly unique pinotage cask finished whisky which contained both grain and malt whiskies, a shiraz cask finish, a double wood offering and a fino sherry cask finish.
These are all special bottlings, unique and collectable, which are increasingly sought after and appreciated by knowledgeable whisky enthusiasts not just in South Africa but overseas too.
Hail centurion
A milestone anniversary that passed with almost no observation last year was the 350th year since brandy was first distilled at the Cape.
Hail Centurion
A milestone anniversary that passed with almost no observation last year was the 350th year since brandy was first distilled at the Cape.
According to both legend and historical fact, the first distillation of “gebrande wijn” (burned wine) took place aboard the sailing vessel De Pijl in Table Bay in 1672. But there was one savvy marketer who didn’t let the event pass unnoticed. Gerrie Heyneke and business partner Paul Jordaan launched a new product, a 10 year old XO potstill brandy.
The entirely new entrant to the local brandy fraternity, De Kaapse Brandewijn Kompanjie, is flouting all the accepted marketing and sales rules of not alienating potential customers by having a name that’s difficult to pronounce.
“We just call it DKBK because it has a nice ring to it,” said Heyneke at the launch last year. It’s been a long time in the making with Heyneke and Jordaan ensuring the chenin blanc-based brandy had the quality to match the upmarket packaging and image.
The packaging is modelled on historic bottles which would have graced Captain’s desks while on the high seas, with its broad base preventing it from sliding off as the sailing vessel pitched and rolled. The bottle is also etched in a cursive script with the year 1672 also standing proud.
The brandy was matured in both French and American casks for a minimum of 10 years before release. It is supremely smooth with ample apricot, stone fruit, vanilla and roasted nut flavour. Impeccably smooth and harmonious, it is the sort of product that will change peoples’ minds about brandy being firewater.
Just 700 bottles of this maiden release were produced.
LITE for summer
South Africans’ love of cider shows little sign of abating – and the country’s cider makers keep upping their game to match.
LITE for summer
South Africans’ love of cider shows little sign of abating – and the country’s cider makers keep upping their game to match.
Loxtonia, the 100% pure apple ciders from the Ceres valley, has expanded its range to include two LITE versions of their most popular products, Crispy Apple and Blush. This reflects the growing consumer demand for low and no-alcohol beverage alternatives.
The alcohol content on these two LITE ciders is just 3% by volume. “The huge increase in the no and low drinks sector sends a clear message that people are becoming more health conscious and aware of what they are putting into their bodies," said Ali Bestel, marketing manager at Loxtonia Cider. “We have listened to our consumers looking for lighter, lower alcohol options by creating these LITE ciders with the same refreshing original Loxtonia taste.”
Blended from the handpicked apples, cider is easy-to-drink and instantly invigorating. Crispy Apple LITE has 25 calories per 100ml, which amounts to 83 calories for a 340ml bottle. Loxtonia Blush LITE is a crisp, fashion forward rosé-style offering with delicate floral notes and pink apples, ending with a refreshing dry finish. Both are ideal for outdoor enjoyment at picnics, lingering pool parties or just chilling with friends.
Crowning achievement
The highest accolade which vintners aspire to is winning the annual Diners Club Winemaker of the Year title.
Crowning achievement
The highest accolade which vintners aspire to is winning the annual Diners Club Winemaker of the Year title. The honours roll reads like a Who’s Who of the South African wine industry: Danie de Wet, Beyers Truter, Walter Finlayson, Gyles Webb, Marc Kent, Gottfried Mocke, Johan Malan and Carl Schulz to name a few.
In 2022 it was awarded for the 42nd time – and went to Conrad Vlok of Strandveld wines for the 2021 Strandveld Pofadderbos sauvignon blanc. A “junior” or upcoming category was introduced in 2001 to acknowledge the efforts of winemakers under the age of 30 and the Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year award went to Jerome van Rooi of Cederberg Cellars for the 2020 Cederberg Five Generations cabernet sauvignon.
The winners of the 2022 Diners Club Young Winemaker and Winemaker of the Year Jerome van Rooi of Cederberg and Conrad Vlok, right, of Strandveld Wines
Both awards focus on quality and celebrate the skill and talent of the vintners. There is no fee to enter the awards so it’s open to all. The only proviso is that there be a minimum number of cases of stock available to ensure that the wine buying public can access the wine. In order to level the playing field in the main field, a single category of wine is selected well in advance of the competition. For 2022 it was sauvignon blanc while the young winemaker entrants were allowed to submit any red wine they had made.
Vlok received a prize of R50 000 and a trophy while Van Rooi won R25 000 as well as an overseas trip to a winemaking destination of his choice.
Desirable destination
South Africa’s winelands is becoming the destination of choice of more than just tourists. Wine conferences and judging competitions are visiting.
Desirable destination
South Africa’s winelands is becoming the destination of choice of more than just tourists. Wine conferences and judging competitions are visiting.
November saw the Chenin Blanc Association host 230 delegates from France, Australia, America, Germany and the United Kingdom at an international chenin congress in Stellenbosch. There was also a strong emphasis on sharing information on destination marketing and tourism, the Chenin Blanc Association’s Ina Smith said.
Stellenbosch Mayor Gesie van Deventer, CEO of Visit Stellenbosch, Jeanneret Momberg, Mathilde Favre D’Anne deputy mayor and Valérie Mathieu-Fichot director of Angers CVB at Destination Angers met to discuss how to encourage wine tourism between South African wine destinations and Angers and the Loire Valley.
“We hope to see more French tourists visit Stellenbosch and other parts of the Cape Winelands and more South Africans visit the Loire Valley,” Smith said.
And in March the Concours Mondial du Sauvignon, a specialist sauvignon blanc competition, will be held in the Boland – the first time it ever ventures outside Europe. Franschhoek is the venue for the competition and Sauvignon Blanc Association chairman RJ Botha, cellarmaster of Kleine Zalze, said hosting the event was a coup for South Africa.
RJ Botha, Sauvignon Blanc SA Chairperson and Kleine Zalze Cellarmaster
Concours Mondial du Sauvignon director Quentin Havaux said it was a fantastic showcase for the style of wine as well as the various medal-winning wines. “The choice of host country does not occur on a random basis. As the organisers we target growth markets, both for production and the consumption of wine,” Havaux said.
“After 14 years in Europe, South Africa as first-choice host region was obvious – thanks to Sauvignon Blanc South Africa, as there is a clear dynamic in improving the production of sauvignon blanc in the country.”
The 35 visiting international judges will not only be swirling, sniffing and spitting wines but are set to visit farms in areas such as the Constantia wine valley, Durbanville and Stellenbosch in order to broaden their appreciation of South Africa’s production areas.
Quentin Havaux, Director of Concours Mondial du Sauvignon, and Dr Carien Coetzee of Basic Wine and Sauvignon Blanc SA, at the 2022 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in Cosenza, Italy.
Happy Birthday Jack Black
Turning 15 usually means the legal drinking age of 18 has not yet been reached – if you’re a person, that is …
Happy Birthday Jack Black
Turning 15 usually means the legal drinking age of 18 has not yet been reached – if you’re a person, that is … But December saw one of the pioneers of the South African craft beer scene, Jack Black’s Brewing Company, celebrate a milestone 15 years in business.
Now with a national footprint, the brewer began on a very small scale at Walker Bay’s Birkenhead in 2007, making beer under contract. It moved premises, including to CBC in Paarl before opening its own purpose-driven facility in Diep River, Cape Town in 2016.
The taproom has become a popular venue, not just among lovers of beer, since it runs a popular restaurant from Wednesdays to Saturday. Much of Jack Black’s growth has occurred since 2018 when it undertook a partnership deal with Heineken. That move boosted the beer brand’s footprint in retail and range as well as popular awareness.
Jack Black’s range now incorporates the original Brewer’s Lager, Cape Pale Ale, Atlantic Weiss, Butcherblock, Lumberjack and Skeleton Coast IPA. Then there’s a grapefruit radler and a cherry ale under the Super Crush label and a host of limited releases which exercises their creativity and reflects the seasons.
Bourbon by the barrel
It takes time for spirits to reach the peak of their maturation – and it requires huge capital investment.
Bourbon by the barrel
It takes time for spirits to reach the peak of their maturation – and it requires huge capital investment.
This was demonstrated by the news released late last year that Sazerac is to invest $600 million (R10.6 billion) in new barrel warehouses in Kentucky. The expansion is one of the largest single investments made in the state of Kentucky for a new distilled spirits storage site, with the first seven warehouses due for completion in 2025.
Sazerac, headquartered in New Orleans, is the parent company of nearly 450 different brands, among them Sazerac Rye, Blanton’s and Buffalo Trace bourbon and Southern Comfort.
Work has already begun on the project in London, Laurel County, Kentucky and is expected to lead to the creation and maintenance of an additional 50 new jobs. More important, however, is the vote of faith in the future of American whiskey which continues to grow. This significant investment in structures and inventory is a way the company is future proofing its business.
SA wine exports recovering
The volumes of wine exported by South African producers might be down by 5%
SA wine exports recovering
The volumes of wine exported by South African producers might be down by 5% year-on-year but the value decline was a minimal 2.4% but the most positive indicator was that the rand price per litre showed growth.
In total, 368.8 million litres of wine left the Cape in 2022, a scant 20 million litres less than in 2021. The value of these exports was R9.9 billion in value, down from R10.2 billion, the industry body Wines of South Africa (Wosa) reported. Reasons given for the dip included shipping constraints (adverse weather) at the port of Cape Town, along with industrial action by port workers in October.
“The recovery of exports was hampered in 2022 by a variety of factors out of the control of our producers,” said WoSA CEO, Siobhan Thompson. “During April and October exports were directly impacted by weather conditions and strike action.” A global shortage of shipping containers as well as packaging – notably glass bottles – added to the problem.
“On a positive note,” Thompson said, “the image of South African wine continues to grow with SA wine being awarded various top accolades and ratings in a host of competitions and professional ratings. CapeWine2022, our premier industry showcase, proved to be a major success and attracted top buyers and importers from around the globe.” She said Wosa hoped to see the impact of the event on exports in 2023.
New Guild members
The Cape Winemakers Guild is a “by invitation only” body which strives to include the best and brightest winemaking talents in the country.
New Guild members
The Cape Winemakers Guild is a “by invitation only” body which strives to include the best and brightest winemaking talents in the country. The august body kicked off 2023 by announcing it had welcomed three new members to the fold.
Taking the tally of Guild members to 41, the three new inductees are Rheenen Borman of Boschkloof wines, Christo Le Riche of Le Riche wines and Hannes Storm of Storm wines.
In addition, three new protégés were also announced. As part of the guild’s protégé programme of nurturing the next generation of young winemakers, Tholakele Tania Bekwayo, Karabelo Masoleng and Panaso Msomi will undergo a three-year internship, spending a year each under the mentorship of a guild member. Bekwayo will gain experience at Savage Wines with Duncan Savage, Msomi at Hartenberg with veteran cellarmaster Carl Schultz) and Masoleng joins Abrie Beeslaar at Kanonkop.
From left, Christo le Riche, Rheenen Borman, Guild vice-chair Samantha O’Keefe and Hannes Storm
The Protégé Programme is the CWG’s contribution to the transformation of South Africa’s wine industry and serves as an opportunity for members to transfer knowledge and skills to the next generation of dynamic young winemakers. Since its inception in 2006, 34 protégés have completed the three-year internship and seven are currently participating in this ongoing programme.
Looking forward to a fulfilling career in wine are, from left, Tholakele Tania Bekwayo, Karabelo Masoleng and Panaso Msomi with Samantha O’Keefe