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The Stables win first Veritas medal for a
KZN wine
Nottingham Road – The pioneering Stables Wine Estate scored another first
for KwaZulu-Natal, when their 2005 Pinotage won a bronze medal at the
prestigious Veritas wine awards in Cape Town on Friday.
At the gala dinner at the Cape Town convention centre, wine makers Tiny and
Judy van Niekerk were on hand to receive the first ever Veritas medal won by
a wine from a KwaZulu-Natal wine estate.
“We are over the moon!” said
Judy van Niekerk.
“It’s a big feather in the cap for the Stables Wine Estate, and a coup for
KZN wine industry. We have been able to show that we can hold our own
against the best of the
Cape
wines, and in fact this award recognises that our Pinotage is better than
the majority of entries.”
The Van Niekerks have also dedicated their victory for KZN to the Sharks as
they square up for their semi-final in the Currie Cup. "Hopefully this medal
will remind the Sharks that they can go all the way this year, and remind
people that KwaZulu-Natal is a province of winners," she added.
1700 wines were entered into this year’s Veritas wine awards. Wines earn a
bronze medal if they score 15 out of 20 points from a panel of six top wine
adjudicators. A score of 16 earns a silver, 17 points results in a gold
medal, and 18 or higher gets a double gold.
Their 2005 Pinotage is fruit-driven, with aromas such as dark chocolate,
brambleberry, bubblegum, strawberry and trademark raspberry, while time in
French oak gives a subtleness to the wine. The palate is smooth and elegant
with flavours of vanilla, butterscotch, sweet red berries and candy-floss.
The
couple founded The Stables Wine Estate outside Nottingham Road in 2004, and
have secured the first KZN wine estate recognition, and first KZN wine of
origin certification for their Pinotage Clariet earlier this year.
In an effort to expand their production, and move towards wholly KZN grown
wines, they have acquired a long term lease to the Bracken vineyards outside
Greytown.
“This is a big leap forward for us, and has fast-tracked our plans by a
number of years,” said Tiny van Niekerk. “We can realistically hope to
produce the 2007 vintage of Stables wines entirely from KZN wines.”
“We now have the potential to produce 200 tons of grapes with the new
acquisition,” said Judy van Niekerk. “Our
aim has always been to make wine purely out of KZN grapes as we believe that
KZN will produce grapes that can make world class wines, with alcohol levels
of 12 to 13%. Wines that are soft in tannins and approachable, ideal for
lunch time drinking for example.”
The Stables Wine Estate has developed a loyal following, with their hugely
popular Chardonnay, Shiraz, Pinotage, Drakensberg Tawney, and the new
Balgowan Bubbly sparkling wine appealing to a national market.
ENDS |
