The Stables Wine Estate Media Release

 No: Stables0906

4 June  2009

Nottingham Road – The Stables Wine Estate has instructed it's attorney to withdraw its case against Ian and Jane Smorthwaite, ending a drawn-out legal dispute that has clouded the emerging wine industry in KwaZulu-Natal.

In opting to withdraw the case, The Stables Wine Estate owners Tiny and Judy van Niekerk said they were driven to end the case as it was suggested to them on many occasions by third parties that they should withdraw the case for the benefit of the fledging KZN wine industry.

“There has been too much negative energy consumed in this process at a time when the wine industry is growing and expanding so fast in the province, that we felt it was simply counter-productive to continue with this case,” said Tiny van Niekerk.

The Van Niekerks initiated the action to counter alleged slander and defamation from the Smorthwaites,

“First prize for everyone would be to go forward in a positive and constructive manner, and to concentrate our efforts on the establishment of a genuinely competitive and sustainable KwaZulu-Natal wine industry, with it’s own distinctive wine route,” Van Niekerk added.

ENDS