Zorgvliet, a Cape winery offering special experiences
Wednesday, 7 March 2007
In April 2007 wine lovers and budding wine makers will descend on the Cape Winelands in droves as they head for the 3rd annual Zorgvliet Oes-Af Fees (end of harvest festival) taking place at the Zorgvliet Wine Estate in the Banghoek Valley near Stellenbosch. The 300 year-old working wine estate is a historic landmark in the Cape Winelands and is located along the R310 only 45 minutes drive from Cape Town International Airport and five minutes drive from Stellenbosch, South Africa’s second oldest town.
“The Zorgvliet Oes-Af Fees is the ultimate platform for wine lovers and anyone interested in making their own wine to learn more about our award-winning wines, the art of successful wine-making, vine cultivation and even how to start your own wine tasting club,” says Zorgvliet’s wine maker Neil Moorhouse.
Moorhouse is the dynamic young winemaker behind the new Zorgvliet wines that have earned top John Platter star ratings. The star-rated wines are Zorgvliet Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (4½ stars), Zorgvliet Richelle 2004 (4½ stars), Zorgvliet Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (4 stars), Silver Myn Cabernet Franc 2005 (4 stars), Silver Myn Petit Verdot 2005 (4 stars), Silver Myn Chardonnay 2005 (4 stars), Silver Myn Merlot (4 stars), Silver Myn Cabernet Franc 2004 (4 stars) and Silver Myn Sauvignon Blanc 2005 (4 stars).
“Zorgvliet is more than just a bottle of top quality wine. It’s also about living an authentic, classic and luxurious lifestyle that affords you special opportunities to experience the elegance of wine. After all, wine is meant to be fun and enjoyable,” adds Stephan van der Merwe, managing director of Zorgvliet Wine Estate.
The Zorgvliet Oes-Af Fees kicks off with a briefing to festival-goers on festival proceedings in the estate’s picnic area after which you will set out to harvest your own grapes from approximately 130,000 vines in the 57-hectare vineyard. You will then load your harvested grapes onto tractors for delivery at the cellar to sort the best grapes for your very own quality Zorgvliet wine.
The grapes will be de-stemmed using special equipment and the berries poured into a big open white bin. This is when the fun climaxes as you stomp the berries with clean bare feet to break open the grape skins amid sips of wine, laughter and fun. After washing off you will head to the main cellar to add yeast to your grapes for fermentation. In the main cellar, the grapes will be crushed and Zorgvliet’s wine-maker and his team will take over the process of producing your quality Zorgvliet wine. While the festival continues, you will be treated to a wholesome and mouth-watering picnic braai at the foot of Simonsberg Mountain complete with live entertainment.
It will take three weeks to complete the fermentation process in the barrels and up to a year after the festival for your special Zorgvliet Cabernet Variety red wine to mature. As a memento, and to prove that you survived the “Extreme Wine-maker’s Challenge’ at the Zorgvliet Oes-Af Fees, we will send you two specially-labeled bottles of your wine,” adds Moorhouse excitedly.
Zorgvliet Wine Estate was once home to guerrilla Boer General FC Beyers and is situated at the 5-star rated Zorgvliet Vineyard Lodge & Spa. This premier winelands property is affiliated with the exclusive 5-star African Pride Hotels, Lodges and Country Houses brand and is fast-becoming the preferred vineyard destination where guests can indulge in the luxury of Spa treatments, fine and country dining, picnics against a breathtaking backdrop of red-wine sunsets, mountain braais atop Simonsberg Mountain, wedding functions, corporate events, vineyard tours and intimate cellar wine tasting with the winemaker.
Zorgvliet Wine Estate was acquired in 2002 by property developer and entrepreneur Mac van der Merwe, and forms part of the world-renowned hospitality, travel and lifestyle brand Zorgvliet Portfolio, which also owns the Riviera on Vaal Hotel & Country Club in Vereeniging; Ka’Ingo Private Reserve & Spa in the malaria-free Waterberg region of Limpopo Province; majority shares in the Protea Hotel King George on the Garden Route in George; the premier factional ownership bushveld property Dinkweng Safari Camp in the UNESCO-declared Waterberg Biosphere in Limpopo Province; Sure Zorgvliet Travel Agency in Vereeniging; and St Andrews Travel Agency in Bolton, England.
As the name Zorgvliet implies, we encourage you to “let your sorrows flee” and embrace the spirit of freedom this April. For a LIVE interactive experience of Zorgvliet’s wine production process and to watch the live web cast of the Zorgvliet Oes-Af Fees go to www.zorgvlietwines.com and log onto the live cellar web-cams. While on the website you can also join the newly launched Zorgvliet Wine Club that will award you with numerous ongoing benefits and mystery prizes for your loyal support.
Tickets to the Zorgvliet Oes-Af Fees are going for R300 per person per day all-inclusive and may be purchased from Essie Stassen at Zorgvliet Wine Estate on
+27 (0)21 885 1049.
