LETTER
FROM DP BURGER
Dear
Friends,
Warmest
greetings from Franschhoek and welcome to this Summer Edition
of the GlenWood Gazette.
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The
GlenWood Team preparing the 2010 vintage |
2009
has been another eventful and exciting year at GlenWood. Currently
the team is hard at work in the vineyards and preparation
is in full swing for the 2010 vintage intake. November saw
much unexpected rain and rumours of serious downy mildew infections
abounded across the wine industry. This fungus can have serious
implications if not properly controlled and actually caused
a 100% crop loss in the mid 1970’s. Proper systemic
control is the only way to counter this and this is exactly
what we have been able to do. Small amounts of infection were
seen in the Merlot and Chardonnay vineyards but these were
brought under control very quickly and minimal damage was
caused.
2009
was again a very successful accolade year for GlenWood as
our wines excelled in numerous competitions; more about this
later in this edition of the Gazette.
During
October, 2009 I had the privilege of visiting the United Kingdom
and participating with 250 other South African producers at
the annual Wines of South Africa “Mega Tasting”.
This annual event was hosted in London over a three-day period
drawing potential buyers from across Europe. The impact of
the current recession was obvious, with agents being extremely
wary to commit to placing orders. I also hosted a tasting
at Vinopolis and was delighted to see some the familiar faces
coming to enjoy the warmth of the GlenWood wines in the centre
of “sunny” London. Visiting the trade later in
my visit, it was clear that all participants in the global
wine industry are having a tough year with an average of ten
London restaurants closing every month. In South Africa, the
recession is also having repercussions with sales falling
appreciably. On a positive note, my belief has always been
to build close and sustainable relationships with our partners
and customers and this approach is undoubtedly helping us
through this difficult time. GlenWood has a firm foundation
in South Africa and I thank everybody for supporting us and
our wines.
Finally,
I would like to wish you and your families a wonderful festive
season and a prosperous 2010. If you plan to visit Franschhoek,
please visit us and taste our current vintages under the oak
tree. It would be our pleasure to welcome you.
Kind
regards,
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“DP”
BURGER
ELECTED CHAIRMAN |
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DP
Burger, General Manager and Winemaker of GlenWood,
has been elected Chairman of the Vignerons de
Franschhoek, the association to which the 40 wineries
in the Franschhoek valley belong.
The
Vignerons organization provides leadership in
developing the competences and professionalism
of wineries’ personnel, including hosting
frequent tastings for winemakers and workshops
for front-of-house staff. The organization co-ordinates
projects such as the Franschhoek Semillon initiative
and, being part of the Franschhoek Wine Valley
Tourism Association, it is very involved in promotional
events such as The Magic of Bubbles, Franschhoek
Uncorked and Bastille Day.
This
is a great achievement for DP and demonstrates
the high regard in which he is held by his peers.
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QUOTES
from the famous:
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| And Noah he often
said to his wife when he sat down to dine,
“I don’t care where the water
goes if it doesn’t get into the wine.”
G K Chesterton
"Drink no longer
water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s
sake and thine often infirmities"
1 Timothy, 5:23
"Wine is bottled
poetry."
Robert Louis Stevenson
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Nicky
Adams & the GlenWood
La Motte Rugby Club
Nicky
Adams, GlenWood Assistant Farm Manager, is a passionate
rugby man who has been dedicated to working with
others to revive the local rugby club over the
last two years. The club’s home ground is
in the La Motte village where the majority of
our people reside, all of whom are avid supporters
of the rugby team.
The
club now has 42 members and has fielded two teams,
of which the first team won 14 out of 16 matches
this year and has been promoted from the Boland
League to the Western Province League for 2010.
GlenWood is proud to be associated with the club,
firstly through Nicky’s efforts and in various
other ways.
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Management,
DP, and leading players of
the GlenWood La Motte Rugby Club,
including Ashley Williams, GlenWood
Player of the Year. |
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GLENWOOD
WINES RECEIVE WIDE ACCLAIM |
The
production of top quality wines has always
been the primary objective of GlenWood.
This quality objective influenced the original
choice of varietals which were planted twenty
years ago, how the vines were planted, how
the vines are managed from year to year,
how and when the grapes are picked and how
the wines are produced. But the measurement
of wine quality is an elusive concept, being
as dependent on personal taste as it is.
Thus, wineries must enter competitions in
order to have their wines objectively assessed
by experienced judges whose opinions carry
weight in the eyes of the trade and consumers.
2009
has been an outstanding year for GlenWood
in terms of these assessments, with three
of our wines obtaining 4½ stars in
the newest John Platter Wine Guide, three
obtaining 4 stars, and one obtaining 3 stars.
The fact that these ratings span both red
and white wines and cover all our wines
is a major achievement for a small boutique
producer like us.
These
ratings followed other top awards during
the year, including:
•
National Champion Chardonnay – Terroir
Wine Awards
• Gold Veritas
• Diamond Selection – Winemakers’
Choice
• Top 10 South African Shiraz Selection.
We believe that this success is attributable
to a number of things which have started
coming together for us this year, including
the maturity of our vines, technical viticulture
and the fact that we understand the nature
of our vineyards together with the GlenWood
terroir.
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FRANSCHHOEK
UNCORKED
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COMPETITION
– INNOVATIVE WINE MARKETING IDEA
Win
a mixed case of six bottles of GlenWood 2008
Chardonnay Vignerons’ Selection and six
bottles of 2007 Syrah to the value of R2,250.
Describe
to us what you consider to be a highly innovative
wine marketing approach. This may be something
you have seen, anywhere in the world, or it
may simply be an idea that you have.
Examples
of such ideas would include:
- attractive
neck labels on bottles,
- GlenWood
contributing a proportion of sales revenue
to a worthwhile cause,
- a
price promotion such as free wine per case
bought, etc.
The
competition closes on 31 January, 2010. The
prize will be delivered free within South Africa,
while overseas delivery will be charged for.
Commissions on increased sales resulting from
your marketing idea can be discussed!
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The
advent of the tourism season in the Western
Cape brings with it a dramatic increase in the
number of visitors we host in the Tasting Room.
This year, the highest number of our guests
is from the UK, followed by South Africa, Germany,
USA, and Holland. As always, our visitors enjoy
the unique ambience of beautiful natural surroundings,
top quality wines, and personal service, as
evidenced by some of the comments they have
left in our Guests’ Book:
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“We
drove from London overland to have a glass
of GlenWood Chardonnay!!!”
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Inge
Schreuder, newly appointed
Tasting Room Manager |
Angela & Angela, London,
England
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“Home
away from home, warm hospitality, good wine
and spectacular views.”
Kerry-Lee van Heerden &
Paul Schoeman, Glenwood, Durban
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“Beautiful
place, excellent wines!”
Gerhard & Susan Prokasky,
Germany
During
November, Inge Shreuder was appointed as our
Tasting Room Manager. Born and bred on the Cape’s
West Coast, Inge’s bubbly personality
will make you feel right at home.
After
she successfully completed her diploma in Hospitality
and Catering she joined Vergelegen in Somerset
West. Moving on, Inge joined Bridge House School
in Franschhoek in their catering department.
Always having had a deep passion and love for
wine, she grabbed the opportunity at GlenWood
and has settled in quickly.
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