Top Chenin Blanc producers building their communities

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The awards were celebrated at two separate occasions – at Spier and Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards – in November and December, respectively, where all agreed it’s been a great year for Chenin Blanc. Here, firstly, the ten winners were hailed for their winemaking prowess.

The honour roll

The honour roll comprised a mix of repeat and first-time winners. Among the repeat winners were Kleine Zalze, last year honoured for two bottles: their Family Reserve Chenin Blanc 2015 and their Vineyard Selection Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2015. After their 2014 win, Bellingham was again toasted, this time for The Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2015. Their Reserve Chenin Blanc 2015 helped DeMorgenzon to consecutive wins.

Leopard’s Leap and Rijk’s, both 2014 honourees, returned to winning ways with, respectively, their Culinaria Collection Chenin Blanc 2015 and Private Cellar Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2013. Perdeberg, winners in 2014 and 2015, landed a podium place for their Dry Land Collection Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2015, a third consecutive appearance for the label. Spier, another 2014 and 2015 laureate, won for their 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2015.

These ‘old hands’ were joined by two newcomers: Allée Bleue, courtesy of their Chenin Blanc 2015; and Boschendal for their Sommelier Selection Chenin Blanc 2015.

The competition, established in 2014, is now coming into its own, says Ina Smith, manager of the South African Chenin Blanc Association, which first proposed the Challenge as a means to showcase the quality and rich local tradition of the oft-overlooked varietal. As the competition matures, certain winemakers are setting the pace, she adds. “It has been three years since the competition was launched and some front-runners are starting to emerge.”

Willie du Plessis, Standard Bank’s executive head of business banking in Western Cape, says Chenin Blanc is showing great growth potential in the country. With the Top Ten Challenge, Standard Bank embraced the opportunity to support the “great potential growth” in the wine industry across Africa.
With Standard Bank as the sponsor, each of the top ten wineries – two for Kleine Zalze, of course – was given a cheque of R20,000 to help a chosen local beneficiary. This is in keeping with the rules of the competition that the winemakers invest the money in ways that benefit either their own employees or their surrounding communities from which their employees hail.

“The sustainability of agriculture is so important to the livelihood of local communities residing on farms or rural towns, it has become a symbiotic relationship,” says Du Plessis. "In the wine industry it is no different, being a notable employer of people with skills across various fields, ranging from Chenin grape production, winemaking, distribution, marketing, exporting and tourism. The prize money touches people across this value chain.”

Spier

Jacques Erasmus, winemaker from Spier, said he was delighted that this was the second year the 21 Gables had made it into the top ten. “The wine is a consistent performer.”

Spier chose to pass on their cheque to the Sustainability Institute, an initiative based close to Spier that has since 1999 established a crèche and baby centre, as well as aftercare programmes at a local partner school. In addition, the Institute has now started a Learning for Sustainability FET College, with a “strong focus on sustainable African futures”. That creates new opportunities for local youngsters, many keen to become farmers, explains Litha Magidi, operations officer for the Sustainability Institute.

“The Institute helps upcoming farmers from the area, not just how to farm but also how to market their produce,” explains Erasmus. “Business skills related to farming are essential.”

Kleine Zalze

Alastair Rimmer, cellarmaster at Kleine Zalze, says it is a huge honour to have been named twice, among the competition’s winners. “Chenin as a variety in South Africa is very important. We have over 50% of the world’s Chenin vineyards and significant resources of older Chenin vines which give such depth of flavour.”

Kleine Zalze had chosen the Kleine Zalze Fair Trade Committee, made up of their staff members, as their beneficiary. The committee is made up of and run by all of the winery’s 150 staff members. “Uplifting people is a critical part of our work,” said Rimmer. “We feel you have to get your own backyard sorted out before starting on big things.”

Geoffrey Abrahams and Wayne Van Rooyen from the Kleine Zalze Fair Trade Committee were thrilled with the money. “We will use the money for a number of things, including assisting our colleagues to get driver’s licences, to learn another language or become computer literate,” they explain. “Interestingly, a number of people in our community are really keen to learn to play musical instruments too.”

Perdeberg

Perdeberg winemaker CEO Gerhard Van der Watt said it felt “fantastic” to have been included in the top ten for the third year in a row. “If you want to see Chenin Blanc in a wide range of expressions, come to us!” he noted. “Our area is natural for Chenin Blanc grapes.”

Perdeberg would give its money to a start-up crèche in Mbekwena, near Paarl, which a former employee, Maureen Mfengo, was starting up. “We know and love Maureen,” says Van der Watt, “and would like to support her crèche because a number of our workers will use it. She worked for us for many years. We want to plough back and invest in her project.”

Rijk’s

Pierre Wahl, winemaker at Rijk’s said it was a “huge privilege” being in the top ten for the second time. The award money would be used to upgrade facilities on the farm. “We are a small cellar, with ten permanent workers. When we bought the farm it was full of old buildings and not many facilities. We are upgrading meeting rooms, toilets, etc. The staff housing conditions are already good. Now we want to make their working conditions better.”

Wahl reports that Rijk’s will make an additional contribution in the appointment of young local Dimitri Vermeulen. “Dimitri is a very level-headed, ambitious 21-year-old member of the Tulbagh community – to be sent on a course in winemaking so he can assist on the farm.”

Boschendal

Lizelle Gerber, winemaker at Boschendal, and assistant winemaker, Tamsyn Jeftha, describe their place in the top ten as “a great honour.” “This is a sign that the diversity of Chenin Blanc has been acknowledged,” says Gerber.

In line with Boschendal’s commitment to giving back to their community, the winemakers will award its prize money to the DGB Charitable Trust. The Trust manages a number of social responsibility initiatives, including a library bus – to which the challenge money will go – that visits different schools in Breede Kloof the area. Ernst Zeeman, manager of the Trust’s social programmes, hailed the donation, explaining that the bus visits four schools a week and had already made a huge difference in the lives of local farm children.

DeMorgenzon

Wendy Appelbaum, proprietor of DeMorgenzon, joined winemaker Carl van der Merwe in describing their listing as “an absolute honour”. “Chenin Blanc is South Africa’s leading white wine,” says Appelbaum. “It’s going to put SA wine up there with the best in the world!”

The organisation which will benefit from DeMorgenzon’s prize is Community Keepers in Stellenbosch, which offers social services support to Winelands communities for issues linked to alcohol abuse and fetal alcohol syndrome. Philip Geldenhuys, CEO of Community Keepers, said he was honoured to be selected. “It costs about R100 to have a 30-minute session with a child so the money will be used to deliver 200 sessions with a psychologist or a counselor to children in the area. In the same way that we say, you can’t teach a hungry child, you also can’t teach a traumatised child.”

Bellingham

Bellingham’s Neil Groenewald welcomed the recognition of the award for the hard work put into “finding the right old vine”.

“Thanks, specifically, to our growers who kept some old vines in the vineyards for us.”

Bellingham will donate its prize money to the Sunfield Home for adults in Wellington with intellectual disabilities. Daisy Groenewald, Sunfield’s Services Manager, says the money will go towards arts and crafts supplies for the home’s residents. “We are thrilled,” says Groenewald. “The plan is to buy an ice-cream container with everything they need. We already make the gift packs for Bellingham – and are so grateful for this contribution.”

Leopard’s Leap

Leopard’s Leap winemaker Eugene van Zyl says he is excited to be in the top ten for a second year. “I am passionate about Chenin Blanc. The value for money you get for this wine in South Africa is superb. In recent years there is so much more awareness of Chenin Blanc and we have seen great growth, especially since last year.”

Leopard’s Leap has donated its prize money to the Kusasa Project in Franschhoek. Started some years back as a feeding programme, the project now runs its own early learning centre, in addition to what it calls its Breakfast Club and Feeding Scheme, and a Scholars’ Programme for late primary and secondary school children. Principal, Marie-Louise Raymond, hails the donation, explaining that the school will use the money for operational costs. “We are expanding next year, taking on a new teacher and employing another teacher. We are also adding a new grade. We love what we do and are so grateful for this donation.”

Allée Bleue

Carol Maggs, sales manager for Allée Bleue, says she was “super excited” to be in the top ten for the first time. “Our Chenin has over the years been a quiet contender, so it great to be recognised.”

Allée Bleue’s beneficiary is an early-childhood development centre, Klein Handjies, based on Boschendal as a joint initiative between the wine estate and neighbouring Solms Delta. The centre accommodates children from four months to five years old, currently capable of serving 52 children, explains principal, Lynnette Carolissen. “Most parents in the area have to work, so it is for moms to feel happy that their children, especially little babies, are safe while they work,” says Carolissen.

The range of organisations and causes that will benefit is proof that the Top Ten Challenge has not only served to cast a welcome spotlight on Chenin Blanc, but also does a lot of good, says Standard Bank’s Du Plessis. “We’ve seen the difference this initiative has made in people’s lives.”