Tag Archives: Semi-Soet

Vrede en Lust showcases its white wine portfolio, luscious lunch at Lust Bistro & Bakery!

V&L Entrance Whale Cottage PortfolioYesterday we were invited to a first media event at Vrede en Lust at the outskirts of Franschhoek, with the specific purpose to expose the wine estate’s ten white wines, making up about one-third of its production, given that Vrede en Lust is perceived as a predominantly red wine producing wine farm.

The origin of Vrede en Lust dates back to 1688, owned by French Huguenot Jacques de Savoye, who planted 10000 vines in 1691.  The Buys family bought the farm in 1996, modernising it by building on its 320 year heritage. Former Nederburg winemaker Günter Brözel helped them build the cellar, and acts as a consultant when needed.  About 36 ha of the 55 ha farm is planted to vines.  They have recently bought Ricton close by, with a capacity of 60 ha.  In addition, they own Casey’s Ridge in the Kogelberg Biosphere in Elgin, with 54 ha of vineyards.  Vrede en Lust produces 30000 9 litre cases of wines per year, made from 800 tonnes of grapes.  Of their production, 68% is sold via their Tasting Room and at shows, while 15% is exported.  They have 1200 Wine Club members.

We met in the tasting room, having to do the tasting inside due to the unexpected rain and cooler weather. We were welcomed by Etienne Buys, brother of farm owner Dana Buys, who has taken over the management and viticulture of V&L Etienne Buys Whale Cottage PortfolioVrede en Lust, so that Dana can spend more time with his first love, being IT.

Charming winemaker Susan Erasmus, expecting her second child in May and previously at Neethlingshof (and having done harvests at Groot Constantia, Zevenwacht, and St Emilion), was a confident presenter of her white wine ‘babies‘, although she used technical terminology at times, where some of us got lost.  Interesting was observing the tastings continue in the Tasting Room, Continue reading →

‘Exploring the Vine’ from vine to wine: puts SA wines on the international screen!

Despite having been filmed in 2009 already, the 13-part reality TV series ‘Exploring the Vine‘ had not been aired on local South African TV until it premiered on SABC3 three weeks ago.  Not only will the series stimulate interest in wine-drinking amongst local South Africans, but it has also received international exposure on the National Geographic Asia channel.

The series, produced by ‘Cooked in Africa’ Films, the company that made Charlie’s Bakery famous through their recent ‘Charly’s Cake Angels’ reality TV series, filmed three young winemakers for a year, living their passion for wine making.   Howard Booysen, James Corder, and Stuart Botha met at Elsenburg Agricultural College, and each of the winemakers are featured at the wine estates at which they worked at the time.  Filming was done on weekends over the period of a year, and covered all aspects of winemaking, including nurturing the vines, trellising, harvesting, making the wine, and winetasting.  The three friends also share stories of the South African wine industry, and its history.  The TV series was sold to National Geographic, and was flighted in 2010, achieving international coverage.

Executive Producer Justin Bonnello said about the series: Filmed in and around Stellenbosch, Constantia and Elgin, the Series provides a unique and entertaining showcase of what makes South African wines among some of the best in the world. Stuart, Howard and James represent a new generation of local winemakers who have each proven that the opposite is true when it comes to wine production: youth is not a handicap when it comes to making an excellent wine.”

Howard Booysen was one of the first to participate in the Protégé programme of the Cape Winemakers’ Guild after his Elsenburg studies.  This led him to meet and work with a number of top winemakers.  He has since started making his own wine, under the Howard Booysen Wine as well as Pegasus labels. He is the sommelier at Aubergine.

Stuart Botha started his winemaking career at Constantia Glen, and then went to St Emillion in France before joining Eagle’s Nest.  His winemaking skills have already been recognised, having been named the Best Red Winemaker of the Year in 2010 for his 2008 Eagle’s Nest Shiraz.  His 2009 Shiraz was named the Best Shiraz in the 5 Nations Wine Awards.

James Corder comes from a winemaking family in Elgin, and worked at Villiera as well as Domaine Grier before returning to the family farm.  His Elgin Vintners Viognier 2009 won Best South African White Wine at the Nova Scotia wine show in 2010.  He will launch a sparkling wine next year.

Wine drinking is receiving a welcome boost from the film industry, in the airing of ‘Exploring the Vine’ reality TV series, and the romantic comedy ‘Semi-Soet’, which is currently on the movie circuit.

‘Exploring the Vine’, SABC3,  Saturdays, 16h00.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter: @WhaleCottage

‘Semi-Soet’ movie sweet marketing of Vrede en Lust and Franschhoek wine valley!

Last night I went to see ‘Semi-Soet‘, a locally produced romantic comedy which opened at 70 cinemas country-wide on Friday.  It was predominantly shot on Vrede en Lust wine estate at the entrance to Franschhoek, and I did not expect to enjoy the movie and laugh so much.  The movie can be expected to see hordes of locals descending on Franschhoek generally, and to Vrede en Lust specifically.

‘Semi-Soet’ was produced by James and Anel (who doubles up as the lead actress) Alexander’s Scramble Productions, using a cast of well-known television actors, Nico Panagio being one of the best known actors in the cast, being a Top Billing presenter, but the other actors are known from series such as 7de Laan, Binnelanders, and the movie Liefling, also produced by the Alexanders. The story line takes two advertising agency teams from Johannesburg to the Franschhoek wine estate, to be evaluated by Vrede en Lust owner ‘Andries Buys’ for the advertising account.  The teams are tested on the farm, in having to walk the ‘Vryersvoetpad’, a lover’s lane with challenges, not least of all being a pig!  They also have to pick grapes and stomp them in barrels, before doing a presentation to win the account.

How Vrede en Lust got to be involved in the movie is not known, with a choice of hundreds of wine estates in the Winelands.  Vrede en Lust owner Dana Buys writes on their website that they evaluated the past work of the Alexanders. They realised that a poor movie could badly affect their brand image, but the past work of the Alexanders (especially the movie ‘Discreet’) made them realise that the chances of the movie not being successful were small enough to make it worth their while to participate in the movie.  “We had high hopes for Semi-Soet, but I suspect the movie will do much better than our wildest expectations”.   There is copious branding for Vrede en Lust in the movie, not only in mentioning its name repeatedly throughout the movie, but also via a wine tasting of the flagship Boet Erasmus, wine bottles, and branded banners and a lectern.

The movie has received good reviews, and while some of the humour borders on slapstick, it is seen to be one of the best Afrikaans and local movies made to date.  English sub-titles make the movie accessible to all South Africans.

The movie presents Vrede en Lust, and Franschhoek with it, in its glorious beauty, mainly with the Simonsberg as a backdrop, but also the Paarl mountains on the other side.  Aerial shots over the farm and the Franschhoek wine valley, as well as the action filming in the vineyards, at the slave bell, and in the Manor House can only boost visitor numbers to Vrede en Lust, a wine estate that was established in 1688.  Vrede en Lust is one of the two best-known and  largest wedding venues in Franschhoek, and the movie ends off with a wedding of two of the movie characters, marketing this aspect of the wine estate too.  The storyline positions Vrede en Lust as a wine estate with family values, passion, hard work, and a vision, which no doubt pertains to the real Vrede en Lust too.  Interesting is that the farm owner pleads for non-pretentious descriptions of the wines tasted in the movie.

Funding for the film was received from the Industrial Development Corporation, and product placements were paid for in cash or as trade exchanges.  Brands seen in the movie, and acknowledged on the movie’s website, include Avis, 1Time, Alpha Pharm, Rhapsody’s restaurant, and many more.  The movie is good in encouraging wine-drinking, with an agency account win celebrated with sparkling wine, and the movie opening with wine-related illustrations, of wine glasses, bunches of grapes, and vine leaves.

Vrede en Lust has launched a Vryersvoetpad 2008 Merlot-dominant Bordeaux-style blend in honour of the movie, as a limited release of 1450 bottles.  Each bottle is numbered, and can be bought at Makro, eStore, and on the wine farm.

POSTSCRIPT 21/2:  I called Dana Buys after writing the blogpost, and he told me that they were approached by the producers to use his farm as the location.  No cash exchanged hands, but they provided the location and the accommodation on the farm, not accepting any wedding bookings during the filming period.  For the movie premieres around the country they had to provide the wine, and pay for the popcorn and colddrinks. From a brand awareness perspective, the movie will be excellent, especially when it goes to DVD and TV, he said.  The movie was shot in April/May last year, and the first sign of autumn is visible in the vineyards.  The grapes picked in the Merlot block were not real ones, he said, as they had long harvested at that time.

Vrede en Lust, R45, Franschhoek.  Tel (021)  874-1611  www.vnl.co.za Twitter: @DJBuys

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com Twitter:@WhaleCottage