Newsletter - Winter Edition Continues

The Estate amphitheatre has started to take shape and is beginning to look like the world-class venue it’ll soon be. I’m thoroughly looking forward to seeing it completed, when it will be used to showcase some of South Africa and the world’s greatest talent.  And I can’t wait for dryer weather to enjoy our new hiking and biking trails.   All this good food and wine is starting to show!

Our “own your own vine” project was met with great success during the Wacky Wine Weekend and has created quite a few city-slicker winemakers.  Due to numerous requests, I have now expanded this project. I really want the wine making process to be an interactive one, where all our friends can learn (without fear of embarrassment) about what it takes to grow grapes and make that perfect bottle of wine.  There is a deep sense of personal satisfaction when you hold your personal creation in your hands and it a feeling that I believe must be shared.  This is definitely a ‘vine club’ that’s worth joining.  If you are interested in finding out more about the Kingsriver Vine Club, or if you already own a vine and would like to check on its progress, give us a call or drop us an email.

As I write, we’re gearing up for another two local festivals.  The Robertson Slow is taking place from the 8th to the 10th of August.  We will be hosting a wine growing lunch where friends and visitors can learn about how we make our wine and, more importantly, what makes it different.  Then shortly after, it’s time for the McGregor Wine Festival which happens on the 30th of August.  We will again be featuring our popular Food and Wine Pairing, and our chef promises taste sensations second to none.  We hope that you will decide to take some time out from the chaos of city life and join us for the day, the evening, or the weekend. 

I will be sending you details of our special winter weekend offers in due course. In fact, pretty soon, all of our events and offers will be posted on our website for you to plan your weekend escapes.  And while we’re on the subject of the website, like the rest of the estate, it is also enjoying considerable refurbishment and will soon be a virtual meeting place where we can all keep touch when we’re not together enjoying a glass of red at Kingsriver. 

I’m sure my friends, particularly those in Europe and the States, will be delighted by that news.  Thank you all so much for your patience.  If there’s one thing you learn from winemaking, it’s that all good things, wine included, come to those that wait.  I trust that you will agree that it has been worth, the almost interminable, wait!  Even with the website under reconstruction, wine can still be ordered online, and as always, I love hearing from you, so keep those calls and mails coming. 

  Please look out for your invitation, for our official launch in September, planned to coincide with the gorgeous Cape springtime, when the weather’s warmer and tiny green buds are just appearing on the vines.

So until then, as I sit here in the Robertson valley in the middle of South Africa’s cold winter months, I drink a toast to you and yours…

“To good friends, good times and good health!”

Ruud