| When I told my colleagues in IBM in 2000 that Anita and I had bought a wine farm, some smart aleck pointed out to me that we did not. "You bought a piece of land," he said. "First you need to establish the vineyards, then build a cellar and THEN you will have a wine farm."
He was right, of course. Well we now have a wine farm, and one that we are extremely proud of. It took a nerve racking four years for us to prove that the soils, the slopes, the varieties and all the planets in the universe are in harmony to produce good wines. Finally we launched the Jagger's Peak range in April 2005 and we are absolutely delighted with the enormously enthusiastic reception it received.
The wines launched were:
- Jagger's Peak Shiraz 2004
- Jagger's Peak Merlot 2004
- Jagger's Peak Sauvignon Blanc 2004
- Jagger's Peak Chenin Blanc 2005
All four of the wines have already established a fan base. For me the key measurement is not only the 4 medals we have already received, but the number of repeat orders we have received so far.
I have entered the wines in various competitions and public judging panels and am anxiously waiting for the results. Look out for the ratings and offerings in Wine Magazine, Diners Club wineclub and Wine of the Month Club, as well as the next edition of Platter. For me its like presenting one's children at a debutante's ball!
At a recent tasting I entered the Shiraz where winemakers and winemaster candidates were invited to bring our own products for evaluation I was very happy to receive joint top score and also happened to have the lowest price!
I cannot write this without thanking Anita for backing me in this venture and not only believing that I will make a success of it, but believing that I will produce high quality wines from the outset! Dankie, my Skat!
The 2005 vintage reds are in the barrels. Initial indications are that they will be even better than the 2004. The Shiraz is more full bodied and complex. The Merlot is decidedly spicy at this stage. Cabernet Sauvignon seems to always be a late bloomer, being very uninteresting early on. It was the same with the 2004 Cab. which has since developed into a rich and rewarding wine which we will release in June/July timeframe.
Henk Jordaan
|
