An interesting response to one of my Twitter questions from Danny de Nobrega

From: "Danny de Nobrega"

To: Mike Ratcliffe

Subject: Response to Twitter question

Dear Mike,

Since gaining interest (for both professional and personal reasons) in the marketing of wines and particularly those in the luxury segment, I have learned that you have achieved great success in the marketing of your Warwick and Vilafonte wines. I have also noted that you are somewhat regarded as a pioneer in developing and implementing new media strategies to market wines in the top-end market segment.

I have thus been following your blogs and Twitter updates and pondered before how relevant and effective these new media tools are with regards to effectively reaching the top-end consumer.

After reading your Twitter update and accompanying blog post regarding this question I gave it some more thought… Here is my two cents:

Do Wine Blogs Impact Your Brand? Read this article then let me know your thoughts.

I now certainly believe that blogs have an impact on your brand, both in terms of brand awareness and brand equity.

Besides the inherent following a blog may have it seems a growing trend for credible bloggers to be aggregated into major online portals. Your brand may be viewed by the blog's direct followers - where that post gets fed into other portals, newsletters, etc the brand exposure gained becomes significantly more than the blogs followers. I believe this will become a growing trend as many of the top bloggers are experienced writers and journalists by profession and bring with them the credibility that will ensure their posts are aggregated and viewed by a larger audience.

That covers the positive impact bloggers could have on brand awareness.

Now for brand equity. The effects of a positive review or post on a brand is obvious with regards to the blog's direct community. Furthermore as brands in the past had sought out influencers and early adopters and appealed to their brand aspirations, so brands could benefit from bloggers, which in my opinion have become the influencers and early adopters in the new media and online arenas. Thus I believe a positive brand message spread by a credible blogger not only increases brand awareness beyond what is initially thought but also builds positive brand equity. They could steer a potential customer to their initial trial or purchases. It is here however where the offline brand touch-points come into play. All aspects of the brand identity and image should be consistent and live up to its brand mantra or message.

I believe the impact of blogs can be really positive if a brand adheres to the rules. As all new media related articles or posts would say; brands in the online arena should aim to start and build a conversation and not force itself upon online users. I don't believe "buying" a blogger would ever work or as your blog posts says; never get in an 'online flame war'. I believe that this "honest" review of one's brand ensures that bloggers maintain their credibility as influencers and early adopters – ultimately to the benefit to the brand.

In short, wine blogs impact your brand.

Kind Regards

Danny de Nobrega

Luxury Brands

Tel: +27 21 702 3436

Fax: +27 21 702 3437

Suite 181, Private Bag X16, Constantia, 7848

Some cool pics taken yesterday during Martha Stewarts Warwick and Vilafonte tasting in our Mountain Penthouse

Three Power Ladies - Martha Stewart, Norma Ratcliffe & Zelma Long

Inspecting the Warwick Wedding Cup

Choices choices....

Martha Stewart, Norma Ratcliffe ,Mike Ratcliffe

Drinking from the Wedding Cup

Martha Stewart - decisions decisions? Warwick or Vilafonte?

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

Warwick sponsored the Raging Bulls - annual 'Oscars' of the Financial World recently - here are the winners with a Magnum of Warwick Trilogy

View of Cape Town from the (windy) deck of MS Amsterdam - World Cup Ship

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

A first look at World Cup accommodation in Cape Town Harbour- MS Amsterdam

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

Today. A rare sighting of Kwagga's at Warwick

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

What a day - a view across the dam at the Warwick Estate Picnics

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

Here is a very cool pic of the WINE ENTHUSIAST dinner hosted by Majeka house last night.

 

It's very early - and I am flying from Richmond Virginia to New York City

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

Jam in the USA - flavoured wines (Part 2)

On a snowy, cold and generally miserable day last week, I walked into a quaint Washington DC wine store and noticed a new facing on the shelf. The ‘Jam Jar’ is a marketing creation of Andre Shearer, the respected wine marketer that has been part of the team working tirelessly to put South Africa on the map in the USA. The ‘Jam Jar’ is a ‘sweet Shiraz’ in beautiful jam-jar-style packaging and selling below $10 which is the sweet spot (pun intended) for the volume wine market in the USA. I spent an hour presenting an in-depth tasting in this fine wine store to the owner who was intrigued by everything vinous, and particularly interested in the South African story. ‘Although I don’t like the wine, I stock it because it sells really well’ was the answer to my prodding question about the Jam Jar’s seeming intrusion into his collection of celebrated terroir-driven wines.

 

The South African wine industry has been pretty unsuccessful in penetrating the US wine market – the biggest in the world. There are many reasons for this including a lack of political will, a sluggish DTI still convinced that SA should focus on the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India & China) countries, a WOSA board that until recently has lacked the commitment and perhaps most importantly, a lack of funds. The South African category barely exists despite the fact that the US potential continues to grow. On May 11^th this year WOSA will launch its most ambitious marketing and public relations exercise and it is going to be interesting to see what kind of support it receives from both the producers and the US media and trade. If managed correctly, this event could be just the tonic to rejuvenate and revive our struggling efforts. It is no coincidence that the event happens less than a month before the kick-off of the biggest sporting event of the year in South Africa. This double-whammy has potential to give SA momentum in the USA – and the industry should be in New York driving it hard.

 

The USA is a commodity market driven by marketing and in this sense a strong and innovative marketing bias is going to be the perfect tool within the framework of raw capitalism. At the same time it is imperative that we manage brand South Africa to ensure that our reputation is maintained and managed. Perhaps it would be appropriate to refer to ‘Australia 101’; the ‘Yellow-tail’ and ‘Little Penguin’ lesson. This is an Aussie case study in which a (probably) unintended move away from solid generic marketing of tangible benefits to a new reality based on the commoditisation of Australian brand equity has caused considerable pain down-under. South African producers in general and WOSA in particular are adept at positioning South Africa correctly and have been doing a pretty good job in Europe and the UK for years – this path should also be followed in the USA, with the knowledge that a meaningful image takes years to craft and requires sustainable efforts and funding.

 

This brings me back to the question of coffee, chocolate, jam and other flavours that are popping up in SA wine brands. Is the development of this ‘flavoured’ category the ‘silver bullet’ that we need to sell ship-loads of wine to Wal-Mart customers or it the bastardisation of South Africa’s carefully manicured efforts at positioning. Ultimately we walk a fine line between an individualistic ‘whatever sells’ ethos and a ‘for the greater good’s generic marketing philosophy.

 

I believe that South Africa’s significantly improved marketing capabilities should be celebrated. We are no longer the ‘also rans’ in the creation of effective wine marketing strategies and this is being recognised by the trade and the media. The creation of new categories of wine and the rationale behind them should also be celebrated. I personally love these developments and have no doubt that they will effectively lower barriers to entry and increase the size of the pie for everyone. Let us, as an industry be cogniscent of the fact that South Africa is a country that has based it’s success on our excellent quality to price ratio.

 

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Playing in the Richmond Virginia snow with Bartholomew Broadbent

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

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a rare photo of Bartholomew Broadbent & I after a long night drinking competitors Port

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

Tasting-red-wine-out-of-a-Champagne-glass .com

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

Enjoy a priceless, once-in-a-lifetime experience in South Africa, courtesy of long-time NWWF supporters and Past Honored Vintners, Shari & Garen Staglin, along with American winemaking legend Zelma Long and South African vintner Mike Ratcliffe.

Ten (10) days, nine (9) nights for two (2) couples for a dream South African wine safari

Round-trip, business class airfare for two (2) couples to Cape Town, South Africa and return from Johannesburg, South Africa

3 – 5 Liter bottles, presented in a specially designed wooden box with etched glass, the NWWF logo and other images signifying your South African adventure, including:

1 – 5 Liter 2007 Staglin Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

1 – 5 Liter 2007 Vilafonté Series C Proprietary Red Wine

1 – 5 Liter 2006 Warwick Estate Trilogy Proprietary Red Wine

DAY ONE—Cape Town

After your overnight flight from New York, check into your one-bedroom suites at the newest and most luxurious hotel in South Africa, the One&Only. Situated in the heart of the Cape Town waterfront, it is surrounded by all the energy and activity that has made Cape Town a true must-see destination. After you relax from your flight or take a quick stroll, get ready for a fabulous dinner at Chef Gordon Ramsay’s chic new restaurant, Maze...his first in Africa.

DAYS TWO & THREE—Cape Town & Cape Point

Each morning, you will be greeted by your own personal tour guide and driver who will take you on a full day of touring. Over the next few days you will experience Cape Town at its most exciting. First stop? The top of famous Table Mountain; where you can see the city, the harbor and the entire peninsula down to Cape Point. Your guide will also take you to all the top tourist destinations including, the National Gallery, the South African Museum, the Houses of Parliament, the penguin colony in Simonstown and a glass bottom boat to the seal colony. You’ll even take a drive down the coast to the fishing hamlet of Kalk Bay and its many antique shops, continuing down to the Cape of Good Hope. As you stand on the most south westerly point of Southern Africa, you will see some of the most dramatic landscapes on the planet.

DAY FOUR—Cape Town & Hermanus

Today, your guide will take you through the Elgin wine and fruit growing region on your way to Hermanus; a charming coastal town set between mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Nature lovers from all over the world come here to watch the Southern Right Whale from these cliffs. Several of the country’s top wine estates are also nearby and at South Africa’s premier Pinot Noir producer Hamilton Russel Vineyards, you’ll be hosted by proprietor Anthony Hamilton Russel for an in-depth tour and barrel tasting. Upon your return to One&Only, dinner will be waiting at Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s African version of his acclaimed eponymous restaurant, Nobu.

DAY FIVE—The Winelands & the Grande Provence Owners Cottage

Once you have been bewitched by the majesty of Cape Town, you will be whisked the short distance to the South African wine lands where you will reside in luxury and be personally escorted through this spectacular wine region. Your home these next two nights - the Owner’s Cottage at Grande Provence, named by Harper’s Bazaar as one of the “10 Most Fabulous Villas in the World.” The property is a 300-year old wine and fruit estate nestled in the magnificent Franschhoek Valley. Dine at the Grand Provence Restaurant and visit the cellar where years of great winemaking heritage comes to life.

DAY SIX—Vilafonté Vineyard & Stellenbosch

That morning, your driver will take you to the Vilafonté Vineyard in Stellenbosch where you’ll meet South African Mike Ratcliffe and Californian Zelma Long, partners in the world’s only South African–American luxury winemaking joint venture. Vilafonté is the only South African winery to have been nominated by The Wine Enthusiast for ‘New World Winery of the Year.’ You’ll experience a vertical tasting of the Vilafonté Series M and Series C wines and learn about the most cutting-edge developments in South African winemaking. Lunch with the Vilafonté team at the winery’s Italian bistro, Pane e Vino and after a rest in their guest house, Mike and his wife Pip will host a traditional South African braai (barbecue) at Warwick Wine Estate, their family-owned winery. Significant milestone wines from the past 40 years will be opened to celebrate the evening. Return to Grande Provence for one last night.

DAYS SEVEN TO TEN—On Safari at Singita Sweni

After a fond farewell to the luxurious Grande Provence, you will be off to your next adventure! Fly to Singita Sweni; the most intimate of the renowned Singita lodges. Set amidst the foliage of the Sweni River in the Kruger National Park game reserve, there are just six riverside suites, with floor-to-ceiling windows, luxurious bathrooms and an expansive living area. A private deck over the water’s edge is an idyllic spot for drinks or to curl up with a book. A typical day at Singita starts as guests congregate with the rangers at the main lodge for tea, coffee and light snacks in anticipation of the early morning game drive. Who knows what to expect? Maybe a leopard in the branches of a tree with a kill, a herd of elephants, or an impala may dart right in front of your Land Rover. A spectacular breakfast will follow your return. Spend the morning indulging in a massage or beauty treatment at the spa, shopping or simply relaxing on your sundeck.

After lunch, take a walking safari, followed by afternoon refreshments in the main lodge. The exciting evening drive is the apex of your African adventure. Imagine watching the sun set over the horizon while you witness a pride of lions stalking their prey or buffalo strolling to a water hole…each an unforgettable wildlife experience. Upon your return, the fires are lit and the night's entertainment begins. Have dinner around the fire in the Boma under the stars or a gourmet meal by candlelight in the dining room. Then…retire to your suite for a restful night’s sleep in preparation for the next exciting day!

Upon your return home and into reality, the crème de la crème of wines from Staglin Family Vineyard, Vilafonté and Warwick Estate, presented in a keepsake box, will be a wonderful reminder of this dream of a trip.

Yes…dream of Africa...but with one magnanimous bid…live your dream.

Insider's Info: Trip to be taken on mutually agreeable dates March 1–December 1, 2010, excluding June 1-30, 2010 during the FIFA World Cup. All airfare and ground transportation within South Africa are included. Flights within South Africa will be a combination of commercial and charter. All breakfasts at all accommodations are included. At One&Only, dinner at Nobu and dinner at Maze are included. At Grande Provence, dinner is included, as well as the lunch and dinner with Mike Ratcliffe. At Singita, all meals, two daily game drives, walking safaris and premium wines & spirits are included. Additional meals and activities outside of those listed are not included.

Donor: Garen and Shari Staglin of Staglin Family Vineyard

Additional Donors: Zelma Long and Mike Ratcliffe of Vilafonté, Neil Ratcliffe of Southern Destinations, The One&Only Hotels, The Huka Retreats and Singita Private Game Reserve

_______________________________________________________________

Mike Ratcliffe

Phone: +27 (0) 21 88 444 10

Warwick: http://www.warwickwine.com/

Vilafonte: http://www.vilafonte.com/

Faraway: http://www.farawaywines.com/

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To live & die in Copenhagen - the damage - good night!

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

a picture of me disembarking from airplane in a raging blizzard in Copenhagen

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

20cm of snow in Stockholm today - the things we do for wine marketing!

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

Vilafonte, Mouton Rothschild & Warwick 2004

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

THE BLOGGERS PICNIC HAPPENS THIS WEEKEND

'The Big 5 Wine Safari'

Dear Boozy Bloggers, wine lovers & amateur wine writers, It has been almost 2 years since our last ‘Bloggers braai’. A few of us locals felt that it was time to start the ball rolling again in 2010 – and keep it going. Please join us for the second annual (yes, annual) ‘Bloggers Picnic’.

When: Sunday 21st February 2010

Time: 13h00 – whenever

Where: Warwick Wine Estate map

Bring: Your whole family – very kid friendly

Cost: Adults gourmet picnic (half price for today) R75 pp, Kiddies picnic - R45, Wines less 20% on the day

RSVP click HERE for online reservations, Or email Elzanne de Klerk visit@warwickwine.com , Or call 021 8843144

We will also be running our ‘BIG 5 WINE SAFARI’ all day to add that finishing touch to a perfect day. PLEASE CIRCULATE TO SELECTED LIKE-MINDED FOLK

See you soon.

Mike Ratcliffe

WE HAD SOME GOOD PRESS IN THE FINANCIAL MAIL TODAY

Warwick Picnics get some good publicity

 

another image of the new Warwick 'Picnic Pod' - designer lazing

 

Check this out - the Warwick 'Picnic Pods' in all their glory

 

The Wine World in 2010: What to Expect

High unemployment, pared-down expense accounts and a glut of wine mean that in 2010 consumers will find lower prices and better selection

Not since the millennium folly in 1999 have I seen so much frenzy in the wine market. Back then, with stock markets booming, auction houses setting records for wines and Champagne producers warning there wouldn't be enough fizz for the celebration, producers were enthusiastic and bottles were getting pricier by the month.
What a difference a decade makes. With high unemployment, pared-down expense accounts and a glut of wine, it's the consumer's turn to make merry, with lower prices, more choice and less pretension. Those 99-point ratings don't seem quite so requisite any more to buying good wine.
So what do I see happening in 2010?

1. Prices will continue to drop across the board, from the priciest of Bordeaux and Burgundy to cult California wines that were once available only by subscription. This goes, too, for those Italian, Spanish and Chilean producers who thought that they could easily get the same kind of money those age-old French estates used to command.

2. More people will buy online. Consumers can go to sites like wine-searcher.com or vinfolio.com and compare prices for the same wine not just around the U.S., where many states now allow cross-state shipping, but in the U.K., Germany, and other countries. The spread can be amazing: a wine costing $40 in one store may be $75 in another. Wine stores will stock more inexpensive wines, which account for most of their profits.

3. Wine blogging will increase, mostly among those contending they've found spectacular bottles that will "blow your doors off" for under $15 a bottle. As with all blogging, readers should be wary of the source of such claims.

4. California, alas, will fail to back away from big, high alcohol, oaky reds and whites, because the producers believe that is the style most Americans prefer over subtlety and complexity. The problem is that cheaper wines of this style are so often dreadful, out of balance and undrinkable after one glass. California wineries talk a good game about finesse, but then they overripen their grapes and stick them in new oak for too long.

5. The tsunami of new wines from South America and Eastern Europe will ebb as the market overflows. Greek, Portuguese, and Brazilian wines have had good press in recent years, but unless they keep prices down, they won't make much headway.

6. New Zealand wineries will be in trouble. The country's recent prodigious harvests have glutted the market for their overly fruity punch-like style, and many fans want to move up in quality.

7. Champagne will be in serious trouble. It's not just that prices have gotten way out of whack, with too many selling above $100 a bottle, but other sparkling-wine producers have been canny about getting their bubblies well-positioned, well-priced and well-reviewed. Champagne is reducing output and holding back product already bottled to get some balance, but it's going to be a struggle to win revelers back from Italian prosecco, Californian sparklers and Spanish cavas. There are just too many Champagne labels out there.

8. Fine-dining restaurants will buy nominal numbers of expensive wines after trimmed expense accounts caused them to sit on their previous big capital purchases. They'll wait until guests are telling sommeliers, "Money is no object." Good luck with that. Fewer top-end restaurants will even open, and more modest new eateries will build wine lists with interesting, small labels from around the world and sell them at reasonable mark-ups.

9. More producers will switch to screwtops from cork stoppers in an effort to stem damage to the wines in the bottle from corkiness and oxidation as well as to make wine more accessible to the average consumer. The dirty secret is that most winemakers I talk to say they'd love to switch to screwcaps but fear buyers will think them cheap! Very dumb.

10. Americans will buy more wine at the $10-and-under level. The best bet for an expanding market is China, which is thirsty for good, inexpensive wine. And, like everything else, they'll soon be producing that themselves.

Review by John Mariani (Bloomberg)


Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

Simonsberg: Mountain of Women - Blog by Neil Pendock

"A mountain of tedious pretention" is not the comment of a dyspeptic wine critic on the attempts of the Simonsberg ward of Stellenbosch to promote itself as the heart of fine winemaking in SA (which it is), but rather a French review of Federico Fellini's La città delle donne (City of Women) at the 33rd Cannes Film Festival in 1980, immortalized in Wikipedia. "Simon\"s Mountain: a mountain of women"][/caption] In spite of being named after Governor of the Cape Simon van der Stel (urban legend insists it looks like a rather fat Si lying on his back after a couple of bottles of Tassenberg) the Simonsberg is Ground Zero for the feminine imperative in SA winemaking as it is home to a trio of Amazons: May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, Norma Ratcliffe and Anne Cointreau. One of the pioneers of SA wine, Ansela van de Caab, farmed on the Simonsberg and made wine at Muratie at the end of the 17th century. But naming the mountain after Simon's wife Constance wouldn't have worked as it would have caused confusion with that other bastion of female winemaking – the Constantia Valley – and complaints from Catherina Ustings (rumoured mistress of Si) at Steenberg. Although it would have been fun watching today's crop of Stellenbosch marketers try to deal with producers located on a Conberg. The internationally best known Simonsberg She is May, octogenarian former châtelaine of super second growth Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, somewhat more prosaically referred to as madam hier langsaan (madam next door) by the volk (farm labourers) of Ida's Valley. May cashed in at the top of the last economic cycle, selling a majority interest in her Bordeaux estates to the Rouzaud family of Louis Roederer fame, purveyors of Cristal bubbly to gangs of rap artistes. May bought a 123ha farm (310ha according to Wine Spectator magazine, confusing their hectares with acres) Glenelly in 2003, next door to South African wine royalty, Simon Barlow at Rustenberg. Although Glenelly may sound like a single malt whisky, the mountainous nature of the terrain makes the establishment of a golf links most unlikely, as does 60ha (57ha according to the Platter sighted wine guide) of immaculate vineyards laid out by Pichon enologist Thomas Do-Chi-Nam "after a precise terroir study". Besides, May looked more polo-style plutocrat then golf grandee as she sat on the first floor stoep (verandah) of her all-singing, all-dancing cellar on her first open day, the day after Bastille Day, when the Good Value Guru and I stopped by. The brash, bold winery ("contemporary" according to the French Chamber of Commerce website) was designed by a team of four architects: two Swiss, one French and one local. Which may sound like the start of a joke but the chunky concept matches the mountains in a Le Corbusier-kind of way while the acres of glass windows provide excellent vignettes onto Ida's Valley cowering below the behemoth. "Wait until the trees grow" apologized May "we're in winter now." Three vintages of a red blend Glenelly Hill were shown to the steady stream of lookie-loos who had accepted Madame's public invitation to get up close and personal with her winery: '03, '04 and '06 all made from bought-in grapes at controversial Johannesburg financial mogul Dave King's Quoin Rock cellar further along the Simonsberg. Our favourite was the '06 while a cellar tour revealed several stainless steel tanks full of '09 with barrels of '08 maturing quietly on level -2. Next to a set from the movie Cocoon - May's blue lit back-to-the-future private cellar – racks of Ch. Pichon on the left, local stocks (Beyerskloof a favourite) on the right. Our pourer related that '08 will be the first vintage produced from grapes grown exclusively on the farm. Expect a variation on a traditional Bordeaux theme of Cabernet and Merlot as there was Shiraz in the '04 and even Pinotage in '03. Winemaker Luke O'Cuinneagain reports he is especially convinced by Petit Verdot and has persuaded Madame to release a small quantity (2000 bottles) separately. An industrial stainless steel lift servicing three floors gives the winery the feel of a high-tech hospital, although a profusion of local art by 25-year old Cape Town artist Vicky Sanders does chirp up the fearsomely functional cellar nearly as much as the designer blue chemise worn by winemaker Cool-Hand Luke, which matches his laser blue eyes, to a T. Not all the art is local: medieval French tapestries, glass sculptures, colour-field blobs and colourful cartoons of hometown Bordeaux give the facility an eclectic air. May's art collection continues the popular tradition of Tasting Room as Trojan Horse for farts (Fine Art). The fart galleries of Woodstock (Linda Goodman owned by latter day Lorenzo the Magnificent Jonathan Beare, Brendan Bell-Roberts, Michael Stevenson et. al) are hopelessly too grob for monied art lovers and the wine served at their openings is usually dire dora indeed. But then May herself does look like Peggy Guggenheim in red, albeit with a more elegant nose. On the local scene, the best known lady of wine is the pioneer of Warwick, Canadian-born Norma, who celebrated a quarter of a century making the stuff at the Vineyard Hotel in Claremont earlier this year. The venue was most appropriate as the hotel started out as the country home of Lady Anne Barnard, one of the heroic pioneer ladies of the Cape. Her 18th century vineyard has been revived along the stream at the bottom of the hotel's lush lawns and made the venue doubly suitable. As an aside, I was surprised to note that LAB was a pioneer of interior design. The wonderful Aesthete's Lament blog reports that "Lady Anne Barnard … and her sister [Lady Margaret Fordyce, later Lady Lamb] broke all the rules when they actually started their own 'business' [out of their shared Adam-style house at 21 Berkeley Square, London]. Short of money and with a natural talent for interior decoration, they took to buying or renting houses, doing them up, and letting them furnished for a considerable profit. One or two people had the bravery to see that this was an excellent idea, but others took the view of the lady who complained that 'she wished to God those two very agreeable women would leave off being upholsterers and begin to be women of fashion [again].'" Norma was MC'd by her son Warwick MD Mike who held up a bottle of her maiden vintage noting "the only thing wrong with this wine is that we misspelled the name." But then I can never remember whether her surname is Ratcliff or Ratcliffe and always have to check. The wine in question was La Femme Bleu, a 1984 vintage Cabernet Sauvignon. Norma has always been in the vanguard of wine fashion and the spelling mistake, like printing errors on stamps, makes her wine and its label all the more collectable. Of course if they'd called it La Femme en Bleu, the bleu wouldn't have needed a trailing "e" as Picasso noted when he painted La Femme en Bleu au Beret a century ago. His great rival Matisse did a Femme Bleue although there's much more than an "e" difference between the two paintings. Norma's first vintage was actually a decade earlier. "In 1974 we copied Rustenberg and made a Cinsault/Cabernet blend. The wine was stunning but we decided to go the Bordeaux route and the 1984 Femme Bleu was aged in 100% new French oak at the exorbitant price of R184 a barrel." When I asked my neighbour Adi Badenhorst, former winemaker at Rustenberg, what I should re-plant on Lemoenfontein (my Paardeberg conflict of interest - not!) quick as a flash he answered "Cinsault". Colour coded ladies were much on the mind of another artist, Denton Welch, in Maiden Voyage (Reader's Union, 1945). Recalling the Shanghai nightclubs of his youth a century ago, he remembered "a middle-aged woman dressed all in green. On the table in front of her stood a glass of crème de menthe and she held a green cigarette between her lips." He commented on her to his beefy dancing partner, who replied "Isn't she killing! I've seen her here in red velvet, sipping cherry brandy and smoking a rose-coloured cigarette. Tonight she's all in green. She always has everything to match." "What does she drink when she wants to go blue?" "I don't know, unless it's methylated spirits!" Norma follows in the illustrious footsteps of another Simonsberg She: Ansela. A freed slave, Ansela was wife to 17th century Prussian immigrant Lourens Campher who was granted een zeker stuk land genaamd De Driesprong gelegen onder de Stellenbosch in 1699 by governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel, son of Si. Today De Driesprong is called Muratie, a corruption of murasie or ruin, referring to Ansela's original single room house, an annex to a stable and chicken run and one of the oldest buildings in Stellenbosch. "The horses had the best accommodation" explains present incumbent Muratie matriarch Annatjie Melck, "as they were the most important." The most recent bee in Annatjie's bonnet is restoring Ansela's original homestead. The plan calls for the preservation of the cobbled floor, fireplace and wooden ceiling with the odd Persian carpet added for a splash of luxury and colour. Original mud brickwork to be exposed and the external integrity of the structure faithfully preserved. Restoring the historic house of Ansela after three centuries is architectural karma and another memorial for a unique lady who is commemorated in the estate's flagship blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. SA takes its women winemakers so seriously, there is even a Landbouweekblad SA Woman Winemaker of the Year Competition. The 2009 verylongnamedcompetition award went to Ntsiki Biyela, winemaker at Stellakaya who operates from a winery at Bosman's Crossing in the shadow of the Simonsberg. First prize in the competition is "a pamper package from the Lanzerac Wellness Centre and Spa to the value of R1000" which may just be enough to send feminist blood pressure off the scale, but then the winner also does receive "an all expenses paid trip to the winemaking region of Bordeaux, valued at R30 000." If Ntsiki times it well, she can visit May at Pichon with a side trip up to champagne, to Gosset, one of the oldest houses, owned by the family of Anne whose day job is running her Morgenhof estate on the Simonsberg. Morgenhof is a fairytale venue for weddings while its Fantail range of value-for-money wines are some of the best deals in town.


Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

The Warwick picnic team having their 2nd lecture on recycling & waste management

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe

Some early pictures of our new Warwick Gourmet Picnic, Wine-tasting facility & private dining room (click on image to enlarge)

Some pictures of our new Warwick Estate 'Gourmet Picnic' that launched yesterday

It has been an outstanding year for our small team and we go into 2010 with an exciting aura of expansion and rejuvenation. As many of you are aware, we have been building at Warwick for the past 9 months and we are finally opening our exciting new "WARWICK GOURMET PICNIC" project. The Warwick Gourmet Picnic has many interesting experiences:

• The best Gourmet winelands picnic created by master celebrity Chef Bruce Robertson - Menu

• The new ‘Forest courtyard’ picnic area – a hint of European sophistication under our beautiful trees

• Our expanded ‘Traditional picnic Lawn’ – a magnificent lawn designed for the lazy picnic experience

• Our ‘Picnic Pods’ – 8 small shacks that you can book for that personal picnic experience

• The ‘Penthouse’ – our new picnic area on top of the world in our vineyards

• The ‘Big 5 Wine Safari’ – take a fun drive through the vineyards in our authentic safari vehicle

• A truly ‘kid-friendly’ destination with amazing jungle gyms and special kids menus

• Warwick will now become the first Estate in South Africa to remain open 365 days a year

On behalf of the Ratcliffe family, I would like to invite you to join us. Bring your family and bring your friends for the most fun-filled relaxing day that the winelands can offer. Remember, as a wine club member you get 20% discount on all wine purchased. To avoid dissapointment, we recommend booking. Email visit@warwickwine.com or call 021 8844410 . We look forward to seeing you soon.

Warwick's first Landrover just arrived for the 'Big 5 Wine Safari' - we launch next week

Mike Ratcliffe
Warwick Estate & Vilafonte
P.O.Box 2 Elsenburg, 7607, South Africa

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER www.twitter.com/mikeratcliffe