Melvyn Minnaar potable pleasures
Since the great gates to wealth from world- wide wine sales opened, former vineyard bywoners and enriched company directors alike jumped on to the South African brand wagon for their sip of the market. The result has been a plethora of new trade titles for wine.
A number of the recently baptised estates could easily walk off as grand champions of pretentiousness and pomp. Its the old, established brands that provide the gravitas for earnest wine. And perhaps an enduring reputation.
Among those labels, solidly South African, few match the provenance of Zonnebloem. With its straightforward, yet old-world Cape name meaning sunflower, Stellenbosch Farmers Winery has built up Zonnebloems reputation over decades as premier range. Yet, it has always been a peoples wine as well, being well-priced, while elegant and deliciously drinkable.
In recent times the brand has taken centre- stage with a number of creative ventures. It is playing its part fully in promoting local wine culture. And September is when Zonnebloem blossoms.
Taking a slightly different cultural tack, the Zonnebloem Fine Art of Wine Competition is an imaginative project that puts proper art onto wine labels. (Let us, at this stage, not comment on the kitsch that parades on some wannabes.) Zonnebloem takes up the tradition from the famous French Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, which features world artists on its annual labels.
Each year a special reserve wine in the Zonnebloem range is selected and the tasting notes are offered as inspiration to artists for an artwork. The wine, with the special label, is then released in a limited quantity of 5 000 bottles.
This year Paarl artist Hannes van Zyl created a moody abstract for the Zonnebloem Shiraz Reserve 1995. Collectors will have a fun field-day matching Van Zyls visual interpretation to a wine that winemaker Jan de Waal describes as showing an unusually lively garnet colour and exhibiting a typically smokey nose.
While the reserve shiraz is celebrated with a colourful abstract painting, two other 1995 Zonnebloem reserve wines, a pinotage and a cabernet sauvignon, take on a more sculptural look.
Nevertheless, de Waal has high hopes for these Zonnebloems, which were made in collaboration with the French wine expert Paul Pontallier of Chateau Margaux.
Zonnebloems special reserve wines have the right credentials and connections, but they also have a name that solicits sensible South African tradition, true and reliable. Theyre serious.
The first five entries chosen will receive a bottle of Zonnebloem Shiraz Reserve 1995. Send details on a postcard to Zonnebloem Fine Art of Wine, PO Box 46, Stellenbosch 7600