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Harvest began 2 weeks earlier than last year, catching
some producers by surprise. Fortunately, as bubbly
producers we anticipate starting early and we don’t take
holiday in January. Imagine relaxing on the beach and
receiving a call that the grapes are ready.
The early start (8 January) was a function of an early
Spring and stable, dry conditions thereafter. The
vineyards are extremely healthy at this stage and we
have experienced very even ripening which is always
good. The yield is down and the berries are small due to
the dry conditions but this only helps to intensify the
flavours. We are happy at this stage.
In December we experienced flooding in the Agly Valley
(France) and conditions are cold now which can only
benefit the Domaine Grier vineyards during their dormant
period. Demand for our unique wines from France grew in
2014 and we have been inspired to purchase an additional
block of vineyard. It is strategically positioned near
the entrance to our existing vineyard and it is bordered
by a river which forms a pool at the one end. Large
trees near the river are an exciting feature of this
block of organic Merlot, which is a variety we know
well.
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The Klink Wine Tourism Awards
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In our last Newsletter we mentioned that we were
nominated for the "Tread Gently" award. It is an
award voted on by consumers and we are proud to
announce that we won the category.
We are overjoyed
that our environmentally responsible approach is
being acknowledged and rewarded.
Many thanks to
those who voted!
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Wine Label Design Awards
As you know, in 2014 we made the bold and somewhat
risky decision to change our labels. The new design
emphasised our environmentally responsible
philosophy and the innovative use of illustrations
on the back label instead of words has received much
positive comment.
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Our whites moved over to the new look with the 2014
vintage and our first 2013 reds (Merlot and Cabernet
Sauvignon) have just been released with their new
look.
"We feel the change has been a great success which
was recently reinforced by the inaugural Wine Label
Design Awards. We received a silver award in the
label range category which essentially places us in
shared second place in the competition for this
category. This result is extremely satisfying
because it confirms that the wines we are so proud
of, are attractively and relevantly packaged,
according to a panel of experts." |
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Game Drives
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We are hosting a game drive evening on 5th March.
The evening begins at 17h30 and includes a guided
drive through part of our vineyard into the Wildlife
Sanctuary, where you will see numerous antelope and
bird species.
Upon your return to the
Wine Sanctuary, you will experience a tasting
followed by full moon picnic on the terrace (cost of
R300 per person). To book, contact Ivonia on 021
865-2002 or email
Ivonia@villiera.com
Mondays-Fridays we conduct drives from 8:30 to 15:00
and on Saturdays we conduct drives at 9:00 and
13:00. Your contact person for bookings and
information on game drives is Rene on 021 865-2002
or email
rene@villiera.com. |
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Young Wine Experience
On the 28th February we are offering you the
opportunity to taste some of our young wines out of
the tanks, along with the existing bottled versions.
This is a late morning event starting at 11h00 and
appropriate canapés will be served. The cost will be
R150 per person and space will be limited so please
book with Ivonia on 021 865 -2002 or email
Ivonia@villiera.com.
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Wine Club
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If you have not yet joined our Wine Club, simply
email club@villiera.com to receive your membership
form. For further information & benefits, contact
Rene on 021 865-2002.
All new members to join at the farm or when placing
an order for delivery (minimum order of a case) will
receive a bottle of Monro 2006, free of charge.
Please leave an open compartment in one of your
boxes for the free bottle.
We are also taking part in numerous other events all
around South Africa, Germany and the UK. Follow us
on
Facebook and
Twitter where we will keep you
updated. |
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Queries & Private Wine Tastings
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We are situated 40km from Cape Town, 20 km from Paarl and 10 km from Stellenbosch.
Take exit 39 from the N1 highway.
Travel 2 km down the R304 in the direction of Stellenbosch.
Villiera is on the right corner of the R304 and R101,
opposite the Koelenhof winery. |
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