Annalize’s warm smile and calm efficiency have already made a big difference to the marketing department, where Ankia and Barry whirr around trying to attend to the numerous demands of a successful, growing brand. “I see myself in a support role,” says Annalize, ‘making sure Ankia and Barry have all the facts and figures at their finger tips when they need them.”

Annalize spent 8 years working for Vinimark, a leading wine marketer and distributor whose main client is, of course, Robertson Winery.

She spent 6 of those years assisting the sales director so has a comprehensive understanding of how the system works and what is required.

Annalize grew up in Port Elizabeth where she met her husband Andre, a plumber by trade. The couple moved down to the Strand 10 years ago where Andre opened his own business. Armand (3) was joined by a little sister Irma at the beginning of the year so Annalize has her hands full when she gets home in the evenings.

The family enjoys doing things together. They are about to leave on their annual camping holiday at Witsand, a village at the mouth of the same Breede River that flows through Robertson. They have a boat and enjoy fishing and skiing on the river, and sitting around the camp fire with old friends, and a glass or two of Robertson Winery wine, of course.

It’s a weird thing, but for Capetonian guys it’s a rite of passage to travel all the way up to the north of Namibia to the bleak and blustery Skeleton Coast to go fishing. It normally takes 2 days to get there (driving all along the coast), and 2 days to get back, and they spend about 2 days fishing. No wonder copious amounts of Robertson Wine are consumed!

Readers were encouraged to give feedback on the face-lifted website, the carrot being a 3 litre bottle of Robertson Winery Vineyard Selection Wolfkloof Shiraz. A few of the winners were: Jurie Venter, Werner van der Veen, Anthea Variend, Johann Wasserman, Shaun van der Merwe, Anne Rogers, Susan Chase, Dot Pereira, Coleen Saul, and Trevor Earl.

Barry Kok’s baby, who has been eagerly awaited for months by all the staff, was due at the end of November. However, the baby had other ideas. On Tuesday morning, 21 Oct, Barry’s wife Anlia awoke with what she thought were stomach cramps. Best to just check them out with the doctor, suggested Barry who was preparing to leave for Robertson.

But he didn’t get very far, as once Anlia had arrived at the hospital, they wouldn’t let her go, she was in active labour! Barry raced back and was there in time to see Thomas Kok make his untimely appearance. Weighing in at 2.6kg, Thomas proved a toughie, despite arriving prematurely. Apparently his big sister Kaylie (3) was delighted to welcome him into the family and all is going well … but for a lack of sleep on the parents’ behalf.

As the rain bucketed down unexpectedly in early February this year, many wine growers resigned themselves to the fact that their Sauvignon Blanc was not going to be a prize winner this vintage. Sauvignon Blanc is an early ripening grape, and the unseasonal rain wreaked havoc in many vineyards causing rotting and disease.

However, the Robertson Winery farms were one step ahead, as usual, and had sprayed their vineyards ahead of the downpour and so harvested healthy grapes.

Robertson Winery’s Vineyard Selection King’s River Chardonnay has always been a winner, and this vintage is no exception: the 2007 has just won a Veritas gold medal.

The grapes for this wine come from a vineyard close to the King’s River on a farm that has been owned by the Colyn family for generations. “The well-weathered Karoo soils have a generous lime content; perfect for coaxing out the citrus flavours we all look for in a good Chardonnay,” explains Jacques Roux, winemaker of Robertson Winery’s single vineyard range.

He continues: “Once in the cellar the wine was fermented in the barrel using only the natural occurring yeast on the grapes. It was matured in a combination of new and second-fill French oak and was prohibited from going through malolactic fermentation to retain its inherent fruity flavours. Batonage was carried out regularly for 3 months but the wine remained in the barrel for 11 months in total.”

“I pick up layers of fresh citrus and lime, with hints of oatmeal and butterscotch,” he says of this generously flavoured wine with a long finish. “It’s so easy to overstep the mark with Chardonnay,” says Roux, “but I am very satisfied with the gentle balance between fruit and wood in this wine. I look forward to enjoying a few glasses this summer with a ‘braai-ed’ yellowtail or lemon-roasted chicken.”

*The Robertson Winery Vineyard Selection Kings River Chardonnay 2006 received outstanding ratings in the latest edition of Wine Enthusiast, one of the most popular wine magazines in the US. Out of the nine South African Chardonnays tasted, the Kings River was rated second highest.

**And while we’re at it. Get your hands on the latest Platter Guide and take a peak at our impressive ratings. The Constitution Road Shiraz 2005 and the Retreat Sauvignon Blanc 2008 both scored 4 ½ stars while the rest of the Vineyard Selection range scored 4 stars, including Prospect Hill Cabernet Sauvignon 2005; Phanto Ridge Pinotage 2007; Wolfkloof Shiraz 2006 and Kings River  Chardonnay 2007

Robertson Winery’s long awaited Black Economic Empowerment Initiative is finally up and running after years of preparatory work. Some readers may remember that the initiative was to empower particularly the women on Robertson Winery’s 40-odd member farms. To this end, 183 permanent employees were selected from these farms and formed 3 trusts according to their geographic location in the Robertson Valley. Directors were appointed from amongst themselves to serve on the board of their company, Constitution Wine Growers, of which they own 66% and Robertson Winery owns 33%.

The company purchased a farm in the valley, appointed a manager and staff, and it now operates as a fully fledged member of Robertson Winery. Under Briaan’s guidance a replanting programme is in progress and in addition to the existing vineyards of Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay, an additional 10 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon have been planted. These grapes are then sold to Robertson Winery and profits will go to the shareholders.

While this initiative has been on the drawing board for years, transfer only took place in September. So this coming harvest will be the first for Constitution Wine Growers.

To allow these women to run their company properly and make the correct business decisions, Robertson Winery has undertaken a holistic training programme together with WineTech including everything from viticultural practices to financial management.

“This has been a long and frustrating road,” says Robertson Winery CEO Bowen Botha, “but we think we have eventually developed something that will be sustainable. This project has also paved the way for more projects; already we have several in the pipeline.”

The newly release Vendange range of sparkling wine is flying off the shelves so fast, the Robertson Winery cellar just can’t keep up. Brand manager Ankia Coetzer attributes its success firstly to its eye-catching packaging. A sexy shaped bottle, frosted glass and a comprehensive range shouts “pick me up!” “And once you’ve popped the cork,” she continues, “you’ll be even more impressed with what’s inside!” 

The name Vendange means harvest in French and signifies abundance. The range includes a semi sweet white, red and rosé and a drier Brut. It is only available locally from a select few restaurants and Pick ‘n Pay stores where it is selling for an amazing R29.99 until the end of January. So hurry while stocks last ; )

“Your friends at Robertson Winery ask that you celebrate responsibly”