FOCUS ON:
DUNCAN BARRY
“The secret to Duncan's success is obvious from the moment you meet him. His rough hands and lined face speak of nothing but love and effort. Every morning he beats the sun and gets the most out of each horse by putting in all of himself. It’s only through this tireless approach that they can grow bold and reach their full potential. But what seems extraordinary to most is just a way of life here in Robertson: A way of life that comes with heart.”

Recognise these words? These lines are written on the new Robertson Winery print advertisement that has been appearing in local magazines over the last six months. To view the print advertisement click here. The gentleman in the ad is Duncan Barry, a wine farmer who delivers his grapes to Robertson Winery, and also owns Riverton Stud.

The motto for his stud farm is: “Passion, Pedigree, and Performance.” In other words: “Bold, elegant and filled with character” as reported in the ad, and a direct link to Robertson Winery wines. “Robertson is a special place with passionate people, and outside of optimal wine growing climate and soils, these people hugely contribute to our wines bring of outstanding quality,” explains RW Marketing Director Barry Kok. “In this campaign we decided to look at what our wine valley is known for, namely wine, horses and roses. We have linked this to the people of Robertson who encapsulate our principles and you will be meeting more of them as the campaign rolls out in the coming months.” Duncan's family has lived in the valley for several generations; in fact the Barrys are a well-known Cape family. Joseph Barry, who was born into a family of wine merchants in 1796, was sent by them as an export agent for wines early in the 19th century.

His capacity for hard work, an engaging personality and a reputation as a scrupulous man enabled him to build a successful business empire. He employed his 2 nephews, Thomas & John, and the firm Barry & Nephews traded by ship all along the coast from Cape Town to Port Beaufort and up the Breede River to Malgas. From here it was a short ox wagon journey to the Barry trading store in Swellendam and several more trading stores were established. A century later the family also started breeding hardy horses for the British Army in India. In 1918 Hamilton Barry was mayor of Robertson, and his brother Duncan (senior) purchased the farm Riverton planting grapes, peaches and apricots. His son George, grew up on the farm and introduced horses in 1967 which his son Duncan (the man in the advertisement) soon came to love.

After school Duncan went to work on a stud farm in Ireland, but in 1981 his dad called to say he was selling off the horses. Duncan's response was:"It's your call Dad, but don't expect me back." Well it is obvious that Duncan hot-footed it back to the Cape and the horses remain to this day. Duncan admits that he seldom rides horses: “But I just love being around them. I love feeling like they know me. I’ll often get up in the middle of the night and watch them foal. Every time, it is an amazing experience.” “Breeding horses is not an exact science,” he continues, “It’s a bit like making wine. To make a horse with heart that tries is a tricky thing, it’s not just the breeding, there's something else, and you develop a sense of that over time.

It’s that same combination of tenacity, experience, good rootstock and passion that create the Robertson Winery wines and Duncan Barry agrees: “Whenever I sell one of my horses, I always give the buyer 2 bottles of Robertson Winery wine to seal the deal: “ I'm very proud of my horses, and equally so of my wine and my valley.”

The Robertson Wine Valley boasts the highest lime content of all the South African wine growing regions, and these soils are most favorable for producing first-class wines. Calcium is an important component in the horses feed to strengthen bones and hooves, and due to this lime content this is the only horse breeding region that does not require additional calcium in their feed.


To view the print advertisement click here.

JACQUES’S SAUVIGNON BLANCS
Make sure you get your hands on the
Robertson Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2010 due to be released in the next few weeks. Jacques Roux and Francois Weich spent several vintages experimenting with Sauvignon Blanc for the Vineyard Selection Retreat and has used their findings there to apply to the larger volume Robertson Winery Sauvignon Blanc.

The winemaking process involves continuous stirring of the lees for a certain period to allow for maximum flavour development. After the wine has settled, it is taken off the lees. This technique concentrates and enriches the flavours producing a fuller, rounder more fruity wine. The wine will go well with grilled fish or roast chicken or a light soup.