New Appointments
Lynda Mellor
Lynda joins the team as Director
for Marketing & Development with responsibilities
for international sales for both Saxenburg and our
sister estate Château Capion in the South of
France. Lynda is not a stranger to Saxenburg. “I
am proud to say, some ten years ago I was instrumental
in the introduction of Saxenburg to the UK market and
built enviable distribution for Saxenburg in the UK
restaurants and with fine wine merchants.”
Lisa Squire Jones
Born in Zimbabwe and schooled
in Johannesburg, this budding amateur actress and singer
has joined the team at Saxenburg as the PR and Promotions
Manager. Lisa Squire Jones brings 4 years of PR and
Event Management experience in the liquor industry
to the farm and hopes to make an impact in the wine
industry with her passion and dedication.
She is the mother to 5 year old
Ciara and a member of the Somerset West PlayhouseTheatre
where she fulfills her other passions - acting, singing
and dancing. When not on stage, Lisa throws herself
into learning French, more about wine and wine making,
the history of Saxenburg and the way forward for the
farm, the Guinea Fowl Restaurant and tasting room.
She loves any challenge and once committed, cannot
be swayed. “Saxenburg must be on the lips of
every wine connoisseur, lover and drinker and will
be spoken of highly at every social gathering where
fine wine is consumed. The Guinea Fowl must become
THE place to dine. Give me 12 months!”she says
with a smile.
Helena Pires
Highly experienced in the catering
industry, multilingual (she speaks 5 languages!) and
having owned and run her own restaurant, Helena has
worked on the distribution of high profile imported
wines and champagnes.
Helena is the proud owner of a
Marketing Diploma, as well as various
sales and wine certificates. Her extensive knowledge and experience in the
Gauteng market makes her the perfect person to generate brand awareness and
support Saxenburg and Château Capion's distributors in the field. She
is passionate about wine and food as well as any products deriving from natural
sources.
New Release of Private Collection
Red Wines
Our Chief Cellarmaster, Nico van
der Merwe pulls the cork on the Saxenburg Private Collection
2000 red wines. The demand for Nico’s Private
Collection wines inevitably exceeds supply so there
are many “Saxenburgers” anxiously awaiting
this new vintage release. The flagship wine is undoubtedly
the internationally accredited Private Collection Shiraz.
Our celebrated wine critic Angela
Lloyd tasted the Private Collection Shiraz 2000 and
described it as “the best to date in the PC range.” Angela
Lloyd goes on to describe the wine as “wonderfully
supple. built for the long haul.” The wine retails
for approximately R100.00 per bottle. Buy the Private
Collection wines now for your cellar! Wine & Food
Magazine tasted the Private Collection Merlot 2000
and reported “luscious velvety texture, ripe
black fruit and soft tannins.” This wine retails
for approximately R90.00 per bottle.
The red wines in the Private Collection
range include Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Merlot
and Shiraz.
So what made the 2000 vintage
so exceptional? “It was an amazing vintage, possibly
perfect,” reflects Chief Cellarmaster, Nico van
der Merwe. “It was the hottest and driest season
in my ten years at Saxenburg. With only 20mm of rain
in six months all our red vines worked harder than
ever. We maintained our policy of no irrigation so
consequently the yields were significantly lower but
the juice from the fruit was concentrated in flavour.”
To celebrate the release of the
2000 Private Collection reds Adrian Bührer and
Nico van der Merwe hosted a spectacular dinner at the
Casalanga Restaurant, Johannesburg. Nico van der Merwe
received guests at The Guinea Fowl restaurant at Saxenburg
and gave guests an informative talk about the wines
and stories from the cellar.
The French Connection
Saxenburg’s sister estate
Château Capion was host to an important group
of visitors from England. On a very wet spring day
in March, we received 36 wine connoisseurs who came
to see the vineyards & cellars and déguster‚ the
wines of Château Capion. The group was lead by
Rosemary George, UK Master of Wine, who has an intimate
knowledge of the region and the top wine producers.
Rosemary George MW regularly writes for numerous wine
magazines. (There are just 240 Masters of Wine in the
world).
Wine has been made in the South
of France for centuries however it is of more recent
times that the Gassac Valley has been recognised as
a region capable of producing the most magnificent
Languedoc wines. Under the ownership of Mr & Mrs
Bührer, Château Capion is enjoying a renaissance.
The wines are hand-crafted at Château Capion
by Saxenburg Cellarmaster, Nico van der Merwe and his
team.
Saxenburg in Print
To mark 310th anniversary celebrations
at Saxenburg, owners Adrian and Birgit Bührer
commissioned research into the history of their farm
on the Bottelary Ridge above Kuils River, Stellenbosch.
The result is a moving and intimate account of an African
Farm. We share the vision, witness the determination
and faith of the various families that over the last
three
centuries, have proudly called Saxenburg their home.
South African wine expert Phyllis
Hands is the author of this unique book, which will
appeal to historians and wine lovers alike. The Saxenburg
story begins in 1693 when the land was allocated to
Joachim Sax (sometimes spelt Sachs) an immigrant from
Germany. From the very beginning vines were grown on
Saxenburg making it one of the oldest wine farms in
the Cape.
Saxenburg is once again a family
home. The historic manor house and other estate buildings
have been sympathetically restored to their former
glory. The vineyards have never looked better. With
investment in the cellar and the vineyards, Saxenburg
is internationally recognised as one of the Cape’s
premier wine producers.
Equally appealing to wine connoisseurs
and local history enthusiasts, the book is exclusively
available from Saxenburg Wine Estate @ R425. For mail
order enquiries, telephone (021) 903 4308.
Web Competition Winner
A very happy and excited Susan
Edwards was the winner of the competition in our previous
Newsletter. Susan was presented with her prize of a
selection of Saxenburg Wines at a dinner at the Guinea
Fowl Restaurant.
The occasion was also a special
one for Saxenburg because Susan turned out to be an
exceptional winner. She has very wide experience, having
been trained as a chef, sommelier and food service
specialist. She has also passed the Wine and Spirit
Education Trust of London Diploma, an examination,
which required four years of study, including two blind
tastings of wines of the World. She has extensive experience
in the training of students in Wine service, Food service
and Cookery.
Susan enjoys traveling, meeting
people from different cultures and is an avid food
and wine lover. Needless to say she rated the Saxenburg
wines and food at the Guinea Fowl restaurant very highly!!!
Another chance to win!!!
Readers are once again being offered
the opportunity to win a wonderful 6 pack of selected
Saxenburg wines, by answering the following easy question:
Who was the first recorded owner
of Saxenburg?
Submit your answer to info@saxenburg.com or
by Fax to 021 903 3129 to reach us by the closing date
of 30 June 2003. Please remember to supply your contact
details.
The Guinea Fowl Restaurant
The Guinea Fowl Restaurant at
saxenburg offers more than just wonderful food, wines
and ambience. Our resident pony, Snow White, is on
hand every lunch time to treat children to a ride around
the lawns. Our Koi pond provides a point of great interest
to the little people too.
Executive Chef Leo Romer has graciously
provided a delicious recipe for you below and hopes
to welcome you and your family very soon.
Bouillabaisse
(if there are any questions,
contact Leo on 906-5232 - although not in winter -
the Guinea Fowl hibernates!)
A speciality of Marseilles in
France, its origin goes back to the mists of time.
It is said that the ancient Phoenicians were the first
to introduce this classical combination of fish, shellfish,
white wine and herbs.
Bouillon:
300gr onions sliced
150gr leeks sliced
Half a cup of olive oil
One and a half litres of water
Half a litre of white wine
1kg fish bones/heads and trimmings
1kg ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1tsp fennel
8 cloves garlic chopped
4 bay leaves
Half a tsp saffron
3 tsp salt
Half a tsp black peppercorns
In a large, heavy based saucepan,
sauté onions and leeks in oil until soft. Add
remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Check the seasoning. Strain the bouillon and bring
to the boil.
Seafood:
2kg firm fish cut into cubes
(kabeljou, monkfish, kingklip, musselcracker, rock
cod)
500gr prepared mussels, bearded and in their shells.
500gr prawns slit down the back with vein removed.
1kg rock lobster, diced in large pieces.
Add the fish, mussels, rock lobster
and simmer for 5 mins. Add the prawns and simmer for
a further 5 mins. Serve with Sauce Rouille and crisp
French bread.
Serve with Sauce Rouille and crisp
French bread. Wines to compliment the meal: Château
Capion Viognier, Chardonnay 1999 or Château Capion
Le Sorbier 1999
Bon Appetit!
Opening and closing times:
Lunch - 12h30 to 14h30 and
Dinner - 18h30 onwards (kitchen closes at 21h30).
The Tasting Room
Our tasting room is open Monday
to Friday from 9am to 5pm, Saturdays 9am to 4pm and
on Sundays 10am to 4pm. Yvonne and Louise are there
to assist you in tasting our fine wines - from both
Saxenburg and Chateau Capion in France. You can also
browse the fine selection of gifts, including our famed
pottery guinea fowl and new Saxenburg Olive Oil. We
hope to see you soon. |
