Babylonstoren Wines: Charl Coetzee, Commercial Director/Cellarmaster

Why South Africa? We are supporting the wine producing country most hard hit by the lock down.

Wine producers in the Cape were left reeling after the South African government announced a ban on transporting alcohol that effectively shut down wine exports. The wine industry suffered a steep fall in income, as alcohol sales were prohibited during the lockdown.

“The industry employs up to 700,000 people directly on average and provides food and shelter to 2 to 3 million people.” — Michael Fridjhon. He is a leading wine writer and independent commentator. Michael is a well known international wine judge and chairman of the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show. As visiting Professor of Wine Business at the University of Cape Town, Michael has been an advisor to the Minister of Agriculture.

Rico Basson, CEO of Vinpro, which which represents 3 500 South African wine producers, cellars and other industry stakeholders, said wine tourism had suffered crippling losses between March and June – usually a busy time locally, he noted.

“A significant factor in the estimated loss is the strong domestic support that wine tourism in South Africa enjoys, especially over traditional school holidays and Easter weekend,” Basson said.

According to a report by Vinpro, South Africa’s wine tourism industry’s direct and indirect GDP contribution was R7.2 billion in 2019.

Included in your registration:

• 6 sample bottles (50ml ea, 1 sample bottle of 6 different wines)
• Online Masterclass with the winemaker
• Hosted by a Cork & Fork Logan Team Member
• 20% discount on all featured wines (minimum purchase of 3 bottles)
• Access to the online class, password protected (emailed after registration)

Details:

• Sample pack available for pick up after online event registration
• Sample pack available for delivery for $20 within a 10-mile radius
• Sample pack available for shipping within the USA for $30 via FedEx

– About the Guest Speaker: Charl Coetzee

Originally from Mariental in Namibia, Charl’s family used to drink wine only on special occasions which led him to associate good wine with good times, not a bad way to start a lifelong acquaintance with one of the best things in life.

He was attracted to winemaking because of the lifestyle associated with it, and studied at the prestigious oenological school in Stellenbosch, graduating with an honours degree and later with an MBA.

Charl first worked at Kaapzicht where Danie Steytler Senior was an enormous influence. After Kaapzicht he was at Clos Malverne, where his wife Suzanne, also a winemaker from Namibia, now does the winemaking.

Now at Babylonstoren, on the Klapmuts Simondium Road near Paarl, he quickly established the winemaking style as a quality producer accessible to all wine lovers. The farm itself exemplifies the concept of country living. While originally established in 1692, it offers a flair of ‘casual chic‘, the perfect assemble of traditional and modern.