The South African wine industry celebrates a special occasion on Tuesday, 2 February 2016 when it commemorates the industry’s first vintage on South African soil on 2 February 1659, as recorded by Jan van Riebeeck.
The annual Wine Harvest Commemorative event takes place at South Africa’s oldest wine estate, Groot Constantia Estate, which was established in 1685 by the then Governor, Simon van der Stel.
During this event a special 1659 medal of honour will be awarded to a South African wine icon. This medal of honour is awarded since 1974 to a person who has made a significant mark in the wine industry. Norma Ratcliff is the first woman to receive this award last year.
This formal event, presented by KWV in the past, but since 2012 has been presented by Groot Constantia, has three objectives, namely to honour an individual; to ask the Blessing on the harvest and to commemorate the wine industry.
A number of wine industry leaders, icons and stalwarts as well as the general public attend this evening, which is made possible with the financial contributions and partnerships of Groot Constantia Estate, Die Burger, Standard Bank, Vinpro and Agri-Expo.
The master of ceremonies for the evening will be the charming Pieter Cronje and the entertainment includes the beautiful music of the Hungarian Trio and the famous Libertas choir.
Book a table for eight or ten people at R750 per person. This includes a mouth-watering three-course meal by Simon’s Restaurant on Groot Constantia served with exquisite wines from the estate. The dress code for this prestigious event is strictly black tie, as this is one of the highlights on the South African wine calendar. Please contact Razelle Segers at 021-9754440 or Razelle@agriexpo.co.za to make your reservation.
