Du Toitskloof Wines: There's always light at the end of the Tunnel

Friday, 11 July, 2014
Du Toitskloof Winery
Without a tunnel and a mountain pass there would be no Du Toitskloof Wines. Simple as that. And without a continuous dedicated effort to develop new and innovative wines and wine styles, any brand is destined for failure in today's highly competitive market.
Du Toitskloof Wines’ new range, called Tunnel, is just that: an exciting addition to an established winery committed to keeping up with the times. The Tunnel range consists of five delightful easy-drinking wines to suit any social occasion – offering the wine enthusiast just as much accessibility as the old Du Toitskloof tunnel did for travellers between the Breedekloof region and Cape Town.

The Tunnel range was named after the old tunnel through which those taking the longer route over the Du Toitskloof pass still drive today. The tunnel was built by -among others -Italian prisoners of war from World War 2 in an effort to make this scenic mountain pass more accessible for motorists.

"The inspiration behind our Tunnel wine range goes beyond honouring this old tunnel in one of the world's most beautiful mountain passes," says Bernard Kotze, brand manager of Du Toitskloof Wines. "That tunnel in fact connected two of South Africa's best-known and diverse wine regions. Thanks to the tunnel, two different wine worlds could actually meet, namely the lower lying winelands of Paarl, Stellenbosch and Wellington, and the higher regions of the Breedekloof and Robertson with their sunny climate and unique soil types.

"The gates to these two distinctive wine regions were unlocked with the building of the old tunnel, opening up the Cape winelands’ diverse wine terroir to all South Africans, and to the world. From a wine perspective the men who built the tunnel certainly could not be accused of having tunnel vision!"

According to Shawn Thomson, Cellarmaster at Du Toitskloof Wines, the brand new Tunnel range comprises five unpretentious, accessible wines offering everyday drinking pleasure – and exceptional value as all the products in the range are priced at under R30.

"The wines are Tunnel White, Tunnel Red, Tunnel Sweet Rosé, a Tunnel Sweet Red and a deliciously fragrant and fruity Tunnel Moscato," says Thomson.

"The juiciest, most flavourful grapes were used and we kept the entire winemaking process as simple and uncomplicated as possible in order to emphasize the refreshing accessibility of the wines. These are the type of wines that will definitely leave you and your friends wanting more, and they are excellent enjoyed on their own or paired with any meal, like meat on the braai, pizza, pasta, sushi or curry."

According to Kotze there is a definite need among the public for sweeter, fruitier wines, and that is why three of the Tunnel wines fit this taste profile.

"People want to taste the fruit and the grape, stripped of all pretension and frills, and that is what Tunnel offers with its Rosé, Sweet Red and Moscato," says Kotze. "The Moscato wine style, where we use Muscat grapes to give the wine a distinctive floral perfume, is becoming particularly popular. We are very excited to introduce this wine style to our range and we predict that it will be a big hit in the market."

Du Toitskloof's Tunnel wine range is now available at leading supermarkets and liquor outlets country-wide.