One of the South African wine industry’s premier occasions, Veritas also paid special tribute to brothers Nico and Wynand Retief as Living Legends for their deep contributions to the trade.
The Living Legend award was established to recognise and give back to those who have served this industry over the years; to acknowledge their commitment; and, pay homage to their efforts. The recipients were announced during the Veritas Awards gala dinner at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on Friday last week.
“To have the industry give recognition in this manner is a real and special moment for our family,” says Wynand’s son and Van Loveren CEO, Phillip Retief. “Having laid a solid foundation for Van Loveren through many challenging times, opportunities and hardships, they enabled our generation to further their success. Their role as mentors and advisors is as much valued today as it was 20 years ago. It is a privilege and honour to be custodians of an era and to be able to share it with them - a precious opportunity in time.”
Nico Retief was born and raised in Robertson where his family has farmed since 1937. He completed his tertiary education at Elsenburg Agricultural College where he received the KWV medal for best student in Viticulture in 1960. After his studies he joined his father on the family farm Van Loveren, which at the time was a mixed farm of 25ha with wine grapes and fruit. He took over the then humble winemaking side of the business and in 1964 acquired another farm to expand operations.
Wynand Retief, younger brother of Nico, joined the family business in 1967 and took over the winemaking duties. He gradually modernised the cellar equipment and practices, and was instrumental in the farm's progression from bulk to bottle wine. Together the Retief brothers established the Van Loveren brand. At the beginning of the 90s, they were joined by their four sons who pioneered the Four Cousins brand. Today these wine names are among South Africa's most recognisable, and enjoy huge popularity locally and overseas.
Sharing the podium at Veritas with the Retief brothers were industry luminaries Giorgio Dalla Cia and Lourens Smith.
When it came to the announcement of results for this year’s Veritas winners, Van Loveren remained in the limelight.
With only 38 wines singled out from the 1 670 contenders for Double Gold medals at Veritas this year, Van Loveren claimed one for its Christina MCC Brut. And, Van Loveren Red Muscadel 2015 won Gold. Making the achievements even more remarkable was that only two MCCs received Double Gold while Van Loveren was one of only seven Gold winners in the category of Red Muscadel.
The achievements are a cherry on the cake for Van Loveren’s year, which has seen milestones of outstanding recognition across a variety of competitions. Its most recent accolades include:
Michelangelo 2016: Grand d’Or medal for Van Loveren Chenin No 5; and, Gold for Van Loveren Blanc de noir Red Muscadel 2016 and Bayede King Goodwill Shiraz 2013.
Ultra Value Wine Challenge 2016: Double Gold for Tangled Tree Butterscotch Chardonnay 2015; and, Gold for Van Loveren Sauvignon blanc 2016, Van Loveren Neil's Pick Colombar 2016, Tangled Tree Tropical Sauvignon blanc 2016 and Van Loveren Red Muscadel 2015.
Gold wine Awards 2016: Gold for Christina van Loveren Chardonnay 2015, Christina van Loveren Sauvignon blanc 2016, Van Loveren Chenin no.5 2016, Van Loveren Neil's Pick Colombar 2016, Van Loveren Sauvignon blanc 2016, The Rhino Run Ian Player 2014, The Rhino Run Pinotage 2015, Van Loveren African Java Pinotage 2016, Van Loveren Cabernet/ Merlot 2015 and Van Loveren Merlot 2015.
Now, it looks forward to hitting the summer season with a bang, having just opened the long-awaited @ Four Cousins Visitor Centre on the high street of Robertson town. The architecturally designed building on the shady banks of the Willem Nel River has already become a landmark and includes an expansive tasting room, restaurant and beer brewery. Read more at http://www.fourcousins.co.za/
Van Loveren is a family friendly destination situated on the R317 between Robertson and Bonnievale - just two hours’ drive from Cape Town.
For more information about Van Loveren, visit www.vanloveren.co.za or phone 023 615 1505 Connect with Van Loveren on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/vanloverenwines/ and Twitter @VanLoverenWines.