If these cellars could talk: KWV pays tribute to the Father of Pinotage

Wednesday, 18 October, 2017
KWV Wines
KWV collaborates with ceramic artist Mervyn Gers to create bespoke ceramic pieces that reflect a piece of the Pinotage story.

This October KWV in Paarl pays homage to Professor Abraham Izak Perold, the legendary botanist, ampelograph and wine scientist who joined KWV in 1927, who worked endlessly to promote wine knowledge in South Africa and whose inquisitive nature resulted in the birth of South Africa’s very own national grape: Pinotage.

Pinotage is one of the wine world’s few ‘designer grapes’. A viticultural cross of two French varieties, Pinotage was designed to be a super ‘varietal’: Hermitage contributing the strong disease resistant qualities to withstand the often-harsh South African growing conditions, and Pinot Noir donating the delicate sensory characteristics associated with this Burgundian grape.

Over the years Pinotage and Pinotage-based blends have illustrated that this grape is more than capable of exhibiting the pedigree quality Professor Perold intended – quality that is evident in KWV’s icon brand, the KWV Abraham Perold Tributum. A Cape Blend with Pinotage as one of the leading components, this flagship wine has immaculate structure and offers the refined drinkability that Professor Perold anticipated the grape to exhibit.

KWV is an especially proud torch bearer for Pinotage: “Professor Perold played a key role in KWV’s – and the South African wine industry’s - heritage. His greatest concern was for the winemakers and -growers of South Africa, and he was continuously looking for ways to improve grape farming and winemaking,” says Liandra Kotzé, Marketing Executive of KWV’s wine portfolio.

Professor Perold’s quest for quality and perfection is reflected in KWV's heritage brand, Abraham Perold Tributum. The KWV Abraham Perold Tributum encapsulates the personality of this openhearted wine legend, and it also reflects his commitment to excellence. At KWV, Professor Perold managed all the wine cellars and was responsible for the quality of KWV’s export wines, therefore a wine bearing Professor Perold’s signature cannot be anything but a reflection of his high standards.

“Pinotage is a grape variety that is entrenched in the local winemaking history. Pinotage features in some of the greatest stories of South Africa’s winemaking history, and it continues to write its way into the local, and now also global, wine books,” says Kotzé.

“KWV prides itself in knowing that many of its cellars bear testament to these stories, with Professor Perold having worked here, and it is, therefore, appropriate that we celebrate the Father of Pinotage with a unique offering of our own,” she adds. 

Professor Perold was as much an artist as he was a scientist, and in honour of this great artist, KWV has collaborated with ceramic artist Mervyn Gers, to create bespoke ceramic pieces that reflect a piece of the Pinotage story. The result is a uniquely shaped carafe, inspired by 1920s stoneware, dyed in Pinotage-inspired colours and earthy tones to reflect the rich fertile soil that gave birth to SA’s local grape.

Each limited-edition Perold Carafe has Professor Perold’s signature printed at the base, with the collector’s number indicated alongside it.

For the month of October, Port2Port.wine, in collaboration with KWV, will run an exclusive offer which includes a free Perold Carafe with every two bottles of KWV Abraham Perold Tributum bought through their online platform.

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