Perfect Wines of SA inaugurates L'Huguenot wine cellar

Hein Koegelenberg, Hanneli Rupert-Koegelenberg, Mr & Mrs FW de Klerk toast.

The renovations include:

• a state-of-the art winemaking facility
  
• a maturation cellar, with capacity for 1500 barrels - one of the biggest maturation cellars in Franschhoek
  
• a vinoteque that hosts a private wine tasting area as well the earlier vintages of L'Huguenot and De Klerk signature wines, the presidential blend of former state president, FW de Klerk.

"We are delighted to have this beautiful new home and modern facilities for L'Huguenot wines," says chairman Koegelenberg (also CEO of La Motte and Leopard's Leap Wine Estates). "Nurturing our relationship with China is very important to us, but we also focus on how volume sales in China can benefit the local economy through increased production and job creation."

All the renovations have been done while keeping in mind the rich French Huguenot history and heritage of winemaking in South Africa. The vinoteque and cellar feature a contemporary take on traditional French architecture and décor with the French Huguenot family crests displayed in the barrel maturation cellar. The historic manor house will soon be restored to its traditional splendour in order to host a Huguenot museum.

Big exporter

In 2011 and 2012, the wine brand was responsible for the export of 2.8 million bottles of wine to China - amounting to about 25% of the total annual figure for South African wine exports to China. The capacity of the new cellar and the potential of the maturation facility that equates to one million bottles, allow for the production of the premium red wines. Other cellar facilities in the Winelands will still be used for the production of the remaining volumes. The L'Huguenot cellar and vinoteque will be the address of L'Huguenot wines where JV associates and Chinese partners will be hosted, but the facilities are not open to the public.

Speaking at the gala event on 1 April 2014 was former state president, FW de Klerk and Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism in the Western Cape, Alan Winde. De Klerk addressed South Africa's current position within the world economy and the opportunities for South African trade with China, especially within BRICS, while Winde focused on the Western Cape, with specific reference to tourism and the important role China has to play in the local industry.

Chinese delegation

The event was also attended by the CEO of Perfect China, Woo Swee Lian and a delegation of 240 Chinese representatives, who participated in a day of harvesting and winemaking on Wednesday 2 April. As with the 740-strong delegation invited to the Cape in September 2013, the aim of bringing the Chinese representatives to South Africa is to introduce them to the culture of the Winelands and to make them ambassadors for South African wine in order to stimulate wine sales in China as well as tourism in the Western Cape.