Stables Wines establishes wine-making in KwaZulu-Natal

When Tiny (who is not!) and Judy van Niekerk [pictured right] announced to friends and colleagues that they were going to create a wine estate in Kwa-Zulu Natal, all the naysayers came out of the woodwork (or should I say corkwork!) and tolled the bottles of doom…

“Oooh-arrhhhh, waste of money, you must be mad, it’ll never work” became oft heard phrases.  And in the best tradition of forging ahead against all odds, Stables Wines is now winning serious wine awards and Tiny and Judy have pioneered the establishment of a complete new wine region, and industry, in Kwazulu-Natal.

The secret is in all in the heat zone… Tiny knew that the area known as the ‘Midlands’ of KZN, though far more northerly in latitude than the Western Cape, had a cool climate due to its elevation above sea level, up to 1,450m. Some early plantings had already taken place around the KZN Midlands but no wine-making industry had yet resulted!

Realising that the climate was very similar to that of Burgundy in France, the soil had fabulous drainage and the high acidity in the soil could be neutralised prior to planting, Tiny and Judy believed they would triumph in the end – and they have.

Stables Wines established the ‘Stables Wines Estate’ in 2005, close to Nottingham Road (which is actually the name of the village, not a road!) initially planting 6,000 vines. Stables Wines also took over control of the earlier established vineyards in the nearby Greytown area, and is expecting to produce 80,000 bottles of wine this year.

Also this year, the estate won its first wine award, securing a bronze at the Veritas wine awards in Cape Town.  Stable Wines then won gold at the Swiss International Airline Wine Awards with a sauvignon blanc that has been likened to one of New Zealand’s top drops, Cloudy Bay Sav B.

The hope is now that more wine estates will start popping up in KZN to eventually create a full-on wine-making industry that will boost both agriculture and tourism in the province.  At Stables Wine Estate, the cellar is in a converted stable block and is open every day. Tastings are available Fri – Sun, if you are passing by.

Which could easily be the case, as Nottingham road is conveniently on the road to the Drakensberg Mountains, one of South Africa’s star attractions. It is also in the middle of KZN’s ‘Battlefield Route’, the largest concentration of battlefields in South Africa, covering many famous British, Zulu and Boer altercations.

Also close by is… the ‘Nottingham Road Brewing Company!’  It lays claim to being South Africa’s most successful micro-brewery.  In fact KZN now has a self-drive ‘beer brewery route’ which meanders around nine micro breweries in KZN.

So when the wine industry is really up and going, KZN will have a plethora of routes! A beer route, a wine route and a battlefield route – chuck in the fact that KZN has some of the best golf courses on the planet and KZN could end up being the ultimate blokes trip…

Early round of golf, battlefield, wine tasting & cheese platter at Stables Wines for some culture with the other half, a micro-brewery or two as required, followed by a romantic lodge with roaring fire in the Drakensberg. What a winner! (Apologies to all molettes)

Tiny confided to the Mole that Stables Wines will be available in Australia, but if you just can’t wait, they are happy to ship direct to you.  If you happen to like the Cloudy Bay vino, then it might be an interesting calculation to see how much a case of the award winning Stables variety might cost in comparison – my guess is that it is probably fast disappearing or gone!  Check out www.stableswine.co.za

Tiny and Judy are involved in a number of local wine festivals and a special range of wines has been launched in partnership with who else but… the Sharks Super 14 Rugby team!  The Mole has come to realise how rugby mad South Africans really, whether on tour or walking around Indaba!

Report by the Mole