In the peak summer months the changing of the guard ceremony is held at the bottom of the splendidly broad Mall, where a haughty marble Queen Victoria glares balefully at the throngs all gathered to catch a glimpse of the guardians of Buckingham Palace as they march, wheel, stomp, present arms, salute and then finally clomp back to barracks.
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays there is a rigid timetable maintained. 10h43 Old Guard leaves St James Palace; 10h57 New Guard leaves Wellington Barrack; 11h00 is the official start time; 11h10 St James’ Palace relief leaves Buckingham Palace; 11h25 Relieved sentries leave St James’ Palace; 11h40 Old Guard leaves Buckingham Palace; 11h45 St James’ Palace guard leaves Buckingham Palace.
It’s a well co-ordinated thing of beauty, carried out with the accuracy and exactness which the Brits are renowned for. Yet when there is a changeover at wine farms in South Africa, it’s usually of the revolving door type; as one cellar jockey leaves, another takes his or her place.
There is seldom – if ever – any fanfare, other than that of a prosaic welcoming the newcomer taking up the reins. Which is why the recent winemaker switch at Stellenbosch’s De Morgenzon (DMZ) property has been so unusual. Winemaker since inception Carl van der Merwe is off to pastures new, the Okanagan valley in British Columbia. Stepping into his shoes is Adam Mason, formerly of Mulderbosch.
The two men got to spend a month in each others’ company, with Mason admitting in a touching Zoom meeting facilitated by Van der Merwe and DMZ owner Wendy Appelbaum at the end of May, that it was the first time in his long career that he’d ever had a handover. “It’s been a rare privilege to walk the vineyards and taste the barrels with Carl. He’s tried to synthesise and stuff 10 years of accumulated knowledge into me in a month! My brain is blown,” he quipped.
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