Val de Vie Estate introduces Ryk Neethling to their signature Rhône-style Wine portfolio
Monday, 29 November, 2010
Val de Vie Winelands Lifestyle Estate
Five-time finalist in the Olympics and one of the most successful
international swimmers in history, Ryk Neethling, has joined the ranks
of wine maker, creating his own unique blend for Val de Vie's signature
Rhône portfolio.
The accomplished athlete already has a deep affiliation with Val de Vie. Not only does he own a property within the stunning estate, but he also launched the Ryk Neethling Swimming School at the Val de Vie Leisure Centre in November 2009, a culmination of his own passion for the sport and his desire to build dreams and provide opportunities for future generations.
Ryk Neethling fell in love with the exquisite open green spaces of Val de Vie amongst the vineyards, polo fields and lakes of the Estate. Known as the Valley of Life for its idyllic surroundings and scenery, this beautiful estate set against the backdrop of the majestic Drakenstein and Simonsberg Mountains of the Paarl-Franschhoek valley has firmly positioned itself as one of South Africa's premier lifestyle estates.
The historic land at Val de Vie, which began producing wine as far back as 1825, ignited Ryk's passion for wine; "Southern Rhone blend is Val de Vie's trademark, which I love. Its always been a dream of mine to blend my own wine". Ryk decided to partner up with Val de Vie's winemaker Harold Versfeld and fulfill a lifelong ambition and make his own blend.
Very aware of what makes wine great and what gives it the perfect balance and the right finesse, Ryk was sure of the style he wanted for his blend. Guided by Harold, Ryk created his own unique wine blend, spending hours of meticulously tasting and mixing and matching until they reached a flawless blend that was Ryk's perfect wine.
In keeping with Val de Vie's varietals the wine is a Rhône blend, made up of cultivars such as Syrah, Carignan, Mourvedre, Grenache and Cinsaut. The blend consists of 55% Syrah (30% grown in Walker Bay and 25% grown in Swartland), 18% Carignan (Swartland), 15% Mourvedre (Wellington)(, 7% Grenache (Paarl) and 5% Cinsaut (Wellington). Production is only about 240 cases x 12.
This stunning new wine fits in perfectly with the Val de Vie range. The Val de Vie Shiraz (2007) that won a gold medal at the 2009 International Wine & Spirit Competition is a much heavier, bolder wine, where as the Ryk Neethling is more fruit driven and elegant. The Shiraz is also weighted quite heavily on the pallet, where the Ryk is medium to full bodied, fitting in perfectly between the Val de Vie Shiraz and the Polo Club Red.
This unique Ryk Neething wine was bottled in late October 2010 and will be launched at a VIP event at Val de Vie in November where 150 limited edition bottles will be made especially for the occasion. These will be signed by Ryk and beautifully packaged in Val de Vie boxes.