Val du Charron therefore has a rich and colourful history and this is celebrated in the re-build and restoration that was done by the current owners.
The current owners are only the 6th family to own Val du Charron, since 1699, and they brought with them a wealth of experience in property development, business management and accounting. They worked tirelessly for five years to restore the property back to its original glory and re-introduced new varieties of vines (in 18 varieties) after the previous owner farmed mainly fruit on the land. The cellar currently produces around 300 000 litres of wine.
Currently all of the Val du Charron Estate Wines as well as the Girlfriends Lifestyle Wines are being exported to the US. Years of extensive market research have guaranteed that the wines are tailor made for the US market and that Wellington is recognised for and associated with excellent wines of origin. Val du Charron have hosted the biggest buyers within the US retail sector and have promoted the Western Cape as well as Wellington Wine Ward extensively to ensure that the American market is educated about the great opportunities and excellent wines that are available in the Wellington area.
The Val du Charron Theatre of Wines was recently launched and celebrates the rich history of the area. Each of the three wines is named after a person or folklore of historic Wellington. Everywhere the wines gets distributed the stories of Wellington are told and are people drawn to the area and its rich heritage.
The guest house was completed in and welcomed its first guests in September 2010. Extensive marketing have been done for the area and for the property itself. Val du Charron has been promoted in Germany, the UK, the US and the Netherlands and its agents had to sell Wellington, the area and its activities as part of the package. Catherine Entwistle, one of the founders of Val du Charron is currently the chairperson of the Local Tourism Association and has spent a lot of time streamlining the marketing efforts of the region. Their biggest success is being awarded the Best Stage Location award in the recent ABSA Cape Epic Mountain Bike Race and it is a huge feather in their cap. Stuart Entwistle, another founder, was instrumental in getting Wellington recognised as a wine ward and setting up the Wellington Wine Route in association with Mutual & Federal.
This year Val du Charron is attending Indaba for the third time and their appointments include both national and international tour operators, agents and other marketing initiatives. Selling Wellington and its activities are crucial to the success of any accommodation establishment and we all know that guests stay when they have things to do so Val du Charron`s efforts have generated visitors for a number of local attractions and restaurants.
The South African Premier Business Awards are about recognising and celebrating the best South African companies, their products and services, as well as the people behind them.
The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), in partnership with Proudly South African and Brand South Africa, will be hosting the inaugural South African Premier Business Awards in March 2013. The awards aim to recognise South African enterprises which: invest in both human and technical resources in various projects or activities, produce quality products and services, and remain domestically and internationally competitive. The efforts of these enterprises and entrepreneurs places South Africa and the African continent in a competitive and beneficial position, particularly with regard to technological innovation, trade and investment.
The Organisers of the awards strongly believethat enterprises and entrepreneurs - which advance our country’s quest for innovation, quality and productivity - should be recognised. Job creation efforts such as local manufacturing and beneficiation also need to be acknowledged, rewarded and encouraged.
The purpose and objectives of the South African Premier Business Awards are:
To recognise and honour South African enterprises and entrepreneurs which promote the spirit of success, innovation and good business ethics in the economy;
To showcase the best South African business and products in various sectors of the South African economy;
To create a platform for enterprises - of all sizes and industries - to learn best practice from each other;
To promote and encourage entrepreneurship;
To stimulate local job creation and broader participation in the economy;
Val du Charron employs in excess of 34 people and houses 6 families on the farm. In addition to these permanent employees they also employ a number of seasonal staff over the harvest and peak tourism and visitor seasons. Val du Charron is constantly improving the skills of staff and ongoing training and upliftment is a big priority for the Directors.
Val du Charron was recently named a finalist in the SA Premier Business Awards hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry and our 2012 Chardonnay was named as a Top 100 SA Wine and received a Best Value accolade. This is an extension of our accolades in 2010 and 2009 with the Michaelangelo awards.
A number of contracts have been signed with some of the biggest Tour Operators in the country and will bring a number of coach tours to the Wellington area. Not only will they visit Val du Charron but they will visit a number of local attractions and restaurants.