At face value, Hollard Insurance, the Mieliepap Pietá, Farmer Angus and the reclusive billionaire behind Nando’s flyaway success might appear to have little to do with each other, until you connect the dots.
When in doubt, Google is your friend – or simply ask around at Spier, because many of its staff have worked on the wine estate for decades.
Turns out, Hollard Insurance founder Dick Enthoven did not only play a key role in building Auto & General and Direct Axis, but also bankrolled Nando’s, which helped catapult Robbie Brozen and Fernando Duarte’s cheeky chicken outlet internationally (today, Nando’s has 1,200 branches in 30 countries).
Then, after acquiring Stellenbosch estate Spier in the early nineties, the Enthoven family transformed it into a centre of culture, nature, regenerative farming and hospitality, with international tourists arriving in droves to enjoy the legions of attractions.
For years, the apparent “busy-ness” of Spier was a turn-off for this writer, which is a pity because the farm has long been focused on excellence rather than mass tourism, Spier brand manager Xenia van der Meulen informed me in May at the annual Wine Tourism Conference held at Lanzerac, extending an invite to a Winemakers’ Dinner, which is a recent addition to Spier’s attractions.
Van der Meulen explained that the arrival of Enthoven’s daughter, Mariota, and her partner Angus McIntosh just less than two decades ago injected new energy and vision into the property, after they relocated from London in 2004.
Home is where the art is
For many, Spier starts with art. The Mieliepap Pietá is a mirror of Michelangelo’s Madonna della Pietà – the exceptional sculpture in Carrara marble from the Italian Renaissance, revealing Jesus and Mary at Mount Golgotha representing the “Sixth Sorrow” of the Blessed Virgin Mary, located inside St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City – but in Wim Botha’s interpretation, Mary, Christ, their drapery and their sadness are all a bit pap: mielie pap and resin, that is.
Mieliepap Pietá was on exhibit in the Museum for African Art’s “Personal Affects” at the Cathedral of St John the Divine (New York City) from September 2004 to January 2005, in Stevenson Gallery’s “Both, and” show from June to August 2018, and featured in Norval Foundation’s “Heliostat: Wim Botha” from September 2018 to January 2019, before settling in the recently revamped Manor House at Spier.
“Pap” Mary and Jesus form part of the Spier Art Collection, one of the country’s largest collections of contemporary South African art – including more than 1,000 artworks and 31 large-scale outdoor sculptures.
Quality focus
Spier has certainly ramped up its focus on quality – it sources fresh ingredients directly from its own pastures and gardens, which are used in (highly recommended and generously stocked) picnic baskets, Spier Farm Cafe, Vadas Smokehouse and Bakery, the hotel restaurant and the Manor House.
Kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha and other fermented foods are prepared on site and nose-to-tail cooking not only helps reduce waste, but ensures a broad spectrum of flavours and textures.
“Farmer Angus” McIntosh, Enthoven’s son-in-law, is one of only two producers of grassfed, pasture-reared beef in the Western Cape, and also applies those regenerative agricultural practices in the raising of the farm’s pigs, broiler chickens and laying hens, as well as vegetables and wine – which are served in Spier’s restaurants and hotel, and sold from their farm store and selected retailers.
Today, Spier does feel a lot less “touristy” – there were some visitors, of course, but those who attended the Winemakers Dinner of 29 September were professionals and young connoisseurs from Hong Kong who wanted to experience the very best of the Cape Winelands, which is what they found that night, focused on Spier’s “Legacy By Vintage”.
Fuss-free dining
Mieliepap Pietá might well be the centre of attention in Spier’s Grand Old Dame, but there are many others, including the spectacular 22-seater dining room table, where the estate’s engaging cellarmaster Johan Jordaan hosts generous winemakers’ dinners beside crackling fires, antique furniture, provocative art, to showcase the best of Spier hospitality.
Chef Hennie Nel is in charge of Spier’s kitchens (although not Vadas Smokehouse), and guests of the monthly Winemakers’ Dinner Series are in for a treat.
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