2010 Krone Bubbly exposed as fake Methode Cap Classique

The 2010 vintage of Krone Borealis and Krone Rose has been removed from supermarket and liquor store shelves. According a report in Die Burger, the wines have been removed from the market because the labels of the wines are misleading to consumers.

Krone Borealis 2010 en Krone Rose 2010 were sold as Method Cap Classique wines over the Christmas and New Year period, but according to the report, the ”traditional” method was not used in the production of the wines.

In 2012, Vinimark acquired the once family-owned wine estate, situated in Tulbagh. Vinimark wynmaker, Rudiger Gretschel explained that the 2010 vintage of the wines started exploding during the maturation process. The bottles were faulty and were not strong enough to withstand the fermentation process.

In order to ”save” the wine, the bottles were sent to Robertson Winery, where it was decanted into a pressurised tank and re-bottled into stonger bottles.

A Methode Cap Classique wine is made in the same way as Champagne, with a second fermentation taking place in the exact bottle. The process is time-consuming which is why MCC is generally more expensive than other types of sparkling wine.

According to Gretschel a wine consultant advised him to still label and sell the wines as Methode Cap Classiques but after an investigation by Sawis, the South African Wine and Spirits Board, Vinimark was informed that the production process does not meet the standard Method Cap Classique-regulations. It can therefore not be sold as a MCC. The Sawis board then instructed Vinimark to withdraw the wine from the market.

The 2010 vintage is now being sold under the brand’s second label, namely Twee Jonge Gezellen. The price of the wines have been dropped to R60. The 2011 Krone Methode Cap Classique style wines retails at R100 and above.

The South African Method Cap Classique Association has expressed its outrage over the incident. Peter Ferreira, Chairman of the MCC board said that they will be making representations to the Wine & Spirit Board. Even though the new label doesn’t state MCC, the corks are still stamped with the words ‘Cap Classique’ and the label still claims that the wine has been ‘handcrafted’.

Here’s another article on the matter.