Photograph from left: Simon and Michael Back, previous owners of Backsberg Wine Estate, with Tim Hutchinson, executive Chairman of DGB.

DGB, South Africa’s leading premier wine company, has concluded a deal to acquire the majority shareholding in Backsberg, a long-established name in the Cape winelands which has been in the hands of the famous Back family for over a century. The transaction follows the sale of Backsberg’s main Simondium farm late last year.

 

That South African icon, the jaffle pan, has a shorter history than you may think. It was invented in 1949 and was a coveted household item in the early 1950s. The original Jaffle brand – jaffle iron – was designed and patented by Dr Earnest Smithers of Bondi. So it’s actually all-Australian and not so much South African!

 

Backsberg Estate Cellars’ maiden-release Pinotage Rosé won a Double Gold medal at the 2017 Rosé Rocks Competition.

 

Top image caption: The winning Stellenbosch team! Back from left: Janco de Kock, Sam Lambson, John Nutt, Darren Maree, Jacques Janse van Rensburg, Karin van der Westhuizen. Kneeling: Dené van Wyk, Christopher De Sousa Coutinho, Elsje Dippenaar and Simon Back.

The ninth Backsberg Vino Varsity inter-university wine challenge saw Stellenbosch take the laurels due to their near-perfect execution of the basics.

 

The release of Backsberg Estate Cellars’ Chenin Blanc 2017 underscores the excellence of this year’s South African vintage, as well as the exceptional quality of Chenin Blanc grapes grown in various regions of the Cape Winelands.

 

At Backsberg we have an extensive range of kosher wines available for purchase, from our stellar Kosher Brut MCC to our popular Kiddush Sweet Red.

 

The growing demand for dry rosé from its established customer-base has led to the launch of Backsberg Estate Cellars’ maiden Pinotage Rosé.

 

Top image: Talitha Venter, viticulturist at Backsberg Estate Cellars

Wild and wet weather brought normality to the vineyards of Backsberg Estate Cellars in Paarl. Since Wednesday 7 June more than 60 gorgeous millimetres of rain have fallen on the Estate situated on the Paarl-side of the Simonsberg, and according to Backsberg viticulturist Talitha Venter, these conditions gave the vines the message that things were back to normal – at last.

 

Two diverse films with feminist themes were named winners of the Audience Awards for this year’s Encounters Documentary Festival which has just recently concluded in Cape Town.

 

By Lafras Huguenet