Pendock’s Personalities of 2010

More words are written about wine than any other liquid, so when compiling a Top Ten Personalities for 2010, quotes are an obvious criterion. Here then are my ten personalities for 2010, in random order.

1. Lars Maack seigneur of Sauvignon from Buitenverwachting on grubbing up his Riesling vineyard: “I needed braai wood.”

Lars Maack

Lars Maack

2. Bartho Eksteen, Diners Club Winemaker of the Year: “I have tears of joy and smiles that would have gone right around my head was it not for my ears.”

3. Rob Morris, Vinimark man in Cape Town after a brief stint in the United Arab Emirates: “EMIRATES stands for English Managed, Indian Run, And The Expats Suffer.”

4. Swartland winemaker Adi Badenhorst watching a table tennis match at &Union last week: “so this is what Capetonians do on Saturdays. In Malmesbury, everyone is working on their cars.”

5. Allée Bleue winemaker Van Zyl du Toit: “I left Simonsig after 11½ years as after another 6 months, it would have been longer than school and nothing should be longer than school.”

6. Sandton restaurateur Alan Pick: “I had Tony Blair in my cellar for 20 minutes, so when his autobiography came out, I rushed out and bought it. Not even a mention!”

7. Hemel & Aarde wine proprietor and Prince of Pinot Anthony Hamilton Russell on this year’s Platter five star laureates: “Greatness cannot afford five stars in that company.”

8. Remington Norman MW: “one of the biggest problems facing SA wine is incompetent tasting panels.”

9. KWV retired chairman Danie de Wet on the bid by Pioneer Foods for the company earlier this month: “’n gatsak broekskeur transaksie.”

10. James Pietersen from Belthazar restaurant on the Nederburg Auction: “This is no shopping spree.”