Dutch PM Mark Rutte comes to the Cape for a couple of hours this month to visit the garden of the future. Moneyweb reports this “is the biggest trade mission to South Africa in Holland’s history. More than 65 Dutch companies will accompany Rutte – who was last here in 2002 as an executive of a Unilever subsidiary – with a view to signing business-to-business agreements with local counterparts. Holland’s Minister of Agriculture, Sharon Dijksma, will also join him. The trip will focus on a range of sectors including transport and logistics, water, agrifood, healthcare and energy – areas in which Dutch companies see opportunity in South Africa, Rutte said. Speaking to South African journalists visiting the Netherlands last week, Rutte said the country would like to link very closely with the economic ambitions of the South African government. The Netherlands is South Africa’s second largest export market for agricultural products worldwide, its third biggest trading partner in the European Union and its eighth biggest trading partner in the world. According to Rutte, some 350 Dutch companies operate in South Africa, while 20 South African companies are active in the Netherlands.” How times have changed. Four centuries ago the Dutch came for years and many forever. These days a couple of hours is sufficient for the PM paired with some freebee trips for journos to Holland on KLM.

Let’s hope Sharon stays a bit longer than her boss for the Dutch connection is a handy one for SA wine marketing as I noted in my column in Stellenbosch Visio a couple of editions ago. The winelands read like a country map of the Netherlands with more “burgs” and “valleis” than you can shake a clog at. If the leiwater sluices of Dorp Street were expanded into canals, Oak City would look like a prosperous neighbourhood of Amsterdam. Well no surprises really as the town was founded by the son of a Dutch burgher called Simon van der Stel.

While Franschhoek bristles with Francophone history in brands such as La Motte, L’Ormarins and Grande Provence, Stellenbosch is heaving with Dutch heritage. The brandy distillery on the R44 is called Van Ryn’s after Jan van Ryn who arrived from Holland in 1845 and who quickly became the Cape’s largest liquor trader.

In the wine department, many SA iconic brands are all Dutch inspired: Rust en Vrede, Kanonkop, Meerlust. The largest wine and spirit corporate in the country, Distell, is located on Aan de Wagenweg. So why does Stellenbosch not make more use of its Dutch heritage in establishing a marketing niche?

Pronunciation is a big stumbling block as English speakers have a problem with guttural g’s. Few diners will risk the raised eyebrow of a snooty sommelier trying to order a bottle of Vergelegen in Mayfair. The issue is taken so seriously that Constantia producer Buitenverwachting trades as “Beyond” in the USA.

A second reason is that the Chinese word for luxury seems to be “French” – a lesson which has been quickly learnt by Franschhoek brands whose labels look more Chateau Lafite than the ones the Rothschilds make. Some producers even translate South Africa into Afrique du Sud in the hope of ensuring supermarket facings ahead of Argentina and Australia.

But in spite of stroopwafels and clogs, Stellenbosch should embrace its Dutch ancestry for dear life in a world in which consumers buy German motorcars for reliability, Italian fashions for flair and French fizz for fun. The Steller story for SA wine is blending.

For the founder of SA wine, Simon van der Stel, was one of the first “Cape Coloureds” – dad Adriaan was Dutch but mum Monica da Costa hailed from Goa. And coloureds are in, not only in South Africa. Just ask Barack Obama (a blend of Kenya and Kansas) and Trevor Noah (Xhosa/Swiss) who has taken over The Daily Show from Jon Stewart.

After all you don’t need the ridiculous Platter wine label guide to realize the best SA wines are blends too: Meerlust Rubicon (a mixture of Cabernets Sauvignon, Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot), Kanonkop Paul Sauer (Cabernets Sauvignon, Franc and Merlot) and the Rust en Vrede 1694 Classification (Syrah/Cabernet).