Drink with Care

We chat to Stefan Coetzee of Cybercellar about their collaboration with WESSA | The Month May 2012

Stefan Coetzee of Cybercellar gave our office an excited call recently, keen to tell us all about the online wine seller’s decision to partner with South Africa’s oldest environmental organisation, The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA).

Knowing Stefan as an affable sort, and more importantly, that his Taste SA base in Franschhoek generally has some decent wines to sample, I suggested we meet up for a glass of wine and a decent chat.

Turns out that Cybercellar has been appointed the exclusive online partner for the sale of wines under the Cura label, which in turn is a WESSA wine initiative that serves to raise funds to support the organisation’s conservation and environmental education work. They aim to work in partnership with different wine estates to produce specially-branded WESSA wines. Given that they’ve been in the
conservation business since 1926, it’s appropriate that they’ve chosen the term ‘cura’ which means ‘care’ in Latin.

The first wine estate to partner with WESSA on this project is the Voor Paardeberg-based, Vondeling. According to the WESSA “Vondeling Wines was a natural ‘partner of choice’ due to its long-term commitment to conservation. The estate has over 400 hectares of indigenous fynbos on its mountain slopes, including critically-endangered Swartland Granite Renosterveld. Innovative practices employed by the winery include a renewable energy project and the use of compost teas instead of chemical fungicides to combat fungus. Vondeling is Biodiversity and Wine Initiative certified and is currently working towards Champion Status.”

For WESSA, Vondeling winemaker Matthew Copeland produced a Shiraz based on the Vondeling Erica Shiraz (Platter 4-star) with the addition of Mouvedre (8%), Carignan (3%), Petit Verdot (3%) and Viognier (1%). The result is a unique, premium wine that is good for the imbiber and the environment.

Cura Shiraz 2010, R78.50 p/bottle for 6 or R70.00 p/bottle for 12
The wine has a rich deep purple colour, with luxurious red and blackberry fruit on the nose. The hints of sweet spice, nutmeg, cloves and coriander are reminiscent of the smell of the fynbos depicted on the attractive label. The palate is full-textured and complex, with a lingering finish that carries the floral and spice character seamlessly!