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News
MEDIA RELEASE
12 February 2008
Summer Newsletter
With the
festive season behind us, we would like to take this opportunity
to wish all our customers a happy 2008!
We had a
bumper November and December at out Chamonix Restaurant and
Winetasting, and it has been wonderful to welcome both regulars
and new customers.
Harvest
Our
vineyards have been transformed over the past eight weeks and
the vineyard team is hard at work ensuring that these precious
bunches are allowed to develop and ripen under the best possible
conditions. The cellar is being prepared and checked to make
sure that we will be ready by the middle of February when the
winemaker and his team will get a few hours less sleep during
harvest time. They
will start with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, following with
the reds.
Early signs
show that the vineyards are looking very good, and the weather
we have had over the last few months bodes well for a fantastic
2008 vintage. Please
check our websites for updates on this.
We wish our winemaker, Gottfried Mocke and his team;
Werner, Willem, Daniel and Joan all the best with this task.
The fruit
trees are perfect for our refreshing schnapps!
A welcome drink in the heat with some crushed ice.
Valentine’s Day
Wine
tasting will be free for all ladies!
Our Winetasting centre will be open between 09:00 and
17:00, so, take a day of from work, and come and enjoy a special
wine tasting at our Blacksmith’s cottage.
Lacq de Chamonix
We have finished building the hideaway, Lacq de Chamonix which is very popular for weddings and private functions.
New international agents
We have spread our wings and have taken on new agents in China and Canada (see agents list).
2007 Awards
We had a
good closure with two awards, namely; second place at the
International Tri Nation show with our Pinot Noir 2005, and Gold
at the Classic Wine Show for our Chardonnay Reserve 2006.
Springwater
Our
increase in demand for springwater has necessitated the building
of a brand new bottling plant boasting Parma-tech machinery with
the help of Berchi. This is one of the most modern bottling
plants with large storage space for both empty and full bottles.
We have an additional source of water of 30 000l
per hour. The new plant handles sparkling and still water only,
whereas the old plant now handles flavoured water only.
We are
gearing up to handle our customers’ demands for these volumes of
water as the general quality of water in municipal areas
continues to deteriorate and the demand of pure, high quality
springwater is increasing.
Staff news
Our farm
manager, Rodney Kitching, has resigned and started his own
business in the transport sector. He was probably looking for a
new challenge and possibly getting bored of fruit trees and
vines.
Natasha
Munnick has been with the company for over 16 years. She was the
wonderful receptionist, handling all of the incoming and out
going telephone calls. She has decided to go into business for
herself, with her sister, opening a shop in Groendal and looking
after her daughter and family on a fulltime basis. All our best
wishes are extended to her for the future.
Stefan van
Rooyen is now engaged, with his wedding booked at our new
facility, the romantic Lacq de Chamonix, where fairy lights and
candles will illuminate the night to propel Stefan on the smooth
passage to marriage.
On a
further joyful note, Gottfried Mocke has taken a further step
towards matrimony, and is engaged to Anna-Marie, an ex-employee
of Chamonix’s winetasting and
marketing department. We have no definite date for the wedding
as yet, but are sure it is on the horizon, possibly for this
year.
A warm
welcome is extended by me and my staff to Rozelle as Management
Accountant of the farm. She is filling a most important position
in a very determined and competent manner. We wish her all the
luck and cooperation from the staff.
Solomon
Tuso is the Management Accountant for Springwater and has now
been with us for almost a year. He is an ex-Zimbabwean citizen,
doing an excellent job and is of great support to Rozelle and
Herman in the accounts and springwater departments.
We also
welcome Johan van Zyl who is our Quality and Production Control
Manager for Springwater. We are glad to have found Johan as he
is invaluable with dealing with all the technical, and legal
requirements for producing springwater and flavoured water. Once
again, a hearty welcome to him.
Last, but
not least, Kelly Olivier has joined the farm as Guesthouse
Manageress. She is
also welcomed and we wish her strength and luck with this
position.
MEDIA RELEASE
13 February 2007
HARVEST TIME AT CHAMONIX
It's harvest time at Chamonix and with the earliest starting date ever, it's an exciting time to be on the farm!
According to winemaker Gottfried Mocke, the very cool growing season with a lot of rain and the sudden heatwave in January contributed to the early date. "We started on 25 January with the early-ripening varieties like Sauvignon Blanc which was followed by some of the Chardonnay for the bubbly. The quality is excellent and the flavours are less affected by the heat than I expected. I think the big and close canopies assisted with keeping those delicate flavours intact," he said.
From mid-February the rest of the Chardonnay and the Reds will start coming off.
Another exciting innovation is the acquisition of an additional sorting table which will add to Chamonix 's already fantastic quality. Gottfried is also pleased with the fact that no pesticides were used during the growing season which brings the wine closer to his eventual aim of minimal interference with nature.
Sauvignon Blanc lovers will be pleased to know that due to new vineyards coming on stream, the production of this varietal has doubled.
Gottfried wants to thank the whole team in the cellar who're helping to make this harvest happen. They are Werner Muller and Daniel Nel from Chamonix and two visitors from overseas, Phillip from Finland - who thought he's in SA on a laid-back holiday and has only seen the inside of the cellar since arriving - and Marco from the Czech Republic who arrived on the 8th of February.
And last but not least, building is starting soon on a new temperature-controlled warehouse next to the cellar where wines will be stored under perfect conditions to guarantee customer satisfaction.
UK RATING ADDS TO CHAMONIX ACCOLADES
Anthony Rose, one of the UK 's top wine writers and experts, rated Chamonix Chardonnay Reserve 2004 No 3 in his annual rating of the top 50 wines in the world. Only one other SA wine appeared on the list.
VALENTINE'S AT CHAMONIX
Couples visiting the tasting room on Valentine's Day will enjoy a free tasting! For one day only! We're also offering the Chardonnay Magnums 2000 at only R80 per bottle. Normal Selling Price: R120. Limited stock. Only whilst stock lasts!
MEDIA RELEASE
08 December 2006
CHAMONIX WINE MAKER ANNOUNCED DINERS CLUB OF 2006
Chamonix celebrated the end of a very auspicious year on an even higher note when Gottfried Mocke was announced Diners Club Winemaker of the Year at a glamorous event at Constantia Uitsig on Friday, 17 November.
The winning wine was Chamonix's Chardonnay Reserve 2005 with the Chardonnay 2005, running a close second. Not only is Gottfried the youngest winner ever of this prestigious wine event, but having two of your wines running neck on neck for the award, is also incredibly rare.
One of the results of the award, is a nearly immediate sell-out situation of the Reserve with the 2006 only due for release towards the end of 2007.
For Gottfried, who is an avowed Burgundy fan, the award for one of his favourite varietals, is the cherry on top of a fantastic year!
SUMMER LIVING IS EASY IN FRANSCHHOEK!
Summer is here with green and leafy vineyards, dry and dusty soils and a south-easter blowing your socks off! All the signs of a typical Western Cape summer season are creeping up on us at Chamonix ! The tasting room and restaurant are getting busier every day with foreigners and locals visiting us to enjoy the views and wonderful weather.
ACCOLADES PILE UP FOR CHAMONIX
We've had a great year with lots of Awards, medals and accolades coming our way! To top the year off, Gottfried Mocke became the youngest-ever Diners Club Winemaker of the Year for his Chardonnay Reserve 2005 with the Chardonnay 2005 second in the line-up! Other recent awards are a gold for the Chardonnay Reserve 2005 and a Silver for the Pinot Noir Reserve 2005 in the french-palate dominated Santé Classic Awards as well as top scores in SA Wine magazine's annual Chardonnay tasting with the Sauvignon Blancs doing excellently as well.
WINEMAKER VISITS EUROPE & UK
Gottfried Mocke, our winemaker returned from the UK and WOSA's London Wine Show having lined up a few more contacts and made a whole lot of new friends! Althought the show attendance wasn't anything to rave about, the Chamonix stand and its wines, drew an appreciative audience.
From there, he vonce again visited Burgundy for a lot of wine tastings and to learn about Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the "experts"! "We focus on these two varietals at Chamonix and as Burgundy is still seen as the benchmark, it is essential to understand and appreciate them and use that knowledge to improve our own wines. Like a composer you should study the works of the masters, but that does not mean that you copy them" he said.
SPARKLING WINE FESTIVAL IN FRANSCHHOEK
Don't miss out on the first-ever Franschhoek Bubbly Festival on 9 and 10 December in the marquee on the square in the middle of town! Chamonix will be there in full force with our popular Brut and the Chamonix Spring Water range. Tickets are R135 pp. For more info, contact marketing@franschhoek.org.za
TASTING ROOM WELCOMES NEW ARRIVALS!
Congratulations to Mandy & Trevor Jephtas, our popular tasting room manager, on the birth of their baby girl, Caitlin recently. According to the proud mom she's very good and doesn't cry much at all! We're looking forward to having Mandy back in action again in the new year.
A new face is that of friendly and chatty Denise Juries who already feels like "family after only a few weeks"!
TASTING ROOM SPECIALS
Start planning for the festive season with our range of unique gifts from the tasting room and wine shop at very special prices!
GOLF SETS: Set of 4 wines in wooden box with brass labels. For the golfer who has everything! Normal price R450 - Special price R350
EQUINE GIFT SET: Set of three wines with horsey labels in full colour floral gift pack. Normal price R250 - Special price R150
BIG FIVE GIFT SET: Set of 5 red wines with brass labels featuring SA indigenous animals in easy-to-carry gift box Normal price R450. Special price R350.
SCHNAPPS & CHOCCIES SET: 500ml Schnapps & Schnapps-filled German chocolates - R100
MEDIA RELEASE
29 August 2006
CHAMONIX RELEASES NEW TROIKA
Massive sales of the 2006 Trophy winning red blend, Troika 2003, enabled Chamonix Winery to release the 2004 Troika in record time. Announcing the new release early in September, wine maker Gottfried Mocke said that the sales momentum of the 2003 caught everyone by surprise!
The new Troika builds on the success of the previous vintage although it’s not the same wine at all! “The 03 had Merlot as its base, whilst the 04 is a much bigger wine with Cabernet Sauvignon laying down the backbone and Cabernet Franc and Merlot making up the rest. However, once again Cabernet Franc is the golden thread which gives the wine its distinctive flavour palate,”says Mocke.
The blend is made up of a careful barrel selection of the best wines from the 2004 vintage and then aged in 100% new French Chateau barrels for 24 months before release.
“I’ve always believed that Chamonix’s terroir will produce one of South Africa’s most interesting and unique Bordeaux-style blends, and the success of the previous vintage definitely supported that belief! However, I have great hopes for the next vintage as year after year we seem to fine-tune our knowledge of the vineyards and the characteristics of the wines we get from each block,” he said.
Also released: Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2005, Chamonix Blanc 2006, Pinot Noir Reserve 2005, Chamonix Rose 2006 and Chamonix Sauvignon Blanc 2006.
SPRING IS IN THE AIR AT CHAMONIX !
Spring has sprung at Chamonix in Franschhoek with new wine releases, a new menu in the restaurant, a new assistant wine maker and lots of action all around!!
CELLAR TOURS AND BARGAINS AT CHAMONIX
Buy yourself a bargain with our stunning 2000 Chardonnay Magnums on special for only R95 per bottle for the month of September. Normal price: R120. Only from the tasting room and wine shop on the farm. Whilst stocks last!
We offer atmospheric cellar tours at R25 pp from the tasting room. (Includes tasting of 5 wines). Learn more about wine making and ageing with our knowledgeable staff - and have a look around our underground cellar! Reservations Essential.
SPRING TIME AT THE CHAMONIX RESTAURANT
Early in September, we're launching our newly designed menu featuring lots of new dishes, as well as those old favourites which keep our patrons returning time after time!
Join us on Saturday 30 September for an Asian evening with resident chef Dane Newton and Asian food expert, Lizette Crabtree who are combining their skills to celebrate the flavours of the exotic East. And it's not just about the food and wine! We're also planning suitable entertainment to ensure an evening to remember! Reservations Essential: +27 21 876-2393
NEW RELEASES IN SEPTEMBER
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Troika 2004 - Cab-dominated stunner, set to improve on 2003 multi-awardwinning blend. Cellar price: R90
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Rosè 2006 - Easy-drinking for Summer days. Cellar price: R25
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Sauvignon Blanc 2006 - Crisp, dry favourite. Perfect with seafood and fish! Cellar price: R45
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Chamonix Blanc 2006 - Well-priced, dry white blend. R28
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Pinot Noir Reserve 2005 - Spicy, full-bodied Burgundy . Meant to age, but drinking great right now! Cellar price: R90
Visit our tasting room this month for a stunning Spring Celebration!
MEDIA RELEASE
16 May 2006
CHRISTMAS IN JUNE IN FRANSCHOEK
Celebrate “Christmas in June” at Cape Chamonix
Wine Farm on Saturday, 24 June from 19h00 when the winery and
restaurant in the scenic Franschoek valley combine forces to
create an event to remember.
“Christmas in June” at Cape Chamonix is set against
a gorgeous backdrop of snowy mountain peaks at the entrance
to the culinary capital of South Africa and offers Chef Dane
Newton’s modern interpretation of Christmas Classics in
a four-course menu matched with Chamonix’s award-winning
wines.
Guests will kick off with Gluhwein and Eggnog on arrival to
drive out the winter chills and from there enjoy a spectacular
menu featuring interesting twists on old favourites.
Cape Chamonix wine maker, Gottfried Mocke will take guests
on a wine and food pairing journey throughout the evening as
he discusses each wine chosen specially to complement each dish.
The evening will end off on a high note when three unusual
and covetable items will be auctioned off for charity.
Proceeds of the evening will be donated to Franschoek SPCA’s
sterilization drive.
The cost is R200 per person.
For more information and reservations, contact Loesje at (021)876-2393
or dnewton@mweb.co.za.
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