Spier Quarterly Newspaper Issue # 9

ISSUE #

09

A P R / M AY/J U N 2 0 1 7

Q U A R T E R LY N E W S PA P E R

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PEOPLE Spier is home to a diverse bunch of people. We’d like to introduce you to them.

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WINE Witness 300 years of winemaking heritage in action at the Spier Werf Cellar.

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SUSTAINABILITY Conserving our most precious resource.

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EVENTS What’s been happening on the farm.

FARM HOUSE ORGANIC Our Farm House range of organic wines is made from grapes handpicked from the certified organic vineyards at Spier.

Now exclusively available from our Wine Shop.

Visit us:

Spier Wine Farm

@spierwinefarm #spiermemories t: 021 809 1100 w: www.spier.co.za b: www.spier.co.za/blog

PEOPLE

MEET OUR FAMILY SPIER IS HOME TO A DIVERSE BUNCH OF PASSIONATE PEOPLE, DOING WHAT THEY LOVE, AND COMMITTED TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY. WE WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO A FEW OF THEM.

IVAN STIGLAND | TRACTOR DRIVER

Tractor driver Ivan Stigland and his mom have worked in the Spier vineyards for more than 36 years combined.

“I work in the vineyards, doing compost and spraying,” he says. He enjoys the variety of his work. “In addition to the vineyards, we’ve now got chickens, sheep and pigs. I love learning about how these animals are farmed,” he says. He likes to share the things he’s learnt on the farm. “I encourage people in my community not to litter. We need to keep our country nice and beautiful.”

PETRONELLa ‘NANA’ MALGAS | LAUNDRY MANAGER

“MY LATE DAD IS A GREAT INSPIRATION. HE ALWAYS TOLD ME TO NEVER GIVE UP, TO ALWAYS GIVE A 100%.”

A father of three daughters, Ivan used to play soccer until he got injured so now he sometimes cycles instead to let off steam.

“I also help around the house, cleaning,” he says with a smile.

Petronella Malgas – affectionately known as “Nana” by her colleagues – is Spier Hotel’s laundry manager and has worked here for the past 15 years.

In her time off, she coaches girls netball in Tafelsig, where she lives. “It doesn’t matter how tired I am when I come home from work – they will say, ‘Let’s practice!’

“In the hotel, we’re committed to using only as much as we need, so I come up with lots of ways to re-use old linen,” she says. This includes turning old covers into laundry bags and cot protectors.

“THEY INSPIRE ME. I’M TRYING TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOR THE BETTER.”

“I’m very good at listening – especially to the staff when they’ve got problems. I give them advice,” she says.

When she’s not cooking, Nana loves going window-shopping. Cooking for her children and spending the day with them makes her happy.

Meet more of the Spier family on our blog: spier.co.za/blog

NOW YOU CAN BUY SPIER WINE ONLINE | WE DELIVER TO YOUR DOOR

Become a member of the Spier Wine Club and enjoy

Sign up by visiting store.spierwines.co.za

a fantastic range of benefits – including discounts on our wine, hotel and farm to table restaurant, Eight. Membership also gives you exclusive access

or at Wine Tasting.

to special events.

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ART

VISIT THE SPIER MOSAIC KRAAL SOUTH AFRICA’S FIRST OUTDOOR MOSAIC EXHIBITION Spier is now home to the country’s first permanent outdoor exhibition of mosaic.

Situated between the Wine Collection Point and the Tasting Room, the Spier Mosaic Kraal features the works of 16 contemporary South African artists.

The Kraal brings together two art initiatives that Spier supports: the Creative Block project (which supports both established and emerging artists through purchasing work that it sells to collectors) and the Spier Arts Academy (which offers employmentbased training in professional mosaic and ceramics).

16 images from the Creative Block project were interpreted as mosaic artworks by the Academy’s apprentices – in close consultation with each artist.

Taking an average of two months to produce, SPIER IS NOW HOME TO each mosaic artwork was THE COUNTRY’S FIRST crafted by one leader PERMANENT OUTDOOR and four apprentices – EXHIBITION OF MOSAIC. in total, a group of 25.

Together the artworks illustrate the variety and vibrancy of mosaic as a medium.

The Spier Mosaic Kraal is a way of demonstrating how proud Spier is to support the Academy and the wonderful work its apprentices and graduates produce.

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Sustainability

GETTING WATER-WISE SAVING OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE It’s no secret that the Western Cape is really struggling with water shortages. At Spier we’ve spent the last decade doing everything we can to save as much of this precious resource as possible.

In 2007 we committed to halving our municipal water consumption over the next 10 years. We installed 400 water-saving devices on showers, basins and toilets in our hotel, conference centre, restaurants and other public spaces. We monitor and measure water consumption per guest – constantly looking at ways to improve efficiency. Consumption per guest in the conference centre has been reduced by 55% and by 15% in the hotel.

Spier believes the plant is a first of its kind in South Africa. “It combines environmentallyfriendly cleansing and natural ‘healing’ techniques to bring life and energy back to the water,” explains Heidi Newton-King, Spier’s sustainability director. “After initial treatment through an activated-sludge process and in a bioreactor, the water passes through a reed bed into a yingyang shaped pond where it is driven through a number of ‘flow forms’ before being transported to a nearby irrigation dam.”

The plant can process up to a million litres of wastewater at any given time – purifying 50 million litres of clean water annually. It would take a river 350km to purify what the treatment plant can do in one day. The clean water is then used for flushing in the washrooms and to irrigate our gardens and grounds. The plant resulted in Spier receiving the Getaway Award for Leadership in Water Conservation at the 2015 Nedbank Green Wine Awards.

The clearing of thirsty invasive species and the replanting of millions of indigenous plants has also helped reduce consumption.

DID YOU KNOW? Spier’s commitment to water conservation goes well beyond the farm gate.“We believe it’s crucial to work together with government, other businesses and communities in the region to achieve a meaningful positive impact,” Newton-King says.

Since 2007, we’ve also recycled 100% of our wastewater through an eco-friendly treatment plant – the first of its kind in South Africa.

This approach has resulted in Spier cochairing the Stellenbosch River Collaborative which was launched in late 2013 to restore the health and water quality of rivers in the Eerste River Catchment which forms a vital lifeline for communities in the area.

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WINE

THE SPIER WERF CELLAR WITNESS 300 YEARS OF WINEMAKING HERITAGE IN ACTION The Spier Werf Cellar is home to our first estate wine, made from organic vineyards that grow on the Spier farm.

Cellarmaster Frans Smit handcrafts these wines with as little interference as possible. Natural fermentation occurs within a combination of open-top fermenters, French oak barrels and ceramic eggs to express the true essence and terroir of Spier.

Spier started the organic conversion process in 2008 and was certified in 2015.

Farm House Organic Wines

Our Farm House range of organic wines - including the Farm House Chenin Blanc 2016, RosĂŠ 2016 and Straw Wine 2015 is exclusively available from our Wine Shop.

DID YOU KNOW? An estate wine is grown, made and bottled on the farm - it never leaves the farm during fermentation, aging or bottling.

free taste

Congratulations, Natalie!

Wine Shop wine educator Natalie Mouton obtained merit upon completing the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and Spirits recently.

The course covers everything from how wine is made and factors influencing wine style, to pairings and different varietals and wine regions.

of

Spier Secret Sparkling Cut this ad out and present it at the Tasting Room for your free taste of Spier Secret Sparkling, our vivacious, salmon-pink bubbly.

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Hotel guests only.

EVENTS

APRIL

MARCH

25

earth hour

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MAY

14

EAGLE ENCOUNTERS EASTER EGG HUNT

In-house guests only.

Raise your glass to sustainable living as we switch the lights off at Spier Hotel! Enjoy MCC and oysters on arrival in the candlelit lobby as a pianist serenades you. Then tuck into a buffet dinner..

All guests.

The Easter Bunny finds his way around the Eagle Encounters, delivering yummy chocolate eggs for all the visiting children. For more information please visit www.eagle-encounters.co.za.

Time: 20:30 onwards

Place: Eagle Encounters

Place: Spier Hotel Restaurant Cost: MCC and oysters – R195

Buffet – R285

APRIL

14

good friday dinner at eight

All guests.

Enjoy hearty dishes from a harvest table groaning with goodness.

Time: 18:30 Place: Eight Restaurant Cost: R400 per person

14

GOOD FRIDAY DINNER AT SPIER HOTEL

In-house guests only.

Feast on the finest the ocean has to offer: a sustainably-sourced seafood buffet at Spier Hotel.

Time: 18:30 Place: Spier Hotel Restaurant Cost: R400 per person

FOR MORE EVENT DETAILS VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.SPIER.CO.ZA/EVENTS

Time: 09:30 - 17:00

MOTHER’S DAY LUNCH

All guests.

Spoil mom with lunch at Eight, our acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant. Our harvest table offers a range of dishes all prepared with fresh, home-grown, seasonal ingredients sourced from our farm and nearby, trusted suppliers.

Cost: Adults: R75 per person

Place: Eight Restaurant

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EASTER BRAAI DINNER

Time: 18:30

MOTHER’S DAY HIGH TEA

All guests.

Treat Mom with a decadent high tea at Spier Hotel. Enjoy a glass of Spier Secret Sparkling on arrival, followed by a wide ranges of teas and coffees and a cake-stand crammed with sweet and savoury treats.

Time: 14:30

Place: Spier Hotel

women’s day harvest lunch

All guests.

Spoil the women in your life with lunch at Eight. After a complimentary glass of our crisp MCC, head to the harvest table.

Time: 12:00 Cost: R400 per person

september

7

secretary’s day

All guests.

Treat your Secretary to a delicious two-course lunch with a glass of wine.

Time: 12:30 Place: Eight Restaurant Cost: R200 per person

Place: Spier Hotel

Cost: R395 per person

Cost: R320 per person

EASTER SUNDAY HARVEST LUNCH

JUNE

All guests.

Enjoy a harvest table at Eight, our farm-to-table restaurant, before helping the kids hunt for Easter eggs on the Bamboo lawns.

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FATHER’S DAy lunch

All guests.

Spoil Dad with lunch at Eight restaurant. Our harvest table offers a range of dishes all prepared with fresh, home-grown, seasonal ingredients sourced from our farm and nearby, trusted suppliers.

Time: 12:00 Place: Eight Restaurant Cost: R400 per person

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9

Cost: R400 per person

In-house guests only.

It’s braai time! Discover the taste of good farming, with a selection of Farmer Angus’s pasture-reared meat, along with all your favourite, seasonal sides.

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august

Place: Eight Restaurant

Time: 12:00

Children (ages 3 - 12): R65 per person

All guests Open to public.

EASTER SUNDAY SPIT BRAAI

All guests.

Tuck into meat roasted on the spit, accompanied by fresh, seasonal farm-to-table sides. Then help the kids hunt for Easter eggs on the bamboo lawns.

Time: 12:00 Place: Eight Restaurant Cost: R400 per person

Time: 12:30 Place: Old Wine Cellar Cost: R395 per person, Easter hunt included

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national braai day at eight

All guests.

Celebrate South Africa’s culinary heritage. A feast featuring pasture-reared meats and fresh veggies from the farm at our acclaimed farmto-table restaurant, Eight. Lunch includes a Hoghouse draught beer or glass of Spier Signature wine.

Time: 12:00 Place: Eight Restaurant Cost: R400 per person

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heritage spit braai at spier hotel

In-house guests only.

Tuck into meat roasted on the spit along with fresh farm-to-table sides. Includes a Hoghouse draught beer or glass of Spier Signature wine.

Time: 18:30 Place: Spier Hotel Cost: R395 per person

KIDS

EASTER SPECIAL Book now at Spier hotel and enjoy 25% off your 4 night stay. Use promo code: STAY 4 Dates valid from 1 April - 17 April 2017.

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HAPPENINGS

conferencing showcase

festive fun

On 25 January, we invited media and special guests to experience first-hand our refreshed conferencing offering. As live music set the tone, guests sampled our farm-to-table food pods and wine and beer tasting stations, getting a taste of our chefs’ latest inspirations.

The festive season was packed with good times! The Spier Hotel hosted a number of popular eating events, including a Farmer Angus braai, a seafood feast with live jazz, a Malay dinner, African drumming and potjie evenings, and make-your-own burgers and games nights. Christmas Day was celebrated the traditional way with a delicious buffet, while guests saw the New Year in with a party on the Werf.

cape town race week

Valentine’s Day Movie Night

Spier Wine was the official sponsor of the Maserati Cape Town Race Week held from 15 to 20 December 2016 as well as the 2017 Cape2Rio race between Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro.

Love-struck couples enjoyed a romantic evening picnic under the stars at Spier this Valentine’s day, watching the screening of the ‘The Best of Me’.

Cape Town Race Week has already established itself as South Africa’s premier regatta, attracting entries from around the country and sailors from around the world.

INSTAGRAM

theleadingwinesoftheworld: Shared dining accompanied by the wines of Spier, Stellenbosch #stellenbosch #southafrica #spierwines #spierwinefarm #theleadingwinesoftheworld

wparky87: Top sunset on the segway tour #instaparky #thisisafrica #segwaytour #spierwinefarm

FOLLOW US @SPIERWINEFARM

adrianallen22: Wine and wildlife! #badass #eagle #southafrica #stellenbosch #spierwinefarm #spierbirdsanctuary

viviennebuffkins: @marieb.photography #kobusdippenaarweddingcouture #bride #weddingdress #capetown #spier #sawedding

PREVIOUS #SPIERNEWS WINNER

WIN Take a picture of yourself AT SPIER using the hashtaG #SPIERNEWS9 AND stand a chance to win a lunch for 4 at Eight RESTAURANT TO THE VALUE OF R1000 AND your picture COULD be featured in the next edition of the newspaper.

Competition ends on 20 June 2017.

Terms & Conditions apply. travelsisi: Stellenbosch, South Africa // My stylish and comfy room for tonight #spier #spiermemories #wineestate #stellenbosch #capetown

joubertdane: picking grapes #spier #grapes #vineyard #peekaboo

lukemullan_: Last day in @spierwinefarm. Probably the best scrambled eggs I’ve ever had on top of their own homemade sourdough! #spiernews PAGE 7

1 Eagle Encounters

2 Craft Market

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3 Segway Tours

4 Wine Tasting

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7 Eight to go

Spier Mosaic Kraal

8 Eight Restaurant

9 Werf Cellar

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11 Manor House

13 Old Wine Cellar

14 Conference Centre

15 Amphitheatre

TAKE HOME A PIECE OF THE FARM LIFE

BUY LOCAL

Spier Hot

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A carefully curated selection of products both for the home and for the body is available in the shop adjoining Spier Hotel’s reception and at the Tasting Venue, allowing you to take home a piece of the Spier farm life.

19. SPIER SHOP

Enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail on the terrace with bar snacks, or breakfast, lunch or dinner at the Spier Hotel restaurant. Both the restaurant and wine bar strive to source the freshest available produce for the menus from a range of local suppliers and our farm.

Contact: +27 (21) 809 1100

18. SPIER HOTEL RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR

The craft market at Spier is situated under the trees, along the banks of the dam, right next to our Tasting Room.

Opening hours: from 10:00 - 17:30 during the summer months (to the first week of May).

Spier Hotel Restaurant & Wine Bar

Wastewater Treatment Plant

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17 Spier Spa

Spier Shop

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14. CONSCIOUS CONFERENCING

Wine Collection Point

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10. THE WERF

Hoghouse BBQ & Bakery

6. Mosaic kraal

The Werf

1. EAGLE ENCOUNTERS

Surrounded by beautiful Cape Dutch Buildings, Spier’s historic farmyard - the Werf - has been meticulously restored.

16. WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT

Spier has an open air venue hosting artistic and corporate events with a capacity of 1100 people.

ART - The spaces of the Spier Hotel and conferencing rooms are adorned with art from the Spier Collection - one of the most extensive collections of contemporary South African art in the country. Spier believes that the visual arts can provide both guests and staff with new insights, and challenge us to take a fresh look at our world and environment.

20. SPIER HOTEL The 1822 historic Manor House has been extensively restored and three different meeting rooms are available. The building features artworks from the Spier Collection - one of the largest collections of contemporary South African art in the country.

In 2007, Spier installed a pioneering centralised wastewater treatment plant which is the embodiment of our approach to waste management. It recycles 100% of our wastewater, treats it using only environmentally friendly methodology and the clean water is then used to irrigate the garden and grounds.

15. AMPHITHEATRE

12. THE HOGHOUSE BBQ & BAKERY

17. SPA AT SPIER

Our spa offers an indulgent array of massages and facials that will ensure you leave rejuvenated and relieved of stress.

Contact: thespa@spier.co.za.

The 4-star Spier Hotel is next to the calming waters of the Eerste River. The rooms are situated in village-style buildings grouped around six private courtyards, each with its own swimming pool in a design reminiscent of the Bo-Kaap or Mediterranean villages where pedestrians have right of way.

Contact: Reservations@spier.co.za The wood-fired oven and bakery kitchen, located in the historical Jonkershuis on the Werf, serves fresh bread, pastries and treats – which can also be pre-ordered 48 hours in advance. Chef PJ Vadas’s barbeque-focused lunch and dinner menu includes flavoursome grass-fed beef, pork, lamb and free-roaming chicken supplied by Spier’s Farmer Angus, perfectly paired with Spier wine or Hoghouse’s craft ales.

Contact: +27 (21) 881 3174 or howdy@hhbc.co.za

Spier’s Old Wine Cellar is South Africa’s oldest dated cellar building (1767), and is used for conferences & private functions.

13. OLD WINE CELLAR

WALKS AND TRAILS - Stroll around our peaceful water-wise gardens or visit the River Walk on the Eerste River’s south bank, which showcases our national flower.

Download the VoiceMap app and listen to our two audio tours on your phone: Walk the Farm (which starts at the Hotel entrance) and the historic Gables tour (which begins at the Tasting Room). 5km and 10km running route maps are available from the Spier Hotel reception.

11. MANOR HOUSE

The country’s first permanent outdoor exhibition of mosaic features the works of 16 contemporary South African artists – all crafted by the Spier Arts Academy.

7. EIGHT TO GO AND PICNICS

At the Eagle Encounters raptor rehabilitation centre, get up close and personal with birds of prey, and find out how these magnificent animals keep the Spier farm healthy and balanced.

2. CRAFT MARKET

Conferencing includes an auditorium that seats 430 people and three breakaway rooms, which can be used separately, or combined, to seat 250 people. Conference rooms are adjacent to the Eerste River and have views of the Helderberg mountains.

Contact: Conference@spier.co.za

From fridge magnets to masterpieces, the Spier Craft Market, right next to our Tasting Room, offers a wide range of art and crafts, made with a diverse range of materials, including mosaic, beads, textiles and ceramics.

Witness our winemaking team in action at the Spier Werf Cellar as they handcraft Spier’s first estate wine, made from organic vineyards that grow on the Spier farm.

9. WERF CELLAR

Eight is a farm-to-table eating experience in a beautiful setting next to the Eerste River. Like its name, the restaurant is an expression of balance, cycles, harmony, infinity and abundance.

The produce used at Eight is either grown on the farm or sourced from nearby farmers. Natural and organic ingredients are preferred and combined to create nourishing, healthy, and delicious food.

Contact: +27 (21) 809 1188 or at eight@spier.co.za.

8. EIGHT RESTAURANT

Eight to go offers ready-to-eat food, prepared according to the same principles as Eight. Local, natural and organic produce is used wherever possible, and food grown on the Spier farm is preferred. Wholesome picnics and sandwiches are available to be enjoyed with a bottle of award-winning Spier wine on the lawns of the farm.

Contact: +27 (021) 809 1188.

3. SEGWAY TOURS The Segway PT (Personal Transporter) is a two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle. The tour is a beautiful glide through the farm to the vineyards with some interesting facts about Spier’s farming practices and wastewater treatment plant on the way.

Contact: 021 809 1157 or visit www.segwaytours.co.za.

4. WINE TASTING Our Tasting Room on the banks of the Spier dam pairs our award-winning wine with delicious snacks. Relax in the airy lounge area, or take your glass outside onto the patio which has stunning views of the Helderberg mountains.

Contact: 021 09 1143/7

5. WINE COLLECTION POINT