16 November we celebrate the 70th birthday of Henriëtta Neethling. It is always a privilege to open a bottle of Bizoe Wines with family and friends. Last Saturday we had a great party in Benoni celebrating her birthday.

Thinking back to the day I showed my mom the first Bizoe bottle I made. Estalet and I met up with my parents for the weekend at Pinnacle Point Golf Estate, during the Saturday morning breakfast at the clubhouse I pulled this bottle Bizoe Henrietta out of a bag showing my parents the new label and wine I have created. It took them a few second to realize what the name of the wine was, before the tears started flowing.

Until this day the questions come up quite often why, the first wine was named after Henriëtta? Henriëtta Neethling sacrifices so many things for her children and grandchildren that it just appropriate to name our first wine after her. A person that believed in us and would always support us in everything we do. A mom any boy can dream about.

Fruit set is currently happening in the vineyards. I overheard another winemaker mentioned that he needs 2 Novembers to get all the work done in the vineyards. November is always intensive month in the vineyards. We are currently removing some of the leaves and making sure there is a free flow of air in the canopy. I am pleased with the progress in the vineyards, although it’s a very dry year.

Salute to Henrietta Neethling!

You know that feeling standing on the golf tee box and your mates crawling and laughing and calling a pink drink! Lucky for me it doesn’t have to be a pink gin anymore. We have a proper pink drink now in the form of Rikus Neethling Rose! By the way for the non-golfers reading the opening sentence, you have to buy your golf buddies a pink gin if you can’t hit your tee shot further than the ladies tee’s.

Can’t think of a better time of than year than to have ice cold Grenache Rose in the glass. The vineyards is blossoming and looking great. In the vineyards we have started our yearly spray program to protect next year’s crop and to make sure we have a healthy grapes in the cellar. Also the time of the year when we sucker the vineyards, in lame man terms, help not to overload the vines with fruit to produce a healthy grape.

Let me tell you more about the Rikus Neethling Rose Grenache 2022. We sourced our grapes from De Liefde farm out in Breedekloof. Yes, the same farm we get our Bizoe Estalet Syrah grapes from. In the cellar we worked as lightly as possible with the grapes before being pressed. We have combined the free run juice and press juice before settling. Cold fermentation in stainless steel tanks, gives the wine a beautiful crisp freshness. Sitting on an alchohol of 11% just makes it the perfect summer drink.

As the year is winding down, I can’t believe we are already preparing for harvest 2023. Maintenance staff is hard at work making sure when the first grapes arrive in the cellar all the equipment is in working conditions. It feel surreal to walk in between the tanks that is empty and know that we are ready.

Let’s hope my golf improve that I can drink less pink gins in the clubhouse but more Rikus Neethling Grenache Rose!

After all the travelling this year I had the privileged to spend with my family. After celebrating my grandma’s 100^th birthday, we were in the Kruger National Park last week for a few days after. This gave me the perfect chance to educate our 8 year (almost 9 year) old twin boys about wildlife and wines.

When I started out in 2008, there was a company called “Let’s sell Lobster”, today its Lobster Inc. They started a program to educate staff in the hospitality industry about wine, using animals. Example, although I might be wrong as I haven’t seen the program. Cabernet Sauvignon would be linked to an elephant. Cabernet Sauvignon is a big wine with some tannins on the back bone. Elephant big, thick skin and ages well, for me that’s the same as a good old Cab! Perfect place to do some comparisons.

The best description I got from the boys is comparing a Semillon with a “bloukopkoggelmander”. As the koggelmander change colour the same as Semillon that can be made in different styles, light, elegant, oxidative, and serious. Well done Retief for finding a name for Bizoe Morningstar Semillon and Bizoe Robertsvleipad Semillon.

After a good break there, its amazing time to be back in the vineyards. The vines are starting shoot leaves. Making the right decisions now determine the quality of your grapes in 2023. 

We have started with the first suckering in the vineyards. What does that mean? In simple terms we are allocating 2 to 3 shoots per spur, making sure the shoots carry the optimal amount of grapes during the growing season. 

I am looking forwards spending the next few weeks in the vineyards and getting the cellar ready for vintage 2023.

This is my first trip to London after the pandemic, started it off by playing a round of golf with Mr James Davy, Anders Chudley and Jake Millburn (All from Davy Wines) at Royal Wimbledon Golf Club. Always great to be treated to a round of golf! 

Nico Grobler of La Brune Wines from Elgin joined me in London for the week. Francis Flavin (Wholesale Director at Davy Wines) treated us for a day out, meeting clients, tasting wines and evening taking us to Wine GB trade tasting. We even ended up at Medals of London tasting our wines and drinking away on some Italian Proseccos and Sauternes wines. We got a lecture on the Apollo 11 moon landing. Buzz Aldrine that landed on the moon with Neil Armstrong in Apollo 11 medals are on display at Medals of London.

The Davy New World Trade Event (the reason of going to London) at Davy Wine Merchant HQ. New world wines was the order of the day paired with music. Bizoe Morningstar Semillon 2019 paired with oysters and “Under the Sea” by Sameul E. Wright. Brad Horne from @winetimelondon (follow Brad on Instagram) led me and Nico to present a Masterclass of South African wines during the Davys Trade Event.

My favorite restaurant in London to dine at is Otto’s. I might be biased as you will find Bizoe Wines on their wine lists also. Otto’s restaurant has been reviewed as one of the best in the UK by food journalist and critic. We worked our way through some amazing wines at Otto during our dinner, Chateau Cos Labory 1997, Chateau D’ Anglude 2002 and Bandol Masde la Rouviére 2019. 

Oakley Court Hotel in Winsor with Martin Drotsky the operations manager. My paths crossed for the first time with Martin during his days at Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town in 2009. It was such a privilege to spend the morning with Martin again. Thanks to Martin for the incredible support of Bizoe Wines and South African Wines. 

Thanks to Davy Wine Merchants for hosting me in London, it’s always a highlight on my calendar to visit the Davys Team.

Father’s Day on Sunday gives me the perfect opportunity to write about my Dad. A dad that has made it possible for me to share my passion for wine with the world.

As some of you know that I have grown up and went to school in Benoni and ended up studying at the University of Stellenbosch. It must have taken faith for a dad to send his child in a direction that he wasn’t even sure about. That takes a bit of guts. A dad that invest in his son, to start a wine venture, (although he is a dentist). That takes guts. Naming a wine after my dad (Bizoe Tiny NLH) after all the sacrifices he made for me. That’s a pleasure!

The past week I spend time in Gauteng and visited some of our clients. Presented a wine dinner at Alfies Deli in Hazelwood Pretoria on the Wednesday evening. Loved the food and would be there at least once a week if I were staying in Pretoria. 

Oh and then presented a dinner with Chef Ransley Peterson at Royal Johannesburg & Kenningston new restaurant called the Old Oak. Ever heard of an organic oyster? Replicate the flavour of an oyster by using “spekboom” and herbs.

Final stop in Gauteng was Zest Bistro at The Retal Centre in Pretoria. Loved every minute of it in the company of Sydney and Anchen. Creating a family atmosphere and cooking homely food with a chef twist. I admire Sydney and see him as one of the best in Pretoria. Wines paired with his food was spot on and will definitely not be the last time that I have visited Zest Bistro in Hazelwood.

This week I am back in the cellar. Our last batch of the 2022 harvest has completed malolactic fermentation. All the wines is on its place to mature now. From now we will be working to start bottling the new wines, until we are making ready to bring the 2023 harvest in. Rain is pouring down while I am writing this blog post. Winter is here so cuddle up and light those fires, make some spicy food and sip on the red wines in the evenings!

Keep warm, keep dry and drink some Bizoe.