Standard Bank to host exclusive wine tasting experience

Standard Bank is bringing the vineyard to the City of Johannesburg this February by hosting an exclusive summer wine tasting experience in partnership with the Chenin Blanc Association (CBA) for its wine-loving clients to enjoy and indulge in. 

The event, which will take place on February 19 at Summer Place in Johannesburg, promises to offer its visitors a chance to sample wines from the country’s top 20 Chenin Blanc producers including the winning wines from the 2021 Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge. Guests will also get to learn more about the flavour profile of each wine, region of origin and the story behind the label.

Wine educators from the Chenin Blanc Association will guide guests through a detailed tasting, which will be followed by a question-and-answer session where participants can ask anything about the wine in their glass. All wines showcased during the event will be available for purchase on the night.

Speaking on behalf of Standard Bank, Head of Client Coverage in the Gauteng Province, Lee-John Maans, says that the wine tasting has been created exclusively for the bank’s Professional, Prestige, Private and Signature Banking clients and forms part of Standard Bank’s efforts to bring exceptional experiences and additional value to its clients that go beyond the domain of financial services. 

“As Standard Bank, we continue to look for ways in which we can engage meaningfully with our customers, who have various passions and hobbies. This provides a fantastic opportunity for us to create memorable experiences for them that touch on such interests. While this is an inaugural event, it is safe to say that our clients can look forward to further iterations in the future.”

Standard Bank has enjoyed a successful and fruitful relationship with the Chenin Blanc Association over the years. The two partners have managed and organised the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge, which aims to recognise and celebrate superior Chenin winemakers and awards a cash prize to each of the producers of the top 10 Chenin’s selected. The money goes towards producer projects intended to reinforce economic and social benefits in the workplace. Producers thus far have used their winnings to invest in a range of initiatives to enhance the lives of their worker communities.  These have ranged from educational, to health and housing projects.

Ken Forrester, Chairman of the Chenin Blanc Association says: “Reputationally, South African Chenin Blanc’s time has come. It garners widespread critical acclaim and people are prepared to pay more for it. This is supported by the well above inflation rate year-on-year rise we see in the average retail selling price of the Top 10 Challenge winners. Given Chenin’s success at home and abroad, by 2020, the number of winegrowers cultivating the grape in South Africa had risen to almost 300. Of course, the severe and lasting impact of the now-lifted COVID-19 ban on export and domestic alcohol sales may alter that trajectory.”

Lee-John Maans says that Standard Bank is excited about the upcoming Chenin summer tasting experience and “we are looking forward to engaging with some of our clients over a few glasses of SA’s best Chenin wines at one of the most serene and upmarket event locations in the city”.

Standard Bank’s Professional, Prestige, Private and Signature Banking clients will be treated to VIP entertainment, gifting, as well as catering on the day of the event.

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