Akkedisberg Boerdery Launches Its First Wine: Southern Treasures Pinotage 2021
Akkedisberg Boerdery Launches Its First Wine: Southern Treasures Pinotage 2021. Twenty members of Akkedisberg launched their first wine, Southern Treasures Pinotage 2021, on Wednesday 10 May 2023. Akkedisberg Boerdery, a company with a trust as shareholders and beneficiaries, was founded in 2013. They lease 16 hectares of land from Raka Wines, at a nominal amount with a 30-year agreement.
“This is a story about a respected and well-known family business, the Dreyer family, a dedicated mentor who, together with their workers, embarked on a journey to create and build a dream.” This, according to Wendy Petersen, Executive Manager of the SA Wine Industry Transformation Unit (SAWITU). “The story behind this new brand is a community living in harmony with what nature gave them and how there is a mutual appreciation. Now, a hidden treasure from the Klein River Valley is in a bottle for everyone to enjoy and appreciate.”
The brand name Southern Treasures refers to the people who made this empowerment project possible. According to Petersen, the expression “eating a sack of salt together” does not adequately describe what this project achieved within ten years. “Rather seven heavy sacks of salt, such as in the well-known Afrikaans nursery rhyme, which the workers of Akkedisberg and the owners of Raka have now transformed into 16 hectares of hope. They inspire the whole community.”
Led by their mentor Josef Dreyer and their two directors, Mariëtte Moos and Christel Moses, Akkedisberg’s proud group of men and women is now launching their first barrel-aged Southern Treasures Pinotage 2021, made from grapes from their own vineyards. Generations close to the vineyard have worked together in these southern vineyards to create an excellent version of South Africa’s distinctive Pinotage cultivar. A wine that has aromas of ripe cherry, blackberry, plum and light hints of oak that promise excellent ageing potential. Conscious wine drinkers will be happy to hear that the environmental impact from packaging to the vineyard reflects care. In addition, sales of this wine support a better life for the families of Akkedisberg.
