At the 2010 Robertson Young Wine Show we were named the most successful winery, winning 7 champion trophies for our young wines.  It was all very unexpected and a very proud moment for me and my team!   

Doing the famous pose of Marilyn Monroe while balancing on a wine barrel for woman's magazine photoshoot!  Also the surprise speech I had to deliver at the 2010 Robertson Young Wine Show after taking 7 trophies, because it was so very unexpected.

Having to keep track of all 164 tanks of wine - knowing exactly what is where, and at what stage in the winemaking process (and we're adding more this year!).  Also the strive to continiously make better quality wine, and the quality control processes involved.  Detail! 

Why I became a winemaker (and how old I am!), which is my best wine and quite often which is my most expensive wine.

 

Favourite Music:  No specific genre, but I love anything poetic from the deep soulful Nick Cave to my favourite Afrikaans artist, Piet Botha

Favourite Movie: Dangerous Liaisons with Glenn Close and John Malkovich - the acting is superb and I love their wit and immediacy in the movie

Favourite Food:  Any Seafood

Favourite Pastime:  Wine, friends, music & mountain-biking

Favourite Quote: "Wine is bottled poetry" - Robert Louis Stevenson

 

The 2010 Christina van Loveren Shiraz.    I love the way this wine express the fruit with well-integrated oak.  It shows appealing pepperiness on the palate and perfume on the nose.  Shiraz as a grape variety is lovely to work with as I am often surprised by the results, where different expressions of the variety exist.