Wine on the River was a resounding success for Le Grand Chasseur as they offered patrons a selection of their best wines from the past two years.

The festival, which took place at Goudmyn Farm on the banks of the Breede River last weekend, saw more than 30 wineries from the Robertson area present 300 wines between them.

Le Grand Chasseur winemaker Carel Botha painted a pretty picture of families and friends sitting together under shady trees, sipping wine and enjoying lunch.

He said it was the perfect opportunity for the Western Cape arm of Habata Agri to showcase their new products to consumers.

“It was an opportunity to offer our new products to the public and allow them to try it, especially now that we’ve bottled under the new Habata brand,” said Botha.

Wine enthusiasts were able to sample the winery’s prize-winning Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, Shiraz, White Muscadel and Sauvignon Blanc, along with four other varieties.

The Sauvignon Blanc, said Botha, was one of the most popular options of the weekend. He explained the fresh, cool flavours were perfectly suited to the warm summer days.

The weekend was a great success with more than double the amount sold compared to last year, he said.

“People gave such good comments. They liked the new wines and new (Habata) label and overall the feedback was very positive.”

After Wine on the River, Le Grand Chasseur wines will make their way across the country to the Eastern Cape for the Seekoei River Wine Festival in Jeffreys Bay in December.

“I think it will do very well there because the Habata brand is better known to the Eastern Cape community,” he explained.

“With the new label, it will also be a more striking product and we’ll have a bigger range, so I’m looking forward to that.”

Financial accountant Christie Rabie said the Habata logo was modernised earlier this year and was currently being introduced across their operations.

“Habata is a strong company with a respectful family heritage and we wanted to portray those values,” she explained.

“The new logo doesn’t have too many frills. We wanted to keep it simple, yet still represent the earth, in relation to a modern, innovative company that embraces the latest trends and practices.”

The rolling out of the updated corporate identity was an ongoing process, said Rabie, who pointed out that some elements – such as the company vehicles – were yet to be rebranded.

“It isn’t easy to incorporate a fresh fruit company with wine, but I think in the end we pulled it together.”

Botha echoed her sentiments and said he was happy with the product, both inside and out.

Le Grand Chasseur’s cellar assistant Theunis Dreyer (left) and section manager Francois Viljoen were part of a successful show at Wine on the River last weekend. Photo: Supplied

Issued by: Full Stop Communications