Refurbished wine-tasting room reopens

Karen Watkins|Published 4 years ago

Groot Constantia CEO, Jean Naudé with James Vos, mayoral committee member for economic opportunities and asset management.

Groot Constantia’s finance team Amanda February, Nigel Cupido and Margie Gerber.

Karen Woodcock of Constantia with buyer Mariel Kaplan from Green Point.

Human resources manager Wendy Prins, personal assistant Rochelle Tarrentaal, Angie Malifu of Jonkershuis and Karen Woodcock.

Mariel Kaplan, a buyer from Green Point, cleaning hand-blown glasses from Swaziland.

Constantia wine farms breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday night after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced more curbs for the Covid-19 second wave, but exempted wineries from tighter alcohol restrictions.

President Ramaphosa said alcohol could be sold from retail outlets, only between 10am and 6pm, from Monday to Thursday.

But registered wineries and wine farms have been handed a reprieve, and can offer tastings and wine sales to the public for off-consumption over weekends.

At the reopening of the refurbished tasting room at Groot Constantia’s main wine-sales building on Tuesday, the wine farm’s chief executive officer Jean Naudé, said the president’s announcement showed that the government was focusing on the wine industry, and the gamble to renovate the wine-tasting area and open a gift shop had paid off.

“It will encourage visitors to buy something and take home a memory from here,” said Mr Naudé.

Groot Constantia winemaker Boela Gerber said they were supporting local crafters.

“Many of them took strain over the past year,” he said.

Some of these include the Peta Becker Projekt in Hout Bay and Hands of Hope, which teaches sewing to female prisoners at Pollsmoor.

Gift shop manager, Cathy O’Cleary with Groot Constantia’s winemaker, Boela Gerber.

The Groot Constantia gift shop is in the tasting room at the main entrance gate building. It is open daily from 9am to 6pm.