Ernie Els Wines Newsletter – September 2016

28 Sep

All the latest releases, news and offers from the team at Ernie Els Wines.

1. Ernie Els Wines proud to be official wine of the PGA of South Africa
The PGA of South Africa launched a new logo and slogan at its inaugural awards dinner at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club on Monday 26 September, entrenching its vision of being the heart of golf and using the game to make a greater impact in South Africa. The evening was hosted by Ivano Ficalbi (pictured above) Chief Executive of the PGA of South Africa. And, as a proud affiliate of this esteemed organisation, Ernie Els Wines was honored to be a part of the celebrations and we were happy to see the PGA professionals and their affiliates enjoying our fine wines.

“Touching lives through the game of golf” is the new slogan for the country’s oldest association of professional golfers. It was introduced by legendary South African professional, commentator and PGA of South Africa Honorary Life President, Denis Hutchinson.

Speaking on the evening, Ivano Ficalbi, Chief Executive of the PGA of South Africa, said: “Our aim is to help South African golf clubs realise where their true value lies, in their membership. A PGA professional touches so many lives, and this is in keeping with our focus as a respected global brand. Our aim is to ensure that our PGA members are trained in all aspects of the golf industry to assist the relevant golf clubs, bodies or development projects in delivering successful projects”.

For Ficalbi, the new slogan also reflects the incredible growth of the association in the past few years. “The PGA of South Africa now has partnered with over 30 major corporate brands, which gain access to the association’s over 600 members,” says Ficalbi. “We have put in a great deal of effort to get the PGA of South Africa to this point, where we can be recognised as a meaningful partner by major blue-chip companies.”

As part of the affiliation program, the official wine of the PGA of South Africa is the Ernie Els Clubhouse Selection, which is created exclusively for the enjoyment of members and visitors of golf and country clubs throughout South Africa. Two wines have been created:

Ernie Els Clubhouse Selection Red blend: A Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon blend that looks to provide a full-bodied and hearty red wine to be enjoyed in the winter months or with a plate of wholesome clubhouse food.

Ernie Els Clubhouse Selection Sauvignon Blanc: A crisp and refreshing wine made from fruit harvested in the cooler parts of the Western Cape including Durbanville, Darling and southern-slope Stellenbosch. Ideal for a refreshing drink after a round of golf in summer or winter.

This inaugural PGA of South Africa awards ceremony also recognised the country’s standout professionals of the year. The 2015 PGA Professional of the Year was San Lameer Golf Estate Golf Director Meyer du Toit, while Llewellyn van Leeuwen of the Tuks Academy was voted the 2015 PGA Teaching Professional of the Year. The 2015 National Order of Merit winner was Michael du Toit, and Johan Smit was the 2016 PGA National Champion. In addition, Kloof Country Club’s Kate Brett Castle was named the 2016 PGA Apprentice of the Year. Well done to all the winners.

2. Durban: We enjoy two iconic wine shows in two weeks
This August, Ernie Els Wines returned to Durban, KZN, for the Mercury Wine Week, as it opened its doors for the 38th consecutive year, and also to the annual Wade Bales Wine Society’s Wine & Whiskey Showcase. Jared Uys, Ernie Els Wines’ coastal brand ambassador, presented different wines from our portfolio and we are proud to say that our wines showed exceptionally well at both events, receiving great reviews from the Durban public.

Mercury Wine Week took place from August 24-26 at the Greyville Racecourse and gave traders, connoisseurs and wine lovers the chance to meet Jared Uys, Ernie Els Wines’ coastal brand ambassador, and sample our fine wines and learn more about the brand. The event was a great success and we would like to thank Mercury for the event, Meridian Wine Merchants for their unbelievable support throughout the event, and all the customers who took the time to join us.

The following week, Ernie Els Wines had the privilege of attending the Wade Bale Wine & Whiskey Showcase, held at The Chairman in Durban. Our association with the Wade Bales Wine Society goes back a long way and we have worked together on many projects to make sure that Wade’s customers receive very special attention. When it comes to selecting wines, they don’t simply bank on the old tried-and-tested supermarket brands. Quite the opposite. Wade’s sole focus is on excellence, exclusivity and the unknown. It is thus a great privilege for Ernie Els Wines to be associated with the Wade Bales Wine Society and an event that we always look forward to.

The festival couldn’t have been hosted at a more ideal venue: The Chairman is a sophisticated world-class bar that stimulates the imagination and bends all rules and conventions. Situated in the historic Point Precinct of Durban with an illustrious story. No better location, then, for The Chairman and for the Wade Bales Wine Society to host this wonderful event.

3. First ever trail run and MTB hosted at Ernie Els Wines!
Ernie Els Wines teamed up with the One Heart Foundation and Els for Autism to play host to the first ever trail run and mountain bike event at the vineyard. One Heart’s mission statement perfectly captures the essence of the day from start to finish – ‘Run, Read, Lead: A charity that combines reading development and sport in teaching values and promoting health’. Everyone on the Ernie Els Wines team was proud to be a part of this wonderful cause.

A pre-registration evening held on the Estate the evening prior to the race afforded local non-profit organisations the opportunity to connect and several synergies were established to make a greater difference to those in need. As for the event itself, the trails started at Peter Falke Wines and ran along cultivated single track through the beautiful Helderberg mountains and ended at Ernie Els Wines. There was something for everyone, from 3km kids’ races to a 30km mountain bike race. People ran and cycled for a good cause, with the proceeds going through the One Heart Foundation to donate (internationally renowned, CAPS aligned, SA Department of Education-endorsed) Key Links books to a handful of local special needs schools.

The collaboration of the non-profits and the entire experience was a resounding success, with hundreds of people participating on the trails and other constructive activities, which included children’s games, music, delicious food and of course Ernie Els wine. The day ended with an exciting prize giving, as well as a final opportunity to spread awareness about the communities serviced by both the One Heart Foundation and The Els for Autism Foundation.

We would like to thank Peter Falke for their generous support and also for all our neighbouring farms for their kindness and permission to run and cycle through their beautiful vineyards. We would definitely be hosting another event in the near future and we hope to see you there! For more information on the One Heart Foundation, visit the website: http://www.oneheartforkids.co.za/

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