HERITAGE HEROINE
In perfect time for Women’s Day came the latest addition to Nederburg’s Heritage Heroes collection of foodfriendly wines: The Beautiful Lady 2012 (R95 ex-cellar).
A gewürztraminer sourced from a single vineyard, “she” completes a range of wines named in honour of the people who played a key role in building Nederburg’s reputation, namely The Anchorman (a wooded chenin blanc commemorating founder Philippus Wolvaart); The Brewmaster (a Bordeauxstyle red paying tribute to Johann Graue, who bought Nederburg in 1937); The Young Airhawk (a wooded sauvignon blanc in memory of Graue’s son, Arnold, a promising winemaker who died tragically young in 1953); and The Motorcycle Marvel (a Rhône-style red named for legendary Nederburg cellarmaster Günter Brözel).
The “great and beautiful lady” — as Brözel described her — was Ilse Graue, wife to Johann and mother of Arnold. She oversaw the renovation of the Nederburg homestead, built by Wolvaart in 1800, turning it into a beautiful showcase for her Beckstein piano, paintings and crystal.
She also helped Johann label his wines in the early years, going with him to try to sell this completely unknown brand to hotels and restaurants in Cape Town — a thankless task at first. Then, as visitors started arriving at Nederburg in their droves, she proved a welcoming and gracious hostess, her piano recitals and rose garden almost as much of a drawcard as her husband’s wines.
Cellarmaster Razvan Macici hopes his gewürztraminer is a fitting tribute to Ilse, from its rose-petal aromatics to the lovely impression it leaves afterwards. Pineapple, litchi and Turkish delight flavours give it a subtle sweetness, but piercing acidity keeps it from being cloying and makes it a beautiful (even ladylike?) match for food ranging from dainty fruit flans to fragrant Thai and spicy Indian curries.