Thursday: 07 August 2003

This site will be updated on: 14 August  2003 at 17:00

Business - Sakenuus

• Local winemaker takes on French government
• Launch of first learnerships at local factory
• Exclusive hotel to open
• Opname in landbou
• Werkers presteer
• Veritas roem wag vir wyne

PAARLITE Charles Back of Fairview Estate is one of only two South Africans to be nominated by Wine International for their Wine Personality of the Year award - and on Friday he showed why.

He led a march on the offices of the French Chamber of Commerce and

did accept a magnum of Goats do Roam wine and a selection of goat cheeses from Fairview

Back and about 40 farmworkers had staged a good humoured picket to challenge the French government body Institut National des Appellations de Origine (INAO) regarding the trademark registration of Back's "Goats" range of wines.

According to INAO, the Goats range, which includes Goat-Roti, Goats do Roam and Goat d'Afrique, unfairly resembles the controlled appellation of Cotes du Rhone and Cotes Rotie wines trademark.

Some of the protesters, donning goat masks, held aloft placards proclaiming "Save our Goat," "Support our Bokke", and "Don't buck our goat," as they sang and danced in Queen Victoria Street.      

Back was later allowed into the trade commission's offices and handed over the wines. His offer, in an attempt to poke fun at the French bureaucrats, of a packet of goat manure was declined.

Back said that should Fairview have to withdraw its Goats range, it could result in the estate losing a substantial portion of its business. It could also have labour implications.

The Goats range is a registered trademark in Britain, northern Ireland and South Africa, but met with heavy resistance when an application was made for registration in the United States.

"Although we are internationally renowned for our Rhone varieties, the names of this range is derived from our herd of goats at Fairview and stipulates that it is proudly South African of origin," Back said.

"The similarities to the Cote Roti and Cotes du Rhone are purely co-incidental," he told Sapa

The internationally acclaimed publication Wine International has nominated Back for the award of Wine Personality of the Year in celebration of their twentieth anniversary to recognise achievements of members of the international wine industry.

The three categories for nominations are terroir, innovation and pro bono vinum.

Back has been nominated as a pioneer from the days when the local wine industry favoured a conservative approach. 

The flamboyant Back was responsible for developing new regions such as Darling and styles such as the fruity Rhone-inspired Goats do Roam label. Amongst his innovations are the first sulphur-free wines in South Africa, the introduction of self-adhesive labels in 1979 and carbonic maceration. 

He was also the first to plant Viognier and Mourvedre cultivars and to produce fruit-driven and kosher wines. 

In terms of social responsibility, Fairview became the first to grant farm workers' ownership of farm houses and to go into partnership with an African partner, Jabulani Ntshangase.The awards will be decided by public voting in conjunction with a selective panel of judges representing the wine industry. Votes could be cast on the website www.wineint.com until 31 July.

Beyers Truter of Kanonkop and Beyerskloof is the only other South African nominee.

FIRST TWO learnerships, considered the way forward for skills development in South Africa, were launched by Boland College at Pacmar in Wellington recently, to coincide with the opening of a new training facility at this fruit juice processing plant.

"This is a truly historic occasion, both for Boland College, which initiated the project, as well as for Pacmar, who is hosting the learnership and who will benefit from the training," said Chops Fourie, CEO of the Boland College.

Cathy Robertson, Director of Training Development of the Boland College, who sourced Pacmar as the lead employer and who is project managing the learnership, explained the benefits of this new mode of training.

"A learnership is actually a tripartate agreement between the three parties: the learner, the employer and the training provider.

"Similar to an apprenticeship, it offers workplace training as well as theoretical training which will lead to a full qualification.

"However, unlike an apprenticeship, the learner is not withdrawn from the workplace to undergo classroom training for a block release period of time spent at a training institution," she explained.

The learners have all been selected and recruited from local unemployed people who have applied for work at Pacmar. They will be qualified to work in the industry by October 2004. Their 14 month long training commenced this week.

The trainers have been hand-picked from Pacmar employees who are experts in their fields. They have already undergone training in outcomesbased education (OBE) at the Boland College.

The language, mathematical and computer training will be done by Boland College.

All the training, except the computer training, will take place on site in the newly-equipped training centre at Pacmar.

"In future, should there be vacancies for full-time employment at Pacmar, these qualified learners will be selected to fill these vacancies," said Marius van Tonder, Human Resources Manager of Pacmar.

Full-time employees at Pacmar will also undergo this training.

Boland College hopes to extend this training to other companies in the area. Cathy Robertson can be contacted at 886-7111 or cathyr@bolandcollege.com.

TWEE werknemers van Paarl Print, Pieter Koorts en Erick Carstens, het onlangs hul vakleerlingskap met vlieënde vaandels geslaag.

Koorts en Carstens, wat albei 21 jaar oud is, is nou gekwalifiseerde masjienbedieners.

Koorts het 'n slaagsyfer van 91,48% in sy finale toets behaal terwyl Carstens kort op sy hakke spog met 'n slaagsyfer van 90,94%.

Hulle het die finale toets op die Roland 305 LTV platveldrukker afgelê.

Volgens Pieter Steenkamp (Bedryfsbestuurder: Advertensies en Publikasies), het hierdie twee manne hulle goeie punte verdien: "Ons is trots op Pieter en Erick se prestasies".

WYNMAKERS moet opskud om hul uitsonderlike wyne betyds vir die Veritas Toekennings in te skryf voor 14 Augustus.

Dié prestige toekennings bekroon jaarliks wyne van hoogstaande gehalte. Veritas plakkertjies, wat na afloop van die toekennings op wenwyne verskyn, dien ook as 'n gesaghebbende gehaltemaatstaf vir verbruikers.

Beoordeling vind vanjaar van 1 tot 5 September op Nederburg plaas.

Riglyne vir die beoordeling van die verskillende wynstyle, soos deur die toepaslike gehaltegroepe vir spesifieke style of kultivars neergelê, sal tydens beoordeling toegepas word.

'n Dubbelgoud Veritas medalje word op konsensusbasis toegeken mits die sewe beoordelaars op 'n paneel 17 of meer punte uit 20 toeken.

Die gesogte dubbelgoud en goud toekennings sal op Vrydag 3 Oktober tydens 'n galadinee op Nederburg vir vanjaar se uitblinkerwyne toegeken word.

Vir navrae, kontak Elsabé Ferreira by 807-3104,ferreira@vinpro.co.za of besoek www.veritas.co.za vir meer besonderhede.

THE Southern Sun hotel group has clinched a lucrative piece of the highly sought-after spa and wellness market, scooping the management contract for multi-million rand Winelands Hotel and Wellness Centre being built in Simondium near Paarl.

The epitome of absolute luxury and style, the Winelands Hotel and Wellness Centre is a perfect fit within Southern Sun's new portfolio of upscale hotels, The Southern Sun Collection, says MD Helder Pereira. "Targeted at the top end of the international leisure and wellness sector, the complex will also strongly appeal to a growing domestic market seeking facilities of this nature.

"Southern Sun is delighted to be part of this exciting product. The facility offers something unique and promises to redefine the wellness experience in this country."

The complex, which is being developed by Original Developments (Odev), who specialise in unique lifestyle estate developments, is scheduled to open next month.

The purpose-built hotel and wellness centre is set in the midst of a 160-hectare working wine estate in the Franschhoek Valley. It is within close proximity of the Cape's top golf courses and is only 30 minutes drive from Cape Town and the international airport.

Developer Eduard du Plessis says that The Winelands estate, flagship project for Odev, is located in an exquisite natural setting that is particularly conducive to a wellness lifestyle.

"In South Africa, we have the opportunity to capitalise on our country's brilliant colours, open spaces and natural beauty in order to create unique tourism products around the themes of wellness and an holistic approach to mind, body and soul.

"With its world class facilities and the superb service and expert attention to detail that is the landmark of The Southern Sun Collection, The Winelands Hotel and Wellness Centre is set to become another jewel in the crown of the Western Cape."

The Wellness Centre, operated by the Santé brand, boasts cutting edge therapies, state-of-the-art technology, in-house expert health practitioners, lifestyle consultants and dieticians.

The centre's signature Vinotherapy - which offers grape seed therapy in the midst of the vineyards - is a first for South Africa and significantly, it is only the second centre in the world to offer this unique treatment.

Vinotherapy was launched in 2001 by Les Sources de Caudalie - a luxurious French spa near Bordeaux.

The complex will offer a diverse range of world-class accommodation options, wellness treatments, leisure facilities, fitness training, conference and meeting facilities and gourmet cuisine.

Guests can choose to stay in any of the 93 luxuriously appointed rooms. These include 11 fully equipped four-bedroom villas overlooking the lake and each boasting its own private swimming pool; 39 wellness suite apartments, with all the comforts of home such as underfloor heating, DSTV, DVD, a fireplace and a small kitchen, and an exclusive ten-room boutique hotel with a private spa in each bedroom.

The hotel will provide every service one would expect at a luxury hotel, including a library, 24-hour room service, valet parking, concierge, same-day laundry and dry-cleaning services, DVD players in each room, two restaurants, a hair salon, chauffeur driven vehicles and guided tours.

The Business Centre provides conference facilities for 180 delegates, facilities for exhibitions, four meeting rooms and a boardroom, with internet access and business services to meet any requirement.

"For guests who are pursuing holistic wellbeing and want a sanctuary to relax and recuperate, or just a different place to work, meet or network, the Winelands Hotel and Wellness Centre offers tranquility, privacy and a distinctive, world-class experience within the warm embrace of Boland hospitality," concludes Pereira.

"DIE Wes-Kaapse Departement Landbou is by uitstek toegewyd tot kliënt-gedrewe dienslewering aan die wye spektrum van rolspelers in die provinsie se landbousektor," sê dr Pieter van Rooyen, Departementshoof, "en 'n tevredenheidsopname oor ons werksaamhede word tans van stapel gestuur per telefoon.

"Ons fokus sentreer rondom die ontwikkeling en oordrag van toepaslike tegnologie in lyn met die behoeftes van produsente en verbruikers, die bewaring van ons natuurlike landbouhulpbronne, asook opleiding aan voornemende en bestaande landbouprodusente, plaaswerkers en ander landboukundiges."

Die Departement se dienslewering sluit voorts die bevordering van dieregesondheid in vir optimale produksie en reproduksie van diere, asook strategieë om te verseker dat gesonde voedsel van diere-oorsprong die verbruiker bereik. 

Daar word ook indringend aandag gegee aan die ordelike vestiging van nuwe toetreders tot die landbousektor.

"Departement Landbou is tans besig om 'n kliënte-tevredenheidopname van stapel te stuur om te bepaal watter persepsie ons onderskeie teikengroepe van ons het in terme van dienslewering," verduidelik hy. 

"Verder wil ons vasstel watter addisionele behoeftes kliënte het sodat ons ons dienslewering dienooreenkomstig kan aanpas."

"Die opname sal deur middel van telefoononderhoude geskied en 'n verteenwoordigende aantal rolspelers sal gekontak word," sê Van Rooyen. 

"Ek wil graag produsente en ander persone betrokke in die landbousektor aanmoedig om die onderhoudvoerders te woord te staan en hul opinie te lug - op hierdie manier kan Departement Landbou verseker dat sy dienslewering in lyn bly met die behoeftes van ons kliënte."

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