with another six estate lodges. This follows the phenomenal response to the first lodges, which have been completed and were sold to private and corporate buyers.

The lodges are ideally located adjacent to the scenic 19th fairway of the Western Cape's only 27-hole golf course, which was upgraded and designed by David Frost.

Units are luxurious, fully furnished and maintained and have double bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms, living rooms, dining rooms and kitchens, as well as patios and terraces with plunge pools or jacuzzis.

They are available at a special launch offer from R1,6 million. The price includes a golf cart as well as all Paarl Golf Club membership benefits whilst in residence.

Certain lodges are available on a sectional title basis and may be syndicated amongst groups of friends or business associates.

Boschenmeer Golf and Country Estate offers a number of other residential options, which include plots where purchasers have the option to design and build their own home in accordance to the architectural guidelines of the estate.

Alternatively there are eleven house designs available.

The estate is almost sold out, but a number of the best stands are still available, including a select few that border onto the Berg River.

The sales team is on site from 10:00 to 18:00 every day, seven days a week on tel 863-1133, fax 863-1134 or visit the website at www.boschenmeer.co.za.

THIS year 14 new participants from many of the foremost Cape wine regions are making their debut on the Nederburg Auction at Nederburg, in Paarl, on April 11 and 12.

They are Cape Chamonix, Bergsig Estate, Cape Point Vineyards, Grangehurst, Hazendal, Iona Vineyards, Koelenhof Wine Cellar, Laibach Vineyards, MC Square, Mooiplaas Estate, Southern Right Vineyards, Steenberg, SylvanVale Vineyards and Upland.

Their vineyards stretch from the unique Cape Peninsula area, the traditional wineproducing heartland of Constantia, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Wellington and Franschhoek to the outlying Elgin, Walker Bay and Breede River valleys.

 The newcomers' spectrum of 15 unusual wines features two Chardonnays, two Sauvignon Blancs, one Chenin Blanc, four Pinotages, two Cabernet Sauvignons, three red blends and one port wine.

The chardonnays were both award-winners in their own right. The flagship Chamonix Chardonnay Reserve 1997 on auction was the winner of a gold medal in the Chardonnay du Monde Awards for two years running; rated five stars in Decanter magazine, won a Veritas gold medal in 2000 and the Preteux Bourgeois Classic Wine Trophy for white wine in 1998.

The other is the award-winning MC Square Chardonnay Reserve 2000.

Cape Point Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2000 won its owner Sybrand van der Spuy the Jan Smuts Trophy for the best young wine and the JG Graue Trophy for the best white table wine at the SA Young Wine Show in 2000, as well as a gold medal at the Michelangelo International Wine Awards in 2000.

Laibach's Pinotage was a runner-up in the last Absa Top Ten Pinotage competition. Laibach, situated in the Muldersvlei Bowl, is owned by Dr Petra Laibach-Kuehner and Dr Rudolf Kuehner from Germany and Stefan Dorst is the consultant winemaker.

The Koelenhof Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend 1998 was a family affair made by Andries de Vries, a third-generation winemaker, at one of the oldest co-operatives in the country, and since 2001 a fully-fledged company, but still with the De Vries family at the helm.

DIE bekende Wes-Kaapse firma Jan S de Villiers is pas as die beste regsfirma in sy kategorie in Suid-Afrika aangewys. Daar is geen ander kategoriewenners in die Wes-Kaap nie.

Die onafhanklike marknavorsers Professional Management Review (PMR) het die firma as deel van hul oorsig van professionele dienslewering in Suid-Afrika as die beste regsfirma aangewys in 'n opname wat jaarliks onder regsfirmas se kliënte uitgevoer word.

Jan S de Villiers het 'n gradering van 91,4% gekry - die hoogste punt van enige prokureursfirma in enige kategorie in Suid-Afrika.

PMR nader nagenoeg 800 van die grootste korporatiewe entiteite in Suid-Afrika direk en verkry terugvoering van finansiële direkteure, regsadviseurs en maatskappysekretarisse.

Kliënte voltooi 'n gedetaileerde vraelys en word om verbatim-kommentaar gevra. Dié navorsing word gedoen sonder die prokureurs se wete of betrokkenheid.

Wat die prestasie nog meer merkwaardig maak, is dat Jan S de Villiers die enigste oorspronklike Wes-Kaapse regsfirma is wat die beste in sy kategorie presteer het.

Die firma is aan die begin van die vorige eeu in Kaapstad gestig, maar het nou ook kantore in die Paarl, Tygervallei, en Stellenbosch.

Volgens Boy Louw, vennoot by die Paarl-kantoor van Jan S de Villiers, bevestig dit die firma se klem op goeie kliëntediens.

"Die beste manier om 'n diensverskaffer te beoordeel, is om die kliënt te vra."

* The legal firm Jan S de Villiers has won a PMR award for excellence.

THREE wines from the same varietal and the same winery, Fairview, all received 90 points and above in the same edition of Wine Spectator magazine - a rare accomplishment.

It also underlines the distinct terroir-driven character of each Shiraz created by Fairview in Paarl.

The Wine Spectator is a leading United States magazine, whose rating system out of 100 has become a world benchmark used by most wineries marketing products in that country to judge their wines.

In the February edition of the magazine the 2001 Fairview Solitude Shiraz received 92 points, the 2001 Beacon Shiraz 91 points and the 2000 Cyril Back Shiraz 90 points. The 2001 Fairview Goat-Roti, a Shiraz, Mourvédre and Viognier blend, received 88 points.

This achievement follows closely on another recent success by Fairview wines, which claimed two Blue-Gold Medals and was named among the select Sydney Top 100 Competition wines in Australia. These were the 2001 Pegleg Carignan and the 2001 Primo Pinotage.

Charles Back and his winemaking team led by Anthony de Jager fashioned the wines according to the grapes supplied from three distinctive vineyards.

The Solitude and Beacon wines are single vineyard cuvées, while the Cyril Back Shiraz is from specially selected grapes on Fairview.

They are all terroir specific wines and the first two come from wine farms where Charles has developed a personal relationship with the owners to cultivate carefully selected blocks of grapes.

Each name depicts the special character associated with the source of the wine, with Solitude being the translated name of the farm belonging to Christo Briers-Louw, whose family has owned "Eenzaamheid" near Perdeberg since 1775. Beacon 194 is situated on the highest crest of Willie Dreyer's farm near Koelenhof. His family has farmed in the Paarl area since 1705.

The Cyril Back Shiraz was so named to honour Charles' father, who first planted this varietal back in the 1950s.

He took Shiraz to new heights in Paarl, capturing the then Boberg Regional New Wine Show in 1974 as the best estate, while his Shiraz took both top red wine and overall champion.

It was then that he decided the time was right to start bottling his own wines and he did so with flair - initiating the first known wine auction to be held in modern day South Africa.

He offered a variety of wines, but it was a batch of Shiraz that took the day, fetching a princely R3 a bottle. "Shiraz has always been the key to our success and will continue in that role," said Charles.

THE beautiful Hazendal wine estate in Bottelary will be sold by public auction on Thursday 20 March at 11:15 on the site by the Michael James Organisation.

The property is situated approximately 15 kilometres west of Stellenbosch on the northern slopes of the Bottelary Mountain and comprises a wine estate of approximately 146 hectares.

With a history dating back to 1699, Hazendal was purchased in 1994 by Dr Mark Voloshin (Chairmain of the International Marvol Group), who restored this historic property back to its former glory, forging a fascinating blend of Cape Dutch and Russian Cultures.

An impressive "Hermitage" restaurant is at the heart of Hazendal.  Joined by a glass wall to the wine cellar and spanned by a hand-painted, vaulted ceiling, guests are in awe of their spectacular surroundings. Alongside the restaurant is the wine tasting centre where you can sample Hazendal's award winning wines.

A MULTI-PURPOSE Community Centre is to be developed in Pniel with provincial funding of R1,5 milion.

This local initiative involves identifying ideas and skills to stimulate economic growth and development. 

Because of the success reach so far the MEC for housing, through the "Human Settlement Re-Development Programme", handed over a further amount of R1,479 million yesterday.

"This initiative should serve as another example of how the local authority and the community can work together for a better life for all", said Alderman Willie Ortell, Mayor of the Greater Stellenbosch. 

The money would be used to create about forty small-business opportunities and three hundred new jobs in this small community. 

Training has already been given in fields like project management, creating business plans as well as technical training to be able to assist with the installation of hardware and software.

Training will in future be give in fields ranging from typing to financial management and business support will be available to those that form part of the programme. The process was initiated by the previous Pniel Transitional Council and is now supported by the Stellenbosch Municipality.  It will be managed by a representative committee.

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