Diverse Flavours will introduce Groot Constantia wines to travel retail for the first time at the TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition in Singapore next week (stand number: C34).
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Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve |
According to Diverse Flavours, the history of Groot Constantia dates back over 300 years to the establishment of the first wine farm in South Africa, which created the origins of the South African wine industry.
In 1685 Simon van der Stel, the first Governor of the Cape Colony, was granted 763 hectares of the farm land which he later named Constantia. The location was said to be chosen for its favourable soils and mountain slopes gently cooled by the ocean breezes of False Bay.
During the 18th century the sweet wines of Constantia received international acclaim for their superior quality and became known throughout the world as “˜Constantia Wyn (wine)’. The wines began to fetch extremely high prices at auctions in many European cities and soon came to rival the sweet wines of Europe, Diverse Flavours added.
In 2004 Groot Constantia received another significant historical endorsement when an American citizen picked up a piece of glass on the beach at Lewes, Delaware, on the east coast of America. The piece of glass had an inscription “˜Constantia Wyn’ on it and American historians traced this artefact to a ship that was stranded in the Delaware Bay in 1774.
To commemorate this discovery, the wine bottle of Grand Constance – a modern version of the wine made during the 1700s and 1800s – features a replica of the inscription of the glass artefact, found on the beach at Lewes. Groot Constantia and Grand Constance represent one of the oldest surviving trademarks in the world today, the company added.
Each year Groot Constantia receives 300,000 visitors, and is one of the “˜Big 6′ tourist destinations in the Cape. The brand is therefore “very well known” to the tens of thousands of Chinese visitors who visit Cape Town every year, noted Diverse Flavours.
Diverse Flavours Managing Director Anthony Budd commented: “Groot Constantia is one of the most iconic brands in South Africa and with its amazing history ranks as one of the world’s most enduring brands. We are delighted to bring Groot Constantia Wine into our portfolio alongside Ernie Els Wines, Cederberg, Avondale, Deetlefs, Napier and Raats Family wines. It will make an even greater team.
“At TFWA we will be showing the Gouverneurs Reserve, Pinotage, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Blanc De Noir, and the very special and rare Grand Constance.”
For more information, contact Anthony Budd, tel: +27 71 255 7344/+27 21 851 1358, fax: +27 86 668 0755; or e-mail: anthonybudd@diverseflavours.com. Visit www.diverseflavours.com.
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Grand Constance is a modern version of Groot Constantia made during the 1700s and 1800s |
