Monthly Archives: October 2011

Here are some gorgeous shots from our recent Blackberry Pink Polo Event, which was held in aid of breast cancer. It was a glamorous day attended by a host of stylish guests and chic celebs, all eager to support this worthy cause.

Visit The Jog Blog to see more pictures and to read more about the fabulous event.

The Val de Vie Events team recently appeared on the Expresso Show as part of their special wedding-inspired episode. We loved every moment of being on air and meeting the fabulous Expresso team!

Viewers were treated to all the details about our upcoming Célébrer Luxury Wedding Workshop, which Val de Vie will be hosting in association with Estée Lauder on Friday 4 November 2011 and Saturday 5 November 2011. It's a time to be inspired, pampered and dazzled by some of the most sought-after service providers in the wedding industry. Discerning brides-to-be will be able to make their big wedding decisions with ease, all while enjoying the gorgeous surroundings of Val de Vie.

Apart from the fun and interactive event, each guest will also walk away with a goodie bag valued at R600. Expect to find a gift registry packet from @Home, a Be Premiere professional hair salon voucher, 20% off vouchers on Uwe Koetter’s Bespoke Jewellery Collection, a fine dark Lindt chocolate slab, a ‘little pink book’ (to help plan the big day), and a FAIRLADY Bride magazine, as well as the Val de Vie magazine.

Don't forget to buy your tickets on our website ASAP!

AD and Reza celebrated their wedding at Val de Vie, and it was such a gorgeous occasion! There was so much to take in - an outdoor ceremony next to the polo fields, a stunning reception in the ballroom and soft, elegant colour scheme that created a true sense of romance. Here are some lovely photos by Nikki Meyer, be sure to see more on her website!

Val de Vie’s unique Rhône-style wines picked up some gleaming awards at the International Wine and Spirits Competition last week.

All four of Val de Vie’s signature black label range wines managed to walk away with awards. The Seventeen Eighty Three 2007, a Mourvedre based blend with Shiraz, Grenache, Carignan and Cinsaut was awarded Gold and lauded for its minty, earthy, savoury notes with ripe red berry fruits which all clamour for attention on the nose.

The Ryk Neethling 2009 blend was awarded Silver, for its fruit driven elegance made up of Shiraz, Carignan, Mourvedre, Grenache and Cinsaut cultivars.  Already sporting a four star platter rating, the Val de Vie GVC 2008, a white Rhône-style blend, was also awarded Silver for its versatility depicted within its freshness and subtle fruit flavours.

Finally Val de Vie’s award winning Shiraz 2008 described as having a deep, dark core with a bright rim was awarded the high accolade of Silver, Best in Class for its full fruited finish.

The IWSC is an annual competition founded in 1964 by oenologist, Anton Massels. Each year the competition receives entries from over 80 countries worldwide and is considered to be the world’s most prestigious wine and spirit competition with the awards being some of the highest honors in the industry.

Val de Vie’s wines are young in comparison to some of the prestigious wines they were up against in the competition making the estate and winemaker, Harold Versfeld, incredibly proud at what they have managed to accomplish to date.

The two stage judging process takes place over a six month period, consisting of blind tastings and detailed technical analysis. Entries are judged by panels drawn from 250 specialists around the world.

Val de Vie started produces Rhône-style wines, and is now one of the most comprehensive growers of Rhône varietals outside of France, currently growing 11 of the 13 traditional Rhône cultivars, which are then supplemented with top grapes sourced within a 200 km radius of its vineyards to cover the other Rhône varietals. This enables Val de Vie to produce and sell the very best Rhône-style wines in South Africa. It is no wonder that the Vie de Vie Rhône-style wines are sweeping up award after award.

It's not far to go until the Célébrer Luxury Wedding Workshop! Val de Vie Wine will be hosting this exceptional workshop in association with Estée Lauder on Friday 4 November 2011 and Saturday 5 November 2011. It's a time to be inspired, pampered and dazzled by some of the most sought-after service providers in the wedding industry. Discerning brides-to-be will be able to make their big wedding decisions with ease, all while enjoying the gorgeous surroundings of Val de Vie.

Apart from the fun and interactive event, each guest will also walk away with a goodie bag valued at R600. Expect to find a gift registry packet from @Home, a Be Premiere professional hair salon voucher, 20% off vouchers on Uwe Koetter’s Bespoke Jewellery Collection, a fine dark Lindt chocolate slab, a ‘little pink book’ (to help plan the big day), and a FAIRLADY Bride magazine, as well as the Val de Vie magazine.

Don't forget to buy your tickets on our website and enjoy access to this unique event.

Val de Vie recently launched its new tasting room, offering visitors a stunning space in which to discover and savour our award-winning wines.

We invite you to visit the Estate and discover our fine wines for yourself. The tasting room is open seven days a week from 10h00 - 16h00. For more information, kindly contact us at wine@valdevie.co.za.

The Blackberry Pink Polo Event was hosted at Val de Vie over the weekend, and what a wonderful occasion it was! Held in aid of breast cancer, the event has become a major highlight on our polo calendar. Here's a glimpse of the grand Carrol Boyes Floating Trophy and team player awards that were handed out. Be sure to look out for more photos of this fabulous event...

We're thrilled at Val de Vie's excellent performance at the recent International Wine and spirits competition (IWSC). The Val De Vie Shiraz 2008 was awarded a Silver (Best in Class), and judges described it as having a "deep, dark core with bright rim. Mulberry, plum and hints of cherry. Hints of chocolate and coffee. All repeat in the mouth and flavours lifted by fairly lively tannins. Some smoky, toasty notes develop. Good, full fruited finish. Will need another four or five years to even start showing it’s full potential."

The Val de Vie GVC 2008 and Val de Vie Ryk Neethling 2009 were both awarded Silver, while the Val de Vie 1783 2007 was awarded Gold. It was lauded for its "minty, earthy, savoury notes with ripe red berry fruits [which] all clamour for attention on the nose" and its "youthful yet soft, smooth structure with loads of cherry flavours, plum and some pepperiness."

At Val de Vie we're proud of our efforts to reintroduce formerly indigenous game into the Berg River valley. The Estate is home to both Springbok and zebra, and as this photo shows, the animals have settled well into to their new home and delight both residents and visitors alike.

We're thrillled that the Estate is becoming a haven for our beautiful indigenous flora and fauna. It's another reason why Val de Vie is aptly called the Valley of Life!

The upcoming Célébrer Luxury Wedding Workshop has been featured in Fairlady's latest newsletter, be sure to check it out! Val de Vie Wine will be hosting the workshop in association with Estée Lauder on Friday 4 November 2011 and Saturday 5 November 2011. This exclusive day of pampering promises not to disappoint and offers brides-to-be an opportunity to make those big wedding decisions.

Don't forget to buy your tickets on our website and enjoy access to some of the most exceptional vendors and service providers in the wedding industry.

Image courtesy of Fairlady

We absolutely love Vera's Bridal Collection, a gorgeous collection of bespoke bridal jewellery that is set apart by its elegance and afforadability. From pendants and rings to bracelets and earrings, it's easy for brides to find the special piece that will not only perfect their look, but also become an heirloom after their big day.

Vera will be displaying and selling her beautiful creations at our Pink Polo event this October, so be sure to take a look. We're also delighted that she's donated delicious cookies for each goody bag, what a treat!

Visit Vera's website to find our more about her designs.

Be sure to enter the Val de Vie Spring Fun Run which takes place on 30 0ctober 2011. Choose between a 10 km and 5 km Run/Walk and enjoy a fun-filled morning in the beautiful countryside.

Price: R80 (children under 2 free, only 300 tickets available)
Cut-off for entry: 17 October 2011
Start Time: 08:00
Collection of numbers on the day from 06:30

Click here to enter.

Are you ready to update your look, or perhaps find some chic inspiration? Val de Vie is thrilled to be hosting Personal Styling Workshops that will be held by renowned stylist, Marilize de Clerq. Each workshop includes a personal styling session for two, a mini style profile, make-up lesson and a light meal. Want to pamper yourself properly? Ppt for the deluxe package which includes a cut and colour analysis by celebrity hair stylist Anadia Boshoff, a pedicure or manicure and clothing. It's never been easier to look and feel fabulous!

To book, contact Marilize at 082 223 6007 or email marilize@captive8.co.za.

Weddings at Val de Vie are always gorgeous celebrations, so we're delighted that the beautiful wedding of Elana and Grant Smuts was featured in the latest Wedding Flowers UK Magazine! The wedding had a colour scheme of white, yellow, light shades of pink and blue, giving it a fresh and upbeat ambience, while remaining chic and contemporary.

Flowers: Leipzig
Photography: Jani B

Let me tell you a phenomenal story of friendship, commitment and travelling to one of the most sought-after wine destinations in the world… Now once you're done reading this, I don’t want to be looked at as the guys who denied the Dalai Lama his visa!

Back in 2007, when the previous World Cup was being played in France, 12 mates decided to pool some money together in order to start saving for 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Back then, we were all still students. We started by opening a bank account in which each person deposited R500. This is a tremendous thing for students to do, because we thought in terms of brandy specials. Back then that amount was equal to 50 specials… and knowing my mates, that would be about two nights out on the town.

After that we all had debit orders going off from our accounts, initially starting off with the small amount of R150, escalating to R250, R500, R750 and then eventually R1000 per month. Sound like a sweet deal? Think again! While all of this was happening, a few of us became international travellers, and to keep money flowing into your account while staying abroad is quite the task. I remember having to transfer a week’s wages from my account in the US to keep up. That was very difficult when I still had to eat, sleep and travel! I took action by classifying wine on my staff account as food, which I‘d then trade for lodging and use to convince people to give me lifts to work. What a bargain!

I’ve neglected to tell you that we also invested half of the money we had in shares, which was the cause of a second train smash. I don’t know how many can recollect the minor episode of the world-wide recession. That completely screwed up all of our ambitions, to such an extent that one of our members decided to climb out. Now for someone from a farming background, with about as much insight into the phenomenon as a Mayan Inca has into geo caching, I had no idea of how bad it was actually going… they basically explained it to me by saying “you had 100 bottles of wine, and now you have 70, without anybody stealing anything”. Damn, that broke my brain and spirit.

Eventually, the guys in charge of all our finances invested in a little company called “Capitec”. A wise decision, because we made all of our money back, with a little extra on the side. Game ON! The “clever boys”, as they will be referred to from now on, made all the bookings of airplane tickets, match tickets and accommodation as they all became available, saving us massive amount of money!

Everyone had their own responsibility, mine being the wine expeditions. With the wine industry being so small, it was quite easy getting us a few bookings at some of the best wineries in New Zealand. My main mission, apart from cheering on the Boks to another world cup, is to experience as much as possible in winelands. By taking the ferry from Wellington (not the one crossing the Berg River into Paarl) into Marlborough, we have a world of Sauvignon Blanc just waiting to be explored. We fly out from Wellington to Dunedin, driving through the majestic Otago Highlands, which is famous for producing some of the finest Pinot Noirs available, to our next stop, Queenstown.

This isn’t all fun and games for me, because I still have a decent amount of learning to do. Once I’m educated in the styles and practices of the New Zealandwine industry, be sure to pop into the winery for a chat. And don’t miss my tasting in which I’ll compare South African wines to those of New Zealand.

There will be more to this story once we hit South African soil again!

Eleven mates on a tour of New Zealand for two weeks, with only 160 minutes of rugby being played in quarter and semi –final. Do you think it’s about the rugby?! NAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

Image source: destination360.com

The Toyota Great Escape Tour recently came to a conclusion, and part of this exciting event was held at Val de Vie. We've had wonderful feedback from the organisers and it was our pleasure to work with Toyota.

Here is a message from Toyota that we're delighted to share:

"Thank you very much for all of your assistance it was fantastic working with such a well organised team and venue, and I would never have completed everything in two weeks without aligning with such strong suppliers."

Pierre and Elbé celebrated their wedding in March at Val de Vie and it was a very chic occasion with a stylish black and white theme.

As these photos by Eric Uys show, it was a gorgeous wedding that included some wonderful creative details. For example, imagine an ice cream van in place of a wedding cake!

Read more about their beautiful day and see more photos on The Pretty Blog.

Val de Vie Estate in Paarl will be hosting the Célébrer Luxury Wedding Workshop, in association with Estée Lauder, on Friday 4 November 2011 and Saturday 5 November 2011. This exclusive day of pampering promises not to disappoint and offers brides-to-be an opportunity to make those big wedding decisions.

A highlight of the event will be the Fashion and Wedding Dress element, hosted by some of South Africa’s top fashion designers and stylists. The panel includes Expresso’s fashion stylist to the stars, Marilize de Clercq, who will share her insider fashion knowledge, as well as top fashion designers Kobus Dippenaar and Hendrik Vermeulen, both of whom will share their expert advice and experience. Kobus Dippenaar is fresh from the Positive Heroes Fashion show, while Hendrik Vermeulen was just given the honor of representing South Africa in the first annual World Fashion Week (WFW) to be held in New York City in 2012.

When else would you get the opportunity to pick the brains of fashion experts? Whether it is what length of dress will work for your wedding; which shoes will match your dress style or what colours are on trend for 2012, who better to consult than the Célébrer Fashion Dream Team?

Be sure to get your ticket to this wonderful opportunity to be inspired by the top experts in the industry. Tickets cost R550 and can be purchased on our website. Alternatively, you can order them from the Events team on: 021 863 6191 / 072 72 655 21 / events@valdevie.co.za

Image courtesy of Fairlady.com

Polo is not only famous for being an exciting and intriguing sport - it's also associated with elegant fashion and crisp, elegant styling. Ready to pull off the polo look with aplomb? Here are some fashion tips from Cameron Silver, owner of DECADES vintage boutiques.

Polo style tips for Women:
• Wear a hat and wear it proud. The bigger the better.
• Shoes need to be sensible and stylish. Go for a wedge and avoid a stiletto heel and avoid sinking into the lawn.
• Prints are your new best friend. A floral tea dress paired with a cashmere cardigan creates a great sophisticated, retro look that's very Polo-esque.
• Dress the part: Throw on a pair of jodhpurs into your riding boots with a crisp polo shirt. Don't be surprised if you end up on a horse, however!
• This isn't a night club - leave the all-black wardrobe for the after-party!

Polo style tips for Men:
• Ask yourself, "What would Cary Grant wear?" Buy a grown up suit and dress to impress.
• Step out of the box and add some color to your wardrobe. An Etro print tie or pocket square with a colorful shirt exudes a bit of English-inspired eccentrics.
• It’s polo after all: When all else fails, a fresh pique polo shirt, slim flat front khakis, a cashmere pullover, and a gold Rolex will work wonders. Top it off with a fedora and aviators for a sense of mystery.

We love the new range that Martine Jackson designed and produced for Carrol Boyes. As the creative co-director of the Carrol Boyes brand and a ceramicist in her own right, Martine is passionate about ceramics and it shows in her gorgeous designs. Drawing inspiration from nature, her pieces have a distinctively organic look, combined with repetitive patterns.

Her debut range, Curve, would be a stunning addition to any bride's gift registry. The range is available at selected Carrol Boyes dedicated stores from October 2011.

www.carrolboyes.com

Pini Potgieter is a very talented make-up artist who can make you look your most gorgeous and confident.

As she says, "I think that make-up is an expression of your personality, something that can reflect how you see yourself, how you see the world. How the world sees you… I have been involved in the industry for 5 years and have been lucky enough to be involved in some wonderful creative collaborations. Credits include music videos, television commercials, editorial and portfolio work, both nationally and internationally, weddings & special occasions.

I can’t look at anybody without seeing the possibilities of transformation, of fun, of colour and expression. I can change your look, your face, your attitude. What can I say? I like to make pretty!"

Contact her at pinipotgieter@gmail.com or 076 070 4474.

Iza from the Events team put together this thought for the day. Feel like you need to start the week with a bang? Opt for some sassy red lipstick and oodles of confidence!