Wine Diva

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…
A set of screwdrivers,
a cordless drill, and
a black lace bra..

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…
One friend who
Always makes her Laugh…
And one
Who lets her cry…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…
A good piece of furniture
not previously owned by
Anyone else in her family…

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
Eight matching plates,
Wine glasses with stems,
And a recipe for a meal that will
Make her guests feel honored.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…
A feeling of control over
Her destiny…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
How to fall in love
Without losing herself…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
How to quit a Job
Break up with a lover
and confront a friend without ruining the friendship

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
When to try harder… and
WHEN TO WALK AWAY.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
That she can’t change
The length of her calves,
The width of her hips, or
The nature of her parents…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
That her childhood
May not have been
Perfect..but;
Its over…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
What she would and
Wouldn’t
Do for love or more…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
How to live alone…
even if
She doesn’t like it…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
Whom she can trust,
Whom she can’t,
And why she shouldn’t
Take it personally…

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
Where to go…
Be it to her best friend’s kitchen table..
Or a charming inn in the woods…
When her soul needs soothing… !

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
What she can and can’t accomplish
In a day…
A month..
And a year…

Susan Wessels’ father thought her passion for wine could best be served by marrying a winefarmer. But Susan had her own ideas about what she wanted, and that was to be a winemaker herself.

Vrede en Lust’s recently appointed winemaker is a 25-year-old Stellenbosch University graduate who is determined to make her mark in this highly competitive world.

It’s not just about competing with men because as the year’s women winemakers awards showed, women are firmly entrenched in the fertile soil of the winelands, and making some seriously good wines.
‘I joined Vrede en Lust because I was inspired by the small family-owned farm with a big vision. We are young and up-and-coming, and have a vital, enthusiastic and passionate young team behind it. We are going to make our mark with the wines we create on this farm,’ she says.

Coming from Neethlingshof where she was the assistant winemaker, Susan says she ‘lives the wine culture’.

‘I’m a sucker for Sauvignon Blanc,’ she says, revealing how she and her friends go out and buy different wines and spend many hours tasting and testing them. Wine, she says, is her job and her hobby.

Her first single varietal wine for Vrede en Lust is a sauvignon blanc, made from grapes grown in Durbanville. It is crisp and full and decidedly more-ish.

‘That’s what I wanted people to feel,’ she says. ‘I wanted them to immediately gulp another mouthful.’

In future Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio grapes will come from Vrede en Lust’s new Elgin vineyards, developed in partnership with their staff.

‘Elgin is an exciting project,’ she exclaims. ‘It’s an expanding wine region, and farmers are pulling up apples and putting in vines. The cooler climate is perfect for whites. All the legends in the wine business are moving there. ‘I am very privileged to be getting grapes from that region.’
Susan has made herself at home in Vrede en Lust’s cellar. ‘It needs a woman’s touch,’ she laughs. ‘A cellar can be like a big kitchen: creativity and structure both play a role. You’re mixing and throwing stuff together to make something delicious!’

She might make light of what goes on in winemaking, but the bottom line is that one needs a thorough understanding of the grapes, vineyards and the wine – as well as a clear vision of what you want to produce.

Not surprisingly, she graduated from Stellenbosch University with a B.Sc. in Viticulture and Oenology and then spent time abroad, in France, further perfecting her craft.

Issued by: Ann Wallis Brown, HWB Communications (Pty) Ltd: ann@hwb.co.za
On behalf of: Vrede en Lust – Tel: 021-874 8141

The highly influential US Wine Monthly, Wine Spectator, has recently announced its Top 100 wines of 2006.

Top honors went to the Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino Tenuta Nuova 2001.
MELGAB International are the exclusive importers of Casanova di Neri wines in South Africa and are extremely proud of this achievement.

For more information on this “Italian” snippet and other Casanova di Neri wines go to:
http://www.melgabinternational.com