DURBAN - The first wine cellar in KwaZulu-Natal's South Coast is showing signs of stability besides having opened in the heights of Covid-19 pandemic.
Paying homage to the founder of the Zulu nation, King Shaka, the Seventeen87 Wine Cellar at Sugar Rush Park in Ballito celebrated its first anniversary of existence this week.
The Seventeen87 Wine Cellar was launched in October last year by Enterprise iLembe to offer locals and visitors an experiential tourism offering which include a combination of “history and wine”.
The brand Seventeen87 pays homage to the King of the Zulu Nation, King Shaka, who was born in 1787.
The tasting room boasts of five different cultivars – sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc, pinotage rose, merlot and cabernet sauvignon.
Linda Mncube, CEO of Enterprise iLembe lauded the management for establishing the brand under difficult circumstances.
Ilembe Enterprise is an entity of the KZN Department of Economic Development which assists business in the north coast.
Despite the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown which imposed a ban on alcohol at some levels, more than 1 750 bottles of wine have been sold and over 1 300 tastings have been held since the launch, he said.
“The Seventeen87 wine cellar management team has been amazing and has worked hard to present what the tasting room has to offer to its customers.
“The challenge now is to be innovative in our thinking on how to expand this concept and to create linkages with other existing tourism products not just in the district but across the province. We must also ensure that we continue to maintain the high service levels and meet the expectations of visitors,” Mncube said.
“As a KZN Economic Development Agency mandated to drive economic development and growth of the district, we are mindful that we also have an instrumental role in ensuring businesses and citizens of iLembe have greater access to the opportunities presented by all sectors, including tourism.
“We will, therefore, need to find ways to grow the tourism sector in a manner that creates business and employment opportunities across the district,” he said.
Mncube also urged potential travellers to explore the exquisite and tranquil KZN North Coast with fun and affordable things to do.
“Visitors can explore different traditional cultural experiences, animal and reptile farms.
“It is very important that we have a good and busy December festive season with strict hygiene protocols in place. The KZN North Coast anticipates a bumper summer holiday season with a fun-filled programme of activities that will allow the tourism sector to get back to where they want to be,” he said.
Daniel Maerkl, Seventeen87 manager, said they source wines from the Western Cape and brand them as their own. Some of the brands are named in Zulu and communicate messages about the Zulu Kingdom's history.
“We also partnered with a wine farm from Drakensberg. They supply a lot of wine which are made from this province.
“When patrons come we offer a wine tasting, which gives you the same experience as the one you find in the Western Cape. We teach people how to taste wine, fun facts about the industry and educate them about wine,” Maerkl said.
“KZN is not a wine drinking province. Most people come here to experience something they have never seen before. They leave with knowledge and buy wines which brings us revenue. We also host private functions. As we approach December we are getting a lot of bookings and the business and brand is growing from strength to strength, ” he added.
Sunday Tribune