Hemelse wijnen

Volkomen onverwacht kreeg ik afgelopen twee dagen enkele bestellingen van nieuwe klanten. En vandaag bleek waarom: Hubrecht Duijker heeft een zeer positief stuk geschreven over de wijnen van Newton Johnson.
Van quote's als:
"Newton Johnson Sauvignon Blanc 2007 kan als perfect worden beschouwd" en "buitengewoon plezierige, fris fruitige rosé" en "fraai geschakeerde Pinot Noir" word ik zeer vrolijk!

Ver weg

Vandaag staat een proeverij in Den Bosch op het programma. Een beetje ver van huis, dat zou ik normaal niet aannemen, maar dit is de hoofdprijs van een prijsvraag die ik sponsorde. Dus dat is nadeel twee: je weet niet of het wel wijnliefhebbers zijn. Maar ik hou me vast aan het idee dat de proeverijen waar je het minste van verwacht de leukste of succesvolste zijn...

Het experiment

Eind januari zijn we gestart met 'het experiment'. Vier flessen wit en vier flessen rood worden geofferd aan de wetenschap (en een proefpanel). Om te kijken of wijn nou echt last heeft van de omstandigheden waar hij in bewaard wordt hebben we de proef op de som genomen. Twee flessen zoals het hoort (koel en donker), twee op een heet balkon, twee in het stookhok en twee in de auto. De flessen op het balkon heb ik halverwege de 'zomer' half naar binnen gehaald, de kurk van de rode wijn was bijna uit de fles gekomen. De flessen in de auto hebben bijna 20.000 kilometer gereden en geschommeld en soms warm en soms koud gelegen.
Komende zondag gaan we ze proeven!

De eerste 2008

In recordtijd verscheept: de nieuwe rosé 2008 van Newton Johnson. In een nieuwe fles en een nieuw etiket. Morgenavond maar een flesje openschroeven.

Naast 100 dozen van dit nieuwe sap kwamen er ook nog 40 dozen syrah-mourvèdre 2005 binnen, het magazijn staat dus weer propvol. Hoe ik in godsnaam volgende week nog 2 1/2 pallet kwijtraak is me nu een raadsel. Dan is het de beurt aan Buck's Ridge (rode wijn en olie 2008) en Cape Rock.

Reünie, reünie

Twee wijnreizen, dat is twee keer een reünie. Afgelopen zaterdag van wijnreis 1 en komende zondag van wijnreis 2. Heerlijk om samen een paar flessen vonkelwyn te drinken en daarna een keur van meegenomen flessen. Hapje eten en veel foto's kijken maakten het feest compleet. Op de foto staan de deelnemers van reis 1 (en Eric en Mariëtte) na het etentje in Le Quartier Francais.

Komende zondag zijn de wijnkenners bij elkaar en die gelegenheid wil ik aangrijpen om de wijnen van het experiment te proeven. Morgen een update hierover.

Grappig

Steeds vaker krijg ik van die hilarische mailtjes binnen, in krom engels of ik iemands wijn wil verkopen. Net deze:

Messrs WINEMATTERS,

I am the owner of a family-running Wine Farm in the Chianti Classico region, Italy.

I send you this e-mail because in this moment I am searching to expand our
Business Market in your states as we are a very serious and professional
Estate.
We contact your Import and Distributor Company hoping to start a new long-term business relation.

Now I report you something more about our History and Products.

Etc Etc
Wat heeft dit nou voor zin? Behalve mij aan het lachen maken dan :-)

Dagelijkse dingetjes

Op grootparys.blogspot.com staat elke dag een update over het planten van een wijngaard in Lesotho, een schitterend verhaal.

Hier in Hoorn gebeuren minder spannende dingen: administratie bijwerken (doe ik nu elke week, gaat steeds beter), facturen maken en printen, orders verzamelen en bezorgen. Verder uiteraard emails lezen en beantwoorden (zo'n 40 per dag) en af en toe bellen.

Wat speelt er nog meer? Voorbereidingen voor de volgende proeverij cq wijn-spijsdiner (al 24 inschrijvingen!), afspraken maken en bevestigen voor de wijnreis, maken van een powerpointpresentatie voor de FOX Zuid-Afrika dagen. Dat wordt nog een spannende, want ik moet voor 150 mensen tegelijk een praatje houden over hoe mooi de wijngebieden van Zuid-Afrika zijn. En in de pauze samen met mijn vader glaasjes wijn uitdelen en ook nog wat proberen te verkopen.

Eindelijk onderweg

Het heeft even geduurd en er is de nodige vertraging geweest maar de nieuwe wijnen van Cape Rock zitten op de boot en zijn onderweg naar Rotterdam. De Safmarine Nokwanda 806B komt als alles goed is 31 augustus aan en een klein weekje later staan de wijnen in de opslag. Net op tijd voordat ik naar Zuid-Afrika vertrek met 7 reisgenoten.
En in dezelfde container zit dan ook eindelijk weer eens wijn van Buck's Ridge: Shiraz-Mourvèdre 2007. Dat is dus niet onze 'eigen' wijn, maar wel de gewone rode wijn die dit jaar dus goed gebotteld is, lees het nare verhaal van vorig jaar.
Al deze wijnen neem ik mee naar de proeverij in Buitenkaag op zondag 14 september.

Alles wordt duurder

Even voor een leuk prijsje naar Zuid-Afrika vliegen zit er niet meer in. De toeslagen zijn zo toegenomen dat het bijna niet meer leuk is. Vorig jaar betaalde je nog minder dan € 200,- voor alle belastingen en toeslagen, voor de komende reis in september is het al toegenomen tot € 386,- per persoon! Met drie vluchten per jaar naar Kaapstad tikt dat lekker aan. Maar ik ga toch, het is er veels te leuk...

Probleempjes

Het leven van een wijnhandelaar gaat niet altijd over rozen. Van logistieke probleempjes merk je als klant zelden wat, maar ze zijn er wel degelijk. Zo had ik met de laatste zending veel last:

- er waren 90 dozen van 12 kwijtgeraakt, ik moest zelf naar het bedrijf waar de containers worden uitgeladen om ze op te sporen
- maandag vergat de transporteur af te leveren, zat de hele dag voor niets te wachten
- dinsdag hadden ze geen palletwagen bij zich zodat ik moest lenen
- de transporteur was 70 dozen vergeten mee te nemen
- 2 flessen breuk zonder aantekening op de bon

Uiteindelijk heb ik vanmorgen het laatste deel gehad, zodat er weer 3.060 flessen extra in de opslag staan. Die staat dus tot de nok vol en dan te bedenken dat er nog 2.100 flessen onderweg zijn...

Toussef VIII

Onze zorgen waren niet terecht, getuige deze geruststellende woorden en het officiële certificaat:

From: Toussef Sultan
Subject: Send this certificate and your ID to the company.

Dear Sabina,

Greetings to you and your family.

I am glad to receive your message and all the advices therein. I have gone through the message you received from the company and the contents are noted.

I did called the company this morning to inquire of all your findings concerning their company , they assured me that their company is a genuine and government recognised and certified Security Firm. They said that the hotmail account is a temporary address due to the upgrade of their website with relevant information as it affects last quarter security year dealings, therefore they are not able to enter into correspondence officially through their webmail. They request that we exercise extreme patience with them and be cautions in transmiting valuable informations through the temporary hotmail address.

I was really satified with their reasons because you just raised a spirit of doubt and suspicions about them. So I advice that we hasten up and reclaim the consignment immediately without any further delays.

Attached is a copy of the deposit certificate that they isssued to my father whe he made the deposit in their company.

I advice that you go ahead and send a copy of your indentity to them so that they can serve us better and facilitate all it takes to see that the deposit is released and delivered to you in Netherlands.

You should forward the two documents to the company for their perusal and be assured that you are my late father's business partner because without that it will be difficult for the deposit to be released to us.

Let me know as soon as you do as I said .

Thank you.

Toussef.


Hier hebben we het maar bij gelaten, ook na deze noodkreet:

Dear Sabina,

Greetings and hope all is well with you.

I have not heard from you , are you ok?.

Please let me know.

Your friend,

Toussef.

Toussef VII

Nu wordt het echt serieus, met allemaal hoofdletters en een echt dr.:

From: Crystal Diplomatic Security Company .
Subject: {Spam?} RE: ATTENTION : SABINA KUYPER.

FROM : CRYSTAL DIPLOMATIC SECURITY COMPANY.
No. 52 RUE DE PALM BEACH.
LOME - TOGO.
TEL : + 228 947 05 70
FAX : + 228 2201420.

ATTENTION : SABINA KUYPER,
Netherlands, Tulpstraat 12, Zaandam.
Re : RETRIEVEMENT OF 1 TRUNK BOX

WE, THE DIRECTOR'S OF CRYSTAL DIPLOMATIC SECURITY COMPANY LOME - TOGO, WANT TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR INFORMATION WAS SUBMITTED TO THIS OFFICE BY MR. TOUSSEF SULTAN , THE SON OF LATE DR. CHULI SULTAN, A POTENTIAL CUSTOMER TO THIS SECURITY COMPANY AND THE CO-OWNER OF 1 METALIC TRUNK BOX DEPOSITED IN OUR COMPANY AS A FAMILY VALUABLES BELONGING TO HIM AND HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATE.

WE WERE INFORMED BY MR. TOUSSEF SULTAN THAT YOU ARE HIS FATHER'S BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AND CO-OWNER TO THE DEPOSIT IN QUESTION AND THAT YOU WANT THE DEPOSIT TO BE RELEASED AND BROUGHT TO YOU THERE IN NETHERLANDS.

HOWEVER, THERE ARE PROCEEDURES AND LEGAL PROCESSES WHICH MUST BE CARRIED OUT BEFORE THE OUTSTANDING DEPOSIT SHALL BE RELEASED AND DELIVERED TO YOU IN YOUR COUNTRY AS YOU REQUESTED. IT IS OUR DUTY TO ENSURE THAT THE TRUNK BOX DEPOSITED IN OUR CUSTODY BY LATE DR. CHULI SULTAN GETS TO THE RIGHTFUL CO-OWNER .

AS SUCH WE REQUEST THAT YOU SEND TO THIS OFFICE A COPY OF THE DEPOSIT CERTIFICATE ISSUED TO LATE DR. CHULI SULTAN WHEN HE DEPOSITED THE CONSIGNMENT IN OUR COMPANY. ALSO YOU SHOULD SEND A COPY OF YOUR INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT OR DRIVERS LICENCE FOR PROVE OF YOUR INDENTITY.

FURTHER INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO THE ONWARD RELEASE AND DIPLOMATIC DELIVERY OF THE DEPOSIT TO YOU IN NETHERLANDS SHALL BE FURNISHED TO YOU AS SOON AS WE RECEIVED THE DEPOSIT CERTIFICATE AND PROVE OF YOUR INDENTITY, FOR PROPER CLARIFICATION .

WE SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU FOR THE TRAGIC DEATH OF DR. CHULI SULTAN , PLEASE ACCEPT OUR CONDOLENCES.

THANKS FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION.

YOURS FAITHFULLY.

DR. USMAN ABUBAKAR( DIRECTOR )
INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT.
CRYSTAL DIPLOMATIC SECURITY COMPANY ,
LOME - TOGO ( WEST AFRICA ) .

Maar gek genoeg heeft Sabina nog wat bedenkingen:

To: Toussef Sultan
Subject: Fw: {Spam?} RE: ATTENTION : SABINA KUYPER

Dear Toussef,

How are you today? In the Netherlands we are fine because the weather is getting a little bit better. It was raining last night, you cannot imagine! It isn't supposed to rain in summer, but it does and I hate it! How is everything in Lome? Did you have to work today?

Today I received the information from the security company. The asked me to send my identity information, as you can read below. I forward the message to you because I have a strong feeling about this mail. Usually I might not be so open and honest with somebody, but you strike me as a very honest person. And besides, in your first mail you told me that trust is very important. So I have decided to be totally honest with you as well, because you have shared your emotions about your recent loss and the feelings of isolation in Lome with us.

I am very afraid that this Crystal Diplomatic Security Company is bad news. I got suspicious because they use a hotmail-account for mailing. I talked about this with my brother, who knows a lot about computers because he works with them all day. He said that hotmail is never used by companies, they have their own account. And I thought about it a little and he might be right. If I receive mail from professional people their e-mailaddress always ends with the name of the company. You know what I mean?

Well my brother did some research on the internet for you and it turns out, a lot of financial frauds are going on in Togo. He found some evidence that there are a lot of banks and other financial institutions, maybe like the Crystal Security, which only want to steal money from people.
We then tried to look up this company on the internet. It turns out they do not exist. He found no website or other information about them. Which is strange, because every decent company would have an internetsite, right?

So I am warning you: you might be trusting the wrong people. Maybe you can ask them about these things that my brother found out for you. He knows a lot of things, because he works with computers. And maybe you better find some other company to arrange this business for you.
You know Toussef, maybe you are just too honest and trust everybody. I mean: you sent us an e-mail asking for help, and you don't even know us! I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but with matters with this much money involved, you need to be very careful who you ask for help. A lot of money can make people do strange things.

Please think about this. And do not feel offended. I am only telling you this because I know you are honest and we care about you.

Best regards,
your friend, Sabina

Toussef VI

From: Sabina
Subject: Problems!
Dear Toussef,

I have searched on the internet to find tickets to fly us to Togo. We were thinking about going in october. But the tickets are very expensive!!! We are saving a little money every month for our vacation to France, that I told you about. We are saving for that vacation for five months now and we hope to be able to save about 600 euro for that trip. As I told you we do not have a lot of money because Udo is just starting up his business and I haven't been able to find a very good job because I have never finished my high school really, so we are on a very tight budget.

The problem is the tickets would cost us as much as 3000 euro! We could never afford that this fall. And even if we would save more money each month, it would still take us maybe two years to come up with that kind of money! So I am afraid we cannot make it to Togo. It really hurts me to tell you this, because your mail about Togo just sounds wonderful and I must say, a bit more adventurous than our campingtrip in the Dordogne. And we sure want to help you, with everything you have shared with us about the loss of your mother and your father and your misfortune. But we just haven't got the money. We have to be wise about this. Getting into debt is not a good situation. I am sorry, we haven't realized that plaintickets would cost so much!

My boyfriend suggested that maybe you could pay the tickets for us? As soon as you have cleared the money from your father you would be a very rich man. So maybe two plaintickets will not be a problem for you? If this is not possible, I am afraid we are unable to help you, as much as I regret this. Please do not feel pushed in any way. If you can find other people to help you with your current situation, maybe wealthy people who can just buy expensive tickets like that, please do because it is your future at stake here and that is very important.

Wishing you all the best, I hope you are not angry with us.
Regards, Sabina

From: Toussef Sultan
Subject: Re: Problems!

Dear Sabina,

Good day and hope all is well with you.

After reading your message of today which I was like dissapointed about your inability to come down here in Togo , meet face to face and move forward to the Security Company for the retrievement of my late father's deposit, I was prompted to go to the Company to explain the situation of things to them since I have informed them of your plan to come physically here in Togo for the retrievement . I also feel bad that I do not have the financial resources necessary to buy the two of you plaintickets because I am currently in a state of financial handicap . My hotel bill costs me about 60 euro daily coupled with my feeding and so on.

However, after discussing with the Security Company director, he told me that their company can deliver the deposit to you in Netherland without any problem but before that , they will have to ascertain your true position as the co-owner to the deposit my father deposited in their custody . He also said that a change of ownership of the deposit have to be transferred from my late Dad's name to your name before the deposit will be released and delivered to you in Netherland.

The Security Company Director , said that they are going to contact you on Monday with your information which I've submitted to them and let you know all that is required , to enable them release and deliver the deposit to you in your country, Netherland.

Please you should let me know as soon as they contact you as I believe that the director will help us and see that this deposit which is the only hope I have for my future will be retrieved and handed over to us.

My regards to you and Udo.

Your Friend,
Toussef

Zondagspreuk

Amen!

Toussef V

Van: Sabina
Onderwerp: RE: Good Day Sabina.

Dear Toussef,

Thank you for your e-mail. I cannot understand why I haven't received your last mail. Maybe it ended in the Spam-box. I have a new computer at work and it has a very strict spam-regime. Even mail from my boss ends up in the spam-box!

About us travelling to Togo: we would have to look into that. We were planning a two week vacation to France at the end of this year. But we could change that and go to Togo, why not? It could be an adventure! Maybe you could help us with some inside information. What airline do you recommend? Are there any hotels or guesthouses - not too expensive! - that we could stay in? And what touristic attractions does Togo have? It might be nice for us to combine business, in this case helping you out, with some vacation as well, since we haven't had a decent vacation for two years. Are there any sights in Togo that we should see? You mentioned that everybody speeks French in Togo. I took some French classes in highschool, but I am not fluent. Could we manage with some English as well?

The information you enquired is:

1. Your full names as it appears in your international passport
Sabina Kuyper

2. Country and Resident Address
Netherlands, Tulpstraat 12, Zaandam

3. Occupation
Assistent shopmanager in a bakery

4. Telephone and fax numbers
020 6383068 (this is the phonenumber of my work, my mobile is shut off right now, but I will get a new connection shortly)

Just curious: what do you need this information for? And how did you get our e-mailaddress? Surely you just didn't mail anybody to ask for help!

Best regards,
Sabina

From: Toussef Sultan
Subject: Re: Tickets to Togo

Dear Sabina,

Greetings and thank you for your message and the information I enquired.

The information will be taken to the Security Company tomorrow morning, it will be used to obtain a change of ownership certificate from the High Court of Togo. This Certificate will be issued on your name as the co-beneficiary to the deposit my late Father deposited with the security company as a family valuables belonging to him and his business associate.

Note that I have informed the company that you are my late father's business associate , so all documents regarding the ownership of the deposit shall be transferred into your name for easy retrievement of the deposit from the security company's custody.

As soon as I am back from the security company tomorrow , I will brief you of my arrangements and process necessary to transfer the ownership of the deposit to your name.

Actually, I got your contact information from the Togo Chamber of Commerce while I was searching for a reliable business person in Netherland who will assist me in my plight, then I come accross your boyfriend's contact and decided to write him immediately.

Regarding your tour inquiries : I must admit that Togo is an adventurous tourist Nation and I am sure it will interest you to spend your holidays here. There are hotels, Beach, Nature and sort of pleasurable things that will make your coming here worthwhile.

There is also security and Togo is a free visa country as you will be issued visa at the port of entry here at their international airport in Lome .

However , I will get back to you tomorrow as soon as I submit your information to the company.

Thank you.

Best Regards,
Toussef Sultan.

Toussef IIII

Van: Sabina
Onderwerp: RE: Good Day Sabina.
Dear Toussef Sultan,

I haven't heard from you since my last mail, which I forward with this one.
You seemed to be in rather a hurry the last time you sent me a message.
Are you allright? is anything the matter?
You have me quite worried!

Best regards,
Sabina

Van: Toussef Sultan
Onderwerp: Good Evening.

Hello Sabina,

I did responded to your message yesterday , I am surprised you did not receive my message. Below is a copy of my yesterday's message.
......................................................................

Dear Sabina and Udo,

Greetings and thank you very much for your message and concerns in my situation.

I understand your present financial situation but be rest assured that at the successful retrievement of the deposit that you and your boyfriend will be ok as we are talking about a total sum of Twenty Seven Million United States Dollars in this business.This is a lot of money that can help your boy friend fully establish his business incase he does not want to go into partnership with me.

Togo is a free visa country, all you need to do is to book your flight ticket and come down here as you will be issued visa at the port of entry at the airport.

Incase you are not capable to come down here in Togo then I will have to make arrangement with the Company and see if the deposit can be released and delivered to you there in Europe.

Once again , I want to assure you that there is no atom of risk involved in this business because the funds in question belongs to my late father and authomatically I am the heir to the deposit . I have every documents that covers the deposit which were issued to my father during the time of the deposition here in Togo. So be confident that this business is 100% risk free and would never endanger your position in any way.

Well , as the only child of my father , it is imperative that I stay out of Sudan until the war is over to avoid any uncertainty . I do not have any problem here in Togo , Togo is secured, my liberty and security is guaranteed as well.

I live in a hotel but I am a registered Refugee with the United Nations Refugee High Commission Lome - Togo. I have few friends though I find it difficult chating with them because I am not good in French Language.

I have spoken with the security company this morning and they told me that they will need your information inoder to effect a change of ownership of the deposit from my Late Father's name to your name before the deposit can be released to us.

The information are as follows :

1. Your full names as it appears in your international passport.

2. Country and Resident Address.

3. Occupation .

4. Telephone and fax numbers.

Those are the information that will enable the company obtain the document necessary to release the deposit to us. It is also important that you let me know if you are able to come down here in Togo or should I arrange for the deposit to be released and delivered to you in Europe ?.

I believe and trust that you are the one to assist me in my situation and you will be rewarded very well.

Thank you , write me immediately with the above information .

Yours Sincerely,
Toussef Sultan.

Toussef III

Blijkbaar was zijn email in de SPAM-box terecht gekomen, onbegrijpelijk.

Van: Toussef Sultan
Onderwerp: Good Day Sabina.

Dear Sabina,
Good day and hope you are fine. I am writing to know if you received my message of yesterday as I am about to suggest your name to the security company this morning and inform them of our decision to retrieve the deposit from their custody.
But before I do that , I will wait to hear from you first and know your position in helping me in this matter.
Please get back to me immediately. Thank you.
Toussef Sultan.

En we gaven onmiddelijk antwoord:

Aan: Toussef Sultan
Onderwerp: RE: Good Day Sabina.
Dear Toussef Sultan,
I am very well, thank you. The weather in the Netherlands is beautiful these last days so I am very happy. I hope you are feeling fine as well.
You ask if I can let you know if I want to help you. The point is: I am not sure how I can help you. As you might have guessed, my boyfriend and I do not have a lot of money. As a matter of fact, we can barely make ends meet. He just started his own business, as I mentioned to you yesterday. And I am working about 50 hours a week, if not more, to bring in enough money to pay the mortgage, food and insurance.
Please do not take this message the wrong way. I just thought it wise to inform you about our side of the situation. What will happen if you give my information to the security company? Are you sure there isn't any risk involved? We do not need to get into specifics, but I am sure you didn't escape your country for nothing. There must have been danger involved!
At the same time I am very interested in how you are coping. Where do you live in Togo? Do you have your own house? Do you have friends? A job? What do you do if you are not working? What do you look like? And how did you come across our e-mailaddress? I would be delighted if you could answer my questions on these matters.
Best regards,Sabina

Toussef II

Ons antwoord:

Aan: Toussef Sultan
Onderwerp: Trust is what keeps us human

Dear Toussef Sultan,
My friend Udo forwarded your message to me. He is too busy with his business to take time to answer your mail. He just started his own company and I am sure you can imagine how much time it takes building up something like that. In fact he seems to be working all the time!
I, on the other hand, have much more time for corresponding with you. Your situation touches me as an incredibly difficult one. I am very sorry for your loss of your mother and your father. Leaving your homeland must have been a big step. Where in Togo do you live? I couldn't find it on the map, but maybe you can give me more information? Are you safe where you live now? Do you have a job? How do you cope?
You humbly ask for just one thing: trust. If we cannot trust our fellow human beings, what else have we got? So of course you can trust us.
All the best,
Sabina

Waarop al snel een antwoord kwam:

Van: Toussef Sultan
Onderwerp: Good Day Sabina.

Dear Sabina,

Good day and hope you are fine. I am writing to know if you received my message of yesterday as I am about to suggest your name to the security company this morning and inform them of our decision to retrieve the deposit from their custody.
But before I do that , I will wait to hear from you first and know your position in helping me in this matter.
Please get back to me immediately.
Thank you.
Toussef Sultan.

Onze vriend Toussef I

De komende dagen ga ik vreemd. Even niet over wijn, maar over onze nieuwe vriend in Togo: Toussef Sultan. Wij vroegen ons af hoe het nou zou werken als je weer zo'n verhaal in je mailbox krijgt waar je miljoenen in beloofd krijgt. Dus een willekeurige teruggemaild. De komende dagen een verslag, vandaag deel I.

Van: Toussef Sultan
Onderwerp: From Toussef Sultan.

Dear Sir,
Greetings to you and your family.
Based on your profile, l am happy to request for your assistance and also to go into business partnership with you, i believe that you will not betray my trust which i am going to lay on you.
I am Mr. Toussef Sultan, the only son of my late parents Dr. Chuli Sultan and Hon. Mrs. Aminatu Sultan (Midwife). My mother died when I was just 4 years old, and since then my father took me so special. Before his death, my father was the Chief Executive of the Diamond Mine in Darfur - Sudan. On April 6 2006 Rebels (ARAB MILITIAS) invaded the DIAMOND MINE and assassinated my Father.
When the news reached me, I Hurriedly gathered some precious valuables in our family villa and escaped to Lome - Togo to seek for refuge. Among the valuables was a file that contained details of a deposit my Father made in a security company in Lome - Togo. The document stated that my late Father deposited a sum of USD$27,000,000 left in a security company in a metalic trunk box, but the security company does not know the real content of the deposit because it was registered as family valuables personal for security reasons.
Now that I am here in Togo and verified/confirmed the existence of this deposit, I need your assistance to move this deposit out of Togo for investment in your country as I cannot invest Or operate any bank account here in TOGO due to my statute as a political asylum seeker. I am not allowed to operate any bank account , transact business or large sum of money be found in my possesion.
The death of my father have actually brought sorrow to my life. I am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance in this regards. Your suggestions and ideas will be highly regarded.
Now permit me to ask this one question:
Can I completely trust you?
Consider this and get back to me as soon as possible.
Thank you so much.

My sincere regards,
Mr. Toussef Sultan

Oud & Nieuw

Ik heb lang moeten wachten tot de rosé 2008 verscheept kon worden, vooral omdat ze bezig waren met een nieuw label en fles, maar nu is het af:

Voorbereidingen

Achter de schermen ben ik druk bezig met de voorbereidingen voor de komende wijnreis. Met acht deelnemers is die rustig, maar er is nog tijd dus misschien komen er nog mensen bij. Er is wat belangstelling, dus ik heb goede hoop.

Het valt niet mee om tijden op elkaar aan te laten sluiten en soms moet ik schuiven omdat iemand niet kan op voorgestelde dag/tijd. Dat er tijdens onze reis een grote wijnbeurs is helpt niet echt, drie dagen lang zijn de meeste wijnboeren daar aanwezig. Voordeel is wel dat wij zelf naar de beurs kunnen en daar lekker veel kunnen proeven op één dag.
Ondertussen krijg ik er wel steeds meer zin in om weer weg te gaan, zeker als ik zulke mooie foto's zie.

Willie spreekt

Gepubliceerd door Wine Magazine, het belangrijkste wijntijdschrift van Zuid-Afrika:

South Africa’s Wine of Origin (WO) scheme seeks to specifically delineate the relationship of wine to the land and, while the first rulings date back to the early 1970s, Voor Paardeberg was only declared a separate ward within the Paarl district as recently as 2003. There are now eight producers actively involved in marketing the area – Anthony Smook, Ayama, Bernheim, David Frost, Horse Mountain, Oude Denneboom, Scali and Vondeling – with the Voor Paardeberg Visitors’ Centre on the David Frost Estate offering all of their wines for tasting at one venue.

It is somewhat curious that Voor Paardeberg falls within the district of Paarl as it could just as easily be designated as part of Swartland. Willie de Waal of Scali, first established in 1999 and the longest-standing producer in the area, points out that it is just about equidistant between the towns of Paarl and Malmesbury, the ‘capital’ of the Swartland district. “I drop my girls off at Paarl Girls’ High every morning and I know the mileage is precisely 22km door-to-door. Malmesbury, on the other hand, can’t be more than 25km away”.

You might think that a determining factor when it comes to situating Voor Paardeberg in either Paarl or Swartland is the soil type, but since the ward generally displays mainly granite and Malmesbury shale common to both areas, this doesn’t prove very helpful. Nor do the prevailing wine styles: Voor Paardeberg tends to produce robust, full-bodied reds, which again might be seen as equally characteristic of either of the larger districts.

Why I believe that Voor Paardeberg ultimately belongs more to Swartland than Paarl comes down to the human element. The wine classification systems of Europe have to a greater or lesser extent always taken cognisance of the particular communities living on the land when deciding where a particular appellation starts and stops, and this should also apply in South Africa.

In the case of Voor Paardeberg, one individual has given impetus to the rise in prominence of this area: Eben Sadie, creator of Columella, Palladius and Sequilo, wines that are defining the modern South African wine scene. Though he sources fruit largely from the Swartland, much of it comes from Voor Paardeberg. And while his new cellar is outside the ward, he and his family still live on Scali as tenants of De Waal… It is impossible to deny that the publicity he’s attracted has created a slipstream effect for his neighbours.

Demarcation issues aside, what wines to look out for? The producers in Voor Paardeberg are all immensely proud of their reds, which on the whole tend to be powerful, and in some cases too much so. On the other hand, it’s their Chenin Blanc-driven white blends that really capture the imagination, and you feel that if producers were to pursue this style with intent, it could really make the area famous.

Top of the pile is Scali Blanc 2006, a blend of 70% Chenin Blanc, 25% Chardonnay and 5% Viognier, a wine that is all about mouthfeel and texture rather than primary fruit. Tania de Waal, wife of Willie and jointly responsible for the winemaking, explains that it’s “a white wine made like a red wine”, with the Chenin spending three days on the skins and undergoing regular punch-downs during fermentation.

Part of what makes these wines so good is that the Chenin is sourced from old vines, of which there are relatively large plantings in the area. Unfortunately, however, as these vines get older, yields drop, making them more and more uneconomical for growers who get paid by quantity more so than quality. Willie de Waal relates that many of the vines are being uprooted to be replaced by younger, heavier-bearing ones, although he’s doing everything in his power to convince his neighbours otherwise. Let’s hope he succeeds.

Beroemd

Sabina was een paar weken geleden in Bordeaux en in een van de grootste wijnwinkels met de oerfranse naam 'The Winery' nam ze even de tijd voor de Zuid-Africa sectie:



Dat is toch wel leuk om te zien, 'mijn' Lammershoek naast de beroemde Columella en Palladius. Kijk ook even naar de prijs die ze ervoor vragen!

Nostalgie

Vandaag is het 1 augustus, de dag dat de verbouwing van het 'Manor House' van Groot Parys van start gaat. Het plan is om er een restaurant van te maken. Als ik er half september weer ben zal ik het niet meer herkennen. Geen logeerkamer meer op de eerste verdieping, geen vuurkamer waar je zo lekker wijn kan proeven. In die vuurkamer is WineMatters ontstaan. Veel praten en nadenken met vele glazen wijn erbij. Ik zal het allemaal missen!