Cape Town - Elana Afrika-Bredenkamp had her first glass of wine when she was a 19-year-old student. That day, she decided that one day she would make it.
Recently she saw the launch of her brand of shiraz, ElanaWines.
“After living in Joburg for 10 years, I returned home three years ago and started living my dream. I’m a winemaker,” she says.
She worked in collaboration with seasoned winemaker Rudi Von Waltsleben after the two met at a Parlotones concert at a wine estate in Cape Town. He invited her to come to the farm so she could shadow him while he worked. Afrika was there the next week.
While a few celebrities have put their names on the bottles, not all are the actual winemakers.
“I learnt from Rudi and created and made it by being hands on, physically manning stations and adding ingredients,” says Afrika-Bredenkamp.
The most challenging part of the winemaking process for her was the wait. Once the ingredients were added, they simply had to wait and see what would happen.
“It was a very hard and testing time. I like doing things fast. This is like making a baby. You can do all the preparation you want, but you are never sure what you will be blessed with,” she says.
Afrika-Bredenkamp has learned that anyone can make wine, but only a few can make good wine. She admits that there were a few mistakes along the way and one day she may reveal them, but the joy came from the experience.
At the moment, she is a fan of her shiraz. It seems like the perfect winter wine as it pairs well with berries, dark chocolate and coffee flavours.
Afrika-Bredenkamp is proud of her wine, which is two years in the making. But more than that, proud she could fulfil her dream. Thanking her friends, husband and Von Waltsleben, she says: “It is the best thing I have ever done.”
For more information about the wine, visit www.elanaafrika.com
Celebrity wines
Afrika-Bredenkamp joins a host of other high-profile personalities who have gravitated toward winemaking.
One of the earlier stars to go into the business is golfer Ernie Els. His wines are produced in Stellenbosch and his signature style is a Bordeaux blend.
In 2009, The Parlotones paired with Hands on Wine to produce their first cabernet sauvignon blend, called Giant Mistake. At the launch of the wines, Parlotones frontman Kahn Morbee said: “I feel that wine is often associated with romance and the romanticism in The Parlotones’ lyrics makes this combination ideal. I would describe Giant Mistake as a wine where sophistication meets creativity.”
All the wines are named after Parlotones songs. In 2010 they produced Push Me To The Floor, a chenin blanc, and We Call This Dancing, a rosé.
In 2010, swimmer Ryk Neethling launched his range, produced by Val de Vie Estate in Paarl.
Cape Argus