Sumsaré Wines Celebration

More than two years ago, Danie Erasmus had a dream....a vision, to celebrate the Erasmus Family's two centuries and seven generations milestone in the Robertson valley on Wandsbeck Farm in Agterkliphoogte in 2010. With a lot of hard work and all family members involved, that dream became a reality when Sumsaré Wines open their door to the public on 17 April 2010.

It was a cool Autumn evening when about a 100 family and close friends joined us on Wandsbeck to celebrate this joyous event. It was a pretty picture as the sun set behind the mountains with the striking red Sumsaré umbrellas, green grass, white walls and big wooden restored doors. The peacefulness of the farm together with the warm hospitality set the perfect atmosphere, and it was not long before glasses was filled with our first Shiraz wine, made for us by winemaker Jacques Roux of the Robertson Winery.

People talking and laughing soon replaced the last birds song and it only quieted down again when Danie made his speech, everybody was moved by it. Danie remembered a time when he was about ten years old in 1963 when the entire grape harvest was wiped out by hailstones, preceding a year of drought. Life is not always prosperous on a wine farm. Every generation experience good times as well as bad times, but they managed to survive, each generation added on to their heritage. Without faith and hard work it is not possible to farm. With Sumsaré Wines we tried to restore what was left to us by the previous five generations and to pass it on to the next, the seventh generation, with our love and our blessings.

The Oestervangers two Ladies Alda and Elsa put on a great display of cheeses and canapès to go with the wine. Beautiful proteas adorned the tasting venue and the tables decorated by mom and her friend Andriette, and Francèl. Later that evening Danie decide to demonstrate how Witblits was distilled, the traditional way! Which of course led to lots of tasting through-out the evening. Furniture made out of old wine barrels, locally made by Nico Fourie stood outside and in the "stookkamer" which he generously offered for the occasion, where people sat down in groups to nibble on the food, sip the wine and just enjoyed the buzz of the conversations.

The oldest person to attend the Celebration was Oom Wouter de Wet aged 90 of De Wilgen, a nearby neighbor, and believe it or not he was about the last one to leave the celebration! The De Wet and the Erasmus family goes a long way back in the Agterkliphoogte area. Tannie Hanna Knoetze aged 86 , living at Huis Le Roux also attended, she was the oldest, and the only member left of the 5th Erasmus generation. A real gem.

With the last people leaving at midnight, I rose my glass in silence to my mom and dad - Thank you for such a great herritage!

Janine Erasmus- 7th Generation