Nuns making wine on Weltevrede
They came from a place called Mbarara in Uganda. The Switzerland of Africa some say. They belong to a family of sisters called the Poor Clares. Decades ago French monks planted vines in the garden of their monastery of which the sisters made wine over the years. Although there was much commitment in their efforts they had little success to show, until things changed in 2005.
The monastery was visited by President Museveni. He offered to sponsor a trip for four sisters to anywhere in the world to increase their winemaking knowledge. They proved to be nuns with an adventurous spirit, surfed the internet and sent off mails in all wind directions. The only reply came from Weltevrede.
They arrived during the harvest season of 2006. In a matter of a few weeks a great relationship was formed between them, my family and my cellar team with whom they worked. The sisters were hard working, keen to learn, quick to grasp complicated aspects of microbiology and science and covered everything from terroir to malolactic fermentation. They proved to be diligent students and proceeded to make their own wine on small scale here on Weltevrede.
When they left I assisted in exporting 100 vines of Red Muscadel and 400 vines of Shiraz to Uganda which they planted and cared for. The Red Muscadel never grew, but the Shiraz thrived. Their purpose was to make sweet red wine as altar wine. We kept in contact via e-mail to deal with their viticultural and winemaking challenges, which are many in their humid conditions. We had to come up with creative solutions at times.
After three years Sister Mary Elizabeth returned with Mother Andrew Kaggwa. Again we were struck by these beautiful people. They have commited their whole lives to Christ and to a simple lifestyle of dedicated silence and prayer. But such joy! And their enthusiasm is contagious.
With them they brought me a bottle of the first sweet Shiraz made in Uganda. The wine has a deep scarlet colour, plummy ripe fruit flavours and rich sweetness. I was so surprised, oh ye of little faith. Most first small scale winemaking attempts fail. It is normally good fun, but not repeated again as good winemaking isn't that easy. However they succeeded due to their adventurous spirit and dedication. Congratulations to them. They certainly enriched our lives.
While the sisters were in SA during harvest 2006, they assisted in a venture to make a very special Shiraz here at Weltevrede. Individual bunches of Shiraz were selected by taste in the vineyard,then picked and destemmed berry by berry by hand. These berries were fermented in new open top French oak barrels. After fermentation it was pressed in a small hand press and then poured into new barrels again. After another year it was racked to new barrels again. This wine had 300% new wood treatment and eventually spent more than three years in barrel. The wine was bottled in secret as my father was not to know about it.
My father's 70th birthday was coming up and I had always wanted to make a wine with his name on it. So on his birthday I brought out the Weltevrede Lourens Jonker Shiraz 2006. Only seven Jereboams (3 liter bottles) and 277 Magnums (1,5 liter bottles) were filled.