STIAS is proud to announce the launch of the unique Pinotage wine – Aliquid Novi – from the Perold Vineyard on Mostertsdrift, home to STIAS.
The wine and vineyard is the result of the dedication of a consortium of stakeholders which includes:
- STIAS which has overall responsibility for managing the vineyard in accordance with STIAS’ goals.
- The Pinotage Association of South Africa which adopted the vineyard from the beginning and supported it financially during the initial years.
- Lanzerac Wine Estate which, since 2017, takes care of the vineyard, makes and markets the wine.
- The Department of Viticulture and Oenologyof Stellenbosch University which provided much-needed technical advice, and supported and managed the vineyard during the first years.
- The sponsors of the individual vines – each of the 966 vines has a personal sponsor who contributed financially towards the establishment of the vineyard and follows the progress of their vines.
“The values that drive both STIAS and the Perold Vineyard are innovative thinking, co-operation with the world’s best scientists and thinkers, and a unique contribution from Africa,” said Prof. Bernard Lategan, founding director of STIAS. “STIAS is a high-level research institute whose main goal is to continuously test the borders of existing knowledge and to stay at the forefront of the latest discoveries. Researchers from Africa work here with their peers from across the globe to find solutions to the great challenges of our time.”
The Perold Vineyard is situated on the historic Mostertsdrift Farm, one of the first farms in the district, dating back to 1683 when Simon van der Stel awarded a tract of land to Jan Mostert. Wine production started almost immediately – the inventory of 1691 lists 8000 vines. The present owner is Stellenbosch University which rents the property to STIAS on a 99-year lease. The vineyard itself covers a mere 0,5 hectares and is planted with 966 vines.
STIAS moved to Mostertsdrift in 2001 and as it was not possible to build on the southwestern part of the property which forms part of the bed of the First River it was decided to commence the experiment of planting vines.
“When it was decided to plant the new vineyard on Mostertsdrift, Pinotage was the obvious choice,” said Lategan. “The ideals of the wine pioneer Abraham Izak Perold resonate well with STIAS’ commitment to innovation. Perold constantly explored new horizons and wanted to make a special contribution from Africa to the world – in his case the creation of a new grape variety and the introduction of a unique wine. The Perold Vineyard was developed as a tribute to his pioneering spirit and continues the relationship with his descendants.”
The vines were planted in 2006 by representatives of STIAS, the Perold family, the Pinotage Association, the university and the vine sponsors.
Aliquid Novi will be marketed as a single vineyard wine from the Jonkershoek Valley District. It will be available to the public at Lanzerac and via its international agents. The income from wine sales will be used to offset running costs but also to support the Protégé Programme which aims to enable young viticulturalists and oenologists, and other entrants to the industry to gain more experience of the wine business, thereby contributing to a new generation of experts.
Aliquid Novi is for sale at the Tasting Room at Lanzerac Estate or can be ordered from the Lanzerac Wine Shop. Contact details: Eske Cilliers Tel. 021 886 5641, Email: [email protected]
For more information contact:
Bernard Lategan ([email protected] or 083 635 6175) or Nel-Mari Loock ([email protected] or 021 808 2652) or download the [download id=”9662″] .
About STIAS
STIAS was founded in 1999 by Stellenbosch University and functioned under the auspices of the university until 2007 when a not-for-profit (Section 21) company was established. STIAS is now governed by its own Board of Directors.
STIAS is situated on the historic Mostertsdrift farm in Stellenbosch. In 2005 a donation from the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg foundation enabled STIAS to build a modern research and seminar centre. Here, sustainable architecture and beautiful, tranquil surroundings have been fused to form a ‘creative space for the mind’ where top researchers and intellectual leaders are nurtured and encouraged to find innovative and sustainable solutions to issues facing the world, the country and the continent. STIAS provides the opportunity for high-level research and intellectual development, and attracts some of the world’s leading scholars and researchers. Further information about STIAS and its programme may be found at https://stias.ac.za.
Media enquiries:
Michelle Galloway, Mobile: +27 (0) 84 604 4955, e-mail: [email protected]
Photographs: Anton Jordaan & Stefan Els