Established in 1918 as a winemaking co-operative, KWV is a famous and inextricable part of the local wine industry. The company today encompasses a multitude of award-winning wines and brandies. While the iconic Roodeberg may have been the first ‘flagship’ wine, in recent years The Mentors range has taken over that role. These wines strive to be a true expression of terroir, experimenting with different cultivars from different areas and creating a new standard of excellence and consistency.
According to those in the know, premiumisation is not only a thing but a global trend. Brands and services aim to offer a range of products at different price points, often aimed at different consumers. The ever-present lookout for new ways to add more value is everywhere. It’s particularly prevalent in the wine industry, with both large-scale producers and small to medium wineries setting out their offerings with labels like entry-level, premium, reserve etc. Some seem to get it quite wrong at times, asking premium (and above) prices for wines that are mediocre at best. Whether or not premiumisation was a goal in mind during creation of The Mentors range, they’ve very much gotten it right.
In 2006, The Mentors range was created by KWV with the purpose of allowing the winemakers free reign in terms of creativity, experimentation and sourcing the best grapes from the best vineyards. It’s no small task to create wines that are earmarked to be the flagship products for a company such as KWV but the team behind The Mentors have come out swinging and the results are nothing less than spectacular.
If it’s quality you’re concerned with, the production of The Mentors ticks all the boxes one would expect: stringent selection of vineyards and grapes, only the ‘best of the best’ wines get bottled and even then, quantities are limited. If the wines don’t reach the high quality standards, it simply doesn’t get released. For example, The Mentors Grenache Blanc was last released in 2011 and was only given the green light again this year with release of the 2014 vintage. They simply don’t mess about: if it’s not good enough, it’s not going out.
Putting aside the economics of cost, production and any other factors that influence the decision to release a wine or not, I respect the philosophy behind this range immensely and (in my opinion, at least) it pays dividends. I have not yet encountered a wine from the range that I have not enjoyed or adored. A brand offering such consistent quality and innovation is not to be sniffed at. You should rather be sniffing their wines.
I’m not going to say much about the wines because they very much speak for themselves. Also, if I started, this post would become very long, very quickly. I will mention that I was enamoured by the new release Grenache Blanc 2014, citrus and apple notes greet your nose and the wine itself is fresh with a clean but creamy lingering palate. I would not recommend sharing this with anyone – it’s just too good.
So because I love The Mentors and because the good people at KWV love sharing their very best with wine lovers everywhere, I have a mixed case (valued at R1290) of brand new release The Mentors wines to give away. The case consists of the following wines:
Grenache Blanc 2014
Sauvignon Blanc – Elim 2014
Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2014
Orchestra 2013
Canvas 2013
Shiraz 2013
To enter, simply comment below and tell me which great individual (historic figure, musician, artist – either still with us or someone who has already shuffled off this mortal coil) you would want to share a bottle of The Mentors with and why? Be creative, describe how you see it happening in your mind’s eye. Interesting answers may or may not count more than shorter ones. *ahem*
For additional entries, retweet the link to the competition with the #MeetGreatness or use the tweet below:
Tell @WeAreIncogvino how you would like to #MeetGreatness with @KWVwines The Mentors and you could win. https://incogvino.co.za/?p=562
Winners will be drawn and announced on Monday 13 July.
*** Competition is now closed. Congratulations to Lize Hartley for the winning comment!***
I’d share a bottle of Grenache Blanc with my favourite artist, Salvador Dali (coz, you know, he’s Spanish, the grape is Spanish…). Preferably at a dingy pavement age in 20th century Paris. The man clearly liked to drink, and getting him a little tipsy would help us get into juicy topics, like ‘what’s with all the misanthropism?’ and whether clocks look better melted or not. Besides, the man’s mind is clearly a marvel. There would be no shortage of good conversation to go with that tasty-sounding Grenache…
For me it would a pretty premium (see what I did there 🙂 ) to sit down & share a bottle of the The Mentors with one of South Africa’s greatest exports…Trevor Noah!
To speak with someone who has had to grow up under exceptionally difficult circumstances and rise above such adversity would be a real honour. Not only has Trevor achieved this but has managed to do so while making an international success of himself and better yet, achieved this success by making people laugh!
Trevor is able to appeal to people from all walks of life and any social standing, something which (as mentioned above) the wine industry is hoping to achieve! As far as ‘premiumisation’ is concerned, moving up from humble beginnings in Jozi to hosting The Daily Show and mingling with A-List celebs is as premium as it gets!
He also speaks 6 languages, there are 6 bottle of The Mentors wines up for grabs…coincidence, I think not.
I would love to share a bottle with the singer, Sia. I would just like to get inside her mind. Her music is very interesting and her self produced and directed music videos always leave me with so many questions. She has a very creative mind. I absolutely love her.
I would love to share a bottle of red wine with the singers of “Red red wine” UB40 (corny, I know lol).
I’d share a bottle of Orchestra with Albert Einstein, because…well…he did say that if he wasn’t a scientist he’d have been a musician, so an orchestra seems fitting…I think…
I see us sipping away while listening to music…some of his favorites…and then maybe get his take on modern day pop music…lol.
I’ve always been fascinated by the man. He was a very well-rounded person – not only was he intelligent academically, he was also in touch with his creative side, and he was also a humanitarian. I feel like I could learn a lot from him about being a better person.
I would share a bottle with Eddie Vedder, the lead singer and front man of pearl jam. Just because he is the greatest song writer, singer and front man of the greatest band ever. He loves drinking wine while live on stage and i reckon it would be a blast to be hauled up on stage with him, uncork a bottle of Mentors and sing along with him to ‘betterman’.
Great answer Tsholofelo! You got my vote 😉
Sorry Stephen, clicked the wrong “reply to” link, looks like I’m not the “Better Man”
I hear the distinctive sound of a cork popping as I slowly rake the coals and add another log to the embers. The flames lick slowly up the sides of the log, making the shadows dance on the brick walls of the cottage.
I settle slowly back onto the couch, gratefully accepting a glass of the 2013 Shiraz.
We sit in silence as I take in the warmth of the fire, the smell of the wine in the glass and just the presence of the room.
He picks up an ember from the fire and uses it to relight the cigar held firmly in his thick, wrinkled fingers.
“Please Sir, tell me again about your amazing escape and the trek through Africa”, I find myself imploring and breaking the silence.
“Now sonny, best you be getting another bottle then, the Orchestra looks good. And none of this Sir crap, call me Winston… or Mr C if you must”.
I would love to share a bottle of KWV The Mentors Canvas 2013 with Neil Gaiman. He is a constant source of inspiration for me. He believes in the power of stories to change how we view the world. According to him “‘Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” He spins an excellent yarn and I reckon that he would be great fun.
I’d like to share a bottle with the father of greatness, the father of KWV, Dr. Charles Kohler (Yes I’ve done some research). As a wine lover (I want to say wine connoisseur but I’ll keep it modest) I would really love to hear from him, first hand, how the greatness that is KWV was born. I am sure he would love to have a taste of the Mentors range as he was not here to see it come together. We would sit at a table, play bingo, drink wine and laugh. Who better to share a bottle of this wine with than the man who first gave us this wine himself.
Nelson Mandel! He deserved the finest only. Need I say more?!
Madiba! Need I say more?
I’d like to share a bottle or two with my mom.. It would make one hell of a great catch up session of 8 years of what’s been happening around the world.
I would pick Pope Benedict. Firstly, let’s be honest, the man has experienced all of the best wines in the world, and he has very good taste in everything from music to velvet shoes, so I feel like picking his brain about wine, over a bottle of wine, would be an unbeatable experience. Secondly, who can deny that drinking wine with a man whose job it is to drink wine before lunch time on a Sunday is probably one of the best life choices anyone could ever make?