Breakfast:

On arrival you will each receive a glass of love potion before embarking on a romantic breakfast experience together. Heart shaped vanilla pannacotta with strawberries, scrambled egg and chives on heart shaped toast with a smoked salmon rosette and a baby tomato skewer. Also includes Croissants, preserves etc. Complete your special breakfast with chocolate kisses and aromatic coffee.

Cost: R250 per couple.

Time: 08h00 – 11h00 am

Bookings: restaurant@backsberg.co.za or please phone 021 875 5952

Lunch:

Enjoy a Backsberg picnic to share under the trees on the lawn which will include valentine’s surprises for him and her. You will be thrilled with the fun and lighted hearted, yet abundant ‘bag’ of picnic treats. Spend lunchtime and into the afternoon, under the oaks, with a bottle of wine (red or white), delicious eats…something sweet to conclude and tea/coffee…or even better, a bottle of Sparkling Brut!

Cost: R250 per couple

Time: 12h00 – 15h00

Bookings: restaurant@backsberg.co.za or please phone 021 875 5952

Seminar 1 – Food and Wine Pairing

Date: Saturday the 28th of January at Backsberg Estate Cellars

Time: 10:00 for 10h30 (the seminar is an hour and a half)

Cost: R200

Food and wine pairing can be tricky, but there are some solid fundamentals you can learn that can make the whole process much easier and a lot more enjoyable. No more cursing and sweating over whether the Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc should be paired with the fish, or how big a wine you need for that piece of fillet.

Nancy Gilchrist will be taking you through the the basics of pairing food and wine, examining how the various aspects of taste (bitter/sweet/sour etc) combine, and how best to match wines to your food. It will be a practical seminar where you will be able to taste wines with food as she guides you through the process.

Payment confirms booking, please email Tanya .

Seminar 2 - The Versatile Varieties:  Another look at our most familiar grapes.”  

Date: Tuesday 31st Jaunary at Backsberg Estate Cellars

Time: 18:00 for 18h30

Cost: R250

Looking at various ‘typical’ grape varieties, Nancy will chat about their history and specifics while you get to taste examples of each. This is a great seminar for those wanting to learn more about the wines they drink, who want a bit of background info on what makes their Cabernet Sauvignon a Cabernet Sauvignon. This seminar does not include a food element.

Payment confirms booking, please email Tanya .

Some of Nancy’s qualifications and pursuits: 

Passed Master of Wine exam winning both the Rosemount and the Listel Scholarships

Contributes articles to Decanter, Food & Travel Magazine, and wine columnist for Country House & Home (2001-2003).

Judge at Decanter Wine Awards and IWC

Presents the regular wine course as well as Masterclasses at Christie’s Wine Education

Backsberg Estate Cellars, in association with kykNET, can’t wait to have you on the farm for their third Picnic Concert Series. Brilliant artists such as: Freshly Ground, Francois van Coke, Koos Kombuis and Dan Patlansky will have you tapping your toes to their awesome acoustic vibes.

There is a slight twist with the series this year as each of the performers will be bringing an up and coming artist with them  to open the gig.  It will be interesting to see who the artists believe is the future of South African music.

The series runs in two parts this year, the first five gigs take place every Sunday from 20 November 2011, to 18 December 2011; the second five  - also on Sundays – are from 22  January 2012 to13 February.

There is no better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than relaxing in the sun with a glass of fine wine as brilliant artists entertain you. Pack your umbrella, picnic blankets and lunches as kykNET and Backsberg take care of the rest. Audiences can choose to pre-book a special Backsberg picnic to enjoy with these sunset acoustic performances, or buy one of our famous lamb burgers at the venue.  And, of course, it‘s just better with a glass of Backsberg wine.

Pre-sale tickets for the concerts and picnics go on sale on Friday the 11^th of November from www.ticketbreak.co.za/backsberg Tickets are R85 or R170 with a picnic and R100.00 at the gate. Children under 12 years get in free when accompanied by their parents.

Admission to concert venue starts at 15:00, with the opening act starting at 16:00 and the main act at 17:00. For the full line up of bands, directions, comments, and more information on the series, please visit www.facebook.com/BacksbergConcerts

Calling all bloggers!

If you post the poster together with the press release on your blog (no need for it to be word for word. Just all the relevant details.  We are not looking to take over, just spread the word) , you qualify for 4 picnic concert tickets – two for yourself and two to giveaway to your readers. Please send your blog post link along with your names and which concerts you and your readers want to attend to picnicconcerts@backsberg.co.za (tickets will be issued depending on availability).

Full programme:

Part I

• 20 Nov: Melissa van der Spuy (invite your friends here)
• 27 Nov: Freshlyground (invite your friends here)
• 04 Dec: Koos Kombuis (invite your friends here)
• 11 Dec: Dan Patlansky (invite your friends here)
• 18 Dec: Plush (acoustic) (invite your friends here)

• 22 Jan: Robin Auld (invite your friends here)
• 29 Jan: Die Tuindwergies (invite your friends here)
• 5 Feb: Blues Broers (invite your friends here)
• 12 Feb: Laurie Levine (invite your friends here)
• 19 Feb: Francois van Coke (invite your friends here)

Press Downloads:

• Download the Press Release here.
• Download the Poster here.

It is arbour month, and we have saved up our arbor event to tie in with Heritage day (also know as National Braai Day). But before we get to braais, boerewors, All Blacks and broodtjies let me tell you about the tree planting.

On the 24th of September we will be celebrating arbor month with a tree planting, and we would love you to join us. Of course, we couldn’t just have you labouring in the fields, so we have put an enjoyable day together for the whole family.

The Bare Facts

24th of September

Arrive 8h00 for 8h30 – Tea and coffee available
9h00 – tree planting
10h00 – Boerewors rolls and drinks served
10h30 – kick off NZ vs France (big screen in the Restaurant)
Cost: Wine Club Members: R35
Non-members: R100

The Plan

Wearing sensible clothes (this is for your own sake, please feel free to plant trees in 4inch heels) you arrive for a cup of tea or coffee at our restaurant at 8:00am.

Now fully awake we will take a leisurely stroll through the gardens and up to the tree planting site. Once their you will find your tree waiting for you, ready to be planted. Take your time planting your tree, remember the moment, say a prayer perhaps, recite a poem, or, if you are that way inclined, do a bit of yoga.

When everybody’s trees are planted we will make our way back down to the restaurant. All this strenuous activity will have, no doubt, worked up everyone’s appetites. To combat this hunger there will be a restorative boerewors roll and cold drink waiting for you.

Our advice is to take your meal and drink, find a spot in the restaurant and enjoy the Frenchies take on the All Blacks in what should be an interesting game of rugby. The restaurant will have a big screen for the game.

While you are watching the rugby there will be face painting for the kids, as well as plants (R15 per plant) in tins for them to decorate.

The Cost

Wine Club Members: Pat yourselves on the back. For your loyalty, love and dedication we are offering you this all for a paltry 35 South African Rands

Everybody else: We still think you are great and deserve a great day without breaking the bank. So this whole day which includes food, drinks, a tree and a comfy spot to watch the rugby will cost you a measly one hundred Bucks.

Memories

There is also the option to leave your name on Backsberg Estate permanently by purchasing a small plaque with your name, the name of the tree and the date. This will cost you R50 per plaque; which is a bargain for this sort of posterity.

PAYMENT CONFIRMS BOOKING, please email tanya@backsberg.co.za . In the email please include number of people attending, number of trees required. Tanya will reply with bank details and quote.

The Back family, of Backsberg Estate Cellars in Paarl, showed me this weekend the true value of education: freedom. Hosted on the estate this past Saturday was the inaugural Students of Backsberg Lunch. A lunch to celebrate the stories and successes of the 23 individuals whose tertiary education Michael and Jill Back have sponsored over the last 20 years. It was the first time they were all gathered together like this.

When you hear about this it is easy to smile and say, “good for them,” and carry on happy that someone, somewhere is doing something.  But as the students arrived on Saturday morning and got together for a pre-event glass of wine I started counting the years of study in the room. I got a slight jolt when I realised that there in front of me was over 50 years of education that the Backs had provided.

Most of the students are from the small village of Klapmuts down the road from the farm. Many of their parents worked on the farm – some still do – and it was through them that they met Michael and Jill. News spreads easily in small communities so soon others came to the Backs to ask for help with their studies.

For all those taken on the demands are simple: we will pay, but you must pass. That’s it, no strings attached. No need to pay it back. Study hard, apply for bursaries, pass your exams.

So many beautiful stories were heard at the lunch. Apollo who, while he was at school, worked on the farm during summer holidays with no thoughts of further study, completed a diploma in Marketing Management and now works as a Sales Manager at Media24. Alain studied graphic design and now works for the Department of Agriculture as a Content Researcher. Melissa studied food technology and went on to secure a bursary from Distell, and is now assistant winemaker at Zonnebloom; Alicia was helped by the Back family in her first year, but afterwards “because Mr. Back was the first to believe in me” went on to secure bursaries for the rest of her studies; she completed an honours in accounting, is a first year clerk, and has just passed her first board exam. The list goes on. Each student’s story is one of freedom, one of victory.

As we sat around the table listening to each story and success there were tears. Tears, I think, of surprise and delight. Tears that pricked and said, “this is good, this is real”; a body’s physical response to real goodness.

The student’s all thanked the Backs saying that gifts and words were not enough. We don’t know how to thank you, they each said in one way or another. And I can understand that. How can you thank someone for giving you this sort of freedom?

There were more words from the guest speaker Johan Burger and from the Western Cape Education Minister Donald Grant, good fair words congratulating the students and the Backs, and offering sound advice. But none came close to Michael Back’s.

He stood at the end of a long table, a table to be proud of, a table hosting a living memorial to 20 years of hard-work, a table that represented the future of the people of Klapmuts. The room was quiet. He said he could stand there all day telling stories; stories of his grand-father who arrived in Cape Town penniless and eventually bought the farm I work on today; stories of his father who built up Backsberg’s reputation to what it is now; stories about himself teaching in Khayamandi in the 80’s; stories about each of the students present at the lunch; but he would rather thank the students wholeheartedly than just tell stories. He had to thank them, he said, because they “have enabled us to live a dream. That dream is to set people free.

Again the tears pricked. I realised that the students had thanked him more than they knew. For what better thanks can you give someone that has offered you freedom than by exercising that freedom?  All the students who have completed their studies have found good jobs. They will be able to provide a good education for their children, and so the cycle continues. MEC Grant was right in calling this nation building.

It was a moving day, more moving I suspect than most people thought it would be. As each of those who were helped by the Backs spoke it was obvious how much it all had meant; it was plain that they had been given a freedom, and even plainer how valuable that freedom is.

I spoke to Mr. Back afterwards and he told me that they are only half-way, their aim is 50 students. Imagine, he said, if more people and companies did this? Imagine if they each took 50 people and helped and encouraged them through their studies? If 100 000 individuals and companies helped 50 students; that would be 5 million educated people. Lofty goals? Perhaps. But coming from this man, this family, it made it seem quite possible; reminding me of the quote from Nelson Mandela Apollo used when he was telling his story, “It seems so impossible until it is done”.

The Students of Backsberg:Front row: Maaimoena Abrahams, Alicia Mdoda, Lindsay Abrahams, Gloria Ngumani, Tawia Fakuni, Porchia Pearce, Estelle Stevens, Letitia Jacobs, Back Row: Johan Burger, Charl Du Plessis, Apollo Bomvana, Patrick Ngumani, Miska Alie, Alain Booi, Minister Donald Grant, Ledgemey Abrahams, Cheryl Grant, Yolanda Zeze, Alicia Schlosz, Ashley Boonzaaier, Ettiene Adams, Nazley Adams, Melissa Williams, David Williams, Jill Back, Michael Back, Jenny Back, Raymond Zeze

Vino Varsity went down last Friday.

UCT kicked some ass and took the honours. Well done Ikey Ice Buckets.

Rhodes took part for the first time.

Maties surprised everyone by coming second.

The winning team with the floating decanter trophy filled with something special.

But life’s about more than just the basics, the beauty of wine and life is in the details. Here they are:

Firday afternoon, there is a slight drizzle misting over the bare vineyards of Backsberg Estate Cellars in Paarl. The organizers finishing up on some details – wrapping up the 30 wines for the blind tasting round which kicked off the competition. Loads of Backsberg Chenin and Dry Red were waiting for the 150 student supporters who were to arrive at any moment.  The Backsberg convention centre stood quiet, microphones on, chairs empty, with the atmosphere of a stadium before a match.

First to arrive were the UCT team, their supporters waving flags and making a bee-line for the wines. UCT were extra focused this year with Coach Drew (who studied at Stellies by the way) taking the team through some intense training prior to the event.

Next was the Rhodes team, who had flown in the day before. Three ladies in the trademark Rhodes purple overalls strode confidently over the lawn in front of the conference centre. The three of them were outnumbered but unfazed; not here to simply make up the numbers they were out to compete.

The last team to arrive were the Matie Magnums with their large group of supporters. They arrived with confidence having taken the title for the last two years running. The supporters believed it was theirs for the taking once again.

The UCT supporters took the right side of the room, Stellies the left, and a smattering of Rhodes supporters here and there. In the middle of the room sat the Judges. Dave Hughs, industry stalwart, Life Member of the International Wine and Food Society, Rhodesian junior breast-stroke champion, author, legend. Christiaan Eedes, past editor of Wine Magazine, chronic lunch-goer, philosophy major (he specialized in Hedonism), and prolific wine taster. And to bring a bit of feminine charm and Aussie fun Georgie Prout Marketing and PR manager of Glen Carlou and lover of aussie Riesling.

The Judges: Georgie, Christian and Dave

As soon as the judges and teams had been introduced the tasting round began. The contestants had to make their way through 30 wines in flights of three, and answer a question on each flight.

Rhodes – in the true spirit of the event  – downed the first flight, stood up and claimed the win. This could have been a tactic to put off the more reserved teams of Stellenbosch and UCT. Either way it won them lolz points – points handed out for getting a laugh from the audience or judges.

The tasting round over the teams had a chance to change their personnel (except Rhodes, their iron livers let them take on all three rounds) before the general knowledge round began.

For a look at the questions you can download the presentation here. We’ll put up the answers later, so you can see how you did.

This round saw Maties rushing ahead scribbling away frantically and finishing first, while UCT generally held up the works as they deliberated over their answers. This strategy, it turned out didn’t work for Stellenbosch as they got easy questions wrong, and missed some out completely. UCT and Maties tied the round with Rhodes only two points behind.

The crowds, encouraged by their third glass of Chenin, became nosier and the chants began. “U-C-T! U-C-T!” the room echoed, to which the reply from Maties was “Useless Team! Useless Team!” Ah, the future of our country.

With the tasting and the general knowledge rounds completed it was up to each team to convince the judges which type of grape they thought should be South Africa’s poster-child variety. Argentina has Malbec, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, what should South Africa’s be?

UCT had picked Chenin and offered some solid facts; mainly stating that it is our most planted variety, it makes a plethora of styles, and we are producing wines of brilliant quality. They finished off with a slightly bizarre reenactment of a tasting, illustrating that the other team’s choices were rubbish.

Syrah was the choice for the Rhode’s team. Comparing wine to women, sex, African woman with braids and purple beads and sneaking in some Franz Fanon into their presentation (theirs was easily the most high-brow) they won the hearts and minds of the audience – if not the judges – who burst into spontaneous applause at the end.

Finally Stellenbosch rose to give their arguments for making Pinotage South Africa’s top grape. Unfortunately their performance didn’t quite match up to that of Rhodes and UCT, and it was also plagued with tech issues. Oddly, a picture of Mike Ratcliffe popped up on screen midway through. Not sure if that scored them points with the judges or not.

With the presentations complete the judges were left to deliberate and the scorers got down to adding up points. The teams and spectators were then offered some much needed refreshment – the UCT team taking full advantage of this, it seems they are not fed that well under the mountain.

Bellies full and glasses charged it was time to announce the winners. Taking the tasting round by a handful of points UCT just took the honours in front of Maties and then Rhodes. We know that general knowledge was tied between Maties and UCT with Rhodes only just behind. In a shock judgment the judges gave UCT the win, with Rhodes in second and Maties third. The crowd favourites in this round were to have been judged lacking in solid content and thus came second to the overall winners UCT.

When this had sunk in there was much dancing, shouting and pumping of fists by Captain Doug and his team who can now no longer be looked at as also rans, supporting roles, the perennial second placers; in this competition they now demand respect.

Rhodes did brilliantly as well, late call ups after Wits pulled out they had little or no preparation time – and as one of the team asked, “do you know how many vineyards there are in the Eastern Cape?” (we do, a few in Plett). Nevertheless they embodied the spirit of the competition perfectly, taking part with fantastic humour, and exhibiting that most important condition, joeie de vivre.

The Captains

It was a delightful event, and for Backsberg  - as summed up perfectly by Simon Back –  “on the day the real winner was wine.” Couldn’t agree more. The future is full of winos.

It’s that time of year again, and this year’s Paarl Rotary Club MTB race is going to be a cracker. You will be skidding, pedaling, and sweating your way up and down the exquisite Paarl Valley ending off on our estate. The event is Organized and managed by the members of the Paarl Rotary Club, under the auspices of the Pedal Power Association (PPA), all the proceeds from this event go towards sustaining Rotary’s many charitable projects.

Date: Saturday 10 September 2011

Venue:    Backsberg Wine Estate

Directions to venue:  From Cape Town, take the N1 North, turning off at Exit 47 to Klapmuts/Wellington. Turn right under the bridge towards Klapmuts.  Cross over the 4 way stop and the railway bridge.  After 200 meters turn left onto the Simondium Franschhoek road. After 5 Km Backsberg is on your right.   GPS Co-ordinates S 33° 49, 684′   E 18° 54, 917′

NOTE: The long route requires more technical riding skills than the average PPA funride. It should be seen as a challenge and is aimed at the fit rider, definitely not for the first entrant. Some route changes may occur. All children u/10 must be accompanied by an adult.For more information about the venue visitour website.

MTB CHALLENGE

• Long Route 45 km to start @ 08h00
• Short Route 30 km to start @ 08h30
• Kiddies Race 5km to start @ 09h00

The prize giving and cut-off time will be at 12h30.

Family Activities at Backsberg for the Day!

Our aim for the mountain bike race is to make the day as enjoyable as possible to all the riders as well as their families.  We have therefore arranged for the following activities during the day:

• Jumping castle for the kids
• Glass blowing demonstration
• Wine tasting
• Culinary experience
• Horse riding

The Backsberg Restaurant will also have the following available on their menu:

Chicken Curry R45-00                      Fish and Chips     R65                     Italian Meatballs     R55-00

Online Entries are available from 01 August 2011, to register for the cycle race and other activities CLICK HERE. Entering online provides you with a discounted entry fee as well as assisting with the preparations and administration for the race.  Late Entries will be accepted on the day of the race at the registration point at Backsberg Wine Estate.  When registering please fill in a valid e-mail address.  We will only use this to send you a receipt for your registration.To look up who else is riding and whether your name has been registered, click here. Entries for the Kiddies Race can be done online or on the day of the race.

Easy Entry Tickets accepted.

Remember to wear your PPA funride number. No Helmet No Ride. Costs for the Race

Join us at 19:00 for 19:30 before taking a seat in our courtyard venue to a dinner of Italian Anitpasto platters of  Italian style cured meats, Local Cheeses, Marinated vegetables, Pickles preserves and Italian Breads, while the band performs.

Tickets are R150 per person.

To book call Lee-ann on

Cell: +27824952006

or Email: events@backsberg.co.za

LAINEY BOONZAIER ~ Vocals

Lainey has spent most of her life on the stage, in theatre, dance and singing. Lainey graduated from The College of Music University of Cape Town, specializing in Jazz Vocal Performance. She is a well known jazz vocalist having performed at most venues around town. Lainey has her own private mini theatre called “The Velvet Upon Tweed Boutique Theatre”

DAVE RIDGWAY ~  Double Bass

Dave is a well known bass player, who has performed with most orchestras and bands around town. Dave is also a multitalented percussionist, who holds workshops and teaches all styles of percussion instruments.

MIKE LAATZ ~ Tenor, Alto and Soprano Sax and Drum Kit

Mike Laatz is an experienced and sought after Saxophone player for his “Soft Jazz” style of playing. Mike is a well known “Fine Music Radio Presenter”, has his own what’s on jazz website, and  is also a fine recording artist.

DEREK HUTTON ~ Piano

Derek is a highly accomplished pianist, who has been in the music industry for over fifty years. Derek is the resident pianist for  the Johny Cooper Orchestra. Specialising in all genres of music, he is a sought after accompanist for vocalists.

When I was in the UK earlier this year I sat down with Chris Scott of the UK Wine Show to do an in-depth podcast interview about South Africa and all things Backsberg. Chris didn’t shy away from tough questions, covering everything from leaf-roll virus to some of the intricacies of the Wine of Origin system.

Click here for the podcast. Also be sure to check out his UK Wine Show website here – it’s one for the wine geeks of us.

House and Leisure magazine

Last week I did a twitter interview – my first – with SA’s House and Leisure magazine (@houseleisureSA). We tweeted away about some of the environmental work that we are up to on the farm. Here is a copy of the interview (for the non-twitter users note if the line starts with @simonback that is directed from @houseleisureSA to me and vice versa, and #HLecowine was the hashtag we used):

We’re delighted to welcome @simonback from the famous Back family at @Backsberg Wines. Hi Simon and welcome to #HLecowine.
@houseleisureSA hi there, thanks for having me on twitter (if you can say that!). Hi to the @houseleisureSA followers #HLecowine.
@simonback Our pleasure! So let’s go back to the origins of @Backsberg. #HLecowine

@simonback Your great grandfather arrived in SA in the 1900s. How has family influenced your eco-friendly vision? #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA Indeed, sustainability has always been something my family has believed it, be it on a environmental or social front #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA that said it was really my father – who eats, sleeps and drinks green – that has been the biggest influence on the farm #HLecowine

@simonback Wonderful. What is the “tread lightly” approach you have taken when producing your wines? #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA just to explain first, Tread Lightly, was a brand we recently developed which was the 1st SA wine bottled in PET #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA but the name really encompasses our approach at Backsberg, that of making wine with respect for the land #HLecowine

@simonback Fantastic, thank you. And which wines dominant the Tread Lightly range? #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA currently the Tread Lightly range is made up of a Chenin Blanc, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Merlot #HLecowine

@simonback That sounds delicious. What would you pair these with? #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA being in Sweden (and it being summer) at the moment the Sauvignon Blanc with some fresh salmon would be spot on #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA with it being winter in SA though, I would say the Merlot with a lamb bredie would be the way to go #HLecowine
@simonback Actually today we’d choose the salmon and Savignon Blanc. It’s lovely and sunny! #HLecowine

@simonback So, onto the technical part of your job, what makes Backsberg a carbon neutral winery? #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA every year we do a carbon audit, where we look at all our carbon emissions and then we offset those emissions #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA we also try reduce our electricity and fuel usage, e.g. using smaller bakkies or me using skype more/flying less #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA the main way we offset our emissions, however, is through tree planting. We plant 1000s of trees annually #HLecowine

@simonback Fantastic. Is packaging your wines in Mondi’s new, innovative PET soft bottle also part of this effort? #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA yes, the PET bottle is significantly lighter in weight, so your transport and distribution impact is a lot less #HLecowine

@simonback That’s brilliant. @Backsberg is also a Biodiversity & Wine Initiative (BWI) member. Tell us more? #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA In fact we are BWI champions! You need to fulfill a number of criteria related to conservation and sustainability #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA part of the BWI program has led to us setting aside about 10 percent of the farm for fynbos preservation #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA you can check out more about the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative program here http://bit.ly/pisfvm #HLecowine

@simonback Great, will do, thanks. @Backsberg is also deeply committed to social responsibility. What projects are underway? #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA currently, the main focus is sponsoring students, who don’t have the resources, through tertiary studies #HLecowine

@simonback What a wonderful initiative. Finally, what is your personal favourite @Backsberg eco-friendly wine and why? #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA The last while I have been drinking plenty of our Family Reserve White (a blend of Chard, Roussanne and Viognier) #HLecowine
@simonback Nice perk to being part of the family Sounds heavenly. #HLecowine

If you want to know more about @simonback’s unique wines please visit bit.ly/pDXBfM and bit.ly/ePMH1h #HLecowine

@simonback Thanks so much for taking the time out to chat with us and for opening our eyes to the many benefits of eco-farming. #HLecowine
@houseleisureSA Absolute pleasure. Please pop by @backsberg for a tasting when you are next in the winelands #HLecowine

@simonback Thank you. We will certainly take you up on that offer Well done on the significant efforts made by your farm. #HLecowine

Be sure to check us out on twitter on @Backsberg and yours truly on @simonback. SB