News> Wine Spectator's "Grand Tour" includes R&V


Rust en Vrede were in exceptional company during May. Wine Spectator magazine held its Grand Tour in Chicago - and Rust en Vrede was invited to present its wines.

The editor and publisher, Marvin R. Shanken, explains the concept: "The Grand Tour is part of a new program to bring great wines from around the world to Wine Spectator readers and their friends around the USA. For 25 years, our readers have been coming to us. Now we are bringing the tastings to them."

The Grand Tour saw more than 1000 wine lovers visiting Chicago to taste the wines of 200 wineries from around the world. The three-hour walk-around tasting showcased many of the world's more notable wineries, including Bordeaux first-growth Châteaus Lafite Rothschild, Margaux and Mouton-Rothschild; California's Beringer, Caymus, Diamond Creek and Opus One; Burgundy's Louis Jadot; the Rhône's E. Guigal; Spain's Alvaro Palacios; Italy's Angelo Gaja, Ornellaia and Sassicaia; and many more.

Rust en Vrede's inclusion in this line up was a very special event for the winery, and for South African wines - because of the quality of wines on show, but also because of the knowledge of the tasters. Jean-Guillaume Prats, president of Bordeaux second-growth Château Cos-d'Estournel, noted: "I even see some people here that I saw in Bordeaux three weeks ago for
the en primeur tastings."

Rust en Vrede's Estate blend has been voted one of the world's 100 Top wines by the magazine for its last three vintages. Rust en Vrede is the only South African producer ever to be on the list for three concurrent years, and it's a feat matched by few other wineries in the world. This truly remarkable achievement, along with Rust en Vrede's inclusion in the Grand Tour, speaks loudly for this wine to have reached "First Growth" status.