Ernie Els
As one of South Africa's leading ambassadors and one of the most recognisable faces in the world of sport, it is befitting that Ernie chose South Africa and Stellenbosch to produce his wine. This idea was born from a long-standing friendship between Ernie Els and Jean Engelbrecht. 'The strongest relationship is one built from friendship. If friendship involves families, it is even stronger. We have been planning this for a long time and it is very exciting to see it come together,' says Els.
Jean and Ernie established Engelbrecht Vineyards in 1999, and finally opened their dream cellar on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain in Stellenbosch in December 2004. When the friendship and expertise of their respective professions came together, Jean and Ernie set out to create an extraordinary wine. The aim with the wine is to capture everything that Ernie stands for: big in stature and gentle in character.
Embracing the talents of winemaker Louis Strydom, who has produced the only South African wine to be nominated four years consecutively as one of the Top 100 wines in the world, they created the Ernie Els wine, a classic Bordeaux blend comprising of five varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
Comments Jean, "As Ernie is setting the standard in the international sporting arena, so are we dedicated to superior quality and excellence in this unique venture".
