KWV 100 Harvests

■ KWV celebrated its centenial with a 100th harvest dinner for 100 guests in the Cathedral Cellar at the Paarl winery on Saturday May 5. Guests were treated to a video presentation in which some of the acknowledged legends of the South African wine industry who have worked at KWV over the years, reflected on the growth and development of the organisation, from its original formation as a co-operative in January 1918, through the years it was the only export channel for South African wines, to its evolution into a private company, competing on equal terms with other major corporate players in the industry. KWV head winemaker, Wim Braak, pictured, got the celebration under way with the traditional sabrage, opening a bottle of bubbly with a cavalry sabre, the method said to have been popularised by thirsty French cavalry officers on the battlefield.