Today the developers of the R1-billion Mandela Rhodes Place (MRP) in Cape Town's CBD announced that it has selected and finalized negotiations with an internationally renowned winemaker for the city's first fully fledged inner-city winery.

Jean Vincent Ridon of Signal Hill Wines and his formidable team of winemakers have won the bid to be the CBD's first working winery that forms part of the unique retail and lifestyle component of the mixed-use Mandela Rhodes Place. Together with fine restaurants and a gourmet food hall, Mandela Rhodes Place is destined to catapult Cape Town's inner-city into a cosmopolitan food, wine and lifestyle haven.

French winemaker Jean Vincent Ridon started producing wines in South Africa in 1997 and he will relocate Signal Hill from its current premises in time for the 2006 harvest. The winery will see the full production process taking place on-site which will include de-stemming, crushing, fermentation, barrelling, bottling and packaging.

The micro-winery will boast the most advanced winemaking technology and in addition to Signal Hill wines, the winery will also produce Tutuka wines on-site. Tutuka is the only fully black empowered operation in the wine industry and is produced by Ridon's associate winemaker, the Burgundy-trained Laurence Buthelezi.

Ridon adds that the winery is in close proximity to their city vineyard, Clos d'Oranje located in Oranjezicht which was established in partnership with the Andrag-family: "The vineyard was the first step in our vision of regenerating what was, in the past, a city of vineyards.

The winery's new address at Mandela Rhodes Place is ideal because it ties in with the age-old wine ethos of having your product close to your market.

"We foresee that the harvest of Clos d'Oranje will become an annual public event where the process of winemaking, from the harvest to the grape crushing, will be the pretext for a harvest party."

"The social interaction that wine brings is being lost in the city at the moment," says Ridon who believes the winery will add to a fuller lifestyle experience for visitors and city dwellers alike.

"After seeing the vineyard, visitors can move on to the winery to have a look at the complete winemaking process which other wineries usually keep away from the public eye. They can do a wine tasting, buy their wine or enjoy a light meal complementing their wine in the winery's sophisticatedly relaxed bistro. After all, wine is made to be drunk with food!"

The winery at Mandela Rhodes Place is in close proximity to the site where South Africa's first vines were planted in 1655. Making wine in the city is not new to Ridon, who was selected by the Mayor of Paris to be in charge of the 2001 vintage of the famous Paris vineyards, Clos Montmartre. He now operates a similar operation in Istanbul using the same city winery concept.

Comments Japie Hugo, "Signal Hill winery represents the unique type of tenant that we want to showcase - specialist, niche and a leader in its industry. The winery will act as a catalyst for the myriad of lifestyle opportunities offered within Mandela Rhodes Place, providing residents and visitors with a wide variety of entertainment and leisure options.

Mandela Rhodes Place is firmly regarded as a catalyst in inner-city rejuvenation and is one of the largest mixed-use developments in Cape Town since the 1970's. The development, set for completion at the end of 2006, successfully merges residential and retail components. Mandela Rhodes Place comprises 180 luxurious apartments and, in addition to the first city winery, a range of restaurants, bars, food halls and delicatessens.

These will be complemented by a state of the art rooftop wellness centre and clinic, offices, gymnasium and in-house parking. A luxury five-star hotel will also be developed as part of MRP with the announcement of this operator anticipated shortly.


Molo says: "Mandela Rhodes Place has been completed; read more about Mandela Rhodes Apartments . Read more about things to do in the Cape Winelands , or Wine related things to do in Cape Town .