The Stables Wine Estate Airport Cellar is a beautifully presented wine boutique and bar in the new, state of

The Stables Wine Estate Airport Cellar

the art King Shaka International Airport in Durban. This exciting innovation by Tiny and Judy van Niekerk, owners of The Stables Wine Estate, offers travelers to Durban a full bar service from 05h00 until 22h00 each day. About 14 different wines are available by the glass as are beers, spirits, tea, coffee and water. Producers represented range from Solms Delta, Spier, Springfield and Saronsberg to Cederberg, Cabriere and Cape Point Vineyards.

The enthusiastic, helpful and knowledgeable manager of the wine bar is Vuyo Charles. When I asked him how he became a wine aficionado, Vuyo related to his five year stint as bartender in Knysna. He endured the “boring entry level duties” of serving beers. Then, wanting more, he progressed to learning about and serving coffee and cocktails before becoming a wine steward. When The Stables Airport Cellar opened prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Vuyo applied for a position and rapidly was promoted to manager. Vuyo loves the challenge and constantly increases his wine knowledge and tasting experience.  His favourite wine style is rose and he recommends The Stables Zambezi Pink2006. Champagne is a fascination of Vuyo’s and because he has a bit of a sweet tooth prefers a semi-sweet Methode cap classique.

The Van Niekerks established 27 ha of vines in Nottingham Road and in Greyton, KwaZulu-Natal to pioneer grape production in the

Manager, Vuyo Charles and Abigail Radebe

province. The farm is set on the site of a former thoroughbred stud and boasts views of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Mountains. In 2005 The Wine and Spirit Board of South Africa designated the area as a Wine of Origin Geographical Unit and in 2006 the first certified KwaZulu-Natal wine of origin was released.

The question we must ask though is: The Natalians may beat the Western Province at playing rugby but can they compete at wine-making?