No, that's not an old proverb, though it sounds cliché enough for that. But in Franschhoek, in South Africa's Western Cape Province, it was true.
In the seventeenth century, South Africa was still a Dutch colony. The then-governor saw the Olifantshoek Valley as an ideal location for viticulture, but he knew no experts. So he asked the Dutch East India Company to send expert winegrowers to cultivate the land.
Around that time, many French Huguenots – Protestants – had fled to Holland to escape repression. In 1685, the French king Louis XIV had issued the Edict of Fontainebleau, in which he deprived Protestants of the right to practice their religion and, in practice, sanctioned their oppression.
On December 31, 1687, the first ship carrying French Huguenots left Holland for Cape Town. Several more ships would follow. The Olifantshoek Valley was soon renamed Franschhoek, "the French Corner" in Afrikaans, and from there, wine growing spread throughout South Africa. However, don't think the French Huguenots were completely free: they weren't allowed to speak their own language.
So much for the clichés. Black Elephant Vintners in Franschhoek are fighting against just that. Kevin Swart (the black man), Raymond Ndlovu (the elephant), and Jacques Wentzel (the vintner) say they want to "break the boundaries of conformity in an industry that has long forgotten what it means to have fun."
This has consequences: music and wine pairings (Paradisi is a fan ), wine and cake pairings, canned wine, pink rebels, and three men in the bath (with a rubber duck). But also: the unique terroir and flavors of the Franschhoek Valley represented in quality wines for every taste, combination, and occasion. Where there's a way, there's a wine... exclusively at Paradisi!
