Draft:That Wine Demesne

That Wine Demesne – established 2012. 18km east of the coastal town of Plettenberg Bay, southern Cape, South Africa. Established in 2012. Farm size 8.5h, under vines 1.2ha. Owned managed by David & Joanna Butler. Demesne (n): /dəˈmān/ Old French - demeine, and from the Latin, dominus, "lord, master of a household". 1. land attached to a manor and retained for the owner's own use:"because labor was cheap, there were ample advantages in cultivating the demesne" 2. possession of real property in one's own right. [1]

The first vines in The Crags area were planted at Bramon Wine Estate, in 2000. Twelve years later, the Butlers decided to plant a field. The cultivar decided on was Pinot Noir. A versatile grape which can be either still wine or used in the making of Cap Classique. Cap Classique (or Methode Cap Classique), is the South African version of champagne as it is made in the same style as that of the Champagne region, but for regulatory reasons that name may not be used. 2013, the first Pinot Noir vines were planted at That Wine Demesne. A combination of still wine and Cap Classique clones on half a hectare. Traditionally, Pinot noir grapes are grown in the mostly cooler climates around the world, which makes the climate of Plettenberg Bay seems ideal for this grape. Terroir is a complex combination of factors in a vineyard (the grape varietal, the geology, hydrology, physiography & climate) which gives each region, each parcel of land its uniqueness. Pinot Noir is the hardest grape to grow but also the most rewarding. It has been called the 'heartbreak grape' because, as a very thin-skinned varietal it is prone to every pest and fungus that bedevils viticulturists around the world. Pinot noir is best grown in cool climates, the best come, of course, from Burgundy, but increasingly the wines from Oregon, New Zealand, and Chile are achieving international recognition. In South Africa, the best Pinot Noirs come from the Hemel and Aarde Valley, but with climate change new areas opening up. The Crags is one such area. Close to the sea and with cooler temperatures than those in the Western Cape, this is an area that can produce superb Pinot Noir. Awards: 2018 – Gold – Michelangelo International Wine & Spirit Awards/4 stars Platters (2930 bottles) 2020 – Gold Gilbert & Gaillard (4000 bottles) 2021 – Double Gold: Michelangelo Awards & Gilbert & Gaillard (4140 bottles) 2022 – 91/100 Gilbert & Gaillard, 4* Platters (3339 bottles)

'RETURN ON INVESTMENT ' https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/accounting/what-is-return-on-investment-roi/ The hardest part, after farming, harvesting, processing, bottling, storing, is marketing & selling the wine: the return on investment.

The process of finding a name which resonated with the producers, the ethos of the wine and, crucially, potential consumers. The importance of creating a presence – virtually and physically; understanding the intricacies of buyer mood; differentiation in a saturated market; and expanding the reach of the wine through collaboration and partnership with local businesses.

The name, That Wine, linked to the Butler's popular self-catering cottage That Place. Quirky, with a French essence in the use of 'Demesne' and a striking logo to add a serious note: That Wine Demesne – producer of Pinot Noir. For the first few years the name of the farm served as both the farm's name and the name of the wine. Although the logo and the name remained constant, the branding in the first few years was inconsistent.

The overriding project is to createThe bigger picture for the farm is to plant different varieties of Pinot noir grapes and make different styles of wine - Cap Classique, Pinot Noir Blanc and a Pinot Noir Rose. Each wine would have a specific identification name under the umbrella: That Wine Demesne.

FINDING A NAME In 1966, David Butler's father, Guy, had his play Take Root or Die staged at the Rhodes Theatre by the students of the Speech & Drama Department at Rhodes University. It is a dramatic pageant of the arrival of the 1820 Settlers in Algoa Bay and their first five years in the Eastern Cape, their trials and tribulations.

The play takes its title from an excerpt from Henry Dugmore's An Albany Settler's Reminiscences.

"It was a forlorn-looking plight in which we found ourselves, when the Dutch waggoners had emptied us and our luggage on to the green-sward, and left us with our boxes and bundles 'under the open firmament of heaven'. Our roughly-kind carriers seemed, as they wished us goodbye, to wonder what would become of us. There we were in the wilderness; and when they were gone we had no means of following, had we wished to do so. We must take root and grow, or die where we stood." Butler, FG : Introduction to Take Root or Die, Albany Series, AA Balkema, Cape Town, 1970

The name: Take Root resonated on many levels – to live, to establish, to put down roots, to grow and develop. On a personal level, the history of the Butler family in the Eastern Cape extended back to the 1860's. The new label, was designed by Joanna Butler's sister, Caroline Thorpe, and depicts the vineyard taking root, the solitary man, hat on, alone in the vastness of the land, working his land (demesne). That Wine Demesne – Take Root – Pinot noir

HISTORY In 1996, the Butlers bought a piece of land in The Crags which was covered in invasive vegetation, wattle, gum and pine. There was no infrastructure on the farm apart from a small wood and iron shack and a shed, no running water or electricity. The property had been owned by a family in Kimberley used occasionally for holidays. The first few years were spent putting in infrastructure, making the house habitable, clearing the debris left from various illegal dumps, and beginning the task of clearing the invasive aliens.

The Butlers moved from Makanda (formerly Grahamstown) to Plettenberg Bay to join brother-in-law Peter Thorpe in a small commercial fishing venture: long-line Hake fishing, with the produce being sent to Spain. This proved a disaster, the fish stock already depleted from huge trawlers inside the national boundaries, their boat Albacore beached in a storm severely damaging the hull.

All but bankrupt, David Butler began working construction carpentry throughout the Eastern and Western Cape while Joanna Butler worked at a small boutique lodge, Hog Hollow Country Lodge.

In 1999, while working construction, Butler was asked if he would be interested in teaching English at a satellite school for teenagers with different schooling requirements. On arrival, he was the de facto headmaster of what was to become Bay College, a Cambridge- affiliated school. Set up at Ebeneezer Estate, the school grew, producing many outstanding results.

On weekends and after hours the Butlers worked on the farm, digging in a vegetable garden, building a chicken coop, repairing and extending the shack, adding plumbing, and finally electricity. An inheritance enabled them to build a proper house which they called That Place and used for short-lets in order to finance the farm.

BIOGRAPHY David Butler – born and raised in Grahamstown now Makhanda. Studied English & History at Rhodes University: BA Hons in English, followed by an HDE PG Sec Diploma. Taught at Durban Westville University, tutored at Rhodes University, taught at Kingswood College – Grahamstown. Headmaster of Bay College in Plettenberg Bay for 19 years. He now teaches at Greenwood Bay College in Plettenberg Bay. Parents: Frederick Guy Butler (d) Jean Murray Butler (e) Siblings: ChristopherButler, Jane du Toit & Patrick Butler (deceased) Spouse: Jennifer Alexander (m 1978 d 1982): Joanna Louise Melton (m 1994) Children: James Guy Butler (b 1979)

Joanna Butler (nee Melton) born in the UK and immigrated with her family aged three to South Africa. Lived in Johannesburg & Benoni. Studied B Journ at Rhodes University, followed by a BA in Journalism & Politics. Worked at the Rhodes Drama Department and now works at Hog Hollow Country Lodge, Plettenberg Bay. Parents: Francis Joseph Melton (d) Kathleen Melton (d) Siblings: Catherine Melton, Nicholas Melton, Andrew Melton & Caroline Thorpe. Spouse: David Guy Butler (m 1994)