Background

HISTORY
The Kerr family’s history dates back to 9th century Ireland. Abraham Joseph, one of our more recent ancestors, farmed successfully in Coleraine during the 1800’s.
This led to the naming of our cellar after our ancestral birthplace in Northern Ireland and commemorating our extensive Irish history.

CULRAITHIN (cool-ray-thin) OUR NEW FLAGSHIP LABEL IS A DERIVATIVE OF THE GAELIC FOR COLERAINE.

After years of wine and table grape production a long held vision of building a cellar came to fruition in 1998. The pack shed was changed into a wine and maturation cellar with the first grapes being crushed in 1999. 2001 saw the addition of another maturation cellar.

FARMING
Farming, having played a considerable role in the recent history of the Kerr family, once more came to the fore with the purchase of Montana, a farm in South Africa, in 1974. This 42-hectare farm abutting the Paarl Mountain Nature Reserve is situated on the southwestern slopes with 270º spectacular mountain views. Originally the first vineyards were planted in the 1920’s with the emphasis on wine grapes, which have always produced quality grapes. The deep well drained Clovelly Hutton and Oakleaf granite-clay soils and cool evening breezes contribute to fruit of high quality and intense colour. All the grapes used to produce these red wines are grown, hand picked and vinified on the farm.
Clive Kerr started his career on the farm 21 years ago and has realized his dream of producing wine from his own grapes.

PLANTINGS
A rundown of the plantings over the last 25 years include Shiraz 1978, Shiraz 1996/7/8, Merlot 1984/1999, Cabernet Sauvignon 1991 1996/7/2000, Cinsaut 1970 1972, Cabernet Franc 2000, Ruby Cabernet 1988, Petit Verdot 2001, Viogner 2000 & Sauvignon Blanc 1986.
As regards new plantings, Mourverde has joined the ranks as well as more Petit Verdot and Viogner.

AWARDS
The maiden Shiraz (1999) won locally a Young Wine Show Gold Medal and 4½ star rave in Wine magazine. In Europe the prestigious GRAND PRIX D’HONNEUR was awarded in September 2001 in Hamburg as well as second place in the Great Shiraz Tasting at the Hamburger Weinsalon in Germany.

The Coleraine Shiraz 2000 released late this year received 3½ stars in Wine Magazine. The Coleraine Cabernet Merlot received 3½ stars in the 2001 Platter Guide.
WINES

Our premium range COLERAINE (now CULRAITHIN), was released in 2000.
We have bottled a Shiraz, a Cabernet/Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon under this label.

Clive Kerr the Shiraz king of Coleraine Wines
Coleraine Wines produced the king of Shirazes in this year’s Santam Paarl Shiraz Challenge. The winery’s Culraithin Syrah 2002 beat 36 contenders from the Paarl region to the throne. Glen Carlou’s 2003 Glen Carlou Syrah and Boland Cellar’s Boland Shiraz No1 Reserve 2002 took second and third place respectively.

NEWS
Cabernet Merlot 1999
Extract from: BUSINESS DAY Sept 13 2001 WINE/DISCOVERIES by Michael Fridjhon

“Among my discoveries was Coleraine, a cabernet merlot blend produced in Paarl by Clive Kerr. It is a wine of great elegance and complexity, not showy, but with an elegance and balance that suggests it will match the mould of Veenwouden, Morgenster-Lourens River Red, perhaps even Klein Gustrouw.”

Our second label FIRE ENGINE RED, a blend of Merlot, Ruby Cabernet, and Cinsaut, was bottled in 2000. This maiden vintage received a 1999 Veritas Silver Medal and Wine Magazine 3 stars (December 1999)
The rationale behind this name came about from a long held fascination for an old Dennis (1946) fire engine kept in immaculate condition at the local fire station. Although no longer in use, this fire engine epitomizes the workmanship of the 20th century, something we should strive to carry forward into the future. It is for this reason that Clive has dedicated the first bottling of Fire Engine Red to “Dennis (1946) and all her kin”

MARKETING
On the marketing front we are in the company of Alchemy Wines – UK, NW Natural Wine Corporation GmbH & Co. KG, H.H.D. Imports Inc are overseeing some of our export markets and locally in the capable hands of Andrew Baker and his team at Wine Worx.

CURRICULUM VITAE - CLIVE BAILEY KERR

A first generation South African born in 1955 in Cape Town. Clive’s ancestral history dates back to 9th century Ireland, which inspired the naming of the cellar after his ancestral birthplace in Northern Ireland.

He was schooled at St Andrews in Grahamstown and spent time after completing school pursuing other interests. One of which was wine. This background grew into a passion and the vision to produce wine that would reflect the character of the terrior.

Very much a hands on person Clive started farming in 1980 and was instrumental in gradually changing and increasing the wine grape stock on the 42 hectare family farm situated on the southwestern slopes of Paarl Mountain.

This led to the establishment of a red wine cellar in 1998. The first Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot pressed in 1999 have received rave reviews locally and later internationally. More plantings of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Mourverde have resulted from the excellent reviews received for the maiden vintage.

Clive is a very active person who has remarkable physical reserves and therefore enjoys a challenge. After many years spent pursuing different sports he has settled on surfing, which encompasses his passion for the sea. Clive is married to Lyn and has two teenage sons and a daughter.

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