VINTAGE PLAYER Gary Player, the Black Knight of golf, once famously remarked that “The harder you practice the luckier you get.” Similarly, the launch of the first wine in the Gary Player Major Championship Series will have nothing to do with luck and everything to do with hard work and fierce determination. In a tribute to one of the game’s greatest players and ambassadors – and certainly the one with the most longevity – a range of fine wines celebrating Player’s nine Major Championship victories on the regular PGA Tour, will honour the Black Knight. The prestige series, comprising 9 vintages with production limited to 30 000 bottles per vintage, is being produced at Quoin Rock winery in the heart of the Stellenbosch winelands and will be released under the Gary Player label by Black Knight Wine. This newly formed company, under the umbrella of Black Knight International, aims to honour Player and share his story. THE WINES Established in 1998, Quoin Rock Winery is situated in Stellenbosch, the heart of South Africas wine growing region. Grapes are grown on the slopes of the Simonsberg in Stellenbosch and in the cool climate region of Cape Agulhas. Viticulture at Quoin Rock is based on a minimal interference philosophy which allows the natural potential of the environment to express the unique characteristics of site and vintage. The Gary Player Major Championship Series wine is a blend of varying proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and the South African varietal, Pinotage. The climatic conditions of each vintage guides the handling of the grapes in the cellar resulting in a unique wine from each vintage. After a careful selection process, the chosen components are blended and matured in small French oak barrels for 12 to 18 months. This is followed by a further maturation in stainless steel tanks and final maturation in bottle.