Gary Player - The Legend

Vintage Player Matures to Perfection

A world champion and a great vintage have found in each other the perfect match. The launch of the first wine in the Gary Player Major Championship Series unites the skills of a legendary golfer and an award-winning Stellenbosch winery nestled in the heartland of the South African vineyards.

The prestige series, comprising 18 vintages with production limited to 30,000 bottles per vintage, 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 honor Player and further share his story.

The idea to forge this link between his achievements and great wine was not Player’s. By preference a “tea-totaller,” he is known to follow his doctor’s advice that the occasional glass of red wine is good for his health. When his son Marc saw great wine as a way of paying tribute to his father, Player’s reaction was typically modest: “Thank you for honoring me in this way, however this is not about me, but rather about celebrating my Major Championships...”

Marc Player is engagingly open about his motivation. Apart from wanting to pay tribute to his father and select a wine that reinforces Player’s South African roots, Marc freely admits that it was a business decision. “Many of Black Knight International’s customers are baby-boomers who travel a lot, play golf, and enjoy fine wines. We already supply luxury homes and apparel. Wine is a natural extension of the Player brand.” In this case however, business is combined with pleasure, for Marc himself is a wine-lover.

The first step in creating this synergy between great golf and great grapes was to source the wine. Andrew Smith, general manager of Black Knight Wine, elaborates: “We set out to find both an outstanding premium wine that would be perfect for our customers, and the right partnership - someone to produce a glass of red wine that could stand on its own.”

They found it at a boutique Stellenbosch winery, Quoin Rock, where winemaker Carl van der Merwe’s 2003 blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and Shiraz, was chosen to commemorate the first in the series: Player’s 1959 Open Championship victory at Muirfield. It was Player’s first major title and one of the most memorable, as the then 23-year-old played brilliant golf on the final 36 holes, clawing back from an eight-shot deficit. Despite a wretched double drop on the 18th, Player won by one and the gritty determination and fighting spirit evident at Muirfield typified his approach to the game he has graced for over half a century.

The wine, says Van der Merwe, is not an in-your-face show stopper, but has a restrained yet full palate, with silky tannins and lingering finish. In his view the blend (38% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Pinotage and 8% Shiraz) best expresses the 2003 vintage, which he rates as “one of the better years of the last decade, and showing the most promise”. Drinking well now, with fruit aromas still bright and bottle age starting to show, he believes that with correct cellaring, it has the potential to improve for up to 10 years from vintage.

The stylish packaging of the series commemorates Player’s Major victories, captured in striking labels by South African artist Athol Moult. Drawing inspiration from press clippings and iconic photos from the Player archives, Moult has produced a modern design that integrates black and white photography with significant numbers associated with each win - from being 8 shots behind the leader at the start of the final day, or 3-putting for a double-bogey 6, or needing 4 at the final hole for a round of 66.

Black Knight Wine has also launched a Founder Member’s Program that affords 72 invited friends the opportunity to be personally involved in the range by receiving collectables such as limited edition wines, Riedel wine glasses, a Magnum of the vintage in a premium display unit, invitations to special events and collectors’ prints of the label artwork signed by Gary Player and artist Athol Moult. The opportunity to become a Founder Member of the Gary Player Major Championship Series will be offered to chosen wine and golf enthusiasts around the world at a cost of $2500 per vintage, and they will automatically be given preference in purchasing the 17 subsequent vintages.

Black Knight Wine has planned a USA launch of the Major Championship Series at the Gary Player Invitational at The Cliffs this September.  The wine is (or soon will be) available globally at chosen premium golf estates, restaurants and private cellars or via http://www.playerwine.com. 

For further details contact Andrew Smith at Black Knight Wine on +27 21 671 5159 or email .

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