Sussanna & Solms Delta

We arrived at Solms Delta wine estate after a scenic drive through the Franschhoek Valley outside Stellenbosch. Upon our arrival, we met our tour guide, Sussanna, a gregarious, vibrant woman with an easy smile and a lyrical voice. As she began to pour wines for us, she warned us not to get “too topsy,” because we had to listen. She told us about each wine: a 2015 white blend named after Amalie, a German princess from the 1600s; a 100% Shiraz called Africana, which Susanna said is a wine you “must try before you die”; and Gemoedsrus, a port-style red wine that is best enjoyed “in the wintertime by the fireplace.” Susanna does not drink, but will have one glass of this wine occasionally. This is because it is named after a song her choir performs on the vineyard. Gemoedsrus is an Afrikaans word that translates to “peace of mind.” Sussanna sang a few bars of the song as she raised an imaginary glass in the air. Then, her colleague joined her for an a capella version of another one of their tunes. They clapped along with the beat and harmonized beautifully.

After our wine tasting, Sussanna led us out to the grounds of the winery to the Museum van de Caab. This museum contains artifacts and stories tracing the land’s history to its first inhabitants. Sussanna told us her story as well. She grew up on the vineyard and began as the owner’s domestic worker in the kitchen. Now, she leads the choir she began over ten years ago and works as a tour guide for the winery. Her children, along with those of the other workers, go to school on the vineyard grounds. Mark Solms, the winery’s owner, began a trust for the workers of the vineyard; a percentage of all wine sales goes toward the workers’ trust. It is a good start in the long path to giving people like Sussanna all that they deserve from their lifetime of labor.