Rottcher Wineries

Description

Rottcher Wineries is a famous landmark at the Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre in White River, Mpumalanga. Owned and run by Frank Theron, Rottcher Wineries uses an age-old traditional method of fermentation. Visitors can look forward to a fascinating tasting and tour of the winery to learn about the production of the Range of orange “wines”. Due to the law stating that only wine made from grapes could be called “wine”, Rottcher refers to their wines as Rottcher Orange. Interestingly, wine made from oranges has a very long shelf life and can be kept for up to 20 years! Once uncorked, it will remain good for up to a year when refrigerated. These products can be likened to a sherry or dessert wine.

Orange “wine” was first made in around 1910, when a German missionary in Natal needed communion wine. There were no grapes in Natal but Mr Rottcher knew how to produce orange “wine”. He then taught his two grandsons how to make this product and they later both stated orange “wine” farms. One in Greytown, Natal and the other one in White River. The White River winery was established in 1959. It was later sold to the van der Heever family and then to the Nels, who moved it to its present location at Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre where Frank Theron purchased it in 2012 and started a distillery a year later.

• Distillery: Rottcher has a boutique distillery where Rottcher Limoncello Liqueur is produced on a small scale. Recently Frank has brought out the first Citrus based gins in the world, one made from distilled Rottcher Orange and the second from distilled Rottcher Clementine.

• Products:

• Fermented products (Rottcher Orange, Rottcher Orange & Ginger, Rottcher Orange & Chilli and Rottcher Clementine )

• Distilled products (Rottcher Limoncello Liqueur, Rottcher Slowveld Clementine mampoer and Rottcher Slowveld gin (the first citrus based gins in the world)

• Also sold at the Winery:

• Pottery (Antjie Newton pottery)
• Grape Wines – a selection of quality grape wines
• Liqueurs – Kaapse Liqueurs Pittekou and Kaapse Liqueurs Strawberry.