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Text: MELLISSA BUSHBY. Photographer: LUMÉ REITER<br />
as we had planned. Rottcher Wineries<br />
started off in 1959 and is a <strong>Lowveld</strong><br />
icon, so I have big shoes to fill.<br />
“Some of Frank’s old stock is still left<br />
and people clamour to get hold<br />
of it before it’s all gone. One of the<br />
batches of wooded citrus gin, made<br />
in conjunction with smoked French<br />
oak chips, is particularly scrumptious.<br />
It was left in a little longer than usual<br />
because Frank wanted to explain<br />
part of the process to me, but we<br />
were in the bush at the time. The<br />
few days extra that he waited made<br />
all the difference. It has a subtle,<br />
almost burnt-caramel flavour coming<br />
through.<br />
“Sadly, there is very little left, and<br />
many of the recipes, especially for the<br />
orange wines, are lost, so it really will<br />
be a huge learning curve, starting<br />
from scratch in a way. Certainly a<br />
mammoth challenge but one I feel I<br />
am able to do. Support from friends<br />
and family has been amazing, and my<br />
team, Angela, Hlobi, Melusi, Mduduzi<br />
and Queen are a godsend, as much a<br />
part of Gin & Co as I am. And it helps<br />
that I love what I am doing.”<br />
That is fortunate, because Gin & Co<br />
keeps Tanya on her toes constantly.<br />
“I never realised we would be as<br />
busy as we are,” she says. “We have<br />
plenty of people milling about the<br />
centre who pop in for a gin tasting<br />
or a cold, refreshing drink. Also, we<br />
do everything ourselves here, from<br />
bottling to labelling. The stock in the<br />
The gorgeous Gin & Co<br />
Dollie Gin<br />
Melusi Nyoka and Hlobisile Ntila<br />
16 Get It <strong>Lowveld</strong> <strong>Dec</strong>ember <strong>2019</strong>
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