Now that the revamp of the distillery is complete, Frank has started experimenting with gin recipes and he aims to commence with gin production before the end of the second quarter 2016, which will add another variety to his already popular and growing wine range. “I have started working on an orange-based gin recipe and hope to have it ready within the next few months. In addition, my Clementine Mampoer is almost complete and should be available by the end of April,” says Frank.
Frank is justifiably proud of Rottcher Wineries’ unique range of fermented and distilled infused orange “wine” products, namely Limoncello liqueur, which is double-distilled and infused with lemon according to Rottcher’s unique recipe; Rottcher Orange; Rottcher Dry Orange; Rottcher Orange and Chilli; Rottcher Orange and Ginger and Rottcher Orange Clementine.
“Rottcher Wineries offers drinks which contain a secret blend of zesty Lowveld citrus and cane sugar, all carefully nurtured in our White River cellar until perfectly matured,” says Frank, who encourages customers to visit the new distillery at the Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre in White River to taste his delicious variety of orange-infused “wines”.
Frank bought Rottcher Wineries in 2012. Encouraged by his friends, assisted by the former owners and motivated by his personal passion for wine and his wine collection hobby he decided to innovate the business and its products and his exciting range is proof of his success to date.
People have been making fermented beverages for centuries. Mead or honey wine was produced in Asia during the Vedic period (around 1700-1100BC). The Greeks, Celts, Saxons, and Vikings also produced this beverage. However, in Rome, China, Babylon and Egypt people made wine from grapes and beer from malted barley. The Latin word fervere (to boil) was used to describe this process as the mixtures that were kept in large vessels produced bubbles, as though they were boiling.
A fine eye is required to ensure the correct length of fermentation, with temperature and air exposure being key factors of success. “Rottcher Wineries uses an age-old traditional method of fermentation to create its unique range of drinks,” says Frank. “Rottcher orange-infused “wines” can be likened to sherry or dessert wine and enjoyed before, during or after a meal,” he adds. Rottcher, known as ‘the pride of the Lowveld’, ensures that its drinks possess natural goodness so that they can be thoroughly enjoyed. What’s more, customers can select from the interesting flavours of orange, dry orange, orange and ginger, orange and chilli and clementine.
When it comes to distilling - the process that ensures that a liquid made of two or more parts is separated into smaller parts, of desired purity, by the addition and subtraction of heat from the mixture - Rottcher’s Wineries ensures that the vapours/liquids distilled are richer in content than any of their ingredients that have lower boiling points.
Distilled spirits are produced from agricultural raw materials such as grapes, other fruit, sugarcane, molasses, potatoes, and cereals to name a few.
The Sonnegold Orange Winery was established by Mr Rottcher, a German immigrant near Greytown in 1916. Necessity was the ‘mother of invention’ as, with no grapes available, wine was made from oranges and served at the Holy Communion. Grandson, Kurt Rottcher, continued the family tradition and Rottcher Wineries was officially started in White River in the Heidelberg Valley in 1959.
Rottcher Wineries was sold to Koot and Loura van den Heever in 1983 and then to Christine and Jaco Nel in 2008. Rottcher’s was then relocated to its present location at Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre, on the R40 in White River, where the product range has been increased by Frank.
