Gun Bay is a South African wine brand conceived by Andrew Ing in collaboration with notable local winemakers.
Since 1806, two 18-pounder smoothbore muzzleloaders on Signal Hill have been watchfully guarding Cape Town’s Table Bay. One is fired daily at noon to mark midday.
This centuries-old tradition harks back to the days of sailing ships that would shelter in Table Bay from the wild storms that battered the coastline. The ships needed an accurate timepiece to calculate longitude before once more embarking on their perilous journeys. The Noon Gun ritual continues to this day, and whilst we can set our watches by the cannons, we like to think that this tradition also honours those who defended the grape harvest in our beautiful Cape winelands. Ganbei* to that!
*Ganbei! (Pronounced gun bay, coincidentally) is a traditional chinese toast meaning cheers! Bottoms up! Dry Cup!
"BOOKS, BONSAI AND WINE INSPIRE ME."
My family and I have spent many years living around Kommetjie, Scarborough, Misty Cliffs and Noordhoek, all picturesque villages just 40 minutes from Cape Town. We spend hours collecting mussels off the rocks, catching crayfish and running the rocky trails in the mountains. The wild south peninsula coastline resonates with us - hot summers and sea breezes contrasting with stormy north wester winter gales and driving rain. These same cool onshore sea breezes and hot summers are a vital ingredient for the Cape’s superb wines that quite simply burst with flavour.
Books, bonsai and wine inspire me; writers nurture their creative fire as they patiently bring their characters to life in the search for truth; bonsai masters refine their art for
decades, styling beautiful trees to symbolize harmony and balance between nature, man and soul; winemakers persevere over many years, using knowledge and instinct to transform bunches of grapes into noble wines that excite
the senses.
There is a sense of timeless elegance to all of these pursuits, and I am humbled and privileged to be working with legendary winemakers in our efforts to promote a truly South African wine brand in celebration of the acclaimed vineyards that surround The Mother City.
