221: from Springbok history to bottle of wine

Some South African traditions need little introduction: a Saturday afternoon game, a table loaded with good food, family arguing over the score — and somewhere nearby, a bottle being opened.

For the Van der Merwe family, who live on a wine estate in the Breede River Valley, yesterday’s Springboks showdown with the All Blacks carried an extra layer of history. Almost a century ago, a young member of their family ran onto the field at Newlands and into the rugby record books.

Albertus Viljoen “Oupa Alvi” van der Merwe was just 19 when the touring All Blacks arrived in South Africa in 1928. In the opening tour match at Newlands, playing for Western Province Country, he became the first South African player to score a try against the All Blacks on African soil.

The New Zealanders eventually won 11-3, but the teenager’s try had already secured its place in history.

‘You don’t make good wine alone; it’s a team effort’ was the philosophy he followed as an appropriate motto for a family where rugby and wine are intertwined

Oupa Alvi would go on to become Springbok No 221 — a number that, nearly a century later, is still being passed down through the Van der Merwe family. The old rugby jersey number now features on bottles of wine.

Today Oupa Alvi’s grandson Alvi van der Merwe is the winemaker behind Alvi’s Drift, the family estate built on the foundations laid by Oupa Alvi.

The estate’s 221 range — Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage and Special Cuvée Red — takes its name from that Springbok number.

While the number began life on a rugby field, the family says its meaning has grown into a reminder of heritage and family stories handed down through the generations.

Oupa Alvi himself understood that making something worthwhile was never a solo effort. “You don’t make good wine alone; it’s a team effort” was the philosophy he followed as an appropriate motto for a family where rugby and wine are intertwined.

“221 was never meant to be only about rugby, sport or one person’s achievement,” grandson Alvi told The Sunday Times on the eve of the opening Springboks-All Blacks Test.

“It is about the stories people share around a table, family stories, old memories and ordinary evenings that stay with you. For us, 221 takes a story from our own past and passes it on. When someone opens a bottle, we hope it becomes part of their story too.”

He said the plan for yesterday’s match was not a grand Van der Merwe gathering at the stadium. Instead, the family was scattered between home, Mozambique and work commitments, but several still found a way to watch together.

“We’ll all be glued to the television. Unfortunately none of us will have the privilege of being at the game, but we’ll be watching and cheering South Africa on loud and proud. I’m confident they can do it.

“It’s always special watching South Africa play, but especially against the All Blacks. It’s something we always look forward to as a family. South Africa against New Zealand has a history and an intensity around it that makes it feel different from most other games, so hopefully we’ll have something to celebrate afterwards.”

The wine list, however, was more carefully considered. If the scoreboard was kind to South Africa, there would be a bottle waiting for the final whistle.

“Hopefully after the victory, we’ll be raising a glass of Alvi’s Drift Brut Nature Cape Classique to the Springboks and also to Oupa Alvi. There’s something quite special about watching the Springboks today and knowing that his own Springbok number, 221, is still part of our family story all these years later.”