‘Champagne, darling’: Try Queen B’s bubbly

Media personality-turned-winemaker Bonang Matheba has her sights set on Oprah Winfrey status as she plans to become a billionaire through her various business ventures.

She sat down with us for an interview during the launch of her latest “baby”: Brand-Bonang is now home to a range of Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) wines, collectively referred to as House of BNG and produced by Villiera Wine Estate in Stellenbosch, Cape Town.

MCC wines are made in the same way as French champagne. However, the product cannot be called champagne for legal and technical reasons. Wine connoisseurs often compare the quality of South African MCC with that of French champagne and it is often said to be on par. The only difference is that local MCC is far more affordable.

Bonang Matheba at the launch of House of BNG. Picture: Luke Tannous

In order to make House of BNG a reality, Matheba had to become a member of the Cap Classique Producers Association – she is the first black woman to do so.

The journey to House of BNG has not been an easy one. It initially kicked off with what many view as a public humiliation after Matheba was labelled a liar following a misunderstanding.

After her initial meeting with the team at Rust en Vrede wine estate at the beginning of 2018, Matheba marked the occasion with an Instagram post and that is how the now-infamous “girls with vineyards” phrase was born. She captioned the photo “… I’ve always wanted a vineyard …” followed by a tweet stating, “Girls with vineyards.”

It was then assumed that she had bought a wine estate. Publications went in search of proof, calling the vineyard in order to ascertain whether Matheba had bought the property. The vineyard, of course, denied it and their denial made headlines, resulting in Matheba becoming the punchline to many a joke. Just over a year later, Matheba gets to have the last laugh.

A select group of journalists, influencers and fellow celebrities were invited to the Riboville boutique hotel at the lush Waterfall Equestrian Estate for the official launch of House of BNG, set against the backdrop of a Hamptons-inspired picnic overlooking rolling green fields.

Guests, including a number of Matheba’s own family members, were treated to endless glasses of House of BNG brut and brut-rose, paired with the interesting combination of braaivleis, chakalaka and pap.

Braaivleis (barbequed meat) is often thought of as in informal meal and is therefore enjoyed at less formal events. As such, it is also paired with less formal refreshments. However, it is no secret that pap and vleis is one of Queen B’s favourite meals, so it made sense that it was paired with her favourite drink.

Matheba is so fond of bubbly that her catchphrase “champaaaagne darling”, said in her unmistakable timbre has become a popular saying, attributed only to her. A range of bubbly with her name on it, therefore, is an inevitable addition to her incredibly lucrative brand.

House of BNG was served in branded champagne coupes as opposed to flutes – and this was also a deliberate move on Matheba’s part. Matheba explained how she learned – during a Courvoisier-sponsored trip to France last year – that Parisian women who lived during the early 1900s enjoyed their champagne in coupes as opposed to flutes. This practice was seen as more opulent and sophisticated.

House of BNG served in a coupe glass. Picture: Luke Tannous

The MCCs, which will exclusively be available for R399.99 at Woolworths stores across the country, are merely the beginning for House of BNG. Matheba has future plans of seeing a sparkling wine (which is not to be confused with MCC) and a red wine join the stable. She even plans to name the House of BNG red wine after her mother, Charlotte Mokoena.

When asked what’s next for Brand-Bonang, she opts not to say as she has decided to take the Beyonce Knowles approach of surprising her fans with her ventures from now on.

Three years ago, she provided a comprehensive list of all she planned to do, which included a range of emojis called the b-moji, a book, a reality show and an app, among others.

Despite all the voices saying all that couldn’t be done by a South African celebrity, Matheba proved her naysayers wrong. One can’t help but wonder what else Matheba has planned on her quest to billionaire status.

UPDATE: 

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that House of BNG was produced in partnership with the Rust en Vrede wine estates which is not true. 

Matheba’s team state that she only mentioned Rust en Vrede during her speech because “she was just visiting the wine estate and had lunch there” when her now-infamous “girls with vineyards” photo was taken. 

Rust en Vrede are in no way, shape or form involved with Matheba’s businesses. 

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