Winesoundtrack - South Africa

French flair and South African determination have long been intertwined in the fabric of the Cape, a camaraderie spanning centuries, each contributing to the rich and respected fine wine legacy of South Africa. Le Chant embodies this enduring wine relationship, marrying Old World heritage with the contemporary New World. Our mutual efforts are etched by passion to bring forth exceptional wines which are classical, distinctive and pure. The striding Rooster has for many a decade been the personification of French flair. It is when the Rooster is bursting in song (Le Chant), that it reveals its exuding confidence, pride, and determination to the world. It is these shared characteristics, entwined with South African resilience, that has brought our like-minded proprietors into unison of song and wine. Between False Bay and Le Chant’s vineyards are only gently rolling hills – nothing to impede the progress of the sea breezes inland. Le Chant is sited on what was formerly four separate properties, the centre of which was known as Eikenhof, a wine farm in Stellenbosch’s Polkadraai Hills. The terroir is characterised by gently rolling hills of varying elevations between 220 and 280m above sea level. The slopes face predominantly south and southwest, which exposes them to the cooling sea breezes of predominantly False Bay and, when conditions are right, Table Bay. Hailing from the Polkadraai region, this signature blend takes the lead from Merlot while harmonising classic Bordeaux varieties with Shiraz and Sangiovese. The result is an intriguingly vibrant wine that lingers on the palate, capable of ageing for another 8 to 10 years. Because of the microclimate that arises from the combination of the breezes and the aspect, and long ripening period, Le Chant’s grapes retain their acidity, which reflects as an edgy acid tension. Making wines that embody origin is the ultimate outcome we strive for. We also respect nature and the preservation thereof. The Le Chant team brings together several people with a proven track record for wine excellence and a passion for the land and wine without compare. The Oddo family; a fifth-generation vigneron from the Polkadraai, Willie Joubert, who manages the farm; technical director Schalk-Willem Joubert, a seasoned and highly-acclaimed figure in the Cape Winelands; and winemaker Petri Venter, whose youth and enthusiasm both inspires and galvanises the cellar team. A shared passion for great wine is what drives this collective, to bring wines of the Polkadraai to homes globally. If not traversing mountainous trails or swimming from Robben Island to the mainland, Petri Venter can be found plying his trade in the belly of our cellar. Having grown up surrounded by the great vineyards of Stellenbosch, it was with ease that a path was etched out into a career of winemaking. Following the completion of his B.Sc degree in viticulture and Oenology, Petri gained working experience in both South Africa and France.He then settled into a permanent winemaking role at the iconic Taaibosch Wine estate, where he has been the assistant to Schalk-Willem Joubert for three years. With the development of Le Chant wines in the Polkadraai region, by the Oddo Family, Petri was a natural choice to lead the new winemaking direction.

Illimis, the Latin word for clarity, signifies winemaker Lucinda Heyns’ crystal clear winemaking philosophy. Wine should be a window to where its vineyard is rooted. Illimis intends to honestly harness what nature offers, and follows a minimal intervention principle as far as possible, allowing the wine to express its origin with clarity, finesse and complexity. Lucinda worked as viticulturist for leading South African wineries and refined her winemaking skills with experience in South Africa, California and Italy. A decade of hands-on involvement in both vineyards and winemaking, developed a clear vision for Illimis. Being a viticulturist at heart, she believes that everything starts with the vines. Every vintage is unique, and her hope is that every wine is a tribute to the endless pursuit of refining the potential of each site the Illimis wines are made from.

Originally from Bordeaux where our family owns 3 wine estates, we fell in love with South Africa during our many travels to the country.Our dream was to combine both, the Old & the New World, to make wines close to our vision of perfection. Therefore, we decided to purchase this boutique wine estate of 32 hectares (including 24 on vines) located in Simonsberg valley in 2004.Manual harvesting, selection of the best grapes, French oak and Acacia barrel ageing, combined with a French "savoir-faire" from our South-African winemaker Jos Van Wyk, will lead you to explore some of the finest wines produced in the region.

The Hughes Family Wines - or Nativo Wines - is a family-run winery making handcrafted, certified organic wines that are a true reflection of their place of origin. Founded by Argentinean-born Billy Hughes, and run alongside his daughter Kiki, the wines are certified organic and naturally fermented, made using minimal intervention farming and winemaking practices. Their philosophy is that by interfering as little as possible with the wines, the unique flavour of the farm will be protected and expressed. Signature wines include multi-vintage award-winning wines: the Nativo Red Blend and White Blend. Additional limited release wines include a unique skin-contact “orange” or “amber” wine – which has become our signature - and a Field Blend created from a small block of bush vines. We have recently added various newer Mediterranean-style varietals and blends such as Tempranillo, a Shiraz-Mourvèdre Grenache (SMG), and Viognier. The wines have a unique mineral characteristic that is typical of the red clay soil which the vineyard is planted. We take an innovative approach to winemaking, which includes making an effort to understand and preserve the natural ecosystem that is unique to our farm and cellar.

Travelling through the Swartland on the back of a truck, heading towards an auction, a Nguni cow knew a beautiful vineyard when she saw one and jumped off. She was appropriately named Survivor when the grower found her grazing in his vineyard. Like her, our wines start with a leap in the vineyard and in true Nguni spirit our grapes are now sourced not only from the Swartland, but also the Elgin Valley, Stellenbosch, Darling, Tradouw and Hemel-en-Aarde, to compose the unique complexity and diversity of the wines in the Survivor Range. Our winemaker intensely debated which regions possessed the perfect balance of rainfall, clay, shale and granite content, so that opening a bottle of Survivor allows you to experience the essence of these terroirs. Survivor Wines are as distinctly South African as the Nguni cow that inspired them.

Lubanzi is a start-up, sustainable, South African wine company, created in Cape Town by two young travelers, Charlie Brain & Walker Brown, who were inspired by a year (in bits and pieces) of living, traveling, hiking, and backpacking all over SA. Started as a collaborative business, Lubanzi is made up of a consortium of successful winemakers, viticulturists, farm laborers, and humanitarians in South Africa as well as its two co-founders. With roots in adventure and global citizenship, our name comes from a wandering dog, the locals called Lubanzi, that followed Walker and Charlie on a 6 day, 100-mile hiking trip across South Africa’s Wild Coast. Built, as a social enterprise, 50% of our year-end net profits are entrusted back to The Pebbles Project, a South African NGO that provides health and educational resources to the families that live and work on wine farms throughout South Africa. Built upon this notion of a more complete, equitable supply chain, Lubanzi strives to use its success to enhance opportunity for those who make what we do possible. Lubanzi was first launched in America in early 2017 and has since expanded into almost every state nationwide. More recently they have expanded into new markets across Canada, UK, Sweden, Ireland, and Asia. Alongside their most recent launch of their ‘Orange Is’ skin-contact Chenin they have also launched two new wines into their core portfolio- a Sauvignon Blanc and a Cinsault. In addition to being featured by NPR, the Washington Post, Forbes, Food & Wine, Business Insider South Africa & others, we’ve received 90+ points from multiple acclaimed wine outlets such as James Suckling, Wine Enthusiast, Anthony Dias, and Decanter. Hailing from South Africa’s rugged and iconic Swartland, we’re about making fairly- produced wine that punches far above its weight and is a force for good in the world.

Rainbow’s End was bought in 1978 by Jaques Malan. Since then owned by the Malan family. Started to plant vineyards in 2000 after terroir planning was done in 1999 by Prof Eben Archer. Rainbow’s End just planted under reds comprising 18ha of the Bordeaux varieties and Shiraz. ( 35% Cabernet Franc; 25% Merlot; 25% Cabernet Sauvignon; 10% Shiraz and 5% Petit Verdot and Malbec ). First wine was made in 2002 by Anton Malan being the winemaker since then and assisted by his brother Francois Malan who is the viticulturist and farm manager. Office, logistics, marketing related issues is done by Jana Cloete and winemaker Anton Malan is also responsible for the sales. Future projects has been done like planting of flowers and fynbos by Francois. ( proteas and pincussions). A new tasting room with spectacular views of the mountains and vineyards has been build in covid and opened in January ‘ 2022. After 18 months allready a huge success. Winemaking is done in a traditional way. Picking all by hand, destemming with no crushing and hansorted before going into tank. Open tank fermentation with traditional punch downs still done by hand. A unique cooling process is done with water pumped from their natural fountain through stainless steel plates in the tanks and back into the fountain. All the wines are matured in 225 liter French Oak barrels for 12 months and the icon Bordeaux blend consisting of only 12 barrels matured for 24 months. 40% of the wine is exported to countries like German, Switzerland, UK, Belgium, USA, Singapore and Japan. The other 60% is sold to the top restarants in SA, Private buyers and from the farm’s tasting room. Label is done in a traditional, classique style by their artist sister Marieke and the label is still the same as it was when first released in 2002. The red wines are all Estate wine with the flagship vatiety being Cabernet Franc followed by top Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Then a Bordeaux blend , The Family Reserve is made consisting of the best 12 barrels of the vintage out of their Bordeaux varieties. A marketing approach is driven by personal relationships and is done by Anton in the trade and exports and Fennel, ( the tasting room manager ), and Jana from the farm. The end produck is a boutique exclusive wine sold at very competive prices. Focus is 100% on quality and consistency. The red wines is made in a style between Old and New World wines. Wines that you can drink at a young age but can also mature for up to 10-15 years. The unique location in the highest corner of the Banghoek valley with great red oakleaf/red hutton soils with the passionate people working the soil, vineyards, wines and marketing/admin is the biggest attribute with their top quality red wine boutique brand.

It takes years to build a Legacy. Even Decades. Or sometimes Centuries. Groot Constantia wine farm is testimony of how one man’s love for wine established South Africa’s first wine farm in 1685. In a word, our wines are from rich African soil, crafted to perfection. Groot Constantia memories are part of literature and heritage and embodies the timeless endeavour to perfection. Furthermore, our heritage stands for growth, life and beauty. Equally important, it is alive and vibrant, like the vineyards we hold dear. It is in our hearts.

The Damascene cellar is a physical extension of our aspirations to communicate place through wine. As such, each vessel and process in the cellar must be as gentle as possible to ensure the narrative is not obscured by invasive winemaking techniques. This means that, for our red wines, no berries are crushed in the cellar. Whole berry fermentation is essential to preserve aromatics and elegance in a wine.We also use a roving satellite tank to fill the fermentation vessels, which does away with the need for pumping of grapes from the fruit reception area into tanks. In our conical concrete tanks, we have custom-designed set plates to facilitate a submerged cap fermentation for some cultivars; eradicating the need for punch downs or pump overs in these instances.Our red wines are, for the most part, matured in 2000-litre Austrian foudre, with a small portion being matured in 225-litre French oak barrels. Our white wines are all whole-bunch pressed via pneumatic press, using a delicate champagne press programme. They are then fermented and matured in 1000-litre oval Austrian oak foudres.

Bayede! Is the only Royal Brand and the only Royal signature and “By appointment to” trademark on the African continent. It reflects royalty, history, culture and quality.Bayede! Wine ranges suh as our lifestyl Broyal Range,The Shield Range, The Prince and Princes Range, to Premium Royal Range and Ultra Premium His Majesty King Range.The story of Bayede dates back more than 200 years ago, when King Shaka Zulu, the founder of South Africa’s Zulu Kingdom was greeted by his subjects with the royal salute “Bayede!” translated as Hail the King.Innovation: Late King Goodwill Zwelithine, the eight reigning Zulu King met with Antoinette Vermooten and after a cup of tea Antoinette realised not oly was His Majesty King Goodwill completely non – sicriminatory, but his obvious integrity and evident sincerity to help the poor and needy was music to her ears. The King asked her to help him to create jobs in South Africa. The King gave his warrant, the official Royal seal and signatrure to the Bayede Company.Bayede! Distinguised itself from other brands by job creations for women in rural areas. The bottles of wine produced have beadwork around the neck. At present Bayede! Has 30 beading ladies do beadwork providing a sustainable income for the families. The Zulu King envisages that the Bayede! Royal trademark will be “the instrument that pust food on tables and people to wordk”Future projects: Bayede! Women Empowerment Foundation: This foundation will focus on training for responsible drinking and cover issues such as domestic violence and early childhood development.

Holden Manz Wine Estate was established in 2010. The 22 hectare farm is planted with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot and syrah. Semillon, chenin blanc, chardonnay, viognier, grenache and cinsault grapes are purchased by this party growers.The estate produces around 130.000 bottles per annum of which around 65% are exported outside South Africa. Holden Manz is a center of wine tourism with a five star guest house and spa, restaurant and tasting room. Most of our wines are fermented spontaneously using natural yeast. The farm has 75KW of solar panels. We use only French oak barrels for maturation and fermentation and also make use of co-fermentation as a vinificazione method.

Great Heart wines have a natural intensity, complexity, and a true sense of place. Each wine reflects the characteristics and potential of the vineyards in which they grow, and we are proud to practise sustainable farming all-round. In the pursuit to find a sustainable way to realise a mechanism for equity and meaningful transformation, Chris and Andrea Mullineux’s vision came to life in creating Great Heart Wines. The company is owned by the employees of Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines and profits from sales of all Great Heart wines go directly to the staff who are the shareholders of the company. Why the Wagtail bird as the symbol of Great Heart? The African Wagtail is known in South African folklore for its acts of selflessness and bravery in assisting others and has been chosen as the symbol of Great Heart Wines. The artwork was designed by celebrated local artist Jaco Sieberhagen.

Oak Valley Estate is an iconic fifth generation family farm, founded by Sir Antonie Viljoen in 1898, situated in cool climate Elgin. The founder played a pioneering role when he planted some of the first vines in the valley soon after he bought the farm in 1898. The Elgin valley was only classified as an official wine region in 1990, almost 100 years later, thanks again to the viticultural trials done by the Rawbone-Viljoen family, among other pioneers. Elgin is South Africa’s most important apple growing region, and today Elgin still has only about 850 hectares of vineyards. Oak Valley has always been a diversified business with our biggest department being fruit, followed by cut flowers and our winery. The first wines were released under the Oak Valley brand in 2003 and since then our portfolio has become focused on Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These wines are classically styled and beautifully crafted. We are convinced that Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the varietals that are best suited to tell the Oak Valley story. Our unique combination of a very cool climate, structured clay soils, above average rainfall, cloud cover and elevation give us extended growing season and expressive grapes with good natural acidity. Our flagship range, named Groenlandberg after the dramatic mountain that act as our boundary, are Estate blends of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Since our Estate is fairly big, we have the unique ability to farm with vineyards on different sites at different aspects and altitudes. These provide us with interesting components at blending time. These two wines are blends of the different Estate vineyards that we farm on the Estate and therefore tell our story as a whole. Our Tabula Rasa range consists of single vineyard, single clone bottlings in tiny amounts that enable us to get to know our vineyards and clones better. We currently have 4 clones of Chardonnay and 6 clones of Pinot Noir planted on the Estate and with this range we are getting to know the subtle differences between them and what they contribute to our blends. We are dedicated to this stunning piece of land and making sure that we preserve and protect it for the next generation. Our winemaking philosophy is centred around focus and detail and making sure our wines remain an honest reflection of our land.

One cannot mention La Bri, without referring to the past, as the property is an essential piece of South African wine history and culture.Small boutique estate established in 1694 , the name 'La Bri' probably comes from the French region, but we prefer the French translation of 'the refuge', a perfect name for this property, as it is securely situated in the impressive amphitheater of the Franschhoek valley.New vineyards have been gradually replanted over the years, a new cellar was built in 2007 and the labels have been redesigned. New owners from Germany June 2022 then introduced Double Door range, quirly unusual wines.Installing Solar to run the farm in 2023 and all farm water is borehole.All wines are vegan friendly and flower labels, unique to La Bri, all are endemic to western cape and tell story about the wine.

As the pioneer of Elgin’s acclaimed wine industry, experiencing the range of Paul Clüver’s award-winning wines is obviously a noted attraction of this charming and warm-hearted family estate. Here one finds a broad selection to titillate the tastes of every type of wine-lover, but if a suggestion may be made, do not miss our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. These noble varieties have found a home in Paul Clüver’s cool-climate terroir and are some of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines the country has to offer. The memorable experience of the wine range can be complemented with a delicious cheese-platter, adding to a true sensorially satisfying experience. More substantial culinary fare is found in the welcoming space of The Restaurant@Paul Clüver. Here seasonal fresh produce is used in preparing an array of dishes in a modern space bathed in natural light and offering views of the vineyards and the natural environment for which this farm is renowned. The menu changes seasonally and flavour and freshness is paramount, with Chef Stacy Lee Chan committed to offering customers a welcoming selection of country bistro-fare.

UK Wine Merchamt Paul Boutinot makes his first wine in South Africa in 1994 called False Bay and exports in around the worldAfter a lifelong search he buys Waterkloof in 2003 and makes his first Waterkloof wines in 2005. In 2008 we receive Championship Status with our Biodiversity & Wine Initiative. 50% of the farm is under natural fynbos. In 2008 a modern winery and cellar is built, and in 2009 we open to the public with a restaurant in tasting lounge. The philosophy has always been to produce fine wine from cultivated and respected soils. Organic farming with natural wine makingOver the years we have established several wine ranges, with different price points and with specific definition. Off the Waterkloof property we produce apparoximately 200 000 bottles. We also buy in grapes under the False Bay Vineyards umbrella and make 1.8 million bottles which is sold in South Africa and around the world. After 11 years, we closed The Restaurant at Waterkloof in November 2020 as a result of CovidIn October 2022 acclaimedSouth African chef, Bertus Basson opened up Chorus Restaurant offering 4 and 6 course manu’s paired with Waterkloof Wines. In 2005 we realeaed the first wine under the Waterkloof range, a Sauvignon Blanc. It took us 17 years to release two more wines undder the Waterkloof range namely a Chenin Blanc and a Syrah.

Waterford Estate – our home – created to preserve the footprint of nature, the vigour of the vines and to share lasting memories with family and friends through wine. We believe that truly great wine will carry you away to the place of origin and therefore we are committed to ensuring that every bottle of Waterford Estate bestows a sense of belonging. The passion that guides us in our pursuit of excellence is evident in all aspects of Waterford Estate – from the warm welcoming of guests to our passion for conservation. This is our Waterford Way.

Making wines that embody origin is the ultimate outcome we strive for. We also respect nature and the preservation thereof; it is thus an endeavour of our team to rehabilitate the flora of this estate to that which is indigenous to the Cape, so as to maintain a balance between our natural environment and agriculture.

With Gavin Bruwer joining Raats’ side in 2010, the family affair has one shared mission: to consistently produce Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc of outstanding quality from South Africa and to establish these wines as international benchmarks. As the Raats philosophy continues to flourish, new, curated additions have been introduced along the way. This includes the well-received, vineyard-driven B Vitiners Vine Exploration Co. range, and the single wine, speciality bottling of MR De Compostella – an incredibly successful collaboration between Raats himself and fellow winemaker and long-time friend, Mzokona Mvemve. Based in the winemaking capital of Stellenbosch, Bruwer, Mzokona and Gavin’s winemaking criteria is rigorous, and includes the quality of grape, soil, climate, topography and of course the impact of the human hand, which together, embodies the truest meaning of terroir.

Our wines are a true celebration of terroir – the marriage of sun, soil and vine – together with man’s passion and fearlessness. Surrounded on three sides by mountains with varying soils and slopes, Franschhoek’s terroir is undoubtedly distinctive. At Haute Cabrière, we love thoughtful simplicity and so do not over manipulate fruit but follow gentle cellar practices to showcase our terroir. Combine this with a passion for innovation and colouring outside the lines and you end up with a range of quality wines from Franschhoek composed of pioneering blends and intriguing single varietals for you to enjoy.