De Westshof Wine Estate, Robertson, South Africa
De Wetshof is a well-established top Burgundian style winery based in Robertson (160km from Cape Town). Owner Danie De Wet is the pioneer of Chardonnay in South Africa, creating a wide range of styles (unwooded and wooded).
Danie began his winemaking career after studying at Geisenheim in Germany, returning to South Africa in the early 1970s to work alongside his father who began the De Wetshof Estate. Over the years, careful planning has gone into soil mapping the estate’s vineyards to identify the ideal terroir for the various varietals Danie nurtures both in the alluvial soils near the Breede River, as well as the lime rich slopes stretching up from the river. The Estate has become renowned for its elegant, award-winning wines and its innovative and advanced used of technology in the vineyard and cellar.
Brands include the De Wetshof label and the Danie De Wet label. Estate: 180ha; 10% reds 90% whites.
Nacala, Western Cape, South Africa
The word Nacala is an abbreviation of the word “Ngenacala”, which means “Innocence” in Zulu (one of South Africa’s 11 national languages).
Having started Yellowwood Wine Company back in 2002, owner Georgi Enthoven Charvel was motivated to continue her ties to South Africa (where she spent her childhood) through selling best-of-class South African wines in the US Market. Five years later, Georgi decided she could do more, and launched the brand Nacala in the Fall of 2007.
The debut 2005 vintage of the Nacala Innocence Cabernet Sauvignon kicked off an exciting project to bring affordable, quality wine from South Africa to the US market. In addition, it links in a great cause: each sale contributes a percentage of the profits back to children made vulnerable by HIV/AIDS in South Africa through The Hollard Foundation based in South Africa (a foundation set-up by Georgi’s father).
About The Hollard Foundation
There are an estimated 1,5 million orphans in South Africa under the age of 18 who have lost either a mother or both parents. Of these children, about two thirds have been orphaned due to AIDS. The Hollard Foundation strives to provide these children with whatever they need to achieve their full potential in life. www.hollardfoundation.co.za.
Rupert & Rothschild, Franschhoek, South Africa
Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons is a partnership in wine production on the historic French Huguenot farm Fredericksburg (in the Cape), between the Rupert family of South Africa and Baron Benjamin de Rothschild, son of the late Baron Edmond de Rothschild of France.
Schalk-Willem Joubert has been Cellar Master at Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons since 1998. Joubert’s experience also includes winemaking at the two Rupert-owned wine estates; La Motte and L’Ormarins, a harvest in California and regular visits to the Rothschild-owned property, Château Clarke in Bordeaux. The style: elegant, classic, complex and understated.
Michel Rolland, world-renowned oenologist, is consultant to Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons.
Estate: 145ha; 90% reds 10% whites.
For more information, visit www.rupert-rothschildvignerons.com
Waterford Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Located on a premium site in the Helderberg mountain range in the well-regarded Stellenbosch area, Waterford Wine Estate is owned by the Ord and Arnold families. Kevin Arnold, winemaker and co-owner of Waterford, has a track record of achieving excellence: he was the winemaker at Rust en Vrede for the 10 years prior to starting Waterford in 1998, and over 30 years of experience in winemaking in Stellenbosch.
Kevin’s wines elegantly reflect the Helderberg terroir, and they offer consistency, quality and a unique mouthfeel across the line. After many years of finessing his blending techniques, Kevin Arnold has finally released his flagship wine, Waterford: The Jem, which is his ultimate blend of his career.
The Waterford range includes three brands: Kevin Arnold, Waterford, and Pecan Stream (Waterford’s second label). Estate: 45ha; 80% reds 20% whites.
For more information, visit www.waterfordestate.co.za
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Kevin Arnold and his family
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