South African White Wine

South African White Wine

Winning the Silver award in the 2018 International Wine Challenge Country- South Africa Region - Western Cape Grape Varieties - is the Lismore The Age of Grace Cape South Coast Viognier

It is our wine of choice this month for its beautiful perfume of honeysuckle and orange blossom along with a textured palate of apricot, kiwi and pineapple. A sensual and exotic experience.

Californian Samantha O'Keefe has found paradise and the perfect terroir. Tucked into the foothills of a dramatic mountain range at the bottom of Africa, Lismore Estate Vineyards was born alongside her nascent family. A passionate vision, combined with vines planted at 300 metres, which are chilled by winter snow and nourished by the African summer sun, produces classic, cool climate wines which are rich, complex and lovingly hand-crafted.

Olifantsberg is passionate about producing authentic wines with a true sense of place, which reflect the unique location of their vineyard. The focus is on sustainable farming and winemaking practices, resulting in limited intervention in the both the vineyard and cellar. The team are fully committed to understanding their terroir and managing their natural resources through conservation, which adds to the singularity of their wines. The unique terroir with its combination of Breede-shale, Renosterveld and sandstone soils, constant winds and elevation, produces concentrated fruit that winemaker Elizma Visser translates into elegant, fresh and age-worthy wines. In Tim Atkin’s 2021 South Africa Report, Elizma was awarded the prestigious Young Winemaker of the Year Award.

Made in tiny quantities, Richard Kershaw MW's wines are always in high demand. Born in Sheffield, Richard trained and worked as a chef before discovering wine. After extensive travelling he settled in South Africa in 1999, and by 2009 he was Group Winemaker at Mulderbosch and Kanu. He established Richard Kershaw Wines in 2012, specialising in the cool-climate wines of Elgin. Being one of the few MW’s to make his own wine, he uses his vast knowledge to craft stunning wines that are easily a match for some of the world’s very best wines.

Koen Roose became the founder, owner, winemaker and viticulturist all in one when he purchased Spioenkop in 2000. A former engineering student, he instead followed his passion for wine and became a qualified sommelier. Having worked vintages in Burgundy and South Africa, he nurtured his dream of creating a vineyard in the cool-climate region of Elgin. Planted in 2007, the dream became reality, with Koen following a philosophy of dry farming, with low intervention and free from artificial fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides. The farm is named after the Battle of Spioenkop in 1900, during the Anglo-Boer War. As a history enthusiast, Roose kept the name, and fittingly, Spioenkop is now creating its own history producing award-winning wines and has been awarded First Growth status by Tim Atkin MW in 2020 and 2021.