With many vintages in Burgundy Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is my absolute passion but its more of an obsession. Myself and Christelle dreamt early on about producing our own Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We started out very small with purchasing 1Ton of Pinot Noir from the Elgin Valley. 1 Ton became 2 and 2 became 4. One Pinot Noir became 2 Pinot Noirs and we had this beautiful little business suddenly and we felt this is a oppertunity in life that you can’t pass on. In 2020 we took on La Brune fulltime and we haven’t looked back since. Coolclimate Elgin has always been the dream and we were able to purchased our farm in Elgin Valley in 2020 with no trustfunds or investors we just had a beautiful dream, guts and determination that made sense to our banker! Our philosophy is producing wines with sense of place. Wines that showcases where the vines grow and to carry all the character of the influences of the land. Hence this philosophy is followed in how treat our vines but also how we approach the winemaking process. Minimum intervention is key and we allow the wines to follow their paths we just try to give them the correct advice at certain times. High density plantings is something I am very passionate about and we are very priviliged to have one of the highest density Pinot Noir blocks planted on La Brune at 10 000 vines/ Ha and also in 2024 we planted the highest density Chardonnay block in SA (until I am proven otherwise) also at 10 000 vines/ Ha. This is important for the future of our wines and we will continue to introduce more high density Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on the farm ... real ElginBurgundians!
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The Mentors - Izele van Blerk
Since its launch in 2006, The Mentors range has established itself as one of the most sought-after premium brands in the South African wine landscape. Built around a philosophy of expressing terroir and pioneering new wines and wine-making techniques, it’s a portfolio that showcases the founding philosophy of KWV, and the rich history and depth of expertise at one of South Africa’s leading wine producers. The insights and boundary-breaking approach from this unique cellar, often home to post-graduate oenology students trialling pioneering new winemaking techniques, lead to remarkable terroir-driven wines that deserved their own spotlight. Though the first wines were bottled in 2006, it was in 2009 that The Mentors range took flight. Situated on the outskirts of Paarl, the vast KWV production cellars are, at 24 hectares, the largest single winery in the southern hemisphere, producing upwards of 15 million litres of wine each year. Yet hidden away beneath the sea of warehouse roofs and rows of massive fermentation tanks you’ll find a special corner of this award-winning cellar; a tiny space of small tanks and hand-labelled barrels. This is the home of The Mentors. So, who are the mentors behind our name? They are all the teachers, the people over the centuries of winemaking who have brought us to where we are today. All the skill and the knowledge that has been passed on from one generation to the next has resulted in what is today’s The Mentors. Our team’s visionary approach and exceptional craftmanship today is a culmination of this collective, deep understanding of terroir and winemaking.The Mentors is about human ability. About having the insight to recognize what Mother Nature is providing in each unique vineyard, in a specific harvest, and to have the curiosity to find the best way to express its distinct qualities.
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Cathedral Cellar - justin Corrans
This fortitude has been cultivated since 1918, when KWV first started trading. Today, this strength has been fortified more than 100 years over. KWV launched the premium wine brand, Cathedral Cellar, to vividly capture and illustrate KWV’s historical bond with the South African wine industry, while actively show casing its present reverence and future relevance. This wine portfolio’s brand home is the ‘heart and pulse’ of KWV’s cellar activities - its impressive cellar, with spectacularly high-vaulted domes, reminiscent of a grand cathedral - was completed in 1930 and aptly named ‘Cathedral Cellar’. Here, the story of South Africa’s history comes to life on impressive 3-meter ‘stukvats’ – on which artists have carved various impressions of the historical moments that have given shape to the industry as it stands presently. Honouring the artists who have added their voice to the memory of South Africa’s wine industry, the Cathedral Cellar winemaking team equally approaches winemaking as a form of art: captivating audiences with a range of award-winning wines, which include the Cathedral Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, Cathedral Cellar Shiraz, Cathedral Cellar Triptych (a red blend), Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay, Cathedral Cellar Sauvignon Blanc and Cathedral Cellar Pinotage.
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Brocha - Rozy Gunn
The farm was purchased in 2001 and the first vines planted in 2002 after a radical career change. A project which began as a conventional agricultural journey has evolved into an inseparable part of myself. I remain convinced that the Biodynamic method of farming which promotes a respectful relationship between plant, human, animal and soil can better preserve that complex and fragile concept we call Terroir- which is the vital difference between wine that is a commodity and wine that is an experience in all its challenges and confrontations. I think art counts even in vineyards. Solace and One Man Band are accurate expressions of my philosophy that farming is the coal face of wine production and my reluctance to use any synthetic or systemic products on Brocha is in direct line with my attempt to produce intelligent and resilient vines which can weather the vagaries of climate and weather and to offer the consumer access to wines which are sincere and genuinely representative of site and season without the interference and gloss offered by outside inputs and clever techniques and chemical residues. Werner Muller makes these wines with extreme dedication and intelligence.
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Almenkerk - Joris van Almenkerk
Almenkerk Wine Estate, situated in the cool-climate Elgin region of South Africa, is a family-owned estate dedicated to crafting exceptional wines with precision and passion. Founded in 2004 by Joris and Natalie van Almenkerk, the estate represents a harmonious blend of their Belgian heritage and the distinctive terroir of South Africa.Almenkerk is, at its heart, a family affair. Joris, originally a law graduate, discovered his love for winemaking during a harvest in Stellenbosch and has since become a masterful vintner known for his meticulous attention to detail. Natalie, with her background in business management and communications, is the vibrant custodian of the Almenkerk brand, guiding its evolution with grace and creativity.
Wine Soundtrack, one of Italy’s leading podcasts about wine, is the voice of the Italian wine growers and winemakers. Wine Soundtrack was launched in Italy in May 2017 and is now launching in South Africa. In each podcast, wine producers share the story of who they are and their winery through a series of 30 questions. Wine Soundtrack was created to bring to life an idea of sharing and insight; it allows wine lovers to listen to the hopes, dreams, intuitions, prospects, loves and passions of the protagonists of the wine world, directly from their own voices. Wine Soundtrack will make you smile and amuse you through the voices of those who have decided to express their own character, their own dreams and their own ambitions in each bottle of wine. Wine Soundtrack will lead us through the vineyards of ideas and of visionary thinking and will share the passion of these producers. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit our web site www.winesoundtrack.com
South Africa