Sometimes you just have to judge a wine by its label, especially when it comes to special celebrations or occasions. Some say that wines named after a person have great worth.

It might come as a surprise to you, but there are actually a lot of South African wines out there named after a person. If you’re looking for a wine with your name on it, or just the perfect gift for a friend, then we’ve got you covered.

Aidan

This ultra-premium red blend from Beau Constantia is named after the owner’s son Aidan. This full-bodied wine presents bold, yet polished, palate-gripping tannins that unwind into a long, persistent and well defined peppery finish. The balance of rich texture and the integrated minerality gives this bold wine vibrancy, making it the perfect fit for Aidan.

Alexandra

The maiden prestige cuvée Methode Cap Classique (MCC) Alexandra de la Marque Krone 2010 is named after winemaker Matthew Krone’s first born baby daughter. The name is elegant and beautiful on its own, so the idea behind the label design was to keep it elegant, classic and simple.  A delicious blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, the wine was matured on the lees for five years prior to dégorgement.

Alice 

This fine Methode Cap Classique is produced by Muratie and honours Lady Alice Sarah Stanford, a society lady of note. Lady Alice was married to a senator and bought Muratie in 1909. Rumour has it that she turned every event into a dance party!

Amalie

This wine is produced by Solms-Delta and honours family links and history. Princess Amalie von Solms-Braunfels played a significant role in Dutch political life after her marriage to the Prince of Orange. Her grandson, William III, King of England, provided refuge and support to thousands of French Huguenots after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. Some 180 of these refugees, fleeing religious persecution, were relocated to the Cape and granted farms in the immediate vicinity of Solms-Delta. Here they laid the foundations of the modern South African wine industry.

Anna

Nabygelegen in Wellington has a very old history of winemaking. The original cellar building, dating back to well before its inscribed 1815 gable date, has old, open concrete fermenting tanks, stone foot presses and underground storage tanks. It’s believed that the old cellar was built during the very charismatic ownership of the wonderful Lady Anna Lategan. The predominant use of Chenin Blanc on the wine results in superb and distinctive ripe melon flavours, while a splash of Sauvignon and a dash of Semillon add flinty mineral notes.

Arnoldus

Die Arnoldus is the flagship red of Hermanuspietersfontein. Arnoldus is the family name of the owner Johan. There is always one family member who imposes his personality on the others and with good reason because he is imposing, unswerving and knows what he wants from life. He is Arnoldus. A man with gravitas.

Bartho

Bartho Eksteen is the ex-winemaker at Hermanuspietersfontein Winery in Hermanus.  This wine, named for him, is the flagship white wine of the Estate.  A real old world style of white Bordeaux, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, – the two great white grapes of Bordeaux – and a touch of Nouvelle, a South African white grape which Bartho has used for a long time in his wines.

Beulah 

This elegant sparkling wine is produced by Snow Mountain Wines in Wellington. Owner James McKenzie, named this delicious Methode Cap Classique after his late mother, Beulah, who passed away in 2007.

Beatrix 

Beatrix was the daughter who inherited the farm Jason’s Hill in the 1800’s. She married Izak, which is how the two names came into being. The wine itself is made from Chenin Blanc grapes. It was barrel fermented in Hungarian Oak barrels for 13 months and bottle aged a further 3 months.

Catharina

This robust red is named after Steenberg’s intrepid 17th century founder, Catharina Ustings Ras, who truly stood out in her time as the first female land owner in Africa and a true eccentric with a ground-breaking attitude towards life. Life was not easy when Catharina arrived in South Africa, only ten years after Jan van Riebeeck landed. This being no place for a lone widow of twenty-two, she immediately found herself a second husband, Hans Ras. He was not a particularly eligible catch; a free burger with a penchant for female slaves, but he had a house on the Liesbeek River. Once the wedding knot was tied, Catharina’s life seemed to take on the dramatic overtones, which marked its course from that day forward.

Caroline 

Cape of Good Hope by Anthonij Rupert Wyne is a collection of terroir specific wines from some of South Africa’s oldest vines around the Cape winelands preserved to reflect the legacy and character of low yielding mature vineyards. This wine from the collection is named after owner Johann Rupert’s daughter, Caroline, who is also the granddaughter of the great Anthonij Rupert.

Christina

Van Loveren has been in the Retief family since 1937 and was named after an ancestor of matriarch Jean Retief (née Van Zyl). Christina was married to the first Van Zyl to arrive in South Africa in 1699. Her bridal chest has been passed down for generations and remains on the farm to this day. This Chardonnay is well-balanced with typical citrus and buttery aromas, as well as toasty oak derived from new French oak barrels.

Christine 

Christine from Buitenverwachthing in Constantia is a Bordeaux style blend named after owner Lars Maack’s mother, who resides in Germany, but still visits the estate on a regular bases.  The wine offers rich red fruit characters reminiscent of ripe cherry and black currant with dark chocolate and tobacco undertones.

David 

Just like its namesake this Chenin Blanc is  young but vibrant, tight but approachable, shy but not lacking flavour and definitively one for the long run. Winemaker David Sadie sure knows how to produce some of South Africa’s finest white wines. This one is no exception.

Doreen

If your name is Doreen you can invest in a Sauvignon Blanc and a Shiraz from the Teddy Hall wine range. The two wines are named after owner Teddy Hall’s wife. In Greek the meaning of the name Doreen is beautiful.

Eleanor 

Named after matriarch Eleanor Finlayson, whose family owned Hartenberg Estate for 29 years until 1977, this Chardonnay is rich, complex and full bodied. Displaying generous layers of citrus and refreshing fruity richness with a classic minerality, this wine is the personification of Eleanor’s strong and resolute character.

Elodie

Elodie forms part of  The Landscape Series by Gabriëlskloof and the wine is named after one of the sisters of Bernhard Heyns, founder and owner of Gabriëlskloof. The elegant and finely crafted wine is made from old vine chenin blanc grapes. The juice was transferred to 400 and 500L old French oak barrels, where it fermented wild and remained until blending before bottling. It’s a big wine with the typical delightful mouth feel of ripe Chenin.

Emily 

This delightful pink from Longridge is named after Emily Hobhouse, a British born lady who became an honorary South African through her selfless and courageous actions, which exposed the inhumanity of concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer War. This wine dedicated to her memory and brave women fighting for what is right, all over the world.

Genevieve 

Genevieve MCC is inspired by winemaker Melissa Nelson’s passion for good quality Méthode Cap Classique. Melissa’s parents spent much of their time in France indulging their extraordinary love for the radiance and energy of Paris. France’s exuberant ‘city of light’ inspired Melissa’s parents to give her the middle name ‘Genevieve’ for the patron saint of Paris. The current range offers a Genevieve Blanc de Blancs and a Genevieve Zero Dosage vintage.

Hanneli 

 

Inspired by La Motte’s owner, Hanneli Rupert, this Shiraz-based wine guides La Motte in its noble pursuit of excellence and its embrace of the South African winelands. This luxurious wine is produced from hand-harvested grapes, selected exclusively when a vintage yields exceptional quality. It’s aged in new wood for thirty months and released at least four years after harvesting. Pure perfection!

Isabella 

Two German Shepherds – named Frank and Stella – guard the Muratie farm. Turkeys, geese and ducks are on permanent pest patrol. Hundreds of bird species flitter around the grounds. But closest to owners Rijk and Kim Melck’s heart must have been the butterfly kisses from beautiful baby Isabella at bedtime. And it was after her that they named their Chardonnay.

Izak 

The name Izak is a strong Du Toit family name, which dates back to the 2^nd generation and the perfect fit for this Bordeaux style wine by Jason’s Hill Private Cellar in the Breedekloof Valley. Ironically, the farm is run by a woman today. Ivy Du Toit, one of South Africa’s pioneer woman winemaker’s, is living her dream of producing multi-award winning wines and sharing it with visitors from across the globe, making every visit to Jason’s Hill a memorable experience.

Janina

Named after the first granddaughter of one of the owners, Professor Rudolf Saager, Janina is a finely crafted Chardonnay with classic intensity of flavour and finesse. Eikendal’s Janina is a great example of why these de-forested Chardonnays are hitting the consumer’s sweet-spot. Crisp, brisk and fresh … the wine also lets you experience the pretty complexities that Chardonnay is known for.

Janét

This cool-climate Shiraz, produced by Klein Roosboom in Durbanville, is named after the winemaker’s mother-in-law, Janét, who is still actively involved in the daily activities on the farm. The wine offers elegant and delightfully aromatic with white pepper and cinnamon with a hint of cloves.

Jéan

This Durbanville Sauvignon Blanc is named after the farm’s viticulturist Jéan De Villiers. His dedication to the vineyard is tangible, and can be seen by his dedicated presence in and around the objects of his desire, the vine, of which it is said that he is the willing slave.

Jess 

Vrede en Lust Jess is named after the owners first born child, Jessica Lee Buys. What started as a beautiful gesture between a father and his daughter on her 16th birthday, has grown into one of Vrede en Lust’s biggest success stories over the past decade. The pale pink Rosé is abundant in strawberry and fresh cut watermelon flavours. A fresh, elegant and vibrant wine. Best served chilled.

Johan

Johan is the youngest son of the winemaker and owner of Klein Roosboom in Durbanville. The bouquet of this Cabernet Sauvignon tempts with a generous blackberry and blackcurrant and fresh violets against a background of smoky oak. Firm tannin adds structure to the wine.

Joseph

Joseph’s Legacy is a tribute to Perdeberg’s legendary winemaker, Joseph Huskisson, who was a visionary in his time at Perdeberg from 1956-1994. Together with the age old traditions of Dry Land viticulture, Perdeberg’s Dry Land Collection wines are a fine display of the ability of bush vines. Grapes grown under dry land conditions, create intensely flavoured and succulent wines, as these stressful conditions result in smaller berries with a lower skin to juice ratio, producing high quality wines.

Kirsten 

“Mrs. Anna Kirsten passed away on 10 April 2015 at the age of 90 and it is an honour to dedicate this vintage to her,” reads a special neck label on the 2014 of the Mev. Kirsten Chenin Blanc, part of Eben Sadie’s  Old Vine Series. Mrs. Kirsten owned the vineyard from which the grapes are harvested.

Lucca

Named after the owner of Beau Constantia’s son, Lucca, this finely crafted red blend shows great freshness and fine tannins.  The wine has been hand-crafted to express the elegance and finesse of these archetypal Bordeaux-varieties and is fittingly named Lucca for all its’ class and beauty.

Lucy

Madame Lucy,  a cheeky bubbly made according to the traditional Methode Champenoise at Gabrielskloof, is named after the family’s little Chocolate poodle. The name Lucy is both saucy and solid, a saint’s name and heroine of several great novels and is associated with characters as diverse as the bossy Lucy in Peanuts. The name itself means “light”.

Magdalena

Magdalena is Gabrielskloof’s uniquely South African take on a white Bordeaux style blend. The wine is named after the owner, Bernhard Heyns’s sister. He has always been very fond of her and admires her as a remarkable, strong, focused woman, who at the same time is an elegant wife and loving mother to four. She currently lives in the UK. From the moment Bernhard started thinking about owning a wine farm, he knew he wanted to name a wine after her.

Marguerite

The history of Vrede en Lust is a story of passion, vision and resurrection, which goes as far back as 1688, when Flemish merchant Jacques de Savoye arrived at the Cape with the French Huguenots. Jacques was the first owner of   Vrede en Lust and the Marguerite Chardonnay is named after his eldest daughter.

Maria

The Maria Noble Late Harvest is named after the famous Maria Marais, an amazing woman took over the farm after her husband’s death, completed the house with a feminine touch and expanded the property before her son-in-law took over and changed the name to Neethlingshof.

Marianna

This refreshing rosé wine is named after winemaker Karin De Villiers’s mother Marianna. 54% of Sauvignon Blanc contribute to the zety, fruity fresh element of this ever so popular rosé. 46% Merlot provides structure. You will find raspberry, strawberries  and cream on the palate.

Mariëtte

Mariëtte is the eldest grandchild of Piet (Tof) Stofberg, who was also her inspiration to become a winemaker. As one of four daughters, she inherited her father’s passion for viticulture and farming. Early 2012 , the father and daughter team started the dream of using the best selection of grapes to create this exceptional limited wine range.

Marné 

Klein Roosboom winemaker and owner Karen de Villiers makes an excellent Methode Cap Classique, named after her daughter, Marné. Beautifully balanced, tongue-tingling acidity combines with brioche to complete this well balanced sparkling wine from the Durbanville Wine Valley.

Martha 

Die Martha, produced by Hermanuspietersfontein, is an elegant Rhône-style Shiraz-driven blend with strong character and well integrated wood. The wine is named after the owner’s wife. It was Mariette Pretorius who asked the question why all the wines of Hermanuspietersfontein have men’s names and when the team came up with Die Martha, she revealed that her second name was Martha!

Matys

Named for the current and sixth-generation winemaker at Diemersdal – Thys Louw, this is a lovely Pinotage-based quaffer with splashes of Shiraz and Merlot. It’s a modern-style and easy drinking wine that shows aromas of red ripe berries and hints of dark chocolate. It has a medium-bodied feel on the palate with subtle tannins.

May 

The Lady May, Glenelly’s flagship estate wine named in honour of Glenelly’s Grande Dame, Madame May de Lencquesaing, is an exceptionally graceful and stylish Cabernet Sauvignon with a dash of other Bordeaux varieties. A sculpture of Madame de Lencquesaing by Maxime Real del Sarte (1948), a wedding gift, is depicted on the Lady May wine label.

Max

This wine, like its namesake, the farm’s 13-year-old Jack Russel, has serious attitude. The idea behind The Max was to create a wine that has huge ageing potential as well as round, rich flavours that allow the wine to be enjoyed in its youth. You will also find a Lyle and Bailey under the Stony Brook label.

Mia

Mia is the daughter of Mariette Stofberg, the winemaker at Stofberg Vineyards, and the first great grandchild of Piet Tof Stofberg, who inspired Mariette to become a winemaker. He sadly passed away just after the maiden vintage and Mía never had the privilege of meeting him.

Molly 

Anyone who spends any time on Môreson will know that the family is passionate about four things: wine, food, people and animals.This elegant bubbly deserves a “Miss” before the Molly. The wine is named after the family’s beloved Weimaraner. The fact that Molly has been known to flirt with a Guide-Dog or two (on more than one occasion), the Môreson team decided that a portion of every bottle of Miss Molly sold would be donated to the South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind and Animals in Distress.

Nicholas 

This wine, produced by Black Elephant Vintners in Franschhoek, is named after one of founder Kevin Swart’s two sons, the ‘tortoise’ of the family. The Nicolas Red casts a magical spell with its complex flavours sharpened with subtle spice.

Nicol

This wine from Klein Roosboom, situated in the Durbanville Wine Valley, is named after the owners son Nicol de Villiers. In Scottish the meaning of the name Nicol is victorious and conquerer of the people. This smooth Merlot offers a mixture of berry undertones and dark chocolate with a subtle spicy background.

Paulina

Made to express the delicious purity of the Chenin Blanc grape, this reserve white by Rickety Bridge is named in honour of the original owner of the property in 1797, Paulina de Villiers. The land that is now Rickety Bridge was part of the original La Provence farm. Over the years these properties were subdivided and on the 13th of May 1797 a fixed rent grant was given in favour of the widow Paulina de Villiers, granting her the land she called Paulina’s Drift.

Pierre 

This white blend gets its name from the owner of Beau Constantia, Pierre Du Preez, who purchased the 22 hectare property in 2002. White peach, passion fruit and lime zest fill the first impression, which is confidently conveyed to the palate, where a well-balanced acidity and incredible concentration of flavour meet this wine’s rich, creamy texture with delicate oak flavours in perfect accord.

Rosanne 

The Ambeloui Cellar, situated in Hout Bay is all about family and creating the glue that makes it stick together. No surprise that each vintage is named after a family member, starting with Lisa and after ten years ending with Matthew and his great grandmother, Olga.

Rossouw

Rossouw’s Heritage forms part of Perdeberg’s Dry Land collection and is one of the best examples of some of the delicious white blends emerging from the Paarl wine region. The name honours farmer Jan Rossouw who decided to start producing wine in the 1940s in the Paarl region, to counteract the low prices they were getting for their premium grapes.

Sarah

Vrede en Lust recently launched its first Prosecco sparkling wine to celebrate the lively, sparkling personality of Sarah, daughter of the owner of Vrede en Lust Estate, Dana Buys. It is a blend of Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, produced from grapes grown on the estate. Sarah is an exciting and sociable partner to middle-weight Asian dishes such as Thai noodles and sushi and can also be served as an aperitif.

Saskia 

Family is everything for winemaker Miles Mossop, who named this white blend after his first-born daughter, Saskia-Jo. Saskia was the second premium wine to be made in South Africa in the style of what is now known as a Cape White Blend, Palladius, as made by Eben Sadie, the first, according to Mossop. It was Sadie who, by chance, influenced the Saskia.

Simoné 

The name of this wine by Zorgvliet Wine Estate stems from owner Stephan and Izelle van der Merwe’s youngest daughter, Simoné. The wine is made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes and the philosophy is always to allow the Banghoek Valley, and in particular Zorgvliet, to express itself through the style. This feminine wine offers sexy textures, soft tannins, voluptuous fruit and delicate floral aromas.

Stella

Stella, is a Shiraz named after the owner of Beau Constantia’s deceased mother. It is a powerful wine for sure, but the cool vintage has allowed for excellent freshness to be retained, giving the wine elegance, finesse and a long, well-defined finish.

Sophia 

This wine,produced by Jordan Wines, has been named “Sophia” after the legendary mother of Faith, Hope and Charity. Representing the characteristics of the three Bordeaux varieties that makes up this exceptional wine.  Densely layered ripe tannins add to the opulent finish. Well-structured, this wine will reward careful cellaring for many years to come.

Thandi 

Thandi is a popular Xhosa name that means ‘nurturing love’. The name Thandi, is derived from the name of the daughter of one of the key role players in the community, Trevor Steyn, who was instrumental in bringing the Thandi dream to life.  In 2003, Thandi became the first wine brand in the world to receive Fairtrade accreditation.

Timothy

The guys at Black Elephant Vintners in Franschhoek like to do things a little bit differently. The brand itself was named after the three partners in the business: Black after Kevin’s last name, Swart; Elephant, which is the English translation of the last name of business partner Raymond Ndlovu; and Vintners, which describes Jacques’s role as winemaker. This elegant white blend, however, is named after Kevin’s son Timothy.

Winifred

Sally Lady Graaff, whose first name is Winifred, is the inspiration behind the wine produced by De Grendel. The Winifred, a white blend of 45% Semillon, 45% Viognier and 10% Chardonnay, was named after Lady Graaff, the wife of Sir David Graaff, 3rd Baronet. Lady Graaff explains that her father-in-law would always consider Sir David’s suggestions to name the De Grendel calves after his girlfriends. This means that there is not only a wine named after Lady Graaff, but of course a cow too.