I was born and bred in the Cape Winelands and had the privilege of growing up on three wine estates – close to the soil, close to the people.  I know about the struggle and effort it takes to raise a vineyard and about all the hands and hearts that go into it. I have never underestimated the tenacity it takes to cope with the vagaries of the weather, water shortages, power outages, fire, political interference, viruses in the vineyard – and now COVID-19. A vintage represents a year in history, and this one will indeed be remembered.

The reality is there are just some things that are out of one’s control, and there is nothing that can prepare you for what is coming. With that in mind, my creative, flexible and ever-gracious team just behaved like superstars. For some, flexibility was tougher than for others, but we all learned to do some Mind Yoga and to believe in miracles!

Innovation is often born out of adversity and our brand-new ‘Summertime Story of Creation’ menu is a prime example. The name was inspired by one of George Gershwin’s most evocative compositions, ‘Summertime and the livin’ is easy’, and we regard the menu as a joyous serenade to summer. It is about grace and gratitude – and I can tell you that our Gratitude List for 2020 is impressive!

Let’s start by simply saying: WE MADE IT! By doing some agile (and not always so easy) pivoting, we managed to stay connected, in spite of the many odds stacked against us and the wine industry as a whole.  Please click here to read more in Chris Boiling’s article.

A proud achievement was getting the best scores ever from Tim Atkin MW for our 2019 Art of Pinot Noir (97 points) and our 2019 Art of Chardonnay (96 points). In fact, we received great scores across the board in his 2020 South Africa Special Report. Thank you Tim! Please click here to read more.