Winesoundtrack - South Africa

Traditionally, the mastery of a tailor is judged by their ability to craft bespoke garments without the need for precise measurements. Instead, they delicately balance precision and intuition, trusting in their expert eye above all else. The Rock of Eye cannot be taught; it can only be earned through perseverance, passion, and practice.At Rock of Eye, we embrace this same philosophy in our winemaking.After three decades spent honing his expertise locally and abroad, award-winning winemaker Coenie Snyman returned to his hometown of Stellenbosch, South Africa’s historic wine region. Here, he interprets the unique terroir of the region to produce investment-grade wines that are a harmonious blend of science and art, imbued with the spirit of the harvest and the passion of a master craftsman.

Regarded as one of the leading ulffa-premium producers of Cabernet Sauvignon, our vision is to craft the ultimate expression of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stellenbosch Winelands of South Africa. Founded and managed by the Le Riche Family, we exclusively select and source only the highest-quality fruit, from unique vineyards, grown by long-term, established farmers. At the core ofthis is an inherent knowledge and respect of terroir, in particular the soil, and a winemaking ethos that is traditionally simplistic yet innovative.

Aslina Wines was founded by Ntsiki Biyela who is the Winemaker and Director of the company in 2016. Biyela named Aslina Wines in honour of her late grandmother, Aslina. She grew up in Mahlabathini, a rural village in KwaZulu Natal, where she matriculated from high school in 1996. Having spent a year as a domestic worker, she was awarded a scholarship through South African Airways to study winemaking at the University of Stellenbosch in 1999. She graduated in 2003 with a BSc in Agriculture (Viticulture and Oenology) and joined Stellekaya, a boutique winery, as their Winemaker in 2004. We have a ranged of 6 premium wines; a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, skin-contact Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Umsasane (Bordeaux-style blend) and our MCC. We have recently opened our tasting room at Unit 1, Ground Floor, Building 4, Alberto Drive, Devonbosch Bottelary Road, Stellenbosch, 7605 South Africa. We are currently operating on an appointments only basis.

Alto Wine Estate is the oldest red wine only estate in South Africa with a history dating back to 1919. The first wine was made in 1922 which would become the prototype for the much loved Alto Rouge red blend that we enjoy today. A wine that encapsulates our terroir of excellence aswell as our heritage and traditions. We are proud to celebrate the extraordinary milestone of the release of our 100th consecutive vintage of Alto Rouge in September 2024.We produce a small and curated selection of wine including our Alto Rouge red blend, single varietal Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, Flagship Estate Blend and our limited edition M.P.H.S (the name is an acronym of our previous winemakers intials Manie Malan, Piet du Toit, Hempies du Toit and Schalk van der Westhuizen). We have only had 5 winemakers in over 100 years with two of them being father and son combinations, a feat unrivalled by many wine estates. Alto is situated in the heart of the so ‘Golden Triangle’ in Stellenbosch, South Africa and the farm’s position on the warmer northern slopes of the Helderberg make it ideally suited to red wine production. And yet the diversity of the farm allows for enormous complexity in the vineyards. Planted largely on soils of decomposed granite, the vineyards range in altitude from 100 to 500 metres above sea level. While generous late- afternoon sunshine guarantees concentration and colour in the grapes, the cooling sea breezes blowing in off nearby False Bay lengthen the hanging time on the vine to ensure phenolic ripeness an

As any wine lover would attest to, not all wines are created equal. The realm of boutique wines caters to those wine lovers who take their enjoyment of wine seriously and who delight in the wonderful flavours and aromas that a skilled boutique winemaker is able to create. Welcome to the world of Mitre’s Edge Wine Estate. Family-owned and managed boutique winery, Mitre’s Edge, is nestled at the foothills of the Simonsberg Mountain, between Paarl and Stellenbosch. It is in this beautiful setting that winemaker Lola Nicholls, assisted by husband Bernard, focuses on producing relatively smaller quantities of high-quality, award-winning wines. In 1999 Bernard and Lola took over the farm from Lola’s father, Martin Hunting, who had farmed there since 1969. Bernard threw caution to the wind and changed his career from mechanical engineer to wine farmer. Lola’s passion for Bordeaux wines led to the replanting of the old Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards with newer clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Shiraz was also planted, and to complement their wine list with white wines, some Chenin Blanc and Viognier vines were also planted. Our viticultural consultant is Danie Kritzinger from Agrimotion, and our vineyards are personally cared for by Bertus de Clerk and his expert team. This skilled attentiveness extends into the cellar, where our wines are hand-crafted by Lola, ensuring that every vintage is memorable and of an impeccable standard.

Carefully curated environmentally, socially and economically sustainable wines that offer the ethically conscious consumer a wholly satisfactory sensory experience.

French flair and South African determination have long been intertwined in the fabric of the Cape, a camaraderie spanning centuries, each contributing to the rich and respected fine wine legacy of South Africa. Le Chant embodies this enduring wine relationship, marrying Old World heritage with the contemporary New World. Our mutual efforts are etched by passion to bring forth exceptional wines which are classical, distinctive and pure. The striding Rooster has for many a decade been the personification of French flair. It is when the Rooster is bursting in song (Le Chant), that it reveals its exuding confidence, pride, and determination to the world. It is these shared characteristics, entwined with South African resilience, that has brought our like-minded proprietors into unison of song and wine. Between False Bay and Le Chant’s vineyards are only gently rolling hills – nothing to impede the progress of the sea breezes inland. Le Chant is sited on what was formerly four separate properties, the centre of which was known as Eikenhof, a wine farm in Stellenbosch’s Polkadraai Hills.
The terroir is characterised by gently rolling hills of varying elevations between 220 and 280m above sea level. The slopes face predominantly south and southwest, which exposes them to the cooling sea breezes of predominantly False Bay and, when conditions are right, Table Bay. Hailing from the Polkadraai region, this signature blend takes the lead from Merlot while harmonising classic Bordeaux varieties with Shiraz and Sangiovese. The result is an intriguingly vibrant wine that lingers on the palate, capable of ageing for another 8 to 10 years. Because of the microclimate that arises from the combination of the breezes and the aspect, and long ripening period, Le Chant’s grapes retain their acidity, which reflects as an edgy acid tension. Making wines that embody origin is the ultimate outcome we strive for. We also respect nature and the preservation thereof. The Le Chant team brings together several people with a proven track record for wine excellence and a passion for the land and wine without compare. The Oddo family; a fifth-generation vigneron from the Polkadraai, Willie Joubert, who manages the farm; technical director Schalk-Willem Joubert, a seasoned and highly-acclaimed figure in the Cape Winelands; and winemaker Petri Venter, whose youth and enthusiasm both inspires and galvanises the cellar team. A shared passion for great wine is what drives this collective, to bring wines of the Polkadraai to homes globally. If not traversing mountainous trails or swimming from Robben Island to the mainland, Petri Venter can be found plying his trade in the belly of our cellar. Having grown up surrounded by the great vineyards of Stellenbosch, it was with ease that a path was etched out into a career of winemaking. Following the completion of his B.Sc degree in viticulture and Oenology, Petri gained working experience in both South Africa and France.He then settled into a permanent winemaking role at the iconic Taaibosch Wine estate, where he has been the assistant to Schalk-Willem Joubert for three years. With the development of Le Chant wines in the Polkadraai region, by the Oddo Family, Petri was a natural choice to lead the new winemaking direction.

Illimis, the Latin word for clarity, signifies winemaker Lucinda Heyns’ crystal clear winemaking philosophy. Wine should be a window to where its vineyard is rooted.
Illimis intends to honestly harness what nature offers, and follows a minimal intervention principle as far as possible, allowing the wine to express its origin with clarity, finesse and complexity.
Lucinda worked as viticulturist for leading South African wineries and refined her winemaking skills with experience in South Africa, California and Italy. A decade of hands-on involvement in both vineyards and winemaking, developed a clear vision for Illimis.
Being a viticulturist at heart, she believes that everything starts with the vines. Every vintage is unique, and her hope is that every wine is a tribute to the endless pursuit of refining the potential of each site the Illimis wines are made from.

Originally from Bordeaux where our family owns 3 wine estates, we fell in love with South Africa during our many travels to the country.Our dream was to combine both, the Old & the New World, to make wines close to our vision of perfection. Therefore, we decided to purchase this boutique wine estate of 32 hectares (including 24 on vines) located in Simonsberg valley in 2004.Manual harvesting, selection of the best grapes, French oak and Acacia barrel ageing, combined with a French "savoir-faire" from our South-African winemaker Jos Van Wyk, will lead you to explore some of the finest wines produced in the region.

The Hughes Family Wines - or Nativo Wines - is a family-run winery making handcrafted, certified organic wines that are a true reflection of their place of origin. Founded by Argentinean-born Billy Hughes, and run alongside his daughter Kiki, the wines are certified organic and naturally fermented, made using minimal intervention farming and winemaking practices. Their philosophy is that by interfering as little as possible with the wines, the unique flavour of the farm will be protected and expressed. Signature wines include multi-vintage award-winning wines: the Nativo Red Blend and White Blend. Additional limited release wines include a unique skin-contact “orange” or “amber” wine – which has become our signature - and a Field Blend created from a small block of bush vines. We have recently added various newer Mediterranean-style varietals and blends such as Tempranillo, a Shiraz-Mourvèdre Grenache (SMG), and Viognier. The wines have a unique mineral characteristic that is typical of the red clay soil which the vineyard is planted. We take an innovative approach to winemaking, which includes making an effort to understand and preserve the natural ecosystem that is unique to our farm and cellar.