OUR STORY
Travelling through the Swartland on the back of a truck, heading towards an auction, a Nguni cow knew a beautiful vineyard when she saw one and jumped off. She was appropriately named SURVIVOR when the grower found her grazing in his vineyard.
Like her, our wines start with a leap in the vineyard and in true Nguni spirit our grapes are now sourced not only from the Swartland, but also the Elgin Valley, Stellenbosch, Darling, Tradouw and Hemel-en-Aarde, to compose the unique complexity and diversity of the wines in the SURVIVOR Range. Our winemaker intensely debated which regions possessed the perfect balance of rainfall, clay, shale and granite content, so that opening a bottle of SURVIVOR allows you to experience the essence of these terroirs. SURVIVOR Wines are as distinctly South African as the Nguni cow that inspired them.
Travelling through the Swartland on the back of a truck, heading towards an auction, a Nguni cow knew a beautiful vineyard when she saw one and jumped off. She was appropriately named SURVIVOR when the grower found her grazing in his vineyard.
Like her, our wines start with a leap in the vineyard and in true Nguni spirit our grapes are now sourced not only from the Swartland, but also the Elgin Valley, Stellenbosch, Darling, Tradouw and Hemel-en-Aarde, to compose the unique complexity and diversity of the wines in the SURVIVOR Range. Our winemaker intensely debated which regions possessed the perfect balance of rainfall, clay, shale and granite content, so that opening a bottle of SURVIVOR allows you to experience the essence of these terroirs. SURVIVOR Wines are as distinctly South African as the Nguni cow that inspired them.
CELLAR MASTER
Pierre Wahl
Acclaimed winemaker Pierre Wahl heads up as our Cellar Master for Survivor Wines. Pierre is a member of the highly respected Cape Winemakers Guild and recipient of the 2016 Diners Club Winemaker of the Year Award. Within the industry, he is affectionately known as the ‘Pope of Pinotage’, in recognition of his expertise with this unique varietal.
EXPRESSIONS OF TERRIOR
“This is what makes SURVIVOR Wines so special, we get to choose distinctive grapes from the most expressive terroirs from several of South Africa’s best wine-producing regions.”
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Swartland – Chenin Blanc, Pinotage, Syrah
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Elgin – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
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Stellenbosch – Cabernet Sauvignon
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Darling – Cap Classique
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Tradouw – Cabernet Franc / Merlot, Chardonnay
NGUNI
SURVIVOR WINES ARE AS DISTINCTLY SOUTH AFRICAN AS THE NGUNI CATTLE THAT INSPIRED THEM.
The correlation between our SURVIVOR Wines Range and these indigenous cattle can be seen through the diversity of our selection of cultivars on spesific terroirs, which is reflected in the uniqueness of each Nguni’s hide.
The history of the Nguni cattle is etched deeply into the soil of South Africa. A series of great migrations of Nguni-speaking people (from which these cattle get their name) brought this uniquely identifiable species into our country over 2 000 years ago. They are synonymous with wealth and status, and play a core role in many South African cultures. It’s this venerable tradition, and the story of one particular Nguni cow called SURVIVOR, that brought about SURVIVOR Wines.