First discovered by sailors confusing it for Table Bay to the north, False Bay has long been a haven for those navigating the treacherous Cape of Good Hope. The cool coastal breeze which sweeps off the Indian Ocean temper the ripening process, extend the growing season and produce expressive wines with more precise varietal characters and purity. These lifted aromas make the wines accessible, perfectly balanced and full flavoured.

Chenin Blanc is regarded as the workhorse of the South African Wine Industry. It produces the bulk of our generic white wines. There are however some gems in between the mass of Chenin Blanc vineyards. Our goal is to identify these gems and allow them to be expressed in the False Bay Chenin Blanc. We focus on areas that long stood out for producing great Chenin Blanc wines, like the Paardeberg and Riebeek areas within The Swartland. Old bushvine vineyards, have over time found their natural balance and ultimately it shows in the wines.

Picking early in the morning, grapes are de-stemmed before going into a separator. Free run juice was separated from the skins immediately and allowed to settle at 12 degrees Celcius for 24 hours. No enzymes were used to aid the settling & the press juice was discarded. No cultured yeasts were used and it took 8 weeks to complete the fermentation. The wine was left on the secondary lees for another 5 months before bottling. A small portion of the wine was fermented & matured in new 600l French barrels.

A versatile wine equally well suited to partner lobster and other seafood, risotto or herb roast chicken.