The vineyards used in this premium niche wine are planted on 3 different sites with aspects ranging from East to North-East, each contributing complexity and character to the final blend. The vine canopies are moderate in vigour to allow sunlight onto the bunches and aid the development of beautiful ripe sun-kissed flavours. All bunches were hand-picked into small lug boxes with the respective components selected according to bunch size and colour where the smallest, ripest bunches were harvested first. During a period of 7 days the various styles were isolated and harvested a fraction at a time and destemmed in the early morning without crushing the berries. The juice was settled for 48 hours, then gravity fed to 31% new 400 litre French oak barrels. All barrels started natural fermentation before being inoculated with a commercial yeast strain to ensure a clean ferment to dryness. The various component fractions were matured separately for 9 months before a final blend was created using only the very best barrels.

The farm’s main brand name, Ridgeback, is derived from the Ridgeback dogs that are kept on the farm. Vernon produced his first white wine in 2000, and his five-star award-winning Ridgeback Shiraz, created in 2001 was the first red. Ridgeback Wines has built on an impressive foundation and has been awarded numerous accolades and medals since 2001, both locally and abroad. Winemaker, Toit Wessels, goes from strength to strength, refusing to settle for anything less than the best being released from the cellar.

This bold food wine would complement a wide range of spicy dishes which include Indian, Malay and Thai curries.