This is what we mean when we say South African wine is diverse – Grenache Blanc is a variety more often seen in France’s Rhône Valley or northern Spain. Yet in the hands of award-winning Pieter Carstens, winemaker at Leeuwenkuil, it shines in the small district of Voor Paardeberg.

Leeuwenkuil was established in 1693 and has been owned by the Dreyer family since 1851. Today it’s Willie and Emma Dreyer who run the show, with their many children and grandchildren primed to take the helm eventually. The estate’s name means ‘lion’s lair’, a tribute to the ferocious Cape lion which once roamed the area’s farmlands. The lion was a serious problem for local cattle farmers, so it’s just as well Leeuwenkuil focused on growing grapes instead. 

Leeuwenkuil is based in the Swartland, but this wine comes from Voor Paardeberg, a little-known region near Paarl. The new appellation has started to attract real interest in recent years, with some of South Africa’s most exciting new winemakers moving in to make the most of its hot, dry climate and decomposed granite and shale soils. Watch this space.

This wine will go perfect with Rustic Tomato & Ricotta Galette