Avondale Wine

The picturesque 160-hectare farm that is today known as Avondale has been under cultivation for more than 300 years. Early records show that the land was one of the first in the Paarl Valley to be allocated specifically for the production of wine grapes. Avondale is now home to the Grieve Family and 25 farm worker families. As the pioneers of Vital Health Foods, South Africa’s leading health food company, the Grieves have an innate focus on well-being that encompasses the land and its community of people. Avondale are committed to providing fair and decent living and working conditions to enable their people to enjoy healthy, balanced lives.

On the nose there is lots of blackcurrant and liquorice, with a hint of dark chocolate and ground coffee. The wine has an explosion of creamy red fruits on the palate and well integrated, elegant tannins to support it.

Try with a warming, rustic casserole of confit duck with haricot beans.

Each of the 6 grape varieties ( Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Syrah and Malbec ) is grown on separate 1 Hectare blocks dotted around the farm, with each block planted on a particular soil type. The grapes are picked at optimim ripening, which sometimes reqwuires each block to be picked over several days. The grapes are fermented on skins for around 30 days in separate tanks, allowing soft and even extraction of colour, tannins and acidity. no enzymes, softeners or additives are used as Avondale practice slow wine-making - and around 1/2 the normal sulphur is used throught the wine-making process. after fermenting the wines are blended and the wine then bottled, before further ageing prior to release.