Luddite Wines / Fam. Verburg & Meyer
Niels Verburg is one of those people who you immediately want to befriend. With his imposing stature and beaming smile, he stands out and magically draws people in.
At an early age, while he was working in Australia, he realised that Shiraz was "his" grape. In Chile, he later found the inspiration for the way he wanted to make his wine.
Together with his wife Penny, he planted his first vines in 1996. The first vintage was pressed in 2000. The small winery with just 6 hectares of vines is located just outside the village of Bot River. Walker Bay is only 30 kilometres away. The mild Mediterranean climate from the nearby ocean gives the vines on the south-western slopes of the Houw Hoek mountains a slow and long growing period. This results in spicy Shiraz with elegant fruit sweetness.
The name of the vineyard refers to the Luddites, 19th century English textile workers who fought against the Industrial Revolution. Consequently, Niels is rather reluctant to use "technology", as he says in a humorous way, both when caring for the vineyards and working in the cellar. Vinification involves as little intervention as possible, if any.
Niels and Penny have fulfilled their dream. In addition to the vines, there are also some olive trees and a few lucky pigs are reared: a rural idyll in South Africa. They epitomize the great change occurring in South Africa since the 1990s: moving away from mass production and towards independent quality wines that do not fear comparison with top international wines.
White wines from Luddite Wines / Fam. Verburg & Meyer
Red wines from Luddite Wines / Fam. Verburg & Meyer
from Luddite Wines / Fam. Verburg & Meyer
Producer
Château Raymond Lafon
Located in the heart of the Sauternes area, this winery comprises 18 hectares, 16 of which planted with 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. The maximum yield by law is 25 hectolitres per hectare. The yields at Raymond-Lafon average only 8 to 10 hectolitres per hectare; in other words, one vine will produce only one glass of delicious wine. Over several pickings, the grapes are harvested one by one according to their level of maturity. In some years, this can result in up to ten selected hand harvests. This alone lets one appreciate the great value of this wine.
Château Biac
Sometimes life is full of surprises. The Lebanese Asseily family experienced this first-hand when they became the owners of Château Biac as if by accident in 2006. They regularly spent their summer holidays near Biac, but never would they have dreamt that they would own and manage this wonderful property themselves one day. It’s a fascinating story that Tony and Youmna Asseily are happy to share over a glass of their wine.
Domaine Julien Brocard
The seven vineyards - Chablis "naturally"
Julien Brocard's domaine is located in Préhy, just a few kilometres from the town of Chablis in northern Burgundy. The aim of the domaine is to bring out the true character of the wines without any distortion, and for this purpose the vines have been cultivated biodynamically since 2011.