Winesoundtrack - South Africa

Along a winding road through canopies of trees in the Knorhoek Valley lies Quoin Rock, a historic Stellenbosch wine estate. Under the custodianship of the Gaiduk family, fate, passion, energy and vision have transformed the old Stellenbosch vineyards and wine estate. Quoin Rock Wine Estate is the inspiring home of captivating experiences, from wine-tasting to picnics, weddings, culinary adventures and tranquil mountain escapes.With each of his passions, Vitaly immerses himself into the subject by educating himself about the topic to the point of becoming an expert. At the Quoin Rock winery, we address our projects with the same approach. For example, investing in proper soil analysis in order to prepare it perfectly before planting and knowing exactly which types of grapes to plant in our Stellenbosch vineyards to ensure the best possible yield.Our custodian's passions for the arts (including the art of winemaking) extends to our wine philosophy: that craftsmanship within the vineyard and the winemaker's innovation in the cellar leads to wines that embody the uniqueness of our terroir. Our wines offer a myriad of well-balanced, complex flavours that generate even more harmonies over time.Stellenbosch vineyards are more suited to red varieties – Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.Our Elim vineyards are suited to grape varieties that have higher cold requirements, Sauvignon Blanc and ChardonnayLet us offer you a “taste of the terroir ” with our range of Quoin Rock and Namysto wines.

Noble Hill is an organic estate grower on the slopes of the Simonsberg mountains (in conversion EOS/NOP).We follow a minimal-intervention winemaking philosophy and make delicate, fresh wines with mineral structure. We care deeply for environmental sustainability and our vineyards are in advanced conversion to organic certification, with continued investment in soil health. Our goal is to produce terroir-specific estate wines with minimal intervention and we thus continue to incrementally move towards greater lightness and freshness with each vintage. The Simonsberg mountains, where our vineyards are located, have produced South Africa's finest wines for more than 300 years.In our organic conversion we have focused on improving our soil health by planting regenerative cover crops. We've eliminated the use of herbicides and all synthetic inputs. Our long-term objective is the establishment of useable indigenous wildlife corridors running the length and breadth of the farm. These corridors will allow natural flora and fauna to thrive among the vines. Our wines are focused on expressing the terroir of the Simonsberg with a light touch. We are in conversion until the 2023 vintage. The 2023 vintage will be our first vintage certified organic.

Our ethos, Terra Est Vita meaning ‘Soil is Life' encapsulates our view of Avondale Estate as a dynamic living system where soil, water and energy; plants, animals and people;even our buildings, are part of a complex web of relationships and networks, interconnected and interdependent.Premium Quality Wines– Our commitment to promoting life does not only lead to Mother Nature's approval of our healthy, balanced vineyard ecosystem; it also ensures the premium quality of Avondale's unique, naturally-made, slow wines. The vigour of our well-tended vines leads to excellent grapes bursting with fresh flavours that are evident in our individually-styled, classic wines, so full of life and character.Certified Organic – Avondale is certified organic and we practice bio-dynamic agriculture; but we go beyond both these beneficial systems of natural farming by also using the best 21st Century science, technology and knowledge to enhance sustainability.Enjoying Our Wines – When we despatch Avondale wines for worldwide distribution in select markets, we hold the intention that they will play a role in enhancing healthy balance and affirming joy in the lives of those that take pleasure in them. We are mindful that whenever an Avondale wine is part of a family dinner or a celebration; an exciting gathering or a solitary interlude we are all connected in those moments by a shared love of life.

It is our vision to improve the lot of our employees by growing our business and thereby providing maximum job opportunities in a market that is desperate for support. We go a step further, we farm sustainably with no herbicides or pesticides, we till by hand, hugely labour intensive, but very satisfying, we prune, thin bunches and leaves all by hand and finally we harvest by hand. This additional employment we hope goes some way to improving the quality of life in our community and we know that if every community looked after their own, no-one would go wanting. This is our proposal, and consequently each bottle is a victory and represents a small change – for the better – in someone's life.

Highlands Road has been producing wine since 2007, after Michael White turned an ageing apple farm into a dynamic wine enterprise. The desirable Elgin terroir is very suited to producing good quality Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz, just to name a few. This is exactly where the focus is at Highlands Road where the wine production is steered to highlight the splendid characteristics of these varieties, while also allowing each vintage to showcase a little individuality that hints at it's birthdate. The Highlands Road range has been generously awarded by the South African Wine Industry competitions and by the International Wine and Spirits Competition. All farm activities and wine production is performed by Vanessa Mead and her small team, Jacob September and Freddy Gertse. Apart from producing the premium quality wines, respecting and caring for the environment, the people who work on the farm and the community are priorities on Highlands Road Estate.

Eben Sadie is considered one of the great preservationists and visionaries in the new generation of South African winemakers. To Eben, the vineyard and fruit are part of the story—the truestexpression of his art and philosophy. The wine writer Neal Martin recently called Sadie an “outspoken, peripatetic, terroir-obsessed winemaker who has been instrumental in putting Swartland on the map.He produces a small portfolio of comparatively expensive, but highly coveted wines based on Rhone varieties sourced from his seemingly never-ending search for pockets of old bush vines and unique terroirs. These are cerebral wines built to age.

Beaumont is a charming, family-run farm and winery situated in the quaint Overberg Village of Bot River. The farm is home to the region's oldest wine cellar and is steeped in history dating back to the 1700's. In 2004, Sebastian Beaumont, having honed his skills working in vineyards, took over the reins in the cellar and has continued to build the Beaumont reputation. The flagship Chenin Blanc, Hope Marguerite, has received Platter 5-Star ratings 4 times.

Andre Adriaan Badenhorst's grandfather was the general manager at Groot Constantia for 46 years. His father was born there. Adi grew up between the vineyards and spent his time picking (stealing) grapes. He made his first wine with Jean Daneel at thirteen. Adi studied at Elsenburg and went on the work harvest at Chateau Angelus & Alain Graillot in France, Wither Hills in NZ, and locally at Simonsig, Steenberg & Groote Post. He spent nine years as winemaker at the esteemed Stellenbosch estate, Rustenberg. In 2008, Adi and his cousin Hein purchased Kalmoesfontein farm in the Paardeberg area in Swartland, South Africa. Together they restored a cellar that had been neglected since the 1930's, where they now make natural wines in the traditional manner. Adi Badenhorst is an award winning winemaker, member of the Cape Winemakers Guild, founding member of the Swartland Revolution and Swartland Independent and an ever evolving vigneron.

Capensis celebrates the character of the extreme vineyard sites of South Africa's Western Cape through the noble white variety, Chardonnay.South Africa's Western Cape can be called both the oldest wine region of the New World and the newest wine region of the Old World. Capensis skillfully combines these two facets — the oldest and the newest — of Western Cape winemaking. It embodies the unparalleled quality that comes from old, gnarled vines planted in some of the oldest soils in the world, and it represents the young energy of a new generation of winemakers determined to make world-class wines with state-of-the-art techniques.Capensis, meaning “from the Cape,” is a leader in bringing South Africa to the forefront as a world-class Chardonnay producer. The commitment to Chardonnay comes from the belief that the truly great vineyard sites around the world are revealed by only a few noble grape varieties.

Wine Soundtrack comes from an idea of ​​sharing and knowledge; allows wine lovers to listen, directly from the voice of the protagonists, hopes, dreams, intuitions, perspectives, loves and passions.Wine Soundtrack will make you reflect, smile, entertain through the voices of those who, in a bottle of wine, have decided to enclose their character, their dreams and their ambitions.Wine Soundtrack will accompany us by the hand among the filiars of an idea, of a wider vision than the contained dimensions of a glass; space that welcomes the essence and condenses the fruit of a passionate but tiring and patient work.30 questions, a small final game, a special interviewer. These are the ingredients of our brand new podcast entirely dedicated to the universe of wine and its protagonists who here have the opportunity to present themselves in a different way than usual and outside the usual clichés.