Sadie Family

The man who put Swartland on the map, Eben Sadie is undoubtedly South Africa’s most influential winemaker today. His pioneering, terroir-driven approach celebrates Swartland’s unique landscapes and above all its old vines planted in the 1940s and ‘50s. This preserving of viticultural heritage has been the focus of his celebrated Old Vine Series since 2009. His wines are made with minimal intervention but are meticulously site specific: his flagship Columella cuvée uses up to six varietals from across a dozen Swartland vineyards. Sadie is conscious too of sustainability and the need to prepare for climate change, for example by planting more heat-resistant grapes such as Grenache and Carignan. And he also emphasises the need to plant new vines that will one day produce such old-vine fruit. ‘We want to make wine for a long time,’ he says.