Five local wines to get you lit this weekend

LIBBY'S PRIDE

Sold in Denmark, China, the UK and Botswana, wine-owner Elizabeth Peterson says she chose the lion symbol for its pride and strength. 

“I did not drink because of wines that sit in your cheeks. I told the winemaker I’d love to appreciate wine. I said we need to make a wine that’s easy to drink. My wine is unoaked, fermented with wood chips. It’s smooth and you still get the fruit flavours. It takes to any palate,” says Petersen.

KHULU FINE WINE

The company started in 2021. Khulu means great or extravagant in Zulu and each bottle has a meaning:

• Izigidi — the MCC means millions 
• Umqhele — the cabernet sauvignon means the crown 
• Dumakude — the shiraz means famous in far places 
• Inala — the Bordeaux style blend means an abundance of goodwill 

BAYEDE

These wines were endorsed by former King Goodwill Zwelithini. What makes this wine unique is the quality; only the best grapes are chosen from the best regions. Each bottle is adorned with beads made by women from KwaZulu-Natal, helping create employment for more than 2,000 women. 

LUC MO WINES

Each wine is named after a former king or queen of South Africa and is used to tell African stories.  We took time to analyse the grapes and approximated the characteristics of the grapes with the royals.

The Chenin: Queen Sekhothali Mabhena.

CARMEN STEVENS WINERY

Carmen Stevens graduated in 1995 as the first person of colour to study the art of winemaking in SA. The winery was established in 2011 in Stellenbosch. Carmen’s personality is in the wine, bold, black and strong. 

The flagship wine, Nemrac, is Carmen spelt backward but also means undefeated. 

J9 WINES

Janine Petersen started her wine brand in 2016 and exports to China, the US and the UK. 

As a child, Janine dreamt of one day owning a wine farm. Many years later, while fighting depression, Janine sold her car and moved back to her parents' home to follow her dream of making good quality wine. For Janine, access to funding is still a challenge as a winemaker of colour. 

“It’s my passion and my story. Standing up for the little people and to see a change in the industry, it’s more than wine.”