Johannesburg-based designer Gert-Johan Coetzee has entered the world of fine wine with the launch of Wine Couture, a limited-edition collection developed in collaboration with boutique winemaker Albert Ahrens of Ahrens Family Wines.
Conceived as a cross-disciplinary project rather than a conventional product line, Wine Couture brings together couture design principles and minimal-intervention winemaking.
The collaboration began in 2021 through conversations between Coetzee and Ahrens, who found common ground in their shared emphasis on precision, restraint and craftsmanship. The inaugural release will be limited to 100 collector’s boxes. Each box contains six bottles, comprising two of each varietal.
According to the producers, the collection will not be repeated in its current form, with future editions planned as seasonal releases exploring different South African narratives through wine and design.
The debut trilogy draws inspiration from African light and the symbolism of the elephant, referencing themes of continuity, memory and strength. The collection unfolds across three wines:
- Ivory Sands, a white wine positioned as the “morning” expression of the trilogy;
- Blush at Dusk, a dry rosé described as restrained and mineral-driven; and
- Crimson Ridge, a lighter-style red wine intended to emphasise structure and longevity.
Ahrens’s winemaking approach centres on minimal intervention, allowing the vineyard character to remain prominent. This philosophy aligns with Coetzee’s couture practice, where detail, material and finish are central.
For Coetzee, whose work is often associated with red carpet and occasion dressing, the project marks an expansion into a different sensory medium. The collaboration reframes design not as garment construction but as curation, narrative and presentation. Each release is positioned as a collector’s object, with packaging and storytelling forming part of the overall experience.
Rather than operating as a standalone wine brand, Wine Couture functions as a limited, ongoing series shaped by dialogue between designer and winemaker. Future editions are expected to continue exploring the intersections between material, place and symbolism within a South African context.
The first edition of Wine Couture is now available in strictly limited quantities.
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