Winery of the Week: House of Hier

Here Arendsig’s owner and small-batch winemaker Lourens van der Westhuizen collaborates with IT entrepreneur Jaco Pienaar on premium wines from special sites they find and that fit their philosophy, which encompasses rigorous grape selection, staggered picking, low yields, spontaneous ferments and limited quantities, among others. Crafting happens at Arendsig in Bonnievale and, while the current parcels are local and elsewhere in Robertson Valley, wider sourcing is a possibility as the portfolio grows. Watch for a trendy field blend, made from Portuguese grapes. Attractively and minimally presented, the wines are styled to be ‘fruit-forward, powerful and expressive of the terroir’, and sold mostly online and in wine bars around Cape Town.

Winery of the Week: Spijkerbessie Wyne

Annelie Viljoen, Stellenbosch-trained viticulturist and latterly also grape buyer, mother of three teen boys, and wife of Neethlingshof winemaker De Wet Viljoen, chose vine tending because she didn't want to be stuck in a cold cellar. But clearly the allure of fermenting must was strong, and in 2019 her neighbours at Lovane Estate let her make an experimental batch. For Spijker and Bessie (in life, a bull and cow), she sources best-quality wine and blends it, choosing unusual malbec because it was the favourite of her late mentor and vriend, Eben Archer. Wines with personality and true Stellenbosch character are her aims.