Painted Wolf Wines of South Africa

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Pruno Wines’ Sean Millar profiles a fascinating South African winery helping to protect one of the continent’s most endangered carnivores.

 

 

SOUTH AFRICA BOASTS some of the most stunning wine making regions in the world with the majority of the country’s wines being produced in the Western Cape region, which has a mild Mediterranean climate.

Areas such as Stellenbosch and Paarl are particularly renowned for producing some excellent wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and Chardonnay.

During a recent wine tasting at Pruno Wines’ Liverpool headquarters, I hosted South African wine maker, Jeremy Borg (pictured above). He explained the fascinating story of how he and his wife, Emma, decided to start producing wine and invest part of the profits in wildlife conservation.

They focused on the African Wild Dog, also known as the Painted Wolf, which is one of the most endangered carnivores in Africa. Some people find the Painted Wolf unattractive but I have been intrigued by these animals ever since I was a child when my family moved to South Africa for a short while.

As someone who has spent time exploring and working in a number of different African countries, I have always considered Africa my second home, so I was delighted to discover the story behind Painted Wolf Wines.

Drawing inspiration from the Painted Wolf, Jeremy and Emma brought together a community of talented individuals to help craft a stunning collection of bold and expressive wines using the best available grapes and the finest technical and practical skills.

Over the years, Painted Wolf Wines has donated around five percent of its revenue to conservation, a significant part of the winery’s profit. The vineyard has even picked up a Cheetah Award from the Endangered Wildlife Trust in recognition of its efforts.

Located in the famous Cape wine making region of Paarl, the winery has picked up many industry awards and renowned wine critic, Tim Atkin, scored four of its wines for his 2019 report on South Africa.

The collection of Painted Wolf Wines, mainly produced using the South African Pinotage and Chenin Blanc grapes, is just as diverse and interesting as the African Wild Dogs the vineyard supports.

Here are my top recommendations…

DEN CHENIN BLANC

 

 

A lively aroma and flavour of melon and pear with an underlying savoury minerality, this wine has a great texture and a long layered finish with bright acidity keeping it fresh and vibrant.

 

DEN PINOTAGE

 

 

This medium to full bodied wine has a smorgasbord of summer berries, savoury spice and toasty wood flavours, leading to a poised finish.

 

DEN ROSÉ

 

 

Jeremy set out to make the finest elegant dry rosé and he did just that when he produced The Den Rose. A fine fruity wine with cherry, strawberry, peach and mineral aroma and a fresh lingering finish.

 

PENNY SWARTLAND VIOGNIER

 

 

A stunning, beautiful wine with an exotic bouquet of lime, stone fruits and spicy wood, tons of flavour and a beautiful long finish. Named after Jeremy and Emma’s great friend, Penny Hughes, who sadly passed away in 2014, a very rare wine made in tiny quantities.

 

DEN SHIRAZ

 

 

Awarded the IWC Bronze medal in 2018, this wine has enticing aromas of spice, blackberry jam and ripe black cherries, a pure South African Shiraz.

 

PICTUS VII

 

 

A full bodied elegant blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan. A rich and generous wine, which combines charm with power, red berry and spice with a long satisfying finish.

Pictus is named after the scientific name for an African Painted Dog, Lycaon Pictus, meaning Wolf in Greek and Painted in Latin.

ALL WINES AVAILABLE AT PRUNO-WINES.CO.UK | INSTAGRAM @PRUNOWINES | FACEBOOK.COM/PRUNOWINES