Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Situated on the northern border of the Stellenbosch wine region, along the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain, Warwick Wine Estate has a long history of producing some of South Africa's finest and most acclaimed wines.
The classic red wine portfolio is led by two blends, the 'Reserve' and the 'Three Cape Ladies.'
The 'First Lady' range immortalises the legacy and irrepressible personality of Norma Ratcliffe - one of the Cape's first female winemakers who guided Warwick to acclaim since producing the estate’s first wine in 1984. Fondly known now as South Africa's 'First Lady' in the South African wine industry, Norma was an innovator by nature; which she had to be in a male dominated industry and was never scared to be the first at anything. In 1989 she became the first female winemaker to be inducted into the Cape Winemakers Guild and became its first female chairperson in 1993.
Having released award-winning wines vintage after vintage, Warwick was eventually sold to San Francisco-based Eileses Capital in 2017, and CEO Christiane von Arnim – a 'First Lady' in wine in her own right - was entrusted with taking Norma's legacy into the future. JD Pretorius (Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year 2014 and Cape Winemakers’ Guild Member since 2018) joined Warwick as Cellar-master in 2019, heading up the vineyards and cellar and was tasked with translating the wonderful terroir of Warwick Wine estate into wine for the world to enjoy and connect over.
South Africa’s most famous wine-producing district, Stellenbosch, surrounds the historic town with the same name; fine winemaking here dates back to the late 1600s. Its valleys of granite, sandstone and alluvial loam soils between the towering blue-grey mountains of Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Helderberg have the capacity to produce beautiful wines from many varieties. The climate is warm Mediterranean, tempered by the cool Atlantic air of nearby False Bay.
Perhaps most well-known for its Pinotage and Bordeaux blends, Stellenbosch also produces noteworthy wines from Syrah, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. The district’s wards—Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch—all produce distinctive wines from vines with relatively low yields.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.