In viniculture, blends are commonplace. In fact, almost all wines are blends in some way or another.
Blends can range from wines combined from different barrels, grapes from different vineyards or vineyard blocks, and – of course – different varietals. At Haute Cabrière, we pride ourselves on pioneering new wine blends. It’s a part of our DNA and something we continue to explore generation on generation.
Why blend?
Blending is an artform. It takes understanding, skill, ingenuity, creativity and of course – a passion for wine. A blend is then a perfect artistic expression of a winery’s joie de vin or joy of wine. By bringing together different vineyard blocks, varietals, or barrels, vintners have more control over the resulting balance in the wine, structure, mouthfeel, and flavour.
Some blends are so beloved that they inspire global trends such as the red or white blends of France’s Bordeaux, Rhône, Burgundy and Champagne regions. The recipes for these blends might be handed down through the eons, or they may be entirely new.
Our Pioneering Wine Blends
We are committed to exploring the versatility of Burgundy’s classic varietals – Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – at Haute Cabrière in Franschhoek. Pioneering new wine blends with these grapes within the South African context has always been our passion. Each new blend contributes to our understanding of wine blends, to joie de vin for our customers, and to South Africa’s growing wine industry.
The Chardonnay Pinot Noir
Our founder, Achim von Arnim, was the first to introduce the now widely crafted Chardonnay Pinot Noir still wine blend in South Africa. While harvesting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for the Pierre Jourdan Brut, the unusually hot conditions in 1994 led to the sugar content rising too much to be suitable for exceptional Cap Classique. Forced by the natural conditions of the Cape to be innovative, Achim decided on an inspired solution – a ‘still’ blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and something never before seen in Africa!