Winifred

The De Grendel Winifred 2025 invites dishes that balance subtle richness with bright fruit and a touch of toast. Pan-seared scallops finished in brown butter with sage or a creamy butternut squash risotto mirrors the wine’s texture, while mains like roasted chicken with a lemon-herb butter or pork tenderloin glazed with an apple or quince compote will echo the wine’s stone-fruit notes and its acidity. For dessert, baked apples with almond cream can provide a gentle counterpoint to the wine’s expressive fruit and citrus aromatics without overpowering its balance.

The 2025 vintage featured a late winter with adequate chill, followed by a cool, dry summer that promoted even ripening and low disease pressure. Cooler August nights and minimal rain from February to March favoured grape health and flavour. Harvest was slightly later than 2024, yielding fruit with optimal sugars and balanced acidity. The result: brilliant colour, refined tannins, vibrant whites, and poised reds with moderate alcohol. The Viognier, Semillon & Chardonnay vineyards are planted in well-drained blue shale at 180 to 280 metres above sea level on the Western slope of the Tygerberg, 7 kilometres from, and in sight of, the Atlantic Ocean. Employing the VSP trellis system, a typical harvest produces 2 to 6 tons per hectare.

The primary Semillon component was fermented spontaneously in 500-litre clay amphorae and 400-litre ceramic pot on a portion of whole berries for 1 week and kept on the skins for another two months. The Chardonnay and Viognier were fermented spontaneously and matured in older oak barrels, and all three components matured for 6 months on the lees before blending and further maturation. The oxidative winemaking style produces a wine that is initially shy and reserved on the nose, but full-bodied, textured and intriguingly flavourful.

De Grendel is a Durbanville wine estate where cool-climate vineyards and careful site selection shape a broad range of South African wines. Known for Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz and red blends, the estate combines coastal influence, varietal clarity and a strong sense of Cape Town wine country.