in the vineyard : Zonnebloem, one of South Africa’s best known and biggest selling brands, offers outstanding value for money. It has one of the longest histories of any wine label in South Africa, dating back to the early part of the 18th century when wines were already made on the farm, Zonnebloem at Simondium. By the 1940s, Zonnebloem wines were regularly earning accolades at Cape wine shows and were even being imported by Burgoynes of London. Over the nearly 60 years since then, Zonnebloem has been a familiar accompaniment to many meals over many generations. The wines are styled to be accessible and easy to drink, with a soft palate but structured to show a prominent varietal character and, in the case of the reds, to last for five to ten years.
The vineyards (viticulturist: Henk van Graan)
The grapes, planted on south and south-west facing slopes to create cooler microclimates, were sourced from vineyards in the Devon Valley, Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch Kloof and Helderberg area. They range in age from 15 to 20 years and yielded 8 to 10 tons per hectare.
in the cellar : The grapes were fermented on the skins for 10 to 12 days. The juice was then racked off the skins, and the skins pressed. The press juice was then added back to add complexity. More than half of the wine spent 10 to 12 months in 300 litre barrels. The remainder was left to mature in staves in conjunction with micro-oxygenation in stainless steel tanks before blending.