Celebrating Black Wine Producers

Dumi Oburota, Founder of Severan, is responsible for global A&R for Sony’s Orchard record label, as well, he also now turns his focus to the thriving sparkling wine industry in the UK.

Severan: a Black owned and operated sparkling luxury wine redefining what aspiration looks like.

Severan supports the growth and development of the culture and the people within it.

Severan sparkling wine was conceived to celebrate London’s diverse culture, spotlighting the cultural crown jewels who have become Britain’s biggest export.

Severan launched in June 2023 to immediate fanfare with a culturally-immersed audience and an enthusiastic response from the wine industry.

Sustainability: From low intervention farming to waste water management. Their partner wineries care about the community and the world we live in. This is as important as the wine itself.

Tasting notes:

An exceedingly decadent Blanc de Blancs Brut made from sun-kissed South African chardonnay grapes and expertly bottled in the rolling hills of Hampshire. Made in the traditional method and aged on lees for two and half years, Severan Black Label has smooth, persistent bubbles and an exquisite flavour profile making it the the perfect choice for anyone who appreciates the art of fine winemaking.

The name M’hudi is derived from the Setswana word “Mohudi,” which translates to “harvester” in English. This name also shares a connection with the protagonist of a captivating African tale, who bravely escapes a war-ravaged and desolate village in search of a fresh start, leaving the past behind. Similarly, the story of M’hudi Wines revolves around a determined family who defied all odds to pursue their dream of crafting exceptional wines.

Originally hailing from the North West Province of South Africa, the Rangaka family embarked on a quest to find a place where they could spend more quality time together. Leaving behind their professional careers, they eventually found themselves becoming the first Black family to acquire a wine farm in South Africa, settling in Stellenbosch in 2003.

M’hudi Wines has rapidly established itself as a brand synonymous with quality, excellence, and distinction. Nestled in a valley with fertile Table Mountain sandstone soils layered over clay, their vineyard experiences scorching summer temperatures, but is regularly cooled by morning mists and invigorated by the renowned Cape Doctor wind in the afternoons.

The wines of M’hudi perfectly cater to the demand for superior South African wines, both domestically and internationally. Stringent quality control measures are in place, overseen by various industry authorities including the South African Department of Agriculture, The Wine and Brandy Council, Wines of South Africa (WOSA), and the Department of Trade and Industry. Working alongside highly experienced winemakers, M’hudi Wines proudly holds accreditation from the Wine Industry Ethical Trading Association (WIETA).

Tasting notes:

Complex and lots of depth. Light gold in colour. Fruit salad and quince on the nose. Rich and creamy on the palate. Pineapple, stewed fruits and dried apricot. A fine example of a great South African Chenin Blanc.

Tasting notes:

Deep garnet. Red berries and dark chocolate on the nose. Red velvet cake, sour cherry and kirschwasser on the nose. Medium palate, layered and rich.

Tasting notes:

The palate is structured but elegant with layered tones, spices, peppery notes and red berries. The tannins are smooth with a silky finish.

Tasting notes:

Deep garnet with a purple core. Cassis, blackberry, capsicum, tomato-leaf and cigar-box on the nose. Palate is rich, powerful and layered. A great wine that will age for ages. Finesse. Elegance. Refined. Beautiful.

Brookdale Estate is situated at the foothills of the Drakenstein Mountains of the Paarl Wine Valley where their 36-year-old block of trellised Chenin Blanc is one of few certified ‘Old Vine Chenin Blancs’ in the region.

Kiara’s story starts in a place called Mitchells Plain where she grew up with her family. Mitchells Plain is what one would call a ghetto, a township on the Cape Flats south-east of Cape Town where Cape coloured people live. While staying there she was exposed to many things (mainly due to the socio-economic circumstances of people living there) such as gangsterism, drugs, alcohol abuse and violence because of alcohol abuse.

Kiara applied to the CWG Protégé Programme and was successful. The CWG Protégé Programme is a great initiative that employs newly graduated winemakers that come from previously disadvantaged backgrounds and gives them the opportunity to work with and be mentored by some of South Africa’s best winemakers.

Kiara Scott was the youngest female Head Winemaker in South Africa at the age of 26. Read Jancis Robinson’s full article here.

More recently, their 2020 Chenin Blanc single Vineyard 2020 was crowned the 2022 Trophy Winner for the Best Old Vine Wine in South Africa’s most prestigious wine competition, The Trophy Wine Show!

This award came closely after the same 2020 Chenin Blanc being awarded a Gold scoring by the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Tasting notes:

Boasts exotic aromatics of wet straw, fynbos, thyme, dried flowers, and granitic dust before appealing notes of crunchy white peach, yellow citrus and freshly cut green apple. On the palate, the wine unravels with textbook precision to reveal layers of freshly cut pineapple, lemon biscuits, oatmeal, a smoky liquid minerality and an alluring tangy, mouthwatering acidity on the long, glycerol finish.

Tasting notes:

Clotted-cream, panna-cotta breadth and sensuousness. Deep apricot-sweet acidity. Ripe, ripe passion fruit; rich Alphonso mango. Wild sage and aromatic in a pine-resin way that is almost like a pencil-light sketch of retsina. Addictively bitter nuttiness. Gravel dust, wet cement, snowdrop perfume and sweet mint. Quinine snap. Baobab fruit. One moment satin glass, the next as slippery as a chiffon scarf. A mesmeric perplexity of flavour and texture. Long, quietly demanding finish.

Tasting notes:

Like the 2021, the wine displays a silky fresh textural palate with a fine harmonious weight of peach stone, apple pastille, nectarine and yellow orchard fruits underpinned by a spicy, liquid minerality and phenolic herbal spice on the long, sleek, alluring finish. Once again, a brilliantly conceived creation that speaks of the estate’s vineyards, vision and terroir over any specific varietal or winemaking characteristic.

Tasting notes:

The palate boasts a broad fleshy texture with succulent soft yellow pineapple pastille, hints of marzipan, pear purée, peach bellini, and yet more liquid mineral nuances.

Tasting notes:

Smells of strawberry milkshake and boiled-condensed-milk caramel. Candied strawberries and not quite bone dry. Begs for a barbecue or sesame-crusted tuna.

Tasting notes:

A cheeky cascade of brambleberries wreathed in smoke, contrasted with the gloomy mist of brine, the smack of sea. A rush of sappy red fruit; the pop of cinsault cherries, the summer plums of syrah, the wildness of mourvèdre. The richer blue-blood of the grenache veins right through the palate. The core of blackcurrant pastilles with a chew of tannins juxtaposes the juice of the acid. Absolutely running away with fruit and drinkability, this exuberance is trimmed in spice and a deftly dry finish.

Ntsiki grew up in Mahlabathini, a rural village in KwaZulu-Natal, and matriculated from high school in 1996. Having spent a year as a domestic worker, she was awarded a scholarship to study winemaking at Stellenbosch University in 1999. She graduated in 2003 with a BSc in Agriculture (Viticulture and Oenology) and joined boutique winery Stellekaya as their winemaker the following year.

Ntsiki’s ambition to create her own wines grew following a collaboration with Californian winemaker, Helen Kiplinger, as part of Mika Bulmash’s Wine for the World initiative.

It was over dinner and a glass of wine with her new colleagues in the USA that she shared the story of the inspiration behind her ambition. Her beloved grandmother was the guiding light in her life and it became obvious that her new brand should be named Aslina in the matriarch’s honour.

Tasting notes:

Tasting notes:

A premium Bordeaux-style blend from select sites in Stellenbosch. Muscular in youth with bold yet ripe tannins, complimented by sweet red and black fruits and a cedar spice from careful use of high quality oak. A blend of majority Cabernet Sauvignon with 18% Cabernet Franc and 12 % Petit Verdot in support. The wine has excellent structure and density on the palate, which is rich with cassis, blackberry, blueberry and fresh strawberry fruits.

Tasting notes:

Ntsiki’s Sauvignon is always full of fresh green herbs and citrus fruits, balanced with some more tropical notes. The wine spends four months on the lees, adding a moreish texture which zings with zesty acidity throughout. Its pure, lingering finish has undertones of mango, honeydew melon, and apricot.

Tasting notes:

Seven days’ fermentation on the skins of carefully picked, perfectly ripe Chenin Blanc grapes give this remarkable white an appetising tannic structure, which complements the crisp and bruised green apple flavours and rasping, lasting acidity.

Tasting notes:

Pale golden in colour with a unique bouquet of green apples and cucumber hints on the nose. Butterscotch aromas, limey fresh fruit and rich creamy complexity on the palate.

The name Mama Afrika symbolises togetherness, hope and passion for the community of Zwelethemba (Mpelo’s hometown), where a particular mountain – named ‘Mama Afrika’ by the local inhabitants, resembling the structure of both an elephant and a human looking up – has been a shining armour and offered inspiration for decades. While in school, Mpelo spent his childhood and formative years working on the wine farms of Worcester and has since striven to forge a business that will resonate as a “community story rather than a personal glory”.

Tasting notes:

Premium, oaked Chardonnay from the Western Cape. Soft orchard fruits vie with tropical notes of melon and pineapple, all balanced with a fine seam of acidity. This is complemented by well-judged classy oak which adds toast, butter and vanilla to the rich, broad palate.

Tasting notes:

This richly fruited South African Malbec from ‘valley of wine and roses’ retains elegant freshness throughout. Fermentation is in stainless steel before spending 15 month in French oak, only 20% of which is new. The wine has the signature, plush tannins of the variety, and the palate leads with raspberry and redcurrant, followed by a succulent, jammy core with cocoa, coffee and a hint of spice on the finish.

In 2018 Rüdger was awarded Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year!

Rüdger’s wine journey started in 2010, a ‘coloured boy’ hailing from the south coast of South Africa from a town called George where he started his first year at Stellenbosch University. With years gone by and passion growing for the grape, little by little he eventually graduated in 2013.

He remembers clearly in his fourth year he was approached by Magda Vorster, facilitator for the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé programme. She showed him all the amazing things that the programme provides and basically told him that the sky is the limit. After a few interviews with winemakers from the Guild Rüdger received the great news that his application was successful and that, starting in 2014, he would be part of the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé programme.

Read more about Rüdger’s achievements though Jancis Robinson’s full article here.

Tasting notes:

This elegant white wine was crafted from a 28-year-old Sauvignon Blanc vineyard, located in the Jonkershoek Valley. Traditionally made, with barrel fermentation and lees ageing for added texture and complexity. It has a modern fruitiness coupled with a classic structure.

Tasting notes:

The award-winning Sauvignon Blanc from Stark-Condé has well-integrated aromas of tropical fruits and lime, with delicate fynbos notes. Barrel fermentation and lees ageing adds texture and complexity to the palate. This elegant Sauvignon Blanc intentionally steers away from a green herbaceous profile, thereby appealing to wine-drinkers who might normally shy away from this varietal. Organically farmed.

It is made from an older block of Syrah/Syrah/Shiraz which measures just 22 rows of vines. One critic described the wine as “having the texture of crushed violets” and it exerts a fine balance between power and elegance.

Tasting notes:

The Kara-Tara Chardonnay balances bright zesty citrus notes, tropical fruits and minerality, resulting in a fresh and elegant interpretation of a classic varietal.  Grapes for this wine are from Elgin, the Overberg and Paarl. All grapes are hand harvested and barrel fermented in French oak (20% new).

Tasting notes:

An elegant, lightly-wooded style of Pinot Noir showing classic strawberry and red cherry notes coupled with a hint of spice. A firm, yet silky-smooth tannin-structure supports the lovely bright fruit characteristics of the wine. Grapes were sourced from Elgin and the Overberg region.

Tasting notes:

his particular vineyard always stood out for its excellent fruit. Planted in rocky shale and surrounded by mountains, this isolated vineyard has the cool climate needed to make elegant and cellar-worthy Pinot. The wine has a seductive perfume, elegant tannins, and beautiful long legs.