Our 20th Harvest
Gosh, I can hardly believe that 20 years have passed since we first harvested grapes for Painted Wolf. Each vintage has been different with its own set of challenges, excitement, and success and this vintage was no different. After a relatively dry and mild winter the vines were itching to dust off their winter slumber and burst into life. Early budding is often an indicator of an early harvest, and the 2025-26 growing season is no exception. Weirdly, it’s been all topsy turvy – we harvested grenache first, on 19th and 20th Jan – by rights it should have been Pinotage. Last year we started with Pinotage on 23rd January, following with Grenache on 30th.
Ten days is a long time in the grape ripening cycle, and our 2026 is far riper than previous with more colour and nice ripe strawberry aromas. I can’t wait for the finished wine. Carignan followed next and then Pinotage on 28th Jan. The Pinotage seeds were all nice and brown, which shows full ripeness, and the berries gave a bright scarlet juice with colour bleeding from soft mature skins. I love it when it does that. Roussanne 2026 came in on Friday 6th Feb and is now gently fermenting in its clay pot and barrels.
We had a deluge of 65mls of rain over the weekend of 7th and 8th February …putting a new twist to the vintage. When it rains mid vintage, it tends to change the dynamic in the vineyard. At best it slows the ripening down and contributes to flavour development and slightly lower alcohol wines, and at worst it creates the conditions for rot. First to harvest after the rain was our 52 years old heritage chenin grapes, which we caught just in time. I’m confident we will make an excellent wine from them. Lastly, during the 4th week of February we harvested both Pinotage and Viognier from the beautiful high-altitude vineyard in Breedekloof. The grapes were totally unscathed by the rain and had great flavour with slightly lower sugar then last year… we wait with bated breath for the yeast miracle that converts grapes juice to wine to complete its magic.
Over the past 20 years I have made wine in 15 different locations; several vintages having wine made in 3 separate cellars. It is incredibly comforting to know that from now onwards we will harvest our grapes into one cellar. Our partner Jordan Wines has a modern well-equipped cellar and a super experienced team whose talent is contributing to a fabulous future for our wines, and we look forward to sharing these “even better” Painted Wolf wines with you. Stay tuned!
DARIUS | CRIGNAN 2023
Years ago, my head was turned — and my hair blown back — by a full-throttle, inky Carignan called The Catalyst, made by Bonny Doon for Oddbins in the UK. It was a bold reminder of Carignan’s roots — a Spanish variety that helped shape California’s deep reds in earlier days.
When I returned to South Africa and joined Fairview, Carignan crossed my path again as part of the Goats Do Roam blend — launched at Oddbins and later chosen by Jamie Oliver for his first Christmas hamper.
Now, 25 years on, the journey has come full circle. We’re sourcing those same Welgegund farm grapes in Wellington for Painted Wolf. Darius Carignan is spicy, bold and delicious — and I look forward to turning your head and blowing your hair back all over again.
SOLO | ROUSSANNE 2024
In the early 2000s, Emma and I discovered Roussanne during a visit to France’s Rhône Valley as guests of Stephan Ogier, who had previously worked with me at Fairview and has since become a star producer in Côte-Rôtie.
A highlight of the trip was visiting Château Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where we tasted their extraordinary old vine Roussanne — one of the world’s great wines. That experience opened my eyes to the potential of this warm-climate variety.
Back in South Africa, I began working with Roussanne from Willy Mostert’s vineyard, and over the years our Solo Roussanne has become one of our most rewarding wine journeys. With each vintage, we move closer to my goal of crafting South Africa’s greatest Roussanne — and we’re excited to share the new 2024 Solo Roussanne.
A Conservation Weekend like no other | 2–5 July
Join Painted Wolf for a special conservation escape in the Waterberg. Enjoy accommodation, all meals, wine tastings, wine with dinner, a wild dog excursion, and a donation to the Waterberg Wild Dog Initiative — plus staff gratuities included.
R11 300 pp sharing | R13 800 single
Sip with purpose. Support the wild.
for more information
info@lindani.co.za for bookings or amanda@paintedwolfwines.com
The Painted Wolf Wine Club lets you enjoy exceptional wines while supporting vital conservation. Purchase 12 bottles of your choice to join and receive exclusive discounts, complimentary tastings, pre-release access to new wines, and invitations to special events. A portion of every bottle sold goes directly to protecting endangered African wild dogs and their habitats. Great wine, meaningful impact — all in one membership.
