Mick and Jeanine Craven are local superstars for producing polished and expressive wines from some of South Africa's top grape varietals. Jeanine is a South African native, and Mick hails from the other major Southern Hemispshere wine country, Australia. The two met doing harvests in California. Given their wide geography of experience they could have set their secateurs on any wine region, and they chose Stellenbosch. Their choice site lies on the moderate western side of Stellenbosch, planted in 1999 on decomposed granite and clay.

Along with farmer Jozua Joubert, they're able to achieve slow ripening, low alcohol, and high acid on their flagship Cinsault. Throw in some partial whole-cluster fermentation (unconventional for Cinsault) open top tanks, and short maceration, and you have a bright-like-sunshine red with long but lithe tannins, and a refreshingly sappy finish. Tart raspberries and washed gravel on a sunny Stellenbosch front porch! 

Pairing: Asian beef dishes 

Grape: Cinsault

Soil: Granite & Clay 

Viticulture: Organic