OUR WINES
We’re humbled to be honoured.
Newstead has been described as the best kept secret inside the South African wine industry’s best kept secret.
While the fanfare around the country’s wines is almost always focused on the Cape, we believed from the start that the young Plettenberg Bay Winelands had something special. Time, hard work and accolades have proven this to be true.
We’re humbled that, since the release of our first vintage in 2012, Newstead wines have been honoured at the most famous South African and international wine shows, and acknowledged by the most respected critics.
These include multiple Gran d’Ors at the Michelangelo Awards, a five-star rating by Platter’s Wine Guide, recognition of being among SA’s top 3 at the IWSC and the only bubbly outside of the Cape winelands to have won the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge.
OUR STORY
We made wines, and a life, that we love.
We come from two families with rich farming heritage. Our crest combines the roots of both – the lion of the Lunds and the stag of the Robinsons. And yet, Newstead represents a departure for both of us. From sugar and dairy farms in KwaZulu-Natal, we came to make wine in the Garden Route.
We brought our own young family to The Crags and in 2006, when the Plettenberg Bay Wine of Origin region was in its infancy. We bought 11.5 hectares of fallow land. We planted vineyards of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. We built our home and our cellar. We made wines, and a life, that we love.
We like to think that our journey, and anybody else’s, is reflected in that of our grapes. From the vine to the wine, there’s potential, growth, change, and ultimately, hopefully, something very special. And even then, there’s a sense of mystery and possibility, depending on when and how you enjoy it, and who with.
“Maybe it’s just us, but we feel that wine is very much like life.”
OUR VINEYARDS
We know and nurture each vine.
It was a visit to New Zealand that inspired us to make wine, and it’s no coincidence that we chose to do it in a region that shares many of the same characteristics.
The Plettenberg Bay Wine of Origin region has a comparable geography and climate. As in New Zealand, it is especially favourable to the varieties we grow – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Our vineyards also enjoy similar temperatures, sunlight and cool night breezes, the benefits of which are maximised by the north-south planting of our vines.
We believe that small is special. We know and nurture each vine. We use organic fertilisers and recycled grey water. We pay meticulous attention to detail. And because we prioritise quality over quantity, we don’t cut costs, even taking the unusual step of using netting over our vines, which results in unusually good grapes: they’re some of the most unblemished any farmer is ever likely to see, and they’re put to good use by our award-winning winemaker, Anton Smal.
CONTACT US
If you have questions, queries, comments or just want to drop us a line, we’d love to hear from you. Better yet, visit us in person so we can meet you.
Opening hours:
Wednesday to Sunday, 11am – 4pm.
Wine sales Monday and Tuesday by arrangement.
+ (27) 076 300 9740
info@newsteadwines.com
Newstead Wine Estate
Redford Road, The Crags, Plettenberg Bay