Drinks of the Month

Great Heart Chenin Blanc

Posted by Fiona Beckett (Google+) on April 18 2021 at 10:59

I'm sure you're familiar with Fairtrade wines but it’s good to see a project which, although not certified, has similar aims and raises the bar both in terms of content and ambition.

It’s described as the ‘staff empowerment project’ of Mullineux and Leeuw family wines in South Africa, and is owned by the winery employees. Proceeds from the sales are designed to improve the livelihood of the staff and their families - it has that aim in common with Fairtrade but the co-ownership aspect is unusual. (You can read more about it here.)

I personally like the richly textured chenin blanc which comes from Swartland and would be great with scallops or roast butternut squash* The red’s OK - a robust barbecue-friendly blend of syrah, tinta barocca and cabernet sauvignon - but not really worth the £14.99 that Waitrose will be charging for it going forward. (It’s currently £10.99 at Waitrose Cellar). I reckon it would benefit from double decanting (pouring it out of the bottle into a jug then back into the bottle to give it a bit of air) and then chilling it lightly.

The bottles both have a very beautiful label showing a sculpture of the Cape Wagtail by Jaco Sieberagen, a bird which is apparently known for its selflessness and courage which they feel reflects that of the staff.

*for other chenin blanc pairings see Which wine to pair with South African chenin blanc

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