ADVERTORIAL | Ernie Els
5 Ernie Els Wines THINGS
You Didn't Know About
1. ERNIE ELS HIMSELF SELECTED THE BLEND OF OUR SIGNATURE WINE In 1999, South African golfing legend Ernie Els chose the home of Ernie Els Wines—a property in the Helderberg region of Stellenbosch. At the time, our winemaker Louis Strydom, presented Ernie with various blends to try. After tasting a few, Ernie selected his favourite Bordeaux-style blend and our Signature wine was born. The first grapes were crushed, matured, blended and bottled for the inaugural vintage of the Ernie Els Signature in 2000, and since then, Louis Strydom has been crafting this wine in this same style. To this day, the iconic Signature wine remains as the pinnacle of our wine portfolio.
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SOUTH AFRICAN CONNOISSEUR
‘To this day, the iconic Signature wine remains as the pinnacle of our wine portfolio’
2. WE ONLY GROW RED GRAPE VARIETIES ON THE PROPERTY At Ernie Els Wines, we have a particular focus on red wines and therefore only grow red varietals on our property. Cabernet Sauvignon is our passion and we’ve dedicated 60% of our vineyard to this variety. Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Cinsault make up the rest of our 50 hectares under vine. Our winemaker’s fondness for Cabernet Sauvignon, particularly, makes our location a natural choice as the “Golden Triangle” in Stellenbosch. This triangle is globally recognized for producing exceptional red wines.
