South African Wine

It was love at first sight. The modest 4km stretch of dust road on the ‘Cape Town’ side of the Kasteelberg might not have grabbed just anyone’s attention, but father-and-son team David and Dean Thompson were quick to see its vast potential. The Kasteelberg (‘castle mountain’) rises like a fortress thousands of metres out of the fertile plain of the Riebeek Valley in the Swartland – an area known for its long, hot, dry summers and equally long, cold, wet winters. In the mid-1990s, David bought a share in a farm on the road. Viticulturists were consulted and a planting programme was begun. Soon the results – Shiraz and Pinotage – were attracting the attention of some of the top wine producers in the region.

The grapes for Dean David’s Southern Constellation red blend – Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinotage – are always selected from earmarked vineyards along their beloved Riebeeksrivier Road, and are a result of both perspiration and inspiration. The physical work goes into the vineyards, while the artistry shows in the cellar, with as little intervention as possible and natural fermentation being the order of the day. The result is wines that are known for their area-specific character, the only distinction being vintage.

Dean’s journey to the cellar started where most people’s ends: in a restaurant. During a three-year stint in the UK, while he was earning his keep as a waiter and junior sommelier, he was introduced to some of Europe’s top wines. On his return to South Africa, he went back to the source, working on his father’s farm and also spending several harvests garnering experience on other wine farms in the immediate surrounds. In 2003 he took this a step further, signing up as a cellar hand on a neighbouring farm and adding to his knowledge of wine-making. Dean took over the management of his father’s farm and during the following three harvests deepened both his respect for the vines under his care, and the region as a whole. Dean’s love of and passion for winemaking, and his journey from junior sommelier to independent winemaker is evident in every sip of Southern Constellation. View Dean's wine blog here.