Red, almost brick coloured wine is showing wild veld, honeybush tea and spiciness on the nose. Ripe raspberry tartness and spice on the palate develop with the well-integrated tannins and a savoury finish.
Stellar Winery is situated 275 km north of Cape Town on the road to Namibia. The winery makes use of a semi-arid climate, unrivalled refrigeration capacity and extensive in-house engineering skills to produce modern, Fairtrade organic wines.
Stellar Winery was the first organic vineyard and cellar operation to receive the highly sought after Fairtrade accreditation. Fairtrade companies undertake to empower economically disadvantaged workers and ensure that a fair price is paid for the product along the whole supply chain.
Stellar Winery undertakes a big commitment with both farm and cellar staff transported to and from work, while families receive health care and the permanent services of a community worker. Workers receive free housing, electricity and water as well as subsidised schooling and child-care facilities. Finally, a percentage of the wholesale price of the wine is paid directly back to the Stellar Fairtrade Workers' Trust.
The wine is made in the sparsely populated Namaqualand region and does not suffer the light pollution that plagues urban areas around the world. The dark nights and clean air result in a breathtaking cosmic display with the aptly-named Milky Way at its centre and the producer pays homage to this phenomenon with the Stellar Range.
The wines are assembled from different farms, ferments and yeasts. Each wine in the blend starts with deep colour and ripe fruit and tannins. Individual nuances arise from organic agriculture, saline irrigation water, cooling afternoon winds, wild ferments and other still-to-be-discovered influences.
Lightly wooded for structure rather than flavour, these wines offer a tasting experience that will provide a convincing argument for the ascendancy of organic over conventional wines.
