Labour of Love

Taking pride in having the first female and self-taught winemaker in the region, Lievland Vineyards brings wines that echo tradition and innovation

For the stern sommelier, South African wines are among new-world wines-unafraid to push winemaking traditions to modernisation, jumpstarting into creative ways to improve produce quality. But in the case of the Western Cape province, with its top-quality terroir teeming with well-maintained old vines and dry-farmed bush vines, the wines hailed from the town of Stellenbosch strike a balance between old-world austerity and new-world exuberance.

Known as the "Golden Mile" of wine estates in the region, Stellenbosch is home to one of the most revered estates, Lievland Vineyards. It is under the care and guidance of José Stark-Conde and Tyrell Myburgh. Together, they have formed MAN Family Wines with the vision of catapulting Lievland back to its illustrious standing and onto broader prominence.

"The first time we visited the farm, we were struck by two horses that had adopted a baby springbok," shares StarkCondé. "The touching scene inspired our label: Cupid-the god of loveriding a springbok, South Africa's national animal." Lievland Vineyards derives its name from the African phrase for "love land". This horseshoeshaped valley on the northwestern slope of the Simonsberg mountain boasts mainly clay-rich decomposed granite soils.