The flagship in our portfolio and named after Lady Anne Barnard, the glamorous and remarkable "First Lady" of the Cape from 1797 till 1802. These wines are a tribute to an extraordinary lady and were handcrafted to reflect not only her finesse and elegance but also her complexity.

The grapes for these wines originate from single vineyards carefully selected for their terroir best suited to the respective variety. These vineyards are carefully managed throughout the growing season and yields are restricted to between 6 and 7 tons per ha to ensure optimum ripening and the required varietal concentration.

The wines are handcrafted by winemaker, Mike Graham, who believes that not only should their provenance (terroir) be fully expressed but that the wines should be an accolade befitting Lady Anne. The wines were created to accompany food, to always compliment and never overpower.

The History of Lady Anne Barnard

Lady Anne Barnard, who at the tender age of 21 was the author of the ever-popular ballad Auld Robin Gray, set sail to the Cape Colony in 1797 with her husband Andrew Barnard, the Colonial Secretary of the Cape.
In the absence of Governor Lord Macartney's wife, Lady Anne became the first lady of the settlement, living with her husband at the Castle of Good Hope and acting as a popular hostess to officials, the local population and eminent travellers to and from India.

She befriended the Dutch-speaking citizens and made an extensive tour inland, visiting Genadendal, Tulbagh and St. Helena Bay, as well as Stellenbosch and Wagenmagers Vallei (Wellington). She was cordially received and showed a remarkable degree of adaptation to her new surroundings. Through a series of letters to members of the British Government, she described not only the social life at the Castle, but the country, its people and important events. These letters are now an important source material for this period and are highly readable.

Lady Anne left the Cape in 1802 to return to Britain but in this short period of 5 years she made a remarkable impression on the people of the Cape and indeed, its history.
The Cape owes Lady Anne Barnard a debt of gratitude, as she was a great advocate of Cape wines, serving them to her distinguished guests instead of the imported clarets fashionable at the time.

Click here to view the Lady Anne Barnard Wine selection

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