What started in 2003 as a dream of owning a small boutique wine cellar and selling a premium product under the proud Brink family name, turned into one of South Africa’s biggest privately owned family wineries!
Today Pulpit Rock Winery is a modern and state-of-the-art facility with a capacity of 6000 tons, where the grapes cultivated on the 500 hectares of Swartland farmland owned by the Brink family are treated with the utmost care. A young, dynamic team currently heads-up the operations at the cellar and ensures that top-quality wines are produced.
It all started with ‘Oupa’ Ernst and ‘Ouma’ Louisa Brink pioneering a new future for their family with hard work, iron will and quiet determination to succeed. Their sons, Van der Byl and Haumann Brink, are now at the forefront of the business, with the next generation of grandchildren showing a keen interest to continue building the legacy of their grandparents.
Read More: Pulpit Rock: The Modern-Day Wine Dynasty Founded on a Shoebox of Tobacco Cuttings
Raise your glass
In honour of matriarch Louisa Brink, the steadfast rock of the Brink-family, a new wine label was created that proudly carries her name. The Louisa Cape Blend, Louisa MCC and the Louisa Dessert wine. Bold, sparkling and sweet much like its namesake – the very essence of ‘Ouma’ Louisa is represented in these dynamic wines.
- The first vintage of the Louisa Cape Blend was released in 2012. Since then, the wine has won numerous awards, including being acknowledged as one of the ABSA Top 10 Cape Blend winners in 2016 & 2018, and was awarded double gold at the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Board in both 2018 and 2020. The blend consists of mostly Pinotage, but also comprises a selection of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Petit Verdot, or Malbec and aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels for 12 months. Subsequent to this, a final barrel selection is done and the wine blended prior to fining and bottling.
- The base wine for the Louisa Method Cap Classique, first released in 2016, originates from a Chardonnay vineyard planted in deep clay soils which bear around 8 tons/ha and are harvested around 18° Balling to enhance the natural acidity. The grapes are picked in small crates to prevent damage and are whole-bunch pressed prior to fermentation, resulting in an MCC with fresh vivacious bubbles and a hint of green apple, white peach and lemon zest. The latest 2018 edition boasts a creamy mouthfeel after 24 months on the lees.
- The cherry on the top (or is it the dessert?) is the 2019 Louisa Dessert wine, a delicious golden, sweet wine with honey and dried apricot characteristics, made from Chardonnay grapes and fortified with brandy spirits. It was awarded double gold at the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits competition in 2020. The 2021 Louisa Dessert wine will be made with Muscat de Frontignan grapes.
Other special wine labels in the Pulpit Rock portfolio include the Stories and Brink Family wine ranges. These beloved wines can be ordered directly from the cellar by sending an e-mail to info@pulpitrock.co.za or contact the cellar on 022 461 2025.
Visit the Pulpit Rock Family
Riebeek West, one of the twin villages in the beautiful Riebeek Valley, is home to Pulpit Rock Winery’s tasting room. Numerous family-owned and managed businesses, art galleries, quirky gift shops, olive producers, museums, wine and coffee shops – all waiting to be explored – can be found in the Valley. We would love to share our wines and the beauty of our region with you, therefore please do pop-in at the Pulpit Rock Tasting room to sample our range of exceptional wines. Be assured that a warm welcome awaits you.
Read more: Plan your return to the Riebeek Valley with this handy guide
