Celebrating all that is great and good about the burgeoning South African investable fine wine industry, Savanha wines are “a taste of the South African sunshine”. Part of the ethical organisation Speir, Savanha is committed to sustainable farming, offering professional opportunities to underprivileged workers who work alongside winemaker for Savanha’s four signature appelations.

Winemaker for all Spier wines Frans Smit is reponsible for 5,400 tonnes of grapes a year. By way of thanks for his commitment to the brand - he has been with Spier for almost 20 years, in 2004 he released Frans K Smit, a blend of 30% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Pinotage, 18% Shiraz and 6% Petit Verdot. The boutique wine is sold through the Spier database and achieves high points in the low nineties, something which bodes well for the rest of Spier and Stellenbosh in general. Smit’s expertise is cascaded down through the seven brands (including two sparkling whites), making Savana one of the most intersting producers on the market today.

Of Savanha’s four wines - a Chardonnay, a Chenin Blanc, a Pinotage Rose and a Merlot, the Merlot is perhaps the best received by the secondary market. While the other three wines are relatively recent with just one or two vintages to their name, Savanha’s Merlo has a first vintage of 1998 and can fetch up to €40 a bottle at auction (by comparision, the other three are all under €10-15). It is intersting to note that while the Merot is popular in France, the other three wines have gathered a cult following overseas, notably in China.

Whether this producer deserves the title of fine wine it is too early to say. However, with Smit at the helm, we believe that marvellous things are about to happen at Savanha.