Vin Vilafonte

Vilafonte is the first American and South African joint wine-making venture within the global wine community. The name, Vilafonte, derives from the primary soil type of the estate, whose character forms the foundation of the wines.This ground-breaking red wine project is a partnership between a well respected group of 'quality driven' wine specialists from South Africa and the United States Mike Ratcliffe (Managing Director, and also MD of Warwick Wine Estates), Zelma Long (one of America’s best known winemakers) and viticulturalist Dr. Phil Freese (who designed and planted the first Opus One vineyards in Napa Valley) are just three of the nine names involved in the project, all of whom believe in, “an unwavering commitment to excellence”. The estate covers 42 hectares with 12 hectares planted in 1998 and 1999 with Bordeaux grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.In 2011 Vilafonte Series C was announced as a five-star wine in Platter’s South African Wine Guide. This is the highest accolade in the South African wine industry and Vilafonte Series C is the only south african Bordeaux blend awarded with this honour.