Silwervis Cinsault 2016

Self confessed wine geek Ryan Mostert (like all true news stories, check his Instagram for the evidence) is making some of the most interesting wines in South Africa today. He grew up in Zimbabwe, in a family surrounded by agriculture. A visit to Switzerland and a chance meeting with a fine wine buyer in 2006, resulted in him pursuing a wine making and cellar master’s diploma in Nizza Monferrato, Piemonte.

After two years drinking his way through Italy, Ryan visited South Africa with his fiancé and fell in love with the Cape. In 2009 they made the move with little more than a few backpacks. After a further year studying at Stellenbosch University, Ryan was offered an internship at Reyneke (at one point the only certified biodynamic wineries in South Africa) where he learnt about biodynamics and organic winemaking and, importantly, working with his two favourite varieties: Chenin Blanc and Syrah. He and his partner, Samantha, have now branched out on their own and are producing incredible wines from Swartland, maximising the range of growing conditions as well as deploying a plethora of winemaking techniques to create wines with huge personality.