The One about the Beagles

The saying ‘a dog is a man’s best friend’ is very accurate, but this relationship gets taken up a notch if you are the dog of a winemaker. Over the years, famous winemakers and their dogs inspired me to start my search for my canine companion as a much younger winemaker. And in 2009, Mannix, my first Beagle, joined me on the farm at Glen Carlou. Mannix just loved to explore the farm and frequently came back to the cellar with a little tortoise gently in the mouth.

Unfortunately, we lost Mannix to cancer in 2017, and our rescue Beagle boy Rocky joined our then growing family. Kona, our little Beagle girl, joined us a year later and now, at the age of 11, still looks like a puppy. We celebrated Kona and Rocky’s birthday’s earlier this month with cupcakes and doggie treats.

These meaningful relationships for me as a winemaker is just one of many and ultimately form the concept of my Cluster Wine Series.

As explained on my labels, ‘Beauty is often found in the smallest things. There are plenty to cherish in a single perfect berry, but in a cluster, it can be so much more – a lovely glass of wine, a wonderful partner to a plate of food, a special celebration.

Cluster series is my way of bringing together grapes of distinction, winemaking expertise, family and friends. Cluster series defines quality, and the result is exceptional!’

Similar to our family, my Cluster Series has grown, and I now have three products in the series. There are thoughts of adding one more but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I invite you to order my Cluster Series Mix Case consisting of 2 bottles each Cluster Series Chardonnay 2019, Cluster Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 and Cluster Series Pinot Gris 2021 for R662.

From my cluster to yours, stay safe and see you next month!