Located in the beautiful Paarl-Simonsberg region northwest of Capetown, one of South Africa’s oldest wine-producing regions, Vilafonté’s wines come from a 100-acre estate that was planted in 1998 and 1999 as the first American-South African joint venture. The gravelly, ancient soils of the Simonsberg Mountain foothills produce bold reds in a climate that’s just a bit warmer than that of Bordeaux. The sunny, north-facing slopes of the Vilafonté estate allow for consistent ripening of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.

Vilafonté is a joint venture between South African Mike Ratcliffe, the managing director of Warwick Estates, one of South Africa’s premier wineries, and two Americans, Zelma Long and Phil Freese. Veteran winemaker Zelma Long was one of the first women to study oenology and winemaking at U.C. Davis. After cutting her teeth at Robert Mondavi Winery, Long went on to become one of America’s top winemaking consultants. Phil Freese’s expertise is in the vineyard. He also worked at Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa Valley and has consulted with many top wineries in California and South Africa.