Sons of Sugarland is a partnership project between Fritz Schooon, Henk Kotze and acclaimed winemaker Reenen Borman. Reenen is known for his exceptional Syrahs under the Sons of Sugarland label and family farm Boschkloof. This Barbera is a new addition to the range and has already created quite the following, “because, every wine Reenen makes must be good”, says Corlien. That’s the epitome of a great winemaker, when people trust that every wine you put in a bottle can be bought blindly and will reward generously.

Barbera is a red Italian grape variety, of which there are few in South Africa. To see a winemaker like Reenen also working with this variety now, is truly exciting. The variety typically produces wines with good colour and depth, but low tannins and high acidity. That sounds just about perfect for a South African summer red. The trick is in harvesting early enough to not have jammy fruit, but also not too early with too much acidity.