At Alvi’s Drift, we’re exceedingly proud of each and every one of our wines. Our head winemaker, Alvi van der Merwe, said it best when he stated “Our wines are like our children. It’s impossible to pick one over the other.”
Yet, we’d hate for you to miss out on any of our internationally acclaimed wines – not to mention incredible value! This is why we simply had to tell you more about three (four, if you include our soon-to-be-launched Reserve Viognier) superb Alvi’s Drift wines.
Read our blog to learn more about the Alvi’s Drift wines to watch out for in 2024.
Alvi’s Drift Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
“I was never crazy about Sauvignon Blanc because of the raspy acidity, but I tasted a barrel-fermented Bordeaux white blend in France. I was really impressed, so we started making our Sauvignon Blanc using the same principles. We add a little bit of Sémillon for complexity, then age the wine in acacia, which brings subtle, fresh hints of elderflower.” – Alvi van der Merwe
Situated in the cooler southern reaches of the Western Cape’s fertile Breede River Valley, our third-generation winery is perfectly positioned to produce Sauvignon Blanc wines of exceptional quality.
Once you’ve sampled our multi-award-winning Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, we’re sure you’ll agree!
A Gold Medal at the 2023 Concours Mondial Du Sauvignon
Our 2022 vintage Reserve Sauvignon Blanc boasts multi-layered aromas of lime, blossom, and white peach, with just a hint of passionfruit on the nose. Lively acids mingle with fruit on the silky palate, following through with a gentle creaminess that leads to a lingering peach-and-lime finish.
This star-bright wine was honoured with no less than eight awards throughout 2023, including Double Platinum at the NWC / Top 100 SA Wine Awards, Gold at the Concours Mondial Du Sauvignon, and Gold at the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirit Awards!
“If you pick Sauvignon Blanc grapes green, you’ll get methoxypyrazines – grassy, greenpepper-y flavours. If you harvest it riper, you get ripe fig and passionfruit, even spanspek. For this wine, we use a combination of green and ripe grapes.” – Alvi van der Merwe
In 2024, our Reserve Sauvignon Blanc was awarded 90 Points (4.5 stars) by renowned UK wine expert John Platter in his Platter’s South African Wine Guide.
Other 2023 honours for this remarkable wine include Gold at the Catavinum World Wine & Spirits Competition, Gold at the International Wine & Spirit Awards, and Gold at the LUMO Awards.
Perfect Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Pairings
Served between 10-12 °C, our Reserve Sauvignon Blanc makes an ideal accompaniment to grilled seafood and salads. It can also be enjoyed with fresh white cheeses, such as creamy goats’ milk (chèvre).
This remarkable Sauvignon Blanc can be enjoyed immediately or matured for up to eight years.
Discover Our Award-Winning South African Wines
Visit our online shop to learn more about our Reserve Sauvignon Blanc or explore our wide range of internationally acclaimed, award-winning wines.
Alvi’s Drift Signature Viognier
With one of the biggest Viognier plantations in South Africa, our winery has become synonymous with South African Viognier wine.
A lesser-known white varietal in our country, Viognier’s vinification process is known to require a high level of skill and expertise on the part of the winemaker. One taste of our multi-award-winning Signature Viognier should assure white wine aficionados that our winemaking team are indeed experts at conjuring superb wines from this interesting varietal.
“As with all grapes, you have to harvest this varietal at absolute optimal ripeness. Even if it’s a wonderful vintage, if you pick grapes too early, it will affect the wine’s quality. Picking grapes overripe is also not ideal. Timing is so important.” – Alvi van der Merwe
Intense Aromas of Apricot, Stewed Apple and Peach
With a medium body and well-rounded mouthfeel, our Signature Viognier has been called “a white wine for red wine lovers.”
This delectable wine offers refreshing acidity, intense forthcoming aromas of apricot, peach, and stewed apple, with floral hints and notes of spice. A medium-bodied palate and well-balanced structure mean this wine’s weight perfectly complements its intense, deliciously lingering fruit flavours.
Alvi’s Drift: Biggest Producer of South African Viognier
Widely recognised as one of our country’s top Viognier producers, at Alvi’s Drift we are rightly incredibly proud of our much-awarded Viognier wine.
Our 2021 vintage Signature Viognier was crowned overall winner in SA’s 2022 Viognier Challenge and, in 2021, this wine was awarded Grand Gold by the South African Wine Index (SAWIS).
To date, our 2022 Signature Viognier has been honoured with no less than seven prestigious wine awards, among them Grand Gold Certificates of Excellence from the South African Wine Index (SAWIS) for three years in a row (2021-2023).
Other honours for our 2022 Signature Viognier include Gold in the 2022 LUMO Awards, Double Gold in the 2022 Ultra Wine Challenge and Gold in the 2022 Catavinum World Wine & Spirits Competition Spain.
Perfect Signature Viognier Pairings
Enjoy this medium-bodied, fruit-driven wine with spicy foods, such as Thai green curry or Indian fare. It will also complement roast pork, chicken, smoked salmon or snoek pâté, creamy pasta dishes or quiche Lorraine.
International Viognier Day 2024
Celebrated by Viognier producers and enthusiasts all around the globe, International Viognier Day aims to draw wine lovers’ attention to this magnificent white varietal that was first cultivated centuries ago in France’s Rhône Valley.
This year, International Viognier Day falls on Friday, 26 April.
Soon to Be Launched: Alvi’s Drift Reserve Viognier
“Our Reserve Viognier is just incredible on the palate. I’m so excited about this new Alvi’s Drift release!” – Alvi van der Merwe
Viognier enthusiasts are in for a treat, as our winery will be releasing another Viognier wine later in 2024.
This complex, textured Viognier wine will form part of our Reserve range, and we cannot wait to find out what Viognier aficionados think of it!
Discover Our Signature Viognier – and More Award-Winning Alvi’s Drift Wines
Have you sampled our award-winning Signature Viognier yet? Visit our online shop to order yours and get it delivered right to your door.
Alvi’s Drift Reserve Drift Fusion
Our multi-award-winning Reserve Drift Fusion is one of our wine farm’s most popular wines, and it takes just one sip to understand why.
“This is a really big wine for our winery. It’s just so popular among the people who love our wines. As a Cape Blend, our Reserve Drift Fusion is predominantly Pinotage-driven, so you have those floral flavours coming through.” – Riaan Marais, Alvi’s Drift Cellar Master
A true Cape blend, led by Pinotage and backed by Cabernet Sauvignon, this internationally acclaimed red blend is indeed a fusion of old and new. Not just of cultivars and styles of wine, but also of winemaking techniques, as each variety that goes into this delectable red blend is vinified separately in our cellar.
Our winemaking team selected this approach to showcase the specific characteristics of each grape cultivar in this superb, much-awarded red wine.
“Knowing what you have to work with in your vineyards is essential when it comes to creating wine blends,” says Alvi’s Drift’s cellar master, Riaan Marais. “You need to know where to find the characters, fragrances, and tannins you want. As a winemaker, Alvi is extremely particular. He knows exactly what he’s looking for.”
Luscious Ripe Fruit with Notes of Blackberry and Plum
Intense and complex, our Reserve Drift Fusion consists mainly of Pinotage, then Cabernet Sauvignon, with some Grenache, Petit Verdot and a small amount of Durif.
The wine offers intricate aromas of luscious ripe fruit on the nose, with notes of blackberry, cherry, and plum. Lingering hints of tobacco and spice add depth, resulting in a memorable, well-balanced wine with a full-rounded mouthfeel, soft tannins, and a lingering, fruit-driven finish.
“It’s quite a soft wine. We use predominantly American oak for maturation, which adds more candy floss aromas and sweet enhancers to this wine.” – Riaan Marais
2023 Grand Cru National Champion Best in Class Winner
Our winery’s Reserve Drift Fusion’s 2021 vintage has garnered numerous awards, with 2023 marking an exceptional year of recognition for this much-loved red blend.
Top accolades include the coveted title of Grand Cru National Champion Best in Class and Double Platinum at the 2023 NWC / Top 100 SA Wine Awards.
Our 2021 Reserve Drift Fusion was further awarded Gold at the 2023 Catavinum World Wine & Spirits Competition Spain, Gold at the 2023 International Wine & Spirits Awards in Spain, Gold at the 2023 LUMO Awards, and Gold at the 2023 Veritas Awards.
Crafting Our Reserve Drift Fusion
One aspect that adds to the singularity of our Reserve Drift Fusion is that each grape variety that goes into this red blend follows a unique path through our cellar.
In some cases, the juice enjoys pumping-over and open-tank fermentation, while other varieties enjoy partial tank fermentation, completing fermentation in-barrel.
Once fermented, the wine is matured for 12 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels, of which approximately 33% are new. Thereafter, wines from individual barrels are carefully selected to make up the final blend.
Perfect Reserve Drift Fusion Pairings
This versatile red wine pairs exceptionally well with richer dishes such as roast steak or duck, and also splendidly complements stronger cheeses like Roquefort, mature cheddar or Pecorino. Our Reserve Drift Fusion can be enjoyed immediately or matured for at least eight years.
Order Alvi’s Drift Reserve Drift Fusion Online
Learn more about our Reserve Drift Fusion red blend, or visit our online shop to order yours today!
