Our Reserve Range truly embodies our winery’s deep dedication to quality and craftsmanship.
With their delectable flavours and aromas reflecting the perfect ripeness of the grapes, these wines capture the essence of our winemaking philosophy, Taste What’s Possible.
Indeed, they tell the story of both our passion and our heritage in every sip.
Join us as we explore our winery’s history, our meticulous winemaking process, and the qualities that make our Reserve Range wines so exceptional.
The bridge on our farm was commissioned by our founder, Oupa Alvi, to provide easier access to our farm. It is also the inspiration behind our winery’s name.
“To me, the most satisfying part of crafting our Reserve wines is seeing how much people enjoy them. We're so grateful for the support from everyone who loves these wines and appreciates the endless energy and passion we pour into making them. They truly are our babies." - Alvi van der Merwe
The Story Behind Our Bridge
The labels on our Reserve Range bottles feature an illustration of Alvi’s Drift, the low-water bridge over the Breede River that runs through our family farm.
This bridge, commissioned by our founder Albertus Viljoen “Oupa Alvi” van der Merwe in 1930, not only allows easier access to our farm, it also symbolises our winery’s journey over decades, from dream to reality.
Oupa Alvi’s son Bertie started wine production on our farm, and today his grandson, Albertus Viljoen “Alvi” van der Merwe III, continues the family legacy.
After many years practising medicine abroad, Alvi returned to the family farm in 2002 to pursue his life-long dream of crafting remarkable, award-winning South African wines that are today celebrated by wine lovers around the globe.
“The process for making our Reserve range wines differs from our other ranges. These wines showcase our best, with a focus on quality and complexity. Vineyard selection, tasting to ensure grapes are harvested at optimal ripeness, careful ageing in various types of wood, and finally, more tasting and selective blending all play crucial roles." - Riaan Marais, Alvi’s Drift Cellar Master
From Ideal Conditions To Exceptional Wines
Nestled in mountains in the southernmost reaches of the fertile Breede River valley, our winery is situated in the picturesque wine ward of Scherpenheuvel.
“We have sandy soils from the ancient riverbanks, granite, shale, red Karoo soils, even black slate. On the southern slopes across the river, you’ll find the hard, red calcareous soil, also known as dorbank, that the Breede River Valley is so famous for.” - Junel van der Merwe, Alvi’s Drift Brand Ambassador
At Alvi’s Drift, an ideal Mediterranean microclimate, diverse soils, and our life-giving river ensure that our farm’s vineyards are perfectly positioned to produce remarkable wines that can proudly stand alongside the best in the world.
Our Reserve range showcases the best of our harvest, blending our trademark fresh, primary-fruit style with the opulent barrel-fermented style of our Albertus Viljoen Icon range.
“When it comes to our Reserve wines, it's teamwork and tasting all the way to the bottle,” says Riaan Marais, Alvi’s Drift winemaker and cellar master. “Our work is to ensure that only the best is always pushed forward. As a team, we’re looking for concentration of flavour, mouthfeel and just an incredible overall experience with every sip.”
From Vineyard to Cellar: The Journey of Our Reserve Range Wines
It all begins with optimally ripe grapes, hand-picked from our vineyards in the cool, early morning hours. Once delivered to our cellar, these grapes are whole-bunch pressed, after which wild yeast fermentation often commences in stainless steel tanks.
For many of our Reserve range wines, a portion of the grape juice completes fermentation in the tank, while the balance finishes fermenting in oak barrels. This combination of tank and barrel fermentation enhances the wines’ fresh fruit characters, adding exquisite complexity.
“Crafting our Reserve range wines, we’re essentially combining two winemaking styles,” says Alvi.
“You take fruit and ferment it, which is the usual method of making wine, and this fermentation is typically done in cement. When it comes to fermenting wine in barrels, there are various ways of toasting the wood, and also different types of wood to be used, like acacia, or French oak, to name just two. All these factors contribute to a tremendous complexity in the wine. Vanilla and toast flavours introduce depth and much nuance. When these flavours are well integrated, the result can be truly magnificent.”
Explore Our Reserve Range Wines
“The complexity we achieve with our Reserve CVC blend brings us so much joy. This is definitely one of our family’s favourite wines to drink at home. I love all our Reserve range wines, but if one stands out to me, it's our CVC.” - Alvi van der Merwe
Alvi’s Drift Reserve CVC
Pale straw-coloured with intense aromas of peach, passionfruit, and stewed quince, this medium-bodied white blend offers citrus and floral notes, a creamy palate, and soft tannins.
With its lingering tropical fruit finish, this popular, multi-award-winning white blend is simply a delight from start to finish, with each grape variety (Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, and Viognier) vinified separately to showcase the unique character of each varietal.
“I made our first Reserve CVC in 2008,” says Alvi. “This wine is a blend of excellent Chenin Blanc, Viognier, and Chardonnay, all aged in barrels. Each wine has its own characteristics and complexity, using different types of wood, including acacia, new wood, and slightly older wood in some instances.”
After a year of maturation, wines from each barrel are carefully selected to create this remarkable white blend.
“The CVC is just an amazing wine that pairs well with so many types of food,” says Riaan. “It features the floral notes of Chenin, the spiciness of Viognier, and the creaminess of Chardonnay. I love stronger foods, and this wine can complement them all – from Thai curries to Tandoori chicken, or even a salty biltong and blue cheese salad.”
Our Reserve CVC also pairs perfectly with vegetarian dishes, seafood, curries or chicken.
Alvi’s Drift Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
With lime green edges hinting at freshness, this wine boasts delicate notes of white peach mingling with subtle lemon, evoking a sun-drenched garden in bloom. On the palate, it offers a rich creaminess with succulent peach balanced by a bright lemon acidity.
Hand-harvested from our prime selected Sauvignon Blanc vineyards, these grapes are picked in the cool, misty early morning hours, ensuring stable sugar levels and superb concentration of flavour and aromas.
This exceptional white wine is initially fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks before being transferred to oak barrels for six to seven months of maturation.
Our Reserve Sauvignon Blanc will pair excellently with grilled seafood, salads, and fresh white cheeses and is best served between 8-10 ˚C.
Alvi’s Drift Reserve Chardonnay
Pale, leaf-gold in colour with a lime green edge, this Chardonnay boasts aromas of lemon curd, vanilla intertwined with buttery tropical notes of pineapple, and melon. Elegant and creamy on the palate, the wine’s fruit follows through with a delectably lingering lemon-cream aftertaste.
The grapes that go into this wine are hand-picked in the cool early morning hours, after which grapes are pressed, with preference given to free-run juice. An exception to the other Reserve range white wines, this wooded Chardonnay is 100% barrel fermented in French oak, lending a beautiful complexity.
Our Reserve Chardonnay will complement any seafood bisque, brie on a French baguette, roast pork with applesauce, or butter chicken. Serve this wine between 10-12 ˚C.
“Our Reserve Drift Fusion is so popular because it is a great wine at a great price. The many awards this Cape blend has won over the years, including a Grand Cru National Champion Best in Class at the 2023 NWC SA Top 100 Wine Awards, just goes to prove this point.” - Riaan Marais, Alvi’s Drift Cellar Master
Alvi’s Drift Reserve Drift Fusion
This sumptuous, complex Cape blend offers intense aromas of ripe blackberry, cherry, and plum, beautifully integrated with vanilla, spice, and cashew nut characters. The wine is well-balanced with a firm tannin structure and a lingering, fruit-driven finish.
A true Cape blend led by Pinotage and backed by Cabernet Sauvignon, each variety is vinified separately to showcase specific characters. The wine is then matured for 12 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels.
Our Reserve Drift Fusion pairs excellently with roast steak, duck dishes, and strong-flavoured cheeses like Pecorino, Roquefort, or mature cheddar.
Alvi’s Drift Reserve Muscat Nectarinia
This delectable natural dessert wine boasts a velvety mouthfeel with a lift of zesty freshness and a sweetness that is beautifully balanced by its energising acidity.
The wine’s luminous amber hue reflects the perfect ripeness of the grapes – and five years spent developing in French oak barrels.
Offering intense aromas of raisin, fig, and honey with notes of dried yellow peach, enveloped in hints of mixed spice, this remarkable wine pairs well with most desserts, cakes, tarts, and a variety of cheeses.
Reserve Muscat Nectarinia Awards & Honours
In 2024, this internationally acclaimed wine received 97 Points / 5 Stars from Platter’s Wine Guide. In 2023, it was awarded Double Platinum at the NWC & SA Top 100 Awards. Additionally, it garnered Double Gold at both the 2023 LUMO Awards and the 2023 Veritas Awards.
It was further honoured with Great Gold at the 2023 International Wine & Spirits Awards Spain as well as Great Gold in the 2023 Catavinum World Wine & Spirits Competition in Spain.
Our Reserve Muscat Nectarinia is best served between 5-8 ˚C.
“A floral, complex wine with notes of apricot, coriander, and a huge mouthfeel, it is aged in barrels like all our Reserve wines. This is just a superb wine. It scored 95 out of 100, Double Gold, in a recent international wine competition.” - Alvi van der Merwe
Coming Soon: Alvi’s Drift Reserve Viognier
The latest addition to our Reserve range, our radiant pale-gold Reserve Viognier boasts an enticing bouquet of ripe peach, juicy apricot, and tropical mango and pineapple.
Notes of toasted coriander and vanilla, with hints of floral perfume and oak add complexity to this fruit-forward, aromatic wine, resulting in a well-balanced, rounded mouthfeel and a lingering finish.
“We've been making Viognier in barrels for quite some time, using it in our Reserve CVC white blend,” says Alvi. “It's been such an impressive wine that I've wanted to bottle it on its own for a long time. We were waiting for both the market and our winery to be ready, and I am just so excited about the possibilities for this wine.”
Join Our Wine Club & Be Among the First to Taste Our Reserve Viognier
Our Reserve Viognier will be made available to the public in very limited quantities later in 2024.
However, if you join our wine club, you’ll be among the select few to sample this remarkable wine now, before it is offered to the public.
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