With the unprecedented situation facing us across the world, at Painted Wolf Wines we are taking inspiration from our mantra “Remarkably persistent, persistently remarkable”, as we focus on keeping our business alive while doing everything we can to help flatten the curve. The success of a pack of painted wolves relies on a strong sense of community, cooperation and the ability to work together and in particular take care of the sick and injured. How wonderful to see these traits being mirrored by the human race as we pull together to combat the crisis sweeping through our neighbourhoods.
With a very successful 2019 behind us and a promising 2020 vintage now in the cellar, we started the year in a strong position and are extremely proud of the support we have been able to give to painted wolf conservation thus far. Our main concern now is to ensure that we are able to continue this work. We have taken the difficult decision to temporarily close our tasting room in Paarl, but our pack is still working hard behind the scenes in preparation for getting back to business as soon as it is safe to do so. In the meantime, here is a roundup of what we have been up to so far this year.
As harvest time comes to an end we are really excited by the quality of the grapes. From wonderfully healthy Pinotage from the Breede River Valley to juicy Mourvedre from Kasteelsig and concentrated old vine Chenin Blanc from Wellington (pictured), Jeremy and Jacquin have been racing from pillar to post turning these grapes into Painted Wolf deliciousness. As is always the way, the winemaking process (and power cuts!) have thrown us some curve balls, but the 2020 vintage is coming along very nicely.

Adventures of an Alpha Female
Emma spent the past couple of months on an extended visit to the UK and Russia, and managed to return to our shores with Savannah in the nick of time. Here are some notes from her travels:
It was a whirlwind few days in the UK before heading for Moscow. Iย landed in London on the same day asย myย daughterย Savannah arrived from the Netherlands and we headed to the Royal Geographical Society for a CCFA eventย that evening.
Michael Charton presentedย โMy Fatherโs Coatโ,ย his exploration into South African historyย toldย in an extremely engagingย manner, with Painted Wolf Pinotage poured during the interval. ย About 600 tickets were soldย with many of theย movers and shakers in the conservation world attending.

The following evening we attended the ATTA networking event in the Hand and Flower pub in Hammersmith. The evening was sponsored by the Victoria Falls Hotelย where our Den Chenin Blanc is sold by the glass. We have been invited to do a tasting at the hotel๐.ย PWW partner with ATTA’s events in SA and we hopeย to do more work with them in the UK.
I was also able to present our wines at theย North South Winesย portfolioย tastingย in London andย Savannah went on to represent us in Manchester and Bristol.
On arrival in Moscow I was greeted byย minus ten degrees andย the first snow of theirย winter (unusuallyย late), and fortunately a warm welcome byย Alexย who represents PWW in Russia! The five-day showย was a great opportunity to follow up on meetings with importers held during my last visit in September. Trade visitors includingย sommeliers,ย bar andย restaurantย ownersย could be directed to our retailer in Moscow, โWine Mafiaโ, raisingย manyย a smile.ย A first for me was dinner at Cafรฉ Pushkin with vodka in between each course, accompaniedย by cranberry juice.

Back in the UK, I was thrilled to visit and conduct staff training at Chester Zoo where no fewer than eight of our wines are now listed in the gastropub. The zooย is home to someย incredibly healthy wild dogs (picturedย below), with substantial extended space for them behind the scenes. Set up as an Non Profit Organisation, Chester Zoo channels all profits, including from food and beverage, into improving the zoo or working with projects in the field.ย

Johannesburg News
Up in Gauteng, Amanda attended the launch of the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s fabulous new Conservation Campus in Midrand. As well as being a new home for the EWT, the six-hectare property, which features a protected wetland, is a refuge for countless species of indigenous flora and fauna.
The Painted Wolf Winesย tasting tableย was thoroughly enjoyed by guests at the event andย Amanda took the chance to catchย up with Grant Beverley,ย Derek van der Merwe and Cole Du Plessis, who work on the frontlines ofย African wild dog conservation throughout southern Africa.ย ย It was also a wonderful opportunity toย meet many other EWT staff who travelledย to Gauteng for the event.ย We wish the EWT all the best in their new home and are incredibly privileged to be associated with such a dynamic organisation.ย We salute the wonderful work they do for wildlife and peopleย alike.

Amanda also attendedย a small event at The Pantry in Dainfern Square Shopping Centre hosted by our friends from the Tour de Tuli mountain bike adventure.ย Planning is well underway for the 2020 event:ย early bird entries have closed but you can still get a great deal on this adventure of a lifetime.ย Visit their websiteย for more information.ย Once again, our winemaker Jeremy Borg will be taking part in the event andย as in previous years, we will be donating all the wine for riders to purchase (every Rand raised goes towards the important work of Children in the Wilderness).
And finally…the SA consulate in Los Angeles looks like a nice posting if you can get it – look at their official wine stash! ๐๐ฅณ๐บ๐พ
As we den down for a while, we would like to thank you for your support and to wish you all the very best as we navigate our way through this critical period.