WINEry
Uva Mira means "The Wonderful Grape". Uva Mira Mountain Vineyards is located in Stellenbosch on the slopes of the Helderberg mountain range adjacent to the Helderberg nature reserve. Uva Mira uses nature to make artisanal wines by hand of the highest quality in the world. The vision is to combine traditional winemaking practices with the latest innovations in technology to define modern wines of an international standard with the ultimate respect for the resources. The 30ha estate features a highly focused wine collection: Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Shiraz, as well as a red Bordeaux-style blend. But it’s not surprising to find Uva Mira’s focus on Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, cultivars that in the past decade have progressed naturally to the top of Stellenbosch’s offering in terms of quality and recognition. Amongst those recognitions is the election of the Chardonnay 2017amongst the Decanter list of “Wines of the Year 2020”
WINE MAKER
Owner Toby Venter bought Uva Mira in 2014. Not long after, Christiaan Coetzee joined the estate as winemaker. He is a graduate of Elsenburg Agricultural College and he began his winemaking career in the world of bubbly, working harvests at Graham Beck and in Champagne, France. Upon his return to South Africa he made wines at KWV, including for the award-winning range the Mentors. He joined Uva Mira just in time for the 2014 harvest. “You are in nature, and nature is wine,” says Christiaan.
“The vision of people like Toby Venter has given youngish winemakers like myself the opportunity to be involved in extreme, focused and committed projects in this ever-changing landscape of South African wine.”