The Sadie Family
Encyclopedia
The Sadie Family is a South African
producer of wine
located in the Swartland
region. Following the emergence of flagship wines Columella and Palladius, winemaker Eben Sadie has been described as an enfant terrible, South Africa's first certified celebrity winemaker, and by supporters as "one of the greatest and most original winemakers in the southern hemisphere".
Prior to his career as a winemaker, following a period as a surfer
, Eben Sadie travelled and worked in several of the world's wine regions, including Germany
, Austria
, Italy
, Oregon
and Burgundy
. Having returned to South Africa, Sadie found work under Charles Back at The Spice Route in 1998, eventually becoming the chief winemaker and a resource Back described as "national asset for the South African wine industry".
The solo venture The Sadie Family was founded in 1999. The initial vintage of Columella in 2000 began on an exceptionally small scale, with a production 17 barrels, approximately 5000 bottles. The first two vintages were produced at Back's Spice Route facilities until Sadie established Sadie Family Wines with R
9000, and 14 barrels. The company consists of three employees, in addition to Eben Sadie, his brother and sister. The initial vintage of the Palladius was in 2002 with a production of seven barrels, just under 2000 bottles.
The Sadie Family has enjoyed success beyond any other modern South African wine producer as Columella is the most highly rated South African wine, and the only to achieve a 95 point rating by US wine magazine Wine Spectator
. In defense of Columella's high retail price per bottle, Sadie states the wine is unusually costly to make.
Sadie also runs a vineyard in the Priorat
region of Spain
named Terroir Al Limit, founded in 2001, in collaboration with Dominik A. Huber. The additional northern hemisphere activity allows Sadie to work two vintages per year.
The Sadie Family has also since 2003 produced the label Sequillo Cellars in partnership with Cornel Spies, to some degree considered The Sadie Family's more affordable second wine
s.
from various terroir
s located in the Voor-Paardeberg ward of the inland Paarl
district, in total 43 hectares (106.3 acre) covering 48 separate parcels. Biodynamically
produced, the grape yield
average is extremely low, 1.2 pounds per vine
. Vineyard pests are controlled using a seaweed spray. After grapes are hand-sorted, stored in open wooden vats, twice daily trampled for a month, and then moved by buckets to a traditional basket press. Instead of using pumps to move the wine into barrels, gravity is applied.
For the flagship wine Columella, there is a blend of Syrah and Mourvèdre from eight different vineyard sites, and for Palladius there is blended Chenin Blanc
, Grenache Blanc
, Roussanne
, Marsanne, Viognier
, Clairette
and Chardonnay
. There is also produced a bush-vine white varietal
from Chenin Blanc named Mrs Kirsten's Old Vines.
From Sequillo Cellars, there are produced the Sequillo Red and Sequillo White. The red consists of Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache
, and the white is composed from Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Roussanne.
The three wines produced by Sadie's Priorat label Terroir Al Limit are named Dits del Terra, Vi de Poble, and L'Arbossar, all blends of Garnacha
and Cariñena
.
South African wine
South African wine has a history dating back to 1659, and at one time Constantia was considered one of the greatest wines in the world. Access to international markets has unleashed a burst of new energy and new investment. Production is concentrated around Cape Town, with major vineyard and...
producer of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
located in the Swartland
Swartland
The Swartland begins some 50 kilometres north of Cape Town and consists of the regions between the towns of Malmesbury in the south, Darling in the west, Piketberg in the north and the Riebeek West and Riebeek Kasteel in the east...
region. Following the emergence of flagship wines Columella and Palladius, winemaker Eben Sadie has been described as an enfant terrible, South Africa's first certified celebrity winemaker, and by supporters as "one of the greatest and most original winemakers in the southern hemisphere".
Prior to his career as a winemaker, following a period as a surfer
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
, Eben Sadie travelled and worked in several of the world's wine regions, including Germany
German wine
German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Roman era. Approximately 60 percent of the German wine production is situated in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where 6 of the 13 regions ...
, Austria
Austrian wine
Austrian wines are mostly dry white wines with some luscious dessert wines made around the Neusiedler See. About 30% of the wines are red, made from Blaufränkisch , Pinot Noir and locally bred varieties such as Zweigelt...
, Italy
Italian wine
Italian wine is wine produced in Italy, a country which is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Italy is the world's largest wine producer, responsible for approximately one-fifth of world wine production in 2005. Italian wine is exported largely around the world and has...
, Oregon
Oregon wine
The state of Oregon in the United States has established an international reputation for its production of wine. Oregon has several different growing regions within the state's borders which are well-suited to the cultivation of grapes; additional regions straddle the border between Oregon and the...
and Burgundy
Burgundy wine
Burgundy wine is wine made in the Burgundy region in eastern France, in the valleys and slopes west of the Saône River, a tributary of the Rhône. The most famous wines produced here - those commonly referred to as "Burgundies" - are red wines made from Pinot Noir grapes or white wines made from...
. Having returned to South Africa, Sadie found work under Charles Back at The Spice Route in 1998, eventually becoming the chief winemaker and a resource Back described as "national asset for the South African wine industry".
The solo venture The Sadie Family was founded in 1999. The initial vintage of Columella in 2000 began on an exceptionally small scale, with a production 17 barrels, approximately 5000 bottles. The first two vintages were produced at Back's Spice Route facilities until Sadie established Sadie Family Wines with R
South African rand
The rand is the currency of South Africa. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand , the ridge upon which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c"...
9000, and 14 barrels. The company consists of three employees, in addition to Eben Sadie, his brother and sister. The initial vintage of the Palladius was in 2002 with a production of seven barrels, just under 2000 bottles.
The Sadie Family has enjoyed success beyond any other modern South African wine producer as Columella is the most highly rated South African wine, and the only to achieve a 95 point rating by US wine magazine Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator is a lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertainment pieces...
. In defense of Columella's high retail price per bottle, Sadie states the wine is unusually costly to make.
Sadie also runs a vineyard in the Priorat
Priorat (DOQ)
Priorat is a Spanish Denominación de Origen Calificada for wines produced in the Priorat county to the south-west of Catalonia...
region of Spain
Spanish wine
Spanish wines are wines produced in the southwestern European country of Spain. Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has over 2.9 million acres planted—making it the most widely planted wine producing nation but it is the third largest producer of wine in the world, the largest...
named Terroir Al Limit, founded in 2001, in collaboration with Dominik A. Huber. The additional northern hemisphere activity allows Sadie to work two vintages per year.
The Sadie Family has also since 2003 produced the label Sequillo Cellars in partnership with Cornel Spies, to some degree considered The Sadie Family's more affordable second wine
Second wine
Second wine is a term commonly associated with Bordeaux wine to refer to a second label wine made from cuvee not selected for use in the Grand vin or first label...
s.
Production
Sadie sources Syrah and MourvèdreMourvèdre
Mourvèdre , Mataró or Monastrell is wine grape variety used to make both strong, dark red wines and rosés. It is an international variety grown in many regions around the world....
from various terroir
Terroir
Terroir comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties...
s located in the Voor-Paardeberg ward of the inland Paarl
Paarl
Paarl is a town with 191,013 inhabitants in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its the third oldest European settlement in the Republic of South Africa and the largest town in the Cape Winelands. Due to the growth of the Mbekweni township, it is now a de facto urban unit with Wellington...
district, in total 43 hectares (106.3 acre) covering 48 separate parcels. Biodynamically
Biodynamic wine
Biodynamic wines are wines made using the principles of biodynamic agriculture. Biodynamic refers to both the agricultural methods and the handling and processing of the fruit post-harvest.-Biodynamic viticulture:...
produced, the grape yield
Yield (wine)
In viticulture, the yield is a measure of the amount of grapes or wine that is produced per unit surface of vineyard, and is therefore a type of crop yield...
average is extremely low, 1.2 pounds per vine
Vitis
Vitis is a genus of about 60 species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce...
. Vineyard pests are controlled using a seaweed spray. After grapes are hand-sorted, stored in open wooden vats, twice daily trampled for a month, and then moved by buckets to a traditional basket press. Instead of using pumps to move the wine into barrels, gravity is applied.
For the flagship wine Columella, there is a blend of Syrah and Mourvèdre from eight different vineyard sites, and for Palladius there is blended Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc
Chenin blanc , is a white wine grape variety from the Loire valley of France. Its high acidity means it can be used to make everything from sparkling wines to well-balanced dessert wines, although it can produce very bland, neutral wines if the vine's natural vigor is not controlled...
, Grenache Blanc
Grenache Blanc
Grenache blanc is a variety of white wine grape that is related to the red grape Grenache. It is mostly found in Rhône wine blends and in northeast Spain. Its wines are characterized by high alcohol and low acidity, with citrus and or herbaceous notes. Its vigor can lead to overproduction and...
, Roussanne
Roussanne
Roussanne is a white wine grape grown originally in the Rhône wine region in France, where it is often blended with Marsanne. It is the only other white variety, besides Marsanne, allowed in the northern Rhône appellations of Crozes-Hermitage AOC, Hermitage AOC and Saint-Joseph AOC...
, Marsanne, Viognier
Viognier
Viognier is a white wine grape. It is the only permitted grape for the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone valley.-History:The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown. Viognier is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia and then brought to Rhône by the Romans. One legend...
, Clairette
Clairette
-People:*Clairette , a French-Canadian actress and singer-Wines:*Clairette de Die AOC, a French sparkling wine appellation*Clairette blanche, a white grape variety* Clairette Ronde, synonym for the grape variety Trebbiano...
and Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
. There is also produced a bush-vine white varietal
Varietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
from Chenin Blanc named Mrs Kirsten's Old Vines.
From Sequillo Cellars, there are produced the Sequillo Red and Sequillo White. The red consists of Syrah, Mourvedre and Grenache
Grenache
Grenache is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, the south of France, and California's San Joaquin Valley. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with a relatively...
, and the white is composed from Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Roussanne.
The three wines produced by Sadie's Priorat label Terroir Al Limit are named Dits del Terra, Vi de Poble, and L'Arbossar, all blends of Garnacha
Grenache
Grenache is one of the most widely planted red wine grape varieties in the world. It ripens late, so it needs hot, dry conditions such as those found in Spain, the south of France, and California's San Joaquin Valley. It is generally spicy, berry-flavored and soft on the palate with a relatively...
and Cariñena
Carignane
Carignan is a red wine grape that may have originated in Cariñena, Aragon and was later transplanted to Sardinia, elsewhere in Italy, France, Algeria, and much of the New World. Along with Aramon, it was once considered one of the main grapes responsible for France's wine lake. In California, the...
.