NO SULPHITES OR PRESERVATIVES ADDED’ WINE MADE USING ROOIBOS WOOD.

Audacia Wines of Stellenbosch, has recently announced that they are set to launch a world first – a unique ‘No Sulphates or Preservatives Added’ red wine created using indigenous Aspalathus linearis (Rooibos) and Cyclopia genistoides (Honeybush) wood. What? Yes apparently their wood is unique in that it contains high levels of antioxidants, no caffeine and low tannin levels, making it ideal for use in wine making – as both preservative and means of flavoring wine. Great news for red wine drinkers is that the wine, is going to be a fabulous red, (a merlot from the farm’s 2013 harvest) and it will be the first of an exciting range to be made according to this method – the technology used is exclusive to Audacia, which also owns the patent. (Hopefully they will consider a chardonnay made from green tea and I will be an absolute heaven).

If you are like me (extremely allergic to sulphur) more good news to follow; Audacia wine maker Michael van Niekerk, who has been instrumental in pioneering this new process, says: “We regard this as the launch of a totally new and unique category of wine. It allows people who are allergic to sulphur dioxide (SO2), or other preservatives often used in wine making, to enjoy a glass of wine without the normal side effects associated therewith.”

And what does it taste like; “intense aromas with a bouquet of sweet cherries, roses, Turkish delight and fynbos. The palate is elegant with a balanced tannin structure. The wine’s predominant flavors are also reminiscent of fynbos and spices, and it exhibits a pleasant, sweet red berry finish.”
The wine will be sold online, via our website, as well as from our tasting room and will set you back about R180 per bottle.

I have not as yet tasted it personally but wouldn’t mind giving it a bash!