A fantastic winery from South Africa's Walker Bay region. Newton Johnson are seen as producing some of the liveliest Pinot Noir and Grenache-dominant wines in the coastal regions of South Africa. You have to try their sweet wine too - utterly delicious!

Chenin Blanc is a versatile white grape varietal that is producing a wide range of white wines all around the world. Historically, and where it is planted most, is in the Loire Valley of northern France. Here it is famous in Anjou-Saumur particularly in Vouvray, where it is usually found as a sparkling or dry white wine.

A wine-producing area in the Breede River Valley region of the Western Cape 160km east of Cape Town. Robertson is one of South Africa's better known wine-producing areas and is associated with the production of rich, fruit-driven red and white wines made most often from Chardonnay and Shiraz varieties.

The area covers the land directly surrounding the town of Robertson, from the ward of Eilandia in the west to Bonnievale in the east. It is separated from the semi-arid Klein Karoo region in the north by the Langeberg Mountains. The Breede River meanders through the region, and many of Robertson's scattered vineyards sit along its tributaries, as well as on the foothills of the mountains.

The dry, hot climate in Robertson is optimal for the production of premium grapes. Annual rainfall is a scant 400mm, and the river is used often for irrigation. However, south-easterly breezes from the Indian Ocean 90km away have a cooling effect on the vineyards and bring moisture to the area. 

The distinctive medley of soil types gives wine farms in Robertson plenty of options when it comes to site selection. Rich, alluvial soils in the river valley are perfect for the production of red wine, while red, gravelly soils reminiscent of the nearby Karoo desert are well suited to white-wine varieties. Chardonnay grapes thrive on the pockets of limestone soil found throughout Robertson. 

Robertson is known locally as the "valley of wine and roses". Farmers began to graze sheep in the area in the 18th Century, eventually leading to the establishment of a town in 1852. From the 19th Century, it has been home to ostrich farming and racehorse stud farms as well as vineyards and wine cellars.