Ernie Els Wines

An elegant and smooth swing the golf pro Ernie Els has always had - now velvety Bordeaux-style wines from his winery in Stellenbosch join in.

Ernie Els Wines

The wines have not yet made it into the Hall of Fame like their namesake, but it will hardly take too long. The Cabernet Sauvignon from Ernie Els Wines in particular is extremely popular among wine connoisseurs. 

The winery Ernie Els Wines

The relatively young winery was founded by golfer Ernie Els and his longtime friend Jean Engelbrecht, son of South African rugby star Jannie Engelbrecht, in 1999. The first wines began to make a splash in 2005. The focus of Ernie Els Wines is clearly on Cabernet Sauvignon, with other grape varieties expanding the portfolio:

• Merlot
• Syrah
• Chenin blanc
• Mouvèdre
• Grenache
• Viognier
• Malbec
• Cinsault
• Petit Verdot

Ernie Els Wines

The Ernie Els Wines estate produces characterful single-varietal wines as well as harmonious cuvées. Representative of the proprietor is the award-winning Proprietor's Blend, a blend of six grape varieties from the Helderberg vineyards. The often red wines from Stellenbosch, South Africa, like to bear names that refer to the imposing career of the namesake. Ernie Els is of stately stature and yet radiated an unparalleled lightness and composure on the green - the Big Easy line of wines lives up to his nickname. The friendly sunny climate and multi-layered soils give winemaking legend Louis Strydom and Head of Viticulture Leander Koekemoer ideal conditions for a whole range of top wines from South Africa. Whether smooth Bordeaux-style reds, crisp whites or vibrant rosés, the lush Stellenbosch wine region makes it all possible.

From the vineyard to the cellar 

The potential, of the north-facing slopes of the Helderberg, has been transferred to perfection by Strydom and Koekemoer into the Ernie Els wines. Much of the soil shows granite interspersed with layers of clay - ideal for powerful but elegant red wine varietals. Fruit and full-bodiedness spring from the numerous hours of sunshine under which the vines thrive at up to 270 meters above sea level. This is the realm of Leander Koekemoer, who cultivates and nurtures the vines year after year in the best possible way, so that the high standards set by the Ernie Els Wines estate are already reflected in the grapes. In the cellar, the grapes are then combined with the latest cellar technology under the watchful eye of Louis Strydom to produce premium wine. With a common goal, perfect growing conditions and gentle extraction techniques in the cellar combine to produce the full-bodied Ernie Els wines that have cemented the winery's steep rise over the years.