Andrea Mullineux named 2016 Winemaker of The Year

Andrea Mullineux, of Mullineux and Leeu Family Wines in the Swartland, was recently named winemaker of the year by the international magazine, Wine Enthusiast.

Andrea Mullineux named 2016 Winemaker of The Year
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Mullineux will attend the annual Wine Star Awards dinner in Miami, Florida on 30 January 2017, where the winners of the various award categories will be honoured.

“I will not only be representing myself, my companies, and the Swartland, but will also be representing South Africa and the fact that we, as an industry, make some pretty amazing wines,” she said.

“This award means the world to me as I [have worked] very hard, and never compromise while in the winery. I honestly think that this award will open up people’s minds as to the level of quality wine that is made in South Africa as a whole,” she said.

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The Mullineux and Leeu Family Wines’ range includes Kloof Street, Mullineux and Single Terroir.

“Next year we will be releasing an entirely new and additional brand based in Franschhoek. It is very exciting.”

Mullineux said that farmers in the Swartland had not suffered as severely as farmers in other parts of South Africa who were affected by the drought.

“Grape vines for wine production are very hardy and require very little water in the growing season; many of the old vines in the Swartland are [farmed on] dryland.”

“Our oldest vines have never been irrigated. The best way to plant vines in the Swartland is on the contours because it slows down rain runoff and therefore gets completely absorbed into the ground, root system, and eventually to the water table. In years of drought, the vines survive, but they get more extreme in terms of smaller berries and thicker skins. It is important to manage the canopy of the vine accordingly as well,” she added.