Aslina Wines by Ntsiki Biyela
Aslina Wines is the own wine brand of Ntsiki Biyela, who made history as South Africa's first Black female winemaker. The winery's headquarters and current tasting room are located in Devonbosch on Bottelary Road in Stellenbosch. Aslina is not a traditional estate with exclusively its own vineyards. The grapes are sourced from carefully selected sites in the Western Cape, meaning the origin can vary depending on the wine.
Ntsiki Biyela grew up in Mahlabathini in KwaZulu-Natal and came to Stellenbosch in 1999 on a scholarship to study viticulture and oenology. After graduating in 2003, she began working as a winemaker at Stellekaya in 2004, becoming South Africa's first black female winemaker. This step had significance beyond her own career, as the South African wine industry had until then been strongly dominated by white men. Biyela developed her own style at Stellekaya over many years, also gaining experience during harvests in Bordeaux and Tuscany, and was named Woman Winemaker of the Year in 2009.
The path to Aslina began through a collaboration with Californian winemaker Helen Keplinger as part of the Wine for the World project. From this experience, Biyela developed her own brand, which was officially founded in 2016. The name Aslina commemorates her grandmother, an important figure and source of inspiration in her life. The label also reflects her origins, depicting a calabash, a traditional drinking vessel from southern Africa, linked with grapes in the Aslina design.
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the estate's most important red wines. Aslina also produces the blend Umsasane from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. In Zulu, the name Umsasane refers to an umbrella-shaped tree that offers shelter and protection. Umsasane was also the nickname of Ntsiki Biyela's grandmother. The blend therefore connects the brand's personal history directly with its wine.
Among the white wines, Aslina works with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. The Chenin Blanc is particularly distinctive, with a portion of the grapes fermented after extended skin contact. This adds structure and fine tannins, complemented by aromas that Aslina itself describes as honeybush tea and yellow pear. The 2022 Chenin Blanc carried the Simonsberg Stellenbosch origin, while the Sauvignon Blanc from the same vintage was labelled Wine of Origin Western Cape. This shows that Aslina selects the origin to suit each individual wine.
The range now also includes Méthode Cap Classique and the newer Ndubs line with rosé, white and red blends. Despite the broader selection, Ntsiki Biyela's personal signature remains a central part of the brand. She works with different grape varieties and origins without turning them into a single estate concept. Instead, the grape variety, the idea behind the wine and the selected origin remain the focus.
Aslina therefore combines modern South African wine culture with an unusual personal story. Cabernet Sauvignon and Umsasane reflect Ntsiki Biyela's preference for structured red wines, while Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc show another side of the range. At Vin Africa, Aslina is presented as an independent South African wine brand whose wines bring together origin, personality and the cultural roots of its founder.