The Fishwives Club from South Africa
is a South African wine brand from Cape Town rather than a classic winery with its own vineyards. The wines use grapes from selected sites in various wine regions of the Cape. Current wine production takes place in collaboration with Theunis van Zijl of Imbuko Wines in Wellington. This allows the brand to select suitable origins and vineyards in the Western Cape for each grape variety.
The Fishwives Club was founded by Patrick James Robertson. After many years in advertising, in the early 2010s he developed the idea for a wine brand that would deliberately stand apart from the traditional design of many South African wines. The starting point was an illustration of a woman riding a fish, which later became the brand's signature motif. In 2013 Robertson began labelling the first bottles by hand and selling them at the Stellenbosch Slow Market.
From the outset, design and wine played equally central roles. The striking labels with their stylised female figures give The Fishwives Club strong visual recognition. Behind the unusual appearance, however, lies a clearly defined approach to winemaking. The wines are produced according to a flavour profile specified by the brand. This concept was originally developed in collaboration with Hermann Kirschbaum of Buitenverwachting and is now implemented by Theunis van Zijl at Imbuko.
The range includes Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinotage Rosé, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chenin Blanc is now offered as well. The wines are deliberately approachable, combining ripe fruit with freshness and clear varietal character. Different maturation methods are used depending on the wine, including carefully selected French oak and other types of wood.
The origin of The Fishwives Club wines is therefore not the same across the entire range. The Sauvignon Blanc, for example, has been produced from Constantia, one of the coolest historic wine regions near Cape Town, while the brand describes its Merlot as a Stellenbosch wine. Other grapes are selected from additional suitable areas of the Cape Winelands. Origin should therefore always be considered for the individual vintage.
The brand has also established itself internationally. The Fishwives Club exports its wines to numerous countries and specifically names Germany as one of its markets. The Sauvignon Blanc has, among other accolades, received 94 points from Decanter, while Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon have won gold medals at the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards.
The Fishwives Club thus combines South African wine with an unusually distinctive brand concept. Selecting grapes from different origins makes it possible to produce Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinotage, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from sites particularly suited to each variety. At Vin Africa you will find characterful wines from The Fishwives Club that stand apart from the traditional wine world at first glance.