THE LASTEST ON LUBANZI WINES
25 SOUTH AFRICAN WINES TO TRY NOW - ISAAC JAMES BAKER / March 19, 2018
THESE FIVE UNDER-$20 WINES CAN TAKE THE CHILL OFF WINTER - WASHINGTON POST / January 5, 2018
MEET THE D.C. DUDES BRINGING SOUTH AFRICAN WINE INTO U.S. GLASSES - EATER DC \ November 2, 2017
SOUTH AFRICAN WINES ARE TURNING A CORNER - JAMES SUCKLING \ August 3, 2017
LUBANZI, A WINE LABEL WITH A SOCIAL CONSCIENCE - MNN \ July 24, 2017
WHY THE BEST VALUES IN WINE ARE FROM SOUTH AFRICA- FORBES \ July 6, 2017
LUBANZI - BRINGING THE WORLD CLOSER TOGETHER THROUGH WINE- STACEY BRISCOE \ June 16, 2017
“Lubanzi Chenin Blanc is a category changer. I love it." - Andrew Chalk 4/22/17
“Vibrant mineral of bright white flower...very pretty stuff with surprising depth & complexity" - Isaac James Baker 4/9/17
MORE ABOUT LUBANZI:
3/19, 2018 READING, WRITING, & WINE - 25 South African wines to try now: “Year after year I saw more and more South African wines popping up. New (to me) wine regions, exciting blends, diverse styles, delicious and unique flavors. And even the $12 wines tasted “real” in a way I struggled to find in similar wines from Australia or California."
1/5, 2018 WASHINGTON POST - These five under-$20 wines can take the chill off winter: “Lubanzi is the creation of District-based Charles Brain and Walker Brown, who trekked across part of South Africa a few years ago with a stray dog named Lubanzi. They describe their company as a sustainable enterprise; half of the profits go back to the farmers who grew the grapes."
12/18, 2017 CHARITY CHARGE - 5 social purpose gifts for holiday giving: "This social enterprise wine company, hailing from South Africa, is empowering low-income families in the region through proper access to healthcare and education."
12/7, 2017 CAPSULE CLOSET - 2017 GIFT GUIDE: GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK:"if you're looking for a way to give back or spread a little social justice with your gifting, you might check these out…"
11/28, 2017 MASHABLE - 13 awesome holiday gifts that also support impactful charities: "This socially-conscious wine company has the perfect gifts for the wine connoisseurs in your life."
11/16, 2017 TEXAS LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE - Holiday Gift Guide | Shopping For Him: "They say guys are difficult to shop for, but we think not. Check out our list—we’ve checked it twice—of must-have gifts to inspire and delight the men in your life. Happy Gifting!"
11/2, 2017 EATER DC - Meet the D.C. duo directing South African wine into U.S. Glasses: "Charles Brain and Walker Brown fell in love with the tapestry, culture, and most importantly, its vino — an obsession that’s now led to booming wine sales across the DMV."
9/20, 2017 VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY - Charlie Brain, BS’15, is co-founder of Lubanzi, a wine label with a social conscience: "Inspired while spending his junior year abroad in South Africa, Charles Brain, BS’15, became the co-founder of Cape Venture Wines. Under the label Lubanzi, Cape Venture is importing two wines with a social conscious."
8/23, 2017 NOW AND ZIN WINE - South African Wine, Red Blend: “they are working with two of the country's more noted winemakers. Trizanne Barnard and Bruce Jack were asked to be "forward-thinking, socially responsible and innovative" in making the Lubanzi wines."
8/14, 2017 CAUSE ARTIST - Meet The Social Impact Wine Company Creating Educational Programs For The Next Generation of South Africans: "Lubanzi is an innovative, socially responsible wine brand based in South Africa that strives to improve access to high— quality health and education for their farm workers."
7/20, 2017 THINGS THAT MAKE PEOPLE GO AWW - Wines that give back: “when i can support a company who actually gives back and helps others it makes me feel pretty good!"
6/16, 2017 BRISCOE BITES - Lubanzi — Bringing the World Closer Together through Wine: “Charles Brain and Walker Brown have a wine story I couldn’t pass up. So when they approached me about tasting their wines, I was more than honored to taste and share what this amazing duo has achieved — both in the wine industry and as a global movement."
LUBANZI Chenin Blanc: read it here
LUBANZI Rhone Blend: read it here
6/9, 2017 PHYLLISTINES - Artworks now charity dinner features fearsome female chefs of fortitude: “We switched to the Lubanzi Red blend..i immediately fell in love with and was lucky enough to get a bottle to take home and share."
6/4, 2017 DRINKHACKER - Review: Lubanzi 2016 Chenin Blanc and 2015 Red Blend: “The bottles alone are intriguing, stoppered not with fully driven corks but with T-style corks that can be removed (and replaced) with just a firm hand."
6/2, 2017 - BEST WINES UNDER $20 - Wines for Wandering: South Africa's Lubanzi: “The people, the history and the remote Wild Coast, Mandela’s birthplace left an indelible mark on their time there, and little did they know; their futures."
5/21, 2017 - FOODIE & THE BEAST on WTOP - // Hear about Lubanzi beginning at Minute 41:00 //
4/29, 2017 - TERROIRIST, A Daily Wine Blog - 'Wine Reviews, An International Grab Bag: “There are so many great winemakers, old vines, and exceptional wines in South Africa, and at such moderate prices. But we don’t get nearly enough of them here, so it’s awesome to see a crew with passion bringing high-quality, value-driven South African vino to the States."
4/13, 2017 - Press Release: Wine Industry Advisor -'Cape Venture Wine Co. launches Lubanzi Wines'
4/9, 2017 -COMMON -Improving the lives of workers in South Africa: “South Africa is one of the world’s largest wine producers, yet most of the consumers in the Western world are completely unaware of its existence."
3/27, 2017 - COMMON - How South Africa Inspired a New Venture : “We got really enamored with the idea of a complete and more equitable supply chain, and so we focused on delivering the resources of our business back to improving the lives of the laborers on South Africa’s wine farms."
MORE ABOUT SA WINE:
3/28, 2018 - WINEMAG - What's a fair price to pay for a bottle of SA Wine?: " over time South Africa can re-position itself as a brand, growers at the bottom of the market are likely to benefit at least as much as producers at the top."
12/5, 2017 - METRO - Now is the perfect time to visit South Africa’s Stellenbosch for good food, great wines and a slice of culture: "If you’re thinking about getting some winter sun and love wine and good food, it’s time you booked a holiday to South Africa’s Stellenbosch."
10/27, 2017 - FINANCIAL TIMES - South African Wines: Cape of Good Hopes: "A cohort of radical and cohesive young winemakers is forging a new wine identity for their country"
10/23, 2017 FOOD & WINE - The women making the South African wine scene less ' Less Pale and Male': “They’re determined, they’re strong, but more than that, they’re incredibly talented."
8/22 THE DRINKS BUSINESS - A Q&A With Bruce Jack (Lubanzi's winemaker): "Born in cape town, Bruce jack is the son of an architect father and..."
8/21, 2017 OZY - Once the poor man's pinot, this south african red is back: "cinsault fills in the cracks and gives incredible fabric, or substance, to the wine"
7/24, 2017 NEWS PRESS - The underrated wines of South Africa: "Local (florida) wine lists generally lack a variety of selections from the African nation but Gebers says things have been picking up over the last several years, in part due to a new wave of winemakers."
7/21, 2017 WINE ENTHUSIAST - Vision Beyond the Bottle in South Africa’s Wine Industry: "Meet three women that are working to break stereotypes in the wine business, and build a new legacy for South African wine—one bottle at a time."
7/6, 2017 FORBES - Why The Best Values in Wine Are From South Africa: "We should all be thrilled that wines from South Africa are starting to enjoy some serious presence on wine lists and store shelves here in the United States."
6/12, 2017 WINE SPECTATOR - 2017 Harvest Report: Despite Drought, Potential Is High for South African Wines "vintners are enthusiastic about quality, noting that the wines are rich and concentrated due to the smaller berries, while on the more elegant side stylistically, thanks to even and moderate temperatures throughout the season."
5/31, 2017 CHICAGO TRIBUNE -These bottles of Chenin Blanc will sell you on the polarizing grape: "Once an abundant yet underutilized commodity, chenin blanc is now a source of pride for the South African wine industry."
5/23, 2017 FORBES - A new generation of rebel wines from South Africa: "Do you think South Africa is a country that is good at making bulk wines, but that when it comes to quality and personality falls short? Then it's time to wake up. Now!"
5/18, 2017 THE DRINKS BUSINESS - South African Wines Stun Sommeliers in Asia: "1 in 100 sommeliers could successfully tell the difference between the South African and French wines in a flight test"
5/12, 2017 MONTREAL GAZETTE - Bill Zacharkiw: South Africa’s chenin blanc renaissance: "What do 17th-century Dutch trading ships, Protestants fleeing persecution in France and shark-infested waters have to do with wine? All three played a role in making South Africa the oldest wine-producing country outside of Europe."
5/10, 2017 THE DRINKS BUSINESS -2017 SA Harvest one of the best seen in many years: “Having spoken to many of our producers, general sentiment is that the harvest was one of the best seen in many years, specifically in terms of quality."
5/12, 2017 FORBES -We're talking about the other african wine world: "Agriculture is the most important economic driver in africa"
5/2, 2017 - VINEPAIR -The South African wine you've never heard of, but should be drinking: “Even though it's considered new world, south africa's wine tradition is over 300 years old"
4/1, 2017 - VOGUE - This Spring, skip the Chardonnay and Try Chenin Blanc Instead: “Chenin Blanc has risen the ranks of popularity around the world"
3/9, 2017 - 7 x 7 - Where to Drink South African Wine in San Francisco “Among the regional varietals, the white Chenin Blanc seems to be one of the most requested"
11/3, 2016 GRAPE COLLECTIVE - Animal Energy, South Africa's Zoo Biscuits, A New Breed of Winemaker: “Despite their insouciant nonchalance, the ten-member collective represents something quite significant in South Africa’s rapidly shifting wine scene; a youth movement responsible for some of the country’s most exciting wines."
4/5 2016 - WINE SPECTATOR - Is Chenin Blanc the Great Forgotten Grape ? “It may take South Africa, which no one previously could have imagined upstaging the likes of France, to remind us all of what we've been missing."
3/19, 2015 - SOMM CHRISTOPHE TASSAN - on up & coming wine regions: “Wines from the chenin grape for white wines and Syrah or Syrah blend for the red wines. These are wine styles to pay attention to.