There is something special about Winter in the Klein Karoo. The crisp winter mornings, with minimum temperatures below zero, and even the first snow on the Swartberg mountain range. On the farm, we are preparing the soils for the replanting of some vineyards in August. Varieties that we shall be planting this year include Tinta Amarela, Tinta Roriz, Muscat de Frontignan and a block of Chardonnay. Our 2025 Free Run Chenin Blanc, Wild Ferment Chardonnay, Pinotage Dry Rosé and Garden Route Sauvignon Blanc have all been bottled early in June and will be released next week on the farm. 2025 was really a good year for quality wines and we are looking forward to showing you the class of 2025!
We officially launched our new port-style wine range label design in May this year. The new port-style wine label features the new De Krans logo – a hand-illustrated sketch of a buffalo with a slightly textured light beige background. Dark colours like ruby red, purple-blue, and bronze are used as colours for the port-style capsules to reflect the wine colours and the richness of the different styles. The new design is a fresh and elegant take on the classic port-style label and is a big transition from the previous white print on black labels. The goal was not only to celebrate the farm’s history, but also to make the label and in effect the wine, more approachable for the consumer – especially the younger consumer and those new to the category. We are extremely grateful with how the new label design has been received in the trade.
The De Krans Tritonia Verdelho 2023 won the Investec Trophy for the Best Niche White Wine with a score of 97 out of a possible 100. We are incredibly proud of this achievement and for being able to highlight the quality of not only port-style wines produced at De Krans but also still wines made from Portuguese grape varietals. Our 2022 Tritonia Calitzdorp (Red) Blend also got a score of 97 last year at this competition. The De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve 2020 scored 91 points out of 100 and the De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve 2015 scored 90 points, both wines selected silver winners.
De Krans also achieved excellent results at the annual 2025 National Wine Challenge. Not only did the De Krans Tritonia Calitzdorp (Red) Blend 2023 earn a spot on the Top 100 list as well as a Platinum Award, but this stellar wine was also named the Champion Best in Class in the Grand Cru National category. Also securing Top 100 and Platinum honours were the De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve 2021 and De Krans Cape Tawny NV. Double Gold was awarded to the De Krans Tritonia Verdelho 2023.
Furthermore, De Krans also earned a Wine Consistency Award in the Special Award Winners category. This distinction is one of four special awards tracked by the NWC, serving as key benchmarks that set exceptional wines apart. Each category validates essential aspects of fine wine performance, collectively forming the foundation of a reputable fine wine brand. These qualities transcend wine style, origin, and region, defining the hallmarks of recognizable fine wine status.
In the Wine Consistency Award category, the panel recognizes wines that consistently deliver top-notch performance. De Krans Wines is one of only a few wines to have secured numerous Top 100 wins in South Africa over 15 years. Notably, it’s among the top three wines with the most podium positions, showcasing its enduring excellence.
We celebrated the annual Calitzdorp Expressed Festival on 14 and 15 June, including the popular trail running event hosted by Jakhals Events. We would like to take this opportunity to thank each person who spent time with us, whether you enjoyed a wine tasting, meal at the bistro, participated in the trail run, or joined one of the cellar tours. It was a privilege getting to share our knowledge, passion and Klein Karoo hospitality with you. We are already looking forward to next year’s festival – same time, same place.
In the meantime, please save the date for the annual Calitzdorp Succulent Festival which will be taking place from 19 – 21 September 2025. This is always a special event on the Calitzdorp calendar where visitors will get the opportunity to see a variety of indigenous and rare succulents as well as enjoy a variety of activities to discover the world of succulents in the Klein Karoo. For more information, please visit the Vetplantfees website at https://www.vetplant.co.za/vetplantfees/.
Before we share our winter selection, we want to share the release of two 2025 vintages – the 2025 Garden Route Sauvignon Blanc and the 2025 Premium White Moscato Perlé. These firm favourites are not to be missed. In celebration of these two wines, we will be offering an additional 10% discount on both these wines for any orders placed by 5pm on Monday 7 July 2025.
The first wines up in our winter selection are the De Krans Premium Rosé Moscato Perlé 2024 and De Krans Premium Red Moscato Perlé 2024. These natural sweet wines are produced using Muscadel grapes, with a bit of Hanepoot as well as Pinotage grapes (only a small amount is added to the Rosé and about 15% added to the Red). The Moscato range boasts delicious red fruit flavours of berries, muscat and litchi and has a low alcohol of 9%. The Moscato range pairs well with pizza, a cheese and charcuterie platter or a mild curry or butter chicken.
The De Krans Basket Press Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 is the third pick for our winter selection. This Cabernet Sauvignon is medium-bodied and pressed using a nearly 80-year-old French basket press resulting in soft and smooth tannins, making it the perfect everyday red wine. The wine spent 12 months with oak contact and has beautiful flavours of cassis, ripe berries, plums and cherry cigars. The Basket Press Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with pasta, pizza or braaivleis.
The fourth winter selection pick is one of the Portuguese varietals, the De Krans Tinta Roriz 2021. A beautiful deep, dark red colour this red wine is full-bodied with juicy tannins, red fruit, savoury spice and an earthiness. Having spent 12 months in 5th, 6th and 7th fill oak barrels, this single varietal was first planted in the Klein Karoo at De Krans in 2008 with the first vintage released in 2010. The Tinta Roriz is definitely a food wine and pairs well with dishes like roasted lamb chops, springbok carpaccio, venison or kudu steaks.
We can’t have a winter selection without including some port-style wines. To kick us off, is the first pick, the De Krans Premium Cape Ruby port-style wine (non-vintage). A blend of between two and four years, the Cape Ruby port-style wine is a fruity, easy-drinking style of port, which not only pairs well with mild cheeses or chocolate dessert but is also great to use for cooking. The low tannins and higher sugar content makes for the perfect accompaniment to meaty dishes like potjiekos, stew, oxtail or waterblommetjiebredie. Alternatively, use it in a savoury or sweet sauce and enjoy.
Our second pick from the port-style wine range is the De Krans Cape Vintage 2021 port-style wine. This is a younger port-style wine and an accurate reflection of the quality of a specific vintage. The wine spent 12 months in tanks as well as a further 12 months in older small, 300-liter oak barrels, resulting in a beautiful red, purple colour with flavours of violets, berries, dried prunes, cocoa and spice. This port-style wine pairs best with well-matured cheese and chocolate desserts like chocolate fondant.
Our third and final port-style wine pick is the De Krans Cape Tawny Limited Release (non-vintage). Equally delicious in summer (served chilled) and winter, this aged port is usually a blend of between five and 15 years, resulting in a beautiful amber colour and delicious and unique flavours of coffee, toffee, nuts and orange peel with a crisp acidity. This port-style wine is best enjoyed on its own (in a white or red wine glass) or paired with a platter of baked cheese, drizzled honey and rosemary or desserts like malva pudding or crème brûlée.
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Two people will be the lucky winners of our Winter Giveaway where each person will receive a mixed case of our Winter Selection. To stand a chance to win, simply place an order to the value of R2000 and you could be the lucky winner. The competition will close at 5pm on Monday 7 July after which the winners will be announced . All persons over the age of 18, with a valid South African delivery address, are eligible to enter.
Order wine to a minimum value of R2000 and receive a FREE door-to-door delivery nationwide (one delivery address per order). Should your order be for less than R2000, we are happy to calculate a delivery quote based on your delivery address. We will then furnish you with a pro forma invoice with our banking details. After payment, you will receive a Tax invoice. Please note that regardless of the value of your order, we will only courier wine in multiples of 6 bottles (a full case) to minimize breakages.
