THE MENTORS
OUR HISTORY
Since its launch in 2006, The Mentors range has established itself as one of the most sought-after premium brands in the South African wine landscape.
Built around a philosophy of expressing terroir and pioneering new wines and wine-making techniques, it’s a portfolio that showcases the founding philosophy of KWV, and the rich history and depth of expertise at one of South Africa’s leading wine producers.
The insights and boundary-breaking approach from this unique cellar, often home to post-graduate oenology students trialling pioneering new winemaking techniques, lead to remarkable terroir-driven wines that deserved their own spotlight.
Though the first wines were bottled in 2006, it was in 2009 that The Mentors range took flight.
OUR HOME
Situated on the outskirts of Paarl, the vast KWV production cellars are, at 24 hectares, the largest single winery in the southern hemisphere, producing upwards of 15 million litres of wine each year.
Yet hidden away beneath the sea of warehouse roofs and rows of massive fermentation tanks you’ll find a special corner of this award-winning cellar; a tiny space of small tanks and hand-labelled barrels.
This is the home of The Mentors.
OUR NAME
So, who are the mentors behind our name?
They are all the teachers, the people over the centuries of winemaking who have brought us to where we are today. All the skill and the knowledge that has been passed on from one generation to the next has resulted in what is today’s The Mentors. Our team’s visionary approach and exceptional craftmanship today is a culmination of this collective, deep understanding of terroir and winemaking.
The Mentors is about human ability. About having the insight to recognize what Mother Nature is providing in each unique vineyard, in a specific harvest, and to have the curiosity to find the best way to express its distinct qualities.
OUR RANGE
While the permanent portfolio consists of eight wines, Perold, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Orchestra, Pinotage, Canvas, Chenin Blanc and Grenache Blanc, the winemaking team has the enviable freedom of pursuing innovative new varietals and blends from every harvest.
Each year a special Limited-Edition is released, which takes its cue from the vineyards of the Cape winelands. For it is the vineyards themselves that provide the inspiration and guiding hand, the true mentorship, to the cellar. Whether they come from the wind-swept West Coast or sun-splashed Stellenbosch, the vine is the true muse for this handcrafted range of award-winning wines.
While The Mentors range is reserved for the finest in class, these Limited-Edition wines go even further by representing the outstanding excellence of small batches of premium fruit, from a particular terroir and vintage.
