Ken Forrester Renegade

Without the efforts of men like Ken Forrestern Chenin Blanc might be scarcely more than a footnote to the country's recent winemaking history, a workhorse grape responsible for vast amounts of forgettably bland white wine.

But this Zambia-born former restaurateur saw beyond the grape's obvious quaffability, placing it firmly at the centre of his resurrection of the historic Scholtzenhof farm on the slopes of Stellenbosch's Helderberg mountain in the early 1990s.

Twenty years on, Ken is known as Mr Chenin' and wines such as The FMC have elevated South African Chenin to classic status, but the Scholtzenhof renaissance is about more than the ugly duckling transformation of an underrated varietal.

The Helderberg vineyards, Ken discovered, also contained what were at the time the only plantings of Grenache in Stellenbosch, dating from 1953 and helping to create what was in 1996 a unique South African blend of Shiraz and Grenache, and which now finds expression in wines such as The Renegade and The Gypsy.

When not revolutionising the South African wine industry, Ken remains a staunch family man, also surrounded by a veritable menagerie of several dogs, horses, stable cats, geese, owls and guineafowl. And he hasn't entirely left his restaurant days behind, Ken part-owns renowned nearby restaurant 96 Winery Road with his brother Allan (also restaurant manager), winemaker Martin Meinert and chef Natasha Wray.

Vineyards

Duplex soils, fine sandy loam on a clay base 8 tons per hectare, trellised vineyard.

Vinification

Fermented in open tanks with gentle extraction by pumping over and then pressed and racked into second and third fill French oak barrels for 12 months. This adds complexity and structure to the soft natural tannins. 5 % New American Oak.

Tasting Notes

An elegant and exotic blend of spicy Shiraz and earthy, rustic Grenache, with nutmeg and cherry and a lovely black olive finish.

Serve with roasts, duck and full flavoured Mediterranean dishes as well as lamb or grilled meat and vegetables.