From Cellar to Table: An Italian with a South African Twist

What do you do when you want to make a great Italian red wine but live in South Africa? Look for the best spot in the Cape and plant the vines yourself! That is exactly what we did here at Steenberg more than fifteen years ago, when we pioneered the Italian cultivar Nebbiolo, choosing the perfect spot on the mountainside for the varietal to thrive.

Uncommon in South Africa, Nebbiolo, (known as Nebieul in Piedmontese) is a red Italian grape which originates from the Piedmont region, where it makes the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco. So sacred is the grape in Italy that the penalties for cutting down a Nebbiolo vine once ranged from a heavy fine to having the right hand cut off or even hanging for repeat offenders.