“Secretary Bird” is an excellent example of South Africa’s great-value wines.
While inspecting the vineyards in the Western Cape, winemaker Robin Naylor spotted a secretary bird walking among the vines, and he spontaneously decided to name the wine after it.
The fruit for this Shiraz comes mainly from Swartland. While other crops are grown on the richer soils down on the valley floor, the vineyards take over at the foot of the picturesque small mountains that rise steeply above the valley, where the soils are granite-rich and low in nutrients. Shiraz is a grape that thrives under these rugged conditions.
Vinification took place in stainless steel tanks, with a small proportion of whole clusters included in the maceration. A focus on pump-overs during fermentation provided the wine with just the right amount of oxygen, making it already rounded and easy to drink.
Secretary Bird Shiraz shows a deep colour and offers aromas of dark fruit—blackberries and blueberries—along with a lightly spicy note. On the palate, the dark berry fruit dominates, delivering generous body and excellent value for money.
Serve at 15–18°C, ideally alongside everyday home-cooking dishes.
