As Americans, we celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks and freedom, but also with reflection. Today, as we gather around tables and toast to independence, we honor not only our own history — but the spirit of courage wherever it’s found.
That’s why we’re proud to release our Coordinates Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc from Walker Bay. A wine from the wind-swept cliffs of South Africa that tells a story as bold and enduring as any in our own national memory.
Get tickets to our July 5th Release Party here.
Because just beyond those coastal vineyards, in waters now patrolled by breaching southern right whales, the world first learned what it meant to stand fast for others.
⚓ The Birthplace of “Women and Children First”
On February 26, 1852, just before dawn, the HMS Birkenhead, one of the first iron-hulled British troopships, struck an uncharted rock off the southern Cape coast near Danger Point. It was carrying reinforcements for the Eighth Frontier War, a brutal colonial conflict in the Eastern Cape.
With over 600 people aboard and too few lifeboats, the situation could have devolved into chaos as it did on the French SS La Bourgogne in 1898. Instead, under the command of Captain Salmond and their officers, the soldiers stood fast—not only out of discipline, but to ensure that the boats carrying women and children would not be swamped by desperate swimmers.
Of the 638 souls on board, only 193 survived. Every woman and child was saved.
Their silent sacrifice became known as the Birkenhead Drill—the first recorded instance of “women and children first.” It set a maritime precedent still honored today.
Rudyard Kipling captured their sacrifice in his poem, “Soldier an’ Sailor Too”:
Soldier an’ Sailor Too – By Rudyard Kipling
To take your chance in the thick of a rush, with firing all about,
Is nothing so bad when you’ve cover to ’and, an’ leave an’ likin’ to shout;
But to stand an’ be still to the Birken’ead drill is a damn tough bullet to chew,
An’ they done it, the Jollies—’Er Majesty’s Jollies—soldier an’ sailor too!
Their work was done when it ’adn’t begun; they was younger nor me an’ you;
Their choice it was plain between drownin’ in ’eaps an’ bein’ mopped by the screw,
So they stood an’ was still to the Birken’ead drill, soldier an’ sailor too!
We’re most of us liars, we’re ’arf of us thieves, an’ the rest are as rank as can be,
But once in a while we can finish in style (which I ’ope it won’t ’appen to me).
But it’s worth it to stand by an’ look at the ’and of a man that is goin’ to die
What’ll do his duty as fur as he see it, without any ’askin’ why.
To stand an’ be still to the Birken’ead drill is a damn tough bullet to chew,
An’ they done it, the Jollies—’Er Majesty’s Jollies—soldier an’ sailor too!
🐋 Where the Whales Remember
Today, Walker Bay is best known for its wines—and its whales. Each year, southern right whales return to the same coastline where the Birkenhead sank. Locals say the whales breach to honor the men who stood fast. It’s not hard to believe.
And from that same soil, cooled by ocean winds and kissed by salt spray, grows a Sauvignon Blanc that tastes like courage in a glass.
Tasting Notes: Walker Bay Sauvignon Blanc
Our Walker Bay Sauvignon Blanc is a cool-climate white wine grown on decomposed granite and limestone overlooking the South Atlantic. It’s shaped by the same wind that whipped the Birkenhead’s sails, and the same salt air that still draws whales to the bay.
Flavor Profile:
• Crisp and dry, with piercing acidity
• Notes of gooseberry, passion fruit, grapefruit and sea spray
• Underpinned by oyster shell minerality and a subtle herbal edge
• Lean, focused, and elegant—perfect for summer seafood, grilled vegetables, or sipping solo on a hot day
Pairing tip: It shines next to oysters, ceviche, grilled shrimp, and fresh goat cheese.
Alcohol: 12%
Serving Temp: 45–50°F
Region: Walker Bay, South Africa
Available Now at Coordinates Vineyards
A Toast to Stillness, Sacrifice, and Summer
So today, as it literally rains on our parades, let us remember that courage is not always loud. Sometimes, it is silent. Sometimes, it stands fast.
Birkenhead Walker Bay Estate stands just miles from where the HMS Birkenhead went down, and the family behind the estate—locals with deep roots in the Stanford region—chose the name to honor the legacy of quiet bravery that shaped their coast, their culture, and now, their wine.
Crafted with care and clarity by their winemaker Anneke, this Walker Bay Sauvignon Blanc carries the character of that coastline: salted, still, and strong.
Let us toast the coast where the whales breach and the vines cling to the cliffs. Let us toast the soldiers and sailors who stood in silence. And let us toast, with pride and purpose, the spirit of standing fast when it matters most.
To courage. To character. To Coordinates.
Happy Fourth of July from all of us at Coordinates Vineyards.
July 5th Sauvignon Blanc Release Party – Tickets and Info
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