The long way there
If you want the clean, romantic version of how wine gets sourced, I can give you one, but the truth is, this trip started the way a lot of real travel starts: with a long flight, a little hubris, and a very humbling reminder that no amount of luxury can protect you from the difficulties of world travel.
Mahlon had the miles, Emirates had the showers, and Dom Pérignon 2015 had us feeling like we were gliding toward something cinematic. Twelve hours in, the caviar service and I had a disagreement that escalated quickly. Let’s just say: if you ever have to have the worst moment of your life at 35,000 feet, first class is the place to do it. Fresh pajamas, a second shower, and a hard reset later, we landed in Dubai with the kind of gratitude that only comes after embarrassment has fully cooked.
Eight hours in the airport hotel. A quick layover blur. Then Cape Town.
We touched down on January 11 at 11:11 am. I made a wish. Not because I’m superstitious, but because after that start, I was ready to believe in any small sign that said: onward.
Only one question through customs and immigration: “How long will you be in South Africa?” And then we walked into the arrival hall and found Anton.
If you’ve been following our story, you know Anton is not just a friend. He’s a connector, a translator between cultures, and one of the key reasons Coordinates has been able to build real relationships with South African wine producers over the years. The last time I saw him he was in a three-piece suit and infamous shoes that literally burst into mud, back when the Coordinates origin story was still being written in real time. This time, he was relaxed in jeans and a branded polo, more “built a serious business” than “trying to look serious.”
We loaded our carry-ons into his beautiful white Audi, learned again how disorienting it feels to sit in the “wrong” seat, and pointed the car toward the Western Cape. The mission was simple.
Walk vineyards. Pull barrel samples. Taste. Confirm quality. Lock in allocations. Protect the style we love. And make decisions that will directly affect what ends up in the Coordinates Vineyards portfolio of award-winning wines.
Those decisions don’t just live in spreadsheets or barrels overseas, they show up directly in every Fredericksburg wine tasting we host back home, in the glass and in the story we get to share across the table.
Robertson: heat, vineyards, and the first wines of the trip
Two hours from the Cape’s cool winds, Robertson was pushing close to 100°F. We checked into a little Airbnb called The Black House, grateful for a plunge pool, and immediately learned another truth about wine towns: Sundays are quiet, even in paradise.
That night, our Superhost invited us to dinner. Springbok carpaccio. Ostrich steak. A succulent garden. The kind of meal that feels like a welcome back to Africa, even if you’re only a day into the trip and still adjusting your internal clock.
Then, the real work began.
Arendsig: walking the vineyards and tasting what’s next
Up early, we drove just through the mountains south of Robertson and arrived at Arendsig Vineyards in the soft morning light. Lourens, the winemaker and owner, and Marius, his COO, were already set up.
This is the part of the trip that matters most for you, especially if you’re in our wine club.
We tasted new vintages of our Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, then headed into the cellar for barrel samples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The reds were vibrant and peppery, shaped by the cool breeze that funnels through the mountain break.
Out in the vineyard, Lourens explained harvest timing and the pressures of the season.
“Harvest is about two weeks early this year,” he said, mostly due to lack of rain. They work with botrytis in the region, but nobody wants raisins.
We tasted grapes right off the vine. Chardonnay that lit up the palate with acidity and fruit. Chenin closer to the river. Decomposed shale and limestone soils forcing the vines to struggle, producing smaller berries with concentrated flavor. The kind of farming reality that you can taste later in the glass.
In South Africa, the winemakers talk about site with a directness I love. Fewer buzzwords, more truth.
This is the foundation of the whites we want in your next shipment: freshness, brightness, and that “how is this so alive?” feeling that makes our Chenin a secret weapon in Texas.
Tomorrow would be Stellenbosch and Paarl. The heart of South African wine, and the emotional center of our own story.
