Uva Mira – elegant wines from the Helderberg Mountains
When Toby Venter, Managing Director of Porsche, Bentley and Lamborghini in South Africa, first set foot on the 127-hectare Uva Mira wine estate, his search for a wine estate ended and he bought Uva Mira in 2014. The wine estate is located in the “Golden Triangle” of Stellenbosch. The vineyards lie up to 620 meters above sea level on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountains and are just nine kilometers from False Bay. A dream location – not only because of the breathtaking view – because the vines benefit from the cool sea breezes, the granite soils and the higher altitude, which gives the wines their elegant style. The name “Uva Mira” also reflects the special location of the vineyard. In Latin, “Uva” means “grape”, while “Mira” can be translated as “wonderful” or “marvelous”. Derrick Weedon, grandson of founders Desmond and Denise Weedon, gave his grandparents' farm this name in 1994. The first vines were planted a year later and the first wines were sold in 2004.
Uva Mira: sustainability plays an important role
Wonderful and exceptional wines are produced from the wonderful grapes, which are characterized by their elegance, minerality and longevity. The cool sea breezes slow down the ripening process of the grapes, and the average annual rainfall on Uva Mira is higher than in the rest of Stellenbosch – ideal conditions for the vines. In harmony with nature, wines are created that capture their unique location in the glass. Sustainability not only plays an important role in wine production, but is also visible throughout the winery: there are boxes for owls and bats, perches for birds of prey and beehives. Sometimes lynxes or porcupines roam the vineyards at dusk.
Uva Mira – the ideal place for Cabernet Franc
Of the 127 hectares of land, only 27 hectares are under vines. In addition to Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are planted. The focus is on Chardonnay for the white grape varieties and Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc for the red grape varieties. “There are very few places in the world that do really well with Cabernet Franc and we know that the Helderberg is one of them,” says winemaker Christiaan Coetzee, ”Cabernet Franc has to be planted in the right place and under the right conditions. But when you have that, it is capable of producing a truly refined, world-class wine.” All of Uva Mira's wines are world-class. “The Mira” collection creates a bond with the double star Mira, which can also be seen on the label. The “Icon Collection” is only produced in limited quantities. However, elegance is the unifying factor of all Uva Mira wines – visitors to the winery can see this for themselves in the tasting room and enjoy a nice glass of wine with a magnificent view of Table Mountain.