"It's not often you go on holiday, and come home having bought a pallet of wine. The perils of being a wine importer can be expensive but hey, it's a filthy job, and someone has to apply themselves!" Not your average souvenir agreed, but these sensational Waverley Hills wines, well off the beaten tourist trail on this gorgeous vineyard could not be ignored! UK importer Katy Paddle of Black Dog Wine Agency tells us more... A pioneer of environmentally-friendly agriculture, the Du Toit family who own Waverley Hills have been involved in green initiatives long before it became fashionable. With the establishment of Waverley Hills and planting of vines in 2000, the enterprise became a standard-bearer in the wine industry and was quickly singled out for both exemplary farm practices and exceptional wine. Waverley has been a WWF Conservation Champion for many years. Waverley Hills is best known for producing organic and vegan friendly wines with a unique style, extremely smooth with soft ripe tannins and robust fynbos characteristic. Whitmore & White have introduced Waverley Hills to their range with the 2017 Shiraz which is a great first choice! Intensely purple, on the nose there's violets and sweet prunes rounded off by fresh red spice and subtle aromas of Cape Fynbos and rosemary on the nose. On the palate the wine has elegant tannins and a dry finish with spicy and oaky notes. A truly sublime South African Shiraz! It is available now in all four shops and online. The Estate is situated between Tulbagh and Ceres, close to Wolseley, South Africa, at the foothills of the breathtaking Witzenberg Mountain Range. The fertile, yellow clay terrain is impregnated with river stones, resulting in well-drained soils with excellent water holding capacity. All the vineyards are irrigated with pure spring water and are located on a natural watershed area. The area is renowned for its diverse fynbos (indigenous flora), giving the wines a unique herbaceous characteristic. In addition to independently audited and stringent farm practices that allow for Waverley Hills to be certified organic, a significant portion of the land is home to amongst others critically endangered Proteas and veld types, and nearly 20% of the farm has entirely been set aside for conservation. The phrase 'organic vineyard' conjures up a harmonious picture of green, trellised vines; their leaves combed by beneficial insects hunting for pests, the skies patrolled by hawks and owls looking for tasty rodents; field workers safe from toxic chemicals, and wines pure and delicious. There are ducks which eat the slugs, unfortunately the Lynx keeps eating the ducks. The answer? Buy some more ducks. Katie Paddle Black Dog New Zealand Wine Agency