WINES & SPIRITS

Warwick Estate is a family-owned and run winery. Managing Director
Michael Ratcli e is the 3rd generation family member to oversee this
high quality boutique operation. From 1771 till 1902, Warwick was
known as the farm ‘De Goede Sukses’. After the Anglo Boer war
ended in 1902, Colonel William Alexander Gordon, Commanding
O cer of the Warwickshire regiment bought the historic farm. He
renamed it ‘Warwick’ as a tribute to his regiment and the rest, as they
say, is history. Stan Ratcli e purchased Warwick on April 1964 after
an extensive search for the best ‘terroir’ in the Cape. Together with
his wife Norma, they soon realized the potential of the extraordinary
property and began planting Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet
Sauvignon vines produced high quality grapes, which were soon in
demand from neighbouring wineries. Norma became more and more
interested in the making of wine and began to study the subject.

Soon, a cellar was in place and Norma began producing her own handcrafted wines using the Warwick grapes. In 1984 the rst Warwick Cabernet Sauvignon called ‘La Femme Bleu’- the Blue Lady - was released. Norma had a natural talent for making great wines and in 1986 Warwick Trilogy was released, a Bordeaux style blend which has since become a agship of the South African Wine Industry.