L'Equinox Wines, Find Your Happy Place, Swartland, South Africa

L’Equinox is a young project created by MC Stander who, after a decade working for wineries across South Africa, decided to start his own project sourcing grapes from organic and biodynamic growers in Swartland, a region which is a lot less pretty than Stellenbosch or Franschoek but IMHO making many of South Africa’s most beautiful wines. He has always been drawn to a fresher style of winemaking, favouring lighter extractions, light skin contact on the whites, and a less-is-more approach and the mediterranean climate helps produce grapes that are perfect for this approach.

Find your happy place is a blend of two Mediterranean varieties, Grenache and Carignan, plus South Africa's own Pinotage (which is a cross between Pinot Noir and Med variety, Cinsault). Light in colour but deliciously, warmly fruity, like a great summer pudding in a glass, full of hedgerow berries. 

Try it with a traditional South African braai or a dish of Puy lentils and aubergine (there's a great recipe in Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi).