Reyneke Organic Red
£15.89
£21.19 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
Only 3 bottles left
92Christian Eedes, Winemag.co.za
Want proof that organic, low-intervention winemaking can also be brilliant everyday drinking? Start here. This Stellenbosch Shiraz, with a whisper of Cabernet, is fruit-driven, peppery and beautifully balanced. Certified organic, vegan-friendly and easygoing enough for a Tuesday, it is the kind of honest, generous red you will keep reaching for. Delivered across the UK.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
Our Verdict
We rate Reyneke as the benchmark for organic wine done properly in South Africa, and this is the bottle we point people to first. It punches well above its modest price: properly peppery, genuinely balanced, and never preachy about its green credentials. Perfect for the curious drinker who wants honest, characterful wine for the table rather than the cellar. What keeps surprising us is how much depth comes from such a light-touch approach. Stock moves quietly but steadily, and we only get a little at a time, so do not dawdle if it speaks to you.
Tasting Notes
Lift the glass and red cherry leads, threaded with violets and a snap of black pepper that tells you Shiraz is in charge. Behind the fruit sits woodsmoke, blackberry and a moist tobacco-leaf note that adds savoury interest. The palate is dry and nicely structured, peppery and warmed by allspice and nutmeg, with dark fruit filling the middle. Nothing is overworked here. It is balanced, honest and immediately drinkable, finishing clean and spice-edged rather than sweet.
About This Wine
Here is a wine that quietly makes the case for doing things the old way. Reyneke is South Africa's most respected name in biodynamic and organic farming, working the Polkadraai Hills of Stellenbosch with a 'less is more' philosophy: no shortcuts, no chemical crutches, just healthy vineyards and minimal fuss in the cellar. The result is a red that tastes alive. The blend is almost all Shiraz, with a 2% splash of Cabernet Sauvignon for backbone, drawn from carefully chosen organic vineyards across the Western Cape. Expect red cherry and violet lifting out of the glass, then black pepper, dark berries and a savoury hint of tobacco and spice. The palate follows through with peppery dark fruit, a touch of nutmeg and a clean, dry finish. Only a small portion sees well-seasoned oak, which keeps everything fresh and fruit-forward rather than heavy. This is genuinely versatile food wine. Pour it with a peppered steak, a Sunday roast, a lamb braai when the British summer finally turns up, or simply a midweek bowl of tomato pasta. It is approachable now and will hold happily for a year or two more. Certified organic and vegan-friendly, it also makes a thoughtful gift for the eco-minded wine lover. We ship it to your door anywhere in the UK.
Food Pairing
This is a braai wine at heart, so reach for it when something is over coals. A peppered ribeye or grilled lamb cutlets meet that black-pepper spine head on. It is equally happy with a midweek roast chicken, a tomato-rich pasta or a board of mature Cheddar and charcuterie. The dry, savoury finish keeps everything fresh, plate after plate.
- —Peppered ribeye steak from the barbecue
- —Grilled lamb cutlets with rosemary
- —Sunday roast chicken with all the trimmings
- —Rigatoni in a slow-cooked tomato and sausage ragu
- —Mature Cheddar with charcuterie and crusty bread
How to Serve
Decanting
No need to decant for hours, but 20 to 30 minutes open or a quick splash into a jug lifts the violet and pepper aromatics and rounds off that dry, structured finish.
Behind the Wine
Grapes for this organic range are grown across the Western Cape at a slightly lower altitude, and that choice does the talking in the glass. Warm, sun-soaked days build ripe, generous fruit, while the gentler elevation and more fertile soils push the wine towards bright cherry and dark berry rather than brooding density. The result is a Shiraz-led red that stays approachable and fruit-driven, with the peppery lift the Cape does so well.
Ageing Potential
This is built for drinking now, while the red cherry and violet aromatics are at their most vivid. It will hold comfortably for another year or two in bottle, softening slightly around the edges, but there is little to gain by waiting. Pull the cork and enjoy it young.
The Land
The home estate lies in the Polkadraai Hills, a pocket of Stellenbosch known for its weathered granitic soils. The organic fruit here is grown at a slightly lower altitude, where warmer sites and more fertile soils coax out ripe, juicy fruit rather than weight, shaping a red that feels open and generous from the first sip.
The Winemaking
There is a hands-off honesty to how this is made. The fruit is sorted and destemmed, then left to ferment on wild, native yeasts in a mix of concrete tanks and open-top stainless steel, no commercial cultures hurrying things along. Only around 12% of the wine sees twelve months in well-seasoned oak, just enough to add quiet structure before the final blend is assembled and bottled. Less intervention, more character.
About the Producer
Reyneke
Reyneke is the name to know when it comes to South African biodynamics. Johan Reyneke founded the estate in the Polkadraai Hills west of Stellenbosch and set about doing things the harder way, organic certification came first, then full biodynamic status, making Reyneke the first fully biodynamic-certified wine estate in the country. Cattle and sheep graze between the rows, cover crops feed the soils, and the famous biodynamic preparations, horn manure, horn silica, go out on schedule. Cellarmaster Rudiger Gretschel has been alongside Johan for two decades, translating that vineyard philosophy into the glass. The whole approach can be summed up in three words they actually live by: less is more.