Craig Hawkins

Craig Hawkins and his wife Carla live in the mountainous region of Paardeberg north of Cape Town. The estate was founded in 2008 with 10 ha of rented vines, while Craig continued to glean as much knowledge as possible from such winemakers as Eben Sabie (star of South African wine) and Thomas Lubbe of Domaine Matassa, himself a South African. Then, in 2014 the Hawkins purchased 8 ha of vines. Craig would decide to use almost completely “natural” methods, cultivating his vines organically and biodynamically, while always leaving room for nature to flourish all around. In the winery: no chicanery or oenological additives are used. Just a pinch of sulphur at bottling (like so many others do) which allows him to safely export his wines around the world. Craig offers two ranges of wines: the El Bandito line for his most structured wines, and Baby Bandito for his more thirst-quenching wines focused on freshness. Sound good? Then it’s time for a taste!