"All About Individuality" defines Radford Dale. Balancing a pursuit of innovation with a deep respect for tradition, they create refined, expressive wines rooted in Elgin and Stellenbosch. Their holistic ethos embraces nature, people and place - and they are never afraid to do things differently.
Founder
Alex Dale
"All About Individuality" defines Radford Dale. Founder Alex Dale arrived in South Africa from Burgundy in 1994, bringing a deep understanding of French wine tradition, but an equally strong belief in South Africa's ability to forge its own identity in the new South Africa. Since co-founding Radford Dale in 1998, that balance of classical expertise, independent thinking and distinctly South African expression has shaped the wines to become a benchmark of its own.
People are at the core of Radford Dale with a strong female team, international expertise and impactful upliftment in the communities they work in. Winemaker Petroné Thomas leads a talented cellar team, working with a light touch and a holistic philosophy that connects vineyard, cellar, people and place. Organic and regenerative farming, minimal-intervention winemaking and a willingness to challenge convention result in wines defined by freshness, elegance and individuality.
Being a co-founder of the Certified Organic Wines of South Africa, sustainability has an encompassed meaning for them that runs much deeper than just farming. Radford Dale's Sustainability Charter encompasses environmental responsibility, ethical employment and traceable social impact such as the Land of Hope Education Trust which directs 50% of profit from its namesake range towards education for employees and their dependants.
Their wines are proudly site-driven, unmanipulated and balanced - because they believe that South African wines should reflect their natural environment, vintage and distinct terroirs. Made using natural yeast fermentations, low or no adjustments, minimal usage of new oak resulting in restrained alcohols and healthy natural acidities, both hallmarks of elegant and refreshing wines, with balance the ultimate purpose.
From their long-standing focus on Chenin Blanc to exploring Gamay's impressive potential in Stellenbosch and Elgin, Radford Dale continues to push South African wine forward with passion, contagious energy and undeniable South African spirit.
“We don't just work hard growing grapes and turning them into wine. We also work hard to care for the land and the people involved in the process.”
Alex Dale
Attributes
Elgin
Radford Dale WebsiteSpotlight - Future Farming
Elgin: A New Chapter
Set between Stellenbosch and Hermanus, Elgin is South Africa's coolest wine-growing region shaped by altitude, cold Atlantic influence and a long, slow growing season. Its distinctive climate and soils create ideal conditions for wines of freshness, precision and finesse.
Radford Dale's 50 acre Organic Estate is a long-term exploration of that potential. Through organic and regenerative farming, minimal-intervention winemaking and an evolving vineyard program, their expert team is working tirelessly to understand the site more deeply and let its character lead. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Semillon are joined by South Africa's first certified-organic Gamay pioneered by them, pointing to an exciting future for this remarkable cool-climate terroir.
The Wines
Where they sit on the Cape
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