Yes, Lovely Creatures is a nod to the eponymous album by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, but it is also an homage to the often-overlooked critters that make up the ecosystem of a vineyard. From regal praying mantises to butterflies and bees, these animals help to bring a distinctive balance to their liana-speckled habitats.

Like these little creatures, these wines are unassuming and yet so lovely. They are made by Stephanie Wiid of Thistle & Weed, and though these are school night wines, they are still marked by her trademark intensity and elegant finish. In 2024, Stephanie Wiid was named Tim Atkin MW’s Young Winemaker of the Year, a prestigious award that lends further credence to the Lovely Creatures pedigree.

The line is currently made up of three single-variety wines: Chardonnay, Pinotage (the newest addition in 2024), and Cabernet Sauvignon, which all come from Stellenbosch but are labelled as ‘Western Cape’ for international recognizability. The clay-driven granitic soils of the sites at the base of the Simonsberg Mountain provide texture and power to the wines, and aging in stainless-steel (Chardonnay and Pinotage) and used oak (Cab and small portion of Pinotage) allow for varietal typicity to shine. Drinkability is the over-arching motif. Since its US market launch in 2021, Lovely Creatures has generated lots of chatter thanks to the its approachability and reasonable price point. Lovely Creatures is a South African benchmark for responsibly crafted, affordable wines with a clear terroir link.