Saga Vineyards is the latest project by Reenen Borman and his pals Fritz Schoon and Henk Kotze of Patatsfontein. Saga currently houses four wines under two labels (Patatsfontein and Sons of Sugarland). The story goes something like this: Halfway between here and nowhere, you’ll turn left into a vineyard that doesn’t look like anything special. Most of the time it isn’t. But sometimes it is. Saga Vineyards is born from these remarkable sites, often in unexpected places, growing fascinating wines that represent not just stories, but epic tales of adventure, persistence and survival.

Following in dad Jacques’ footsteps was always going to be a challenge, but Reenen Borman (also of Boschkloof) has made it look easy, in part by creating his own path. Along with Henk and Fritz, Saga Vineyards allows these friends to focus on what they believe is important, and things that aren’t important at all. Fritz is a break maker, businessman, and busy man. Nobody knows what he’s doing back there, but it probably includes family, baking or wine. In 2011, Henk and Fritz opened Hawk & Schoon, a boutique wine store, above Fritz’s bakery in Stellenbosch. It has seen a number of iterations, but in many ways this provided the first home for what is now Saga Vineyards; a way to explore a shared passion for wine, stories, and adventure.

As for the wines… the labels will change to reflect the next chapter in the saga, but the winemaking certainly won’t. Sons of Sugarland Syrah is, at its heart, about authenticity. The focus here is on vineyards that make wine in its most genuine form; raw, real and honest, to express the “true character” of the grape. For these guys, that means whole bunch fermentation, and aging in concrete. Nothing else. Rather than silky and polished, the wine is pure and expressive.