Monis, the Cape’s oldest house of fortified wines, is the legacy of Roberto Moni, an immigrant from Tuscany who began making his own range of wines in a cellar in Paarl in 1906. His enterprise proved so successful that he soon changed the name to Monis Wineries. Decades later, in 1966, the well-known brand was sold to the company that is now known as Distell, signalling the birth of a new era for Monis fortified wines.

Steeped in tradition, Monis enjoys an unsurpassed reputation for the quality of its fortified wines today, winning a string of highly-prized awards at home and abroad over the years. Since joining Monis in Paarl in 1979, renowned cellar master Dirkie Christowitz has spent three decades mastering the art of making authentic port, sherry and muscadel through meticulous craftsmanship and traditional winemaking skills.

Monis Vintage Port
This seamless blend of Touriga Naçional, Sousão and Tinta Roriz was sourced mostly from vineyards in the Calitzdorp area of the Little Karoo – a region associated with some of South Africa’s finest ports – and matured for five years in 500-litre old French oak barrels. The cellar master describes it as: ‘A wine with finesse and great elegance in style, with the same amazing ageing potential as all of our ports.’

He adds, ‘We made it in the authentic Portuguese style. We used only Portuguese grape varieties – and matured the wine for 12 months in large oak barrels. We wanted to preserve the wonderful cherry, chocolate and rich berry fruit of the Touriga Naçional grapes, in an elegant, easy-drinking port in the Monis style.’

July/August 2010 Issue

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