Mother Sippy: Durbanville Hills Collectors Reserve

Welcome to Mother Sippy, where we shine a light on the talented winemakers, brewers, distillers and mixologists that make sure the Mother City never goes thirsty! From new wine releases to taprooms pouring perfect pints, Mother Sippy is your guide to all that’s good and great in Cape Town’s world of drinks.

You know we love a list here at Time Out Cape Town. The 22 Best Hotels. The 45 Best Things to Do.  50 Best Restaurants. You get the idea.

And since launching the Durbanville Hills’ Collectors Reserve in 2018, this award-winning Cape cellar has been giving us a run for our money with their pick of the seven most recognisable icons in Cape Town.  

It all forms the heart of Durbanville Hills’ Collectors Reserve, their premium collection of single varietal wines. Single varietal? That just means it’s made from a single, specific type of grape – say, Shiraz, or Chenin Blanc – rather than a blend of different grapes.

And from the grapes in the glass to the labels on the bottle, this is a collection of wines that leans heavily into a sense of place, with each of the seven single-varietal wines pegged to a Mother City landmark.

There’s The Cape Mist Sauvignon Blanc, The Cape Garden Chenin Blanc, The Cableway Chardonnay, The Lighthouse Merlot, The Promenade Pinotage, The Castle of Good Hope Cabernet Sauvignon and The High Noon Shiraz. And on the label you’ll find eye-catching labels by Cape Town artist Theo Paul Vorster, whose hand-coloured linocuts bring each icon to life.

While the Durbanville Hills’ range gives a broad read on what the valley and cellar has to offer, the ‘Collectors Reserve’ zooms in to offer a closer look at site and terroir. Together with the cellar’s flagship Tangram blends (the only blends in the stable) there’s a thread of cool-climate elegance throughout the wines in the cellar, says cellarmaster Pieter-Niel Rossouw.  

Durbanville sits a short hop from the Atlantic, and you can certainly feel that ocean influence in the glass. If you’ve ever dared to take a dip in the seas off Blouberg, you’ll understand how the south-wester can bring icy-cold air to the Durbanville vineyards in the heat of harvest season, right when the grapes need to chill out. Earlier in the growing season, it’s the south-easter that keeps things cool.

Those conditions are especially apparent in The Cape Mist Sauvignon Blanc. Durbanville is known for its Sauvvies, and this one is a standout worth seeking out.

Named for the sea mist that creeps up from Table Bay, this is textbook cool-climate Sauvignon: grapefruit on the nose, tropical notes, citrus zest and a faint saline snap. It’s layered enough to pour with pan-seared trout, fresh goats’ cheese or a spring-veg pasta, but you’ll be perfectly happy with a chilled glass on the stoep. This one bagged Michelangelo Gold Medal in 2024

The Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay are equally beguiling, says Rossouw.

“Chenin Blanc is doing so well at the moment, and it’s a white variety that can bring us so many different dimensions; it’s like a chameleon. And the same with Chardonnay: in the Robertson Valley, where it’s more chalky soils, the wines are more buttery, rounder. But with us, we’ve got granite-derived soils, a little bit more slate, so a little bit higher acidity. It’s fresh, more citrus.”

Prefer reds?

The Promenade Pinotage is a Sea Point sunset walk in a bottle. Satin-smooth tannins, it leans into red fruit (like the sunset) and a whisper of cocoa and spice on the finish.

“The Pinotage in the valley is much more Pinot-driven; it’s not those big, bold, tannic wines like Stellenbosch,” says Rossouw. “So each wine’s got its own personality. We try to work with nature, not against it.”

Then there’s The Castle of Good Hope Cabernet Sauvignon. It may feature a fortress on the label, but it’s all finesse in the glass. Think classic Cab flavours of cassis, dark plum, and mocha, supported by firm tannins. No wonder the 2022 vintage took home the Michelangelo Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon in 2024. 

These are wines you can pour all over the city. Chill the Cape Mist for a picnic; set the Cableway alongside lemon-dressed calamari in the Waterfront; let the Promenade stretch into a braai where spice meets smoke. Save the Castle for colder evenings and savoury stews. If you’d like the whole story in one sitting, head to the tasting room at Durbanville Hills. Or, simply pick your favourite landmark, pop the cork, and let the cool-climate elegance do the talking.

And the price? Happily, they are pocket-friendly too, ranging from R150-R180 per bottle. You can buy them all online over here. 

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