About The Winelands welcomes Thornton Pillay, Winemaker and Viticulturist at Highgate Wine Estate in the Midlands, KZN, South Africa. He joined in 2016 and took the farm to a fully functioning wine estate from producing and initial amount of 1,500 bottles to 17,000 bottles of wine annually.
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About Thornton Pillay
Thornton Pillay studied as a Wine Maker and Viticulturist in Stellenbosch, thereafter working at Ernie Els wines, Groot Constantia, KWV and in the Burgundy region of France. In 2016, he became the Wine Maker and Viticulturist at Highgate Wine Estate and subsequently, took the wine making process to a professional level, turning the farm to a fully functioning wine estate.
In 2016, the first commercially produced wines of 1500 bottles were produced by Thornton, and currently, Highgate Wine Estate is producing 17,000 bottles per annum.
About Highgate Wine Estate
In 1996 the Kassier family purchased Highgate farm, a small 1ha hydroponic vegetable farm in the misty hills of the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands, South Africa. From growing vegetables on the farm, to starting up the well known Piggly Wiggly Farm stall, in 2004 Rudi Kassier paired up with the local Cedara Agricultural College to research whether producing wine locally in KZN would be feasible.
Since those early days, the farm now boasts a five-hectare vineyard producing ten certified wines, including the first Chardonnay to be certified in 2010 in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
From this…
To this!
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HIGHGATE WINE ESTATE – Elegance and sophistication in the Midlands of KZN, South Africa
The Highgate Wines
Wine pairing and tasting
A Chocolate & Wine Pairing, with a Rose Turkish Delight & Wildberry Grappa to finish off!
Have the opportunity to do a tasting of four wines or sit back and order a bottle. A perfect cheese and charcuterie board that goes magnificently with the wine is on offer. Contact Highgate Wine Estate here
Fancy getting married on a wine farm?
Our venue has the opportunity to give a complete uniqueness to each wedding day. Entering the venue you are greeted with a red-brick modern styled building, surrounded by vineyards and green fields. Walking into the venue is an experience to make anyone feel grand – waiting for you inside our glass double doors is a two meter crystal chandelier accompanied by hanging wine bottles meandering the ceilings on the tasting room and restaurant. With so many options of where to have your canapes, ceremony and dance floor. From walking down an isle of wine barrels to saying “I do” under the chandelier.
About The Winelands
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