April 20, 2026
Walked every row this week. Bud break is even across the blocks — the Chardonnay on decomposed bokkeveld shale and clay over weathered granite always wakes first. No frost in the forecast, which is the news I wanted.
2026 Vintage
Walker Bay Chardonnay
Hemel-en-Aarde, South Africa
About this Crew
Revealed on enrollment
Winemaker
Shale soils and a sea breeze off Walker Bay that hold the Pinot Noir in check. The estate behind this lot is named only to enrolled members; until then you're backing the region, the style, and a verified track record — not a label.
The history.
These vines sit on decomposed bokkeveld shale and clay over weathered granite at 100–350 m. The estate has farmed Hermanus, Western Cape for generations; we kept the old blocks and rebuilt the cellar around gravity.
What this vintage is showing so far.
“We had a scare with a late cold snap but the buds held. Now it's down to the summer — I want a long, slow ripening, not a sprint to sugar.”
— the winemaker, updated this month
Philosophy.
My rule is simple: don't make a decision the vineyard already made for me. Decomposed Bokkeveld shale and clay over weathered granite sets the acid and the tannin; I keep the cellar clean and the timing honest.
The year ahead
Every shipment, every sample, every pick.
Real dates as they're known. Updated as the vintage progresses.
November 2026
Flowering update
Fruit set, first yield estimate.
January 2027
Verijuice ships
Pressed from green fruit, shipped to every member.
March 2027
Pick expected
Livestream from dawn. Date confirmed 48 hours ahead.
May 2027
Post-ferment sample
Your wine at its youngest, weeks after pressing.
August 2027
First barrel sample
A pull from the vessel where your wine lives.
November 2027
Blend trial
Vote on the final cuvée with the Crew.
February 2028
Bottling
Livestream from the bottling line.
April 2028
Wine arrives
Your bottles, allocated pro-rata to your vines.
November 2026
Flowering update
Fruit set, first yield estimate.
January 2027
Verijuice ships
Pressed from green fruit, shipped to every member.
March 2027
Pick expected
Livestream from dawn. Date confirmed 48 hours ahead.
May 2027
Post-ferment sample
Your wine at its youngest, weeks after pressing.
August 2027
First barrel sample
A pull from the vessel where your wine lives.
November 2027
Blend trial
Vote on the final cuvée with the Crew.
February 2028
Bottling
Livestream from the bottling line.
April 2028
Wine arrives
Your bottles, allocated pro-rata to your vines.
Meet the current Crew
26
members
21
cities
3
countries represented
15 yrs
average tenure in wine
No individual profiles — privacy matters inside the Crew. You'll meet each other once you're in.
How it's priced
By the vine.
The winemaker sets the price per vine. Buy as few as 5 — choose how many in the next step. Your bottles are allocated pro-rata to your vines.
Walker Bay Chardonnay
Priced by the vine · 5-vine minimum
$58 / vine
From $290 · 5 vines · USD
- A share of the lot, by the vine (5-vine minimum)
- Samples across the season: verijuice, post-ferment, barrel, finished wine
- A vote at every fork — pick date, oak, where the blend lands
- Your bottles at release, allocated pro-rata to your vines
- Livestream access to every moment
10 vines left
Pickup or ship
How your wine reaches you.
Swing by the tasting room when the next shipment is ready. Free. For everyone else, ship is the default and equally smooth.
Ship to my address
Standard carrier, adult signature required. Flat fee per shipment. You can switch the destination per shipment at any time.
Ships to: US
Choose at signup. Switch per shipment anytime.
Recent updates
From the rows.
April 6, 2026
Cover crop turned in between the rows. The bees are already on the mustard. Hermanus, Western Cape smells like spring.
March 18, 2026
Spent the morning re-tying canes the wind pulled loose. Unglamorous, but it's the difference between a tidy canopy and a mess in July.
Join this Crew.
One year of your life, inside one vineyard's year. You'll follow the winemaker from bud break to bottle.