In early 1997, Andrew Gunn, an engineer by training was contemplating his next career move. Having always loved the outdoors, the prospect of farming appealed to him and feeling young and energetic enough to start a new career, left the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg to begin the search for the ‘perfect’ farm.
After months of searching and 40 farm visits later, Andrew and a very tired estate agent stumbled upon a solitary run down apple farm on a mountain top overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The farm was proving unprofitable and so Andrew looked to other alternatives to apples and given the cool climate at 420m above sea level and low summer rainfall decided to make wine. He quickly established that the climate of the farm was unique in South African terms and was somewhere between Bordeaux and the Loire in France.
As a result the grapes here are some of the latest picked on the Cape and Iona now focuses on four quality wines; Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and the One Man Band, an estate blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Mourvedre and Viognier.
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