Lodestone
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A cool-climate outlier on the Garden Route, pairing Marlborough-like Sauvignon Blanc and MCC sparkling with estate olive oil.
About Lodestone
Lodestone is a boutique wine and olive estate in the Redford area of The Crags, just outside Plettenberg Bay on South Africa's Garden Route — a cool-climate outlier far to the east of the Cape's classic winelands. Founded in 2012 by Jon and Ingrid Tonkin, the estate released its first vintage in 2014 from roughly four hectares of vines planted at around 250m in the foothills of the Tsitsikamma Mountains. Cooling breezes off the Indian Ocean and a maritime climate often compared to New Zealand's Marlborough give the fruit bright acidity, supporting Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and a Semillon planting unusual for the area. The lineup includes a Bordeaux-style Sauvignon Blanc–Semillon blend, single-varietal Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and the Stonechat Brut Rosé, a traditional-method (MCC) sparkling wine of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay named for a small pink-breasted bird found in the vineyards. The farm's fynbos setting is worked with organic-leaning, sustainability-minded practices, reflecting the founders' view that good wine begins with good farming. Lodestone is equally known locally for its estate-grown olive oil, first produced in 2016. In January 2022, ten years after founding, the estate was acquired by an international investment company with plans to develop it into one of the Crags Valley's leading private wine properties.
Who Is This For?
For drinkers curious about South Africa beyond its classic Cape winelands, and fans of crisp, cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux-style blends and traditional-method sparkling wine.
Wines of Lodestone
No cuvées registered yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where exactly is Lodestone located?
- Lodestone sits in the Redford area of The Crags, near Plettenberg Bay on South Africa's Garden Route — well east of Cape Town and outside the more commonly cited 'Cape South Coast' wards such as Bot River or Walker Bay, though all share a similarly cool, maritime-influenced climate.
- What makes the Lodestone site distinctive?
- Vines sit around 250m in the foothills of the Tsitsikamma Mountains, cooled by Indian Ocean breezes in a climate often likened to New Zealand's Marlborough — unusually cool and maritime for South Africa.
- Does Lodestone make more than still wine?
- Yes. Alongside Sauvignon Blanc, a Sauvignon Blanc–Semillon blend, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Lodestone produces the Stonechat Brut Rosé, a Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) sparkling wine, and estate-grown extra virgin olive oil.