About The Berrio
The Berrio is a small, terroir-driven wine project on the Cape Agulhas Plains in Elim — the southernmost wine ward in Africa, where the cold Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. The vineyards belong to the Pratt family, longtime farmers of the Agulhas Plain, and the label was launched around 2001 as a partnership between grower Francis Pratt and winemaker Bruce Jack (founder of Flagstone Winery). Named after the Berrio, one of the four ships in Vasco da Gama's 1497 fleet that rounded Cape Agulhas on the historic sea route to India, the wines echo the wild, maritime character of this coastline. The original partnership produced seven vintages before dissolving in 2008 when Jack sold Flagstone; Pratt continued growing and making wine independently, and Jack rejoined the project in 2018, taking full ownership in 2020 and relaunching the label in 2021. The Berrio is one of the founding members of the Elim Winegrowers, alongside Black Oystercatcher, Zoetendal and Strandveld. Fierce, near-constant onshore winds from three sides cool the vines and extend hang time, while ancient, mineral-rich shale, gravel and laterite soils — laid down some 330 million years ago — give the wines their signature tension. The flagship Sauvignon Blanc has repeatedly earned 5-star ratings in Platter's South African Wine Guide and won the trophy for South Africa's best Sauvignon Blanc at the 2024 Fine Wine Awards (2022 vintage); the range has also included a Sauvignon Blanc–Semillon blend called The Weathergirl and a Cabernet Sauvignon.
Who Is This For?
For drinkers who love taut, mineral, cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc and want to discover a small, family-farmed South African producer with a genuine sense of place.
Wines of The Berrio
No cuvées registered yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is The Berrio located and why is its climate so distinctive?
- The Berrio farms in Elim, on the Cape Agulhas Plains at the southernmost tip of Africa, where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. Strong, near-constant maritime winds blow in from three sides, cooling the vineyards and extending grape ripening for greater flavor concentration.
- Where does the name 'The Berrio' come from?
- The name honors the Berrio, one of the four ships in Vasco da Gama's 1497 fleet that rounded Cape Agulhas on its pioneering voyage to India — a nod to the wild seafaring history of this coastline, not to a local river.
- Who makes The Berrio's wines?
- The Berrio is farmed by the Pratt family, longtime growers on the Agulhas Plain. It began as a partnership between Francis Pratt and winemaker Bruce Jack around 2001, and after some years apart, Jack returned and now leads winemaking under the label's current ownership.
- What is The Berrio's flagship wine?
- Sauvignon Blanc is the flagship, prized for its aromatic gooseberry and passion fruit character, crisp acidity and mineral backbone; it has repeatedly earned 5-star ratings in Platter's guide and a national trophy for the 2022 vintage.
- Is The Berrio part of a wider wine community in Elim?
- Yes. The Berrio is a founding member of the Elim Winegrowers, a collective it formed together with Black Oystercatcher, Zoetendal and Strandveld to promote the Elim ward's cool-climate wines.