September 2, 2022
By rackhouse
Lubanzi started in 2014, as two friends searching for an opportunity to make a difference in the world.
In 2014, while living in South Africa as exchange students, they set off on a 20-hour bus ride along South Africa's southern coast en route to the wild coast, a remote part of the country - famously the birthplace of Nelson Mandela - for a week-long backpacking expedition. On their second day, a wandering dog the locals called 'LUBANZI' began following them on the adventure. He stuck with them throughout our journey - for 6 days & 100 miles - until he disappeared in the middle of the night before our final morning.
In their words, “In the spirit of this adventure, we returned to South Africa in 2016 endeavoring to launch a business that would connect people back home in America with a country and a people we had both been so struck by, and deliver some seriously top-notch wines in the process. Together, we spent months in South Africa sourcing and developing our wine; We met with over 40 producers, ranging from small family-run farms to large co-ops (independent growers banding together across huge regions), to wine negotiants and independent winemakers to source wine that could be part of what we were trying to build: a young, innovative, and socially responsible wine brand built on the concepts of collaboration & exploration, with a 'locally run globally minded' mantra. We found those partners in our winemakers, Trizanne Barnard & Bruce Jack, & our designers, Fanakalo, who became friends and collaborators and helped bring LUBANZI to life.
We felt it necessary for the business to be an avenue to deliver accurate and meaningful social impact back to a country so deserving of that commitment. As things kicked off, we became enamored with the idea of a more complete and equitable supply chain, which is why we partnered with The Pebbles Project, a not-for-profit that provides health & education resources to the families who live and work in South Africa's wine farms.”
This wine is 100% handpicked Chenin Blanc grown in South Africa’s famous Swartland region and crafted from a blend of grapes that come from a diverse collection of Swartland soils, with each piece of land putting its own mark on the final product.
Lubanzi Chenin Blanc is a bright wine, brimming with acidity. It is a vibrant pale yellow-green color in the glass. The nose is aromatic with hints of green melon, lemon zest, and green apple.
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