When Wine Finds a Home

Our motto at Under the Influence has always been, ‘Better beverages for Africa’. But not just any beverage: when it comes to wine, we want to promote the best of the African continent — South African winemakers. What makes South African wines stand out? They come from the oldest New World winemaking region — they’ve been at it for over 372 years!

Safari lodges celebrate our beautiful continent in many ways, including design aesthetics, food and cultural experiences, but it can sometimes be underrepresented when it comes to wine. Working with premium lodges across Africa over the last 15 years, we have found that international travellers love South African wines because they don’t often get the chance to drink a variety of them at home.

So, how does a wine find a home? How do we create the perfect wine list paired with each property? It’s based on many things, but we mainly look at food philosophy, location, guest and brand fit. I always like to say, ‘A wine will always shine when it finds a home,’ which is why we source wines with a story to tell.

Changing a wine list can be a tough and emotional journey. Everyone — be it guests, managers or Butlers — finds a wine, loves it and sticks to it. When Angama decided earlier this year to go 100% South African, we jumped at the challenge as we felt we could still create a high-touch wine journey for Angama’s guests by selecting beautiful wines from different Cape regions, expressing its diversity, style and quality.

If you are in the Mara, we’ve added the De Trafford Belfield Cabernet Sauvignon, an elegant cool-climate Cab that should be enjoyed at the Sundowner Boma. The Babylonstoren Rosé or the Lievland Liefkoos Rosé are both refreshing and delicious for lunchtime at the Shamba or out on a full-day safari at your picnic lunch under a tree in the middle of the Mara Triangle.

For Amboseli, we kept some firm Angama favourites but also wanted to give guests a different wine experience. Because of the hotter climate, we focused on much lighter-style wines, especially reds. Here, in the shadow of Kilimanjaro, we recommend you enjoy the Stark-Condé Kara-Tara Pinot Noir or the SkyLark Cinsault. The L’Avenir Provenance Pinotage has converted many wine drinkers to become committed Pinotage lovers by capturing the fruit and perfume notes of this fascinating, 100% African grape. 

If white wine is your preferred wine of choice, in Amboseli we’ve also included some lovely oaked and unoaked options for Chenin and Chardonnay, which we recommend being served chilled at The Glade. Try the Beaumont Chenin, a fruit-filled, unwooded Chenin Blanc; it is a delicious example of cooler-climate Chenin Blanc, perfectly paired with those dry Amboseli afternoons.

I always say bubbles are for celebrating any occasion, and I know the Angama team feel the same way. This is why lovely South African Cap Classiques are on tap at both properties — you can never have enough! Using traditional production methods like champagne, the Le Lude Brut is an unforgettable classic blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and will definitely leave you wanting more. I also know the Angama Butlers never allow a guest’s glass to run dry.