Alvi’s Drift Albertus Viljoen Red Bismarck

The Alvi’s Drift Albertus Viljoen Red Bismarck is a South-African oak matured red wine from Alvi’s Drift. The Albertus Viljoen Red Blend, as this wine is also called, is the flagship red wine for Alvi’s Drift. It’s named after the charismatic founder, Albertus Viljoen van der Merwe. After fermentation this wine matures for 22 months in both French and American oak of which 1/3 are virgin oak casks. The wine is a blend of 50% Shiraz, 21,5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21,5% Pinotage and 7% Petit Verdot. It’s an elegant and rich wine with lots of white pepper and dark ripe red fruit aromas. It pairs well with grilled lamsrack and a variety of game stews.

Alvi’s Drift

Alvi is an abbreviation for Albertus Viljoen, the official first name of the owner of this South-African winery in Worcester. His friends call him Alvi and he’s the third generation following his grandfather in the wine business. Albertus Viljoen van de Merwe was a farmer in Worcester, a 2 hour drive from Capetown. His estate was located on two sides of the river Breede Rivier so he built a drift (African for bridge) in 1928 to get an easy access to both parts. Soon this bridge was called Alvi’s Drift which is now used by Alvi van der Merwe as the name for the wines they produce. The family business owns 420 hectares with vineyards as well as 4000 cows, 200.000 chickens and several citrus and peach orchards. Alvi’s younger brother Johan manages the farm whilst Alvi supervises the winery. The vineyards located in the Breede Rivier valley in the Worcester district contain 19 grape varieties. Together with his team of wine makers Alvi produces a variety of wines with international allure.