Tread Lightly Pinotage
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Bottled in lightweight glass, weighing only 455g per bottle, and labelled with Tree Free Paper produced from 5% hemp and linen and 95% recycled sugarcane waste, this wine is certified carbon neutral
- Tread Lightly vineyards are tended to by a team of predominantly women. Relying strongly on sustainable farming techniques, the team treats vineyards as gently as possible to yield clean, healthy fruit.
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinotage
Elaboration: Due to its thick and tannic skin, color is extracted from the Pinotage grapes within the first few days of fermentation, between 25 and 28°C. This wine is pressed early after which immediate oaking takes place. It is then bottled 12 months later.
Tasting Notes: Notes of cherries, coffee bean and strawberry. With hints of a darker, wilder side, this wine exhibits subtle undertones of dried fynbos. On the palate, this Pinotage has a juicy mouth-feel with supple, sweet tannins.
PRESS
n/a
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
The newly refreshed Tread Lightly brand is an alternative take on parent farm Backsberg’s sustainable approach. Backsberg is a 100 year old winery situated in Paarl, South Africa. It has been in the hands of the Back family for all these years and it is more than just their home. It is their heartland. In 2010 Backsberg launched the range Tread Lightly by Backsberg. At the time, this was the first certified wine bottled in polyethene terephthalate (PET), in South Africa. Generally, there was a positive reaction to the product over the years but the range never really reached its full potential in the South African context.
While Backsberg’s brand identity proudly embodies the farm’s core values and rich century of heritage, the team saw the need to create a second avenue to communicate the innovation, energy and youthfulness of the new generation shaping the future of the farm. Additionally, Backsberg has a largely female-led team. With a female winemaker and women occupying most of the key management, sales and marketing positions, Tread Lightly provides an outlet for the winery’s feminine side.