Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines @ Riebeeksrivier
Location: Riebeeksrivier
Brief History & Background:
Husband and wife team Chris and Andrea Mullineux are passionate about the Swartland and about making wine.
After working several vintages at wineries in France, South Africa, and California, Chris and Andrea chose to settle in the Swartland Region of South Africa, firmly believing that the granie and schist based terroirs and old vineyeards of the Swartland have the potential to produce a truly great wine.
Mullineux Family Wines was established in 2007, and was owned and managed by Chris and Andrea Mullineux, with business partners, Keith Prothero and Peter Dart. Within a very short time period the winery established itself as one of South Africa’s most celebrated wine brands, both locally and on the international front. By 2016 they had received seventeen 5 star ratings from Platter’s South African Wine Guide, as well as being awarded Red Wine of the Year in 2013 and 2016, and Winery of the Year in 2014 and 2016.
Analjit Singh’s love affair with South Africa started when he first visited the country with his daughter for the Soccer World Cup in 2010. On visiting the Franschhoek valley he felt “a deep sense of belonging, of energy, a sense of place” and subsequently purchased 3 adjacent farms which have been amalgamated within his Franschhoek hospitality portfolio Leeu Collection under the name Leeu Estates. The Afrikaans word leeu (meaning lion) is the Sanskrit derivation of Singh.
In 2013 Analjit joined forces with Chris and Andrea by purchasing Keith’s shares and the company was renamed Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines.
"Our aim is to bottle wines that are a true expression of the Swartland. All steps of our winemaking process are taken with this aim in mind and we pay the highest possible attention to detail in everything we do."
A natural, minimalist approach is followed both in the vineyards and cellar. They work closely with a select group of growers who follow sustainable, reasoned farming practices. In the cellar, apart from minimal amounts of sulphur, nothing is added to, or removed from their wines. "We do not make use of any yeasts, acids, tannins, enzymes, or fining and filtering agents".
Husband and wife team Chris and Andrea Mullineux are passionate about the Swartland and about making wine.
After working several vintages at wineries in France, South Africa, and California, Chris and Andrea chose to settle in the Swartland Region of South Africa, firmly believing that the granie and schist based terroirs and old vineyeards of the Swartland have the potential to produce a truly great wine.
Mullineux Family Wines was established in 2007, and was owned and managed by Chris and Andrea Mullineux, with business partners, Keith Prothero and Peter Dart. Within a very short time period the winery established itself as one of South Africa’s most celebrated wine brands, both locally and on the international front. By 2016 they had received seventeen 5 star ratings from Platter’s South African Wine Guide, as well as being awarded Red Wine of the Year in 2013 and 2016, and Winery of the Year in 2014 and 2016.
Analjit Singh’s love affair with South Africa started when he first visited the country with his daughter for the Soccer World Cup in 2010. On visiting the Franschhoek valley he felt “a deep sense of belonging, of energy, a sense of place” and subsequently purchased 3 adjacent farms which have been amalgamated within his Franschhoek hospitality portfolio Leeu Collection under the name Leeu Estates. The Afrikaans word leeu (meaning lion) is the Sanskrit derivation of Singh.
In 2013 Analjit joined forces with Chris and Andrea by purchasing Keith’s shares and the company was renamed Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines.
"Our aim is to bottle wines that are a true expression of the Swartland. All steps of our winemaking process are taken with this aim in mind and we pay the highest possible attention to detail in everything we do."
A natural, minimalist approach is followed both in the vineyards and cellar. They work closely with a select group of growers who follow sustainable, reasoned farming practices. In the cellar, apart from minimal amounts of sulphur, nothing is added to, or removed from their wines. "We do not make use of any yeasts, acids, tannins, enzymes, or fining and filtering agents".
 Andrea Mullineux
Andrea developed her passion for wine at the family dinner table, growing up in San Francisco. After studying Viticulture and Oenology at UC Davis, and completing a handful of harvests in the Napa Valley, Andrea worked in Stellenbosch, and then in Chateauneuf where on the same trip, she met Chris at a wine festival in Champagne! Andrea’s love for South African wine (and Chris) brought her back to South Africa where they learnt that their compatibility extended into the vineyards and cellar. When Andrea is not hard at work in the cellar, her creative energies flow into the kitchen where she loves cooking up a storm, glass of wine in hand.
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 Chris Mullineux
Chris was introduced to the world of wine while studying accountancy at the University of Stellenbosch. After braving his way through accounting, he enrolled into winemaking for a second degree, and then took a position starting up a boutique organic winery in Tulbagh, where he was in charge of the vineyards and cellar for 5 very enjoyable years. In addition to stints at de Trafford and Rustenberg wineries in South Africa, Chris has also worked harvests at top wineries in Cote Rotie, Bandol, the Languedoc, Roussillon, and California. Over the years, his exposure to the people, vineyards and wines of the Swartland has lead to a growing love for, and firm belief in the region.
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Information: Mullineux & Leeu Site
