Of Pioneering and Pinot noir

Peter Finlayson first came to the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley in 1981, at the dawn of a new era in South African winemaking. Until then, the industry had been caught in the smothering grip of bureaucracy, but times were changing and the country was hungry for innovation.

Overlooking the hills and vales of this fynbos wilderness – a slight Atlantic chill hanging in the breeze, beckoning a new fate – there must have been a moment of sheer overwhelm as Peter Finlayson realised what he would one day achieve in this sublime setting.

Less than a decade later, after successfully establishing the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley as a bona fide wine region, he looked upon his own corner of heaven – the farm that would become Bouchard Finlayson – with a new vision: that of establishing one of South Africa’s first premium Pinot Noir wineries.

The winery began as a collaboration between Paul Bouchard, celebrated Burgundian winemaker and Peter, with the first vines planted in 1990. Their vision of running the estate like a family-owned boutique winery and vineyard truly came to fruition when the Tollman family – who share this dream – bought the farm in 2000, allowing Peter to perpetuate the ideals upon which the farm was built.