Something of a Stellenbosch secret, Craven Wines was formed in 2014 by Mick and Jeanine Craven, an Australian and South African who met while pulling in the grape harvest in California. Their mission is to produce site specific wines which reflect their particular terroir and landscape, and to ‘keep things as simple as possible’. That means not using cultured yeasts, enzymes, fining agents, only using older oak in their barrels and working with concrete fermenters for certain wines. The Cravens get hands on in the winemaking process and do nothing to a certain formula, as their tasting notes prove. Craven produces a wide range of highly drinkable wines, all at great value, from Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon to Pinot Gris and Chenin Blanc.