Tanzanite Winery was founded in 2003 by Melanie van der Merwe. The winery’s name is inspired by Melanie’s birthstone – the rare, beautiful and highly sought-after Tanzanite – and symbolizes her passion for creating unique sparkling wines in the time-honored way.
Today Melanie runs Tanzanite Winery with help from her husband, Wentzel, and daughters Maré and Hané. As they do not own vineyards, Melanie buys grapes from Robertson, a tradition she’s been following for 15 years. Robertston is the only area in the Western Cape with chalky soils – a crucial component to MCC production. The base wine made from these chalky soils shows long ageing potential and specific flavors crucial for the Tanzanite style.