Cathy Marshall is one of the original garagiste winemakers in South Africa; she graduated from Elsenburg College in 1991 and served a number of apprenticeships in premium South African wineries before gaining valuable experience abroad. She was inspired to set up a small wine-making enterprise after a post-harvest foot-crushing celebration resulted in the creation of three barrels of superb Syrah wine subsequently distributed amongst the revellers. A year later Cathy set up the Barefoot Wine Company and has since carved out a distinguished reputation as one of South Africa’s most skilled and innovative producers.

The winery lies in the Elgin Valley, surrounded by mountains and yet only 30 minutes from the sea. This creates a cool climate for growing grapes, conducive to maximum development of flavour and complexity. Cathy’s aim is to make wines of great purity, with absolutely minimal intervention, which reflect their origins. The Elgin Valley has rapidly acquired a reputation as a source of aromatically pure wines with excellent varietal expression, and we are delighted to have secured a modest allocation.