Lovely Creatures
Western Cape
Yes, Lovely Creatures is a nod to the eponymous album by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, but it is also an homage to the often-overlooked critters that make up the ecosystem of a vineyard. From regal praying mantises to butterflies and bees, these animals help to bring a distinctive balance to their liana-speckled habitats. Like these little creatures, these wines are unassuming and, yet, so lovely. They are made by Stephanie Wiid of Thistle & Weed, and though these are school night wines, they are still marked by her trademark intensity and elegant finish. The line is currently made up of two single-variety wines, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, which both come from single-vineyard sites in the Swartland and Stellenbosch. The clay-driven granitic soils provide texture and power to the wines. After their US market launch in 2021, these wines generated lots of chatter thanks to their approachability and reasonable price point. Lovely Creatures is a South African benchmark for responsibly crafted, affordable wines with a clear terroir link.
People
Stepahnie Wiid
Stephanie grew up in the bustling city of Johannesburg. Her move to Stellenbosch to study Viticulture and Oenology may seem unusual for a city-slicker, but Steph has wine in her blood. She spent 10 years as winemaker at the innovative Fairview winery and turned to Thistle and Weed (and motherhood) full time in late 2018, and later established Lovely Creatures in 2021.
