Cape Guild Craft
Mullineux, Leeu Passant and the Quiet Power of Belonging
Cape Guild Craft: Mullineux, Leeu Passant and the Quiet Power of Belonging
Among the multitude of refined natural and artistic aesthetic pleasures on Leeu Estates in Franschhoek one notices a copper-plated adornment at the entrance of the estate’s Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines’ Wine Studio. The engraved signage bears the name Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) followed by that of one Andrea Mullineux. What this signifies is that this Andrea is a member of the Cape Winemakers Guild, a world-renowned collective of the leading crafters of South African wine. It is an endorsement not only of Andrea’s prodigious skill and talents in the vineyards and cellar, but also of the distinctive quality of wines bearing the labels of both Leeu Passant and Mullineux.
The CWG is not large, and was never meant to be, today comprising 45 members. Established in 1982, gaining acceptance into the CWG requires a proven reputation for wine excellence. Membership comes by invitation alone, after a winemaker has shaped outstanding wines for at least five years. That simple rule explains much of its standing, and to be asked to join is to be told by your peers that as an individual, your devotion to wine and vineyards is recognised by the singularity and excellence of the bottles bearing the labels of the wines you make.
Andrea knows that feeling from the inside. Invited in 2012, when rather few women had been inducted, she spent six years on the CWG committee and chaired the body through 2020 and 2021. Ask her what the CWG is for, and she does not reach for ceremony. She calls it a custodian of excellence and fresh thinking.
“I see the CWG as an important custodian of excellence and innovation in South African wine,” says Andrea. “It brings together a group of winemakers who are passionate about their craft and committed to continually pushing the boundaries of what South African wine can achieve in both wine quality and as a community. The organisation is very special within the world of wine because it creates a platform for sharing knowledge, one where members challenge one another, explore new ideas and aim to collectively raise the standards of our profession. South African wine has an extraordinary diversity of terroir and talent, and the CWG helps showcase this to the world, while we celebrate each other, our wines and our vineyards, as well as help to create opportunities for the next generation of talented winemakers through the CWG Protégé Programme.”
From a small grouping of winemakers throwing ideas around and holding kitchen-table tastings in 1982, the CWG has over the past two decades developed into a body helping spearhead South Africa’s drive towards being seen as a leading wine nation capable of producing some of the best wines in the world, wines also bearing the identity of the country’s unique sense of place.
“Here, the most important contribution the CWG makes is the wines themselves, and the story they tell about South Africa,” says Andrea. “The CWG Auction gives us an opportunity to demonstrate what our vineyards, our winemakers and our unique growing conditions are capable of producing. The wines are unique to each winery, sometimes site-specific, always made in very small quantities, and give winemakers the freedom to explore ideas that might not otherwise find their way into a commercial range. The membership belongs to the winemaker, not the winery, so often it is a more deeply personal expression through wine.”
That Andrea and the CWG are on the right track is underscored by the ever-increasing number of CWG Auction wines sold to bidders from around the world.
With her husband Chris, Andrea founded Mullineux Family Wines in the Swartland, a region of old vines, granite and schist, dry-farmed bush vines that have learned to cope with heat. Now in partnership with Analjit Singh, owner of the Leeu Collection, Andrea and Chris also make wines under the Leeu Passant label, the collaboration sourcing growing a variety of grape varieties from selected parcels of terroir from the Western Cape from which a range of luxury, site-specific wines are made.
As a CWG member, Andrea has over the past few years had wines selected for the annual auction from both the Mullineux and Leeu Passant marques. The most notable has been the sensational Mullineux “The Gris” Old Vine Sémillon Gris which achieved the highest per-bottle wine price at the CWG Auctions in 2024, 2025 and 2026. The proposition this wine holds for the wine-lover is of multi-dimensional intrigue and excellence.
Being made from Sémillon Gris, a mutation of the Sémillon variety that dominated South Africa’s vineyard plantings for over a century, the cultivar makes the Mullineux offering one of rarity. Secondly, grown in the Swartland and managed by natural elements in tandem with the Mullineux ethos of regenerative agriculture – together with Andrea’s intuitive winemaking – the result is a wine justifiably termed one of South Africa’s greats.
The Leeu Passant wine Andrea has presented for the CWG Auctions has in recent times been the Leeu Passant Hillside Cabernet Franc made from a vineyard growing on Leeu Estates in Franschhoek. This perfumed, elegant rendition of Cabernet Franc with its silky tannins and persistent mouthfeel has also become one of the CWG Auction’s most eagerly awaited offerings – in fact, in 2023 it took the top per-bottle pricing at the Auction, the year before The Gris’s tenure began.
Besides being an arbiter of South African wine excellence, the CWG plays a major role in ensuring all demographic groups are able to participate and immerse themselves in the professional side of the wine industry. The body’s Protégé Programme allows interested young individuals to gain experience through mentorship under the auspices of seasoned CWG members.
“I have always felt very strongly about the Protégé Programme because it addresses access to opportunity, experience and knowledge, which is fundamental if we want to see the future of winemaking in South Africa blossom the way it should,” says Andrea. “South Africa has enormous talent, but talent alone is not always enough. Young winemakers and viticulturists need opportunities to gain practical experience, develop their confidence, build professional networks and learn from people who have already spent years working in the vineyards and cellars. I am incredibly proud of the programme, especially when I see former protégés progressing into senior positions or establishing their own wine projects. That is when you see the long-term impact of this very important and meaningful initiative.”
With her record and that of the Leeu Passant and Mullineux wines thus far, many of these protégés will no doubt wish to follow in the footsteps of Andrea Mullineux.
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