Painted Wolf Wines

Painted Wolf Wines exists because of a promise made in the African bush. In the mid-1990s, Jeremy Borg was working at a safari camp in Botswana when he met Emma, his future wife and business partner. Together they witnessed the plight of the African wild dog -- the painted wolf -- one of the continent's most endangered predators, with fewer than 5,000 remaining in the wild. Before leaving Botswana in 1996, they made a pact: to find a way to use their skills to make a meaningful contribution to the conservation of Africa's wild spaces.

The path to that contribution wound through California, where Jeremy studied viticulture and worked in the cellar at Rosenblum Cellars, learning the craft of hand-made wine. In 2006, Emma and Jeremy founded Painted Wolf Wines with a dual mission: to produce outstanding South African wine and to channel a meaningful portion of proceeds toward African wild dog conservation. They began donating to the Endangered Wildlife Trust's African wild dog programme in 2008, and later established the Painted Wolf Foundation. To date, the company has donated over R4 million to wild dog and related conservation projects across southern Africa.

Painted Wolf does not own vineyards. Instead, Jeremy sources grapes from carefully selected parcels across the Western Cape, seeking out old bush vines, specific terroirs, and growers who share the Borgs' commitment to quality and sustainability. This nomadic approach gives Painted Wolf access to the diversity of the Cape's wine regions -- from Swartland Chenin Blanc to Walker Bay Syrah, Stellenbosch Pinotage to Paarl Grenache.

The wine range is structured around the endangered species theme. Each label carries the name of a wild dog -- Guillermo, the Pinotage named after a painted wolf tracked in Zimbabwe; Madame Bovary, the Chenin Blanc; Black Pack, a nod to the Ethiopian wolf; the Scarlet Syrah. The naming is not mere marketing; it connects every bottle to the conservation story and the individual animals whose survival the wines help fund.

The tasting room opened at Simondium Guild on the R45 between Klapmuts and Simondium, offering visitors a chance to taste the full range in a relaxed, boutique setting with views of the Simonsberg. Private tutored tastings, vineyard tours, and platters of local cheese and charcuterie are available alongside a restaurant serving lunch. The estate also offers luxury accommodation, making it a destination for overnight stays.

Painted Wolf proves that wine can be a vehicle for something larger than the glass. Jeremy and Emma Borg have built a label that stands on its own quality -- Pinotage and Chenin Blanc specialists, premium blends, old bush vine expressions -- while ensuring that every bottle sold advances the survival of one of Africa's most remarkable and threatened predators.