ORIGIN STORY

Wine’s best friend is cheese, and our origin story has ample – so pour yourself a glass and read on.

On 14 May 2022, a signature Greyton autumn day, I (Leandri) spectacularly sprained my ankle. From a place of fierce practicality and self pity I sourced the phone number of a local chef with a special knack for meeting emotional needs with pizza. I requested one that “pairs well with red wine and pain killers” and from there, the first of many conversations started. 

Over the following weeks several common yet varied interests were established (think Hemingway to Rick & Morty, flamenco guitar to EDM, Heartland to Pride and Prejudice, Benedict & Bubbles to coriander-tastes-like-soap) but a special one landed when on another breathtaking autumn day (one asking to be enjoyed with wine and dreamy musings) I shared this little dilemma and desire to teleport to a wine farm with Grant, upon which he responded in agreement and saying that he “particularly like wooded whites”. My response? “I like to pick the splinters out of my wineglass” and from there the friendship was cemented, kindred spirit status confirmed and jokingly the Splinter Club started.

From there our relationship grew and a habit of opening a bottle of something beautiful late at night (chef life = odd hours) paired with only our conversation. During this time two things became apparent, which now lies at the heart of the Splinter Club. 

Our first discovery was that while, Grant possesses incredible wine knowledge, and I had zero expertise, (too scared to pronounce Semillon) we both had a deep appreciation for what was in our wine glasses.

The second discovery was a little trend we picked up as we shared our Splinter Club game. The love for wooded whites was alive and well, but not just limited to the culinary and vino circles, but many of our friends joined in slowing down and enjoying what was in their glass. Soon many requests were made to share our list, and one afternoon Steven suggested we turn this into a blog meets average-human-friendly wine review. And from there myself, Leandri, and Leandi (I know – what are the chances right?) sketched the broad brush strokes of the Splinter Club.

So please enjoy our stories and the wines. We hope to inspire your own, make these wines more accessible and if you were going to choose one (warning, they are not cheap) help you pick the right one and sound smart without being pretentious. Who knows what other love stories can join this one?