Thistle & Weed is a boutique winery founded in 2015 by viticulturist Etienne Terblanche and winemaker?Stephanie?Wiid, based in Stellenbosch’s cool macro?climate in the Western Cape. Inspired by the hardy, ubiquitous weeds in Cape vineyards, they celebrate resilience, terroir, and natural balance, reflected in both the wines and their minimal-intervention practices.
Our vineyards, sourced from select parcels across Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Swartland, are carefully tended; wines such as Duwweltjie, Brandnetel, Khakibos, Nastergal, and Knapsekêrel are named for local weeds, each capturing the essence of its site.
Winemaking is grounded in craftsmanship: for whites, whole-bunch pressing and native fermentations in seasoned French oak; for reds, a mix of de-stemmed, crushed, or whole-bunch fermentations followed by aging in old oak. The wines are acclaimed—Stephanie was named Young Winemaker of the Year by Tim Atkin MW in 2024, solidifying the estate’s reputation for purity, site expression, and Cape identity.
Thistle & Weed remains a small-scale operation, producing around 2,500 cases annually, and champions sustainable, climate-resilient varieties well-suited to modern viticulture.
