Nuschka de Vos founded Vulpes Wines in 2022 after six years as winemaker at Reyneke Wines, one of Stellenbosch’s most respected biodynamic and organic producers. Her connection to sustainable farming took root early — her family moved from Pretoria to a small organic farm between Plettenberg Bay and Knysna when she was a child, and she attended a nearby farm high school before studying Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University, interning in the vineyards with noted viticulturist Rosa Kruger along the way. She also gained experience with Rupert & Rothschild and during vintages in Bordeaux, the Mosel and New Zealand before striking out on her own. The name Vulpes — Latin for “fox” — is a nod to her Dutch surname, de Vos (“the fox”), and to the animal’s curiosity, adaptability and quiet resilience, qualities she sees reflected in her own approach to winemaking.
Rather than working a single estate, de Vos sources fruit from specific sites she considers exceptional across the Swartland’s Paardeberg, Citrusdal Mountain and Stellenbosch, believing that a distinctive site matters more than a single home address. Her range centres on old-vine Chenin Blanc — the flagship Vulpes Chama comes from two Paardeberg vineyards planted in 1986 and 1996 on granitic soils, while Vulpes Velox draws on Citrusdal Mountain fruit — alongside a Cabernet Sauvignon, Vulpes Cana. Winemaking follows a low-intervention philosophy: long, gentle spontaneous fermentations, minimal additions, and maturation in older oak barrels that let each vineyard’s character come through rather than imposing winemaking style on it.
As a small, personally run label without a fixed cellar or tasting room, Vulpes doesn’t offer a visitor programme — the wines are sold through South African fine-wine retailers such as WineCellar.co.za and specialist wine shops, with Nuschka herself handling enquiries directly by phone, email or Instagram.
