We planted our Viognier vineyard in 2005, and have had to wait patiently for the first crop. Knowing the variety's propensity for getting over-ripe very quickly, we elected to harvest the grapes early in the season to preserve the liveliness of the flavours.

We've ended up with 12.5% alcohol, which is extremely moderate for Viognier. Half the juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks and the balance in second-fill French oak barrels, resulting in a package that is as full of verve as it is of body. It's a wine that offers its charms so generously we couldn't call it anything other than vivacious.

The Very Vivacious Viognier joined the Cloof range recently, at a cellar-door price of R75 per bottle. Nag your local retailer to stock it, or head over to Cloofwines.co.za.