Hand Crafted, Unfaltering Quality.
The Fledge & Co is what happens when two folk don't quite enjoy the status quo, when it's your nature to go against the grain, when you need to forge a path mostly in the unknown, eschewing common place convention and taking that first defiant flight from the nest.
Hand crafting old skool wines of integrity, unfaltering quality, defying perceptions of origin and being guided solely by the vine to showcase their passion - these are The Fledge & Co.'s reasons for being. Wines whispering of their origin; wines benefitting from careful cellaring; wines that are best decanted & accompanied in good cheer with fine fare - that's their unwavering goal.
With these tenets, a penchant for the unconventional, the pursuit of fluid dynamic, Fledge & Co set about labouring away in the vineyards across the Cape of Good Hope to craft with care a nest of fledglings.
The Fledge & Co Folk
The endeavor of crafting wine relies on a small battalion of folks, but when everything is done by hand that number multiplies exponentially and without the hard working vineyard crews, farmers & cellar team it'd be an impossible task. Fledge & Co don't own vineyards, but are exceptionally fortunate to work with some of the finest vines and growers scattered across the Cape. All fruit is hand harvested & vinification is traditional with minimal additions to fully express the site, varietal & vintage.
Margaux Nel
Quite possibly the 7th generation winemaker of the Nel's of Boplass in Calitzdorp, the quite hamlet at the heart of the Klien Karoo. Destined to work with the vine, she holds an MSc (viticulture) fromt he University of Stellenbosch - she's now busying herself with a MBA from the USB - and has travelled widely to the wine producing countries. Besides being an academic leviathan, she's the winemaker of Boplaas Family Vineyards; as the '"chief in charge" voice of reason & science, assistant vigneron & co-owner of 'The Fledge & Co'. She enjoys fine wine, travelling with Eyewitness Guides, the sound of the ocean and catching afternoon naps; wishes to walk the Inca trail & take a photography course; while being allergic to caffeine and outlandishly illogical statements.
Leon Coetzee
Raised in the far North Eastern Cape, transplated to Riebeek West in the Swartland & "stranded" in the Karoo - his family have always been involved in agrarian pursuits . From his commerce degree training at Maties he went onto learning wine from the very bottom with the guidance of a few old timers, a fair amount of tasting, readings, a little travel & even more tasting. Like a kid in a candy store amongst vines & wines, he's the "touchy feely", go with your gut, stubborn as an ox, the "and company", vigneron & co-owner of The Fledge. He enjoys rock 'n roll music, culinary pursuits, working with barrels, Chile & wine; thinks he can speak foreign languages (in his defence he can speak isiXhosa), wishes he could farm livestock & raise ethical meat.