Welcome Orpheus & The Raven

2024-02-29

We are thrilled to announce some fantastic news! Beginning March 1st, we're welcoming Orpheus & The Raven to our Portfolio - a creative and exciting brand. This brand thrives on pushing boundaries and thinking outside the box in winemaking and packaging. The wines go beyond being delicious; they tell a story with every sip. We're absolutely excited to have them on board. Here's to creativity, innovation, and a fantastic partnership with Orpheus & The Raven from The Vinoneers.

The Tale of The Vinoneers

The Vinoneers embarked on a passionate wine journey, founded by two friends, Brenden Schwartz, and Etienne Louw, who brought together their distinct personalities and shared aspirations to craft characterful wines.

Orpheus & The Raven, conceived by Schwartz, owner of Bravo, a renowned Design and Packaging company, and Louw, a seasoned winemaker come muso, symbolises their commitment to authenticity. While Schwartz emphasises visual communication, Louw's winemaking expertise focuses on quality and provenance, creating a perfect partnership.

Orpheus and the Raven

Their wine range, Orpheus & The Raven, is named after their pseudonyms, and philosophical discussions on vinous storytelling ignited the idea. Orpheus, symbolising forward vision, and the Raven, representing encouragement, mirror the core of their collaboration.

Louw's background in engineering and insatiable love for music underscores the precision and artistry in his winemaking style. Hence, his alter ego appears with a guitar on many of their labels, which is symbolic of creating wines in perfect harmony. Meanwhile, Schwartz's creative brilliance, showcased through captivating and intricate illustrations, adds depth to their brand.

Their synergy results in authentic wines reflecting shared experiences, epitomised by their alter egos subtly depicted on labels. Inspired by Renaissance master Albrecht Durer, Schwartz's ink drawings set the mood and expectation of wines with great depth and complexity.

Their inaugural wine, the Orpheus & The Raven Old Bush Vines Chenin Blanc, marks the beginning of their journey, followed by the Orpheus & The Raven Pinotage No. 7, which pays homage to seven vineyards and personal milestones. As you discover their wines, the number 42 will arise in conversations as one hold much auspicious value, as captured in their red blend, Orpheus and The Raven No.42. Shortly after, the Le Beton series continued their saga, with equally exciting wines crafted in uniquely decorated cement eggs - another ode to their aesthetic vision, that comprise a limited-edition Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir respectively names Eye of the Tiger and Conspiracy of Ravens.

Each label tells a story, with motifs like guitars, mythical creatures sided by angels, skeletons, and dancing ravens, evoking personal narratives and inviting open-ended interpretation. Their latest offering, Eternal Eight, provokes even more curiosity. Its motto, bound by opposites, adds another vinous chapter to the brand's tale of creativity and authenticity, offering consistent quality and provocative, fine wines.

The Vinoneers - Etienne Louw and Brenden Schwartz

Orpheus & The Raven No. 7 Pinotage

Etienne and Brenden making magic