Newton Johnson, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde

Located in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus, Newton Johnson is a small, family-owned winery with a big reputation. The winemaking is in the hands of husband and wife team Gordy and Nadia, with Gordy’s brother Bevan running the business side of the operation; foregoing his love of surfing and mountain biking to travel the world telling the story behind the wines.

In September 2025, Gareth was lucky enough to sit down for an hour with Gordy and Bevan in Cape Town, squeezed in between their other tastings. The first time he had seen them for nearly ten years. The wines – especially the single vineyard Pinot Noirs – are exceptional. These are wines with presence, grace and remarkable purity. They are not inexpensive, but with the price of Burgundy these days, neither are they undervalued. 

White wine lovers should check out the Albarino - it is one of the very best examples from outside Galicia.