Waterford Estate release flagship red wine, The Jem

Waterford Estate released our flagship red wine, The Jem, in October 2007. The wine is dedicated to, and named after, Jeremy Ord, the proprietor of Waterford Estate, who is fondly known as Jem to his friends and family.

It has always been our ambition to make the best possible red wine from our homegrown vineyards. Cellar master Kevin Arnold feels that we have now achieved this goal, and have produced a wine that is world class, and amongst the best in the country.


The release of this wine is the culmination of many years of hard work and passionate commitment to achieving our goal. Work began in 1998 on the selection of grape varieties best suited to the predominantly pebble and rocky soils at Waterford. The similarity of soil types and climate to the Mediterranean vineyards of Spain, South of France and Italy encouraged the selection of Shiraz, Mourvedre, Grenache and Barbera to add to the existing Bordeaux varieties commonly grown in Stellenbosch.


The style of The Jem is based on combining grape varieties to show hints of spice and earthiness on the nose. On the palate, the wine has a very refined tannin structure with an elegant finish that releases spice driven flavours.


Kevin Arnold has over 20 years of experience on the slopes of the Helderberg, and this, combined with the passion and skill of the Waterford people, has enabled him to realise his dream of producing the perfect bottle of wine.