Stand Alone
Stand Alone Wines
Stand Alone is the back to basics, solo project from Xander Grier, son of David Grier, much acclaimed chef and extreme adventurer. As though that wasn’t enough to contend with, his family also purchased the Villiera wine estate when he was a young child, and Xander’s day job seems him working as winemaker at the property, producing around 800,000 bottles of Method Cap Classique every year.
Captivated by the magic of lone, ancient dead trees standing in majestic isolation,yet home to so much life, his solo project takes the name Stand Alone for these trees. Like them, each wine has its own story to tell of the vineyard itself and the vintage. The beautiful artwork on the labels show one single ancient tree on their farm in Stanford that has now sadly fallen down.
In 2020, Xander also released two wines under the label Salt Rock Wines. Made in partnership with a friend and fellow winemaker, these wines are produced from rocky, wild vineyards with strong maritime influence.
Stellenbosch, South Africa
You’re in for something more than a nouveau still beaujolais here though. Cascading purple in the glass with plenty of rocky and glossy black and red fruit notes, with a candied edge. A first vintage for Xander Grier of Stand Alone - just 3 barrels produced.
Gamay, in South Africa? Whatever next! Amazingly though, this is in fact from the oldest known Gamay vineyard in South Africa, registered with the Old Vine Project having been planted in 1981.
Press: “Sweet candied red fruit, red cherry zip and a long red currant confit finish. Very juicy. A wine that wants to be noticed! 92+ points. (Fruit sourced from the Villiera farm)” Greg Sherwood MW
Stand Alone is the back to basics, solo project from Xander Grier, son of David Grier, much acclaimed chef and extreme adventurer. As though that wasn’t enough to contend with, his family also purchased the Villiera wine estate when he was a young child, and Xander’s day job seems him working as winemaker at the property, producing around 800,000 bottles of Method Cap Classique every year.
Captivated by the magic of lone, ancient dead trees standing in majestic isolation,yet home to so much life, his solo project takes the name Stand Alone for these trees. Like them, each wine has its own story to tell of the vineyard itself and the vintage. The beautiful artwork on the labels show one single ancient tree on their farm in Stanford that has now sadly fallen down.
Stellenbosch, South Africa
A more darker fruited Cinsault, with leather, brambles, bracken and a kiss of tar. Sappy and light to medium boded with ground coffee and cocoa on the palate.
Another project from Xander Grier of Stand Alone Wines! This time in partnership with a friend and fellow winemaker, concentrating on coastal sites that are effected by the sea. Whilst its sister Sauvignon Blanc is named for the la niña phenomenon as it’s from such a cool site, this little number started fermenting just as el niño hit. In the same vein as Stand Alone, quantities are tiny, and the wines are made with a light hand, with nothing added other than minimal SO2 at bottling.