More than one rhino in SA is killed every day for its horn — close to 8,000 of the endangered giants of the bush, of which SA has the world’s largest population, lost to poachers in the past decade.
The wine industry has joined the fight against poaching, and promoting conservation, in a number of ways, including Van Loveren which has contributed more than R600,000 to rhino conservation in Southern Africa through their Rhino Run wines.
They recently announced greater focus and an upgrade to their conservation wine portfolio, unveiling a dedicated “brand home”, visitor centre and tasting room, at their cellar in Worcester, along with new-look labels, to tell the rhino story more strongly.
The wines themselves have been overhauled, now focused on SA’s two most prominent varieties, chenin blanc and pinotage, under the hand of Van Loveren’s chief winemaker, Ben Snyman, founding winemaker of the renowned Survivor range, which Van Loveren acquired in 2025.
“I’m incredibly excited about the future of Rhino Run. Our new brand home and chosen varieties bring together the passion of winemaking and the purpose of conservation in a way that truly tells our story.
“It’s a range that not only celebrates SA’s natural heritage, but also anchors Rhino Run as a proudly South African wine brand with a clear vision for the future,” Snyman said.
The new Rhino Run Cerato Chenin Blanc and Diceros Pinotage reference the scientific names for the white rhino and black rhino, respectively.
Made in a crisp and bright style, Rhino Run Cerato Chenin Blanc 2025 is a partial barrel-fermented wine with a fragrance of freshly picked citrus with a medley of stone fruit and tropical flavours.
The addition of wood gives it a fine, creamy texture and weight, lifted with a zing of lemon on the finish.
Rhino Run Diceros Pinotage 2023 is a barrel-matured wine with rich black berry, red berry fruit, and strawberry confit on the aromatic nose.
Elegant expression with firm ripe tannin structure, super-voluptuous yet finely balanced and rounded.
Wisps of cherry tobacco and roasted berries add to the complexity through to the dry, graphite finish.
The wines are widely available in local retailers, priced around R120, as well as at the visitor centre on the R60 between Worcester and Robertson, and on www.vanloveren.co.za.
Van Loveren’s rhino focus also extends to the Royal Rhino Arabica Cream liqueur, packaged in a distinctive horn-shaped bottle, deliciously creamy with flavours of dark roasted coffee and vanilla (R220).
The Herald
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