The month of September is well-known in South Africa as Heritage Month, which celebrates our nation’s rich heritage and diverse cultures. During this season, we return to our roots, we gather and we commemorate what makes us uniquely South African.

Thus, De Toren acknowledges its heritage as one of South Africa’s finest red wine producers and is proud to be home to five magnificent varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. Speaking of the Big Five and keeping true to our broader African roots, we pay homage to one of South Africa’s cherished big five members in honour of World Rhino Day…

Africa has been inhabited by rhinos for more than a million years, and rhinos play a vital role in the ecosystem through helping to shape the African landscape. South Africa was once home to a large number of white rhinoceroses. By the end of the 19th century, humans had almost completely eliminated the southern white rhino. The population of the species in South Africa was reduced to just 20-50 animals. As a result of intensive protection efforts and numerous translocations, the population had recovered to around 21,000 rhinos by 2012.

Since then, poaching has increased once again, the population has shrunk and continues to decline. To shine some light on this persistent challenge, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) South Africa, announced the first World Rhino Day in 2010. This annual event takes place on the 22nd of September to create awareness about the declining population and what measures are taken to protect them.

World Rhino Day was a memorable event this year with the adoption of an endangered Rhino. Kimba, a white rhinoceros, was placed under our guardianship earlier in 2022. To honour this magnificent species, we further celebrated the event with the launch of a new wine – De Toren Patronus – that is as rare, bold and unparalleled as a rhinoceros. The name was inspired by an ethos of patronage for sustainability, and, with the visual elements of the wine’s packaging, we hope to assist with creating awareness.

Read more about the inspiration behind the name and the wine
Reserve the De Toren Patronus 2020 Vintage
We unveil the brand new De Toren Edition Z 2018 vintage