The opportunity for Francis Pratt to become one of the winemaking pioneers of the Elim Wine Ward may have much to do with the rather interesting genealogy of the Pratt family. The mix of blood lines and skill sets sounds like a perfect recipe for producing the ideal wine farmer:
A portion of English diplomacy and beauty; a healthy sprinkling of astute entrepreneurship; lots of solid Afrikaans farmer’s daughters with excellent dowry’s; an accomplished pianist with a love of music; a strong strain of French blood that adds a lively, lighthearted, life-loving strain into the mix and a couple generations of dedicated, tenacious farmers.

Add to this Francis’ personal devotion to the land and his passion for capturing the magnificence of this special place in a bottle of wine and you will not be surprised to hear people say things like: ” ... it was hard not to just gulp the glass and look for more!” Francis’ ancestors have not only provided a sound heritage to their family, they have also provided the region on the southernmost tip of Africa with the opportunity to be the Sauvignon Blanc capital of the world. The Pratt’s are in fact one of the few original families still cultivating the land on the Agulhas Plain.