Metzer Wines Kitchen Sink Red Blend 2022

The Producer

The Kitchen Sink is the everyday-drinking arm of Metzer & Holfeld Family Wines — but “everyday” is relative when the winemaker is Wade Metzer, protege of the legendary Eben Sadie. Wade makes all his wines by hand in the Helderberg foothills with natural fermentation, no fining and no filtration. His top wines have earned 5 Platter’s stars on four occasions (Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Montane Chenin 2019, Maritime Chenin 2022 and 2024), and his Cinsault pulled Tim Atkin 93 points. The Kitchen Sink range takes this same uncompromising approach and applies it to wines designed for Tuesday nights and weekend braais — at a fraction of the price. As Cathy van Zyl MW notes in her Platter’s review, this is a wine with a “cornucopia of exuberant red fruit.” Don’t let the friendly price fool you: this is proper, handcrafted wine from one of the Cape’s most exciting cellars.

Vintage & Terroir

This multi-varietal red blend is sourced from distinctive vineyard parcels scattered throughout the Helderberg ward in Stellenbosch — where the towering mountains meet False Bay’s cool maritime breezes. The 2022 blend is Cinsault-dominant (60%), with equal parts Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon making up the balance — a shift from previous vintages that reflects Wade’s growing love affair with Cinsault as a variety. The Helderberg’s 300-day-a-year South Easter wind keeps these vineyards naturally cool and disease-free, while the decomposed granite soils contribute a mineral thread that runs through all Metzer wines. The Cinsault brings perfumed red fruit and silky drinkability, the Shiraz adds savoury depth and pepper, and the Cabernet provides backbone and structure.

In the Cellar

Platter’s taster Cathy van Zyl MW describes this as “wild-fermented (as White)” — meaning the same indigenous-yeast, hands-off approach used across the top Metzer range is applied here too. The grapes are de-stemmed into open-top fermenters with 20% whole bunches included, then cold-soaked for 2-3 days before natural fermentation kicks in over 14 days. The wine is matured for 11 months in old oak (some American), then bottled unfined and unfiltered. No pumps, no mechanical interventions — just time, gravity and patience. This is how Eben Sadie taught Wade to make wine, and it shows.

Tasting Notes

Bright ruby with a garnet edge. The nose is immediately inviting — a “cornucopia of exuberant red fruit” as Cathy van Zyl puts it: ripe plum, red cherry, cranberry and raspberry, underscored by white pepper, potpourri spice and a hint of violets from the Cinsault. The 20% whole-bunch component adds an extra “verve” and freshness. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and pure with lovely fruit definition — blood orange, red berries and subtle notes of tree bark. The “chalky tannin” that van Zyl notes provides a satisfying grip before the “gently savoury finish” that makes you reach for another glass. At 4 Platter’s stars (89 points), this over-delivers spectacularly for its price point. Previous vintages earned 4 stars and an 88/100 from Wine-Searcher critics — this 2022 is the best Kitchen Sink Red yet.

Food Pairing

The ultimate braai wine — brilliant with boerewors, sosaties, lamb chops or a simple steak with chimichurri. The Cinsault-led character also makes it surprisingly versatile: try it with pizza, roast chicken, a rich tomato-based pasta, or even slightly chilled alongside a summer charcuterie spread. This is the bottle you open when friends arrive unannounced and you want something that’s easy to drink but impossible to forget. Serve at 14-16 C for maximum enjoyment. Drink now and over the next 2-3 years.

Technical Details

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