Masons Winery is a boutique South African producer built on family heritage, craftsmanship and modern elegance. Each limited-release wine is handcrafted to reflect terroir, texture and time. I went to the exclusive soft relaunch of Masons Winery on Wednesday, 10 December 2026 at Masons Square in the JA Clift Granite Factory in Paarl. It was a lovely, personal evening celebrating the Clift family's 25-year journey in winemaking. JA Clift, founded in 1906 by James Andrew Clift of Cornish descent, is the oldest family-owned granite business in the country. Over time, the company diversified into a farming division and bought two farms, De Hoop and Schoongezicht. It was on De Hoop that Derek Clift founded Masons Winery. At the event, Derek shared how Masons has evolved from a shared cellar into a focused boutique producer. The connection to their stone and masonry legacy is everywhere – the vines actually grow in 500-million-year-old granite soil. He introduced the winery's new winemaker, Christopher Kruger, who crafts the wines under the mentorship of David Nieuwoudt of Cederberg Wines. Christopher led a tasting of the two wines in the newly relaunched Masons Collection: Voëltjiegat Chenin Blanc 2024 and Quarry Block Shiraz 2023. The Chenin was named after a special lookout point on the farm, while the Shiraz's name was inspired by by the working granite quarry. They also announced The Village Winery @ Masons, which is set to open in Paarl in mid-2026 as a joint venture with Gerrit Human (Bacchus) and David Nieuwoudt. It really feels like an exciting new chapter for the brand, and I'm so glad I was there to see it.