Sadie Columella, the value of changing your mind.

Published 3 November 2026 · WHV

A wine can become famous for a recognisable style. More interesting is a producer willing to explain how that style changed. Columella offers that possibility through the Sadie Family’s unusually useful written record of the wine’s development in South Africa’s Swartland.

A wine with a written memory

The producer’s twenty-year review describes a long process of reconsidering vineyard sources and cellar decisions. Its 2023 technical sheet provides a more specific snapshot, documenting a blend drawn from twelve vineyards and an extended maturation programme. The 2023 is a defined vintage to investigate, not a claim about the newest release or the composition of every Columella.

This makes the wine a good subject for a small, deliberate tasting. Comparing properly stored bottles from different years can reveal both seasonal difference and changing decisions. The exercise is more informative when the producer’s notes are read alongside the glasses, rather than allowing a critic’s score to supply the whole experience.

Make a tasting, not just an acquisition

Buy from a source that can explain storage and provenance. For older bottles, inspect fill level, closure condition and transport history. Shared tasting costs can make a serious comparison more accessible without requiring a large collection. The value may be an evening of unusually focused learning and pleasure. Neither a respected producer nor a scarce vintage guarantees a financial return.