2023 Bayede 'The Prince', Cabernet Sauvignon, Robertson, Western Cape, South Africa

Rich ruby red color with delightful cherry overtones. Ripe fruit on the palate with a powerful finish and well-integrated slightly wooded oak tannins. 

Bayede! Royal Wines, founded in 2009 by Antoinette Vermooten, is the first South African brand with an official Zulu Royal Warrant, endorsed by the late HM King Goodwill Zwelithini. The brand focuses on empowerment and, as of 2025, has a joint venture with the Black-owned De Goree Farm in the Western Cape to produce its, often hand-beaded, wines.

Bayede means “Hail to the King” in Zulu and it is the only wine brand owned by the Zulu nation. As with the rich Zulu history of successive kings, the Bayede! Royal  brand endures beyond generations. The brand is a living legacy, a tangible product reflecting royalty, culture, and history.

Bayede provides employment to women in the community who did not have the opportunity to obtain education, but who are masters in the Zulu tradition of beading. These beads proudly adorn the Bayede “Prince” and reserve wines. Bayede is based on the purpose of providing employment opportunities, not only providing sustainable jobs but also empowering people through skills transfer and capacity building. A range of diversified products are developed, using labor mainly from local communities and established community projects in essence to battle unemployment in South Africa.