Winemakers / Doddie Weir
Doddie Weir
The story behind
The Wine
Doddie Weir was one of Scotland's greatest rugby players — a British & Irish Lion, Scotland international and a man who wore the iconic No.5 shirt with pride.
Following Doddie's diagnosis with motor neurone disease, Sporting Wine Club set out to create something that brought together two of his great passions: rugby and wine.
The result was Doddie’5 Red Blend — created with legendary Springbok Schalk Burger Snr and his family at Welbedacht Estate in South Africa. The concept was simple but meaningful: a wine built around the number five, with five grape varieties representing Doddie's famous shirt.
It became much more than a wine. It became a celebration of friendship, sporting camaraderie and Doddie's determination to make a difference in the fight against MND.
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Discover our
Sporting Connection
The story behind Doddie’5 is a remarkable meeting of rugby worlds.
Doddie Weir and Schalk Burger Snr were both British & Irish Lions, with Doddie representing the Lions on their victorious 1997 tour of South Africa, while Burger became one of the Springboks' most celebrated forwards.
Their connection through rugby gave the wine an authenticity that goes far beyond its label. Schalk approached the blend almost as he would a rugby team — bringing together five different grape varieties, each with its own character and role, to create something greater as a whole.
The project also brought together Doddie, Schalk, Kenny Logan, Simon Halliday and the wider rugby community, united by a shared desire to support the fight against MND.
The label with a story: Henry Fraser
The bottle carries another extraordinary rugby connection.
The striking label was created by Henry Fraser, a former Saracens Academy rugby player who was paralysed following a diving accident aged 17. Henry subsequently taught himself to paint using a brush held in his mouth and became an acclaimed mouth artist.
His artwork gives the bottle another layer of meaning: three rugby stories brought together through one wine — Doddie's fight, Schalk's craft and Henry's extraordinary artistic journey.
The result is a label that is every bit as significant as the wine inside it.
Exploring the
Vineyard
Doddie’5 Red Blend is made at Welbedacht Estate in Wellington, home to Schalk Burger & Sons.
Situated around 40 minutes north of Cape Town, Welbedacht is a family estate with ancient, decomposed granite soils and a long connection to both South African rugby and winemaking. The Burger family combines its sporting heritage with a serious commitment to producing distinctive wines from the Cape.
For Doddie’5, Schalk and his family created a five-variety Cape Bordeaux-style blend, reflecting Doddie's No.5 shirt and the idea that each grape should play its part in the team.
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