Darling, Darling

If you were to play a word-association game with Darling, two things would automatically spring to mind - Pieter-Dirk Uys and wildflowers. Until recently, wine would have been low down on the list of attractions of this dry little Swartland town. Fiona McDonald reports on Darling's new focus.

 

"What's this, mense? A drink-tank?" said Pieter-Dirk Uys when he came upon a meeting of the Darling wine producers recently.

A quick chirp but appropriate as these producers have recently united in their battle to forge a single identity. Late in 2003 their new status was confirmed by the Demarcation Board and "Wine of Origin: Darling" became a reality.

"Trying to create a unique identity for Darling within the larger context of the entire Swartland region was really difficult," says Shaun McLaughlin, owner of Trinity Guest Lodge. He's lending his marketing and advertising skills to the locals, assisting them in promoting the Darling Wine Experience. He readily admits Darling was long known only for its spring wildflowers and more recently for Evita se Perron, the theatre and restaurant set up by cross-dressing, Aids-educating, conscience-pricking playwright and satirist Pieter-Dirk Uys.

"Calling it the Darling Wine Route is a bit of a misnomer because there are only four cellars - and for us it's not just about the wine. It's about experiencing Darling, visiting the local museum, discovering the many artists and writers in town, seeing Yzerfontein beach. People don't realise Darling is only 80km from Cape Town - a mere 45 minute drive!"

There may be only four cellars - Groote Post, Cloof, Darling Cellars and Ormonde (formerly called Alexanderfontein) - but it's in the hilltop plantings surrounding the small town that the real story lies.

I was startled to learn that Darling boasts around 2000ha under grape, much of it planted in the past three to eight years - and 80% of that fruit is trucked to Stellenbosch and Paarl wineries! By way of illustration, Vinfruco's award-winning Credo Sauvignon Blanc 2002 (SAA Trophy for the best white wine in 2003) was made from Darling fruit. And the vineyards of Tukulu, last year's WINE magazine Tops at SPAR Pinotage Champion of the Year, are in Darling too.

But it's not just the four cellars that respect the area's potential. Charles Back now owns 60ha of Darling land. He's planting Sauvignon Blanc, Rhine Riesling and Pinot Gris, confident the global trend towards more spicy, Asian style cuisine will lead to a call for aromatic whites again.

Neil Ellis sources his award-winning Sauvignon Blanc from Darling's Groenekloof area. Winecorp, Graham Beck, Bellingham and Vinfruco use Darling grapes, as does Marc Kent from Boekenhoutskloof - specifically for the Porcupine Ridge range. Rupert & Rothschild source fruit from their 450ha Januarie's Kraal farm, while Nederburg cellarmaster Razvan Macici proudly proclaims Papkuilsfontein fruit contributed to his Reserve Sauvignon Blanc.

"There's a question mark hanging over who really first recognised the potential of Darling for cool climate varietals - especially Sauvignon Blanc," says Theo Basson of Ormonde. "Most people believe it was Neil Ellis, who sourced his Groenekloof Sauvignon Blanc from Alex Versfeld near Groote Post." (Neil Ellis Groenekloof Sauvignon Blanc has been one of South Africa's most consistent scorers with 4 Stars from WINE magazine in 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2002.)

Basson, whose inaugural Alexanderfontein Sauvignon Blanc scored a 4 Star rating in WINE magazine in April 2002, said Darling's quality was recognised before that.

Some of the original vines on Basson's farm were planted as far back as 1975 - and some of the old Chenin Blanc and Cinsaut is still growing. But it was in the mid '80s that his late father Nico, egged on by former varsity mate Ronnie Melck of Stellenbosch Farmers' Winery, first planted noble varieties. It was a bold move because there was no quota from the KWV. But the political climate soon changed, quotas were abandoned and the Bassons happily supplied tons of grapes to SFW - and do so to Distell today.

With 300ha already planted, the plan is ultimately to have between 550 and 600ha under vine. Although a tasting room in Darling town was opened in September 2003, a 300 ton cellar is being built just outside town.

Those are the plans for Ormonde, a registered estate, with wine under both the premium Ormonde label and Alexanderfontein, the easier drinking/more approachable brand, but what about the area?

"It's very important to all the producers here that we stand united and promote Darling as a destination first - and then market our own brands and wines second. We all win if we foster an identity for Darling," Basson says.

So what makes Darling unique? Essentially it's the coolness, because of its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, just a few kilometres away as the crow flies. Groote Post and Ormonde benefit most directly, while Cloof and Darling Cellars lie inland of the Darling Hills.

Basson's view is echoed by Nick Pentz of Groote Post.

Its first grapes were planted a scant eight years ago and its first wines bottled in 1999. It also kicked off with a 4 Star WINE rating for its 1999 Sauvignon Blanc in November 1999. It followed that up in October the next year with another 4 Star in WINE for a 1999 Chardonnay.

Ironically, although the Darling area's almost synonymous with quality Sauvignon Blanc, Groote Post has had more sales success with Chardonnay. "And that in a time when most people are quite vocal about being anti-wooded Chardonnay!" a slightly bemused Pentz admits. But he's extremely happy that 70% of all Groote Post wine is sold in SA. He's also a touch surprised at the growing success of their restaurant, Hilda's Kitchen. "You'd think the 10km of dirt road would put people off, but if anything it adds to the appeal. We're having to make booking essential over weekends."

Pentz is a firm believer in people experiencing the area - the dirt road, the birdlife and the scenery. "Darling's wines have a distinct sense of place."

Cloof's marketer Oscar Ffoulkes whizzes around the world to wine shows, selling exactly that point - Darling's sense of place - to international clients who snap up between 70 and 80% of their production.

The distinction between the cooler, seaside hilltop plantings and the warmer, valley floor inland plantings was illustrated by the relaxed mien of Ffoulkes and winemaker Christopher van Dieren on the day I met up with them.

"We finished harvesting a week ago," they announce. Yet just a few kilometres away, Pentz and winemaker Lukas Wentzel have only just begun picking their first red grapes!

"The inland Darling plantings are on the same type of soils but it's warmer and a touch drier," says Ffoulkes.

He's fully in favour of the Darling appellation. "It makes more sense than previously when we were the Groenekloof ward of the Swartland district within the Coastal region… The perception was that if you're from Groenekloof, you're cool climate. With us that's not the case."

Consequently their planting mix reflects varieties better suited to warmer temperatures - such as Pinotage, which put Cloof on the map in 2001 when it was judged the WINE magazine Pinotage Champion.

Van Dieren is a fan of the farm's unirrigated dryland and bushvine vineyards. "It's a real challenge to make quality wine here. Making wine in Stellenbosch is easy by comparison," the former Slaley winemaker avers.

The low rainfall and bushvines mean growth is naturally restricted so low yields are a given, along with good concentration of fruit.

The winery with the longest winemaking track record is Darling Cellars, which had its first bottling under the Mamreweg label in 1959, but produced mainly low quality bulk wines until the late '90s. The change came when Darling Cellars was born and the ever modest but oh-so-capable Abé Beukes joined in 1997.

Its transformation has been nothing short of startling. Quality is non-negotiable under Beukes and CEO John Sheppard. The emphasis is on bottled wine and the export market. The 20 members of the co-operative have sanctioned the turnaround and purchases of specialised bottling lines, purpose-built facilities, and consequently seen the increase in interest, sales and prestige of their wines.

Naturally Beukes' affinity with Shiraz has been put to the test - and it's a wine that has done particularly well, winning numerous Veritas gold medals over the past few years. Darling Cellars' Shiraz recorded 4 Stars in WINE in May 2002 and in May 2001 - both for the 1999 vintage.

But Sheppard again points out it's not just about the wine: "There's a lot to experience and there's a lovely, relaxed pace to life in the town. It's a great place to visit."

Ormonde
Tel: 022 492 3540 Plantings: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc Wines: Ormonde Sauvignon Blanc, Ormonde Chardonnay, Alexanderfontein Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexanderfontein Chenin Blanc.

Groote Post
Tel: 022 492 2825 Plantings: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc Wines: Chardonnay (wooded and unwooded versions), Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon, Old Man's Blend (Merlot and Pinot Noir)

Cloof
Tel: 022 492 2839 Plantings: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinotage, Cinsaut, Merlot, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc Wines: Cloof range - Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc/Merlot and Pinotage. Bushvines range - Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot. Cellarhands range - white. Cloof Dusty Road range - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinotage.

Darling Cellars
Tel: 022 492 2276 Plantings: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pintage, Ruby Cabernet, Shiraz, Cinsaut, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc Wines: Onyx range - Kroon (red blend); Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Pinotage, Sauvignon Blanc and Noble Late Harvest. DC range - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage, Chardonnay. Flamingo Bay range - Cinsaut/Cabernet Sauvignon, Lagoon Rosé and Chenin Blanc/Sauvignon Blanc.