Johan Nesenberend
"If you were to put me in a suit and tie, I'd end up in an institution in two weeks," says Johan Nesenberend, the red wine maker at Darling Cellars.
He reluctantly agrees to don his glad rags - if only for a night - on learning that he's a Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year finalist for his For My Friends Shiraz 2002. But even prior to being named overall winner, his tribute to Darling Cellars boss and "mentor" Abe Beukes is black-tie-appropriate for these Oscars of SA wine: "It's a privilege to work with him. Everything I know about making Shiraz is thanks to him."
A modest and unassuming 30-year-old, Nesenberend describes his as a "short and simple" life: "I was born on a farm in Wellington and lived there until I was 12. I guess I was always interested in nature and science, and winemaking seemed to bring those two interests together, so I enrolled at Elsenburg. When I graduated with a diploma in cellar technology in 1996, I had all these big plans to go overseas and do the travel and harvest thing. But then the red winemaker position became available at Darling Cellars and I've been here ever since."
Until 1998, of course, Darling Cellars was the old Mamreweg Co-operative. "We used to supply most of our wine in bulk," remembers Nesenberend. "Now we bottle about 80% of our production. I feel very proud about how the company and the quality of our wines have developed. I guess I've also grown with the place."
Having always dreamed of doing his own thing, he was overjoyed when the Darling Cellars board gave him and Beukes permission, at the end of 2001, to make a few barrels of their own Shiraz. "It's exciting to do your own little thing, to put your money where your mouth is. You look after those few barrels like they are your own babies!"
The dedication has paid off, with the maiden 2002 vintage of For My Friends Shiraz beating almost 80 other entries to earn him the title of Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year. "I was confident it was a good wine. But it's not me," he insists, "it's the fruit we get around here."
Darling Cellars sources grapes from some 20 growers located primarily in the premium ward of Groenekloof, an area characterised by dryland bush vines. "And because we make millions of litres of wine, we are able to choose the very best fruit for For My Friends," he says. "In 2002, we had 500 tons of Shiraz at our disposal, and used just two tons from a vineyard known to us for its premium quality."
Yields are very low - just six to eight tons per hectare - and the grapes are handpicked and destemmed. "Because we make such small amounts [1 500 litres in 2002] we only used free-run juice. The beauty of Shiraz from this area is that you don't have to work the grapes hard to get colour and structure; it's already there."
The 2002 For My Friends underwent malolactic fermentation in French oak (60% new; 40% second-fill) and was racked only once. "And then we just left the wine to develop on its own. My aim was to make an elegant wine, where the wood doesn't dominate the fruit flavours but merely enhances the spicy, peppery Shiraz fruit character."
The wine was filtered and bottled in November 2003, and then it was time to think of a name. "We really struggled," he admits. "For My Friends doesn't sound very sophisticated - not nearly as sophisticated as the wine itself! But I like the idea that if someone buys a wine called For My Friends, they will somehow feel part of what we have created here. Wine tends to bring people together - whether we're wine producers or wine lovers, we're all friends!"
The pricing implications are even more endearing: "If it's called For My Friends, then my friends must be able to afford it," he insists, estimating that the 2002 will retail for under R100.
Nesenberend lives on the Darling Cellars property with his wife, Almaree, and their two dogs ("it's a relaxing lifestyle, surrounded by vineyards and wheatfields"). A keen sport fisherman, his favourite places to "chase snoek and geelstert" are Yzerfontein and Dassen Island, and he also enjoys hunting with his two brothers. "Nothing goes better with For My Friends than a piece of venison on the braai," he says. "Then again, you can also enjoy a bottle of this wine on its own."
No doubt shared with friends for maximum enjoyment.
The Runners Up
Fairview Handcrafted Shiraz 2003 (Erlank Erasmus)
Flagstone Foundation Shiraz 2003 (Marelize Beyers)
Raka Biography Shiraz 2002 (Teresa Fourie)
Rijk's Shiraz 2002 (Pierre Wahl)
