South African Wine Legends
Past legends
Harold Eedes
6 august 1944 to 20 July 2008
Managing director of Ramsay Son & Parker (now RamsayMedia) before his retire ment in 2008 and publisher of Wine magazine between 1993 to 2008, Harold Eedes’ greatest contribution to the local industry was, undoubtedly, his passion for wine. It was this passion that inspired a conviction that the local wine industry needed a magazine to support, inspire and educate fellow wine-lovers on their journey with the beverage. This vision became tangible, in the form of Wine magazine, which was launched in October 1993. Over the years the magazine became the authoritative guide on wine, allowing consumers a way to engage with a subject matter that otherwise would have been unattainable. An extensive ratings database and a library of interviews with winemakers chronicle the development of the local wine industry over the past two decades, a legacy to which Harold gave birth and which is, undoubtedly, one of the local industry’s priceless treasures. His son, Christian, who was editor of the magazine from 2008 until 2009 remembers: “My late dad’s vision for Wine magazine was pretty simple: the subject of wine appeals to those who appreciate the finer things in life. Provide trustworthy ratings as well as high-quality journalism on wine and wine-related topics and it would be possible to attract a small but discerning (and probably quite affluent) audience. That Wine magazine lasted 18 years suggests he wasn’t completely misguided…”
Ross Gower
19 March 1952 to 25 March 2010
Ross Gower chose a winemaking path at the age of 13 and, after qualifying at Elsenburg, he worked for Günter Brözel in the heady days of developing Nederburg Edelkeur. After a stint in Germany and some travels to New Zealand, he became the first winemaker at Klein Constantia. His first vintage in 1986 was widely acclaimed, and the Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon are still regarded as benchmarks in the evolution of South African wines. Close friend Allan Mullins comments, “Perhaps one of Ross’ proudest achievements was his Vin de Constance, which signalled the renaissance of the legendary 18th- and 19th-century Constantia. This wine has been much sought after by luminaries such as Napoleon, Frederick the Great, Bismarck and the kings of France and England, and written about by the likes of Charles Dickens, Baudelaire and Jane Austen.” Gower turned his attention to a farm in the Elgin Valley in 2003 and set about turning this into a piece of wine heaven as the family-made Ross Gower Wines. In Wine magazine’s 2009 Amorim Cork MCC Challenge, his 2007 was chosen as the winner of the Rosé category. On a personal note, Mullins remembers Gower’s hands which, like him, were large, strong and red-wine stained, and admired by many winemakers, who saw them as the sign “of a true winemaker”.
Frans Malan
28 August 1928 to 29 August 2003
Former proprietor and patriarch of Simonsig estate in Stellenbosch, Frans Malan was a pioneer of note. In 1971, this winemaker, who was also a director of KWV and co-founder of the Stellenbosch Wine Route, introduced the first local méthode champenoise-style to South Africa. Named Kaapse Vonkel, the original sparkling wine was made from Chenin Blanc, but was later changed to include traditional varieties Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and also, in later years, Pinot Meunier. The 1992 vintage outscored international competition when it was voted the Sparkling Wine of the Year in the 1995 edition of UK Wine magazine’s International Wine Challenge. The popularity and quality of Kaapse Vonkel hasn’t waned and it still remains one of South Africa’s most trusted brands. In fact it is no surprise to see Simonsig Cap Classique dominating the podium again this year in the annual Amorim Cork Cap Classique Challenge (see page 96) – the legacy of the late Frans Malan quite clearly still has a very strong and reputable presence.
Tony Mossop
30 June 1942 to 23 September 2005
One of South Africa’s much-loved wine characters, the late Tony Mossop was a wine devotee of note, serving on numerous tasting panels during his wine-active years. Fiona McDonald, editor of Wine magazine from 1 August 2000 to 28 February 2008, notes in her editor’s letter, written at the news of Mossop’s passing, “There wasn’t a tasting panel in the country that he hadn’t served on – from Wine, Trophy Wine Show, Wine-of-the-Month Club, Veritas and SAA to convenor of Diners Club Winemaker of the Year Awards – and his contribution in terms of refining procedures was significant.” Apart from his quirky contributions – Sips and Snips – to Wine magazine, Mossop, a Cape Wine Master, also contributed to the advancement of Port in South Africa. In 1993, he and his wife, Lynn, bought Axe Hill farm in Calitzdorp – an establishment that became well known for top-quality Port. Mossop played a significant role in advancing the cause, awareness, popularity and quality of South African fortified wines immensely. His son, Miles (see page 43), continues to do his father’s legacy proud with the stellar work he, as winemaker, is delivering at Tokara winery in Stellenbosch.
George Frederik Spies
1 April 1918 to 29 April 1997
If ever there was a man who lives on through his wine, then George Spies, the visionary behind the much-discussed GS Cabernet 1966, is it. A man with no tertiary training, he went on to become one of South Africa’s most revered winemakers. He began his winemaking career in the lab at Bellville Winery (started by Monis founder Roberto Moni), where his forte was Sherries and Ports – but it is for a wholly different wine that he became revered. The GS Cabernet, labelled by the US Wine Spectator as SA’s one true classic offering, received an unprecedented 95-point rating by Wine Spectator senior editor James Molesworth, who further described the GS Cabernet as a “breakthrough wine”. For this and all the mystery that surrounds it, the GS Cabernet, notably vintages ’66 and ’68, became a revered wine. To this day, the GS Cabernet, along with the man whose initials it bears, is one of South Africa’s true legendary offerings. In May 2008, Wine magazine compared GS Cabernets ’66 and ’68 with Château Haut-Brion ’66 – the conclusion? “Easily standing shoulder to shoulder with the First Growth Bordeaux,” reported wine writer Joanne Gibson at the time.
Present legends
Eben Archer
Professor, academic, researcher, consultant and world-renowned viticultural expert, nature-lover at heart and mentor by profession, Professor Eben Archer is South Africa’s top vine specialist. His ongoing research in the field of viticulture has not only branded him as a pioneer, but his studies at research centre Nietvoorbij during South Africa’s pariah years made him one of the foremost advancers of the local wine trade even during sanctions, he was a key player who ensured that, scientifically, the local wine industry was on a par with the rest of the world. He has a PhD from the University of Montpellier in France, and became a lecturer in Stellenbosch University's oenological department in 1988, a position he held for 17 years and for which students today's wine makers and viticul turists affectionately remember him. He has served as a consultant to wineries the world over and has thus gained a reputation as one of the world's foremost experts in this field. Today Prof Archer is still involved with some 26 farms in Distell's Cape Legends portfolio and is an outspoken activist for the Integrated Production of Wine strategy, which promotes farming with minimal harm to the environment.
Charles Back
Charles Back studied winemaking at Elsenburg Agricultural College in Stellen bosch. After the fall of apartheid and the lifting of economic sanctions, he initiated international sales and marketing drives. He is the owner of The Goats do Roam Wine Company, the highestselling South African wine brand in the USA since its introduction in 2000. He also owns The Spice Route Winery, a wine cellar in the Swartland. He believes most local vineyards should be planted to Mediterranean and Rhonestyle varietals, rather than the Bordeaux ones typically favoured. As one of the country's original Rhone rangers, he has brought a number of new grape varieties to South Africa. He was the first producer to plant Viognier vineyards in the country and has the largest plantings of Mourvedre. He is known for his commitment to social development of the previously disadvantaged communities connected to the wine industry: he established the FairValley Farm Workers' Association in 1997, which provides land to Fairview workers and their families, and uses the funds from the sale of wines to build houses.
Duimpie Bayly
In addition to his impres sive background (he has been involved in the wine industry for more than 40 years) and contribution to the local wine industry, Francis 'Duimpie' Bayly is widely known for his dry humour and endearing nature. He has a BSc from the University of Stellenbosch, an MS from the University of California (Davis) and a PMD from Harvard. He began his work career in the laboratory at Stellenbosch Farmers Winery in 1962 and went on to become group operations director. He still serves on the board of Distell, SA's largest wine and spirit company, incorporating the old Stellenbosch Farmers' Winery. One of the first to qualify as a Cape Wine Master (1983), he continues to serve on wine judging panels both nationally and internationally, and has been a part of, and chaired, many industry committees and societies. Having served as president of the South African Society of Enology & Viticulture, he is now an honorary life member. Currently chairman of Veritas, one of the longestrunning independent wine shows in South Africa, he also enjoys his position as chairman of the South African Demarcation Committee (appellation controlee) a position that takes him throughout the winegrowing regions of South Africa.
Gunter Brozel
Cellarmaster at successful Paarl winery Nederburg for 33 years before his retirement in 1989, Gunter Brozel is the man responsible for bringing South Africa the heavenly Nederburg Edelkeur. It was an act that challenged the laws of the time. Existing legislation (Act No 25 of 1957) prohibited production of natural wine with a sugar content above 30g/l, which made the production of Noble Late Harvest impossible. In an interview with Jos Baker, printed in Wine magazine in 2002, Brozel jokes: "We stretched the style of South African wines enormously, even though we had to contend with a lot of birth control." His innovation and persistence resulted in one of the finest domestic offerings, still much revered and highly sought after today. The Nederburg Auction, an annual highlight on the wine calendar, is directly linked to Brozel's Edelkeur, as this event was founded as a platform to promote rare and innovative wines, and to establish a following for Noble Late Harvest. Brozel was also the first South African to win the Mondavi Trophy for Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London in 1985, and he has won the coveted Diners Club Winemaker of the Year Award twice, in 1983 for a Rhine Riesling and '85 for a Gewurztraminer. It is ironic to note the first bottles of Edelkeur at the Auction were sold for little more than the price of Lieberstein today these wines, exclusively offered at the Nederburg auction, fetch some of the highest prices for white wine in South Africa.
Jan Boland Coetzee
The exSpringbok flank with a love for fine, French wines and one of South Africa's most influential winemakers. There is a proud, legendary history that besieges the man. Wine writer Fiona McDonald noted in a previous article the "apocryphal tale of when boxer Kallie Knoetze was asked who hurt him the most with Knoetze's reply being that it didn't happen in the boxing ring but on a rugby field, while he was playing for Northern Transvaal against Western Province, and the person behind the punch was Jan ‘Boland’!” The truth is that this man is as legendary off the field as he was on it. He has had many achievements in his life: he started his winemaking career at Kanonkop in Stellenbosch, one of South Africa’s most coveted producers, and, although he left the farm in 1980 (to farm Vriesenhof where he remains today), the name Kanonkop is still closely associated with that of Jan Boland Coetzee. In the 1980s, he, together with winemaker Danie de Wet of De Wetshof, was responsible for smuggling Chardonnay cuttings into the country at a time when this variety was still banned by the KWV – both were later brought to testify in front of a commission of enquiry, the outcome of which resulted in the establishment of the Vine Improvement Association in 1986, which reduced the approval period for new varieties from close to 20 years to three.
Giorgio Dalla Cia
Italian-born Giorgio Dalla Cia is as much known for his gregarious personality as he is for Meerlust Rubicon. Winemaker at the famous Stellenbosch winery between 1978 and 2003, Dalla Cia is often (mistakenly) credited for conceiving the country’s first Bordeaux-style red blend, when in fact Welgemeend Estate conceived a Bordeaux-style red in 1979, a year before the famed Meerlust Rubicon 1980. This doesn’t detract from the legend that precedes the man. He pioneered a wine that acquired legend status almost overnight and in 1980, recognising his great winemaking skills, Dalla Cia was named South Africa’s Champion Winemaker; he was also named Producer of the Best Red Blend in the World in 2006. In addition, along with his son, George, he was the first to produce a traditional northern Italian-style Grappa in South Africa.
Danie de Wet
De Wet took over the running of family-owned Robertson farm De Wetshof in 1972, after studying at the Geisenheim Wine Institute in Germany where he gained a diploma in viticulture and cellar technology. He has subsequently proved to be one of South Africa’s most innovative winemakers. De Wet’s achievements are numerous: he has been a key figure in uplifting the reputation of Robertson, with De Wetshof becoming the first registered estate in the district in 1972. He was also the first to produce dry white wines in the region, with Chardonnay proving particularly successful: among his many achievements was being awarded Diners Club Winemaker of the Year in 1993 for his De Wetshof Finesse, an unwooded Chardonnay of the same vintage. An ambitious character, De Wet caused a stir when in 1992 he broke away from Bergkelder, the marketing body run by the then Distillers Corporation and representative of some of the most prestigious producers in the country. He subsequently developed an export-led sales paradigm for De Wetshof that has been an inspiration for many. Where De Wet has had particular influence over the wine styles that prevail today was in his position as the chairman of the South African National Wine Show Association between 1995 and 2004. Begun in 1990, Veritas is probably the most important wine competition in the country if only by virtue of being the most long-lived. De Wet was chairman of KWV from 2004 until his retirement from the institute in 2009. – From the Wine magazine archives, August 2006.
Piet du Toit
The man who brought South Africa Alto Rouge – once touted as being one of the ‘aristocrats’ of SA wines – and later, stellar Cabernet Sauvignons, Piet du Toit, like the story of Alto, is embedded in the history and culture of the local wine industry. Here is a man whose vision was to uplift a wine, and its farm, to icon status, and to this day the results of his bona fides are there to see. And although the present-day Alto still produces wines of fine quality, the wines from Piet du Toit’s era are legendary. Alongside Manie Malan, Piet du Toit officially took over the reins at Alto in 1959. In 1965, Du Toit started keeping Cabernet Sauvignon aside for single-varietal bottling. This wine was only released in 1971 – an ageing regime that characterised Alto Cabernet. Today this maiden vintage Cabernet Sauvignon remains a remarkable wine, and serves as a reminder that the local wine industry is far more advanced than some commentators would like to propose.
Peter Finlayson
The tall, blue-eyed gentleman of the winelands is highly regarded for his knack of making outstanding Pinot Noir. Peter Finlayson graduated in oenology from Stellenbosch University before furthering his studies at the Geisenheim Institute in the Rheingau in 1975. In 1975 he was winemaker at Hamilton Russell winery, where he helped establish the farm’s reputation for well-crafted Pinot Noir. He was recognised for his efforts and achievement with the Pinot Noir grape in 1989, when he was named Diners Club Winemaker of the Year. In 1990, he left Hamilton Russell Vineyards to establish neighbouring farm Bouchard Finlayson with business partner Michael Clark. Here his wines continue to capture the hearts of those who have developed a taste for the well-structured wines of this wine veteran of the local winelands.
Tim Hamilton Russell
Tim Hamilton Russell was a man on a mission when he purchased a farm in the Walker Bay area in 1975. It was the first farm to be planted with vines in the area, and it quickly gained a reputation as a producer of the finest local examples of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Hamilton Russell is recorded as being instrumental in the termination of the production quota system as well as the minimum price structure. He was also always outspoken about the boundaries that determine the classification of wines according to the wine of origin system. A true ‘terroirist’ and an activist for its recognition in wines, Tim Hamilton Russell was instrumental in laying the foundation for what is today found in the Hemel-en-Aarde region: producers of wines that are uniquely Burgundian in character, reflective of their environment and revered the world over.
Dave Hughes
One of the best-known and best-loved characters of the wine world, Dave Hughes has spent years in service of the local (and international) wine industry. As winery manager in Stellenbosch in the ’70s, he ruled a tight operation and, through his managerial abilities and true interest in the world of wine, became one of South Africa’s leading authorities on wine, but also especially spirit-related beverages. Today several terms can be used to describe this leading figure: distiller, winemaker, wine auctioneer, international wine and spirits judge, writer on drink and allied subjects, and consultant to various wine competitions and events. In addition, he presented Harold Eedes with the idea of a wine and drinks magazine, a brainchild that later took form in the publication you are holding in your hands right now. Dave Hughes is also the co-founder of the Cape Wine Academy, the wine educational body that was established in 1979 due to Hughes’ pleas for such an institute. A true elder of the trade, Dave has a wealth of wisdom and has authored numerous books on the subject of wine and spirits. In addition, his experience as a local and international taster at prestigious shows has made him into a celebrity judge that South Africa is proud to call its own.
Johann Krige
If you were pushed to nominate a leading South African red wine estate, it would likely be Kanonkop. It is a fourth-generation family business that focuses on the production of red wines only and is the vision of owners Johann and Paul Krige to produce wines of international standard. On the marketing, financial and personnel front is Johann Krige, who graduated from Stellenbosch University with a BA LLB and MBA. He spent a brief spell in the legal profession, then another at KWV as an export marketing manager, before joining the team in 1990. He spends his free time in the African bush or at the sea. At the International Wine and Spirit Competition held in London in 2008, Kanonkop won the Wolf Blass trophy for International Winemaker of the Year (for the second time), the Dave Hughes Trophy for Best South African Producer and the Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande trophy for the Best Blended Red Wine (the first producer in the world to receive this trophy for a third time).
Allan Mullins
South Africa’s most successful wine selector, Allan Mullins is a man whose impact on the industry can be determined by the amount of wine cases sourced by him and bought by consumers. He studied towards a Cape Wine Master qualification and went on to become a leading wine judge and one of South Africa’s trusted palates. In a professional capacity, Mullins’ role as chief wine selector at Woolworths SA since 1990 has resulted in the commodity being more readily and more widely enjoyed by consumers. His efforts as fine-wine purveyor resulted in Woolworths broadening its wine selection and, importantly, dropping the brand-dependent labels that didn’t allude to the name of the wine producer. In addition, Mullins, in consultation with various winemakers, has the responsibility of preparing the blends for the Woolworths label. So great is his craft that it is safe to assume that, if you are drinking a blend bottled for Woolworths, it was his palate that determined its contents. On a personal level, Mullins has served as an inspiration to many, his positive attitude to life being as celebrated as his favourite drink: Champagne.
John Platter
Coming from a journalism background, John Platter originally had a wine column that he wrote for a newspaper, and from which he always had leftover material. And so he decided it would be nice to start a wine guide, particularly after reading Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book. That was back in 1978, with the first-ever Platter guide released in 1979. He and his wife, Erica, probably had little inkling that 30 years later the guide would have grown from 120 to 600 pages, and would become considered as the reference tool/directory to South African wines. John Platter has enjoyed the wine scene from a growing, farming, producing and writing perspective – with farms from Franschhoek to Delaire on Hels hoogte, and then Clos du Ciel. The Platters, who helped bring South African wine into the mainstream with the country’s first wine travel guide, then focused their curious wine traveller tendencies on the rest of Africa with their remarkably original book, Africa Uncorked, Travels in Extreme Wine Territory in 2002. They moved to Durban’s North Coast, where they have a house nestled on a sprawling estate near Shaka’s Rock, half of which was originally the sugar farm on which Erica grew up.
Norma Ratcliffe
A doyenne of the Cape wine industry, Canadianborn Ratcliffe is not only a member of the Cape Winemakers Guild, but she was the first female member and has served as its chairperson. She taught herself to make wine and used to give it away to close friends, asking for feedback and sharing ideas. Later on, her passion led to cellar experience in Bordeaux where the winemaker broke her leg and she ended up carrying out her instructions to continue the wine production. Ratcliffe then brought her winemaking skills to Warwick Estate. Its success is partially due to her instinct to get into the export market quickly, back in 1990. It was about ensuring that the brand was built, now demonstrated in the wide recognition of Warwick wines internationally. She has a magical energy about her, and has done much for mentoring women in the wine industry, building and extending an impressive network. She believes that mentorship was a huge help to fuelling her own career and that it is her turn to provide this to the next generation. Her natural passion for wine is inspiring, as is her indomitable spirit of encouragement.
Johann Rupert
Chosen three times as Most Influential Leader in South Africa by the top 100 listed companies in South Africa, Johann Rupert, the eldest son of the late South African business tycoon Anton Rupert, is a South African businessman and chairman of the Swiss-based luxury goods company Richemont and non-executive Chair of VenFin and Remgro. He is ranked second in South Africa with a fortune estimated at $3.8 billion, just after the Oppenheimer family. He took ownership of the L’Ormarins wine estate from his late brother, and developed the farm in his honour. Dropping out of university to pursue a career in business, in 2004, Stellenbosch University actually awarded him an honorary doctorate in economics. Also selected the 2009 International Wine Entrepreneur of the Year at the Meininger Excellence in Wine and Spirit awards ceremony in Düsseldorf, Germany. Dr Rupert was appointed as the fourteenth chancellor of Stellenbosch University in December 2009 and, in April 2010, he assumed the position of chief executive officer of Compagnie Financière Richemont. He is also the recipient of the prestigious Wits Business School’s Management Excellence Award for 2009. While he has been known to keep out of the public eye, he has also been dubbed Rupert the Bear for predicting a world economic crisis.
Spatz Sperling
Michael ‘Spatz’ Sperling came to South Africa in 1951 to farm De Drie Sprong in Stellenbosch, a mixed enterprise that was later renamed Delheim. Spatz’s contribution to the local wine industry can be measured in what local reports tell you of the man (he has been credited with pioneering everything from the Stellenbosch Wine Route to cheese platters at tasting rooms), and also in the immeasurable – this winemaker’s inviting personality leaves no doubt as to why people refer to him affectionately as Spatz. He has had many achievements, but he is best known for being instrumental in the establishment of the Stellenbosch Wine Route in 1972, after years of campaigning with fellow winemakers Neil Joubert of Spier and Frans Malan of Simonsig. Less documented is the generation of winemakers that shadowed him: Josef Krammer, Kevin Arnold, Jeff Grier, Philip Constandius, Chris Keet, Kevin Grant, Martin Meinert and Conrad Vlok. He acknowledges his great contribution when he says: “One of my greatest compliments is that these winemakers came to my school, as I was never on a wine bench. But I was able, through my educational abilities, to identify young winemakers and make them flourish.”
Beyers Truter
Former Kanonkop winemaker and now at Beyerskloof, Beyers Truter, is a force to be reckoned with and one of the winelands’ best-loved personalities. He was named Diners Club Winemaker of the Year for his Kanonkop Pinotage in 1987 and received the Robert Mondavi Trophy for International Winemaker of the Year at the 1991 International Wine and Spirit Competition and in 2003 the Dave Hughes Trophy for Best South African Producer. However, Truter’s highest credit is perhaps for his contribution to South Africa’s local grape Pinotage. He is a founding member and chairman of the Pinotage Association, and there are few in the industry as dedicated to raising the profile of this uniquely South African wine as he is. Around the world he is known as the Pinotage King, but this co-owner and winemaker of Beyerskloof remains remarkably humble, a trait that isn’t going unrecognised in the industry.
Achim von Arnim
Eccentric Achim von Arnim is known for his colourful personality and his outspoken nature, and is by a mile one of the winelands’ most extreme and well-recognised celebrities. As proprietor of Haute Cabrière estate in Franschhoek, his name is closely associated with Pinot Noir as well as Cap Classique, this farm enjoying a massive following from loyal fans who actively seek out Haute Cabrière as their tried-and-trusted brand. As well as having an artistic temperament, Von Arnim is a brilliant businessman and marketer, the commercial success of Haute Cabrière Chardonnay Pinot Noir blend being a case in point. Von Arnim is further known for being a master of the act of sabrage (lopping the tops off bubbly bottles with a sword), which he does to the great entertainment of guests visiting the well-frequented cellar on top of a hill. Von Arnim also amuses as artist and poet, his works famously portrayed in the book Naked, which he published in 2005.
Future legends
Adi Badenhorst
Winemaker at AA Badenhorst Family Wines, this Swartland maverick is a much-loved and respected vigneron who has captivated many with his passion for wine. His winemaking methods are unconventional in modern terms, but the results always clearly reflect the personality of their maker: never dull and invariably provide a talking point.
Howard Booysen
Suave and exciting to watch, Howard Booysen is drawing all the right sounds for his Howard Booysen Weisser Riesling 2010 – the first bottled under his own name. He was one of the first apprentices in the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé programme, and it would be interesting to see whether he’ll be included in this exclusive group in the future.
Rosa Kruger
Kruger’s impressive track record includes ongoing experience at Anthonij Rupert Wines, Rupert and Rothschild, Cape Point Vineyards, Solms-Delta and work with Eben Sadie, as well as considerable experience in vineyards in France, Spain, Italy, Argentina and Slovakia. But Rosa Kruger, the holder of four degrees in journalism and law, decided to put that aside and head for the vineyards. With some time in Elgin, Helderberg and Noordhoek, she accepted a post at L’Ormarins, home of Rupert wines, outside Franschhoek. She is a self-taught viticulturist with an appreciation for wines made from European vines. One of the most important things she has gained through her exposure to the winemaking areas of the world is that the Old World often does not distinguish between a viticulturist and a winemaker. And Kruger has probably only just begun as she makes new inroads into the preservation of old vines, searching for ancient Shiraz locally, as well as plans to import a few antique cultivars from the Old World. Thankfully, there are farmers like Rosa Kruger and Eben Sadie who are willing to keep these incredibly low-yielding vineyards and make these special wines.
Miles Mossop
The man responsible for producing the wines at Tokara has seen his produce achieve critical acclaim in various tough and respected competitions. The range at this Helshoogte winery suggests that Mossop is a highly skilled and versatile winemaker.
Eben Sadie
He’s been called something of a maverick, but there is a unique and inspired philosophy behind Eben Sadie’s approach to the Sadie Family Wines. Besides the obviously charismatic personality of Eben Sadie himself, which is detectable in the final product, it is most likely his pioneering efforts to preserve old vines that have contributed to his reputation. Sadie started as winemaker with Charles Back, heading up the newly formed Spice Route venture. He left in 2000 and made just 17 barrels in his first vintage, because he didn’t have the money to invest in it. His Columella and Palladius wines are now widely regarded as among the best red and white wines, respectively, from the Western Cape. On a journey literally to discover the world of wine, he made his way through Germany, Austria, Italy, Oregon and Burgundy. He aimed to capture the essence of the European wines he had connected with, and on his return he found three vineyards that held the potential he required. He doesn’t have machines in the cellar, rather everything is done by gravity and by hand. “It’s a very pure way of producing the wine.”
Duncan Savage
Winemaker at the much-acclaimed Cape Point Vineyards, Duncan Savage has gained a reputation for the property’s Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon as well as the white Bordeaux-style blend, Isliedh. Particularly age-worthy, the wines are showing the world that there’s no lack of world-class quality in local wine styles.
