The red variety thrives in its ancient soils and cool climate. Located at 34º latitude south, Hemel-en-Aarde benefits from its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, which contributes to its cool climate. This is due to the Benguela Current that flows along southern Africa’s west coast, lowering the temperature of the seawater. In the summer, the constant wind from the bay has a cooling influence on the vineyards.

“It’s not latitude or high altitude that cools us down. It’s the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean,” says Olive Hamilton Russell, who, along with her husband, Anthony, owns the vineyards bearing the family name.

Another benefit to the climatic conditions: Average annual rainfall, occurring mostly during the winter season, is higher here than in many other regions in the Cape, enabling dry farming.

You May Also Like: Do Dry-Farmed Vines Make Better Wine?

In terms of soil profile, the area has very ancient and decomposed soils that vary in composition across the three wards. Bokkeveld shale-derived clay soils are found in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, while decomposed granite is found in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde. And as one travels northeast and inland, the valley increases in altitude with the higher grounds experiencing more airflow and helping growers fight fungal diseases in the vineyard.

The human factor is just as important when discussing terroir, and this is particularly true in the Hemel-en-Aarde. Winemakers played a crucial role in establishing this area by concentrating their efforts on mainly two grape varieties.

“We do have an unusual varietal focus. By far the focus is on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. There are a number of other varieties that are performing well, but the focus is mainly on these two,” says Hamilton Russell. Currently, over 30% of South African Pinot Noir grows in the Hemel-en-Aarde area. She adds that there are no large producers; the majority of the wineries are family-run, making a high-end wine portfolio.

Pinot Noir from the area exhibits a complexity of flavors that includes herbs, berries and spices, along with an energized palate and a solid structure. However, there are slight, although noticeable, differences among the wines from the three wards.

“The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is renowned for producing very spicy and savory expressions of Pinot Noir. Upper-Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot is a little bit more perfumed, a touch more open, but also still very much on the savory rather than the fruit-driven side,” explains Hamilton Russell. “The Hemelen-Aarde Ridge Pinot Noir has more dark berry fruit flavors, but with savoriness on the palate.”

You May Also Like: In South Africa, Winemakers Are Slowly Reversing a History of Inequity

Hannes Storm of Storm Wines makes wines from the three wards and notes that the wines differ in their tannin structure, as well. “Definitely the granitic tannin structure stands out in the Upper-Hemel-en-Aarde wines as opposed to wines from the other regions, which have more fine-grained, silky tannins,” he says. Storm takes a minimal-intervention approach to winemaking and believes that as the vines mature, their age will positively impact the wines of the area. He also emphasizes the importance of having Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as their flagship varieties. “We must strive to perfect what we do,” he says.

Winemakers are still learning about the terroir and how to manage challenges, such as heavy rainfall due to climate change, but are confident that Hemel-en-Aarde has a successful future ahead.

Wines to Try

• Storm 2020 Vrede Pinot Noir (Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley); 93 Points. This wine was born in the cool-climate Hemel-enAarde Valley near the Atlantic Ocean. Delicate aromas of dried herbs and roses form the bouquet. It has excellent acidity and a savory character, with a good dose of spices enhancing flavors of ripe cherry and mulberry. Earthy notes appear in the lasting finish. $57.99 Wine.com.
• Hamilton Russell 2022 Pinot Noir (Hemel-en-Aarde Valley); 92 Points. The Hamilton Russell winery pioneered viticulture in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and offers an elegant and spicy Pinot Noir. The nose opens with white pepper and nutmeg. An energized palate and tight tannins provide a good frame for strawberries, cherries and subtle dried herbs. Hints of cardamom appear in the aftertaste. $55.99 Wine.com.
• Hamilton Russell 2021 Tesselaarsdal Pinot Noir (Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge); 91 Points. With grapes from the cool-climate Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, this wine is well-structured and has depth. The nose and palate display lively notes of cherry and cranberry. Vigorous acidity and smooth tannins make for an elegant mouthfeel. It’s a very enjoyable Pinot Noir that finishes with a dash of herbs. $ Varies Wine-Searcher.

This article originally appeared in the April 2024 of Wine Enthusiast magazine. Click here to subscribe today!

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Some winemakers have even reported more pronounced declines. Chris Albrecht, winemaker at Bouchard Finlayson in the Western Cape’s Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, reports that his 2023 white crop was 20 percent less than average, though his Pinot Noir vineyards produced a “balanced crop of expected size.” The vintage, he says, became “more challenging as it progressed.”

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According to the SAWIS report, the 2023 harvest was impacted by competing forces: heavy rains and cool weather in February and March, as well as load shedding—part of a widespread energy crisis in South Africa related to Eskom, the country’s national power utility. The outdated power grid has struggled to keep up with demand for almost a decade now, the combined result of a lack of maintenance and higher demand. It often shuts down for hours each day—sometimes on a planned basis and sometimes not—forcing farmers to go without electricity. Escalating load shedding reached an apex this past year.

“A lot of the farmers are dependent on irrigation,” Bruwer notes. “So if you haven’t got electricity, you cannot irrigate your vineyards.” Despite a wet end to the harvest season, the winter months still proved dry enough to require substantial irrigation. Eskom’s load shedding was enough of a problem—particularly in the Northern Cape, where dryland farming is dependent on irrigation—to impede the 2023 harvest. Plus, the 2023 South African Harvest Report characterized average winter temperatures as “higher in all the wine grape producing regions” with rainfall in winter “noticeably lower,” contributing to vine stress and yield issues long before the harvest rains.

Some winemakers who were able to harvest earlier in the season were fortunate, says Michael Langenhoven, winemaker of Mont Rochelle Hotel & Vineyard in Franschhoek, also in the Western Cape. “It is not the cooler weather that impacted the crop size, but a lot of rain during the last stages of ripening that caused a lot of rot,” Langenhoven explains. Winemakers who made the decision to harvest early, or who were growing more white varietals than red, likely escaped the season unscathed, he notes.

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The growing season had some benefits, though: The recent cooler weather in February and March, which delayed ripening, was actually beneficial to the quality of some grapes. “The grapes ripen very slowly, which means that phenolic ripeness is at lower sugar levels, and the analysis of the wines is much better,” Langenhoven says. Although overall yield on the 2023 harvest may be down, the grapes that were harvested may be of very high quality. Many winemakers agree; despite a slimmer-than-average vintage, Chris Albrecht feels positive about the harvest. “There were some varietals and production areas that performed above average and [are] showing great potential,” he says.

But for grapes that did not have enough time to achieve full ripeness, February and March’s relentless wet weather—particularly bruising on parched soil, which often fails to absorb rainwater adequately—was unwelcome. It caused downy mildew and unwanted botrytis on red varietals in some areas, where, Bruwer says, grapes are almost uniformly harvested by machine.

“If you could bring in everything before the rain set in, you were really lucky—and other people lost a lot of juice, firstly to small berries, secondly to downy mildew and botrytis,” she says. An additional disease called slippery skin also impacted the grapes. It forces the berry to dislocate from its skin, arresting ripening and lowering yields.

Still, the prognosis of the South African wine market moving forward isn’t as bleak as the numbers might indicate, says Allister Kreft, CEO of Under the Influence, a South African wine distribution and education company.

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“I believe the quality grapes and wine from the 2023 vintage will move through the system toward bottled wine production, sustaining our bottled wine export markets,” he says. “I think that what’s going to happen is that the majority of the pressure is actually going to be on the bulk side of things,” he says.

South Africa, Kreft notes, sells about 60 percent of their volume in bulk wine, or wine that is produced and put into large containers and bottled for overseas markets. The United States, he says, is a substantial market for bulk wine shipped from South Africa. But he has some hope for that market, too.

“The quality of the product is there, it’s exceptional,” he says. “I hope that some of the impact is to actually draw some of that bulk wine into more bottled, more premium products.”

The post South African Winemakers Share Glimmers of Hope Amid the Likely Smallest Harvest in Over a Decade appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

In South Africa, the Old Vine Project (OVP) aims to remedy any confusion through the registration of sites that are 35 years or older as Certified Heritage Vineyard. When a wine is produced from one of these sites, its label carries a seal and lists the year the vineyard was planted.

According to 2020 figures from SA Wine Industry Information and Systems (SAWIS), South Africa has approximately 9,125 acres of vineyards aged 35 years or more across various regions with a variety of soil types. Of the more than 80 Certified Heritage Vineyards in South Africa, 10 are more than 100 years old.

One such site, Basson Vineyard, in the Wellington Wine of Origin (WO) appellation, is the oldest certified red-wine vineyard in South Africa and one of the original OVP Certified Heritage Vineyards.

Just under a hectare, or less than 2.5 acres, the vineyard was planted to Cinsault in 1900. It was one of the first sites to be replanted after the Phylloxera outbreak. Its gnarly bush vines are rooted deep into the site’s Table Mountain sandstone alluvial soils.

Since 2014, Andrea and Chris Mullineux of Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines take care of this special site.

When they began to work the site, the vineyard was underperforming, even considering its advanced age. However, years of care and rehabilitation by the Mullineuxs proved advantageous. The most recent harvest from the 2021 vintage yielded 3.8 tons, compared to half a ton from their first harvest.

The grapes produce earthy, minerally wines of structure and ample rich-fruit characteristics. The limited harvest was initially used only in the Mullineux’s Leeu Passant Dry Red blend, which was first released from the 2015 vintage, but, since the 2017 vintage, the site now also enjoys its own single-vineyard showcase in the Leeu Passant Basson Vineyard Cinsault bottling.

The post The Winemakers on a Mission to Protect South Africa’s Oldest Vines appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

However, Chenin Blanc’s versatility and adaptability to different growing conditions appeal to winemakers around the world. Today, consumers can try Chenin Blanc from South Africa, Argentina and New Zealand, as well as California and Washington. Styles range from bone-dry to sumptuously sweet, fresh and fruity to nutty and oxidized, and still to sparkling.  

Chenin’s classic flavor profile features floral and honey aromas layered with quince, apple, pear and the occasional lanolin or wool-like accent. The variety often yields a textural wine, capable of a generous mouthfeel restrained by pronounced acidity, with a dollop of rich fruit in the midpalate.  

A side-by-side analysis of the endlessly fascinating Chenin Blanc is the best way to understand its scope depending on origin, climate, aging process and style.

For a six-bottle overview, organize your tasting by three key categories: Loire Valley versus South Africa, unoaked versus oaked, and dry versus off-dry.  

As you taste, search for aromas and flavors, but also consider texture and mouthfeel. Does the acidity  feel zesty, causing your mouth to water, or does the palate feel round and creamy? 

Of course, you’ll need to pick up a few bottles, so we’ve included tips on what to seek. If you can’t find exact matches, ask your retailer to recommend alternatives. 

Loire Valley vs. South Africa  

Chenin Blanc cultivation in France dates back at least 1,300 years. Common wisdom cites the Glanfeuil Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in the village of Saint-​Maur-sur-Loire, as the first to document the grape growing along the Loire River.

Chenin Blanc thrives around the central Loire cities of Angers and Touraine in the appellations of Savennières and Vouvray, respectively.

Savennières has a reputation for complex, long-lived wines that sommelier Christopher Bates, MS, calls “moody,” compared to the “sunny” disposition of neighboring Vouvray. Expect dry, intense wines that offer focused, mineral flavors laced with beeswax, straw and smokiness, especially with age.

Vouvray produces dry and off-dry styles with aromas of quince, baked apple, ginger and chamomile. The sweeter the Vouvray, the more honeyed and tropical the impression.

Early to bud but late to ripen, Chenin Blanc has a long growing season, which can cause trouble with spring frost given the Loire’s high latitude and cooler climate. But it’s precisely this combination of location and climate that gives the grape its trademark racy acidity.

After France, South Africa reigns as the world’s most important region for Chenin Blanc. Though considered a New World region, South Africa has a long history of viticulture. It’s believed the first Chenin Blanc vine cuttings arrived from Europe on a boat in 1655. Recorded as “Steen,” the name was often used on bottle labels until recent decades.

As the country’s most widely planted grape, Chenin Blanc thrives in several winegrowing areas of South Africa, including the Breedekloof, Paarl and Swartland districts. Initially appreciating the grape for its vigorous growth and high yields, modern winemakers aspire to express the variety’s potential for delicious complexity and terroir expression.

Swartland is home to many top producers working with old vines. It’s a parched, sunbaked region of schist and granite soils—a complete contrast to the verdant Loire. Generally, wines from South Africa have higher alcohol, more body, softer acidity and riper fruit character. These qualities complement mineral, herbal and floral notes. 

 Loire Valley vs. South Africa 

Wine 1: Find a wine from the Savennières or Vouvray appellations of the Loire. 

Wine 2: Seek out a Chenin Blanc from Swartland.  

Unoaked vs. Oaked

Though Chardonnay gets acclaim for being a “winemaker’s wine,” Chenin Blanc is just as malleable. A prime example is unoaked versus oaked expressions. 

Unoaked refers to a wine fermented and aged in anything other than oak. For Chenin Blanc, that’s usually stainless steel. Cement and concrete eggs might be used for micro-oxygenation and texture, allowing for an aging process akin to oak’s without imparting wood’s aromas or flavors.  

In all these nonwood options, no outside flavor is imparted. However, stainless steel blocks oxygen completely, leading to pure, fresh, fruity wines that are generally meant to be consumed young.

Much like Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc transforms when fermented and/or aged in oak. If newer barrels are used, the wine picks up notes of vanilla and spice. But for many producers working with oak, the objective isn’t flavor. Rather, they use older or used barrels, often referred to as “neutral” barrels, to build texture and complexity. Bâtonnage, a term for stirring the lees, or the dead yeast in the wine, contributes a creamier, fuller mouthfeel.

Another reason to use barrels: Without the temperature controls of stainless steel, wines aged in oak undergo malolactic fermentation, a process that softens Chenin’s acidity.

Some winemakers, notably in Savennières, use oak for oxidative winemaking. They swap Chenin’s naturally pale-yellow hue and fruit freshness for a deeply hued, sometimes amber wine with a nutty, bruised apple and wet wool profile. These wines may be more of an acquired taste, but it’s an appreciation worth pursuing.  

Unoaked vs. Oaked 

Wine 1: For an unoaked version, seek out a Chenin Blanc from South Africa or the Loire priced between $10–20. These are not likely to see time in oak. 

Wine 2: Find a bottle priced more than $25 from South Africa or the Loire. These are likely to have seen some time in oak. 

Dry vs. Off Dry

While dry wines have overtaken sweet as the stated preference of most wine drinkers, the truth is that sweet wines done right offer a transcendent tasting experience. Chenin Blanc is the perfect grape with which to embark on that journey.

When yeast converts all sugars in grape must into alcohol, the resulting wine is dry. That doesn’t always mean zero residual sugar, however. Dry typically means less than four grams of residual sugar per liter, though those lines blur among winemakers based on how much sugar they think their wine needs for balance. For example, high acidity due to a colder vintage may demand a few grams of sugar to plump up the wine without crossing the line into off-dry territory.

The off-dry category moves drinkers gently into a sweeter style of Chenin. Written as demi-sec in French, or sometimes noted on Loire bottlings as sec tendre or tendre (meaning tender dry or tender), these wines usually have between 4–16 grams per liter of residual sugar. 

Because of Chenin’s naturally high acidity, sugar levels at the lower end of the range tend to mimic ripe fruits, whether orchard or tropical like pineapple, rather than taste resoundingly sweet. A “tender” kiss of sugar lifts and intensifies Chenin’s aromas while adding a bit of weight and fullness to the palate.

The amount of residual sugar left in the wine can also depend on the winemaker’s preference. Halting fermentation before it’s complete will leave some sugar unfermented. Methods for arresting fermentation can include dropping the temperature of the wine to force the yeast into suspension. Sulfur dioxide can also be added before racking, filtering and/or fining the wine to remove the yeast, which prevents the wine from refermenting in the bottle.

Vouvray is the classic go-to for demi-sec wines, though the style can also be found just about anywhere Chenin Blanc grows. Next to an off-dry wine, a dry version will seem leaner and more savory while allowing Chenin’s minerality to shine.  

Dry vs. Off Dry 

Wine 1: Find a Vouvray that lists demi-sec or medium-dry on the label. 

Wine 2: Options from California or Washington are typically dry. 

The post A Six-Bottle Master Class to Chenin Blanc  appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

A lot has happened in the South African wine industry over the past year-plus. The first Covid-19-related restrictions there came in March 2020, with the government arguing that alcohol consumption leads to increased strain on the country’s hospitals. Since then, there have been multiple starts and stops to alcohol sale, transport and export. Figures have estimated billions of dollars of revenue lost, as well as hundreds of thousands of drinks-industry jobs.

But simultaneously, the country has maintained international relationships, improved global standing and further honed-in on its own brand and messaging, leading to improved quality overall.

Managing Editor Lauren Buzzeo catches up on the current state of affairs for South African wine with Jim Clarke, Marketing Manager for trade group Wines of South Africa USA as well as author of the book The Wines of South Africa. They discuss how there’s been a lot of change to the industry. Some is good, some bad and some yet to be fully determined. At the end of the day, however, their takeaway is that there’s truly never been a better time to drink South African wine.

To dive deeper into South African wine, check out this primer for where to find the best South African wines, or learn more about the South African wine industry’s initiatives on social responsibility and community development here. For another episode featuring South African wine, check out this one highlighting the insane appeal of the country’s Chardonnay, or read this article about why your next glass of Cab should be from South Africa.

Episode Transcript

Transcripts are generated using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcribers, and may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting.

Speakers: Lauren Buzzeo, Jim Clarke

Lauren Buzzeo 0:09
Hello and welcome to the Wine Enthusiast Podcast, your serving of drinks culture and the people who drive it. I’m Lauren Buzzeo, the managing editor at Wine Enthusiast, and in this episode, we’re turning our attention back to one of the greatest wine producing countries in the world: South Africa. A lot has happened in the South African wine industry over the past year-plus, from pandemic-related lockdowns to shifting viticultural focuses and winemaking conditions. The result: there’s never been a better time to support and enjoy South African wine. In speaking with Jim Clarke, marketing manager for Trade Group Wines of South Africa, USA, as well as author of the book The Wines of South Africa, we cover the current state of affairs for South African wine, both abroad and in the US, and how consumers can support the industry as well as which bottles and regions to seek out today. So grab a glass of your favorite Chenin, and hang tight for a candid convo. But first, a word from today’s sponsor. Total Wine & More is ready for summer. They’ve got all your pours for the great outdoors, like their top 12 wines under $15. Raise a glass to America with their star-spangled selection of sips made in the USA. Then, taste your way to a new flavor, like ready to freeze cocktail pops and fun, fizzy hard seltzers. Lime, pineapple or peach anyone? Here’s a recipe for a delicious summer evening: Take smoked ribs, good friends and just add Bordeaux. Let your imagination go grill crazy. From good old fashioned hotdogs to turkey burgers with all the toppings, you can’t go wrong with Chardonnay. And, when it comes to seafood, salmon and tuna swim nicely with fruity and fresh reds. So, no matter if you’re grilling, chilling or both, you’re sure to find cool prices on over 8,000 wines, 4,000 spirits and 2,500 beers in store or at totalwine.com.

Okay, I have the pleasure of being joined today by Jim Clarke, the marketing manager for the trade group Wines of South Africa USA, as well as author of the book The Wines of South Africa, which is out now and fantastic. So Jim, thank you so much for joining me today to talk about South African wine.

Jim Clarke 2:31
My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

Lauren Buzzeo 2:33
Of course, I think you’re the right guy for the job. So we have so much that we could talk about, I’m gonna try and keep us somewhat focused, because heaven knows we can fall down so many rabbit holes talking about South African wine here. I think a guiding point is that we will consider the theme of this episode, which is why there’s never been a better time to drink South African wide. I think we can and hopefully will speak to that in a variety of ways today. But I think to start, I’d really like to offer a bit of a brief at a current update on the state of things in South Africa, as it pertains to the global pandemic and the restrictions that have resulted from it. And the impact that they’ve had on the wine industry there because I think that it is very important for us to consider when we’re talking about why there isn’t a better time and how we can support. So essentially, the South African alcohol industry has faced various obstacles since the first COVID-19 restrictions that were implemented in March 2020. The government has argued that alcohol consumption leads to increased strain on the country’s hospitals. And so since then, there’s just been multiple starts and stops, lifts, bans, to alcohol sale, transport, export. Figures have estimated billions of dollars of revenue lost and hundreds of thousands of jobs in the drinks industry. Now that’s not exclusive to wine and I say drinks because of course we know that there’s other beverage industry jobs—beer, cider—that are in the country as well. So I know that this sounds pretty heavy, but again, I think that it’s important. Jim, can you give a bit of a picture on where things are at right now for the local wine industry and how everyone is really coping and looking forward to keep on keepin’ on.

Jim Clarke 4:34
Sure. So if we look at the past year, year and a half, the industry has lost 23 weeks of domestic sales in about 18 months. And 50% of South African wine sales are domestic sales, so it’s obviously a big part of what they do. I think what’s impressive is the attitude. they have a saying in Afrikaans, which is ‘n boer maak ‘n plan—and my Afrikaans is not good, so that’s probably not great pronunciation. But roughly translated, it means “a farmer makes a plan.” And it really just speaks to the versatility and the attitude of the industry. When faced with conflict or challenges, they rise to the occasion. So we’ve seen all sorts of different programs and innovations. In terms of getting wines to customers. The South African consumer has been fantastic about pre-ordering wine. And then when the lockdown period was over, the wineries were able to ship it out and things like that. And that’s, that’s certainly helped. But it’s really quite hard. And as of August 2020, the estimate from VinPro, which is our industry organization, kind of a sister organization of Wines in South Africa, they estimated that about 80 wineries would probably go out of business by the end of all this. And that was before we knew that we had further lockdowns around the holiday period, and then furthermore, into 2021. So there are some real worries. There’s been 8 billion rand in losses so far, and there hasn’t been any support or kind of compensation from the federal government. We’ve seen some support from the Western Cape for wine tourism workers, and for brand owners and producers. But that was measured in millions of rand compared to the billions they’ve lost. And those losses extended not just to selling bottles of wine, but wine tourism is just a huge part of what happens in the Western Cape and hosting weddings, restaurants on site at the wineries, all these things have been shut down, either 100% shut down, or in very limited capacities, depending on what level of lockdown we were talking about. Now, on the positive side, it’s been really gratifying to see how the wine consumers of the world have recognized that South Africa was going through something unique and more challenging than than everyone else. And this is a period where everyone’s dealing with with COVID but the support that the industry has received in terms of promotions, from retailers, just importers bringing in more wines, all that sort of thing has been really exciting to see. And the industry really appreciates, obviously, what the rest of the world is doing for them, and knows that they wouldn’t do it if they didn’t like the wines. So it’s not charity. It’s like I buy South African wines, but now I’m going to buy more of them right now because they really need that help.

Lauren Buzzeo 7:32
Definitely, and I love that point, because it speaks to another element as to why there’s never been a better time to drink South African wine. It’s not just about, you know, supporting an industry and a country in need, right? It’s because the quality is there. And the story might have been the impetus for people to seek out more South African wine and actually venture into tasting the category when they might not have before. But then the realization is there that ‘Oh my God, I’ve been missing out on enjoying these wines for so long. I’m gonna go and buy more. These are great.’ So I think that there’s a really nice acknowledgement of quality that’s coming about. I guess a silver lining that’s coming about as a result of this.

Jim Clarke 8:18
I definitely agree. It was very interesting to watch the numbers month by month that South African wine sales. Because obviously, there was a period where for five weeks where the government wasn’t allowing exports, so that really hurt. And then there was a huge spike in, I think, it was July of 2020 when that ended, and we saw a bunch of wines coming into the country. And then for the rest of 2020, there was a lot of support here in the US. And it started to fade at the beginning of 2021. And what we realized was actually what happened was the tariffs against European wines were dropped once the Biden administration took over. And the our fear was, are they turning their back on South African wines now that they can have the European wines again? Well, they were briefly because they had to restock their inventory. And when I say that, I mean the industry importers, things like that. But then in May in June, the numbers shot back up again. And when we look at the total numbers for the past 12 months over the previous 12 months, they’re up 20% in terms of packaged wine that’s sold here as South Africans. So that means they weren’t just fairweather friends. They really embracing the category and enjoying the wines and obviously finding places to sell them and retailers and restaurants as restaurants open back up as well.

Lauren Buzzeo 9:30
Right. That just really warms my heart to hear and I’m so excited thinking about all of these new consumers, or maybe not necessarily new, but you know, additional spending consumers who are really embracing the category and drinking across, you know, all of the beautiful variety and diversity that South African wines have to offer. I wonder, do you have any thoughts on if there’s a certain price tier or category of wines that might be of particular interest or particular gains at this point in time that we should keep an eye on?

Jim Clarke 10:04
There’s so many. I mean, we’re really are seeing, you know, Chenin Blanc get its recognition as the flagbearer variety for South Africa. And when I say there’s so many, I think, when you look at other industries—you look at, for example, New Zealand. Well, we think of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc first off, and that is more than 80% of what they export here to the US. Well, South Africa, because all the individual parts of South Africa is winegrowing areas, Stellenbosch, Swartland, Hemel-en-Aarde, all have different growing conditions, because the way that the terrain is carved up and all that. You really are talking about a lot of different varieties. And it just like when we talk, we don’t talk about what what’s, what’s the one French wine, we talk about the different regions. It’s a much bigger industry, but South Africa is like France, but in a microcosm where what happens in Stellenbosch and what grows well in Stellenbosch, you know, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Chenin, well go over the hill in Elgin, the neighboring area, we’re going to talk about Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, and actually also Chardonnay, in that case. But you have these really drastic changes in the growing conditions over very short areas. So this message is about South Africa doing everything well, that’s bad marketing. But talking about what Stellenbosch does great, and what Elgin does really well, and what makes Swartland so special, that makes sense. Because now you’re talking about different areas, each having their own specialty, with a few things that stretch across the borders, like Chenin Blanc. The one that I think is interesting is it’s not even an order. So I’m talking about variety wines. But if you look at sparkling wines, you know, South Africa is celebrating its traditional method wines this year is the 50th anniversary of the first traditional method wine, which was produced by Simonsig in 1971. Well, I mentioned over the past 12 months that South African wines overall were up 20%, while sparkling wines, like traditional method wines are up 44%. So obviously, I think Americans are catching on to what I think’s always been one of the greatest deals out there, which is Cap Classique. This is the official name for the category. And it’s just such a great Champagne substitute. But you know, Champagne prices have gotten really high, you can get a bottle of a Graham Beck Brut, for example, for under $20. And that’s a traditional method wine—big step up in the production methods compared to say Prosecco for Tuesday night prices.

Lauren Buzzeo 12:19
Definitely. I’m going to come back to that at some point in a little bit. But I love hearing those numbers. And there is so much opportunity for people to explore that category further. But going back first of all, yay Chenin, I had to get that a meeting. Give me a second to get it. I have to say, yay Chenin! But beyond that, I actually love your point talking about, you know, the speciality and the and the specificity that’s now being considered, promoted, better branded for each region. Because you’re right, I think there’s been a little bit of, I’ll say difficulty, I think, for some consumers to really get a grasp on South African wine and know where to dive in. When they there really is so much variety. The tagline for a long time was ‘variety is in our nature.’ There were just so many different grapes, different varieties, different regions, that there wasn’t really something specific aside for maybe Chenin, to a lesser extent, but also Pinotage, for people to really grab on to and dive in to get an understanding. It was almost too much all at once, right? But by the regions actually having a bit more of I think, a specific, a more methodical approach, perhaps, to considering what they really might promote as their flagship variety or flagship style really gives consumers a chance to understand and appreciate what South Africa really has to offer. And again, that sort of comparison to more, dare I say, classical European Old World regions. That’s something that’s sort of, again, digestible and understandable to consumers. So to offer that in the context of the South African landscape, I’m very happy that this day is here.

Jim Clarke 14:14
Yeah. Well, I think the whole industry has realized that you need to find what you do best and do it. It’s happening at the regional level. And like the Stellenbosch Cab Collective, here we are saying, Okay, this is probably the most exciting thing happened so much as Cabernet, it’s made well in all the different wards and sub regions of of Stellenbosch. Let’s make this our, plant a flag here. This is where we start. And then there’s plenty more to explore from there, but at least you’ve got a place to start the conversation. And then you see the producer level where the history leading up to the end of apartheid was very tourism based and each seller felt that if someone came to their cellar, you had to have a wine for them. So if they came to your cellar and tasted wines and said, Well, I like Sauvignon Blanc, well, you better have a Sauvignon Blanc to offer them. If they’d like Chardonnay, you better have a Chardonnay to offer them. So there was these very broad portfolios of lots of different wines. And probably a couple of them were real standouts that really did well on that property. And the others were there because they felt there was a market demand with people coming to visit the tasting room. Well, nowadays, it’s like, people go online, they know well, if I’m going to visit so and so, they’re known for their Chardonnay. So that’s why I’m, that’s why I’m going there, I’m a Chardonnay drinker. The Sauvignon Blanc drinkers might go to the property next door that does a great job with Sauvignon Blanc. So people are specializing their their portfolio. And that’s happening at the producer level, where instead of offering eight or 12 different lines, they can narrow it down, and really focus on what they’re doing and really have a clear message with what they’re doing.

Lauren Buzzeo 15:44
Right. Yeah, that makes sense. I didn’t really know about that historical context. So thank you for sharing that. But I wonder how much of this actually—well, first, I can’t help but think about how much might have been driven by the success, the branding success, both for the the individual wineries that participated, but then as it evolved the region as a whole, with the Swartland revolution, right? I feel like they were almost pioneers in this regional specific regional branding endeavor that really maybe offered a template and a framework for other areas to really latch on to and say, ‘Hey, they’re doing a really good job about getting their message across. And again, not just for their own wineries, but for the region as a whole. Should we explore and consider that methodology further for some of the other great wine growing areas in South Africa?’ So I can’t help but think back many, many moons to when that was a thing.

Jim Clarke 16:45
No, I think that’s very true. I think the marketing side is one thing. And what the Swartland revolution did was created this such excitement about about the wines. And with an understanding, especially when you pair that together with the Swartland independent producers program, which said, we’re going to focus on these varieties that we really believe in for our area. So you don’t find you know, Cabernet as part of the Swartland identity. There is a bunch of it up there, but it’s not what they’re doing. It’s about the Syrah and the Rhone varieties and the Mediterranean varieties and Chenin. And actually Pinotage too. So they’ve narrowed that down. But the other thing they did, I think, is think of the timing. This is 2007, 2008 when people like Adi Badenhorst and the Mullineuxs and watching Donovan Rall’s 2009, his first vintage, that’s what I have in my glass right now. In this period, 2007, 2008, you still had that so-called international style happening, where most red wines were big, rich, probably heavily alcoholic, and had a good layer of oak on them. And so that meant that you really couldn’t show off individual regions very much. Because a Stellenbosch cab or a swartland Syrah made in that style didn’t taste that much different from a Napa wine made and that style or an Australian wine made that style or even a Bordeaux made in that style. It really masked a lot of the sort of terroir specific qualities. So these guys started off at small volumes and they said, ‘Look, I’m finally making 3,000 cases of wine, I’m going to make the wine that I really like. And I’m sure I can find enough people to buy that.’ And that really allowed them to show off Swartland instead of saying, we’re going to make wine that the same kind of wine everyone else is making. And then see if we can market it. It really started with the wines having this distinctive identity and the rest of the world is also now pulled away from overoaking and over alcoholic wines and over extracted wine. So, I think, many, many regions across the world are benefiting from this. I mean, Chiante Classico tastes so much more interesting than it did 15 years ago when they were trying to put as much Cab as the blend would allow to make it more full and international in style.

Lauren Buzzeo 18:53
Yeah, and I think in tandem with that sort of wine shift is also the realization of the importance of actually sharing the stories of the people and the place behind the wine. Right? Beyond going what’s in the glass. And I think again, the the Swartland crew did a superb job at offering that, and with more of this regional promotion and recognition, I wonder how much over the past year or year-plus as a result of sort of the global pandemic and everyone turning a lot to virtual remote connections, whether it’s, you know, I do live videos, I know you do a series with winemakers through WOSA. How much of that has also helped to build that awareness and that sort of brand or regional development for South Africa and South African wine regions over the past year-ish?

Jim Clarke 19:51
I think it’s been really important. Things like Instagram have really been a lifeline in keeping the storytelling alive. I think it was starting to happen already, obviously Swartland, but more producers coming over here to work the market, talking to people in the trade, doing winemaker dinners, things like that. But obviously, that can’t happen right now. Things like Instagram Live, we do our own podcast for WOSA. All these things to keep the stories coming have been I’ve been really vital, there’s no question. And being able to just, you know, see someone on a screen, it’s not the same as being there by by any question or meeting people in person, but it is something.

Lauren Buzzeo 20:27
Yeah, absolutely. And especially, you know, for US consumers, South Africa is pretty far away in terms of even travel, right? Not a lot of people have the opportunity and the pleasure to be able to make that trip on a regular basis. So I think that it is important to consider those other outlets. And I’m glad, I guess, again, a silver lining would be that a lot more producers were sort of pushed to figure out those alternate ways to connect with a broader audience. And I think that hopefully they’re seeing the benefit of that in terms of again, the recognition, the sales, the appreciation, at least coming Stateside.

Jim Clarke 21:06
Yeah, no, I think it’s very true. And it’s actually been really interesting. And we’ve been trying to tell the story of our Black-owned brands for quite some time. And a lot of them didn’t have importers here in the States and that’s improved dramatically, which is very exciting. But the interest that Black Lives Matter developed in these sorts of things, starting in the middle of last year, has really opened the door for really having this conversation. And we’re talking about some really exciting wines from Black-owned winemakers in South Africa, that before were very niche and under the radar, and it was not a not a consideration for people, well for many wine drinkers, they don’t think about the color of their winemaker. And I’m very happy that the South African wine industry, which struggled with bringing Black people into its ranks for such a long time, had reached a point where it was ready for that attention. When the Black Lives Matter movement came along and started looking at these things. We have great producers like Aslina, Kumusha, Bosman, where the workers are part of the ownership thing. Those wines are here in the States, they’re great wines, they’re seriously made wines and they come from the previously disadvantaged people of South Africa.

Lauren Buzzeo 22:18
That’s such a great point. And honestly, one that I didn’t even think about prior to this conversation, in terms of the recognition and additional support that the South African wine industry has seen over the past 12 months. But there are so many great wineries, programs, initiatives to support such a wide variety and increased diversity in the wine industry. I know it’s constantly, you know, a work in progress. And there’s always improvements to be made. But I do love the idea. And I think you’re spot on that people and consumers might be giving a little bit more attention to where they’re where their dollars and where their spend is going. And you know, much like we’re talking about supporting the industry, that’s a need. This is another another factor of that, supporting producers that you believe in, for whatever reason. So I think that that’s a great point. And again, I thank you for bringing that up, Jim.

Jim Clarke 23:18
It’s so important right now, because in some surveys, the industry has done that VinPro or their sister organization has done. We spoke to small producers and to black owned producers in particular about how the lockdown was affecting them. And it looks much grimmer for them because many of them, as I mentioned before, really rely on the domestic market within South Africa. So they’ve been hit harder by the effects of the lockdowns than well established. brands that have good export network already set up and can kind of refocus their wines on on exports. So 22% of our small producers said they probably will not be able to survive, but the number for Black-owned businesses was actually much worse. It was 46%. And it’d be such a blow to lose almost half of our Black-owned businesses in the wine industry. When we go into such great lengths to try to fix the problems of the past and bring them in and they want to be there. They’re having success. They were having success. But now these lockdowns have affected them. And I really hope that the government is taking that into account when they think about what they’re doing with these lockdowns.

Lauren Buzzeo 24:22
Wow, absolutely. Those are some sobering numbers. But again, all the more reason why I think it’s important that certainly at least here we have these conversations. We share some of this information so people can make as informed decisions and using their purchasing power to to the best of their ability. So I guess maybe let’s, let’s pick it up a tiny notch to close out with, but again, I really thank you so much for bringing all of that great information and detail to this conversation. So I suggested that we record this podcast while enjoying a glass of South African wine. Because there’s nothing better than podcasting from a closet with a glass of wine. So, I happen to be circling back to something that you mentioned earlier. I happen to be sipping on a glass of Graham Beck MCC Brut, which you referenced before. You know, the MCC is the method Cap Classiques are now just more commonly Cap Classiques, but the sparkling wines from South Africa that are produced using traditional methods, traditional Champagne methods. I believe they have a minimum of 12 months aging, is that correct?

Jim Clarke 25:46
Yes. It was nine for quite a long time. But as of the 2021 vintage, it will be 12. And they’re hoping to keep rolling it forward to 15 eventually. But it’s been a long time on the books where the Cap Classique Association was saying 12 but the government, the wine and spirits board and not folded that into the actual rules.

Lauren Buzzeo 26:08
All right. Well, so you mentioned also that 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the traditional method sparkling wine MCCs in South Africa, the category pioneer being Simonsig’s 1971 vintage. So I just felt like that was really a fitting sip to have on hand today. Again, I knew we were going to be talking about some, you know, some heavier stuff. I was like, let me have something a little bubbly and a little celebratory in my glass. Because I’m always wanting to celebrate and raise a glass to South African wine. So can you share what you have in your glass?

Jim Clarke 26:54
Absolutely. I mentioned the producer earlier Donovan Rall, who was part of that early group in the Swartland, he had his first vintage in 2009 and has grown since then. And he started doing a couple single single vineyard wines, a few vintages ago, the same year actually, that his daughter was born. And he just found this one site that he thought was very special, but it didn’t necessarily have a place in his blend, because the core of his portfolio was a white blend and a red blend. And so he named it after his daughter and it’s a Syrah. So it’s named Eva. And this is the 2019. And it’s just a great example of Swartland Syrah from a schist soils, schist and shale. And so you’ve got this wonderful pop of that kind of cherry juice sort of fruit. But there’s still this wonderful minerality and slatiness and almost gaminess to it as well. And it’s not heavy, it’s not overwhelming. It’s just got this great focus to it and kind of pop of freshness. Despite that, it’s 13.5 alcohol, it’s not a light wine at the same time. It’s just very nimble.

Lauren Buzzeo 28:06
So it’s a suitable read to be enjoying in New York City summer.

Jim Clarke 28:11
Yeah, I normally wouldn’t put it with a bit of chill, but if the weather requires it, I pop this in the fridge for 15 minutes before we started and it’s fantastic.

Lauren Buzzeo 28:22
Awesome. I love Donovan’s wines. labeled under Rall, R-A-L-L. His Chenin is—you know it’s coming, right? His Chenin is killer.

Jim Clarke 28:34
Oh, yes, it is. Yeah. Classic swartland combination. You know, you specialize on Chenin on the white side and then Syrah or, we’ll say, Rhone varieties on the red side.

Lauren Buzzeo 28:44
That’s right. That’s right. Going back to that regional branding and, and recognition of what works well and doing it best. But you know, I when I went sparkling, Jim, I thought it would be too cliche for me to go Chenin. I had to go outside of the box. So that’s a great pick. It’s awesome. I wish I was enjoying a glass with you. And we were doing this in person.

Jim Clarke 29:10
I agree.

Lauren Buzzeo 29:12
But hopefully, hopefully we’ll be doing that again sometime soon. And in the meantime, again, I really appreciate all of your talking points, data points, conversation today. Spreading awareness and information in terms of how we can support South African wine and again, why there’s really no better time for everyone to run out and grab a bottle or three or six of South African wine to enjoy today. So Jim, thank you so much for joining me. I really appreciate it.

Jim Clarke 29:46
It’s been a pleasure. It’s really good to catch up.

Lauren Buzzeo 29:51
There’s clearly been a lot of change in the South African wine industry of late, some good, some bad, some still to be determined. But at the end of the day, the takeaway remains: There’s truly never been a better time to drink South African wine. Subscribe to the Wine Enthusiast podcast on iTunes, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or wherever you find podcasts. If you’d like today’s episode, we’d love to read your review and hear what you think. And hey, why not tell your wine loving friends to check us out too? You can also drop us a line at podcast@winemag.com. Gor more wine reviews, recipes guides, deep dives and stories. Visit Wine Enthusiast online at winemag.com, and connect with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @wineenthusiast. The Wine Enthusiast Podcast is produced by Lauren Buzzeo and Jenny Groza. Until next episode, cheers.

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But Chardonnay can take on many forms, from deliciously delicate sparklers to still wines that run the gamut from crisp and steely to robust and round.

While many American wine drinkers connect Chardonnay to California, its roots are in Burgundy, France. The grape is planted to nearly half of the region’s total vineyard area. Its expression varies as a result of the area’s range in climate, from cool northerly Chablis to more moderate temperatures in the Mâconnais to the south.

Burgundian winemakers paved the way for modern winemaking practices like malolactic fermentation and barrel aging that tend to give Chardonnay a full-bodied, oaky and buttery texture.

Those techniques found their way to America. The grape started to gain popularity, particularly in California, around the 1970s. Winemakers experimented quite a bit, and the American style of Chardonnay became defined largely as a high-alcohol, low-acid wine with minimal fruit expression and oodles of oak influence.

Today, California winemakers have moved away from the butter bombs of the 1980s. They now produce wines, both unoaked and oaked, that showcase the variety’s diversity when crafted in different parts of the state.

If you’re curious to understand the grape’s varying expressions and find the perfect Chard for your palate, dive into these matchups: unoaked versus oaked Chardonnay; warm-climate versus cool-climate Chardonnay; and Burgundy versus California. As you taste each wine, make sure to jot down any specific flavors or aromas that you experience.

And it’s fine if you can’t find the exact bottles we suggest. Your local wine retailer should be able to point you in the right direction of something similar.

Unoaked vs. Oaked Chardonnay

When it comes to these two types of Chardonnay, the biggest difference is that one has been fermented in stainless steel and the other fermented in oak barrels. While the average consumer may believe that California is only capable of making full-bodied and buttery wines, the truth is that Chardonnay which embodies rich oak and creamy texture can be found anywhere in the world.

Chile, Australia, Argentina, and of course, France, also use a number of winemaking techniques that include oak to add hints of vanilla and toast to Chardonnay.

When it comes to unoaked, lighter and zesty Chardonnay, stainless steel fermentations allow for the resulting wines to taste very crisp, clean and minerally. These offer typical flavors of green apple, lemon and pear.

What ultimately makes the difference between unoaked and oaked Chardonnay is the way they are made and aged. Winemakers can choose between new French or American oak for the wine to embody certain toasty and nutty flavors.

In addition to the type of oak used, timing is everything when it comes to oaked Chardonnay. It can be aged for as little as three months or as long as a year. It all depends on the style that the winemaker hopes to achieve.

Malolactic fermentation also takes place during oak barrel fermentation, which contributes the creamy flavor and texture that many people enjoy. With unoaked Chardonnay, fermentation happens in stainless steel tanks, which allows for the fruit character to shine bright.

The Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley in Sonoma County will showcase California Chardonnay at its best.

Unoaked vs. Oaked Chardonnay Flight

Wine 1: Choose two bottles from the same region, or possibly even the same producer, to highlight the differences in winemaking technique. For a non-wooded selection, aside for “unoaked,” look for other common descriptors like “steel” or “unwooded” on the label.

Wine 2: For the oaked selection from your region of choice, look for key words like “reserve,” “wooded” or “barrel fermented” on the label.

Cool Climate vs. Warm Climate Chardonnay

No matter where in the world a vine grows, it needs five things: heat, sunlight, carbon dioxide, water and nutrients from the soil. A wine region’s climate is defined by its annual pattern of temperature, sunlight and rainfall over the course of several years. Chardonnay expresses itself differently based on the type of climate where the grapes are grown.

In cool climates like the South Island of New Zealand, Chablis or Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Chardonnay will express itself generally with higher acidity, more citrus-fruit flavor and minerality. It will also be lower in alcohol and zesty on the palate. Lower temperatures allow the grapes to retain their natural acidity and produce a Chardonnay that’s lighter in body.

Grapes grown in warmer climates like California, South Africa, Australia and Spain will generally be lower in acidity and higher in alcohol, but they’ll bring forth richer, riper fruit flavors like pineapple, apple and lemon.

Cool- vs. Warm-Climate Chardonnay Flight

Wine 1: Choose a Chablis, which is an iconic example of cool-climate Chardonnay.

Wine 2: Select a Chardonnay from South Australia to taste a sun-soaked, warm-climate version.

Burgundy Chardonnay vs. California Chardonnay

These are the two regions most famous for Chardonnay production. Burgundy is known for its vast, varying appellations and pioneering winemaking techniques. California is known for its history of “butter bombs,” but now takes advantage of cool-climate areas to produce zestier, lighter-bodied wines.

What makes Chardonnay a great grape is its ability to adjust to a variety of soil types. In Burgundy, terroir can change over the course of small areas, which can create unique expressions of the grape. Winemakers in France produce a number of quality levels, or crus, to best showcase the fruit’s quality.

In the Golden State, altitude and vineyard aspect can play a major role in the grape’s exposure to the sun. It gives Chardonnay the opportunity to ripen and produce full-bodied wines that are high in alcohol.

Price can often help to determine the quality of a good white Burgundy or California Chardonnay, but it’s important to note where the wine was sourced. Regional wines, like those that are labeled Bourgogne, tend to be inexpensive, while bottlings from site-specific premiers or grands crus will be more expensive. For California Chardonnay, Napa Valley and Sonoma County will be the American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) to seek out for high-quality examples.

Burgundy vs. California Chardonnay Flight

Wine 1: A white wine from any of the regions in the Côte de Beaune will provide a benchmark example of Burgundian Chardonnay. Look for bottles from Meursault or Puligny-Montrachet.

Wine 2: The Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley in Sonoma County will showcase California Chardonnay at its best.

The post A Six-Bottle Master Class to Chardonnay appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

Champagne, France

It’s almost a shame that the wines of Champagne are so stunning, we often neglect to talk about the place itself. The chalky, white-soiled Côte des Blancs is planted primarily to some of the most sought after Chardonnay in the world. That its gently rolling hills dotted by little villages are so unassuming is part of its allure. Sunrises and sunsets over that placid landscape are also not to be missed.

Franciacorta, Italy

This amphitheater-shaped region in northern Italy was formed by a receding glacier. Today, its verdancy and soft light give it the look of a place that’s had time to settle into itself. Chardonnay grown here is often blended with Pinot Nero to create traditional-method sparkling wines.

A fairly warm region, it grows Chardonnay that’s soft and ripe, but still dry and refreshing. Some common descriptors—from wildflower to crushed stone—may also be spotted in the landscape.

Franschhoek, South Africa

This valley about an hour outside of Cape Town has staggering mountain views on three sides. When you’re not looking up at the peaks, it’s easy to keep your eyes occupied with flowers growing between the vines. The Méthode Cap Classique sparkling wines made with Chardonnay grown here are equally lovely. French Huguenots moved here in 1688, hence the name (Afrikaans for “French corner”), and much of their original architecture is still in place, only adding to the charm.

Margaret River, Australia

In the far southwest corner of Australia lies one of the country’s coolest growing regions, well-suited for high-end wines. It’s a place where morning mists give way to bright blue skies, and you can spot the occasional kangaroo or herd of sheep passing through.

With rolling hills and stands of trees between vineyards, these views will bring to mind words like “heartland,” and be a beacon for anyone who enjoys hiking, horseback riding and generally roaming around outside.

Napa Valley, California

As with Champagne, Napa’s pretty environs are sometimes overlooked in discussions about the quality of its wines. But this region has beauty and brains.

Most places you stand, you can see vineyards extending far into the distance. These neat rows are punctuated by deep blue skies and golden sunshine. You can see why the grapes are so happy here. In the spring, bright yellow mustard flowers add to the charm. These plants, too, have more than just their looks going for them, though: They collect water to help irrigate vines and prevent erosion.

The post Five of the Most Beautiful Chardonnay Regions Worldwide appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

Incredibly fitting, the name paints a perfect picture. Near endless expanses of sky are met with lush undulating peaks and valleys in complete panoramic perfection, with reflections from bodies of water glimmering in view. 

About 50 miles southeast from Cape Town, Hemel-en-Aarde is located within the Walker Bay district and overlooks the seaside resort town of Hermanus and the South Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the coolest and most southerly winegrowing parts of South Africa, with a distinct maritime influence to its Mediterranean climate. The conditions are ideal for the production of fresh and well-balanced wines of high quality and finesse. 

“The advantages of a cool-climate region like the Hemel-en-Aarde are natural acidity together with physiological ripening,” says Jean-Claude Martin, co-owner/viticulturist and cellar master at Creation Wines. “Benefits include freshness, ageability and excellent food pairing potential.” 

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, two cool-climate varieties that benefit from such climatic conditions, thrive here. Thanks to the ocean proximity and cooling breezes, with some vineyard sites as close as a mile to Walker Bay, vines are able to retain vibrant natural acidity throughout ripening to offer both freshness and flavor in the wines they ultimately yield. 

With three distinct wards, or subregions, and the majority of vineyards planted anywhere from 650 to 1,300 feet above sea level, Hemel-en-Aarde is a haven for fans of refined, terroir-driven fine wine. 

A Brief History 

Officially, Hemel-en-Aarde’s wine history is relatively short. While there have been findings that date wine production here to the early 1900s and likely even earlier, many cite 1975 as the key year in the establishment of the quality-driven wine region as it stands today.  

That year, Johannesberg advertising executive and longtime Hermanus visitor Tim Hamilton Russell purchased a roughly two-and-a-half acre property in the Hemel-en-Aarde area with the intent to develop a wine estate. He planted a range of varieties and hired a winemaker from Franschhoek, Peter Finlayson, to make the first wines from the 1981 vintage.  

“Several varieties were planted along with Pinot Noir: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürtztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc, among a few others,” says Anthony Hamilton Russell, Tim Hamilton Russell’s son and the current owner of Hamilton Russell Vineyards. “Chardonnay wasn’t available in South Africa at the time the first Pinot Noir was planted in 1976. My father creatively sourced material—a Swiss ‘Champagne’ clone—and propagated it in our farm nursery. I think it was 1979 that the first Chardonnay vines went in on Hamilton Russell Vineyards. The first Chardonnay made was the 1982 vintage—one of the very first in SA—and the first commercial release was the 1983 vintage.” 

Before long, it was clear that Chardonnay and Pinot Noir showed the greatest promise for quality wine and optimal site expression from Hemel-en-Aarde vineyards. When Anthony took over the estate in 1991, it was easy for him to decide the winery would focus exclusively on those two varieties.  

As the unique characteristics of this special terroir came to light, earning accolades and appreciation at home and abroad, winemaking talent increasingly came to the appellation to develop properties of their own.  

“Both white and red wines in the greater Hemel-en-Aarde have a defining texture to them with subtle underlying structure—a function of the low-yielding soils,” says Hannes Storm, owner/winemaker of Storm Wines, who launched his Hemel-en-Aarde winery in 2012. “Furthermore, most of the wines have good length and acidities due to the low-yielding soils and maritime influence from the cool Atlantic Ocean and prevailing wind direction.” 

Today, there are more than 20 wine producers based in Hemel-en-Aarde, with more on the way. Staying true to the region’s roots, many remain small, limited-production, family-owned operations of first or second generation. 

“The standout feature [of the region] has been the growth in the number of producers—two more about to join the ranks—and a surprising level of varietal focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as the leading quality varieties for the area,” says Russell. “Overall standards of quality have without doubt improved significantly over the last decade as people get to know their properties and the stylistic constraints of their terroirs better.” 

Defining the Divine 

Hemel-en-Aarde initially came onto the scene as a part of the Walker Bay appellation. Officially designated in 1981, Walker Bay was first defined as a ward, or the smallest, most specific and specialized appellation of a demarcated viticultural area. However, as more producers populated the Walker Bay winegrowing area, and varying microclimates, soil compositions, stylistic tendencies and techniques asserted themselves, it became increasingly clear that the Hemel-en Aarde area was distinct from the region at large.  

In May 2004, Walker Bay was reclassified from a ward to a district, or a designated viticultural area that’s larger and less homogenous than a ward but still with distinct climatic conditions. 

Following that, the producers of Hemel-en-Aarde were presented with the opportunity to better define their own unique terroir.  

More specialized wards were demarcated with the help of viticulturists, soil specialists and consultants. 

“The development of the three appellations has contextualized the differences and commonalities of these wards, allowing an accumulation of knowledge and understanding within each ward that has already seen a crystalizing of stylistic differences within each—some subtle, some marked—however all still with a discernable thread of overarching filialness which sets these wines collectively apart from those produced in other areas of the Cape Winelands,” says Kevin Grant, co-owner/winemaker of Ataraxia Wines. 

The first two wards were approved in August 2006: Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.  

The former is the first appellation you encounter when you depart Hermanus to the northeast, which makes it the closest to Walker Bay and climatic influence from the Atlantic Ocean. It’s home to the first vineyards planted in the area, mostly north facing, with soil largely composed of Bokkeveld Shale and clay. For the most part, these conditions result in wines with great tannic structure, with deep fruit and floral tones.  

The high clay content here can be considered comparable to that in the soil of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, though the soils are shallower, stonier and absent of the limestone bedrock iconic to that region.  

On south-facing and higher northern slopes, the soils are more Table Mountain Sandstone-derived. With very low to no clay content, they are lighter in structure, generally deeper and have the potential to encourage greater vine vigor.  

Upper Hemel-en-Aarde is the second appellation as you proceed northeast from Hermanus. The largest of the three Hemel-en-Aarde wards, it tends to see ripening later than the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley appellations, and it boasts more of the lighter structured Table Mountain Sandstone-derived soils, although some sites also exhibit a clay-rich subsoil.  

This ward often yields expressions with more pronounced opulence and concentration on the nose, but softer, more linear impression on the palate, and often with noticeable tones of herbs and fynbos.  

In June 2009, the third ward, Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, was introduced. The smallest of the area’s appellations, the soils here return to Bokkeveld Shale-derived dominance, with many vineyards planted on stony, clay-rich soil.  

The appellation has an amphitheater-like landscape, so vineyards are planted on many different aspects, with site altitudes that are generally higher than those in the other two wards. Ripening also generally occurs later as well, which lends a structured concentration to the fruit sourced here, but in partnership with pronounced natural acidity.  

“I am comfortable with the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge,” says Martin. “The most significant advantage is our virus-free vineyards, which will soon be the oldest in the Hemel-en-Aarde. Quality of vines and age have an impact on the complexity of the wines. We have winter frost due to our elevation, which creates a complete dormancy period; therefore, even budding of Chardonnay in spring creates crop stability. The cool night index is a significant contributor to the depth of color, aromatics and flavor purity of red wines.” 

“Each of the three terroirs that we work with give us the opportunity to steer the grapes to the bottle in the same manner with contrasting characteristics,” says Storm. “This makes it exciting and there is always a wine for a different occasion. Being the only producer to work in all three wards, steering the three different terroirs to bottle in the same manner is always exciting.” 

A Bright Future  

The amount of international interest in and accolades for this small region in such a relatively short period of time is nothing short of impressive, as well as absolutely warranted. 

“Huge progress has been made in the past decade, in the sense that wines have more character, soul and longevity,” says Storm. “Focus has largely shifted to viticulture and soil management/preservation while winemaking/cellar actions are mainly seen as secondary to cultivating balanced and healthy fruit in the vineyard.” 

“High-quality grapes, innovation in winemaking skills, experimenting with amphorae terracota pots and whole-bunch fermentation have all added to this internationally well-known wine region and award-winning wines,” says Berene Sauls, owner of Tesselaarsdal.  

After years of working in the region, Sauls launched her brand in 2015. She currently buys fruit from a vineyard in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge while she waits for her own vineyards to be planted and ready for production on her property in the village of Tesselaarsdal, in the Overberg district. 

In examining what has driven success and worked best viticulturally for Hemel-en-Aarde thus far, some producers also consider the possible effects of climate change in future. 

“At present, we are remarkably focused varietally for a South African wine area—73% of plantings are made up of only three grape varieties: Pinot Noir 28%, Chardonnay 23%, Sauvignon Blanc 22%, all early-ripening grapes,” says Russell.  

“One of the attractions of the Hemel-en-Aarde is that various producers have a specialty aside from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This adds a little depth and has not really detracted from our area’s primary focus. Highly successful examples would be Restless River’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Ashbourne’s Pinotage, Southern Right’s Sauvignon Blanc, Newton Johnson’s Albariño, Bouchard Finlayson’s Hannibal and Creation’s Viognier.” 

“Climate change is a fact that we have to acknowledge and contend with,” says Grant. “We must factor this into our future farming and business plans… Above all, we need to experiment with candidate grape cultivars that could potentially thrive and be happy here. If we are not experimenting, we are not going to be in a position to change and adapt when the time for it comes.” 

Wines to Try

Alheit 2017 Hemelrand Vine Garden (Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge); $40, 94 points. A blend of 26% Chenin Blanc, 26% Chardonnay, 23% Roussanne, 21% Verdelho and 4% Muscat, this opens with initial aromas of toasted apple, spiced pear, peach pit and pie crust, with a hint of singed orange peel in the back. The medium-bodied palate shows good fruit richness graced with a lovely toasty overlay. It sounds decadent, but superbly bright and vibrant acidity and a saline freshness on the finish keep it all in balance. Broadbent Selections Inc.

Storm 2018 Ridge Pinot Noir (Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge); $55, 94 points. An aroma of lightly toasted oak gives way to scents of brambly berry, raspberry sauce and cherry pie on the nose of this enticing Pinot. The palate is medium in weight and satiny in feel, with more ripe red fruit tones that are framed by plush but structured tannins and ample acidic lift to keep the finish bright. Baking spice and forest floor tones grace the enduring finish, along with a touch of sweet orange oil. Broadbent Selections Inc.

Creation 2018 The Art of Chardonnay (Walker Bay); $65, 93 points. A lovely nose of concentrated melon, toasted apple and yellow flowers leads the experience, with a soft oaky overlay of sweet spice for added decadence. The palate is medium in body but bright and pure, with focused acidity that drives through to the lingering finish with precision. It’s beautifully balanced and harmonious; it’ll be hard to resist now, but should mature well through 2026. Cape Ardor LLC.

Hamilton Russell 2019 Chardonnay (Hemel-en-Aarde Valley); $43, 93 points. A beautiful wine from a great vintage, aromas of sea spray, apple flesh and a touch of melon form the delicate nose of this precise Chardonnay. The palate is light and somewhat linear on entry, but then waves of ripe, lightly toasted orchard fruit and mouthwatering acidity dance across the palate and into the bright, focused finish. This is a baby, so give it more time to truly shine. Drink 2024–2029. Vineyard Brands.

Ashbourne 2017 Pinotage (Hemel-en-Aarde Valley); $58, 92 points. This robust and plush yet well-structured red leads with assertive notes of brambly raspberry, boysenberry and anise seed, with some additional glimmers of mocha and roasted coffee. It’s enticing and well-balanced, with a medium-full weight and opulent flavors framed by a solid tannic structure, ample acidity to counter overt richness and a spicy astringency that lingers on the close. It’s a baby now, so give it more time to come into its own. Drink 2026–2031. Vineyard Brands. 

Ataraxia 2016 Pinot Noir (Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge); $48, 92 points. Lovely cocoa and sweet-spice characteristics ride atop a nose of ripe red raspberry, cherry and wild strawberry. It smells plush and seductive on first pass, but the palate offers a refined sip of harmonious just-ripe fruit, ample acidity and superfine yet subtly structuring tannins. It all fits together in wonderful harmony and is ready to be enjoyed now, though it should continue to drink well through 2025. Red Wolf Imports. 

Cap Maritime 2018 Pinot Noir (Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley); $54, 92 points. From winemaker Marc Kent, this wine opens with a beautifully concentrated bouquet, redolent of wild berries, black cherry and bramble from the start. Waves of forest floor, church incense and spicy fynbos undulate atop and lend a distinct earthy quality throughout. The palate is medium in weight, with medium-intense blue and black fruit tones partnered to a pronounced acidic lift that lends precision and focus. It finishes long and evolving, and the wine should mature well through 2027. Vineyard Brands.

Tesselaarsdal 2019 Chardonnay (Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge); $40, 92 points. Beautifully precise aromas of orange rind, crisp yellow apple, soft toast and delicate wood spice dance on the bouquet of this lovely Chardonnay. The palate is focused and pure, with ample ripe fruit that is framed by bright, supportive acidity and a pronounced mineral impression that unfolds on the long, evolving close alongside a kiss of saline. Vineyard Brands. 

The post The South African Region with Celestial Beauty and Heavenly Wines appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.

Say its name, and wine lovers typically turn to well-established “classic” regions for the variety: Burgundy and California. But what about the rest of the world? Surely there are other locations suited to quality Chardonnay production—why does Burgundy and California seem to get all the love?

Well, we’re out to shift that default thinking here and now. And we have two words for you: South Africa.

The beautiful wines of South Africa bridge Old and New wine worlds in one delicious sip. Graham Weerts, winemaker for Capensis Wines in South Africa as well as winemaker at Stonestreet Estate in California’s Alexander Valley and Senior Vice President of Vineyard Operations for Jackson Family Wines, helps us explore why the country should be in your regular rotation for exemplary Chards of brilliance and balance.

With so many appellations worthy of delicious discovery, from Stellenbosch to Elgin, Robertson to Hemel-en-Aarde, and world-class winemakers to keep an eye on, buck the norm and consider the beauty that South African Chardonnay has to offer next time you set out for a stunning golden pour.

To help you on your journey, check out our South African Chardonnay ratings and reviews here. You can also read more about the best Chardonnays from around the globe, or dive deeper into a region-by-region overview for where to find the best South African wine.

Episode Transcript

Transcripts are generated using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcribers, and may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting.

Speakers: Lauren Buzzeo, Graham Weerts

Lauren Buzzeo 0:09
Hello, and welcome to the Wine Enthusiast Podcast, you’re serving of drinks culture and the people who drive it. I’m Lauren Buzzeo, the managing editor at Wine Enthusiast, and in this episode, we’re talking about the world’s most popular white wine grape: Chardonnay. While it may be true that fans of the variety tend to gravitate to two iconic areas, Burgundy and California, when seeking out the great golden stuff, there’s so much more to the world of Chard that’s prime for exploration. Case in point, the beautiful pours of South Africa, a land that bridges the two wine worlds old and new together in one delicious set. I speak with Graham Weerts, winemaker for Capensis in South Africa, as well as winemaker at Stonestreet Estate in California’s Alexander Valley and Senior Vice President of Vineyard Operations for Jackson Family Wines, helps us explore why the country should be in your regular rotation for exemplary Chards of brilliance and balance. But first, a quick word. Today’s podcast is brought to you by Taste France. Are you willing to explore the world of authentic and delicious French food and wine? Or discover the lesser known French Appellations or producers? Do you care about winemakers who work hard to produce responsibly and sustainably? If like us you value high quality French products, visit TasteFrance.com. Taste France is passionate about French food and wine and just can’t keep it all to themselves. Learn about the French touch or discover savoir faire and why producing and enjoying wine are so important to French culture tastes France will take you want to wine journey to discover new products, meet the people behind them and find the perfect everyday food and wine pairing. So do you want to become fluent in French food and wine? Go to TasteFrance.com to learn more. Taste France magazine is an initiative of the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Okay, here we are ready to talk all things South African Chardonnay, and thankfully, I am joined by a perfect candidate to talk on this subject with me the wonderful Graham Weerts, who is the winemaker at Capensis in South Africa. Graham, thank you so much for joining me today.

Graham Weerts 2:24
It’s a pleasure to take these opportunities when we get them. Without a doubt, all the pretty well documented nonsense that’s going on down in South Africa at the moment with these alcohol bans and all the rest. Our friends across the pond and across the water are important to us. So we take them whenever we get them.

Lauren Buzzeo 2:41
Absolutely. And we are so relieved and happy to hear that the ban has for now been lifted in terms of domestic sales. And we are almost back to business as usual. Again, at least for now. So good news on that front. And hopefully it continues but in the meantime, absolutely doing what we can over here to support South African wines. And thankfully, there’s a whole lot for us to explore and taste and keep our palates happy—and keep you guys in business.

Graham Weerts 3:08
Yeah, it’s an exciting category. You know, let’s face it, the South African category is just rocking and rolling. And there’s certain people doing some amazing stuff out here. So yeah, obviously we’ve we focus in on Chardonnay, but there’s not a one trick pony in the country at the moment, there’s some beautiful ones we made all over the place. So that’s the most exciting part for me at the moment being a winemaker that travels quite a lot. Between two massive big continents, I get the opportunity to see all this stuff. And it’s really exciting to see some of the stuff coming in.

Lauren Buzzeo 3:44
Definitely, but being from South Africa and having, again, the experience that you do, working with so many different regions and vineyards, especially as it pertains to Chardonnay, again, a perfect candidate to talk through the variety and the subject today with us. So, you know, I guess I just want to start by saying absolutely, you know, varieties and the nature of South African wine industry, right. But there’s so much beauty to really be explored as it pertains to Chardonnay from the country. There’s so much versatility and variety in terms of expressions. And one of the ways that I generally like to describe South Africa to someone who’s getting into the country and exploring the wines from the country is that it’s a New World wine region with an Old World soul. And I think that actually translates perfectly to expressions of this grape, Chardonnay, in particular, that there’s so much variety to be found in terms of the expressions from different regions throughout the country. Some that lean more Old World in style and others that go more New World and you certainly have great experience and perspective on both of those fronts. Would you think that that’s sort of a fair top-line assessment, if you will?

Graham Weerts 5:03
I think it’s a very fair assessment. I think it’s also a lot to do with the, you know, the influences that have come down into the, into the South African trade. As an industry, we very European centric. A lot of our wines are shipped to Europe, and a lot of the influence that started the wine trade down here was of European influence. So, fair enough, it’s a New World wine region, per se, but it’s been going for a chunk of time now, 360 years or something silly like that. A very close friend of mine works at Groot Constantia, you must find him they kind of take the medal as oldest winery around town. But so I think a lot of the influences and I was giving a lot of thought to that this this morning before I jumped on this call with you this evening is, what would the reason be? I think it’s a lot to do with the influence of the of the people that were buying wines in the early stages. It influences the palate of how South Africans are trained, and also a lot of the wines that we are reciprocal down here. A lot of a lot of European wines come into South Africa, and are bought in South Africa and had been for many, many generations and many years. Now I remember sitting around a barbecue braai, what a good chunk of time ago with Arty, another close friend of mine. And his dad said, ‘Look, I’ve got all these Bordeaux first growths that have been sitting in my garage. Would you guys got to see if anything’s okay?’ Sure, we’re gonna go check those things out for like drinking any two Bordeauxs and just going through stuff like that, that’d be stored in a garage, and half of it was shot and other half we got pretty merry on. So I think that’s a lot of the influence of how the palate has evolved, the decision making in in how we grow, the decision making of how we pick, how we vitify, and especially when it comes to Chardonnay, I think there’s, there’s a tremendous amount of the Burgandian influence down there long before the California influence camera rolling in through the door here. There was a lot of that sort of Burgundian focus and a lot of, you know, let’s face it, barrel salesman, from Burgundy, running through the door, and every single barrel salesman that was worth his salt would get a get a Burgandian winemaker on payroll and come and come rolling in and tell you how to make Chardonnay, which, you know, had his trials and its errors because the barrel salesman had one plan in place, and that was to sell more barrels. But I think we figured that out as a company and I speak for myself personally, I think, I think as as a country, we’ve we’ve all figured out how to work with wood better and understanding your picking dates, and how to bring in small wood and use second fill and try and try to work through that as best we possibly can. Wood is a main influence in all the Chardonnay programs. And I do believe you need a component there, but you needed to work really well with your wines.

Lauren Buzzeo 8:07
Definitely, it’s all about the balance. And I think that your perspective, actually, in the bit of historical context, if you will, that you provided as a pertains to Burgundy is certainly really interesting for me to hear. Because I frequently encounter a lot of comparisons with South African winemakers, comparing their wines to different regions from Burgundy. And while I can appreciate where it’s coming from, I often tell them, you’re not Burgundy, your South Africa, let’s try to embrace that a bit more. And I think that that again, there are certain characteristics that you might like into that. And I understand that that appeals to an audience and that it’s maybe perhaps a little bit more immediately identifiable to wine consumers. But I think that, again, there are just such unique elements and aspects to the South African wines that make them truly their own expressions and not worthy of comparison to anywhere else in the world. So along those lines, I know again, that you work with so many different vineyard sites across across the Cape wine lands in South Africa. Tell me a little bit. Let’s start with, if you can, what would be your favorite wine region to work with for Chardonnay?

Graham Weerts 9:21
Wow, it’s a tough call. But you know, I’m an absolute, sort of, believer in classic regions. I believe in in areas that I’ve done their thing—and I’m kind of nervous saying this because there’s so many hipsters floating around South Africa right now probably listen to this podcast, and call me a fuddy duddy and I’m not a fuddy duddy, but I do believe in class and I believe in areas which have got a proven track record. So from my perspective right now, and I’m not saying this because, you know, it’s where we own properties. I’m saying because we buy quite a bit of fruit there, I’m actually picking a picking a small amount from there on Monday. But you know, the the Stellenbosch Mountains are something to really to behold right now and I’m not talking about the low elevation stuff, which I think is kind of normal. I don’t think there’s a tremendous amount of excitement there. But when you get into elevation, with Chardonnay on the right type of soil types, you end up with something pretty special because climatically things change pretty dramatically when you get up into those regions of the Stellenbosch Highlands. I call them the Highlands, it’s the Banhoek area where we own a piece of property going out towards the Helderberg, which is closer to False Bay, which gets that nice, cool coastal elements there. And then up in the hills, we work to work the site on the Simonsberg. There’s some people you would start on a block today that it’s amazing to behold, and the the conversation right now that I’m having with some really respected people is, Cabernet doesn’t really do particularly well at high altitude in Stellenbosch. And again, there we go, someone with an opinion is going to come and shoot me. But that’s my opinion. And it’s not only my opinion, some really well respected Cabernet producers are trying to figure out what works best for them. And I’m finding that the Chardonnays grown at the higher elevations are just spectacular. There’s something quite special about those things, but it’s also you have to go find the right soil types and for Chardonnay for me, I’m also looking for a little bit more clay in the soil. Anthony Hamilton Russell is always harping on about clay content and how to fix his wines and that’s the source of the greatness of Hamilton Russell, which I don’t disagree with. I think that clay adds a component of coolness to the root system through the warm summer days And make no mistake we can get hot, but Stellenbosch is beautifully moderated. That coastal influence that comes with False Bay, and you get up into the higher elevations—man alive. So to answer a very simple question, what’s my favorite area right now from a South African context, it’s definitely the high high altitude Stellenbosch lots. You just have to look at the track record of some of our neighbors and some of—I don’t want to call them competitors, but sort of colleagues in the in the game, you know, look at Thelema, they’ve always produced some amazing Chardonnay from those high altitude vineyards. Look at Tokara, they’ve done a great job Rustenberg, Uva Mira, Delaire. Yeah, there’s some some amazing, amazing vineyard sites up in the higher elevations when the original Mulderbosch when they were there making wines on that on those Bottelary hills. Incredible sharpness coming out of there. And that’s another sort of unsung area that those hills going up towards it, just amazing sharpening quality that you’re getting up there. So you know, and it’s the irony at the moment when my phone rings, or everyone’s looking for Stellenbosch right now they’re saying, Okay, well, how do I get some I need I need a bit more Stellenbosch Chardonnay. So there’s definitely one particular block which I buy, specifically for Silene, which is our Stellenbosch component, which is a very desirable block. And you know, there are a number of people in there now and and some other folks were going, ‘Hey, how can I get some fruit out of it?’ And that’s on the Helderberg. It’s a it’s an amazing block on the Helderberg. And there’s some pretty well known people in there. And it was a hint of fruit available this year, and I don’t take it all. I try to keep it a little bit more private, because otherwise every everybody’s in it, but some pretty well respected wineries trying to get into the Stellenbosch freeze. But I’m not discounting all the other areas, by no means. They all add a component to it. But in my sense, again, it’s my opinion, but the Stellenbosch Chardonnays are very, very special.

Lauren Buzzeo 14:07
Absolutely. And that was not an easy question to answer at all. So I appreciate all of the information that you even just slightly unpacked. And there’s so many things that I want to go back to. To clarify. No, it’s all good. It’s great stuff. Because it is very important. And I think it’s really interesting actually that you’re talking about some of the the subregions if you will of Stellenbosch because I think that there’s a general understanding about Stellenbosch. And I would argue that it’s probably the most well known region, at least for American consumers from South Africa. But it’s interesting, you know, talking about Cab because I think that the Stellenbosch Cab Collective has actually done a really good job of trying to establish some of the different pockets and subregions of the Stellenbosch region. But it’s interesting to hear your perspective again from Chardonnay where it is best suited or where the best examples are presumably coming out of, and that those opportunities are starting to be better understood and defined with the understanding of the differences between those regions. Right?

Graham Weerts 15:12
Yeah, correct. Absolutely. You know, Stellenbosch is a big region. It says it’s a, it’s a big region with with multiple multiple microclimates in their multiple hillsides and mountains all over the little region that it is. But it’s not it’s not this monolithic valley that runs through an area with a pretty consistent soil type. A lot of people say can you be in a valley and therefore…. But Stellenbosch isn’t a valley. It’s a region that’s very, very complex and very detailed in where you want to plant certain varieties. Though, in the past, South African farmers, typically delivering to a big wholesaler would plant a vineyard, and they’d say, well what does the market want today? Okay, well, that is the most asinine way of planting a vineyard I’ve ever come across. But you know, you can imagine now you’re a grower, you’re delivering to a big wholesaler. You know, I’m not gonna mention their names, but you know that you can figure that out for yourself. There’s some big guys that used to operate in the Stellenbosch area. Those guys are selling their heritage right now. And good people are buying those sites. They’d come in and say yeah, for the next five years Savignon Blanc is on fire and everybody’s drinking Sauvignon Blanc. Some of the most amazing sites instead of us have been planted to Sauvignon Blanc because cool, beautiful hillsides. Sauvignon Blanc needs a cool, beautiful hillside. What they don’t realize you’re gonna get no crop out of that thing. And you go down the road, and the guys getting 20 tons a hectare and cleaning your clocks, because the quality is very similar. And that was the problem and you end up with with a vineyard, or a proprietary with a nice decent sized vineyard with Cabernet, Pinotage, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, a bit of Merlot, maybe a touch of Cabernet Franc all on the same site. And it’s just like, wow, because he’s hedging his bets man. You know, he doesn’t, you know, the vagaries of the trade. The winners got to be in the ground for at least 30 years, you know, and or 25 to 30 years and one year, they want Savignon Blanc. Two years later, they want Chardonnay the next year Cabernet is king. So these guys are just hedging their bets. I think that’s evolving very quickly. And I think people are starting to figure out, well, this is a very good, the highest slopes of this area of perfect for Chardonnay, the lower slopes ar probably more more accustomed to Bordeaux varietals is that maybe Cabernet Franc, Cabernet, Merlot or a blend of the two. And then there’s certain pockets of places in the Stellenbosch region, which are making some amazing Syrah. You know, there’s some guys picking a little bit earlier and doing some really funky stuff with some stem inclusion. And those wines are really interesting. But I think the defining of the areas because the power of the wholesaler is diminishing. The smaller producer in these really cool areas, like cool, hip and nice areas are becoming more powerful. Because these big wholesalers, they’ve kind of forgotten about what the wine trade should be about. It should be about these beautiful areas and they’ve gone into mass production, and it’s kind of boring. You know, it’s just so sad. So it’s up to up to the smaller people and the, you know, we like to joke about them about the hipsters running around with a beard that coming out of here. The genesis of this really started with with a couple of guys that I mentioned earlier in the Swartland, guys like Yevin and Arty and a few other guys, David and Nadia Sadee they started doing that with Chenins and a bit of Syrah out there. And then a couple of bigger names rolled in through the door and they resurrected a really sort of boring area that was kind of just you know, a production area. They’ve really brought a tremendous amount of excitement to the Swartland but that sort of infectious passion that they’ve imparted over the entire trade has kind of infected all the regions so everybody’s trying to kind of ferret these beautiful areas out and you know, the Hemel-en-Aarde Elgin. Elgin’s making a big name for themselves and from a Charonnay perspective, beautiful wines coming out of Elgin. Personally I’ve kind of stuck out there, I’ve tried it three times and I struck out and I just dropped the hands and said Okay, leave to Richard Kershaw to go and he does a great job with it. And let him do you think I’ve kind of I’m gonna stick to what I know and I think Stellenbosch hills are really what I know quite well. But you know, the guys in Hemel-en-Aarde, the guy’s doing some incredible stuff. If you want to look at what Robertson’s doing on some of those limestone soils, special stuff, you’re really good. But it’s understanding your crop load, understanding where it should be grown, the combinations of the clonal material restock and where it’s going to be delivered to you and how it’s farmed for that I think you get, you get way better results for that. And I think, this industry is 350 plus years old—I don’t know exactly the number—but I think it’s really just, just beginning, just beginning, and people are starting to understand what goes where, then I suppose the real funky side starts to do to evolve how we vinify it. And that’s that’s the real funky side of understanding that.

Lauren Buzzeo 20:36
I think that that’s the next level right? After there’s that really deep understanding of the terroir and the soils that you’re working with then comes in the cellar, what you’re doing what can be played with, different techniques, experimentation. And yeah, that’s when you might get into a bit more of the funky stuff. But I think it’s an excellent point that you raised as it pertains to the Swartland and the example that they kind of set. And it’s interesting that you were even talking about as it pertains to Stellenbosch, you know, the diversity of the plantings and you know how so many different varieties can be found within the region, and that a lot of winemakers were sort of hedging their bets by planting so many different varieties. But that the new name of the game, so to speak, is a bit more of that specialization, and really focusing and honing in on what works best for the area that you work. And I think that that’s why, at least in my opinion, you’ve seen such great strides in quality and benchmark examples and expressions of specific, again, varieties and specific regions. And it’s really allowing consumers a better angle to latch on and have a greater understanding for South African wine.

Graham Weerts 21:48
Not a question, no question about it. Yeah, you know, I’m not gonna discount anyone doing what they do. If guys want to do this big fruit salad, that’s their business. It really is. But to me, at this stage of the game, you know, the world is just too competitive. And I’m adamant that mediocrity is just not going to survive in the world of wine. Their mediocrity is just going to be price driven. Everything’s gonna be driven by price. Everything’s gonna be driven by volumetric play. And there’s no excitement to me, to me personally in that. I think if you look at look at I take it take a leaf out of out of Jeff Jackson’s book, he knew that the vineyards that he owned on the California coast, were cool climate California vineyards. So what do I put in there? Trust me, they they try to plant Cabernet down in Monterey, back in the day, and they realized very quickly that Cabernet ain’t gonna fly in Monterey. So what works really well there? Chardonnay works really well in Monterey. And it’s this is breadbasket of Chardonnay for the for the California trade. You’ve never heard of Cabernet coming out of Monterey. But there’s this massive, massive vineyard holdings of Pinot and Chardonnay in that whole Monterey Valley and whole basin that runs down down it. So I think you’re gonna start seeing that here in a way that as people start to realize they can specialize. They can get better prices, if they’ve specialized in the varieties that work in these certain areas. And to me, you know, there’s one area in my, in my book, which if it was in California, or anywhere else in the world, it’s planted to apples right now. There’s one or two vineyards—there’s a Pinot vineyard and there’s a Chardonnay vineyard, and that’s up here in Caimans hut. I’m sure you’ve heard of that. Crocodiles live in it. And they’re a couple of guys in there now with with Pinot. Peter-Allan Finlayson, he’s making his Crystallum brand. He’s making some incredible Pinot off these vineyards. I tasted one over the weekend and it was it was jaw droppingly good how good this Pinot was, and I buy a block of Chardonnay right next door. And it’s one of the oldest blocks in the country. Virus up the yin yang, dryland farm there. It’s probably on its last legs. I’m gonna try and keep it going for us because it adds such a beautiful sort of textural saline element to the Capensis winds that I make. And I don’t ever want to lose that and I’m so nervous of replanting that vineyard and losing it because the young wine’s so boisterous and it does its thing. So we’ll keep an eye on that for as long as we possibly can. But that entire valley is planted to apples. But if that was in California, or in Burgundy, let alone Australia, the apples would be sort of novelties. Some dude making some sort of a—what do you call it? A sort of heirloom cider. It’s an apple factory. It’s just apples, apples everywhere. But it’s an incredible vine area where they can plant grapes.

Lauren Buzzeo 25:12
Is that technically in Walker Bay?

Graham Weerts 25:14
No it’s it’s in it’s in the what they call Elandskloof, which actually is a big… is on the other side of the Overberg region. But it’s it’s it’s mountainous, it’s high. It gets the chilling units. It gets cold because Chardonnay, let’s face it, needs a lot of chilling units to remain fruitful. Otherwise, it just becomes a bushy hedge. You need cold and up in these mountains, you have a super, super high, cool, cool climate, but it’s ideal for growing apples. What was the Russian River back in the day? Apples. Cider. They produced apples there and made cider all day, every day. So that’s what tells me okay, that should be what it is. If we could get that ball rolling, some bigger players have come in there and are making some wine there. And they’ve planted some the other Rupert family went in there planted a beautiful vineyard, but it’s taking some time because it’s a young vineyard. It needs some time to to come online. But I think once that ball starts to roll, hopefully we can get the apples out and put some really special special Chardonnay blocks in there and get the correct clones in there. And you know, and farm it really well because now you got an apple farmer growing grapes. And you know, he’s making call it 10 bucks on a block of grapes was making a million bucks in a block of apples. So why would you bother? So it’s not denigrating the grove. But the growers, the guys that are just like, well, economics don’t make sense. If we get into the right bottle, it’ll work. So the opportunities are just endless in these regions. And, you know, another person, Samantha O’Keefe doing her thing at Lismore. Holy smokes. That was an area nobody ever thought of. Grow some wheat, you can grow some sheep up in those hills. And look at those wines. Those wines are special. She had a hell of a hell of a knock recently. I spoke to the other day she’s back in her feet. The winery was back up and running. So she’s back, she’s back and going and I’m excited what she can produce out of out of out of that area. Well, what she has produced. She’s produced some incredible wines. The Chardonnay wines—woah. It’s just mind boggling what she’s produced out of that Greyton area, which was nobody has ever thought okay, Greyton’s going to make special wine.

Lauren Buzzeo 27:39
Yeah. Okay, so we got some regions to keep an eye on and to watch out for what’s out in the future. For now, actually talking about you know, the orchards in the apples definitely took me back to to Elgin, which you mentioned before, and the story in the history there certainly heavy on the orchards and the fruit production prior to and I’m sure still actually known for it, right? The wind hasn’t really taken over fully.

Graham Weerts 28:10
They’ve tried but I think when the apple market was down, all the apple growers were gonna go into grapes are gonna go into grapes. And they realized grapes are hard work. And the yields aren’t what apple yields are. Come on, we know this trade, none of us are becoming multi millionaire billionaires out of the wine trade, are we? So it is more, you’ve got to really believe in what you’re doing. But there’s some good there’s some good stuff coming out of Elgin. Like I said, I’ve struck out three times. I think it’s more more of a case of my inability to understand the area rather than than the lack of what that area is all about. I think there’s some guys doing some really incredible stuff there. Some Chardonnays coming out of there are mind boggling. I mentioned Richard Kershel recently, he’s doing some incredible stuff out of Elgin. The guys from—what’s that big operation there?

Lauren Buzzeo 29:06
Certainly Cluver and Andries.

Graham Weerts 29:09
Cluver—Andries, he is making some, I had one of his CWG wines the other day. Super stuff. And low alcohol—12.5 alcohol, but boom on point. And seriously good one, seriously good one. So it’s just a different style. So different, so varied to what we’re doing, where we’re focusing on.

Lauren Buzzeo 29:31
Yes, definitely. I feel like a lot of the producers in the region, at least some of the top examples that I’ve had are people that are really actually based in the region. They’re not leasing, they’re not sourcing, they are working that land, they have that land, they know it inside and out, which might be a specialty.

Graham Weerts 29:52
Look, I tell you that that’s something you’ve got to own vineyards. You’ve got to own them. You’ve got it. Be you got to live them, you got to be part of them, you got to own them. I get nervous about some of the some of the really good wines that are popping out of the industry right now they, it’s a lot of folks are living on beans and toast to make sure that can buy bottles and corks for the next vintage. They’re making incredible wines from a grower. If you can’t manage that from minute to minute. Yeah, that’s one thing about Jess. He taught me that for early early on in my career, when I started working for him, which is a quite a chunk of time ago now he’s it’s like, you’ve got to own and manage these vineyards yourself, otherwise you’ll never get ahead. But the capital is capital intensive, and you’ve got to go find that capital and you’ve got to be successful to get that capital in the wine tread. And then then the ball starts to roll but to be a great for lack of a better word, a great negotiator, it has its pitfalls, because the winery we we own and run in South Africa, we are obviously growing into it volumetrically, but when I built it, I wanted to make sure that we get everything that we need in it. But it’s it’s probably 50% too big for what we need right now. So I’ve got a couple of clients who’ve come in, who do custom crush work there, and I was chatting to one of our main clients, who will probably be with us until we close the doors if we ever close the doors. But she was saying to me that, you know, there’s a block that she shares with four other winemakers, and everyone gets the allocation. But now they kind of darting around each other and who’s who picks first gets the exact tonnage. And the person who picks last it’s like if you’ve ever been at—well, I grew up in a boarding house as well, so if you ever get get to like a buffet line, who gets the last slice of the bread, you know, it’s like this, the janky piece at the end. And everybody gets in the beginning, it’s a nice slice, nice slice. And then the last slice is always like a back end or that, you know. If you don’t own that, it gets gets complicated. So you try to anticipate who’s gonna pick first. And there’s like a pecking order. But you know, a grower grows, it’s gonna go get stuff off the vine. And he wants to get into the winery, get his paycheck, and he’s done. So yeah, it’s kind of like a dance. Everyone’s dancing around. They’re all buddies with each other. But they’re all scavenging for this one block. I can’t remember what it is exactly. But her portion came in today and looked pretty nice. But it’s, it’s a pretty amazing, amazing sort of cycle. You nailed it. You’ve got to exist it. And you’ve got to you’ve got to live there and you’ve got to breathe it and you got to experience every day as much as you possibly can, in that region to understand, especially in this period of time, this ripening period. Yeah, that we can follow the trends for sure. I’ve got to, I’ve got to follow the trends of the winter rainfalls because I’m like the snowbird. I fly down to South Africa and the sun’s shining. And as soon as it starts to rain, yep, off I go to California, and the sun’s coming up there. So I’ve got to watch the winter rainfall over the internet and figure out what’s going on and I’m getting quite nervous about the California winter rainfall, which is nonexistant right now. But when it gets to this sort of ripening period, you’ve kind of got to live and breathe it, you got to kind of get the essence of when the heat waves are coming in, when the cool really cool snaps are coming in. And especially a year like this in South Africa where we we are dealing with a little bit of a interesting, summertime hasn’t really hit in full force in South Africa. These little small little bouts of rain popping up all the time. Which actually, to me, and at this stage of the game I’m thinking for what I’m working on in Chardonnay, I think it’s gonna be amazing. I really do. I think the longer those vines can tick away, develop flavor at a lower alcohol and a nice ripping acid, I get quite excited because there’s nothing worse for me than than having to pick in an extreme with either a heatwave or it’s raining. I don’t want to be in either. I just want to be in this is sort of called the glide path, this kind of cruising in, and everything is just working nice and the vines are doing its thing. It’s not it’s not stressed because of heat and it’s not swimming because its feet are wet in a whole lot of rain. So the way it’s going right now and I can only see a couple of weeks out on the extended forecast, I think we’re going to be you’re hopefully going to get that nice beautiful definition on on white wines. The boys are sitting with Cabernet, they’re getting quite nervous. Those guys sitting with some some Cabernet that might be a little bit old and maybe carrying a ton per acre too much. Yeah, they’re getting a bit sweaty at the moment. I think there’s some real sweat dripping down those boys noses at the moment. You just get that bead of sweat running down the front of your nose like that that’s probably what’s happening it’s getting a bit hot today.

Lauren Buzzeo 35:22
Well there’s still a little bit of time I guess we’ll see what happens, but that’s very exciting. I’m glad to hear that 2021 is shaping up to be looking good so far.

Graham Weerts 35:34
Yeah, I know a lot of good winter rain. It’s been a beautiful summer. Things are late, so you get out of the heat waves you get out of the extremes. And you get into that beautiful fall autumn cycle. Out of the February heat waves and the wind drops, the extreme heat’s gone. In California we call it an Indian summit just holds it together. It’s like these beautiful soft light. I like it, I kind of get excited.

Lauren Buzzeo 36:07
I love listening to you talk about it. My mouth is watering just in the anticipation of tasting is yet to be produced wines. I actually just wanted to circle back really quickly. We talked about a lot of regions, we obviously spent a lot of time on Stellenbosch Chardonnay and we also hit upon you know Elgin Hemel-en-Aarde but I like to circle back a little bit more to Robertson because I think that that’s a region that you work in. One of your vineyards you source from is in Robertson, right?

Graham Weerts 36:35
Yeah, Robertson is a complicated area. That’s a complicated area because it is an irrigation area. They’ve got an abundance of irrigation water. They don’t get a tremendous amount of rain. So the water they put down is coming out of a pump and a river. So you can you can get guys to get pretty excited when they hear the pump goes on and the water goes flowing down the load that’s like whoa, off we go. We can crop. Robertson to me has got some of the most iconic terroir in the country. It has soils which are to die for they got you just got you got shales, you got these Karoo shales that pop up on occasion. But the most iconic thing is are they got they got these chalky white soils that pop out of the ground in these bands that run through the place, and all through the upliftment. Those chalky soils are really, really special.

Lauren Buzzeo 37:31
Talk about those Burgundy comparisons.

Graham Weerts 37:34
Exactly. And it’s whiter. It’s pure, pure white. On Instagram I think there’s a photo where I’m just holding these big clumps of white stone, which we picked that block this morning out of the Robertson area. So it’s absolutely crucial you find the site and the grower. And the combination of the two has to work. I worked with this guy Ernest Bruwer. And he’s he’s got both. He’s a pretty good farmer. He’s young, he understands agriculture as much as he understands fine wine. So he is able to balance his production side with one or two of his sites which are really, really special. So it’s a good combination of the two. But yeah, he’s growing some pretty decent fruit for us up there. But Robinson, everybody thinks it’s stinking hot there. But, you know, the Graham Beck guys have been making great bubbly there for a long time. You know, John Loubser, works with Silverthorn also is making some great bubbly in that area and some other folks doing some really amazing stuff. Because they get these beautiful nighttime temperatures. It’s an amazing, amazing sort of phenomenon that, that you get warm days, make no mistake, but then that night, this cold air just comes rolling through and keeps us place. They’ll just bring this diurnal shift that comes up and down. And then you combine that with with a really good farmer and a guy who knows how grow grapes. And then you know you with those incredible soils, you just got to find the combination and somebody who’s not too enthusiastic with a tap and it seems to work pretty well. Because as soon as they get too enthusiastic with that irrigation hose…woof. And fair enough. Some guys have to do that to survive, and I’m not going to get I’m not going to throw stones at guys who want to keep the business afloat. But for what we’re trying to produce it and how we try to produce it, it’s simply not what we’re looking for right now. You know, that’s definitely those those little pockets and, you know, a good grower and a good pocket.

Lauren Buzzeo 39:46
But I think it’s interesting actually that, you know, going back to talking about Stellenbosch and the diversity of varieties that are planted there. I find that with the Reds with Robertson, there’s a lot of Bordeaux varieties or some Syrah. But for the whites, sure there’s a little bit of Sauvignon. Probably some other stuff, but predominantly it’s Chardonnay country.

Graham Weerts 40:06
Yeah, I think the biggest, biggest concentration of Chardonnay plantings are in the Robertson area.

Lauren Buzzeo 40:12
Yeah. And you taste the wines from the region and you absolutely understand why I mean, you know, De Wetshof, I’m sorry, you would never pinpoint that. You could easily mistake that for top of the line Chardonnay from Burgundy hands down in a blind tasting.

Graham Weerts 40:32
Absolutely. They’ve always got this party trick of this opening I think it’s an ’86. I speak under correction, an ’86 Chardonnay of theirs that they open as a party trick every now and then. I don’t know how much I got stuck anymore. But it is absolutely flawless. At this stage of the game? No, I don’t know exactly what vintage it is. But if you ever get the opportunity, and you speak to Peter De Wet, or Danie De Wet, whichever one you you come into, ask them to open one of those wines for you. And hopefully send you a bottle because it is pristine, flawless. No faults. And it’s ridiculously on. And I think that’s the hallmark of what these places can do. And I think that’s a hallmark of South African Chardonnay, which sometimes California Chardonnays trip themselves up in the high end, the ageability becomes compromised. And I think I’ve got my own theory there. I’ve been making wine there long enough now to know what that’s all about. And it’s a lot to do with, I think, the ripening parameters and the phenolics, that comes through, because of the ripening parameters that people are pushing there to try and get this massive opulent flavor profile. I think that in the process through those ripe flavors, it hides a lot of phenolics, which doesn’t allow the ones to age very well. But some guys are doing some pretty amazing work that now. There’s also figuring that out. Picking a little earlier. There’s a definitely a new wave running through the California world at the moment. It’s not the massive, big opulent wines. I think it’s just the market shifting and the people are becoming a little lighter on its feet these days.

Lauren Buzzeo 42:14
Definitely, but that’s an excellent point. I think a lot of people would be very, very surprised in terms of the longevity and the ageability of of these beautiful South African Chardonnay expressions.

Graham Weerts 42:26
It’s amazing. I opened a 2013 of ours the other day and it hasn’t moved. That bottles too high in sulfur, it just hasn’t moved. It’s just it just is glacial. And it’s exciting. I’m excited about where are we going from an ageability point of view. Typically, on the Capensis side of things, we hold things back in barrel for 12 months, and then in bottle for over 12 months. Some people say well, you got problems selling, why are you so far behind? It’s out of choice, we’ve got the luxury of choice. Working with the proprietors that I have, we’ve got the luxury of choice, we can hold these wines back until you know the some of these acids are searing they big, big, big wines, but with big sort of acid profiles as well. So you’ve got to give them a bit of time to settle into themselves. And know when you when a restaurant is pouring them in New York, nobody’s really questioning that ageability, they want to know that it’s there. If things are brown and janky when it comes out of the bottle, they’re not really excited about that, are they? So So I think if you’ve got the time, and you’ve got the luxury of holding a couple of these South African charlatans back, do it. I think the wines only benefit from it.

Lauren Buzzeo 43:38
Absolutely. And you mentioned the acidity and to me that is the defining characteristic really of why these wines are so beautiful, but why they’re so ageworthy and why they mature and evolve so well is because they have that beautiful natural acidity that you cannot find in every wine region. Let’s be real.

Graham Weerts 44:00
But you but you 100% right. But it’s not a blanket statement for for South African Chardonnay. I can show you some Chardonnay blocks, which at 21 brix have got a pH of four. I’m not rushing out to go plant that or buy that or do anything with it. You just got to go find those pockets, really, really special pockets. And they’re all over the place. I want to be enthusiastic about every one region in the world. You can’t be enthusiastic about every single wine region because these are some places that the location lets them down. But there are some pockets everywhere in this country of ours which produce just special, the most transparent Chardonnays I’ve tasted it a long time. They just show this is from here, bang. And it’s undeniable it’s from there. You go taste Elgin Chardonnays, it’s undeniable it’s from there. Even if Andries Burger’s making it, or Richard Kershaw’s making it, they are from there. Yeah. And that’s that’s the exciting part of it and you know, you go to him and order you can definitely taste is a nice, solid thread running through there. Bar the fact that most of those winemakers have rolled through Hamilton Russell that’s one thing that he was the first guy there. If you want a job that you have to work. But he’s gonna laugh if he listens to this because he’s an amazing winemaker, his winemakers also make amazing wine, but a lot of those winemakers are rolled through there.

Lauren Buzzeo 45:30
Absolutely.

Graham Weerts 45:32
But there’s definitely a line thread that runs through that area. But I’m joking now, but there is definitely a thread that runs through the whole Hemel-en-Aarde that you can taste.

Lauren Buzzeo 45:42
So we’ve talked a lot about South African Chardonnay, but knowing that you also make the wines for Stone Street Estate in Alexander Valley, can you talk a little bit about the differences between making line in California versus South Africa?

Graham Weerts 45:55
It’s a tough question. I think it gets back to where, its interpretation of your terroir, its interpretation of where you are and climatically. Though climatically I always thought it was very similar. I was still okay climatically, California is very similar. It’s not, it really isn’t. You know, the differences we deal with is a lot to do with how the wind influences that we got this thing called called the Southeaster, the Cape Doctor, that rolls through pretty much every afternoon from sort of December to the end of February. And that changes the complex. California you don’t get wind. It’s not talking about those late autumn, late fall winds that cause all those fires, Santa Ana winds and those things, that’s not dealing with this. This ice cold wind that comes through from all the way down from the Antarctic. And it comes right with you. It’s cold, it’s cool. And I think that’s the biggest difference climatically that we don’t typically deal with in California. So what you’re dealing with in California is a diurnal shift that’s forced upon you by the fog that rolls into the Pacific. I always say this: California without the fog is a desert, that will be as bad as Reno. You might as well be in Reno and Las Vegas. Without that coastal influence, you cook. And we see that when that the whole cycle, you get that sort of warm dome, and that offshore flow with it, hot air rolls through it is ridiculously hot. So it’s very, very different. I had this impression it’s a Mediterranean climate, it’s very similar—very, very different. And I think that, to me, is the biggest thing is understanding that airflow and how that influences the temperature on a day to day basis how that plays into the plays into the game. So the big difference to me there again, is how you your vine matures, and how what you end up with from a phenolic standpoint a lot to do to working with me and what my thinking when I’m working with Chardonnays is is what kind of phenolics am I going to be dealing with. What I’m looking to make is a wine that that isn’t phenolic but the area of the sites that I pick to grow grapes on typically are going to give me a lot of phenolics, because they extreme sites. They’re sites, right up in the sky and they’re usually mountain grown, low production exposed to lots of sunlight and the elements and it’s a little bit more extreme area to grow grapes in. So they’re naturally going to protect themselves with a thicker skin. With a lot of flavors involved there. You get a lot of flavor development, but you also can get these bitter browning character that I’m trying to deal with. So when I’m here, I’m expecting a little bit more influence from the wind to develop a lot of that thicker skin and created a slightly different note to almost regret the stress in the vineyard. So I don’t want to create a tremendous amount of water stress in the profile of the soil because I know the wind alone is going to create quite a bit of stress. So I have to think about that. You know, working on a vineyard in Stellenbosch the other day and my viticulturist was saying, ‘Should I put more?’ I said put more water down. We’re okay, it’s going to be a very warm week and the winds gonna blow like the clappers. So let’s get let’s get a bit more water down. When California I look at it slightly different. I’m really anticipating those heat waves. Those heat waves are my biggest fear in California right now. It’s not the wind events. It’s those really deep, aggressive heat waves and how do we prepare the vineyard for that? So what we’re doing there is we’re breaking fewer leaves now in California to get a little bit more freshness, we’re leaving a bit more canopy, you’re trying to get an architecture slightly different in there. And I’m also picking earlier. The funny thing is coming back into 2013 kind of relearning that South African way of working in South Africa, and to understand my processes here, and working with blocks I’ve never worked with. I take a lot of that information back with me and that thought pattern with me to go and work with, you know, the Chardonnays I’m working with in California and trying to figure out what are the phenolics going to do in these sites? How’s climate and the soil and where they’re grown going to influence things in a big way. Because, you know, from a wind perspective, you go to Monterey, you start getting that similar wind, afternoon wind that rolls through, or going down to Santa Barbara. And you get that character again, where you’re influenced by the wind. Every afternoon up in that Santa Barbara, Santa Maria bench that wind rolls through there and changes and you get a much thicker skin. You’re not in the mountainside, but you’re down on the bench there and you get a much thicker skin. So I’ve got the privilege I’m working on another project, which I’ll introduce in the middle of the year, which is a Chardonnay project which I’ve picked fruit all the way from our most extreme vineyard down in the Santa Rita area. It’s a block that I begged Greg Brewer gave me a few tonnes all the way. 3D, which is one of his favorite blocks, I’m like please give me two and a half tonnes. So we work with 3D down in Santa Rita. And then a couple other blocks on on the bench in Santa Maria, all the way up to Zena Crown in Oregon, and everything in between. So it’s a really exciting project that which we’re going to introduce into the into the world of wine. So I’ve got that experience now working with, with all these extreme little sites in the area, which I’ve never worked in Santa Cruz. We’ve got a block out in Santa Cruz now, which I talked about buying a vineyard. We don’t own anything in Santa Cruz, but I got kind of got a deal there with a grower. So the differences in all these different vineyard sites up and down the coast. Pretty amazing in California, I must say I’ve got to give you that. It’s pretty cool. So and I have to put a different hat on every single time, which is challenging, because you kind of have one way of thinking, and that’s who you become as you mature into this trade. But now you got to turn that turn yourself upside down and think okay, well, that’s what I do for Capensis. This is what I do there. What barrel am I going to use? I’m a stickler for… I don’t introduce new barrels into my programs easily. I’ve kind of settled into a bit of a cadence of what I do from a barrel perspective. But I’ve got a new barrel profile I’m toying with at the moment and I’m working on it for the second year now. I’m really excited about working with a custom barrel profile that I’ve worked with the cooperage. And it’s a combination of different wooden, different types of profiles within the barrel. So it’s, you know, we trialed last year. And this is the beauty again, to do two vintages a year. I’ve trialed in South Africa, trialed it in California now, and I’m going to get a third vintage in it in a year, which is crazy to think about now. And then I’ll get a fourth vintage in two vintages. So that’s going to be pretty cool.

Lauren Buzzeo 53:51
Graham, thank you so much for speaking with me today and sharing all of your extensive knowledge and experience on South African Chardonnay and global Chardonnay, as well as some additional recommendations beyond your fantastic Capensis wines for listeners to seek out and try.

Graham Weerts 54:08
It’s an absolute pleasure. Like I said you at the start of this thing, we’re a band of band of brothers down here—brothers and sisters I should have said—because I think the vast majority of the people that are serious about the business are trying their best. And it’s more of a collective than it is an industry. It’s a collective of like minded people. And there’s some brilliant, brilliant, brilliant winemakers floating around in South Africa. It’s actually quite a privilege to be part of that scene again. It’s a cool scene to be part of again.

Lauren Buzzeo 54:39
Totally, rising tide, let’s lift that boat with all the South African Chardonnay consumption. Yeah?

Graham Weerts 54:45
Right. Absolutely.

Lauren Buzzeo 54:49
So there you have it for your next golden pour, buck the norm and instead consider the beauty that South African Chardonnay has to offer. We covered a lot in today’s conversation with some great recommendations of producers to seek out from a number of the country’s wine regions, from Stellenbosch to Elgin, Robertson, Hemel-en-Aarde and beyond. Check out winemag.com/podcast for more information on the wines mentioned here, as well as additional resources to get you on your way to discovering the best of South African Chardonnay. Subscribe to the Wine Enthusiast Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you find your podcasts. And if you liked today’s episode, we’d love to read your review and hear what you think. And hey, why not tell your wine loving friends to check us out too. You can also drop us a line at podcast at winemag.com for more wine reviews, recipes, guides, deep dives and stories visit Wine Enthusiast online at winemag.com and connect with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @WineEnthusiast. The Wine Enthusiast Podcast is produced by Lauren Buzzeo and Jenny Groza. Until next episode, cheers.

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That is the scenario for South Africa’s wine industry, which has played out since the beginning of the novel coronavirus pandemic in March 2020.

On March 17, 2020, shortly after the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a National State of Disaster. The first Level 5 lockdown period started on March 27. It imposed stringent restrictions, including bans on all alcohol sales and the transport of alcohol, and permitted the continuation of essential services only, which didn’t initially include the wine harvest that was largely complete. The nonprofit organization Vinpro, however, successfully urged the government to at least allow the harvest and all corresponding winemaking procedures to be completed.

The purpose of the ban was to free up hospital beds for Covid-19 patients rather than trauma cases caused by alcohol use and abuse, which is a common admission occurrence for South Africa’s hospitals, especially over weekends.

Exports, which account for 45% of South Africa’s wine sales, were also not permitted during the first five weeks of the lockdown. Export restrictions were eased on May 1; but, even then, Cape Town’s port was only operating around 25% of capacity, which resulted in shipping delays.

Local alcohol sales were banned through June 1, and then resumed with restrictions: retail sales could only take place Monday through Thursday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Additionally, consumption could only happen at home. While better than a full ban, these restrictions continued to significantly effect retailers and on-premise opportunities and the hospitality sector overall, like tasting rooms and winery restaurants.

The partial relaxation lasted until July 12, when the ban on all alcohol sales was again reinstated due to a steep increase in Covid-19-related hospitalizations.

“We are fighting for our survival as we survey the staggering volume of grapes that hang on the vines of our beautiful valley, waiting to be picked.”—Mike Ratcliffe, Stellenbosch Wine Routes, on January 28, 2021

The situation in hospitals eventually eased following a decrease in the daily case rate as well as an improved recovery rate, and the ban on alcohol sales was again lifted on August 15. While many were relieved to resume business, there was widespread concern about the significant impact the bans already had on South Africa’s alcohol industry.

“Although we are grateful to start trading and delivering online sales again, we are dismayed at the extent of the damage caused to our industry during the temporary ban on exports and extended restrictions on local sales,” said Rico Basson, managing director of Vinpro, in a release dated August 15, 2020. “It might be too little too late. Many wine businesses have already closed down and a long road to recovery lies ahead for the industry as a whole.”

At that time, industry bodies for the country’s alcohol producers reported revenue losses of more than R25 billion (approximately $1.6 billion). There were about 120,000 drinks-industry jobs lost since restrictions were first imposed in March 2020. The bans have had a sweeping effect, from growers and producers to distributors, retailers and even suppliers, like those that manufacture or sell production equipment like machinery, bottles, closures and even labels. At one point, the beer companies completely stopped brewing.

The wine industry alone, which includes wine tourism, lost R7 billion (around $464 million) in direct income as a result of these two bans, with projections that each week alcohol sales were banned cost the industry R400 million (approximately $26.5 million). Vinpro estimated that while many had already shut down as a result of the lockdowns, more than 80 wineries and 350 wine-grape producers would go out of business over the next 18 months, with a potential loss of more than 21,000 jobs.

Despite trying conditions, wineries and retailers showed fortitude and resourcefulness. Normal sales might have stalled, but nothing stopped online sales, with deliveries scheduled for after each ban was lifted. Sales duly soared; at one winery, May sales increased 1562% over the previous month, while a retailer experienced online sales increase from 10% to 80% over three months. Retail lessons learned during the bans will assist a responsive approach to future online sales, which will now be more widely used by wine lovers.

In December, a new Covid-19 variant started wreaking havoc in South Africa. Steep rises in cases ensued, leaving President Ramaphosa and his National Disaster Management Council no choice but to shut down alcohol sales again, for the third time in a year, beginning December 28. The festive season, including New Year’s Eve, was an unusually quiet affair.

On January 15, the Institute of Cape Wine Masters, the Cape Wine Academy, the Cape Winemakers Guild and the Cape Wine Auction Trust jointly issued a letter to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to urge a lift on the most recent alcohol ban.

The bans have had a sweeping effect, from growers and producers to distributors, retailers and even suppliers, like those that manufacture or sell production equipment like machinery, bottles, closures and even labels. At one point, the beer companies completely stopped brewing.

“Whilst we acknowledge the distressing consequences of this rising wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and the critical availability of hospital beds, we implore you to work with us to explore alternative mechanisms, for which there are precedents, to reinvigorate our industry,” read the letter. “We are on the brink of harvest 2021 with a significant amount of unsold stock which runs the risk of going to waste and destroying significant amounts of economic value.”

On February 1, the ban on domestic alcohol sales was announced to be eased effective Tuesday, February 2. New regulations allow for retail sales Monday through Thursday, from 10 am to 6 pm, with on-site consumption at restaurants, bars and tasting rooms allowed from 10 am to 10 pm and wineries permitted to sell for off-site consumption during normal business hours as well.

Beyond sales bans and restrictions, added to the industry’s strain is the fact that harvest is upon the South African winelands again. This year, however, there remains a glut of unbottled and unsold wine in tank from the previous vintage, a result of the difficult market and sales bans of the product at hand. As harvest 2021 gets underway, estimates place last year’s unsold stock at around 250 million liters of wine sitting in cellars.

“There is no other way to describe it—we are fighting for our survival as we survey the staggering volume of grapes that hang on the vines of our beautiful valley, waiting to be picked,” wrote Mike Ratcliffe, chairperson of Stellenbosch Wine Routes, in an op-ed published January 28, 2021. “We know we have no space in our cellars to make way for the 2021 harvest and grow anxious at the livelihoods that now hang in the balance, not only those of the workers who are directly involved in wine production, but the workers whose industries are supported by it.”

Responses to the plight of those left without an income and their dependents, mainly farmworkers but also others in the community, was generous and heartwarming, but also largely fell to local wine farms and producers to step up in the absence of suitable government assistance.

Stellenbosch, perhaps the best known of the Cape’s wine regions, initiated #Stellenboschunite, a collaboration of the municipality, University of Stellenbosch and other bodies and local businesses which, via donations, provided weekly food packages to vulnerable families.

“While we should be rolling up our sleeves to harvest, we are back to pouring our efforts into feeding a community which is hungry, jobless and scared,” wrote Ratcliffe.

Bruce Jack, whose wine farm is in the Overberg, a region to the east of Stellenbosch, turned his winery into a central food depot where farmer friends delivered donations of meat, vegetables and other produce.

“At its busiest, the Overberg Food Relief group contributed to feeding 10,000 to 20,000 people a week,” wrote Jack in an open and honest account published January 23, 2021 on The-Buyer.net. “In the middle of our wettest winter in 20 years, those food queues were often in the rain; something breaks inside you when the eyes of a barefoot child in a food queue are full of fear.”

Creation Wines, located in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, have supported their staff both financially and emotionally, giving tasting room team and chefs work in the cellar or vineyards. “Every team member needs to remain engaged and feel they contribute even when they cannot work full time,” says co-owner Carolyn Martin. Broader community initiatives have also engaged the winery team, including packing and distributing food and personal hygiene materials to the most vulnerable in the community.

These are just a few of the many individual and community efforts that have popped up across the country’s winelands to help the poor and vulnerable.

“It might be too little too late. Many wine businesses have already closed down and a long road to recovery lies ahead for the industry as a whole.”—Rico Basson, Vinpro, August 15, 2020 

Social media has also proved its worth, with many initiatives to help support South Africa’s wine industry and all of its employees springing up on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Support both local and international is overwhelmingly enthusiastic.

Wineland Media got the ball rolling in July 2020, alerting the international market to the situation via social media. Producers and cellars posted photos of employees holding placards displaying #jobssaveslives, many times with the number of people employed by that farm, and #saveSAwine.

Following hashtag momentum, #saveSAwine was turned into a Facebook page and Instagram account thanks to the efforts of Erica Taylor, Will Marais and his partners in About the Winelands. Gaining 50,000 followers worldwide within two weeks, today there are just under 58,000 accounts sharing photos of South African wine they’re enjoying.

Taylor, who currently runs the social media accounts for #saveSAwine, works in partnership with U.S. distributors of South African wine like Cape Ardor, Cape Classics, Capreo and Museum Wines to offer retail packages and promotions in support of the country’s wineries.

“At some point, people will become too poor to work,” says Taylor. “When you can’t afford a childminder, you must stay home. Can’t afford petrol or car maintenance, you must stay home. You can’t afford your children’s uniforms, they can’t go to school, and you must stay home. This is what is happening to the farm workers.”

Samantha Suddons, owner/winemaker at Vine Venom, urged her online followers to “load a photo of an empty glass and tag your favorite SA wineries, shops, bars and industry people to help spread awareness” with the hashtag #emptyglassSA.

“The photograph of my empty glass is to symbolize what will happen if SA wineries aren’t supported,” said Suddons.

As South Africa’s wine industry tries to survive, there are glimmers of hope. Overall value of exports increased by 7.7% to R9.1 billion (roughly $600 million), and international support offered needed encouragement; in 2020, total exports to the U.S. were up 78% in volume and 20% in value.

“The year 2020 will probably go down in history books as one of the most challenging years for the industry, however despite this, we have learnt to adapt and have explored creative ways of engaging with our partners,” said Wines of South Africa (WoSA) CEO Siobhan Thompson in a recent press release. “While we do not know what the future holds for the South African wine industry, we hold onto the resilience that we have seen in the past.”

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