There’s ‘no need’ for alchemy in the cellar

Winemakers should be less focused on trying to be alchemists in the cellar and instead work towards expressing their piece of dirt according to one of South Africa’s leading winemakers.

The Ataraxia chapel in Hemel-en-Aarde

Speaking to the drinks business during a lunch hosted by Bancroft Wines at Ting restaurant in The Shard yesterday, Kevin Grant of Ataraxia said:

“There’s no need for alchemy in the cellar. In South Africa we’re discovering which grapes work best where and which are the best to use to express our piece of dirt.

“I’m more of a soil farmer than a winemaker. My job is to nurture the dirt to bottle. I like wines that whisper. Shouty wines scream of excess, both in terms of oak and cellar work and end up tasting like they could be from anywhere in the world.

“We’re gaining in confidence about the quality of our terroir in South Africa, which is one of the great moves forward for the industry.”

Malawi-born Grant, who produces four wines at his estate in Hemel-en-Aarde valley in the Walker Bay, believes the next big step for South Africa is communicating regionality.

Kevin Grant

“Regionality as a concept is hugely important in South Africa and has forced us to reassess what we’re doing. The days of going to a Stellenbosch tasting room and trying seven different whites and seven reds are over,” he said.

“We’re starting to make terroir specific wines in South Africa that speak of where they are from. A new generation of young, dynamic winemakers is rising up through the ranks,” he added.

Having recently shared a cellar with dynamic young winemaker Chris Alheit of Alheit Vineyards, Grant found his non-commercial approach a breath of fresh air.

“I witnessed a savage rejection of certain barrels, there was an incredible purity to his approach,” he told db.

Admitting that the name Ataraxia “sounds like an eating disorder but actually means ‘a serene state of mind’”, Grant talked of the recent rush to plant Sauvignon Blanc in South Africa in response to its global popularity.

“Sauvignon Blanc is a calling card into the wine industry and fits neatly into our climate producing a crisp, refreshing summer drink. The grape has been planted very widely in South Africa, but in many places it’s being harvested way too early,” he said.

“There’s a mindset among some South African producers that the vintage on the bottle is the sell-by date, which is sad. I think the opposite and would urge consumers to hold onto their Sauvignons for a couple of years as they can benefit from a bit of bottle age.

“With a few years in bottle, they move away from aromas of sweaty armpit, cat’s pee and gooseberry into more interesting secondary aromas,” he added.

Describing his own Sauvignon as boasting “a Usain Bolt-like athleticism and linearity to it”, Grant admitted that he favours texture over fruit.

“I’m aiming to give the sensation of popping a river pebble into your mouth and sucking on it. For me, fruit is just the skeleton of the wine – I’ll take texture over fruit any day,” he said.

“Our next big challenge in South Africa is learning how to make ageworthy Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. There are very limited pockets in the country that can make remotely internationally competitive Pinot Noir,” he added.