A Minute of Wine

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Production Manager Randolph Christians talks to us about the 2010 pumpover schedule and how what happens to the yeast, grapes and juice during the different phases of fermentation….

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Niël Groenewald talks to us at the end of the 2010 harvest about their very special Rhone-style blend, The Bernard Series, Small Barrel S.M.V.

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Simon and David get together in the vineyard and have a chat about the economics of running a wine farm and how most accountants will tell you to run a mile rather than start a winery. But for Simon the excitement of delivering the finished bottles of wine to consumers around the world is an attractive incentive….

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Dave Hutton takes us around the farm and catches up with Randolph, Nico, Simon, and the team as they work around the clock in the late summer heat in order to get the grapes safely into the cellar….

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Dewaldt Heyns talks to us from one of Saronsbergs younger vineyards as he and his team bring in the Viognier. The picking is done very early in the morning to get the grapes to the cellar as cool as possible, before they are placed in the force cooler and cooled to 4 degrees C.

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Adi Badenhorst takes us through the different white wines he produces, from the Secateurs Chenin Blanc, to the totally outrageous white blend under the Family label, which contains just about every white varietal under the sun…

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One of South Africa’s top winemakers Adi Badenhorst takes us thru the Badenhorst Family Vineyards Secateurs Chenin Blanc, a Chenin Blanc “totally different” to any other chenin. Insisting on an honest, simple wine that reflects the incredible character of the old bush vines the wine is made from, the Secateurs Chenin Blanc was picked over twelve days.

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This Rhone style blend from Saronsberg, consisting of Shiraz, Viognier, Grenache, and Mouvedre is the result of a long-held dream of winemaker Dewaldt Heyns to showcase the best of what the Tulbagh region has to offer.

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The Shiraz grapes are finally ready for picking and the 2010 harvest has started in earnest for the team at Saronsberg. Winemaker Dewaldt Heyns talks to us about the hand sorting process used on the grapes as well as the reasons for the “force cooling” of the grapes….

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Although Saronsberg is known for its Rhone-style wines and cultivars, their Seismic Bordeaux blend shows that they can make a versatile range of wines without compromising on quality. The 2006 Seismic spent 18 months in new french barrels, with the tannins now beginning to soften producing a full-bodied wine with a long finish.