Come Crush With Me!

This will be my first vintage, making wine under my own label of Solo. How would you like to accompany me on this journey? Our trip will take us through marvelous wine country in South Africa and will wind between many barrels until we share a glass of the final elixir.

Is that fear I smell or simply the odour of fermenting wine? Maybe we could share some ideas on how I should make the wine? What style should I follow? What must my label look like?

For the past 25 years I have been safely ensconced among the tanks of other wineries earning my living like a respectable employee should. Now I've taken the bold step, like a grape become seperated myself from the security of the vine to be made into something greater.

In 2009 I will harvest Shiraz like the bunch of grapes you see to your right. These grapes come from the area of Wellington in South Africa, a fairly hot region known for producing full-bodied reds. I've learnt a bit about Shiraz over the years and my time spent in the Rhone made me fall madly in love with the variety. The peppery nuances backed by the flavour of fresh, raw meat. How to get Heaven in a Bottle?

My choice of white will be Viognier, that noble grape which makes the famous wines of Condrieu. The wines made from Viognier are laced with apricot, peach and honey aromas. They have great viscosity and complexity; the ultimate "food wine".

My Viognier will come from Somerset West and the vineyard has the cooling effect of the Atlantic Ocean. Would you like to see where these grapes come from?

Once the grapes are harvested the wine will be made at a cellar in Stellenbosch where a kind colleague has let me have some space. Experience the vintage as we pick the grapes, crush the berries, add the yeast and hear the wine bubble away during fermentation. Are you coming along?

Philip