Deep Dive on South African Chenin Blanc: part 3 of 3

Part 3 of 3 - The Old Vines Made Me Do It!

This article is part three of a three-part feature on old bush vine Chenin Blanc from South Africa. 

The motivation and concept to write an article entitled The Old Vines Made Me Do It came from listening to Andrea Mullineux, of Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines, talk about old vine Chenin Blanc and how it was the reason she firmly landed on making wine in South Africa. 

The concept of a three-parter came from doing the work; writing the article. I realised that the story of old bush vine Chenin could not be told without the sum of its parts. Part One -The History of Wine in South Africa, Part Two - The Impact of Government on South African Old Vines, and this, Part Three - South African Old Bush Vine Chenin Blanc Today. I firmly believe that by using the lens of time to methodically look at South African Chenin Blanc we can clearly tell its story.

Image courtesy of The Old Vine Project of South Africa

South African Old Bush Vine Chenin Blanc Today

With the motivation of Andrea Mullineux in tow, I lined up discussions with brilliant and passionate wine authorities and academics on the topic of Chenin. Discussions with  Dr. Edo Heynes of AdVini, Louw Strydom from Ken Forrester Wines, Nicholas Pearce of Nicholas Pearce Wines, and André Morgenthal from the Old Vine Project contribute to building this article; the final and third part of the series.

The Old Vine Project

The end of apartheid saw global markets open up to South Africa and wine and spirits restrictions changed to support a more fair market that did not favour the cooperatives. 

Mandela was released from prison in 1991, apartheid abolished in 1994 and the first democratic election held that year; a time where all South African adults could freely vote, regardless of race. It was clear there was an exciting era ahead for South Africa.  

When the decision was made to dissolve the KWV cooperative, the government created the South African Wine Industry Trust (SAWIT) in 1999. SAWITs ultimate goal was to transform and restructure the wine industry post KWV regulation. Their mile high management made it possible for the growth-based work that many in the wine industry were trying to do or doing on a small scale to now gain some supported momentum. One such initiative was the The Old Vine Project (OVP).

The oldest registered Chenin Blanc vines in South Africa date back to 1942 and are in Stellenbosch. Stellenbosch also happens to be the region in South Africa with the most recorded old vines. The accessibility to such information would never be possible without the efforts of the Old Vine Project.

The journey to document South Africa’s old vines was started in 2002 by vineyard manager Rosa Kruger. Before the inception of OVP, Kruger had spent much time travelling across Europe and tasting wines made from old vines. Understanding the ethereal nature of these vines, she became curious about the old vines in her homeland of South Africa, and this led her down the path of old vine fact-finding. 

“The Old Vine Project (OVP) wants to preserve as many old vines in South Africa as possible. We believe that many of the 4,004 hectares of old vines could make wine with a special character and purity. We believe that older vines bring another dimension, a new character that tells a story of our land, our culture and our history.” Old Vine Project website.

I wanted to learn more about South Africa’s Old Vine Project, so I connected with André Morgenthal, the Project Manager for the OVP initiative, and a passionate spokesperson for the project. 

When André and I finally connected, no time had passed in our conversation and Andre was right into it, telling me about a significant old vine feat that happened just that morning! They were transplanting vines that were over 100 years old to a new location, all in the name of preservation. The farmer could not afford to keep the 100-year old vines because of their low yields. Simply put, the vines were not profitable for him, in his current business model which relied heavily on volume production.  

“We transplanted 50 vines that were over 100 years old into a new block [of land]. The grower really wanted to pull out those vines for the past three or four years. He’s a smart farmer, with multiple farms and a weaker block that produces, let’s say, about a ton per hectare is not worth it for him,” says André.

The story André shares about the farmer with a concern for yields coming from old vines is not new to the OVP. Since its formal inception in 2016, much of the group's activity has been around old vine advocacy and spreading the worth and would-be financial gains of the project. Morgenthal notes that the cooperatives were extremely hard to convince, and it was a task that took him over four years to do. Over time, and with the hard work of OVP leaders such as André Morgenthal, the project has gained momentum, with more and more industry experts, scientists, and farmers touting its praise. 

“It [OVP] gives better quality wines and puts pressure on raising grape prices. In my opinion, everybody wins” says Nicholas Pearce, of Nicholas Pearce Wines.

In 2019 the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business conducted a study to measure the value of old vines. They took into consideration that old vines produce lower yields, but then also produce a product of higher quality and sticker price. As the University put it, they wanted to see if the message on the value of old vines was factual or simply “sentimental”. Their research showed that old vines added an estimated 30% to 50% to the price of the bottle! The old vine impact on the sale price of a bottle of wine is quite significant as it furnishes farmers with additional money to do things such as improve farmworker wages, housing, and viticultural practices.

Ken Forrester vineyard old Chenin Blanc vines

“A producer can say I am only going to give you x rand per ton and then you are a price taker. Now, if your vineyard is 35 years old and registered as an old vine, you can be a price setter.” Louw Strydom, Ken Forrester Wines.

To become a member of the Old Vine Project, vineyards must be at least 35 years old, and registered with SAWIS. Membership grants you the right to use the Certified Heritage Vineyards seal (the first of its kind in the world) on your bottle of wine. This seal is a sign to the consumer that the grapes in the bottle are of historical significance and emanate quality. 

As of 2021, 4% of the vineyards in South Africa, or 4,004 hectares,  have been certified under the program, and that number is steadily growing, as farmers recognize the benefits. 

“Some of our members are without old vines,” Morgenthal says. These grape growers with vines that are soon to come of age (35 years) are thinking ahead on how best to utilise the story and the advantages of old vine preservation and winemaking, and are investing early. 

The OVP is tasked with doing much more than logging vine age and managing the Certified Seal program. Crucial to its success are the things that fall under its hands-on approach to member benefits. Morgenthal’s example of transplanting vines for a farmer is one. Still, no conversation about the group would be complete without addressing their Old Vine Pruning program, a training course led and hosted by the OVP and sponsored by Felco.

With the most significant objection to old vine preservation being yield and how that correlates to ROI, the OVP has begun working on a series of workshops that focus on training farmworkers on the art of pruning old vines. I call it an art here because after speaking to André, you realise it is just that! The OVP proves that if appropriately pruned and cared for, you can increase the yields from old vines. As a result, they travel to member farms and train farmworkers in not only the old vine methodology of pruning and tool maintenance, but in what their job means to the end products' value. André mused that when he is out on pruning theory workshops, he tells the trainees to “be gentle with them (old vines). They are ageing people. Be quiet and listen to their wisdom.” 

We’re seeing great things come out of the work being done by the Old Vine Project, from single-holding vintners through to the cooperatives.  

“There is an old vine Chenin vineyard here. Their grapes used to go to a cooperative that's got lots of members, and the grapes got blended away into a generic Chenin Blanc, which was sold at 60r to 70r a bottle. And with the advent of the Old Vine Project, they started their Old Vine Range, and that particular block vinified into an old vine wine and now sells for 300r per bottle. It has totally changed the business model of that cooperative”, shares André.

Old Bush Vine Chenin and Its Quality

Unlike many grape varieties, Chenin Blanc is the one that has no business being geo-compared, and that is not because one region's expression of Chenin Blanc is better than another but because they are so wildly different. The Chenin Blanc Association in South Africa has done a terrific job in making that distinction. The uniqueness and gentility of South African Chenin is also recognised by the InterLoire. 

In 2020 the InterLoire collected old Chenin cuttings from South Africa that they considered the best Chenin Blanc encountered in the area. The trip was organised by André Morgenthal and attended by Dr. Edo Heynes as a regional representative. This scouting expedition is seen as archetypal in the works we can expect from the study of old bush vine Chenin in South Africa. On this vineyard road trip, the InterLoire discovered Chenin Blanc selections that were extinct in France. Though the parental matter of these vines were cuttings from France and planted in the 17th Century, what you see today is an adaptation. Vines adapting to its current environment. Finding these once thought to be extinct strains of Chenin Blanc, the InterLoire was delighted. Once cleaned up and tested, the vine cuttings were planted in the clonal garden of the InterLoire for study. 

Listening to the account of vine sharing for research reminded me of the time I heard a Tuscan vintner talk about clonal diversity, and how that could help them with climate change. The same thought comes to mind here. The South African Chenin Blanc vines have had to adapt to warmer temperatures, much warmer than what they were accustomed to in France.  Could they now be a Loire Valley solution as farmers everywhere look for answers to combat climate change?

Currently, it is estimated that 30% of the old vines in South Africa are Chenin Blanc, and that number is growing year over year. The distinction in flavour and texture that these vines provide cannot be argued. When I asked Louw Strydom what makes old bush vine Chenin special he shared that “as chenin blanc vines get older, they really have a way of showcasing the terroir and the region way more in depth than the younger vineyards do.”

I’ve had the Ken Forrester FMC and the Sparklehorse Cap Classique, and can attest to what Louw is saying. 

“There are two plots side by side”, Louw shared. One was planted in 1974 the other in 2013. “The 74 has a different understanding of its terroir and sense of place and its way better adapted to telling that story”. 

A deeper dive into South African Chenin Blanc only gets you wrapped up further. South Africa’s diversity in micro and meso climates makes it so that no two Chenin Blanc wines are the same, this independently of winemaking style. Dr. Edo Heynes speaks to the diversity of Chenin in South Africa by getting specific and sharing his love of Chenin Blanc from Faure. Faure is a small suburb of the Western Cape, nestled in the Helderberg wine region. Placing Faure on the map many would not have thought the grapes here could be that different from the lands that closely surround it, but they are.

In writing this article, I have had a chance to taste stellar examples of old vine Chenin Blanc from South Africa. For example, the Pearce Predhomme, Old Vine, Wild Ferment Chenin Blanc. Its crisp acidity and spicy honeysuckle palate showed one highly enjoyable expression, whereas the Mullineux Kloof Street Chenin Blanc took a step into luxury. Kloof Street flaunted well integrated oak, a wonderful backbone of acidity, and noticeable vegetale notes. Both of these wines were no primer for what I would get with the Ken Forrester Sparklehorse Cap Classique. Of course this is a different wine style, but you can still pick up the nuances in the base wine. Ginger, apple, pear are showcased amongst a delicately fine mouse. Though we’re speaking of grounded and experienced winemakers here, and one of them labelled as the king of Chenin (Ken Forrester),  Dr. Heynes speaks brightly to what he is seeing from up and coming winemakers in the region. 

Dr. Heynes says that the positive feedback from notable people about South African Chenin is motivating.

“There are so many young South African winemakers that have been inspired by this opportunity and are really putting effort into producing stunning Chenin”, says Dr. Heynes.

Conclusion

South Africa, once a wine region of feeble quality, is now the area in the world that is championing the old vine movement in a formulaic way deepened with fact based traceability, statistics and research for the future. It could be argued that because of them, we’ve seen a rise in old vine preservation and community study internationally.

The Barossa Valley Old Vine Charter, for example, was instituted in 2009 to methodically log old vines that could be authenticated through formal records.  We also have Jancis Robinson's Old Vines Register, which started in 2010. It is a sort of crowd-sourced resource that captures old vines from around the world based on reports. Further to this, we now have Old Vine Parties, Old Vine Awards, and specified Old Vine Conferences. I believe we have South Africa to thank for the movement in the new world. 

No matter how viewed, there is a romanticism, and rightfully so, with old vine Chenin Blanc. I think Dr. Edo Heynes summed it up nicely when he referred to Chenin Blanc as the Cinderella Story of South Africa. “It is the South African workhorse that has suddenly become the stallion”.

Drinking Chenin from South Africa today is indeed a journey. Differing wine styles aside, the differing characteristics of grapes found from one sub-region to the next makes this an exciting part of the world to explore with a finite view of wines produced from old vines. 

All this talk of old vines does not mean the young ones are inconsequential. With the proper care and diligence, these young vines grow up to be the ageing people with the wisdom and grace that André Morgenthal speaks so adoringly about to all he meets.