Would
you describe yourself as a garagiste? With Hermit on the
Hill I started off as a garagiste, moved away from it, and I’m now scaling down
on volumes again. The future Hermit on the Hill will be focused only on freaky
and geeky wines.
Where
do you make wine? I make Hermit on the Hill in proper
cellars, and supply it to restaurants and wine shops. But I’ve made experimental
wines in my garage and in my house. My dining room has five barrels of hobby
wines next to the couch: two Shiraz, two Gamay Noir and a small barrel of Portuguese
Bastardo.
What
don’t people know about you? I own a 1967
Birmingham Small Arms Thunderbolt motorbike. It’s red, with pannier boxes on
the side. I bought it 21 years ago and don’t use it often enough.
Hermit
on the Hill Infidel 2012 broke the mould when it ranked in this year’s Sauvignon
Blanc Top 10 competition. Is that a big deal?
Yes, it’s called The Infidel because it breaks the Sauvignon Blanc winemaking
rules. It tastes different because it’s made differently to most: the juice is
exposed to air, it’s fermented with no added yeast, and spends 10 months in old
barrels. I’ve only made the Infidel twice and don’t expect to make it again –
the vineyard was pulled up.
Are
competitions important? They’re there because consumers want to
see stars and medals. I vowed never to enter competitions when I started making
wine in 2000. The Sauvignon Blanc top 10 was the first competition I’ve entered
– I wanted to show there’s space for different styles.
Memorable
travel situation? I missed a flight from London to Marseille due to an
accident delay on my way to the airport. I rebooked my flight and went to
dinner with friends. The evening ended with a great bottle of grappa – the next
morning I missed the flight again. I had to drive four hours to the only
airport with a flight out that day. The rebooking charges were more than I paid
for the original ticket.
What’s
the deal with the Infidel label? When I married Laura,
my old friend Conrad designed the label as a wedding gift. I have an honours in
economics and an MBA, so the ‘pigs might fly’ reference is to me becoming a
winemaker. There’s a slave bell because I’m not a slave to tradition. There’s a
Monty Python pram because I’m a fan, and because I got
married at 41 and we had a child.
Your
hidden talent? I once auctioned off a roll of toilet paper for R8000
and a box containing absolutely nothing for R15000. It was for charity.
www.hermitonthehill.co.za