MICHAEL FRIDJHON: Wine is about land — just ask vintners who don’t own vineyards
The Alheits are flag-bearers for the concept that authentic wine must be an artefact of place
Authentic wine is about site. For a winemaker, this means access to vineyards (rather than lug-boxes full of grapes). In the past, this connection between land and finished product was taken for granted. Until wholesalers and co-operatives made their appearance, there was no market for grapes. To be a grape-grower meant also to be a winemaker.
This began to change as early as the 19th century in SA, our trajectory determined by the distance separating growers from their major markets. Enter the wholesale merchants, initially to assemble and dispatch bulk blends (to the UK, but also to the Diamond and Gold Fields). Ultimately they began to take over the fruit processing. In time the growers recognised that they had placed themselves entirely at the mercy of their customers: what do you do if they say they don’t want your bakkie-load of fruit? They formed co-operative cellars to crush the crop, thus bringing an element of equilibrium back into the relationship...
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