Winemakers On Fire, Issue #1

Good day, and a warm welcome!

This week's edition of Winemakers On Fire features an exclusive interview with Creation Wines owner & winemaker JC Martin, and we also speak with John Pace, founder & creative director of At Pace Strategy & Design and creator of the Klein Constantia labels.

Meet the Winemaker

Around the world, winemakers are treated like rock stars. But how many of us actually understand the process behind it? And what do most people know about the lives of winemakers? Let’s take this opportunity to pick a winemaker's brain.

Today we interview Jean-Claude (JC) Martin, owner & winemaker of Creation Wines located in the South African Wine Region of Walker Bay.

How did you get started in wine?

I was born in Switzerland and spent my childhood holidays playing in my grandparents’ vineyards on the northern shores of Lake Bienne. At the age of 14, I worked my first full harvest and decided to become a winemaker. I was 20 years old when I realised this dream, making my first wine in a converted garage. The equipment was basic but the results were such that I was offered a position as winemaker at the Grillette Winery in the Winelands of Neuchâtel, where I became a partner.

In 2002, our family moved to South Africa where my wife Carolyn and I bought a small farm in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge Ward of Walker Bay. The land had never been planted to vines before, allowing us a blank canvas to establish the cultivars and clones best suited to the terroir. We planted the first virus-free vines in South Africa post 1994 and the cuttings from our vineyards are now used to propagate clean material for new plantings in South Africa. Last year we were proud to be among the Top Ten of the World’s Best Vineyards and Number One in Africa.

Do you have a degree in winemaking?

I completed my viticultural studies in 1991 at the Swiss Federal Research Station for Fruit Growing, Viticulture and Horticulture in Wädenswil. In 1995 I qualified as a winemaker at the Swiss Federal School of Changins.

What has surprised you about being a winemaker?

The caprices of Mother Nature! We are at the mercy of Nature and intricately connected with the rhythms of the universe. No two vintages are ever the same and this never ceases to intrigue me. Terroir is an interactive ecosystem and the biome is an integral part of this, as are the viticultural and winemaking decisions made every vintage.

What goals in winemaking are you still working to achieve?

My winemaking philosophy is ‘Expressing the Beauty of Nature’ and at Creation, we constantly work towards achieving this goal. This means working alongside nature to get the purest expression of the terroir. To quote: "When you are harvesting quality fruit, guide it gently through the winemaking process to preserve the sense of place."

Who do you most admire in the world of South African wine, and why?

Brands like Kanonkop who have maintained consistent quality over decades.

What do you find to be the hardest part of harvest?

Timing is of the essence and here in our cool-climate region, patience is the name of the game.

What makes your wine unique?

Provenance matters and at Creation, we produce site-specific wines.

Our estate is situated at the foot of the highest peak of Babylonstoren Mountain where a unique and diverse blend of geology, soils, altitude, aspect and climate gives rise to the production of an exciting variety of world-class wines. The area is part of the Cape Floral Kingdom and a global epicentre of biodiversity.

As the crow flies, Walker Bay and the Atlantic Ocean are a mere kilometres away. The prevailing winds off the ocean and their orographic effect significantly impact our climate and create optimum growing conditions for especially Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. During the growth period temperatures rarely exceed 30° C. The cool night index throughout the year is 12° C lower than the daytime temperature. Thanks to these cool-climate conditions, the grapes ripen slowly, evenly and fully, resulting in attractive fruit flavours balanced by crisp acidity to add to the freshness of the wines.

How has climate change impacted your approach?

Where we are situated, we currently seem to experience a moderate impact. However, looking at the bigger, worldwide picture we are very aware that we must be prepared. At Creation, we are currently working with Stellenbosch University on the Climavin project to predict and manage the response of ecosystems to climate change. We also partake in Vititec's GEN-Z project to establish clones and rootstock best suited to tackling climate change.

Meet the Designer

No one understands your brand and what it stands for better than you. But when it comes to translating that into a visual identity it’s helpful to get some expert input. After all, your product is your baby, isn’t it?

We asked John Pace, founder & creative director of At Pace Strategy & Design about his personal design philosophy.

What makes good wine packaging?

Storytelling and concept are key, but good packaging needs to create a sale – a decision by the consumer to try the wine. Considering for example that red wine appears in a black bottle, (and closed) – you’d better make sure that the label has stand out and appeal.

There are many ways to do this: great typeface, beautiful illustration, embossing, debossing, and never forget the quality of the paper. All of these are the ingredients to an attractive label.

What do you think makes a good designer?

Firstly someone that can listen. Then someone that can develop a story or concept.

Listening to a client is important, and interviewing and digging down until you can find something passionate to work with. Understanding the printing process so that you can add onto the design with all the offerings that come from printing today.

Then you need to work together with your client – making them part of the design journey. What happens here is a partnership and not an us versus them. Working together creates a great bond too.

What was your most successful label?

A good question as I have more than one. Ataraxia is up there as I designed it perhaps 15 years ago, and Kevin Grant has never really had to change it. The sleeping angel we created by using two artists' drawings, one being Miro and the other Picasso.

My other favourite label, which I thought the client would never buy into was Metis, for Klein Constantia. Metis means a person of mixed blood. Once a year, Pascal Jolivet from Sancerre makes a Sauvignon Blanc with Klein Constantia's grapes here in South Africa. It’s a JV wine. For this label, we used half a Protea and half of a Fleur de Lile and joined them together in one image. It turned out to be a great graphic for the brand.

How do you approach a new project?

With great excitement. You see that tiny little piece of white paper is a blank canvas, and your job is to create a little magic. Truth is, get to meet and understand your client, the terroir, and look for a story that you can visually explore. Understand the price point that you are working with too, and perhaps ultimately the consumer.

What wine brands or design projects do you admire the most?

Should I answer this fairly I’ll be giving away some other designers names!

But, Wolf Trap is a great success story with a real standout label. Badenhorst wine labels too. Then there’s Iona and many more. I think that as designers we are getting better at creating great label designs.

What else do you think we should know about you as a designer or about the way you work?

I’m not precious about change. I love working with clients and not for them as it's more rewarding. I’m old school with years of experience, so I don’t throw my toys out of the cot!

Evolution vs revolution? So many brands go through this process at some point in their lives. Yes lives - brands live and die.

Evolution in design is the slow process of not changing too much - in case you lose existing customers. Revolution uses only what is valuable - stripping away layers until you agree on the core of the brand, and you design from there.

I've had the honour of designing for Klein Constantia Wine Estate for the past 20 years, and it has always been evolution over revolution. The arch cellar has always played a key role when it comes to the main visual. Its constraints however have always been a block illustration until a break though in 2020 - lets get rid of the walls.

Fresh typography, tweaks to the typeface and today this is where we are.

As the saying goes "We need to change to stay the same"

• If you enjoyed this newsletter, please consider sharing it with your friends. I work hard to create quality content consistently, and every new subscriber helps.

• I’m always on the lookout for new guests for the newsletter, so if you’ve got someone you’d like me to interview, reply and let me know and I’ll see if it’s a good fit. Participating is absolutely free.

• Winemakers On Fire is work in progress. For the first few issues, I will be publishing every two weeks until I find my feet. Then weekly. My next issue will be published on the 21st of May and will feature Silkbush Vineyards and Jordan Jelev Design.