Winemakers On Fire, Issue #28

Good day, and a warm welcome!

"There weren't one or two tipping points—it was several intriguing sips down the rabbit hole that coaxed chef-turned-winemaker Richard Kershaw from the kitchen to the cellar." Today, as one of a mere 11 Masters of Wine who actively make wine themselves, Richard crafts superbly expressive Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah that transparently convey the cool-climate terroir of South Africa's Elgin Valley. Richard shares his passion and story with us.

Bulgarian wine company Downtown Urban Winery recently unveiled their exclusive new limited batch sparkling wine featuring a refined and contemporary minimalist label that reflects the winery's cosmopolitan spirit. We explore the alluring details of this special release.

Join us as we celebrate the passion, creativity, and innovation of these entrepreneurial spirits from the wine and design industries.

At a Glance

• "Vineyards First" from a Master of Wine:

• Limited-Batch Downtown Urban Winery Sparkling Wine

  • Stand Out with Artful Messaging

"Vineyards First" from a Master of Wine: Unlocking Elgin's Potential with Richard Kershaw

"There weren't one or two tipping points—it was several intriguing sips down the rabbit hole that coaxed chef-turned-winemaker Richard Kershaw from the kitchen to the cellar." Today, as one of a mere 11 Masters of Wine who actively make wine themselves, Richard crafts superbly expressive Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah that transparently convey the cool-climate terroir of South Africa's Elgin Valley.

This former chef's enhanced aromatic senses inform his deft, minimal-intervention winemaking, which is based on a "vineyards first" ethos. Now at the helm of his internationally acclaimed Kershaw Wines, he relishes opportunities to uncork his passion, leading his Clonehead Wine Club members through special tastings, unequivocally proving that some of the most thrilling Crus aren't found in Burgundy but rather nestled at the foothills of the Hottentots Holland Mountains.

You worked as a chef for two years before getting into the wine industry. How do you think your background in cooking has influenced your approach to winemaking?

Yes, I worked as a chef before I discovered wine because I love working with my hands. When I started understanding how exciting the wine world was, I quit being a chef and worked at a wine shop. That didn’t feel natural; as I mentioned, I liked working with my hands and making things, and so I was drawn to winemaking. 

I think in terms of how that's influenced me going forward, it has enhanced my ability to discern flavours, expanding and stretching my mind in terms of trying to get around what the tasting terms are. I feel that because of my chef background, I can smell better because there are many points of reference for the herbs, spices, fruit, and vegetables that you use in a kitchen. And of course, it's that curiosity; you are using your nose in the same way for cooking as you are for winemaking. 

What inspired you to make the transition from being a chef to becoming a winemaker? Was there a particular moment or wine that sparked your interest?

There wasn’t one single tipping point. There were quite a few different points that led to the transition. I started doing wine courses while I was a chef; food and wine go hand in hand, and that was when I started falling down the rabbit hole of wine. 

I didn’t do well at school, so I wanted to try and do better at something that I really found interesting. I found myself passing these wine courses quite easily, and I felt that if, once I got my diploma, I could maybe do the Master of Wine, which at the age of 23 was very, very young but still had a go at it. 

You are one of only a handful of Masters of Wine who actively make wine. Can you share with us a little about the process of studying for and becoming a Master of Wine? What was most challenging?  

Out of the total of 420 Masters of Wine, there are about 11 of us that actually make wine.

The process of studying is a long, arduous concept. It's difficult to sum up in a sentence, but effectively, the process of studying involves having to understand or put wines into perspective. And I use that word quite regularly, where instead of just having the knowledge (and you should have fairly good knowledge), you're learning to put that knowledge into perspective. What's the difference between some gravelly soils in the Santa Stef region of Bordeaux and some more granitic soils here in Stellenbosch, for example? What does that add to the wine?

You learn topics such as duties and taxes, quality of wine, new methods to make wine, new products to make wine, climate change, alcohol reduction, and so on. When you sit the exam, you're expected to do a theory paper, which is made up of five different papers: the first one is on viticulture, the second one is on vinification, and the third is on quality control. The fourth one is sort of a commercial knowledge of winemaking. And the last one is general knowledge.

Then there’s a three-part practical where you sit and blind taste 12 different wines, the first paper being mostly whites, the second paper being reds, and the third paper being a mixed paper of reds, whites sparkling, fortified sweet wines—all those sorts of things pop up. And then, once you've passed both of those, you end up having to do an original research paper. And that involves you doing a proper, full-on analytical thesis that has original research. You can't just use current research. 

The most challenging is doing this while trying to hold down a job. You have to get up very early, at 4 or 5:00 in the morning, do a bit of work, and study, study, study. Then off you go at 8:00 to work, and then back in the evening. It's a very high toll on myself, the family, and my wife in particular. Sitting for the exam in London also makes it quite a complicated and expensive sort of exercise. You also need to do a lot of field trips. Going off and understanding what's going on in the particular regions.

What motivated you to settle down and start your winemaking career in South Africa after your travels to various wine regions? What did you find unique or appealing about the South African wine landscape?

To be fair, it wasn't a particularly linear process. I would have continued travelling had it not been for meeting a most beautiful lady in South Africa. Her name is Mariette, and that was why I ended up staying here. I suppose if I hadn't met somebody, I would have gone on to Australia and New Zealand, and who knows where I would have ended up.

It's difficult to say what I find unique or appealing because there are many different aspects. We are blessed with some amazing terroir. Elgin in particular is unique and challenging, and that’s one of the reasons I wanted to make wine here. There are many factors influencing how your wine will turn out; altitude, proximity to the sea, the fact that it’s the coolest wine region, and many different soils and aspects. I find it fascinating. 

Your philosophy is to make wines that are "non-interventionist" and reflect a sense of place. Can you expand more on what this means to you in your winemaking? 

Well, I suppose the basic premise is that noninterventionist means you try to avoid manipulating a stylistic in the winery and pushing it towards a particular egotistical interpretation of what you think should be a good Chardonnay or Pinot. And rather, focus on trying to be a little more open-minded. If you're going to take clones X, Y, and Z from the vineyard, then try to make sure that what you do in the winery doesn’t move it or tip it in a particular direction; try to focus on where it comes from, that terroir, sense of place. 

If you've got a particular clone on a particular soil type, then try to preserve that. In the winery, we try to do as little as possible. We don't add acids or enzymes; we don’t fine the wine or cold stabilize and we avoid filtration. We’re careful with sulfites, though; we don't want to make natural wines (my beard isn’t long enough for that), and we want these wines to age. One of the joys of good Chardonnay, Pinot, and Syrah is that with age, they increase in quality.

You focus on noble grapes like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. What makes these varieties well-suited to the climate and terroir of the Elgin Valley?

Elgin is the coolest wine region in South Africa. It tends to be a climate that can retain great acidity in the Chardonnays and Pinots, and Syrah, for that matter. I would argue that Chardonnay and Pinot are probably more at home here than Syrah. Syrah requires a little bit more heat sometimes, and therefore it can be more challenging. Syrah isn’t a late-ripening grape, but we harvest it quite late in Elgin, normally in March or going into April when the Autumn rain begins, and that’s why it is challenging. I'm a very keen believer in making medium-weight, old-style Syrah like you would have seen in the Rhone probably 20 or 30 years ago.

In Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, I like linearity with a little bit of breadth, but not so much that it’s kept in a straitjacket of acidity. Floral perfume, jasmine, lucerne, gardenia—all those characters with grace and elegance are important to me. And that's what makes the climate of the Elgin Valley so fantastic for those two grape varieties in particular. I think the other point about noble grapes is that these wines do age and they do attract a price point, which makes them sustainable.

On your winemaking approach, why does the vineyard come first, followed by maturation, with winemaking only third in order of importance? Can you explain more about why you prioritise in this way?

Yes, I think the vineyard comes first. You can’t make good wine from bad grapes. A lot is going on in the vineyards for the six months before picking. Pruning, growing, suckering, and green harvesting. All of this is going to have an impact on which direction the grapes go in. Most of the work happens there so that we can whole bunch press, put it into barrels, and let it do its thing. You can’t have a non-interventionist approach with unhealthy grapes. 

Maturation is important too. I need to match vineyard clones and soils with specific barrel coopers. The wines spend a decent amount of time in barrels, so I taste them all every six to eight weeks or so. While you're not going to try and push a style, you're going to need to tweak it. The Sulphur might need a tweak, or it might need a stir if it's smelling a bit reductive.  You want to keep it on the straight and narrow and help it on its way. 

I read that you pick grapes according to clone and soil type and have an algorithm to match them to specific barrels. Can you give us a peek inside this process and why a tailored approach is important?  

We do have a sort of algorithm. Let’s look at clone 95, for example (a Chardonnay clone), on shale soil. In Elgin, it has a lot more breadth and power. It has uprightness and a lot more fruit. It tends to be richer. It tends to be quite a charming fruit variety, with grapefruit, lots of stone fruit, and citrus. Shale soil tends to give it more grunt; it's going to give it power. Therefore, you’d use a little bit more oak. You can use a little bit more of the toasted style, like Tremeaux. 

Whereas if you're using clone 96, which is a more linear, minerally upright, savoury style with not much fruit but a lot more graceful and elegant, it's perhaps on a more sandstone soil. That will have some top notes, perfume and lightness. It's going to be a wine that you're going to want to put a lot less oak on and use more second fills. The centre of gravity is going to be more towards Eric Millard and your Louis Latour barrels, perhaps a bit of Billon, just to give it that top note that you're going to be interested in. 

You created the Clonehead Club to engage with wine lovers. What do you most enjoy about sharing your passion for these varieties with club members and consumers?

I love sharing my passion. I have just done a tasting of ten vintages of Kershaw Chardonnays from when I first started Kershaw Wines. I wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to open 10 bottles in a row, but with my Clonehead Club, I know I have a community of fellow wine geeks to enjoy this type of thing with. It was incredible to taste how the vintages differed. A lot of the people who buy our wines get excited about new releases, and I love hearing feedback from them.

My wines aren’t about a one-stop shop; buy it and drink it; it's about the interaction with the people buying and enjoying the wine. It’s a guide to know that I’m getting it right and to help me keep getting it right. I’m looking forward to the Clonehead Club events we have planned for next year (2024); international benchmarking, masterclasses, virtual tastings, and luncheons.

Thank you, Richard, for sharing your passion with us. We look forward to the exciting Clonehead Wine Club events you have planned for 2024.

Limited-Batch Downtown Urban Winery Sparkling Wine Showcases Their Sophisticated Minimalist Label

Bulgarian wine company Downtown Urban Winery recently unveiled their exclusive new limited batch sparkling wine featuring a refined and contemporary minimalist label that reflects the winery's cosmopolitan spirit. We invite you to explore the alluring details of this special release.

Introducing This Exclusive Downtown Wine: The Perfect Blend of Tradition and Sophistication

Only 300 bottles were produced of this exclusive Downtown wine, encased in timeless Saverglass champagne bottles and capped with black muselets and logo embossed caps that add a touch of opulence. An inventive turquoise colour splash accents the oval metal foil label, making it shimmer like a contemporary tapestry.

The Masterpiece Tactile Label Demands a Closer Look

Through strong embossing and intricate foil textures, the label becomes a tactile masterpiece that draws the eye while letting the liquid take centre stage. Subtle contemporary contrasts meet classic champagne style in a tasteful dance between innovation and custom.

Meticulous Craftsmanship Rounds Out This Elegant Experience 

Dagaprint's precise production transforms this limited urban winery release into a visual spectacle as memorable as the flavours within. As the winery's artist-in-residence, I toast the coming together of tradition and modernity in a bottle that epitomises Downtown Urban Winery's essence of sophistication, exclusivity, and masterful craft.

Thank you, Jordan Jelev, The Labelmaker, and Downtown Urban Winery’s artist-in-residence, for sharing your latest creation with us. This exclusive vintage is the definition of vintage chic!

Stand Out with Artful Messaging

I’m Mike Carter, The Wine Wordsmith, and the mastermind behind Winemakers On Fire. I'm deeply committed to delivering insightful content that informs and engages readers. My passion for the wine industry extends beyond this publication, and I leverage my expertise with wine professionals seeking to strengthen their brands through compelling content.

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