Greetings from Cape Town, South Africa!

This week's Winemakers On Fire takes you from the dusty streets of Mamelodi to the chalky slopes of Sussex, following Solly Monyamane's remarkable journey.

What happens when a curious young man who "knew nothing about wine" becomes a pioneer of English still wine? Solly's story reveals why the future belongs to fearlessly adaptive winemakers who carry wisdom across continents.

From his vineyard epiphany with Pinotage experiments to crafting PIWI varieties in England's tight-margin environment, his path illuminates something profound: great wine transcends borders, but terroir remains king.

Prepare to be inspired by sensible fearlessness.

From Mamelodi to Sussex: Solly Monyamane's Global Winemaking Revolution

The revelation began among Pinotage vines at Elsenburg, watching three identical blocks yield drastically different wines. One bunch per shoot, two bunches, no thinning—the same variety telling completely different stories based on a single decision in the vineyard. For Solly Monyamane, this wasn't just an experiment. It was the moment he realised winemaking's true battleground isn't the cellar—it's where the grapes grow.

That insight has carried the young South African from the dusty streets of Mamelodi to the chalky slopes of Sussex, where he's now crafting some of England's most promising cool-climate wines at Artelium. His journey illuminates something profound about modern winemaking: the future belongs not to those who perfect traditions in isolation, but to those who carry wisdom across continents.

When Ignorance Becomes Innovation

Monyamane chose winemaking for the best possible reason: he knew absolutely nothing about it. While his agricultural roots ran deep—his father still farms in Limpopo, sharing knowledge through community outreach—wine remained a mystery that demanded exploration.

"I was accepted into Teaching, Winemaking at Stellenbosch, and Environmental Science," Monyamane recalls. "I chose Winemaking because curiosity launched my career." That intellectual honesty about what he didn't know would become his greatest strength.

His early years at Thelema Mountain Vineyards alongside Rudi Schultz and Duncan Clarke, followed by a stint in Sonoma's cool-climate territory at Three Sticks, built his foundation. The real breakthrough came later, through what he calls "Archer's Last Experiment"—Prof Eben Archer's final research project before his passing, exploring how vineyard yield decisions fundamentally alter wine character.

The Vineyard Epiphany That Changed Everything

That Pinotage experiment didn't just teach Monyamane about grape growing—it rewired his entire approach to winemaking. "It changed my approach completely and asked me to start thinking about where the focus of winemaking needs to be," he explains.

The lesson was profound: the story in your glass begins long before harvest, written by every decision made among the vines. This realisation drove him to leave his comfortable assistant winemaker role at Elsenburg for a farm manager position at Beyerskloof, working with Anri and Beyers Truter.

"I realised I still didn't fully understand what happens in the vineyard and needed to spend more time among the vines to better connect what we grow with what ends up in the bottle." That connection between soil and soul, between terroir and taste, would become his calling card.

Cool-Climate Mastery Meets African Adaptability

When Artelium Wines offered Monyamane the chance to help develop their English still wine portfolio in 2022, he discovered something unexpected: South African winemaking training creates uniquely adaptable professionals. "You need to very quickly identify and adapt to what the vines need, especially young vines, and act accordingly," he explains.

The transition revealed both challenges and advantages. Sussex's chalky soils, prone to iron deficiency, demanded rapid diagnosis and response—skills honed in South Africa's diverse growing conditions. Meanwhile, the limited viticultural scope in England's climate meant most producers followed similar practices, creating an opportunity for innovation.

"My South African viticultural training helped me in that you need to identify things very quickly. A lot of this has to do with how we share knowledge as winemakers and viticulturists in South Africa."

The Great South African Wine Migration

Monyamane isn't alone in his English adventure. A growing diaspora of South African winemakers is reshaping English wine, drawn by opportunity and equipped with hard-won expertise. "South Africans are hardworking people, so it's an easy transition work-wise," he notes. "For people still chasing the perfect bubble or purity of expressions in Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs, England is an exciting prospect."

This collective expertise is pioneering England's still wine revolution. Gary Jordan at MouseHall exemplifies this trend—experienced winemakers applying decades of knowledge to a different climate, creating "really beautiful wines" that push English wine beyond its sparkling comfort zone.

The partnership between Artelium and South Africa's Rickety Bridge enables dual-hemisphere harvests, keeping skills sharp year-round. "It's almost like being an Olympian—you never stop training and learning, but in wine."

*PIWI Varieties: The Future Hidden in Plain Sight

At Artelium, Monyamane's experimental Artefacts line includes a revelation: Cabernet Noir, a disease-resistant variety that produces "really dark, big red wine that often comes as a huge surprise to people during tastings." This isn't novelty winemaking—it's necessity disguised as innovation.

"I do see PIWIs as a huge part of the future of wine," he predicts. "Some PIWIs are already mainstream—Voltis in Champagne—and will become more common quicker than we expect." The varieties he's planted—Pinotin, Divico, Cabernet Noir, Sauvignac, and Sauvignon Gris—offer sustainable solutions without sacrificing quality.

His approach balances innovation with tradition: "Try not to force the wine into a category but fine-tune the grapes' natural characters to a drinkable wine."

Terroir Translation: From African Heat to English Precision

Working two distinct Sussex sites—one chalky, one clay-heavy, both 10 kilometres from the ocean—Monyamane captures place through precision. "Clay gives us depth of flavour and expressiveness. Chalky soils give us freshness, lighter and sometimes angular wines with serious longevity."

His philosophy echoes across continents: "The most important question to ask is: Why does the wine in my glass taste the way it does?" That sense of place "should be as strong as my belief that South Africa will win the Rugby World Cup again in 2027!"

The Margin Game: Where Precision Meets Profit

English winemaking's tight margins demand strategic thinking beyond the cellar. Successful producers diversify beyond sparkling wine, embrace still wine production, and create premium experiences rather than Champagne copies. "Keeping wines true to their terroir instead of making Champagne-like copies is probably the best approach."

The winning formula combines authenticity with accessibility: "Coming in at the right price and tier and being able to keep people at your estate for longer when they come to visit often leads to financial rewards."

Eastern Promise: The Next Wine Frontier

Looking ahead, Monyamane sees opportunity where others see challenge. "I honestly think Eastern Europe is probably the next big and most exciting place globally." Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine (which grows Pinotage), Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, and North Turkey offer the perfect storm: warm summers, cold winters, affordable wines, and generations of winemaking knowledge.

"They've got what curious wine drinkers are looking for," he predicts, identifying the next wave before it crests.

The Fearless Factor

What defines Monyamane's approach isn't technique—it's temperament. "Not being afraid to take risks and backing myself, had to do it all my life. My approach is to be sensibly fearless and self-confident."

He relies on skill over story, though his journey from Mamelodi to Sussex certainly provides a compelling narrative. "I know I have a unique story and can use it to sell my wine, but I don't rely on it. I rely on my skill and ability to read the vineyard, learn the scientific signs, taste the grapes, and make a pathway to extract the best possible wine of that vintage."

The goal remains constant: never stop learning. In an industry where tradition often trumps innovation, Monyamane represents something vital—a winemaker who honours the past while fearlessly pursuing the future, carrying South African wisdom to new terroirs and proving that great wine transcends borders.

His success at Artelium, producing 80,000 bottles annually split between sparkling and still wines, validates this approach. The 2023 vintage has sold out, replaced by 2024 wines that continue to build England's still wine reputation. It's not just about making good wine—it's about proving that global expertise, local adaptation, and fearless innovation create the future of winemaking.

From those early days of choosing wine because he knew nothing about it, to crafting distinctive English expressions that surprise tasters, Monyamane embodies the evolution of modern winemaking: curious, adaptive, and unafraid to challenge expectations while honouring the fundamental truth that great wine begins in the vineyard.

*What Are PIWI Varieties?

PIWI varieties might sound like wine industry jargon, but they represent a quiet revolution in vineyards worldwide. The name comes from German "PIlzWIderstandsfähig," meaning "fungus-resistant",—and that's exactly what they are.

These aren't genetically modified grapes. Instead, PIWIs are developed through classic crossbreeding methods, combining traditional European wine grapes (Vitis vinifera) with naturally disease-resistant North American varieties. The result? Grapes that can withstand fungal diseases like powdery and downy mildew with minimal chemical intervention.

The numbers tell the story: while conventional varieties might require 10-15 spray treatments per season, some PIWI varieties thrive with just two applications annually. This dramatic reduction in pesticide use benefits soil health and biodiversity, creating more sustainable vineyard ecosystems. German winemaker Jürgen Amthor achieved 95% healthy grapes from his Cabernet Cortis with this reduced spray regime—a testament to the resilience of his vines.

Popular PIWI varieties include white options like Solaris, Muscaris, and Souvignier Gris, plus red varieties such as Cabernet Cortis and Cabernet Carbon. France has embraced Voltis in its national variety catalogue, and while some Champagne producers experiment with PIWIs, traditional Champagne AOC regulations limit their use in official appellation wines.

For winemakers like Solly working in challenging climates, PIWIs offer a compelling solution: they maintain wine quality while dramatically reducing vineyard treatments, making viticulture more sustainable and economically viable. In England's damp climate, where fungal pressure is intense, these varieties represent a game-changing approach to sustainable winemaking—exactly why forward-thinking producers are embracing them as part of wine's future rather than just an alternative to tradition.

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Let’s raise a glass to the fortnight ahead—may it bring you brilliant wines and more conversations to share in our next edition.