I have not previously experienced Solms-Delta owner Professor Mark Solms as such a ‘grapjas’ (could this be a new name for a future wine?), bringing the house down with his honesty and ‘loskop professor’ talk about his wines and its Gemeenskap, losing the thread of what he wanted to say on a few occasions.

Mark is a passionate wine estate owner, whose mind races ahead faster than he can say the words, and is internationally renowned as a neuropsychologist, lecturing in London and at the University of Cape Town. His students must have a ball in his lectures. On Sunday he hosted members of the wine estate’s gemeenskap, to introduce to them the latest vintages of his wines, to introduce the new winemaker Hagen Viljoen, and to introduce the Gemeenskap community club.  He came to the farm in 2001, and explained that the building in which we were tasting the wine was already called Fyndraai, and therefore they kept the name.  They now have consolidated three neighbouring farms, ‘because we are so good at what he do’, he said.  Music is an important passion on the farm, and Mark said that they ‘farm with music’ as much as they ‘farm with wine’!  Next year a Music Centre will be established on the wine estate.

Mark traced the history of winemaking on the farm back to 323 years ago, but somewhere along the line all the vines were removed and fruit trees were planted.  When he arrived 13 years ago, they went back to vine planting.  He had no knowledge of wine making, and got viticulturists and soil scientists to analyse their terroir, as well as their weather records, which had been kept since 1935.  The Rhone style wines were felt to be most suitable, given the similarity in climate.  Mark said that the ethos of winemaking on the farm is to make the best wine in the world that one can make at Solms-Delta.  They are unique in what they do, and will not copy anyone.  They ‘don’t want to be a little piece of Europe’, Mark said, despite his European origin.  As they were renovating after Mark’s arrival, they found evidence of a Bushmen settlement of 6000 years ago, with 1300 implements per cubic meter, some of which are displayed in the Museum.

The first Solms-Delta wines were made in 2005 by winemaker Hilko Hegewisch, and there were ‘disasters and discoveries’ along the way, with a lot of thinking out of the box, Mark said.  The true researcher, Mark wanted to go back to the historical way of making wines by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, but their techniques proved to be impractical. Some of their creations were not allowed to be called wine by the South African Wine Industry and Information Systems (SAWIS).  In their first year they produced 4000 cases of wine, and now the total is 50000 per year.  Next year they plan to produce 70000 cases.  The new development phase did not suit Hilko, and through mutual agreement he has moved on, with Hagen joining late last year, and blending the 2012 vintage wines, which he did not harvest or process himself.  Now they are in a period of consolidation, with Hagen evaluating each wine, and making each of them better and keeping them consistent.  They will be changing the wines in ‘little steps, only to make them better’, Mark said.  In true market research fashion, they will use feedback from the tasting room to evaluate the changes. PR consultant Paula Wilson told me after the tasting that renowned viticulturist Rosa Kruger is on board.  A Perry pear fermented cider is on the cards, following their !Karri mead made from fermented honey.

The Gemeenskap is a wine community club with a difference (this signifies what Solms-Delta stands for, in doing everything differently), focusing on creating a community of loyal customers. Rewards for the loyalty will be receiving information about events at and news of Solms-Delta, as well as of specials, competitions, and opportunities not available to the general public. There is no membership fee, and there are no obligations. Specific benefits include a 10% discount on eShop purchases and at the cellar door; special reduced prices for events;  early notification about events; special information from the winemaker and viticulturist; free wine delivery in South Africa, the USA, and European Union; a monthly newsletter; and free tasting vouchers.  Personal contact with members of their Gemeenskap will be their focus, with feedback from Gemeenskap members requested and used to improve things at the wine estate.  An opening Gemeenskap offer is two bottles each of Amalie 2012, Lekkerwijn 2012, and Hiervandaan 2011 at R476. Mark’s cousin Kyle Solms is in charge of Gemeenskap.

Hagen previously worked at Zevenwacht, and at Vergelegen before that. He did a number of harvests as an intern at Mendocino in the USA, the Barossa in Australia, and in Marlborough in New Zealand.  He recently spent two weeks in Verona in Italy, to experience the Amarone style of wine making, and in the Rhone valley in France, given that their red wines are made in the Rhone style.

The wines we tasted were the following:

• Vastrap 2012 is a Cape blend of 80% Chenin Blanc, 15% Semillon, and 5% Riesling.  Hagen plans to increase the Chenin Blanc share, to decrease the Semillon proportion, and to remove the Riesling component in the blend. Matured in stainless steel tanks for 6 – 8 months. It is a fun, accessible, and enjoyable summer wine. (R47,70)

• Amalie 2012 is named after an ancestor of Mark, Princess Amalie von Solms-Braunfels, and is made from 60% Viognier, 35% Grenache Blanc, and 5% Roussanne. Hagen plans to add Semillon and Verdelho in future.  It is a good food wine, the desiccation method having been used before harvest, and it was matured in French oak for 11 months. (R99)

• Lekkerwijn 2012 is their Rosé, and is named after the farm of their neighbour, which they eventually bought.  The alcohol level is around 14%.  Good for lunch-time drinking.  Blend of Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, and Viognier.   Partial maturation in French oak for 11 months. (R60,30)

• Langarm 2012 has been a blend which has changed every vintage, currently being made from Pinotage, Touriga Naçional, Shiraz, Grenache Noir, and Mourvèdre, and is fruit-driven.   It is a Nouveau style of wine.  Lightly wooded fermentation. (R49,50)

• Hiervandaan 2011 is a blend of Shiraz, Grenache Noir, Carignan, Viognier, and Mourvèdre, most of the Shiraz having been desiccated prior to harvest. The alcohol level is around 14%.  Matured for 14 months in French oak barrels. (R108)

The blends are a winemaker’s challenge, and allow different varietals to balance. The Cape Jazz Shiraz, Gemoedsrus port, and Africana Shiraz are single varietal wines in the Solms-Delta range.  Rather than forcing customers to remember the blend combinations, Solms-Delta has given its wines distinctive Afrikaans names, making life difficult for their American and non-Germanic agents. Mark’s response was a word which strongly expressed his proudly-Afrikaans love for our country and the Afrikaans language, it being a matter of principle, he said.  Paula Wilson did notify me that the international brands will have a smaller descriptor, e.g.  Solms-Delta Red Cape Blend for Langarm, and Solms-Delta Chenin for Vastrap, to ease the language gap.

I met Mignon du Plessis, new GM at Solms-Delta and previously in National Sales at Delheim, who explained what the function would entail. Her predecessor, Cathy Macfarlane, has gone on a two year travel trip around the world.  She also told me that the long planned new restaurant building, in the section where the Oesfees is held, is nearing completion, and should open in January.  The current Fyndraai restaurant with its glass floors showing the historic building work from below, will become the wine tasting centre, given how small it currently is and having to share its space with the Museum, and that they receive about 30000 visitors every year.  A block of Mourvèdre has just been removed from behind the restaurant, for Shiraz to be planted.  We were entertained by the Soetstemme Choir, under the leadership of accordionist and trumpeter Adriaan Brand, who started the singing off slowly with some secular music, and then picking up the beat with their volksliedjies.

Over and above the new restaurant and music centre being finalised, Hagen plans to make a single varietal Chenin Blanc.  Solms-Delta has re-introduced Macabeau, a white grape varietal, brought in by consultant viticulturist Rosa Kruger from the south of France, and to be used for the Amelie. Verdellho, Semillon, and Claret are also being sourced.

Solms-Delta impresses with its spirit of gemeenskap, demonstrated thus far to its staff, who are members of an empowerment trust and thus benefit from the financial returns of the farm. They are dedicated staff, and are actively used to guide visitors through the Museum, and to conduct the winetastings.  The launch ended off with more music from the Soetstemme Choir, the Vastrap and Langarm dances being demonstrated, and canapés were served.  Chef Shaun Schoeman, who did a stage last year at the then top restaurant in the world, Noma in Copenhagen, is currently in Calais, where he cooked three four-course dinners for 100 guests each at Restaurant Les Grandes Tables du Channel this past weekend, and also ran a cooking workshop for France South Africa Seasons 2013, a reciprocal cultural France–South Africa exchange.

Solms-Delta, Delta Road, off R45, Franschhoek.  Tel (021) 874-3937. www.solms-delta.co.za   Twitter: @Solms_Delta

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com  Twitter: @WhaleCottage