Franschhoek winery Solms-Delta was one of two South African wine estates featured in the third programme of a BBC Four documentary series called ‘Wine’ this evening, reports www.blog.winecountry.co.za
“Called “WINE: The Future”, the episode focused on two wine producers who are each re-tooling post-apartheid South Africa on their own respective estates”.
“The segment follows the story of Mark Solms, a world-renowned neuroscientist who has brought black empowerment and sweeping social changes to a 320-year-old farm. The colourful culmination is a Franschhoek valley first: a Harvest Festival for the workers hosted by the farm’s owners, complete with the vernacular music of the rural Cape. A performance by the farm’s very own Delta Optel Band is a touching high point.” says the website.
“It’s hard not to be moved by what the two South African wineries, both at least partially black owned, are trying to achieve,” said The Observer wine writer Tim Aitkin, after watching a preliminary screening.
The wines of Solms-Delta have received positive nods from several UK wine writers. Solms-Hegewisch Africana 2005 was included by Neil Beckett in his “1001 Wines You Must Taste Before You Die”. Wine critic Jancis Robinson includes Solms Hiervandaan (2004) among her ‘Franschhoek favourites’. Writing in the Financial Times, she says: “”Mark Solms … has fast drawn attention to the Solms-Delta winery on his family property on the road in to Franschhoek since he moved back there from London five years ago … With ex-Boschendal winemaker Hilko Hegewisch, Solms is … experimenting with winemaking techniques suggested by his reading of ancient texts – which makes for some seriously distinctive wines.”
The other estate featured in the programme is M’hudi Wines, owned by Oupa Rangaka. The BBC website claims that Oupa is the “only black people to own a vineyard in South Africa’, which is not true, as Tokyo Sexwale is a proud owner of the Oude Kelder wine estate in Franschhoek.
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