My association with Glen Carlou goes way back. Since my early days in the wine business, I’ve held the Finlayson family, who built this farm’s reputation, in high esteem. I’ve also known Arco for many years – he’s been at Glen Carlou since 2000, working under David Finlayson until his departure three years ago. But my recent lunch with Arco still felt like a first. It was the first opportunity I’ve had to talk with the man since he’d assumed the position of chief winemaker, and it was exciting to see how he has grown into the job.

It was one of those picture-perfect late summer days. The Glen Carlou team was just finishing one of the longest harvests in memory. I took in the panoramic view of the Paarl valley from Glen Carlou’s cellar/restaurant, while chatting with Arco and recently appointed general manager Johan Pretorius. While we talked, I was treated to a tasting of their entire range with wines paired to each course – the whites with our prawn starter, and the reds with the perfectly cooked beef fillet that followed.

Arco was born and bred in Jo’burg, an unusual birthplace for a Cape winemaker! His family made frequent trips to the Cape and he knew from early on that winemaking was for him. Straight from matric, he worked his first vintage at Kaapzicht and ended up staying three more years. Most of his winemaking career has been at Glen Carlou, and he understands the land, the culture and the philosophy of the estate better than anyone. At age 34, he’s already done 20 vintages, and over half have been at Glen Carlou!

An understated, laid-back guy, Arco is far more concerned about the consistency and continuity of the brand than making his personal mark. He says his aim is just to get the best out of the land. Arco likes to keep winemaking simple, which means not overcomplicating a process that is guided by nature. People sometimes forget that winemakers are farmers too, he says. If done correctly, 85% of wine is made in the vineyard; the other 15% guided through fermentation and methods of aging in the cellar.

Arco’s philosophy about winemaking ties directly into his personality. He’s solid and grounded, and sees winemaking as an integral part of a well balanced lifestyle, which in his case, is largely centered around cooking and being outdoors. And while Glen Carlou is part of international wine group Hess Family Estates (note the fabulous contemporary art collection on site), he has free reign to produce the best possible wine as he sees fit. With Hess as a resource of wine knowledge and his own freedom to interpret the land, he’s got the best of both worlds, he says.

Just like the French winemakers who see themselves as custodians of the land and their brand, Arco will no doubt quietly make his mark at Glen Carlou!

WADE BALES

ARCO IN A NUTSHELL

Why did you decide to become a winemaker? When I was a child, I used to visit wine farms with my family. I fell in love with the Cape, and was fascinated by wine cellars and their various smells and activities.

Any interesting/amusing anecdotes during your winemaking career? My most memorable was a tasting with other winemakers of an 1890 port or sherry. My brother had been in the Navy and recovered this bottle from a 1901 shipwreck near Robben Island, shortly after the prison was closed down.

Highlights in your career? Work/travel to many wine producing areas in the world, including a harvest in Napa Valley in the U.S. at our sister winery The Hess Collection, a vintage in Western Australia at Xanadu Wines in Margaret River and another harvest in Beaujolais, France.

What do you regard as the main secrets behind Glen Carlou’s success? It’s a combination of factors. There have only been three winemakers at Glen Carlou since our first vintage. We have not deviated in the style of wines we make, and we consistently produce wines of integrity and quality.

Your favourite white and red wines – to make and why? Chardonnay, because it is a classic that will always have a following and is so versatile – from making bubbly to great wooded wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, because it is also a classic variety, with lots of depth and great aging ability, if made well.

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There are few wine personalities more experienced and enthusiastic than Mike Ratcliffe, about whom you could say, wine is in his DNA (his mother is Norma Ratcliffe, the legendary pioneering female winemaker from Warwick Estate). Mike is both proprietor of his family’s business and a partner in Vilafonté, an emerging of the Cape wine scene.

My lunch with Mike followed hot on the heels of a 24-hour Wade Bales Wine Society team-building stay in the Stellenbosch Winelands, complete with gorgeous early morning run and engaging strategy session with my team. Needless to say, I was already inspired before we even sat down to taste wine.

First, our team was treated to a tour of the Vilafonté cellar by American winemaker and industry legend, Zelma Long. Zelma is the estate’s winemaking partner and spends at least four months a year in South Africa overseeing vineyards and production. She was recently nominated as International Winemaker of the Year 2011 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, and is known in the industry as being almost fanatical about quality.
Then it was on to the beautifully appointed private tasting room with Zelma and Mike for a presentation of the yet to be released 2009 Vilafonté Series C and Series M. The quality of these wines left me in no doubt that Vilafonté will someday challenge SA’s ‘First Growths’ for a place at the table.

Lunch was served downstairs at Pane E Vino, the restaurant of yet another great winemaking family, the Dalla Cia’s. Italian-born Giorgio dalla Cia was the winemaker at Meerlust for 25 years, and the winemaker behind the iconic Rubicon. The food was served by family members Elena and Marta, and was delicious and authentically Italian.

Mike himself has thrived in a winemaking family, and says it has been really interesting to develop a career alongside his mother. The two of them bring different strengths to Warwick wines, and it is a partnership that really works. Mike is crazy about Cabernet Sauvignon, which he says will probably be noted on his gravestone one day. Warwick has excellent Cabernet terroir, as can be tasted in the Warwick First Lady 2010, one of this month’s Wine Society’s Reserve Selections. He’s also big on Sauvignon Blanc, and is involved in a five-year Sauvignon Blanc project which everyone at Warwick is excited about.

Besides the compelling reasons of continuing the family tradition and developing the brand, Mike loves the challenge of constantly improving Warwick’s wines.  He calls this his “artistic side”, and it connects him with the land in a deeply satisfying way. He sees the family as merely custodians of their terroir, and it is his responsibility to shepherd the wines and ensure they realize the potential of their site.

Leaving later that afternoon, fuelled by Mikes enthusiasm and in-depth understanding of the dynamics of the world wine market, it was off to spend the rest of the afternoon with my family before enjoying another experience with another true Icon of wine, a party hosted by the new owners of the world renowned Klein Constantia Estate, now there’s a gem just dying to be polished and presented on the world stage.

MIKE IN A NUTSHELL

Why did you decide to become a winemaker? I was born into the wine industry and it has always been in my blood.

What do you enjoy most about winemaking and why? The challenge of never being satisfied with anything other than the best.

Highlights in your career? Warwick has made Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines in the World list three times in the last decade. Vilafonté has been nominated ‘New World Winery of the Year’ twice in the last seven years by Wine Enthusiast.

When did you start at Warwick? Officially it would have been illegal. Let’s just say my observations in the winery commenced around 1984.

The Warwick philosophy? Quality without compromise.

What do you regard as the main secrets behind Warwick’s success? At every turn, we try to remove pretension from our marketing and focus on the customer.

How do you feel about the SA wine industry’s present standing and future on the international market? I am concerned our winemakers lack the confidence to tell people just how great our wines are.

Challenges for South African wine producers? There needs to be a change towards producing wines that the customer wants.

How can we make wine more accessible to SA’s population? As our middle class grows, so does our wine quality. Stripping away wine pretension will encourage exploration and increase our industry’s success.

Your favourite white and red wines to drink? Cabernet Sauvignon is King.

Your favourite white and red wines to make? Cabernet Sauvignon followed by Sauvignon Blanc.

Your favourite pastimes/hobbies? Sailing and golf