The Forever of Uva Mira

“The only constant is change.” - Christiaan Coetzee quoting Heraclitus.

Christiaan Coetzee cuts a fine figure. In a tweed jacket, on a frozen day, up against the Helderberg, in front of a ROARING fire, he made me think. He made me think that this was what it would have been like interviewing someone like Oom Jan Boland Coetzee, or Lady May, when they were young. The BEGINNING of a legacy. Christiaan is a sustainable kind of guy, he makes his own yeast, from his own garden, apparently his specific yeast culture is two years old (as old as his daughter). Part of the unofficial Stellenbosch sourdough society, inspired by lockdown, survival and good old resourcefulness (it’s not an ACTUAL society, but if you know, you KNOW). He talks about forever, about dedicating his life to this one piece of land, that he might not live to see its success, but that he’d be content with that, knowing that he’d done everything to secure its legacy. Throw in a magical tree - there’s a single, historic candlewood tree that presides over the vineyard - and you’ve got Camelot.

Time

The struggle he identifies is new, well as old as the industry, but ‘new’ in context to Rooted. It’s about HOW LONG it takes to make your own wine in the wine industry. While making wine seems like a glamorous life, I assure you it’s not/ or it is but it’s a strange combination of hard labour and glamour. He describes it best from his experience working in Champagne. Having breakfast with a tot of Champagne, followed by some serious work in the cellar, followed by an extravagant lunch with a number of BIG French wines, followed by a nap, followed by another round of work in the cellar, followed by a late dinner with more SERIOUS wines, sometimes followed AGAIN by some time spent in the cellar. It’s a lifestyle, not a job. As a young winemaker he says, he’d assumed that he’d be making his own wine soon, but the reality of it was closer to 10 years spent just BECOMING a winemaker or assistant winemaker. And then, IF you were lucky enough to secure a head winemaking position, 5 years to understand the property and another 5 years to make it your own. And THEN realising that if you’re about making Romanée-Conti, that you’d be dedicating your life to it. Realising that you’ve only got SO MANY vintages in you, and that if you had to spend it somewhere, you had to make it count. So TIME. Time is both the struggle and the answer. Accepting it and making YOUR time in the vineyard count toward a greater legacy, toward a forever kind of wine.

1%

When I say a forever kind of wine, I mean the top 1% - the Bordeaux first growths, the Screaming Eagles and the like. South African wines are starting to scratch the surface, but I don’t think we can say with absolute conviction that we have conquered that particular category just yet. Uva Mira was purchased by Toby Venter in 2013. While he doesn’t live on the farm, it does seem that one of his superpowers is identifying the right people for the job and allowing them the freedom to live out their passion. As such Christiaan has made it his life’s mission to build a brand that can compete on the world stage, and one day be counted amongst their (and our) finest. Now in his 8th vintage Christiaan’s work up until now is a study in the building blocks of a top 1% wine. 

Consistency

The main component, he says, is consistency. Which can be broken-up into three pillars. 1. A Consistent Longterm Vision. Part of Uva Mira’s longterm vision includes being recognised on an international stage, consistently. Their O.T.V. named for owner, Toby Venter’s father received the Six Nations Trophy for best Bordeaux Blend in 2014, its second vintage only. Since then, Uva Mira has become a fixture on both the Decanter and Six Nations Award lists. 2. A Special Place. Uva Mira Mountain Vineyards, as the name suggests, is set on the lofty heights of Helderberg, overlooking False Bay. Its unique combination of altitude (the highest point on the farm is 620m above sea level, while their highest vineyard is just around 500m) and proximity to the ocean (being only 9km away from False Bay) places Uva Mira in a distinctly cool climate. In fact, the Winkler Index, a scale used to classify the climates of winegrowing regions throughout the world, sets Uva Mira firmly at level two, the same level as Bordeaux. Level one being the coldest, and level five the warmest. When I ask about climate change and its effects on the Winkler index, Christiaan points out that while regions such as Burgundy have gotten distinctly hotter and by extension may have moved up on the Index. Uva Mira is essentially immune to the effects of climate change, given its altitude AND proximity to the ocean, the combination a kind of natural guard to the warming conditions of the planet. By extension the flavour profiles of the wine are distinctly elegant. Their white wines are characterised by a fresh elegance, born from the natural high acidity and resulting in a characteristic minerality with a specific focus on Chardonnay. The red wines benefit from a silky tannin structure, with a promise of beautiful ageability. Fitting given Christiaan’s dream of a 20 year vertical someday. 3. A Focussed Team. The team at Uva Mira is small and yet deeply efficient - each of them with a sense of forever imprinted on their endeavours.

Forever

I ask him why South Africa. And he says, in the midst of a pandemic, one appreciates the value of life, and of belonging somewhere. Countries closing their borders and us looking to each other to survive. He says he belongs here. His ‘pack’ is here, and he uses my own words against me. ‘I’m Rooted here.’ And he is, he’s dedicated his life to this piece of land up against the Helderberg - it just IS a forever kind of thing.