Nothing is impossible if your name is Ken Forrester

Talking dirty is another talent, much more interesting than talking trends.

“The Dirty Secret Chenin Blanc is soaring, as if it has a life of its own, selling by the glass for 60 odd pounds in London at about two dozen restaurants. In its fifth release, we could finally make a solera of all parts. I love it for everything it is: natural, no additives, wild fermented, no sulphites before fermentation and no settling agents. It is left in barrel, racked off the lees, and blended. So yes, I have vastly different ideas about oxygen destroying wine – this wine is alive and gets better every time you taste it. 

Pioneering a Heritage Grenache Vineyard

Allowing the chapters in his life to unfold the way they did by learning, making mistakes, adapting, etc, kept his love for marketing and tourism alive without forfeiting his maverick spirit. As you enter Ken Forrester Vineyards, a motley crew of dogs leads the way to where you will often find the man himself enjoying a glass of Chenin Blanc with a friend or passionately elucidating the significance of the magnificent stained glass windows, all his dogs gathered by his feet.  His farm, Scholtzenhof, one of the oldest farms in the Cape, originally granted as Zandberg in 1689, has been transformed into a sustainable business with an array of exciting wines to enjoy. And albeit Chenin Blanc takes centre stage here, he tells a fascinating story of a new project that involves the Piekenierskloof Grenache used to make his edgy Ken Forrester Gypsy.

He points to a young vineyard block outside the tasting room: “What you see planted here is the same Grenache planted in the Piekernierskloof in 1959 by the Marais widow from Nietbegin. She had been taking cuttings, pruning other people’s vineyards in the winter for extra money. She kept some cuttings she intended to sell the following spring; some shot roots. No one wanted to buy them, so she persuaded a farmer to plant them in exchange for the cuttings.” He reiterates her challenges, from deer grazing the vineyard into an oval shape to baboons shamelessly feasting on the fruit until a guard had to be employed. 

“The Chenin Blanc Association collaborated with the University of Montpellier who came out to look at this vineyard, taking samples back with them. The DNA revealed a unique mutation not found in France or elsewhere.” 

Ken also took cuttings from this vineyard and gave them to Vititec. After four years and 30 cuttings later, the plant had outgrown all pathogens and viruses, producing clean cuttings for a Mother block now planted at Ken Forrester. 

“It might not look like it, but it will grow to become South Africa’s first heritage vineyard. Decades ago, I met an Australian with the vocabulary of a sailor, Peter Barry, who would cut vineyards off and let them bleed to regrow. In the first decade, we did the same instead of pulling out the vines, cutting them off 30 cm above the ground – a leap of faith, and you have to believe it will grow back!”

Ken’s words had still not runneth dry, but our time for this visit had, so he wrapped it up, explaining what comes next.

“The soil preparation required ripping up koffieklip, and we built a wall from these stones along the length of the vineyard. It will be called The Rockpile Grenache.

Ken’s fingers tap on the table, not impatiently. Still, he squints as he involuntarily delves into his memory to unearth more stories to share, and then he sighs: “I wish I kept a record of every tasting and event that led me here. It must be thousands.”

“And let me tell you, none of them was done in vain.”