Marelise fell in love with the vineyards first, before she found her love for wine. She describes the vineyards as a place that is always alive, in sync with Mother Nature, where nothing is predictable. From nature, to the vineyard, to the wine – that is where her thrill and desire to test the limits comes into play, shaping Marelise into the winemaker that she is today.
Marelise says, “All wines are crafted from the experiences you have. It’s a love affair with experiences you encounter, and this love affair then urges you to capture it, make it last longer and put it in a bottle.”
We asked Marelise to answer a few quirky questions to help us get to know her better. Here’s what she had to say. You can also watch a selection of short videos to find out more about Marelise’s wine story in our gallery section.
Why wine making?
Wine is alive, from vineyard to bottle, ever changing, never the same, with endless possibilities to explore and create. You are always aware and dependent on the cycles and moods of Mother Nature. It really is something that inspires me to the max!
What excites/ inspires you about making wine?
Concrete tanks, big old wooden vats, natural yeast, lees, whole bunches, reduction. Travelling the world of wine, making and tasting wines from different regions, styles and countries. I love to explore and learn about new varietals, styles and philosophies. To push boundaries, try new things, think ‘out of the textbook’ and decide for myself what works and what not. ‘Friends and freaks’ in wine inspire me, people who think with a different perspective and angle. In turn, they make me think, analyse, explore, and get out of my wine making ‘comfort zone’. We live in such a vibrant country and to be part of a generation of vibrant wine makers who aren’t afraid to express and show what they believe in and what South Africa has to offer is SUPER awesome.
What are some of your favourite aspects of your wine region?
Bot River is authentic and diverse. It has a feeling of freedom, a little separated from the rest of the world, so wine gets made without too much outside influence, making it more true to the place. The people are something truly special, which cannot be explained without a visit. Most of us are a bit crazy…and we don’t take things too seriously. We enjoy life!!
Tell us about your best wine that you have brought to the market and what it felt like creating and sharing it?
It’s like asking a parent which child is the favourite! All of them are different and each one has his/her own character and personality. Though I do have more fun making some than others. One of my most exciting journeys creating a wine was, and still is, the Beaumont Hope Marguerite Chenin blanc. After many years of experimenting with vineyard batches, learning, and getting to know the character of the vineyard, I got to see how a wine truly reflects all the elements involved, form the sun, soil, water and earth – along with people, personalities, ideas and experiences. This is a wine that honestly reflects the vintage it was born in. It doesn’t always please everyone’s palate, but hey, that’s the way it should be.
What would your message be to people discovering and drinking wine for the first time?
Start educating yourself while drinking wine and have fun doing it. South Africa has done brilliantly over the past years and we can be extremely proud of our wines. We’ve got such vibrant, interesting and cool wines happening in the Cape and the more we taste and learn about it, the more exciting it becomes for our country’s future in wine. Be aware of what you are drinking, get some info on the wine and educate yourself. Form your own opinion about a wine; what flavours YOU get, what YOUR mouth feels and YOUR nose smells, and use your own words to describe and make a connection with the wine, instead of what the tasting notes say you should be tasting. Most of the time the notes are wrong any way. You will be amazed how fast your senses develop. It is like getting back in form after the long December holidays. After a month of cycling, running, or whatever, you can feel your body becoming better and more able. It is the same with your senses. Practice makes perfect.
Wine lingo – your favourite wine word and what it means?
Haradical! – When a wine is radical. A wine with personality and energy.
Philosophy… I always imagine making a wine is like raising a child. I need to get to know and understand my vineyard, the grapes that it produces, and guide it into becoming a wine that reflects and expresses its own character and origin above my own. To me this means working the grapes and wine gently and as naturally as possible, interfere only when necessary. Handle the grapes with respect and trust your instincts.
Watch Marelise on video… Check out the bottom of our homepage for more!
