We met up with Neil Patterson in Stellenbosch one Saturday morning and learnt so much about this charming, innovative young winemaker and about wine. He treated us to a delicious Pinot Noir for breakfast… what a great way to start the day! Now you know why we love winemakers :) Watch the short video to find out more about Neil’s wine story. We also asked him a few questions to give us a view of what makes him tick…
What inspired you to make wine for a living?
Winemaking chose me at a very young age, our Italian neighbour made wine in his Garage and I help from as far back as I can remember , to this day I have a special place in my heart for Italian Wine and all things Italian especially Italy its self, I asked my wife to marry me under a Tuscan sunset …
What excites you about making wine?
Wine is my passion and to produce wine as my job is a dream come true, I focus on No Added Sulphite wines too, so a healthier if not the healthiest wine available to friends and family is what excites me about wine.
What are some of your favourite aspects of your wine region?
The beauty, ambiance and amazing place of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek is awe inspiring, I think it is best summed up as when people are on holiday the visit me and our wine region as a holiday destination yet we get to call it home and operate in this amazing place every day – I have travelled the world and there are few places that come close to what we have here…
Tell us about your best wine that you have brought to the market and what it felt like creating and sharing it?
Choosing the best wine is like choosing between your children, you love them for different reasons and one more than another at some point and it changes all the time but non the less its pure love regardless – I have loved bringing top end No Added Sulphur wines to the market with different ap peals to different palates – and creating wines in my own name is a privilege
What’s your favourite wine and why?
I love a variety of wines from many places for many reasons …
What would your message be to people discovering & drinking wine for the first time?
Welcome to a world of exploration and amazement, a world that entices and once you hooked you can never get enough!
Wine lingo – your favourite wine word and what it means?
The French phrase “la même chose” meaning the samething … not really a wineword but love and use this French phrase all the time…
