Jan Niemand's rivier

Way back when, I was sitting at a loooong dinner table filled from side to side with energetic winemakers.“Hey Spook (my nickname from school), pour me another glass of your Riesling there, my bru…" I had been pouring the 2015 Orbitofrontal Cortex. The others tuned him straight back: "There's no Riesling on this table, my bru!" 

And that was when my conviction was re-convicted yet again. The wine I had been pouring had no Riesling in it, yet I bottled the wine in a Riesling bottle. So there you have it -  if you want objectivity, don’t serve the wine in an obviously shaped bottle. That is the first thing people judge the wine on. 

Subsequently, when it came to bottling my 2022 Riesling - Jan Niemand - I chose the first bottle that came to mind - A Port bottle. As you do.

Jan Niemand is a super special vineyard. Planted by Andre van Wyk on his property in Elgin, just off Valley road. Andre, coming from a business background, decided to express his creativity by aiming to farm the best quality grapes in the Western Cape. 

The Vineyard was planted in 2008 on a very rocky slope, inspired by the plantings in the Mosel Valley, Germany. The vines are trained to grow attached to a single pole. We call this a “stok-by-paal” or “Echalas” trellising system. The frame of the base is similar to a bush vine - with the main difference being the fact that you have the single pole next to the vine. 

This allows a different pruning method, inspired by a spiral staircase - hence the label. The objective while pruning is to situate the spurs (1-year-old wood that will bear the new shoots, which will in turn carry the grapes) as steps on different levels around the pole - like steps on a spiral staircase.

The result is a large, spread-out bunch zone with bunches not touching each other. It creates a well aerated and sun exposed environment, ripening the grapes to the fullest whilst keeping the bunch zone dry and healthy.
The shoots then gets tied up on the pole as it grows in the season allowing a massive leaf zone. Leafs are the food factories of a vine. 

All the above contributes to a wine that is full of flavour and still it comes in at an alcohol of 12.5%, supported by a firm acidity of 6.62 g/l. Fresh and full. And the name of the wine: as in the Mosel, this wine is named after the river it overlooks - The Jan Niemands river in Elgin.

And if you are looking for more fun, mix it up with the Hinterhofkabuff 2022. Also a Riesling that grows in Elgin, but this wine’s vineyard is trained on a normal 3 wire trellising system.