Doer ‘n gone up the Cape West Coast, in the teeny fishing hamlet of Doringbaai, an interesting and encouraging tale of decay turned to renewal is playing out, thanks in part to some very hardy and pioneering winemakers.
If you thought the faux-Greek-Island style of Club Mykonos at Langebaan or the quaint white-washed fishing village of Paternoster epitomised the windswept wildness of the West Coast, think again. Travel further up, much further, past Lamberts Bay (a bustling metropolis by comparison) to the old fish factory at Doringbaai to find one of the most interesting outposts of South African wine.
There, 300-odd kilometres north of Cape Town, with vineyards just 600m from the sea, is the Fryer’s Cove winery, the sole producer in the Bamboes Bay wine of origin ward.
In its early days Doringbaai was just an anchorage, from where camel trains transported provisions to inland settlements like Vanrhynsdorp. The crayfish factory established in 1925 supported the town’s economy and employment until it closed in the 1970s as stocks ran low and fishing became more centralised.
Cut to today, and the old fish factory now houses the Fryer’s Cove winery and tasting room, along with a jetty-side eatery run in partnership with the local community and a fledgling abalone-farming enterprise. All this adds up to an encouraging small-scale waterfront development that translates into growth of a local economic value chain from production through to eco-tourism.
As the winery’s website states: “Only through tourism and alternative commercial ventures do these West Coast fishing villages survive. It’s one of the last outposts where hospitality, crayfish and wines come with the territory. To us, it’s a tradition worth saving.”
With a belief in saving that “robust and unfettered” West Coast flavour, brothers-in-law Wynand Hamman (the winemaker) and Jan ‘Ponk’ van Zyl (the farmer) now have 6ha of vines planted in a narrow strip to maximise exposure to the sea air and the unrelenting south-westerly wind.
Serendipitously, nature has played her part in enabling the vineyards to be pretty much organic – the indigenous dune vegetation provides natural ground cover and protects the roots of the vines, the lack of summer rain reduces the risk of rot and disease, and the sea-salt carried onto the vines by the winds not only repels mildew but also adds to the distinct minerality of the wines.
With a sardine-can-reminiscent label nodding to its fish factory origins, the Doringbay Sauvignon Blanc (around R75) embodies its roots – zippy, zesty, with balanced acidity, and it’s easy to imagine a tang of wild West Coast seas.
While the Doringbay is sourced locally and from other West Coast vineyards, the Bamboes Bay Sauvignon Blanc (R110 cellar door) is all Fryer’s Cove. It presents a similarly tangy, salty-seaweed vibe, but much more elegant and subtle – the 2011 scored a 5-star from Platter’s and later vintages have performed at 4 stars and up. This is a wine to sip and savour with good people and good food, preferably fish.
While you’re in the spirit of cool and maritime climate wine-making, you might as well attempt a pinot noir (R150 cellar door). These bold Weskus winemakers have thrown about a quarter of their tiny vineyard to the vagaries of the “heartbreak grape” and have produced a soft and subtle pinot noir. Crisp and juicy red fruit overlies characteristic earthiness in a well-balanced and tasty package.
The West Coast, Lutzville and Swartland are where some of South Africa’s most interesting wine developments are happening, and Fryer’s Cove is producing both a wine and an economic success story.