The many special bottles Dewaldt Heyns has enjoyed line the tops of the kitchen cupboards. His most memorable: from Yves Cuilleron situated in the heart of Condrieu, France, renowned for its viogniers. He worked a harvest there in 2005.
'South Africa's few varietal viogniers - it's usually used to add a touch of something delicate, something floral to shiraz - have mostly been too heavy: picked very ripe, high in alcohol, given lots of new wood maturation.
People don't like it; you can't really drink too much of it. I'm aiming for something much more accessible.
'So I've experimented with using very little if any, new French oak. I want to give wine lovers an alternative to other wooded whites: Sauvignon is often too acidic, Chenin doesn't always have enough character or fruit, chardonnay... there's simply too much of it. Viogniers offer the wine lover a great alternative.'
This is more in keeping with the low-key persona of this winemaker, which is unexpectedly at odds with the shout-out-loud character of his red wines and the noise they've been making since their arrival on the local wine show scene since the mid- 2000s. The list is long.
'l don't think sweet wines should be drunk with dessert; better to have them before or after.'
An important aspect of Dewaldt's successful working relationship with Saronsberg's owner was the agreement at the outset that the winemaker is given free rein, at some stage, to make and bottle wine under its own label.
'Most winemakers, I think, would like the opportunity to do that, and I appreciate Nick's recognition of that desire.
I'd always hoped to do something with the grapes on our family farm that go to big Malmesbury winery Swartland.'
The result is a small quantity of wood-fermented Chenin blanc from grapes selected off 40-odd-year-old bush vines, as well as a shiraz from slightly younger vines.
'We called it Weathered Hands to celebrate a lifetime spent by my dad working the soil and the vineyards.'
Dewaldt himself is a man of the soil, a lover of the outdoors, nature and wildlife. The simple, rustic label features a line drawing depicting an ornate iron door to the pothole of one of the concrete tanks in the farm’s old cellar.
Other than off-road biking, for which he finds plenty of suitable terrain around Tulbagh, but a dearth of riding companions - 'though I try and persuade Pierre, who'd rather swing a golf club than pedal a bike!' - it’s hard to imagine the slim, slightly built winemaker engaging in what was once his favourite sport: tug-of-war.
Then again, tug-of-war being about technique and tensile strength, the sport and the man may have more in common than is immediately obvious.
Baked cheesecake recipe by Dewaldt Heyns paired with Dewaldt Heyns Weathered Hands Cherrin Blanc wine....
Oxtail recipe by cellar master Dewaldt Heyns offers the ultimate comfort food for winter, best served with a glass of fine red Saronsberg Sh...