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Growers and Winemakers

In the old-fashioned European model, the owner, grower and winemaker is usually the same man or woman. By contrast a  big New World estate will be owned by a corporation, the vines may be looked after by a viticulturist, the winemaker will be a highly trained specialist (some of these guys move around as much as Premiership managers), with outside consultants helping too. In our annual list we classify the key person - whether winemaker or hands-on owner - as follows:

Demi-Gods
Inevitably a short list: these are folk who usually own top vineyards and have demonstrated an absolute determination to make great wine and an ability to do it consistently: but beyond that they exhibit a rare ability, part intelligence, part intuition, to be in tune with their land and vines and bring out the best in both.

Examples: Fourrier, Grivot, Helmut Dönnhoff, Kientzler, and Paul Draper at Ridge

Earthlings
Most of the growers we buy from love their land, but these go far beyond that. Happier out in the vines than in the cellar, they know every nuance of geology and micro-climate of each of their vineyards. At Stone, Vine & Sun we salute them, as we admire their passion and share their ethos.

Examples: Claude Papin at Château Pierre-Bise, young Michel Royer at Digioia-Royer, Roger Saumaize at Saumaize-Michelin, Vincent Dureuil-Janthial

Searchers
A short list again: these are growers and winemakers who restlessly push the boundaries in whichever appellation or region they inhabit. They want to prune or train their vines differently, they harvest at lower yields than their neighbours, they choose to pick later than anyone else, and they want to experiment with different wine-making techniques.

Examples: Kevin Grant at Ataraxia Mountain Vineyards, David Nieuwoudt at Cederberg, Ponk Van Zyl at Fryer's Cove, Jean-Marc Vincent, Yann Chave

Young Dudes
We buy from a lot of these, as we do look out for them: the younger generation who have taken over and are striving to be the best. They have often studied at Viticultural College, worked overseas, and have brought new energy and ideas back to the family domaine. In time most will become Old Pros (see below); but a very few, given the right land, will take on the mantle of Demi-Gods.

Examples: Gottfried Mocke at Cape Chamonix, Philippe Cartoux at Domaine des Espiers, Gérald Vallée, Ben Glaetzer at Glaetzer and Heartland, Damien Delecheneau at La Grange Tiphaine, Johannes Leitz, Chris Williams at Meerlust and The Foundry, René Lequin at Lequin-Colin, the Mathieus at Serge Mathieu, Felipe Muller at Tabalí, Matthew Copeland at Vondeling

Old Pros
A big category and a wide range of types: some are humble men, content to turn out an excellent product at a reasonable price; others have quietly worked their way to the very summit of their appellations, and their wine may be correspondingly expensive. What they share is experience: they have seen all the vagaries of weather and grapes and are able to draw on that experience to make consistently good wine.

Examples: Domaine Chavet, Pierre Fontaneil at Domaine Fontanel, Francis Blanchet, Guy Ricard at Domaine Le Couroulu, Etienne Le Riche of Le Riche Wines, Jean-Luc Meyer, Walter Bressia

Outsiders
These brave ones are not from winemaking families or regions. Some have bought land after making money in other businesses. Others have married into vineyard-owning families, and suddenly find themselves with a dramatic career change from nuclear engineer or ski-instructor! Many outsiders start by adopting local practice - but are swiftly ready to question it.

Examples: Philippe Subra at CarinaE, Denis Valdenaire at Chofflet-Valdenaire, Gerard Paillet at Domaine du Cassan, Bruno Schenk at Domaine du Grand Arc, Sebastien Fillon at Le Clos du Serres, Mike Davis at Spookfontein

Greens
Some of these growers have adopted bio-dynamic practice (ultra-organic, with attention to scheduling work in vineyard and cellar by phases of the moon), and some organic: some are certified, some not (as they can’t face the cost and trouble of all the inspections). All go far beyond the minimal use of chemicals which most of our growers espouse. All will work harder in the vineyard to bring in healthy fruit, and their wine-making is likely to be as natural as possible.

Examples: Aumonier, Bon Cap, Brooks, Domaine du Joncier, Domaine Monier, Domaine Sainte Barbe, Vicien

Slightly Crazed
Obsessive people can make great growers and winemakers: but their passion for soil, grapes and barrel types can sometimes go along with behaviour ranging from gentle quirkiness to the all-out egotistical. Some may be shy introverts, some wildly exciting extroverts: we are fortunate to be able to spend time in their remarkable company.

Example: Frederic Prain at Domaine d'Elise, Jean-Francois Deu at Domaine du Traginer, Carlos Arizu at Vicien

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