Chris Alheit and the magic of Chenin Blanc

Hello Chris first of all, many thanks for attend us in your trip to Europe, and for those who maybe dont´t know you I think it will be interesting star explaining how did you start in the world of wine and how you ended up founding your own winery.

I started as a student at Stellenbosch University who was trying to get into Medical School when I discovered the possibilty to study winemaking and viticulture.  I took this path, and I’m very glad I did because there in my class was a very beautiful girl called Suzaan. We became a couple, finished our studies together and also travel all over the world together to work in wineries and learn from vignerons.  These travels included working in Austarlia twice, California, Bordeaux and Germany, as well as visiting the winelands of New Zealand, Greece, Languedoc, Roussillon, and the Rhone.

We were inspred by the distinct and unique identities of the various European regions, their native grapes and cultures.  We decided that when we started to make wine back home in the Cape, that we would persue a strong Cape indentity: working with traditional heritage grapes from traditonal dry farmed goblet vineyards.

Despite your vineyards are located on different sites, which are the key features of Cape Town and how these are reflected in your wines.?

 It’s correct, we work with special old vineyards from a few different parts of the Western Cape.  The landscape, climate, altitude and geology in the Western Cape can vary a great deal in a short distance.  We find that these different landscapes make very very different and distincive Wines.

A hallmark of your wines is that they really have a sense of place, how do you achieve so?.

 We are careful to allow the charácter of each parcel speak.  This means very simple but careful winemaking: whole clutser pressing, no sulphur at pressing, no enzymes, no yeast, no acidification, no new oak, no fining.

The most of your wines are chenin blanc based, what is the reason and why do you think this variety is so important in South Africa?.

Yes, Chenin is very important in the history and future of the Cape. After three and a half centuries of masal selection, we have genetics in the Cape that are particular to us, so we have something unique to offer the world.  Also, Chenin is very widely planted, so it can be a great vehicle to express the different landscapes though one grape.  I like that very much.

In South Africa there are already various well regarded producers such us Sadie Family, Storm Wine or yourself among others, do you think it will appear emergent producers in the future or this is already a well stablished zone?.

In fact during the last ten years many have already emerged.  But yes, we will continue to see new stars rising.  It’s a very exciting landscape.  This does not mean that every new winery will be great, but there will be new great wineries for sure.

And now the one million dólar question, which of your cuvees is your favourite one or at least the one is more special for you?.

 The Skurfberg parcels that make Magnetic North and Huilkrans are very closet to my heart.  Also our own farm, from which we make Fire by Night is my baby. 

And to finish a question for your drinkers, wich of your wines age better and when the bottle is in its best?.

Different age will give you different things.  It depends what you like.  I enjoy the wine very much they are young, and also when they are five years old.  It’s just different.  I’ve had some 10 year old bottles from us that are in their prime.  Hard to say when is best.

Alheit Vineyards Website: https://alheitvineyards.co.za/