Through the Curl

VINTAGE OAKS: A few barrels have been had by these three, mostly by the guy on the right.

A series of hard lockdowns have been tough for winemakers and surfers, but with autumn around the corner the surf is looking up, and so are wine sales, after President Cyril Ramaphosa finally lifted a ban on alcohol and beaches imposed during the festive season.

To coincide with the rush to the beaches and the bottle stores, Wavescape Wines have released the aptly named White Curl 2020 and Red Barrel 2014, a play on surfing jargon that denotes a collaboration between Wavescape.co.za and boutique winery Grangehurst, near Stellenbosch.

First launched in 2016 when Wavescape founder Steve Pike and owner of Grangehurst Jeremy Walker, both keen surfers who enjoy good waves and great wine, decided to find a way to pay homage to these gifts of nature.

STILL SHREDDING: Grangehurst winemaker Jeremy Walker surfs at Stilbaai point.

The original red vintage was a 2009 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, grown in vineyards not far from surf spots The Pipe, Bikini Beach and Caves. Red Barrel 2009 was matured in French oak barrels, while the 2015 White Curl was an unwooded, crisp, fruity, medium-dry blend of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc.

The 2014 Red Barrel and 2020 White Curl are similar to the previous vintages, although the White Curl 2020 is completely dry (not medium-dry). White Curl – the crest of a breaking wave – exhilarates and refreshes as does this crisp, dry blend of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. Red Barrel 2014 – a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Pinotage and Petit Verdot - will be seven years old when it is released in April 2021.

TWIXT CUP AND LIP: Spike takes some time out to sample the fruits of the Maldives.

As winemaker Jeremy Walker said: "Now that the ban on surfing and buying wine has been lifted, it’s time to go surfing, and afterwards enjoy a chilled, crisp glass of White Curl!" He added that 1,440 bottles of the White Curl 2020 have been bottled and that it is drinking beautifully.

Wavescape's Steve Pike said that the fusion of surfing and winemaking was evident in the health warning addendum on the label: “Surfing is good for your health".

Wavescape Wines have been enjoyed by many wine drinkers over the last few years. Those who have attended previous iterations of the Wavescape Surf & Ocean Festival will remember the wines at many of the live events.

The wine has also been enjoyed by the likes of Shaun Tomson, who was complimentary about the original Red Barrel during a visit to South Africa in March 2017. Red Barrel 2009 proved to be very popular in Holland at various wine bars that included Dutch kite surfers as patrons.

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More information

• sales@grangehurst.co.za
• Phone 021 855-3625
• White Curl 2020 R65 per bottle, Red Barrel 2014 R130 per bottle
• Wines packaged in cartons of 6 x 750ml.
• Delivery charge R6 per bottle in/around Cape Town, R12 per bottle elsewhere in SA.
• Minimum 12 bottle order for delivery.
• Wines can be collected from Grangehurst. Visit www.grangehurst.co.za

About Wavescape Wines
Steve Pike
Marine forecaster Steve Pike, aka Spike, runs Wavescape.co.za, South Africa's largest surfing and coastal community website. He analyses marine data from the Wave Watch III model in the United States for about 25,000 coastal dwellers. Spike consulted for 10 years to Red Bull Big Wave Africa, as well as Quiksilver Goodwave, O'Neill Coldwater Classic and Mr Price Pro. His swell courses are an entertaining audio-visual journey into the theory and practice of wave formation. He is the author of the surfing and oceanographic handbook Surfing in South Africa. In 2017 he ventured into the world of wine and retail with the launch of Wavescape Wines, a collaboration with Grangehurst Winery founder and fellow surfer Jeremy Walker.

Jeremy Walker
Born and raised in Cape Town, Camps Bay and Glen Beach to be exact, Jeremy moved to Stellenbosch and studied viticulture and oenology in mid-70's. An illustrious career in wine has seen him work at Bertrams Wines, Devon Valley, as well as "cellar rat" jobs in Germany and France, an enjoyable learning curve in the process of making wine. Jeremy helped Clos Malverne owner, Seymour Pritchard, set up his winery, and he was the inaugural winemaker there, from 1986 to 1991. In 1992, Jeremy branched out on his own to establish his winery at Grangehurst, Stellenbosch. He has built up Grangehurst to be known as a source of top quality handcrafted reds and rosé, all made using traditional and sustainable winemaking practices.