(TDB) - Winemakers should be less focused on trying to be alchemists in the cellar and instead work towards expressing their piece of dirt according to one of South Africa’s leading winemakers.

Speaking to the drinks business during a lunch hosted by Bancroft Wines at Ting restaurant in The Shard yesterday, Kevin Grant of Ataraxia said:

“There’s no need for alchemy in the cellar. In South Africa we’re discovering which grapes work best where and which are the best to use to express our piece of dirt.

“I’m more of a soil farmer than a winemaker. My job is to nurture the dirt to bottle. I like wines that whisper. Shouty wines scream of excess, both in terms of oak and cellar work and end up tasting like they could be from anywhere in the world.

“We’re gaining in confidence about the quality of our terroir in South Africa, which is one of the great moves forward for the industry.”

Malawi-born Grant, who produces four wines at his estate in Hemel-en-Aarde valley in the Walker Bay, believes the next big step for South Africa is communicating regionality.

“Regionality as a concept is hugely important in South Africa and has forced us to reassess what we’re doing. The days of going to a Stellenbosch tasting room and trying seven different whites and seven reds are over,” he said.

“We’re starting to make terroir specific wines in South Africa that speak of where they are from. A new generation of young, dynamic winemakers is rising up through the ranks,” he added.

Having recently shared a cellar with dynamic young winemaker Chris Alheit of Alheit Vineyards, Grant found his non-commercial approach a breath of fresh air.