Kanu Wines
South Africa
About
Founded in 1692 as part of the famous Nooitgedacht farm, Kanu underwent various changes and an accumulation of history to become what it is today. As of 1997, the land and the wines became known as Kanu. The farm as we now know it, is located in the Polkadraai Hills of Stellenbosch originally known as Goedgeloof (meaning “good faith”).
Winemaker
Johan Grimbeek
My story is neither new nor unique, but it is a journey of discovery that firstly got me interested in the world of wine from a consumer’s point of view and secondly became my occupation. The journey still continues as wine is a living product, forever changing
My first experience of wine was as a child at Sunday lunch being allowed to take a small sip from my mother’s sweet white wine, delicious as the sweetness of the wine masked the alcohol and acidity. The sip from my fathers red wine was at the other end of the scale, astringent and sour, and at that age definitely a thing to avoid.
But as I grew up and my preference changed, I evolved from drinking sweet wines and developed a taste for dry white and red wines. Whilst at university I got to taste and later drink in fairly big quantities red wines that were made in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. These wines had heavy tannins, a lot of extraction and aged in French oak barrels. Suddenly there were nuances to the wines, something that lacked in the cheap red wines that students consumed in vast quantities. Now I preferred to drink less, but better wine and the seeds were sown that would determine my future.
In 1995 I decided to change careers and moved from Durban to the beautiful Cape too pursue my dream of making wine. For many years I worked as a lowly cellar hand, keeping my ears and eyes open to learn as much as I could. I suddenly had the opportunity to go work in France, the true birthplace of wine according to any right minded Francophile. I was lucky to drink some of the most iconic French wines while working there, again emphasizing what sets wine apart from most alcoholic drinks. All these wines had poise, individuality and presence, no wonder these wines are so highly sought after.
Back in South Africa I started as a student winemaker at Kanu, and now, seventeen years later I am still here, hopefully a little wiser in terms of winemaking, but still humbled by wine and it’s evolution.
Now, I stand at the next stage of life as a winemaker as Kanu is about to undertake a new journey as a wine farm. Exciting challenges lies at our doorstep in which we are fortunate to be involved with.
