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Fryer’s Cove
Chenin Blanc
FORGED OF THE EARTH
TEMPERED BY THE SEA
“It’s one of the last outposts where hospitality, fresh crayfish, and excellent wines come with the territory. To us, it’s a tradition worth saving.”
Fryer’s Cove is the only vineyard within the Bamboes Bay ward, which is also the smallest ward in South Africa. The vines of Fryer’s Cove dot the hillside 500 meters from where the cold ocean throws its breakers against a rocky shore.
It was in 1999 that the first vines of Fryer’s Cove were planted amongst beach vegetation with uninterrupted sea views. This area, which is eight hundred and twenty meters from shore and about twenty meters above sea level, is sought after for its ideal climate which translates into the prominently unique flavour and character of Fryer’s Cove wine.
But the story of Fryer’s Cove begins long before the turn of the 21st century …
A Daring Dream:
How It All Began
Doringbaai (Doringbay) was first settled in 1925 when the North Bay Canning Company instructed a Dutchman named Koos Bleeker, to establish a crayfish packing factory in the West Coast area. When Bleeker arrived in Doringbay he found nothing more than an abandoned wooden shack, but there was no shortage of crayfish. So Bleeker set out to find locals who’d be willing to help with the construction of the factory and the first man he discovered was Jan Laubscher from the Sandveld.
By the 1970s the West Coast fishing industry had lost its luster. Fish and major fisheries had begun to migrate southwards and had forced the closure of the Doringbaai factory. This set the tone for a long period of economic decline. Only through tourism and alternative commercial ventures do these authentic West Coast fishing villages survive.
In 1985, Wynand Hamman was an aspirant winemaker studying at the Elsenburg Agriculture College. While on holiday in the Strandfontein area, he had daring dream form in his mind. He shared it with his (now) in-laws, Jan and Ponk van Zyl, and 14 years later Fryer’s Cove was born.
However, the initial going was tough. Not only did the winemakers have to contend with the unknown factors of wind and sea, but the area was drought prone. Without a reliable water source the venture wouldn’t get out of the starting gates. They investigated using existing groundwater, but the salt content was too high and desalinisation proved too expensive.
A pipeline from Vredendal – 29.5km (18.5 miles) away – was the only solution and they had to cross three adjacent farms to get there. After the neighbors agreed to the pipeline, Jan built it himself in 1999, with the aid of his farm workers. In exchange for their cooperation, the neighbors received water from the pipeline. More recently, they furthered their water-sourcing ingenuity: they found that they are able to run stainless steel pipes filled with water through the ice cold Atlantic Ocean. This water then runs through the winery’s cooling tanks to regulate temperature. This prevents the winery from having to waste energy on cooling plants and gives them a much lower carbon footprint.
A buffer dam was also built on a neighboring farm owned by the Laubscher brothers. The Laubschers were given shares of the winery in exchange for their 10 hectares of land. These 10 hectares afforded Fryer’s Cove its view of the ocean and the planting of the first three hectare vineyard commenced in 1999.
In the 2000’s the original Laubscher brothers were still farming the area and it was on a part of their farm that the Fryer’s Cove vineyards were founded. Fryer’s Cove was named after the first commercial farmer in the area, British settler Richard Fryer who entrenched a tradition of community investment in the area. The original Fryer build the first school in Strandfontein and today Fryer’s Cove remains involved in school sponsorships and job creation efforts in the area.
Scroll through a more detailed timeline of the winery’s daring foundation, on their website. The van Zyl family still oversees the winery to this day.
“We remain focused on growth to the benefit of the Doringbay community. The people who have made their living off this land for generations are part of the extended Fryer’s Cove family and that is why our expansion drives are targeted at areas like the Doringbay harbour.The formerly dilapidated harbour now hosts the only ocean level wine cellar and tasting locale that we know of in Africa, and perhaps the world. We trust that renewal projects like this will play a major role in the resurgence of a struggling community.”
TRAVERSING THE COAST
Doringbaai is essentially a little fishing village that used to be known as “Thornbay.” It is situated in the West Coast region of the Western Cape. Known as the bay where the Southern Right whales enter every year to calve between May to November, Doringbaai is a great place to escape from the busy city life. A little know fact is that alluvial diamonds are vacuumed from the seabed at Doringbaai.
The French term terroir is not easily defined, but among winemakers it represents all environmental factors that shape the personalities of wines from a specific vineyard or region. In the Doringbaai district, nature is unrelenting. It rains an average of only 2 inches per year and the Southwesterly wind constantly buffets the coastline, but thanks to a series of fortunate coincidences this region is ideal for winemaking.
Because the region has virtually no summer rain, the vineyards run little risk of being felled by rot and disease. The ocean and the wind bring further balance by carrying salt flakes onto the vine leaves. Not only does this alkalinity repel downy and powdery mildew it also gives the wines a distinct minerality that bears testimony to the close proximity of the Atlantic Ocean.
Another of nature’s gifts is the soil. It consists of a well-drained upper layer of red sand mixed with seashells and deeper layers of limestone that imparts a flinty character to our wines. The terroir is so unusual that in 2005 South Africa’s prestigious Wine Magazine gave Fryer’s Cove Sauvignon Blanc a 5-star rating, making it only the second Sauvignon Blanc to do so in 12 years.
The locals are as robust and unfettered as the landscape and it is this terroir that imbues every bottle of Fryer’s Cove wine. Fryer’s Cove wines have a distinct maritime flavour, hence our slogan “Forged of the earth, Tempered by the sea.”
A QUICK LOOK:
CHENIN BLANC
Chenin Blanc has a long history. It's thought to have been established in the Anjou region of France as long ago as the ninth century and was probably known then as Chenere. The variety was renamed Chenin Blanc, after Mont Chenin, in the 15th century soon after being exported to the Touraine region in the Loire Valley.
Jan Van Riebeeck introduced the first vines to the Cape of South Africa in 1655. Early documents refer to three varieties: Groendruif (Semillon), Fransdruif (Listan / Palomino) and Steen (now known interchangeably as Chenin Blanc). Chenin Blanc in South Africa has extensive depth in terms of vineyards, terroir diversity and winemaking expertise.
Chenin Blanc is early-budding, mid-ripening, and grows successfully in varied soil types, including silex, schist, sand and clay. It is made in a range of styles and sweetness levels. In South Africa, Chenin Blanc wines have been widely acclaimed around the world for their premium quality and enjoyment. In their youth, these wines have seductive fresh fruit and delicate floral aromas and a host of fruit salad flavors, sometimes apple or melon, apricot, guava and pineapple, all backed by firm, crisp, natural acidity that make Chenin Blanc wines so perfectly balanced.
ORIGIN
These dryland Chenin Blanc vineyards are planted on Western slopes with deep red, decomposed granite soils facing the cold Atlantic, bringing in cold air from the ocean and helping maintain the vigour and vibrancy of the grapes. The rugged West Coast provides optimal conditions for ripening and creating the perfect environment for a beautiful expression of terroir.
CRAFT
Grapes are harvested during the late evenings and early mornings to retain fruit purity. The majority of the juice is then fermented in stainless steel tanks for freshness, while the remainder goes into 3rd and 4th fill 300 L French oak barrels for added complexity. The components are aged for 4 months before final blending and bottling by Lead Winemaker Liza Goodwin to enhance the weight, mouth-feel and palate of the wine.
FOOD PAIRING SUGGESTIONS
It will pair well with shellfish and spicy Thai and Indian curries.
TASTING NOTES: This chenin blanc is bright with acidity that supports mouthwatering flavors of lemon, nectarine and white peach The lingering minerality provides a vibrant and satisfying finish, with subtle oak spice from maturation in large oak barrels.