Our Winemaker
Winemaker Alexandra McFarlane obtained her BSc Agric Viticulture and Oenology from the University of Stellenbosch in 2010.
She has worked at some prestigious brands overseas which include harvests and pruning experience in Margaret River (Voyager Estate) as well as the Barossa Valley (Kalleske and Henschke). She also spent time working in the Napa Valley, USA (Dalle Valle, Dancing Hares and Favia).
Locally, Alexandra started her winemaking career as junior red winemaker under Johan Jordaan at Spier in Stellenbosch in 2014. She gained a love and respect for the vineyards, working as viticulturist at De Toren, later combining all her experience when she joined Druk My Niet in Paarl as winemaker and viticulturist in 2016.
PHILOSOPHY
The varieties we choose to work with have all played a role in sculpting how the South African wine industry has evolved over the years. We harvest small batches from multiple growing climates scattered throughout the Western Cape. This gives us a variety of components that express their unique growing site.
Freshness in our final wine is front of mind when making picking decisions. We like to handle the grapes as gently as possible as we guide the berries from bunch to barrel. Extended maturation on lees not only enhances complexity, but also naturally protects the wine from oxidation while aging in barrel. We also love whole bunch fermentations and the “crunch” it brings the wine’s character. We aim for purity of fruit, undeniable luminosity and a wine that is elegant, honest and undeniably moreish.
VINEYARDS
We search high and low for vineyards that excite us, whether they are situated on an exposed rocky, shale site, or if they are really old and have had their roots in the ground since Pa fell off the bus. Each block has a story to tell, and each year we get to work with the fruit, we get to know the block a little bit better.
Our growers are very important to us and we work hard at investing in the dedicated individuals who grow our precious fruit. We know farming is not easy, and strive to build a meaningful relationship while paying fair prices to encourage our growers to keep South Africa’s old vines in the ground. We hope to secure and purchase certain blocks in their entirety in the near future, which will allow us to be directly involved in preserving our vinous heritage and improving soil health.