An Introduction to Fryer's Cove

Founded in 1999 by Wynand Hamman, Fryer’s Cove is located 300km north of Cape Town in Bamboes Bay on the picturesque West Coast. Vineyards are located just a mere 800 metres from the shoreline, where cool sea breezes temper the hot, dry climate and allow the production of low yield, world class wines. They are producing award-winning wines and take pride in that they are ‘forged of the earth, tempered by the sea’.

 

Q&A

Describe yourself in 3 words…

Down-to-earth, passionate, creative

 

How did you get started in the wine trade?

I grew up in Durbanville, surrounded by vineyards. I can remember as a youngster visiting wineries with my parents, the ever-present smell of fermenting juice, hanging in the air, during harvest time. It fascinated me, and ever since then I wanted to be involved with winemaking.

 

Where are the winery and vineyards located?

Fryers Cove Winery is situated about 350km north of Cape Town in a small town called Doringbay. The winery is built in an old fish factory on a jetty. It is literally 20m from the sea. The vineyards (called the Bamboes Bay Ward, the smallest one in South Africa) is situated 7km away from the winery (between Strandfontein and Doringbay).

 

How is the ‘Terroir’ reflected in the wines?

The terroir has a huge impact on the wines. The vineyards are planted 700 m from the cold Atlantic Ocean and gets constantly hammered by the cold South Westerly winds blowing in from the ocean. A lot of salt particles are found in the wind and deposits onto the grapes, while ripening. This gives a very distinct salinity to the wines – even sometimes picking up some kelp nuances on the nose.

During ripening of the grapes, the temperature never rises above 20°C in the day and there is a constant fog hanging over the vineyards from 10am until 3pm in the afternoon. This causes a very slow ripening of the fruit, resulting in very concentrated flavours in the grapes, and very high acidity too.

 

What is your wine making Philosophy?

For me winemaking is not just about a recipe. You need to find both harmony and continuity between the vineyards and your winemaking style. This requires a commitment to quality and always looking for new ways to perfect my craft and to improve on every vintage.

 

How has climate change impacted your winemaking?

Being part of the industry for over 20 years I have seen a major change in the wines of South Africa. Earlier ripening with increased alcohol is the first that comes to mind. Fortunately for me, situated so close to the ocean, it does not have such a huge impact on the Fryer’s Cove wines. We are blessed with enough sun, cold winds, and moderate temperatures.

Climate change has made it possible for “new areas” to plant vineyards, where in the past it would have been impossible (the UK comes to mind), I would, however, always look at the region, keeping varietals, elevation, row and wind direction and average day and night temperatures in mind before planting anything. Some regions will have to consider trying new varietals that are more suitable to grow, as the average temperature rises, due to climate change.

 

What goals in winemaking are you still working to achieve?

It is every winemaker’s goal to create better wines then the previous vintage. I don’t think we will ever be satisfied, I’ll always striving to create the “perfect wine”

 

Who do you most admire in the wine industry and why?

All the people involved in the wine industry, from the workers in the vineyards (working in extreme conditions) right through to the marketing team. It is a tough industry to work in and you need very special people for this. They are all heroes in my eyes.

 

What challenges do you currently face in the industry?

Firstly, to recover from the decisions that was implemented on the South African wine industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. We need to focus on securing a premium position in the global market, as well as focussing on environmental and financial stability. Challenges that directly impact us now is the inflation in the costs of farming grapes and producing wines compared to the lower increase in wine prices.

 

What key trends have you seen emerging in South Africa over the past couple of years?

There is a big shift towards natural wines, lower alcohol wines and wines made from old vines. People are starting to appreciate high quality and high value wines made from grapes grown in the regions that are suited for those varietals. Sparkling wine and Rosé are also right up there!

 

What does the future hold for the winery?

Lots of exciting things are currently happening at Fryers Cove. We are increasing the cellar size from 80 to 250 Tons.  We are also revamping our tasting room as well as building a state-of-the-art kitchen for our jetty restaurant. It is going to be world class… the best view with some great wines and good food.