Winemaker Of La Vierge Wines | Gerhard Smith
What’s In A Bottle Of Wine?
A drive up the Hemel en Aarde Wine Valley will be sure to surprise you. The Hermanus wine route is booming and wine estates are popping up left, right and centre.
What really gets us going however is the men and women that lay charge to these exquisite establishments that overlook the valley. These winemakers command attention and recognition with each sip of their wines. One such master that stuns in none other than Gerhard Smith, winemaker of La Vierge Wines.
Gerhard and his young family finally got the chance to move back to South Africa from New Zealand after he got the opportunity to become the new winemaker of La Vierge.
We settled down and had a chat with this local personality…
What made you decide to become a wine maker?
I was too dumb to be a doctor and did not have enough talent to be the next Ernie Els.
Hermanus is…”vakansieplaas”!
I love Hermanus in the…
Winter – still great weather, no maddening crowds and the crazy time of vintage is over. It is time to sit back with a glass of wine, fire and family.
If Hermanus was a wine it would be…
A great Rosé – all about sunshine, summer and good times.
In your opinion what makes Hermanus better than other wine growing regions in S.A.?
The perfect combination of the mountains, the ocean and the crazy people!
What wine do you think represents who you are and your life?
Pinot Noir – complex, often misunderstood and expensive to maintain.
My favourite wine is?
Pinot Noir (repetitive, but true). It is glorious on its own, fantastic with food and if it’s a goody it will just make you smile all over.
My favourite meal to enjoy this wine with would be?
Slow roasted pork belly with heaps of crackling and potatoes, roasted in duck fat. Bugger the salad!.
The worst thing I ever drank was…
Absinthe while working a vintage in France. Goodbye, short term memories…
The best part of my job is…
Beer o’ clock in harvest time.
I would really love to visit…
Tuscany and Burgundy with my beautiful wife.
I wish I knew then what I do know about…
How to fix a broken pump – the darned things keep breaking at the worst of times!
My best memories are…
Getting engaged to my wife on a church tower in France. Still worth a few brownie points I think. And any time my 3 kids are crawling all over me.
Be on the look out for Gerhard’s additions to the La Vierge Wine collection, Temptation and Orginal Sin!
More info on the town of Hermanus |