A glass of wine with Paul Boutinot

Waterkloof Wines was selected as one of the most exciting producers coming out of South Africa at the recent international Wines of South Africa (WOSA) 2011 Workshops - a fantastic achievement for a farm that's only been making wines under the Waterkloof name since 2005. It took ten years for Paul Boutinot, the farm's custodian, to narrow down his global search for “a vineyard site with the potential to produce truly fine wine with a defining sense of origin”. We felt it fitting, therefore, that we should share a glass of wine with Paul in this, our first blog post, and learn more about the man behind Waterkloof's success.

You've been involved in the wine industry since your youth - how and why did this come about?
I actually fell in to it, to be honest! At the age of 18, I was working as a hod carrier (an occupation within the building industry) in Chelsea. After only three short weeks, I decided that a life of physical labour was not for me. Instead, I applied for a job where I had to hand label wines, of dubious provenance I might add, for sale to London hotels - at the time, this was a legal practice in the United Kingdom!

How would you describe your passion for wine?
Consuming!

You founded one of the leading wine importers in the UK - how would you compare the UK and South African wine markets?
The UK is a non-domestic market and is therefore open to wines from all over the world. South Africa is an important producer and, therefore, naturally favours its own wines. The consumer base is also far wider in the UK. This is a challenge in South Africa and one which, I believe, can only be solved by an increase in the middle-class base.

What made you choose South Africa, and more specifically, Waterkloof, as the place to invest for winemaking?
I chose Waterkloof for site specific reasons. It just happened to be in South Africa, just as Romanee Conti just happens to be in France! One of the most important motivators was the climatic conditions - at Waterkloof, there is a sharp drop in afternoon temperatures, with strong winds coming in off the Atlantic that are funnelled up the ravine and spread over the whole amphitheatre. In addition, there are two different primary soil structures present, enabling the planting of a range of grape varieties. The potential for naturally low yields is also very high at Waterkloof.

What are some of the achievements at Waterkloof that you are most proud of?
Taking the site from its raw potential to a situation where we see the quality in the bottle.

What is your winemaking philosophy?
Less is more!

We've heard that when you're not hard at work, you enjoy eating as a way to relax! What is your favourite food and wine pairing at the moment?
Circle of Life White 2010 with seared tuna.

If you had to pick only one varietal to drink for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Pinot Noir - but, only from Burgundy and only from a handful of producers.

What kind of experience do you wish for guests to have when visiting Waterkloof?
Relaxing with a wow factor! We strive to offer our guests quality without pretention.