Laborie Wines – Interview With Kobus Van der Merwe

Sourcing only the finest grapes from the Western Cape region in South Africa, in this exclusive feature on Glass of Bubbly, we speak with Kobus Van der Merwe, the skilled Winemaker at Laborie Wines, let’s discover a little about his life, his journey into the industry and one of his favourite bubbly memories.

It’s Great To Speak With You, Kobus, Can You Tell Us A Little About Yourself & How Your Incredible Journey Into The Wine Industry Began?

“I grew up on a farm in a small town called Montagu in the Western Cape where my father and grandfather farmed with wine grapes, peaches, olives and apricots. I was always in love with the vineyards and the farming of it and I used to drive with my father to the wine cellar to deliver the grapes, from the farm, and that made me curious about the whole process of making wine. Initially, I only wanted to farm and went on to study Viticulture and Oenology. After finishing my studies one of my friends asked me to do a harvest with him at a winery and in the end, I ended up doing 3 harvests that year. First harvest in South Africa then New Zealand and later that year in Sonoma California. Here I am 19 years later and still learning, enjoying and loving what I am doing!”

Do You Remember Your First Experience With Sparkling Wine? When It Was And What Kind Of Label It Was?

“Looking back now, my introduction to tasting my first sparkling wine was not exciting as we all start with the easy and sweet wines. This really did not trigger my passion for sparkling wine but as my palate grew and started to enjoy the drier more serious sparkling wines I was introduced to Cap Classique at a Cap Classique tasting. It blew my mind and after this tasting, I started digging into the process of producing bottle fermented sparkling wine and it just pulled me in deeper and deeper. I produced my first Cap Classique in 2009 and have loved it since then.”

How Rewarding And Challenging Is Producing Sparkling Wines In The Great Wine Country Of South Africa?

“Let’s start with the challenges and it is not only focused on South Africa but all over the world and it is surely global warming. South Africa always had sunlight but we see a lot of erratic weather patterns that have a huge impact on the yield and quality. It is a new mindset on the approach of managing the vineyards and producing wines to be of high quality and in style. You must constantly adapt each year and even in harvest to ensure the quality and style required. We are after all in Mother Nature’s hands and need to respect that. The rewarding side is obviously opening bottles of your Cap Classique and the quality is as expected, but to see a consumer in a restaurant enjoying your Cap Classique and ordering another one.”

What Is Your Personal Favourite Part Of The Wine Making Process?

“It has always been the blending part where all the hard work from managing the vineyards, harvesting the grapes and producing the wine is pulled together. During harvest, each tank of a cultivar we produce is very specifically a style of its own and forms a component or a piece of the puzzle. I really enjoy playing around with these different components in different percentages until the perfect blend is moulded together.”

When It Comes To Pairing Your Sparkling Wine With Food, Do You Have Any Favourite Combinations That You Would Personally Recommend?

“For me personally, the best pairing is Sushi.”

If You Could Choose A Person In The World, Past Or Present, To Have A Glass of Bubbly With; Who Would It Be And Why? What Would You Drink And Why? What Would You Discuss And Why?

“I would like to sit down with the late Frans Malan who pioneered the First Cap Classique in 1971. In his honour of course we will have a bottle of Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel and discuss how and where it all started, and what were the challenges producing a bottle of fermented sparkling wine at that time. I really do enjoy these inspiring and groundbreaking stories from the early days and it reminds us that anything is possible.”

Can You Share With Us Some Of The Countries And Locations Around The World That You Can Enjoy A Glass Of Laborie Wines?

“The majority of Laborie wines are available locally in South Africa and basically in each retailer and all over the country in the different restaurants. Abroad you will find Laborie wines in the UK especially the Cap Classique style like the Laborie Blanc de Blancs but also the Laborie 1691 label for Brut and Rose. The UK is the biggest market for Laborie Blanc de Blancs. On the still wines, we are in a variety of countries including Japan, Germany, USA, Finland and spread out in African countries.”

What Future Plans Can Enthusiasts Of Laborie Wines Look Forward To In The Coming Years?

“We are constantly investigating and benchmarking new styles or cultivars to keep up with the demand for Laborie’s consumers. I cannot divulge too much now but always be on the lookout for new additions under the Laborie label.”

Can You Share With Us One Of The Most Memorable Experiences You’ve Enjoyed With A Glass of Bubbly?

“I cannot mention one memorable experience because there are so many. Every time I open a bottle of bubbly it is to celebrate a life occurrence, life itself and making memories. For me, it is to cherish all of these memories together!”

Thank you Kobus, for sharing your story and experiences with us and we at Glass of Bubbly wish you the very best for the future!

Images belong to Laborie Wines. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use them.