Coenie van Schalkwyk
General Manager & Accountant
The story behind our accountant and his blend.
“I was appointed as the accountant in 2012 and at that time, my main focus was just to establish myself in the wine industry, but what I learnt was that Arra is a family of which I became part of.
During my first year on the farm, it didn’t take much time to fall in love with one of our red blends, at the time it was our 2009 Shiraz|Mourvedre|Viognier. That was the last SMV we made before we removed our Mourvedre vines for replanting purposes. Ever since then I always mentioned I would love to make my own blend one day, knowing without a doubt that’s the way I would go.
In 2013 our general manager, Oom Johan Southey, was diagnosed with cancer and I started taking over his responsibilities. He put his heart and soul into this farm, and it was an absolute privilege to learn from him. During that time, which was extremely difficult under the circumstances, I got to learn so much about the farm. After his passing, I had no other way than to make this work. Year after year of dedicating myself, my director granted my wish and gave me the opportunity to bottle my own blend.
I knew at the time what I wanted to blend and bottle, the challenge was to perfect it. Our winemaker, Carami Lanser was so excited about this blend, it made me forget about all my insecurities and I have to admit, without a doubt, it has been one of the most incredible experiences I’ve had.
We had a beautiful 2018 Shiraz in barrel, we had no Mourvèdre, and we had 2020 Viognier in tank. She sourced a few 2018 Mourvèdre samples, which was quite a challenge, but she found the perfect one. We bought some Mourvèdre bulk wine from Darling as she was extremely impressed with the character of the wine. Then we started the process of 5 different blends with different volumes of each cultivar.
I believe that no wine is created by only one pallet, therefore we had two different tasting panels to vote! There were two blends that stood out and won the vote by far. After that we decided to make another blend of the two winning blends and compare. Carami and I had a blind tasting with these three blends, the blend I knew had to be bottled, was exactly the one she chose.
In September 2020 that blend (81% Shiraz, 13% Mourvedre and 6% Viognier) was bottled and it was released early November. The feedback on my blend have been mind blowing and to top it off, we won a gold medal at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Awards the same year! I am so thankful!
“After I matriculated in Johannesburg, I was able to follow my dream and move to the beautiful Cape Winelands. My winemaking journey began in Stellenbosch when I was inspired to change my studies from medical professional to Viticulture and Oenology. I was intrigued by the science of winemaking and fell in love with the wine industry and what it had to offer.
After graduating in 2014, I gained valuable experience by completing harvests at Warwick Wine Estate and Saronsburg Wine Estate. I was the assistant winemaker at Warwick Wine Estate from 2015 until 2019, after which I was given the opportunity to become the winemaker of Arra Vineyards. During my first year, I was blessed with multiple awards on my first wines that was released and I immediately knew this journey was meant for me!
I have found my passion in the cellar to work with Viognier, Bordeaux, and Rhone varietals. Being practically involved with winemaking has taught me to respect the process and that is the best way to learn about your wines. Through my experience I have learned that the more wine I taste the better I understand the industry and our unique and wonderful terroir. Being a female winemaker in South Africa, surrounded by some of the world’s best, is a privilege. What better way to celebrate life, than with a glass of wine with family and friends!
