Worcester-based family-owned winery Alvi’s Drift has found inspiration in proving the impossible is achievable, with its Signature Viognier the only such wine on local supermarket shelves and growing in popularity, says Cape wine master Junel van der Merwe.

Viognier is a white wine made from the viognier grape, which originated from the upper Rhône Valley in France.

“While certainly not the first to make this wine, we were the first to produce a truly fantastic product at a price point that ensures it can be enjoyed by everyone. We threw out the accepted rule-book and investigated both ancient and novel approaches – single-mindedly chasing down fresh, optimally ripe-fruit flavours and a great mouthfeel without incurring unsustainable cost in the process.”

It is the award-winning winery’s Signature Sauvignon Blanc which is its biggest volume line in South Africa, where 80% of its wines are sold.

“This is our most popular white variety in South Africa by quite some margin, in part, owing to the value afforded to consumers through our dedicated attention to quality for an affordable wine,” explains Van der Merwe.

Established in 1928, Alvi’s Drift celebrates its rich history through its 221 Range, which took its inspiration from Albertus Viljoen (Alvi) van der Merwe. Affectionately known as Oupa Alvi, he scored the Springbok’s first try against the All Blacks on African soil 1928. After this impressive performance he was capped as Springbok number 221.

Along with its sparkling wines which have just been awarded the trophy for the top sparkling wine in the SA Woman’s Wine and Spirit Awards, the 221 Range comprises a Chenin Blanc, which walked away with double gold at this year’s Veritas Awards, a Pinotage and a Special Cuvee, which was awarded gold at the Ultra Value Wine Challenge 2021.

The 7000 ha Alvi’s Drift farm has about 450 ha of cultivated vineyards, producing at least eight-million litres of wine with each harvest.

While winemaking starts in the vineyard, ensuring that there is a market for the “wine you plan to make is vital, as there is huge competition and responsibility involved”, notes Van der Merwe.

At the Alvi’s Drift winery, 15 people are involved in the winemaking process.

“After a year of taking care of the vines, we harvest early morning to protect the freshness of the fruit and the acidity. The grapes are gently pressed in a pneumatic bladder press and only the first free run juice is used. For white wines, cold fermentation is used, while red wines require pump over action or roto tanks to achieve the best colour extraction. Wild yeast is used to make our premium wines and we ferment in wooden barrels for complexity,” explains Van der Merwe.

Alvi’s Drift currently exports wines to neighbouring African countries such as Namibia and Botswana, as well as to countries further abroad, including the UK, the US, Poland, China, Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

However, internationally, South African wines comprise less than 3% of wine sales, with demand driven by niche market influences rather than macro-economic or regional supply and demand, highlights Van der Merwe.

“It has taken many years to break out of the ‘cheap and cheerful bulk’ perception of South African wines.”

Therefore, the local lockdowns and alcohol sales bans brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic saw the industry take a big knock, with some of the most iconic brands built over generations unlikely to survive the direct and consequential effects of the response to the crisis.

To survive, the winery diversified its local market, strengthened its direct-to-consumer offering and bolstered its supply chain, while technologies and systems have been adopted to allow for faster response times, says Van der Merwe.

“We have also had to find alternative sources for many of our dry goods and improve forecasting or adopt systems to mitigate shipping delays.”

It is evident that the local wine industry’s production of a lifestyle product that drives tourism, and its massive contributions to sustainability, socio-economic improvements and exports, are unfortunately not recognised.

“A more focused effort is required by all to acknowledge and deal with any negative associations still linked to the industry so that it may move towards a more secure future,” states Van der Merwe.