Ciaran Rooney

"Being from Dublin, I certainly didn't grow up immersed in the world of wine. It was only after moving to South Africa in the mid eighties and living in the Cape that I became exposed to wine. The decision to study winemaking was taken almost by accident, related to the fact that I wanted to stay in the Cape. From that first irresponsible decision I have never looked back.

When I started at Stellenbosch University in the late eighties (the only South African uni at the time to do a course in oenology), it was a purely Afrikaans speaking institution. I didn't speak, read or write any Afrikaans at the time so I had to quickly learn the language so I could understand the lectures.

Later history repeated itself when I moved to France. More dictionaries and language courses! I was always motivated by an eastern European proverb: 'Learn a new language and acquire a new soul.'

Now that I'm a seasoned pro, I have 5 key pointers that I always follow, and it's all about the balance -

• Healthy, happy, balanced vineyards
• Good, healthy fruit that is ripe but not overly so
• Restraint during fermentation, don't go mad with extraction
• Gently, gently with the oak
• Wine is first and foremost made to be drunk and enjoyed with friends

With regards to mother nature, I use no herbicides or pesticides in the vineyards, and only organic compost (the polite term for sheepshit). We use limited intervention in the vineyards and we're also in the process of applying for an Eco-certificate.

Winemaking is an absolutely fantastic profession, I love the fact that your work, ideas and philosophies can be represented in one case of wine. Everytime someone tastes your wine, they see a little bit of your soul.

Is there anything I don't like about being a winemaker? Well, dealing with the ball and chain of the French wine authorities can be a bit of a struggle... Bureaucracy is a French word for a reason!