Corné Marais
Fully organic South African winemaker
- Corn� Marais has a superb range of fully organic wines for sale on the Naked site
- And his vineyards are patrolled by a possee of peking ducks to keep the pests away!
- Highly acclaimed by John Platter, South Africa's No.1 wine writer, we're sure you'll love 'em!
Corné Marais's Story
Corné Marais's Story
I often get asked why I went into winemaking... there wasn't a specific moment it was just something I always wanted to do since I was a kid. It is a bit strange because I grew up in the Little Karroo which isn�t a big wine region, but I�ve always been fascinated with winemaking and today I can�t see myself doing anything else.
There are lots of things that I love about my job but for me there are two things that I love the most... The first, I am the happiest being down in the cellar among the tanks and the pipes where no one can come and bother you because this is actually your job! The second is that you can share what you really love doing with others.
And my key winemaking philosophies?
- Great wines are made in the vineyard and that�s where our winemaking starts. Our organic sustainable practices are based on the belief that healthy and balanced soils are the building blocks to produce fruit of a superior quality
- Balanced soils equals balanced vineyards, which equals balanced and healthy fruit, thus acid and other additions are negated. And to me, this is the only way the fruit can really express itself
- Get the wine in the bottle with as little interference as possible
- Be hands-on down in the cellar with your wines as much as you can because it�s so easy losing touch with your wines with the 200 other things going on in and around a cellar
- With a minimalist wine making approach, where wines go through natural fermentation, you have to have patience, patience, patience, and then just a bit more patience!
I really am a believer in guiding the wine into the bottle with as little interference as possible and just always trying to see winemaking as an event and not a process.
We have a gravity flow cellar (and a unique compressed air pump over system for the reds), and it�s amazing to see the difference in tannin structure in wines that did not get that harsh pump actions that most wines go through, especially during primary crushing.
A few other Naked facts about Corn� and Avondale:
- Avondale is a fully-organic and bio-dynamic farm and vineyard
- They use a 'possee' of peking ducks to patrol the vines and eat unwanted snails!
- Corn� has received 4 John Platter stars for several of his wines, South Africa's no. 1 wine writer
- Corn�'s favourtie meal is Proven�al style food; some goats milk, brie, Roquefort cheeses, olives, some good cold meats and last but not least some good fresh bread!
- During harvest time, when Corn� regularly works 18 hour days, he compares himself to a 'wounded bear who swears all the time!' Good job he has a supportive fianc�e and a strong team at the winery!
The Avondale Vineyard
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