Paul Dring visits a unique vineyard in South Africa that is unravelling generations of racial injustice. Oh, and the wines that it produces are pretty special too.
From his prospect overlooking the majestic Elgin Valley, head foreman Jan Jansen
sweeps a proud arm over the serried ranks of vines beneath. "Thandi is a
special part of Heaven," he says. "I was born nearby, on a farm. As a boy, I
didn't own shoes. I look back and can't believe where I am today."
Thandi, from a Xhosa word meaning 'tender,
loving care', is a unique vineyard in South Africa's Western Cape that offers a
role model for racial equality in the new Rainbow Nation. It is based in the
village of Lebanon - 50 miles east of Cape Town - which was founded in 1962 by
the South African Forestry Commission (SAFCOL) to house its workers. By 1991,
the settlement was home to some 350 residents, but then disaster threatened.
SAFCOL restructured its operations, and
Lebanon was no longer part of its plan. Families were broken up as sons left to
look for work in the city and the village began to die. Dr Paul Cluver, former
brain surgeon and farmer of the neighbouring estate, decided something needed
to be done. He gave 100 hectares of his land, matched by a similar donation
from safcol, to be farmed by the villagers, and owned in partnership between
the three parties. Says Cluver: "In the new South Africa you have a choice: you
can either leave or make a difference. It's as simple as that." Thandi released
its first vintages in 1998 and now produces three wines: a cabernet sauvignon,
a pinot noir, and a chardonnay. Demand for all three greatly outstrips supply.
As you drive through the estate, it is hard
to imagine it as a site of economic struggle. The scale of the place is daunting
- an impression exaggerated by improbably tall pine and gum trees and by the
barren Groenland Mountains, which look down on acre after acre of orchard and
vine.
Amid such natural grandeur, it might be
easy to overlook Lebanon, a collection of 57 tarred-timber bungalows, set
behind picket fences off red shale roads. Yet, to its residents, this
unprepossessing village is home to an experiment that is a paradigm of black empowerment. Since the
dismantling of Apartheid began in the early 1990s, 'empowerment' has become a hot
issue in South Africa, as the government seeks to undo generations of racial
inequality. In Lebanon, this is enacted by the dorps, or council, through which
villagers manage their affairs, seeking to encourage home ownership, promote self-government,
and provide education and health care. Such local democracy is a gigantic leap
forward from the days when even the most basic national representation was
denied to non-whites such as the Lebanon villagers.
Jan Jansen, who has been at Thandi for two
years and is one of three managers created by the project, is in no doubt as to
the reality of this empowerment. "At the start of each day, you look forward to
your work," he says. "Working on Thandi means that at the end of your day you
can say, 'I own something. I am part of this life and of this land.'"
Jan's success is mirrored by that of
Thandi's winemaker, Patrick Kraukamp. "Only three years ago, I was working as a
lorry driver, which didn't offer satisfaction or security," he says. "Then my
wife Susan started work here and I heard of a vacancy in the winery." His
career has swiftly blossomed. He has completed a winemaking course at Elsenburg
University, attaining a distinction, and worked at a winery in Oregon, usa, to
further his experience.
Of course, as Patrick is aware, all
Thandi's efforts would be in vain if its wines weren't so good. They all
benefit from the Elgin Valley's unique microclimate. Although Lebanon is only
20 miles or so from Stellenbosch, the heart of South Africa's winelands, its
altitude often results in temperatures 10°C lower - meaning Thandi's
grapes are harvested some four weeks later than those in Stellenbosch. This
extra time on the vines produces wines that fully express the grapes'
qualities. The chardonnay is redolent of citrus and orange blossom; the
cabernet sauvignon is full-bodied with strong fruit and well-integrated oak;
and the pinot noir shows a lot of cherry, black-berry fruit and a good balance
of oak.
Thandi has a long way to go before it is
fully successful. Profits are a distant goal: the community's initial aim is to
clear the debts incurred in setting up the business, before it can begin the
process of buying out its partners to become autonomous. Nevertheless, for Jan
Jansen these horizons are clearly visible. "It is my dream that one day, when I
am farm manager, all the people that work here will live out the true meaning
of the word 'thandi' - living and working together with love and
care."
Thandi's cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay
are sold in Waitrose shops.