It’s one of those perfect afternoons in the Constantia Winelands. The air is charged with the freshness of the season. Winter has eased into a spring washed clean; with vineyards sprouting young green leaves and shoots. Just the place to take all this in? The new La Parada at Constantia Nek. The recently revamped century-old barn overlooks the undulating valley, stretching all the way to the sea. Inside the modern all-white interior I’m meeting winemaker Martin Smith for lunch, who’s about to embark on new beginnings of his own.

Smith has been the winemaker of the much-lauded Vilafonté for the last seven years. This tenure will be coming to a close this November so that he can put all his focus into his own label wines, which includes the Paserene range as well as To Simpler Times and Series V – both wines exclusive to the Wade Bales Wine Society, “Winemaking in its purest form is still an art,” says Smith explaining his departure. “I need absolute freedom, in both time and volume of wine, to ensure the success of Paserene.”

Martin Smith
Martin Smith
Image: Wade Bales

Art underscores everything Smith does; from the actual making of the wine to the vision behind it, and to the labels. “I work with different artists for each label.” He holds up the Paserene Marathon. The label symbolises Smith’s story as a travelling winemaker, and the richly textured paper was squeezed through an old Heidelberg press and then hand-applied.  

For all his intensity, Smith is also laidback – that’s the surfer in him – with quick jokes and a genuine warmth that makes him easy to talk to. He eases the cork out of a bottle of Paserene Chardonnay. On the label is a simple line drawing of a girl. “I wanted a beautiful girl on the label to express the beauty of Elgin,” explains Smith.

Smith has an enviable history of premium winemaking: Before digging his hands into the soils of Vilafonté, he spent a decade in America honing his craft. After high-school – and an educational stint in Portugal at Amorim Cork – Smith studied Viticulture and Winemaking at Elsenburg Agricultural College, which was swiftly followed by his practical at Vriesenhof Estate. Then it was time to spread his wings.

Image: Wade Bales

Alighting in Napa Valley, Smith spent five years at Cosentino Winery. Then in 2006, his journey took him to Caldwell Winery, where he worked with many high profile winemakers, such as Tim Mondavi and Phillipe Melka. Another five years rolled past and Smith had to make the decision to stay in the States, or go.

“The truth is I never truly left South Africa,” says Smith. “I needed to be here.”
Luckily there was a compelling reason to return. There was a winemaking job at Vilafonté.

It hasn’t all been high flying; the root of his devotion to the grape begins with a simple South African childhood. 

Smith grew up in Worcester and says it was: ‘an innocent and gentle upbringing’. “We were a horde of kids—going up the mountain, horse-riding, biking.”

Image: Wade Bales

True to his Boland roots, Smith is a third generation wine producer. His grandfather had a wine farm in Paarl, and his dad was also a winemaker. Smith says he was influenced by his dad and his winemaker friends who he used to watch chatting around the kitchen table. “I always wanted to be one of them.”

He got his wish, and then some, with the kind of winemaking career people dream about, from the States to South Africa, Smith continues to soar.

“Cabernet is my soul. I’m into the business of making wines so dark you can’t see through them. My main focus going forward will be reds from Tulbagh and whites from Elgin. I feel like a kid in a toy room, playing with all these wines.”

Image: Wade Bales

This interview first appeared on wadebaleswinesociety.co.za

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