Grangehurst and Jeremy Walker: A Journey in Winemaking

After his military service in the SA Navy, winemaker Jeremy Walker studied viticulture and oenology at the University of Stellenbosch. After graduating in 1977, he worked at several wineries in Germany, France, and South Africa. Six years after earning his MBA in 1980, he returned to winemaking and was involved in establishing Clos Malverne in Stellenbosch. In 1992, following six vintages at Clos Malverne, Jeremy founded his own winery. Although the Grangehurst estate is too small for a profitable farm, it is surrounded by top-tier vineyards in Stellenbosch, making it ideal for a winery. Initial renovations were done on the property.

Jeremy's parents, Eddie and Betty Walker, emigrated from England to Cape Town in 1952 and settled in Camps Bay. In 1973, they bought a small farm named Boplaas on the lower slopes of Helderberg, naming it after Betty's home in England, “The Grange,” and Eddie's street, Hurst Close, in London. Thus, Grangehurst was born.

The first vintage produced at Grangehurst was crowned champion wine at the South African Young Wine Show in 1992. Seven years later, a new cellar was completed just in time for the 1999 vintage, alongside a storage facility and an underground barrel cellar. Jeremy's former bachelor pad was converted into a bottling cellar in 2000.

Today, the winery comprises several separate buildings, including the production cellar, underground barrel cellar, storage, bottling cellar, and the “Squash Room” cellar.

In 2000, Jeremy and ophthalmologist Dr. John Hill formed a joint venture to acquire a 13-hectare plot in Stellenbosch that they planted with Cabernet Sauvignon vines in 2002. Two years later, Dr. Hill, co-owner of Sunset Vineyards, became a business partner at Grangehurst Winery.

Traditional techniques and a deep-seated passion drive every phase of winemaking, contributing to the unique character of Grangehurst wines. “Our unique selling proposition is our relaxed approach,” Jeremy states. “We sell our wines when they are ready to drink.” All wines undergo aging in small oak barrels for 24 to 36 months.

Only a minimal amount of new wood is used. Instead, well-maintained old barrels are used, which are professionally cleaned between fillings. This allows wines to develop slowly in the barrels without acquiring an overly woody character. “The oak aromas are not dominant, but the slow development of wine in barrels imparts a very subtle oak aroma and complexity,” Jeremy explains. “Creating wines with expressive fruit, delicate oak, complexity, and elegance is our goal.” Fermentations occur in open fermentation tanks, with grapes manually submerged six to eight times daily. The wine is mainly fermented with commercial yeast strains, although spontaneous fermentations occur occasionally. This fermentation technique, particularly the regular submersion, appears to produce wines with good tannin structure and color, allowing them to evolve and improve over many years. Jeremy believes this contributes to the longevity of Grangehurst wines.

Jeremy's experience in winemaking has primarily been with red wines, which has fostered a deep interest and passion for that area. When he founded the winery, it was only natural to focus on red wine production. However, there is a Grangehurst Cape Rosé, which lies somewhere between a rosé and a light red wine. “It’s a rosé for red wine drinkers who like their wine chilled but still want some characteristics of red wine,” he says.

From 1992 to 2002, Grangehurst focused on grape selection and blending with Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. In 2003, Shiraz was added for the Cape Blend Nikela, followed by Petit Verdot in 2005 for the Cape Bordeaux Blend. Roobernet was introduced in 2015 for blending purposes.

Jeremy works exclusively with grapes from Stellenbosch. “While many other wine regions in South Africa produce outstanding grapes, I've always wanted Grangehurst wines recognized as Wine of Origin Stellenbosch.”

In the early days of crowdfunding through debentures and pre-orders, Grangehurst wines gained a loyal following from customers who played an essential role in establishing the winery and were rewarded with wine.

“We pursue a fundamental differentiation strategy,” Jeremy states, “considering all profitable channels that help build our brand and increase sales.” Grangehurst's distribution channels cover both local and international markets and encompass both the trade and private sectors. This includes local distribution channels such as restaurants, hotels, lodges, and wine dealers, as well as retail locations and commercial wine clubs.

During the Covid lockdown, the value of Grangehurst's loyal customer base was evident through the enthusiastic response to their survival offer email campaign for private customers. The personal delivery of orders in Cape Town strengthened bonds with existing customers and connected with new ones. Despite reduced trade sales due to wine bans, the campaign led to Grangehurst's highest revenue year in history.

Unpredictable weather remains a challenge. Grangehurst's first measure is to determine the timing of the harvest. “Fortunately, we had very few incidents of inferior grapes due to weather, and none from fire or smoke contamination,” Jeremy states. Their primary challenge lies with intruders.

There are always measures to ensure consistency and quality of their wines, Jeremy asserts. “Despite some changes in grape suppliers over the years, we have maintained a consistent wine style and quality through established winemaking techniques. Occasional batches that fail to meet Grangehurst's quality standards are sold to other wine marketers or rebranded under different labels for marketing purposes.”

Grangehurst was the first South African winery to be awarded five stars by Wine Magazine in 1996, and it has received the most Five-Star Ratings in the magazine’s history. Notable wines include the Grangehurst 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Blend and the Cabernet Sauvignon 2000.

It is also important to mention that Jeremy was a long-time active member of the South African Cape Winemakers Guild but no longer produces wines for the guild. His winemaking style is unique, focusing on the aging process of his wines. A young wine does not hit the market!