The “Pope of Pinotage” steps into a new role as Cellar Master at Survivor Wine

Overhex Wines welcomes Pierre Wahl as the new cellar master for Survivor Wines.

Celebrated winemaker, Pierre Wahl, is a familiar face in the wine community. In 2016 he was awarded the prestigious title as Diners Club Winemaker of the Year; he is a member of the admired Cape Winemakers Guild and lovingly referred to as the “Pope of Pinotage” by his peers for his remarkable work with this varietal.

Growing up, Wahl saw only two career options – to follow in his dad’s agricultural footsteps or become a game ranger – both bringing him as close to nature as possible, a factor that was immensely important to him. Now, nearly three decades as a winemaker, he still gets excited about nature, but more specifically – terroir, along with the challenges and opportunities related to making wines with a ‘sense of place’. Making wine for Survivor Wines is thus not just a new challenge, but in a way coming home – back to the vineyard, as this very ‘sense of place’ and a selection of uniquely diverse terroirs is the essence of the Survivor Wine portfolio.

His winemaking philosophy is to make both powerful and elegant wines – a powerful showcase of the cultivar’s fruit characteristics and an old-world elegance in structure and texture. With a passion for both food and wine, he always considers how the wine will drink alongside food, a sentiment he shares with his predecessor, winemaker Ben Snyman. When talking about wine and food, he states: “I want to make wines which are accessible, wines made to be enjoyed with food – whether in the company of good friends, a weeknight meal or a fancy plated restaurant dinner. This is why it is so important to me to highlight the natural and powerful character of the fruit itself, paying special attention to creating balance and not overworking the juice and wine.”

Pierre kicks off the new vintage, enthusiastic about the quality of the 2022 harvest and excited to receive grapes from the best parcels of vineyards across the Swartland, Elgin, Stellenbosch and the Klein Karoo. With great joy, he explains, “this is what makes Survivor wines so special; we get to choose the best grapes from the most expressive terroirs across multiple of South Africa’s best wine-producing regions.”

The Overhex team is overjoyed to welcome Pierre to the team follow his journey through the vineyard and the cellar as we discover the Survivor wine portfolio.

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Issued on Behalf of | Hatch Connection