Which, if Publik were a wine, would make sense. We’d imagine it as a Rhône-style blend with X varietals, each grown on its own, very specific parcel of land, aged separately based on style and then blended intuitively, to finish as one.
Publik as a concept, is many things, many things in pursuit of one goal: Authenticity. It is everywhere. It is in the way co-owners David Cope and David Nel operate, unassuming and yet dedicated, steadfast and resolute in their approach. It is in their aesthetic: the wine bar, the communication, the events, the service. It’s in the brands they select, in our opinion, some of the most exciting wine brands in South Africa today. For those in the dark, PUBLIK, is a Cape Town-based wine bar, distributor and wine fair organiser dealing only in artisanal South African wines. These brands mostly share the absence of a dedicated website; highly curated, beautiful instagram accounts; deeply individualistic labels (some beautiful, some funny, some striking) with a story (always an EPIC story); young male and female winemakers and influencers; a commitment to terroir and honest, minimal interventionist wines; an overwhelming love of the land; and an ENERGY that drives it all. You will note that most of the wines sold by Publik are connected in some way, be it by vineyard, assistant winemaker or initiative. Given the scarcity of the wine, we feel as if we’ve been given access to a secret order of wine, South African wine and the key to a history in the making {though I MAY also just have finished Dan Brown’s latest book, therefore please excuse any references to secret orders or conspiracy theories, OR join me in ruminating…}.
As in a blend, we would be remiss if we did not introduce you to the individuals who make up the whole. David Cope, LIKE the initiative he began, is many things: entrepreneur, writer, food enthusiast and wine producer. Producer of Alphabetical, Hedonist, Dirty Julie and Full Moon (of which we only have Alphabetical to offer you right now, subject to availability.) Alphabetical, in our estimation is the embodiment of the Publik mindset. The three wines are made from grapes sourced from notable terroir, usually belonging to acquaintances or friends of Cope, the grapes, their varietals and percentages unknown, in an effort to make something unpretentious yet distinguished. Hand-harvested grapes, naturally fermented with minimal sulphur added - an everyday wine for the consummate wino (yes, we said it). The name you ask? Well, when asked about the red blend and how many varietals were used, “someone” apparently once joked “It’s almost the whole alphabet!” David Nel on the other hand is a digital ghost, but a very real man in wine, previous owner of Steele Wines a distributor that specialises in the type of wines Publik sells and therefore the perfect complement to Cope’s business. Together their range is undefeated when it comes to obscure, honest, STELLAR RATED, South African wine brands, of which we’d like to introduce a few here (and will strive throughout the year to elucidate you on the rest, most of which require more than a mere mention):
Alheit Vineyards
The Alheits brought out their first wine in 2011, Cartology, a white blend and veritable study in dry farmed, Cape heritage vineyards. The success of that first vintage reverberated around the world and set the scene for what was to become one of South Africa’s premier, albeit it hard-to-come-by wine brands. Chris and Suzaan Alheit have gone on to identify a grand number of Cape heritage vineyards, from which, for their 2017 release, they are introducing seven single origin wines. Each one has a story and what I find particularly remarkable about their method of winemaking is the sense of community it has fostered. Each site represents a collaboration, either with a family, a group of wineries, or in reference to a particular part of Cape history. They are inextricably woven into the fabric of the place, of which it seems the more they find, the more there is to showcase - unsurprising given our own estimation of THIS fair Cape. More proof of this BOUNTY is their second label Flotsam & Jetsam, made up of two wines (Cape Classics in the making), Cinsault and Chenin blanc. But the Alheit network doesn’t end there. Assistant winemaker, Franco Lourens’s own label, Lourens Family Wines is NOT to be ignored. With the first vintage made up of two wines in 2016, his 2017 vintage welcomes two new site specific Chenin blancs from Piekenierskloof and Contermanskloof. Though his wines emulate the Alheit ethos of Cape heritage sites and varietals, he also has a flair for the romantic, having named his first wine Lindi Carien, after his now wife. He had originally made the wine to enable him to buy a wedding ring (which he did), and now continues making it in her honour. Making them a part of the ever growing Publik community / secret order.
Silwervis
An intriguing brand by couple Ryan Mostert and Samantha Suddons, currently living in Riebeeck-Wes, executed with Michael Roets (finance). Making three very distinct brands from Swartland grapes. The Smiley, which is a non-vintage red and white blend made from the off-cuts of multiple vintage grapes - ‘smiley’ in reference to the head of a sheep, which in South Africa is seen as a delicacy and as an ‘off-cut’ of the sheep, the perfect metaphor for this incredibly rated wine. The Silwervis range of wines, which we unfortunately do not have available right now, pictures the devil {old Swartland winemakers who tended to use a lot of chemicals} carrying a mermaid {the new Swartland winemakers who believe in minimal intervention}. The word ’silwervis’ also in reference to the silver bag in large format boxed wines, which at only 900 bottles produced each year, this wine is everything but. Lastly their Terracura Syrah from six different vineyards in the Swartland, completes our thought that THIS may very well be your GUIDE to Swartland wine.
Raised by Wolves
Winemaker Adam Mason claims he was raised by wolves, now whether this is true or not we cannot say. We CAN however say that as winemaker at Mulderbosch Vineyards, he has the wine pedigree to say whatever he wants, as long as the wine makes out. Which it does, and beautifully so. His own wine label Raised by Wolves focusses on the principles championed by Publik, those being minimal intervention and allowing the true character of the varietals and the site-specific terroir to come through. We are however SET on investigating the whole raised by WOLVES statement…will keep you posted.
Given the above, this may well be a revolution and (as ever) we’d suggest thorough RESEARCH. After all, it’s a matter of publik opinion no?
