Other than obvious traits like creativity and a highly specialised skill set, all three professions (or rather, the types attracted to these professions) are notorious for dabbling in side projects.
A side project is usually more than just a spot of gardening. Often spilling over from what one does professionally, it’s an endeavour fuelled by “what ifs” and divergent thinking. It’s a space to colour outside the lines and get messy, without the pressure and responsibility inherent in a day job.
In tech, side projects are celebrated and encouraged - after all, Gmail, Instagram and Craigslist all started off as humble side hustles.
Musically speaking, The New York Times has described the side project as “a break from the other band members, a chance to toy with different genres and recording methods, a fling with no long-term commitment.”
This definition translates to the wine industry almost too perfectly. With an abundance of winemakers releasing their own labels on the side, the side project scene has never been more vibrant. That said, as is true across music, tech and wine - some have more legs than others.
Antony Beck
Antony Beck, second generation proprietor of Graham Beck which is arguably South Africa’s most adored premium sparkling wine brand, is no stranger to the side project. With stakes in fields straying far from wine country such as thoroughbred horse breeding on a vast farm in Kentucky where he resides with his family, it would be an understatement to call his interests ‘diverse.’ Yet despite his sparkling portfolio, he has managed to find time and energy to nurture two more side projects in opposing time zones.
Angela Estate
Angela Estate is situated in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Founded in 2006, it is the definition of a labour of love. Named after Antony’s wife Angela, it specialises in single-vineyard, estate grown Pinot Noir and began as a collaboration between the Becks and their longtime friend, acclaimed Oregon winemaker Ken Wright. According to Beck, “our intention was then, as it is now, to make the best wine in Oregon with the best fruit and the best winemaker.” Not exactly an unambitious goal, considering the exceptional quality of the wines coming out of this area.
Assembling the gang
After years of producing wine together, Antony and Ken jointly decided that in order to take the project to the next level, they would need to invest in a winemaker to focus solely on Angela Estate’s wines. In early 2017, they brought young French winemaker Alban Debeaulieu into the fold. In his late twenties, having completed his studies in Burgundy as well as a number of years working for famous producers in Oregon such as the Drouhins, he brought a fresh new perspective to the mix, while still being acutely focused on Pinot Noir. By this point, Angela Estate had already moved from ‘side project’ status and was fast making an independent name for itself.
A sense of community
At Angela Estate, community is key. From the get-go, Antony relied heavily on Ken’s savoir-faire and experience making Pinot in the area. According to Alban, “Antony recognised Ken as the expert on Pinot Noir on the West Coast, so he trusted him to do the best he could. We still rely on him and his team, so it’s definitely a communal project.”
Location, location, location
All vineyards are special, but some just have that little something extra. In addition to the Angela Vineyard, the Becks own Abbott Claim, which is lauded as one of the best vineyards in the AVA. In Alban’s words, “Abbott Claim is quite something. It’s a top, top vineyard in the Willamette Valley and we’re fortunate to own that vineyard, and work with that fruit.” Planted in 2001 by Ken Wright, it sits on some of the oldest soils in the valley and lies on an East-West ridge with South-facing slopes, which splits and diffuses the worst of the weather coming from the Pacific. This protects the grapes pre-harvest and provides ideal conditions to yield a healthy, happy crop.
A sustainable approach
Sustainability is more than a buzzword at Angela Estate. Again, Alban puts it best: “a common thread would be Antony’s views on sustainability and long-term work. Meeting Antony and being able to see how he values patience, as well as his timeless vision…. Antony doesn’t care very much about trends, it’s about doing something that works for the long-term, whether it’s with the land or the people. When Antony does something, he does it for real.”
The wines
Alban believes that Pinot Noir is one of the greatest vectors of terroir. “It’s such a transparent variety. When Pinot Noir expresses different terroirs, it’s very obvious.” Alban’s conviction is evident in the wines, which tend to be spicier and earthier with riper, darker fruit than their Burgundian counterparts.
Capensis
As if one major side project wasn’t enough, Antony Beck opted more recently to found something new, a little closer to home. Capensis, meaning “from the Cape”, is a joint venture between Antony and his close friend, Barbara Banke. With Graham Weerts at the winemaking helm, their vision is to develop a truly world-class Chardonnay - at a gutsy, world-class price point, nearing the $100 mark abroad.
The other Graham
Like Angela Estate’s Alban, Graham Weerts has done his fair share of globetrotting. With years of experience reaching from Bordeaux to Sonoma County, Graham heads up winemaking at a number of wineries within the Jackson Family Wines portfolio. His years spent in California reaffirmed his affinity for Chardonnay, believing it to be the most expressive and complex of all the international noble white varieties.
Cape of Good Hope
Capensis represents a return to both Graham and Antony’s South African roots. With fruit sourced from four top Chardonnay vineyards spanning Stellenbosch and Robertson, the idea behind Capensis is to deliver a high-end wine with a sense of place, without being specific to one individual site. Each of the carefully selected vineyards - Fijnbosch, Nooitgedacht, Kaaimansgat and E. Bruwer - contributes unique characteristics to the blend. Ultimately, it’s a wine that is as precise, complex and generous as you would expect it to be. Graham and the team are also in no rush to push the wine out to market. Allowing it to mature in bottle for a number of years renders a wine that is beautifully integrated with sumptuous French oak (fifty percent new).
Common threads
Antony Beck’s penchant for side projects has seemingly not distracted him from Graham Beck, which remains his most prominent interest in the wine industry, followed closely by the historic Steenberg Farm in Constantia. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how he has managed to grow so many smaller projects into veritable successes, but common threads provide us with some hints. While Angela Estate illustrates the importance of family, Capensis celebrates heritage. Both ventures emphasise patience, quality and lifelong friendships, as well as reveal a value system that, like a vine's roots, goes deep - eschewing the stereotype that side projects lack long-term commitment.
Whether intentional or not, it's somehow poetic that Antony Beck has devoted much of his wine career to working with the two Burgundy varieties that are best known for revealing exactly where they come from. Perhaps, then, if we can learn something from both Antony and the vines - the key to a successful side project might just be returning, over and over, to one’s deep-reaching roots.
