Clos Malverne appoints new winemaker.........

Today Clos Malverne is very much a family affair with Seymour and wife Sophia overseeing the entire operation and daughter Belinda, ensuring that the visitors are well looked after and pampered at the day spa on this tranquil Winelands jewel. Seymour’s brother, Mervyn, is enrolled as the sous chef at their contemporary restaurant run by the Executive Chef Nadia Louw. It is therefore no wonder that the new winemaker appointment was ‘kept in the family’ as Suzanne’s predecessor was none other than her husband, Charl Coetzee.

“I love making wine at Clos Malverne because it is so hands-on and all of us have exposure to all parts of the wine business,” shares this feisty Namibian with farm life running through her veins, coming from a family with farms in Namibia and Citrusdal where she grew up.

After matriculating from Rustenburg Girls High School in Cape Town and spurred on by her dream of becoming a winemaker, Suzanne graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture (BSc Agric) specialising in Viticulture and Oenology from the University of Stellenbosch.

Before settling at Clos Malverne, this self dubbed ‘plaasmeisie’ honed her winemaking skills at various prominent wine estates in Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek where she mastered the intrinsic elements of skillful blending and gained valuable knowledge in terroir variation and the crafting of diverse wine styles. During this time, Suzanne, who also sports a business diploma and experience in marketing, travelled the international and local markets extensively gaining valuable insights about the opportunities for South African wines in the greater global area.

As guardian of both Clos Malverne’s vineyards and the cellar, Suzanne has a strong practical streak and follows a winemaking philosophy of keeping things as simple and true to their original state.

She firmly believes that one shouldn’t ‘manipulate’ the grapes too much through mechanical, chemical or technical means and prefers making classic, elegant wines with exceptional maturation potential. The fact that wine offers such a variety of results depending on how one treats it will always intrigue her.

“Clos Malverne offers wines that are handmade and steeped in tradition. From the vines that are hand-cultivated by the same family of workers for many years to the time-honoured winemaking traditions of basket pressing and the use of open top fermenters in our cellar. We pride ourselves in quality consistency and one should never be nervous to open a 10 year old bottle of Clos Malverne for your friends,” shares this avid cook and entertainer.

The cultivar she most enjoys making wine from is Pinotage as it lifts any blend and adds tremendous fruit to a wine when only a little Pinotage is used. “I like to use Pinotage in all my blends and fortunately Clos Malverne has an excellent track record when it comes to world-class Pinotage,” explains Suzanne.

Suzanne who once dreamt of becoming a game farmer or a magazine publisher, counts herself lucky to be a winemaker and loves the versatility of her job especially the fact that at one moment she could be walking in the vineyards with her dog and the next moment sit down for a serious business meeting with buyers.

When she is not looking after her precious gems in the vineyards and cellar, Suzanne loves to go for a run in the outdoors and being creative albeit in the garden, kitchen or with her homemaking.

If one had to describe Suzanne in wine terms her label would read: Pinot Noir – light in colour, yet a complex wine wine that can rise to any occasion. Best enjoyed on long warm evenings with delicate and interesting accompaniments.