Springfield Estate - The Winemaker

Known as a leader, not a follower, Abrie specialised in Sauvignon Blanc when everybody in the Robertson area concentrated on Chardonnay, and produced a sought-after Cabernet Sauvignon in a predominantly white wine area simply because he happens to like Cabernet. Innovative and unconventional, he is now falling back on methods used in bygone days, including fermentation with natural yeast – risky but extremely rewarding. And he takes it a step further: "Having successfully worked with natural yeast we hope to convince the Wine and Spirit Board to establish a certification system for this style of wine-making."

undertake bold experiments in his cellar. "Being my own boss allows me the freedom to try new ideas, some of which can be risky, but if it doesn't work I only have myself to blame … I would rather make a monumental stuff-up, than produce large quantities of mediocre wine." He has taken the cellar back to basics, and his hands-on, natural approach means that Springfield wines show the individuality of each vintage, and reflect their unique soil and climatic origins.

Having grown up among the vineyards, Abrie follows a traditional approach to his art. With no formal training other than hands-on experience working with his father, Abrie is an intuitive winemaker who produces truly individual wines. Being both viticulturist and winemaker he can leave his imprint on the wines even in the vineyards. The challenge to produce interesting, complex and elegant wine is exactly what motivates him to

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The pioneering spirit of his forefathers is inherent in Springfield's winemaker, Abrie Bruwer, whose driving force is to produce the best wines he can. "I only want to sell wine I am proud of and I will only get a limited number of chances to do that in my lifetime". With this in mind Abrie rises to the challenge of each vintage and produces wines which reflect the unique soils, climate and character of each varietal. His passionate approach to winemaking has brought success for Springfield's wines both locally and internationally and he has put the terroir of the estate on the global map as the home of excellent and unusual Sauvignon Blancs, Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons.

The winemaker's affinity with the soil and the grapes is evident when he shows visitors around the estate. He will often step into the Sauvignon Blanc vineyard, pick up two flint stones and slam them together like an ancient fire-maker, pointing out that the gunpowder smell from these stones is undeniably echoed in the subtle flintiness of the wine. When he relates the story of the pH meter (used to measure potential acidity in wine), you realise that an uncanny ability to improvise is part of his make-up. "One year I forgot to order some buffer solution but I remember being taught that human saliva has the same pH as buffer, so I went through the vintage spitting on the electrodes."

Abrie approaches his leisure time with the same energy and enthusiasm as his winemaking. An avid fisherman he spends as much time as possible out at sea, be it in South African waters or places as far afield as Madagascar or the Comoros. He also enjoys flying and his Mooney F201 is parked at the nearby Robertson airfield. "A good weekend trip is to fly with my family down to Struisbaai, watching the whales from the air, and then to go out fishing for the day".

Above all, Abrie is modest and honest about his approach to winemaking while also being his own harshest critic. He is involved in every stage of the wine from vineyard to bottle and ultimately he believes that the best judge of his wine is the consumer. "I love making wine. If someone wants to buy a bottle, then I feel that is an added bonus to what I do".