Pinotage in the Cellar – Fermentation as Craft

Blog Series: Pinotage at 100 - South Africa's Homegrown Grape Reimagined

Fermentation isn’t just a step in the winemaking process—it’s a moment of truth. In the case of Pinotage, it’s where everything can go wonderfully right or quickly wrong. This week, we head into the cellars of South Africa to explore how today’s winemakers are rethinking Pinotage fermentation—and why it matters.

Ferment Fast, Handle With Care

Pinotage doesn’t dawdle. It ferments fast, sometimes within 24 to 48 hours. The grape’s thick skin, high sugar content, and naturally high pH make it both promising and precarious. Kayleigh Hattingh of Kaapzicht puts it bluntly: “Pinotage is the most unforgiving grape to work with. You need to know what you’re doing—and be precise.”

Temperature Matters

Producers are dialing in temperature control like never before. At Meerendal, assistant winemaker John-Henry Pienaar described fermenting at moderate temperatures (25–30°C) and using gentle punch-downs to extract just enough structure without overwhelming the fruit. The result? Lifted, floral Pinotage with high natural acidity. At L’Avenir, winemaker Dirk Coetzee emphasized balance through technique: “We pick from the same block at different times—early for acidity, later for ripeness—and ferment separately to blend for balance.” Dirk uses cold soaking, whole-bunch fermentation (up to 40%), and light spraying instead of pump-overs to preserve delicacy and aromatic finesse.

Punchdowns, Kuipe, and Old School Soul

Some producers stay true to tradition, but with a modern twist. At Kanonkop, Pinotage is still fermented in open-top concrete tanks—kuipe—with frequent punch-downs. Michael Malherbe, viticulturist at Kanonkop, explained their tight timeline: “Pinotage ferments on the skins for only three days—less than we use for our Bordeaux varieties.” The result is a bold, structured wine that maintains purity and avoids the bitter, rubbery notes of past decades.

Refinement Over Raw Power

At De Grendel, Morgan Steyn takes a more modern approach—20% whole bunch, four to five punch-downs a day, and saignée to concentrate the must. Their rosé and red wines show Pinotage’s fruit-forward charm, from vibrant raspberry to savory black olive. And at Hamilton Russell’s Ashbourne, Emul Ross coaxes elegance from the grape using gentle cellar techniques to build freshness and restraint.

A Grape that Reflects Intention

What emerged from these cellar visits is this: Pinotage reflects the hand of the winemaker more transparently than most grapes. Whether fermented in concrete kuipe or stainless tanks, with native yeasts or partial whole-bunch, every choice leaves a mark. From old vines in Bottelary to cool-climate sites in Hemel-en-Aarde, Pinotage’s transformation in the cellar is more than chemistry—it’s character made visible.

Coming Next Week:

Join me on the road as I revisit the producers behind these wines—and the vineyards shaping the future of Pinotage.