South African Wine Legend: Jan Boland Coetzee

“Wine is a mirror of the environment first,” says Jan ‘Boland’ Coetzee of Vriesenhof Wines . We’re sitting on the porch of his Stellenbosch farmhouse, overlooking the view of vineyards and mountains. Inside there’s evidence of a braai being prepped for later. You don’t often see houses like this anymore. The walls are thick stone, with wooden gabled ceilings, and there’s a fireplace you could park a car in. Above the stove hangs an oil painting—a scene of braaiied fish and lemons—hinting at his love for his place of birth, the West Coast.

His home is adjacent to the wine cellar, and when the wind angles its way towards us, we can smell the fermenting must from the cellar, harvest here is just winding down.

“To focus on the grape, detached from the context of the place, is to lose the forest from the trees,” says Jan digging deeper into his sentiment. “In the plant world the vine reveals to us the true value of the land. The vine expresses through the grape, the secrets of the soil.

“You need to listen to the voice of the land.” With around 52 vintages under his belt Jan has been listening for a long time—and his diligence has paid off in making him one of South Africa’s most respected wine industry figures. Added to that he’s a legendary rugby player too. Jan played for Western Province from 1967 to 1979, and then flank for national team, the Springboks from 1974 to 1976.

Both rugby and wine started at Stellenbosch University for Jan, where he impressed with playing for the Maties, as well as graduating with a degree in Oenology while he was at it.

He started his winemaking career at Kanonkop in 1967 where he produced the iconic estate’s first vintage of wine in 1973.  It was a groundbreaking time. “In ‘73 we started using small barrels,” Jan says looking back. “I was very friendly with coopers in Bordeaux, having played rugby there—so for the first time we were putting new wine into new wood.”


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