Bruce Jack on the challenges and opportunities for South African wine

By Gemma McKenna

Published: 10 September, 2014

Bruce Jack is a key figure in the Accolade Wines South African winemaking team. His direct responsibilities cover the Kumala, Fishoek and Flagstone ranges, Tesco Finest, The Rustler, Stumble Vineyards, Breakers Point and Lost Ostrich, as well as strategic NPD. He talks to Gemma McKenna about how he is working with the Kumala winemaking team to help reposition the Kumala brand and ensure the quality of the wine shines through to customers.

Accolade's key winemaking talent: Bruce Jack Accolade's key winemaking talent: Bruce JackBruce Jack explains his winemaking philosophy and in particular his plans for the Kumala

Your approach to winemaking:

Kumala is a very special brand. It has been on the market in the UK for over 20 years. It is South Africa's biggest export brand and it is easily the most well-known South African brand in the mind of the UK consumer.

This means there is huge responsibility on the winemakers' shoulders. We have ensure that our consumers get what they expect, as an absolute minimum requirement. In truth, we're trying to exceed expectations, but we are mindful that this is a market-led brand and not a winemaker-ego led brand. House style is important.

We carefully monitor trends. We taste our Kumala range against the competitive set on a regular basis. All the wines are tasted and scored blind. Chemical analysis is also carried out. An analysis and review of the tasting results (with the same team generally) over the last eight years makes for very insightful reading. We are generally in the top 10% quality wise. Our biggest long-term competition at this lifestyle level is Concha y Tora.

But we also realise that Kumala is somewhat of a leader when it comes to trends, and we don't want to simply follow the herd if intrinsically this goes against the traditional house style of Kumala.

What inspires you?

Kumala is essentially a massive team effort from many different people, with different skills in different parts of the world. The winemaking team plays an important role, but there are others, especially the logistics and sales teams, who never really get the limelight, but are hugely important to the success of a brand like Kumala.

When you are part of a team effort of this scale, whether it is in sport or business, a tribal mentality emerges and helps bind the team together, especially when things get tough.

So I would suggest that the common inspiration amongst all the role players is the brand itself. It is what we do, day-in, day-out. In a way, Kumala defines our tribe, and so probably defines us individually on some level as well.

The brand wouldn't exist and many of us wouldn't have jobs if the consumer wasn't happy. This is the power of the consumer on the one hand, but it also demonstrates the power of a consistently performing brand on the other. Retailers obviously talk this down, but a brand like Kumala owns real estate in the mind of the consumer, and that's the most valuable thing in the world of wine. So it's all about the brand Kumala - inspiration in itself.

What are the main South African wine trends?

There is a move towards regionality at the top end. Super premium wines are going single vineyard and price levels are climbing, as the luxury consumer discovers the delicious complexity and remarkable longevity of top SA wine.

At the lifestyle level we're seeing more aromatics in the whites and softer, juicier tannins in the reds, but without being jammy or syrup bombs. You will struggle to find faulty wines from SA. Drinkability across reds and whites is still a key characteristic of SA wines. I believe we have to keep our sugar levels down and keep wines tasting like wines - you can't lose all the savouriness. If you do, you lose what makes wine different and intriguing.

How does the team work together?

Ben Jordaan has day-to-day responsibility for Kumala blending and winemaking, but the winemaking team works as a unit. Each blend is always signed off by a winemaker who doesn't have day-today responsibility for that brand. So Gerhard Swart or a winemaker other than Ben, will always sign off a Kumala blend, and Bruce will always sign off a Flagstone blend, etc... in this way we take collective responsibility for the wines we craft as Accolade Wines South Africa. And it keeps us from getting big-headed. We don't mince our words. If a blend isn't up to scratch, you'll know about it.

Procurement for all Kumala wines is similarly a team effort, with each team member having an equal vote on what we procure and how much thereof. We even invite our GM, James Reid to these procurement tastings!

Anything new from Kumala?

I want to say yes, but the reality is that our production priority is to do the same as we have been doing, just a little bit better each time - and that strategy isn't new.

Like any brand our size, our range changes continuously, but you would hardly notice. Blends are tweaked to take advantage of vintage conditions, and we are continually scouring the wine landscape for fresher, more complex wines to compliment and continuously improve our offering, while remaining true to the Kumala house style.

Philosophically, there is always something new from Africa, however. After all this is where human life began and evolved. The trick is to visit your ancestral home often to recharge your soul. Do that, enjoy a glass or two of Kumala, and life is just better.

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