Music to make wine by

Your taste is for Baroque and Classical periods? DeMorgenzon is the place to visit, where the vines are serenaded as well as the wines; you could even stay there two weeks without a musical repeat; ‘It was quite a feat,’ admits co-owner, Hylton Appelbaum, who compiled the playlist.

Signal Hill’s Jean-Vincent Ridon explains a classical favourite such as Bach’s Goldberg Variations played by Glen Gould, has a restrained pure energy which encourages elegance in his wines.

Music may inspire the winemaker and the wine; it may also have a practical purpose. Gus Dale of Seven Springs plays the Eagles’ Hotel California, quipping ‘at harvest you can check out, but never leave!’ Moreover, the song is the perfect length for punch downs.

Different times of day, different energy levels, different moods; each inspires its own musical encouragement. ‘Mornings could be reggae or Manu Chao, midday some opera and evening heavy rock,’ muses Edgebaston’s David Finlayson, noting ‘post midnight, just death metal!’.

When the press needs to be filled, emptied or at the end of the day big clean up, Paardeberg resident winemaker, Jasper Wickens serenades his Swerver wines with energetic African beats, Jukula or Johnny Clegg, also Paul Simon’s Graceland. At the other end of harvest and the reds are slowly relieving their wine in the press is the time for some psychedelic Pink Floyd, Neil Young’s Harvest album, ‘or the hauntingly beautiful folk songs of Joan Baez.’ Just to make absolutely sure everyone can hear this eclectic selection, some on vinyls, it is ‘pumping from Nad amps and six speakers in the cellar’s rafters.’

An echo further down the Paardeberg, Adi Badenhorst is understood to also go retro with vinyls and a turntable; very Adi!

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