Young winemaker speaks of time spent in New Zealand
HERMANUS – His dream of travelling abroad and learning more about wines became a reality for Mount Pleasant resident Kirsten Myburgh.
The 27-year-old, who has been part of the Creation Wines team since 2014, received an opportunity to travel to
New Zealand in March to learn more about wine. In December 2019 he released his own wine, named K Wines, also a dream come true.
Myburg says when he first received the news of going overseas he was ecstatic. “A lot went through my mind, and I experienced all sorts of emotions,” he said. “For sure it was a dream come true! I am also a massive fan of New Zealand rugby.”
Near Wellington, the capital city, Myburgh had the chance to work on the Foley Family Wines estate in Martinborough. “It was small in relation to Creation. The tonnage that we did was half of Creation’s. Eighty percent of the grapes are Pinot Noir, a little bit of Chardonnay and Riesling and Pinot Gris.” He worked with winemaker Paul Mason of Martinborough Vineyard and two other students. “We finished the vintage in tough conditions. There is also a vast difference between South Africa and New Zealand when it comes to wine, climate, and terroir.”
Myburgh says he learnt more about using milk to fine-tune the Noble Late
Harvest Sauvignon Blanc wines and egg-white fine-tuning to soften tannins in Pinot Noir.
Covid-19 saw him stuck in New Zealand for four months. For the first four weeks of the pandemic Myburgh was not allowed to leave the winery. “It was icy, 10 or 11° C during the day and 0°C degrees at night, with a lot of rain.”
Carolyn Martin, Creation Wines coowner, said sending the Creation team abroad was aimed at expanding their horizons and learning new skills. “It is also a reward for their commitment and hard work, and the exchange of ideas creates innovative thinking.” Myburgh thanked her, JC Martin, Gerhard Smith and Salome Geldenhuys of Creation Wines and Mason for making his dream come true.