Heart in the right place: Q&A with Jaco Pienaar

How did you get involved in the wine industry?

I managed the farm Rivergold in Robertson from 2021 to early 2022, where winemaker Lourens van der Westhuizen of neighbouring Arendsig oversees the vineyards. Lourens and I have known each another for a while, but in 2020 we were both involved in an international wine competition called Battle of the Wines and got talking. We feel there’s still a misperception about Robertson as a source of cheap and cheerful wines despite the number of incredible wines and winemakers we have in the valley.

I’m studying for Cape Wine Master at the Cape Wine Academy and competed my diploma last year.

What other misperceptions exist?

People tend to think it’s a very warm area, but the temperatures drop at night and the soils keep the vineyards cool. We have some great sites here. People often don’t guess the wines are from the valley, and sometimes don’t even realise it’s a South African wine. This has a lot to do with Lourens’ style of winemaking, but it’s also due to the elevated acidity we get due to the “cooler” climate.

Some areas are much colder than one might expect, especially here on the southern end of the valley against the Riversonderend mountains.

Which wines do you produce?

We started out with a Chenin and Cinsault. They’re single vineyard wines from selected sites and soil types that show off Robertson’s amazing potential. It’s only been 18 months, but people have already begun taking notice.

Only 1200 bottles of the Chenin and the 2440 bottles of the Cinsault were produced. We also produced 240 bottles of Pinot Noir, which isn’t widely available yet.

Lourens manages the vineyard and the wines are made in his cellar at Arendsig. My input as brand owner is mostly limited to deciding on the wines and vintages, marketing and sales.

Where do you sell your wines?

Hier Wines are premium wines selling in selected establishments. It sells in boutique wine stores such as Wine Concepts, Furny’s, La Verne and Caroline’s Fine Wine Cellar in Cape Town.

I’m also listed in a couple of restaurants, where the Cinsault does especially well. People often want an alternative to white wine to go with seafood, and the Cinsault’s lighter style and lower alcohol pairs well with things like salmon and sushi. Restaurants such as Codfather in Camps Bay, Judds in Kloof Street, Culture Wine Bar in Bree Street, and Oku in Franschhoek.

I am very excited about a couple of listings which will be made public soon, that will take us to the next level in terms of brand expansion.

A distribution partner specialising in boutique wine helps with marketing and distribution, since I have a full-time job that keeps me very busy.

Next up will probably be a Bordeaux red and perhaps one of the Greek varieties such as Assyrtiko. But these are long-term plans.

What’s behind the brand name, House of Hier?

The name plays on ‘X marks the spot’ and refers to the single vineyard special sites with a tinge of existentialism. My tagline is ‘Be Hier now – you’re right where you’re supposed to be’. The theme follows through with the GPS coordinates that appear on my wine labels.