#361 6 Questions with... Anthony Hamilton Russell

Anthony Hamilton Russell had big plans when he took over his father's vineyard in the early 1990's.  He wanted to make South African wines well known, but to have his wines firmly at the head of the surge into the international market.  After focusing on two grape varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, he didn't try to recreate wines from Burgundy and made wines that were truly South African. 

His wines hold up very well in blind tastings, often beating bottles that are several times their price.  I met Anthony for the first time a few weeks ago and he kindly agreed to answer six questions...

Describe yourself in three words
Interested in everything

What, aside from your own wines, do you drink on a regular basis?
Classically styled wines that tell a story of place

Do you have any hidden talents?
Water divining

Finish this sentence; "When people drink my wine I hope that they...."
... get a visceral feeling for the site and soils and experience something of the extraordinary beauty of the place


What is your first memory of drinking wine?
A glass of wonderfully old fashioned, aged, South African red smelling like the sea.  I was 9 years old and used to have a small glass of wine with lunch each day during the Christmas holidays.

Name three people, real or fictional, living or dead, that would be guests at your dream dinner party, and what would you be drinking?
Aldous Huxley, Evelyn Waugh and Ernest Hemingway and we would drink aged Grand Cru red Burgundy.

Comments