Carmen Stevens on philanthropy, wine and South Africa
The first black South African to study winemaking in South Africa, Carmen Stevens owns the first black-owned winery in the country and, aided by her partnership with Naked Wines in the UK, provides meals to 25,000 hungry school children in Stellenbosch each year through ‘Carmen’s Kids’.
WHAT GOT YOU INTO WINE? Wine has a lot of bad connotations in my community. Historically workers were paid in wine, so it became synonymous with abuse and addiction. But when I was a child, I read romantic books that showed a different world, stories set in fabulous châteaus where people were drinking wine in a different way. I told my mother when I was 12 I was going to be a winemaker. When I started my foundation to feed children, I told everyone that wine made this happen. It is my way of giving back and changing how the industry is viewed.
TELL ME ABOUT CARMEN’S KIDS The first four years I fed 400-500 people from my own pocket. Then Naked Wines came on board and gave me a platform. My wines are exclusively available through Naked Wines and together we have raised £10.3m over the last eight years and feed 25,000 children every school day. I am blown away that people are so generous to kids they will never meet.
HOW’S THE SOUTH AFRICAN WINE INDUSTRY? Our wines are fantastic. I would love to see us being valued for our quality as well as ethically. People want to buy cheap but who in the chain then doesn’t get paid? Always the bottom rung, the workers and growers. Naked Wines’ model is different and allows me to pay my growers up front. Change has to come from the consumer.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? We have black winemakers but now we need black stakeholders and landowners, people who are part of the infrastructure. South Africa is great for sustainability, but we need to prioritise the sustainability of the people, too. And, on a personal note, sometimes I see children come back to school and I can tell they haven’t eaten for a week. I want to raise more to create food parcels for the holidays. The need for this food is so great.
Wines of the week
CLOUDY BAY PELORUS ROSÉ, £28, SAINSBURYS
If the fact this wine is named after a famous dolphin who guided ships to safety isn’t enough to recommend it, know that it’s also a terrific sparkling rosé from New Zealand’s iconic Cloudy Bay. Complex, sophisticated, with satisfying waves of flint, spice and rose petals.
BLACK CHALK RUMOUR HAS IT 2022, £33, BLACKCHALKWINE.CO.UK
Rumour has it there’s a show-stopping new English wine in town, the first still white from the award winning Black Chalk. This slick chardonnay sings of the skill of the winemakers and the quality of the grapes from Kent. An exceptional bottle I’ll be buying repeatedly this summer.
CHATEAU DES SARRINS BLANC SECRET 2021, £30, WANDERLUST WINE
A beautiful wine, exhibiting a lively balance of flavour and texture, this Vermentino from France shows that Provence shouldn’t just gain acclaim for its rosés. Ripe, round fruits, graceful blossoms and a fresh silkiness in each sip. A wonderful bottle over a leisurely weekend lunchtime.
CHAMPAGNE RUINART ROSÉ BRUT, £75, BERRY BROS & RUDD
The oldest Champagne house, Ruinart has some serious credentials backed up by the phenomenal quality of its wines. Each sip of this rosé is like a summer’s day, with rosehips and wild strawberries vying for attention over the velvet softness of the bubbles. Delicious.
VASSE FELIX MARGARET RIVER FILIUS 2019, £14.99, MAJESTIC
This deliciously balanced, bold fruited Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend exhibits both power and elegance. A vibrant red, it is generously rounded, with an assured opulence for the price. A perfect companion to a meaty dinner or to savour over an evening.