Behind the vine

Welma Smith - Atlas Swift Wines - Franschhoek, South Africa

When do you think you fell in love with wine, enough to make a career of it?

I grew up in Paarl, a South African wine region, and my best friend's father was a winemaker. I remember going and playing in the cellar surrounded by that distinct fermenting smell. After I finished school, I lived in Florida and one weekend my father came to visit and we went to Las Vegas. We ordered the most amazing Cabernet Sauvignon and I said, you know I think I want to go back home and study oenology and viticulture. I always thought my career would be in accountancy, but I followed my gut and came back to South Africa to work with vines and work in wine. It all escalated from there.

What story does your wine tell?

Atlas Swift is named after Atlas - the Titan of perseverance. I wanted to make my own wine for such a long time, and Atlas is the result of that effort, that perseverance. From the study, focus, research, site selection, vines, and vinification, we really put our heart and soul into the wine. We work with 5 different territories to show the diversity SA has. We work with the Cederberg, Cape South Coast, Franschhoek, Wellington, and Robertson. The labels are illustrations of the character of the wine, each lady offers her own unique character, aroma, and flavor profile, and this is the reason why they are different.

We made a bold statement by focusing on Chardonnay. My husband, Martin, spent 10 years in Napa making amazing Chardonnay, and it's what we love to drink. Chardonnay stands out as a grape because she is a mirror. She captures and reflects the land in the wine and we want people to feel that deep connection to each of the vineyards we work with. We focus on the Cedar Brook Mountains and Cape South Coast regions because they are places we went to as children. They help us show a completely different perspective on Chardonnay in South Africa.

What misconceptions about wine do you think people should forget?

You don't need to be a wine connoisseur to know wine. We talk about our wines as characters and we ask people to relate to the character rather than pick up any specific aromas. There is no right or wrong in wine. You don't need to think wine in order to drink wine.

What great things about wine do you think people should remember?

Wine brings people together and it triggers memories. The aromas or feelings you get from wine can trigger a memory or even create a new one.

What is a piece of advice you would give to a woman interested in breaking into the wine world?

If you love what you do, there is a space for you. If you have a passion for wine or for vines or people, you can find a fit. It's a magnificent career and industry. It connects the world to each other and when you meet people in wine anywhere in the world you have a mutual and common goal: to produce wines that people enjoy.

Who is a woman in wine you admire and think everyone should know about?

Erika Obermeyer. She used to be the winemaker for Graham Beck and I worked in the wine lab with her. She assisted me in training my palette. She is an amazing woman and inspiration. We go back a long time, and everyone should know about her and her wines - Erika O - because I think she's awesome.

Where can women find your wine?

We have a very small production that you can shop on our site. We're available in South Africa and have a small amount we export to London and Hong Kong. You can also contact us and we can arrange shipments.