Tania Kleintjes-Moses had a childhood ambition of becoming a crazy scientist. “I enjoy playing around with things to see what happens.” Her passion for biological research and science experiments, together with her desire, have brought her to her current position as Spier’s organic winemaker.
In 2007, Tania Kleintjes was a student of viticulture and oenology at Stellenbosch University, when future farming and organic wines were not taught. Her first and present employers, Spier, hired her as an assistant red wine winemaker even though they weren’t making organic wines at the time.
When Spier produced its first vintage that was certified organic in 2015, it was evident that a larger staff was required for the task. Tania Kleintjes precise approach made organic winemaking a natural fit, with its strict regulations and copious paperwork. She joined as the organic winemaker, her present post. Her debut vintage in 2016 was highly successful, earning a five-star rating on the esteemed Platter’s Wine Guide list for one of her wines.
Currently, Tania Kleintjes is in charge of all Spier’s production, which includes 10% of organic wines.
Tania Kleintjes, the organic winemaker, makes sure that every organic wine complies with stringent organic requirements. It is illegal for farmers to use genetically modified grapevines to make wine in South Africa. A wine must also be produced using grapes that have been farmed organically, have no artificial additives, have minimal sulfite levels, and be certified by an approved organic certifying agency in order to be classified as organic. The farm produces both conventional and organic wines, but it only has one cellar and requires cleaning certifications between batches to maintain certification due to the stringent rules surrounding the production of organic wines.
When Spier started making organic wine, Tania Kleintjes family life changed as well. 2017 saw the birth of her second kid, and she started to implement the same rigorous considerations she
Tania Kleintjes
For Tania Kleintjes and her team, harvest time is both tremendously stressful and exciting. They have only two or three months to lay the groundwork for the upcoming year; technological advancements will not expedite this process. The human connection that is intrinsic to winemaking is especially strong during this time: “This is stuff that computers can’t do, so my job is safe.”
Tania Kleintjes is drawn to this inventiveness, and she finds organic winemaking to be especially creative. Ensuring compliance and accreditation while supervising the entire winemaking process, from harvest to bottling, is a delicate balance that this profession requires. Tania enjoys the unusual activities in addition to her important tasks. Her lunar calendar phone app, fermenting in ceramic eggs, and feather mulching all help her stay in alignment.
