It is noted – somewhat wryly - by the show Chairman that producers who attend the feedback session after the Trophy Wine Show, tend to be those who produce good wines anyway, while those who might benefit from the judges’ comments don’t.

A significant newcomer to last week’s feedback was a team from KWV, headed by chief winemaker, Richard Rowe. Their attendance marks a new era for this industry giant (in terms of size rather than quality), which, in recent years has drifted into something of a void.

Initial consumer excitement at being able to buy on the local market the erstwhile forbidden KWV fruits, soon turned to disappointment at the realisation that they remained in a time warp.

The flavourant scandal didn’t help, and speaking for myself, neither did the staid, conservative atmosphere. With the arrival of Thys Loubser as CEO (Thys 2, as he corrected me when I allocated him the more senior Thys 1 - explanation coming up) early 2007, changes were promised and soon permeated the air.

Turbulence, in the most positive sense, developed with the arrival in time for the 2009 harvest, of Australian, Richard Rowe as Chief Winemaker.

My interest was first piqued by what I heard about Thys Loubser (2) (pictured right) and then again with Rowe’s arrival, but I only managed to find out for myself what this spring clean promises with a visit last week. My request to take up the team’s time was spurred by more than idle interest; Platter editor, Phil van Zyl, had listened carefully when I expressed the hope that I might be responsible for the KWV entry for the 2011 guide.

Richard Rowe (pictured below) brings with him a thoroughly professional approach as well as a likeable personality; he’s straightforward but says he didn’t come here to tell the winemaking team what they’re doing wrong; his job is to help the company, which of course the KWV is, become profitable and, I’m sure, in addition a highly-regarded wine producer. But as a recently-arrived foreigner, Rowe acknowledges he isn’t fully conversant with South African conditions and the finer detail of its wines; he pays glowing praise to Neil Ellis, also a member of the KWV board, for the experience and advice he shares; `His appointment and that of (Australian) Ian Mackenzie are the two most significant happenings for KWV,’ Rowe believes.

The admittedly small selection of wines I tasted later suggest they are playing quick catch up with the rest of the industry – a level they could and should have reached some six to eight years ago.

Listening to Rowe, it’s clear he sees the strategy for success as one of teamwork. `Great wine is made in the Boardroom’, he told CEO, Thys Loubser; in other words, there needs to be executive support from grape to marketing; a flow that was missing in the past. A change of mindset, apart from more practical implementations, was required.

My introduction to Thys Loubser interrupted an earnest discussion between him and several staff members in the coffee shop. He intimated that regular get togethers like this allows him to learn the hopes and aspirations of his workforce for themselves and the company. Walking with us was Rowe and Thys Loubser, one of the senior winemakers, which prompted the numerical ascendancy I gave the two Thys’s and which the CEO laughingly contradicted. Changes of many kinds, there certainly are.

If getting the Boardroom behind making great wine is one objective, so too is getting the producers on board.

This is one of viticulturist, Cobus van Graan’s short term goals; `It’s all about forging a two-way relationship, getting them to see themselves as partners rather than suppliers,’ he explained over lunch. Tastings in house of wines from their vines is helping to forge the desired relationship while giving them a better idea of the stylistic goals Rowe seeks.

Only around 30 per cent of production is received as grapes, but in time the bought in wine (from the co-ops) will too be made according to KWV’s specific directives.

In the medium term, van Graan hopes for improvement of vine material; post harvest, all blocks will be graded according to percentage of leaf roll virus. The long-term goal is probably the most important – to ensure the sustainability of the farmers, especially in Stellenbosch and Paarl. This past low-yielding vintage has put farmers with virused low-yielding vines under economic stress. They need to re-plant, but returns on the crop are insufficient to allow for this: it’s a worrying Catch 22 situation.

The KWV might have a refreshing new air about it, but the journey embarked upon is clearly a work in progress. As Rowe explained with a brand like Roodeberg, regarded as iconic among the KWV faithful, it’s not something you change overnight without raising many objections. From the rather tired, drying out 2006, incremental steps have been made towards the freshness, fruit flavour, structure, finesse and ultimately ‘wow’ factor Rowe aims for.

As a friend once remarked about the KWV; it takes a long time to turn around a dinosaur – thankfully, this one doesn’t appear headed for extinction.