The Story of Blankbottle:
Blankbottle offers something for those with an open mind and an adventurous spirit. Winemaker Pieter Walser is passionate about telling stories through his wines—both what’s in the bottle and what’s on the label. His goal is to provide an authentic, personal taste, free from the expectations often associated with specific vintages or styles. Pieter collaborates with skilled farmers and experienced viticulturists across the Western Cape and designs his own labels, ensuring a unique and creative expression in every bottle.
“In 2004, a lady came to my house (then also my office) to buy wine. She asked for anything but Shiraz. “I don’t drink Shiraz”, were her exact words. I poured her a glass of wine. She loved it and bought 3 cases. It was a straight Shiraz.” -Pieter Walser
The Story behind the Label:
I met this farmer 6 years ago. He farms in the Swartland, on the border of Darling. He comes across as an extremely traditional kind of farmer. He is a young guy, but lives out in the middle of nowhere. I’ve only ever seen him wearing blue overalls and kaki two-tone shirts. A year ago I was sitting in his kitchen having a cup of tea. He mentioned to me that he is really excited for the upcoming weekend. When I asked why he replied: “do you know the Ultrrrra?” (pronounced with the very typical Swartland rolling r-sound). I didn’t know what he was talking about so he started explaining… and to cut a long story short, he is a closet raver. None of his neighbouring farmers know this about him, but his way of blowing off steam and getting rid of some stress is to go to Cape Town, book himself and his wife into a hotel and dance the night away! Have you ever… In our modern day lives, stress is a reality and so many friends of mine struggle to get an outlet. And here we have a farmer, a traditional guy in the middle of nowhere with a passion/an outlet – his way of coping with life. I think it’s brilliant. And I felt that this is a story that needs to be told – So here you have it: ULTRA – an old bush vine, single vineyard Chenin blanc – the first vintage of a celebration – an outlet… something to make one’s heart beat faster. So I did the rave like scene sketch, grafiti-ed a DJ and got the farmer to dance – so you’ll find him in the crowd on the front label.
