Saltare

During Carla's first harvest, she invited friends to help press the fruit in an old wooden basket press. Overjoyed, this task quickly transfigured into dancing atop the grapes. This was the beginning of Saltare, which means 'to dance' in Latin. Carla Pauw started to work full time as winemaker in 2000 after her studies in Viticulture and Oenology. Her love for Champagne and respect for the South African tradition of sparkling wine, led to the production of her first barrel of Cap Classique in 2003. Driven by perfection and armed with patience, Carla waited two years before she opened that first bottle. Upon finally tasting, she realized her dream of making her own Method Cap Classique, on par with the finest sparkling wines in the world, had come true.  Saltare wines are made in a small cellar in the center of Stellenbosch, situated alongside the Eerste River. The grapes originate from vineyards across the Western Cape where Carla has selected (and tasted) the blocks best suited to her elegant wines. Each bottle carries the characteristic of the terroir where the grapes come from. Carla's philosophy in wine making involves utilizing biodynamics principles and limiting the impact on both the wine and enviroment. Preferring a hands-on approach, she uses gravity rather than pumps to transfer wine, and wooden barrels serve as a balancing and integration component rather than flavor component. Always with an eye toward excellence, Carla ages each wine as long as necessary to develop roundness, texture, and elegance.