Pieter’s love affair with MCC style sparkling wines started early on in his winemaking career. The bubbly bug bit hard and wouldn’t let go as his innate admiration for the universal charm of this challenging style of wine took hold. He credits his microbiology and plant science background with helping him to understand and appreciate the finer nuances of crafting Cap Classique. Numerous vintages in Champagne France and other top wine producing regions across the globe have provided plenty of opportunities for Pieter to hone his natural affinity for this specialized and exacting craft.

Pieter is chairman of the Cap Classique Producers Association and both he and his wife Ann have always been passionate about bubbly. Pieter has been instrumental at Graham Beck for decades and his dedication and craftsmanship has seen him reap countless high profile awards both locally and abroad.

Both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are carefully hand-selected in the vineyard and picked by hand. The grapes were whole bunch pressed and with the separation of cuvée from the taille, the clear cuvée juice components were individually fermented in stainless steel tanks. After fermentation the various individual sections were selected in a rigorous tasting process to ensure only the finest portions are used for the Birdsong blend. After blending the wine was prepared for secondary fermentation in the bottle. Here, in bottle, the wine was allowed to live on the lees for four years, drawing flavour and texture, before the sediment was removed through the traditional process of remuage and dégorgement. The bottles were then corked and laid down for a further period of maturation under cork.