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Concrete, clay and what they bring to wine
Walk into a wine cellar and you might find rows of barrels, stainless steel tanks, concrete eggs and large terracotta pots. Each gives the winemaker a different way to ferment and mature the wine. The vessel affects temperature, contact with oxygen and how the wine develops over time. Wood can also contribute flavour, particularly when [...] More -
Hearth 2024: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde
Hearth is Nadia Newton Johnson’s personal project, built around two small vineyard parcels in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and the varieties that have shaped her winemaking career: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The name means the centre of the home. For Nadia, it reflects the place where she has lived and made wine alongside her husband, [...] More
About Ex Animo Wine Company
Ex Animo was started in 2014 by husband and wife team David and Jeannette Clarke.
They met in London in 2004 where they were both working for the Harrod’s Wine Department in Knightsbridge, at that time one of the most prestigious wine shops in the world.
Jeannette had moved to London after obtaining her BSc Agriculture with Enology and Viticulture from Stellenbosch University and then working multiple harvests in South Africa, California and New Zealand.
David had worked for 5 years in fine wine retail in his native Melbourne, and arrived in London via a three month tour of the wine regions of Italy, France and Spain.
Jeannette was helpless against David’s charms and they were married in 2007 and moved to Melbourne.
During a happy five years in Melbourne, both David and Jeannette both starting working in fine dining restaurants. They soon both passed the Certified Sommelier exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers. They continued to work separately as Head Sommeliers at high end restaurants in Melbourne until 2011/2.
Once their daughter was born in 2012, it was a countdown to moving to South Africa where Jeannette wanted to be near her family. They moved in January 2013.
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