WORDS
HANNAH THOMPSON
omar zumot is a man
with a big vision: “To put Jordanian
wine on the world map.” But back in 1996, when he first
declared his intention of opening a vineyard, near
Madaba, 30km outside Amman, that seemed an
outlandish mission.
People scoffed that wine produced in the country
was “not something to be proud of”, he says. Many
thought it was impossible to produce anything decent,
nevermind the notoriously complex Pinot Noir, in
Jordan, but Zumot felt it was his destiny.
Inspired by his vintner father who believed good
wine could be borne of Jordanian soil, Zumot studied
winemaking in France before returning to his
homeland, where he “learned through making mistakes
in our vineyards, understanding how grapes react.”
Seventeen years on, he says he’s “still a wine
student”. But he’s clearly doing something
right. His organic label, Saint George, has
received 19 awards – including a gold
medal for its Pinot Noir.
His secret? A largely human-free
procedure. “We developed many
simple techniques to replace the
chemical practices,” he explains. “We raise fish and use
their water to enrich the soil with nitrates; we breed
different birds to control rather than to eliminate
insects; we then breed falcons and owls to control the
birds. We keep our eyes open for ways to exploit any
chance nature gives us. The less interference by the
winemaker, the more balanced it will be,” he says.
The result is rich and full-bodied: “We don’t
have soft-core wines, but wines with a confident
personality.”
Zumot now has three viticulture areas and
has set up a scheme for sharing his trial-earned wisdom
with younger wineries in Jordan. “Wine is a culture and
the more good producers there are in Jordan, the more
we can help elevate the image of Jordanian wine.”
Best of all, he’s achieving his dream of getting
people talking about wine from his country.
“
I like to meet those who doubted us at the
beginning and turn them into fans.”
Visit zumot-wines.com for information
on how to taste Saint George wines or
take a tour of the vineyard in Sama,
40
km north of Amman
Pinot pioneer
Birds, fish and insects aren’t your usual winemaking tools, but for Jordanian
winemaker Omar Zumot, they’re the key to a very special vintage
“
We raise fish and use
their water to enrich the
soil with nitrates; we breed
birds to control the insects”
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