Israeli born professional jazz pianist Micu Narunsky fell in love with wine while living in France for seven years. His performing career took him deep into the Bordeaux winelands, where he met winemaker Alain Coculet (of Château Phélan Ségur in the St. Estèphe appelation).

Micu’s curiosity in the winemaking process led him to visit Château Phélan Ségur during the harvests of 1999 and 2001 and to enrol for courses at the famous Institut d’Œnologie at the university of Bordeaux. There Micu studied with winemaking scholars such as Yves Glories and Denis Dubourdieu.

In 2003 Micu worked as assistant winemaker in the Languedoc region in the south of France at Domaine des Cresses Ricard (awarded the maximum three stars in the prestigious Guide Hachette). It was there that Micu gained his first hands-on winemaking experience, especially with grape varieties such as Syrah (Shiraz), Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre and Carignan. In 2004 Micu moved to South Africa and worked as assistant winemaker at Nabygelegen private cellar in Wellington and in 2005 at the famous L’Avenir wine estate in Stellenbosch under François Naudé (a member of the Cape Winemakers Guild).

It was at L’Avenir that Micu made the first few barrels of his own wine from Portuguese grape varieties Tinta Barroca and Touriga Nacional.
In 2006 Micu ventured on his own to create Micu Narunsky Wines, specializing in premium hand-made wines produced on a very small scale.

Micu makes his wines using the facilities at Stellekaya wine cellar at Bosman’s Crossing in Stellenbosch, a few hundred meters from where his grandfather, François Fevrier blended wines and distilled brandy for René Santhagens in the 1920’s and 30’s (at the historic Oude Molen).

In 2009 Micu was appointed as winemaker of the prestigious wine producer Anatu, specializing in premium wines made predominantly from ‘Rhône varietals’ (Shiraz, Greanche Noir and Mourvèdre for reds and rosé, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Chenin Blanc for white wine).