The Vineyards

Grapes are bought in from various vineyards in the Helderberg, Devon Valley, Stellenbosch Kloof and Lynedoch.

Grangehurst is too small to have any significant vineyards of its own. We have therefore invested in another property of ± 13 hectares, of which 6 ha of Cabernet Sauvignon were planted in 2002. Another 5 ha were planted with Pinotage, Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Merlot and Petit Verdot in 2003. Future plans are to acquire an additional two vineyards in different parts of Stellenbosch so that eventually we will be able to select the best 140 tons of grapes from the various properties for crushing at Grangehurst.

To date, all the grapes crushed at Grangehurst have been purchased from prime vineyards in the coastal region of Stellenbosch i.e. the vineyards to the south and west of the town of Stellenbosch. These grapes have come from five main sub-regions of Stellenbosch viz. Helderberg, Firgrove, Devon Valley, Stellenbosch Kloof and Lynedoch.

Grangehurst is situated on the slopes of the Helderberg (“Clear Mountain”) mid-way between Stellenbosch and the False Bay coastline. Apart from the magnificent views of our local mountains (Helderberg, Stellenbosch Mountain and Simonsberg) we also enjoy panoramic views of Cape Town, the Table Mountain Range, Cape Point and False Bay. The cool southerly summer winds that blow across this bay have a very beneficial effect on our vineyards, especially those in the Helderberg and Firgrove areas.

The vines from which we select our grapes vary in ages from 5 to 36 years. The trellising systems vary from bush vines to 5-wire trellises; and soil conditions also vary considerably – from the sandy, gravely soils of Firgrove and parts of the Helderberg to the fairly rich, yellow/red clay soils of Devon Valley.

These variations in soil, climate and vineyard practises provide grapes with a number of different flavours and characteristics that contribute to the complexity and fascination of our wines. The tasting and blending of the wines from the different vineyards is one of the most interesting aspects of our winemaking process.

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