in the vineyard : Climate:
Winter rainfall approximately 300mm per annum. Summer afternoons are fanned by a cool breeze from the Agulhas Coast. Nights are chilly and mist often shrouds the vineyards until late morning during high summer.
Irrigation:
The vineyards are scientifically irrigated with the aid of a fully computerised irrigation system. Thanks to the most modern technology, irrigation on De Wetshof has been turned into an asset promoting the quality of the grapes.
Soils: The gravelly soils are extremely rich in lime with a very high pH - similar to soils of the leading wine growing regions in the world.
Rainfall:
Robertson is a winter rainfall area with approximately 300mm per annum.
Pest Control:
Due to a very dry climate, spraying is minimal comparred to other wine growing regions.
Soil Types: Gravel lime
Rootstock: Richter 99, 110 and 101-14
Age of the vines: 11-18 years
Vines per hectare: 4000
Trellising style: 6 Wire fence system cordon with spur pruning
in the cellar : The juice for this wine is selected from clones strong in citrus flavour. The fermentation process takes place in oak barrels at 17-20C and after fermentation the wine is left on the lees for a relatively short period to compliment the delicate nature of the wine.
Winemaking methods:
Danie de Wet adjusts his methods of winemaking from year to year, according to weather conditions and grape quality, in the belief that wine is made in the vineyard and not in the cellar.
Cooper:
French oak barrels for De Wetshof are specially selected from specific coopers to enhance the quality of the fruit.
Vineyard information: