in the vineyard : Danie de Wet, present owner and winemaker of De Wetshof Estate, studied viticulture and cellar technology at Geisenheim, the famous German wine institute.
Danie pioneered the noble white varieties of Europe in South Africa and today the estate of 200 hectares specialises in superior white wines exclusively. Thus, De Wetshof, the first registered wine estate in the Robertson region, made South Africa's first Chardonnay Superior, Sauvignon Blanc and Rhine Riesling Superior. Today Danie specialises in Chardonnay.
Climate: 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 gravely soils are extremely rich in lime with a 7.8 - 8pH.
Rainfall: Robertson is a winter rainfall area with approximately 300mm per annum.
Pest control: Due to a very dry climate, spraying is minimal compared to other wine growing regions.
Cooper: French oak barrels for De Wetshof are specially chosen from specific coopers to enhance the quality of the fruit.
Soil Type: Gravel lime
Rootstock: Richter 99, 110 , 101/14
Age of the vines: 16 years
Vines per hectare: 4000
Trellising style: 6 Wire fence system cordon with spur pruning
Tons per hectare yield: 11 Tons
about the harvest: A Rhine Riesling cultivar is used for this natural sweet wine. De Wetshof has different types of soil as well as different clones for the Mine D'Or. Grapes are harvested from a specific clone on low sugar levels and high acid of over 11g/l. A second batch of Rhine Riesling clones is harvested with full ripe berries and high sugar.
in the cellar : These are then combined with the first batch and allowed to ferment together. The first batch gives the acidity and the second the full ripe flavour and high sugar. The fermentation is stopped when the sugar and acid are perfectly balanced. The result is a wine with a high sugar, high acidity and low alcohol content.
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.
Barrel maturation: None