in the vineyard : Amidst the tangy sea spray, crisp breezes and energizing ozone mists, something almost mystical occurs where Two Oceans meet and merge along the southern coast of Africa. The Indian and Atlantic oceans fuse in a purity of power to release a magnetising life force over the endless blue horizon. In its energising slipstream, you'll find abundant marine life, healthy coastal vineyards and lively, refreshing wines enjoyed by people who live the way they like. We call it the Two Oceans effect.
The Cape's Coastal Region enjoys a temperate climate, cooled by day-time maritime breezes from both oceans and a drop in night-time temperatures to allow grapes to ripen slowly. In addition, the moderate humidity means vines are far less prone to disease than in areas with higher moisture levels.
The winemaker works very closely with a team of viticulturists and he rigorously supervises pruning, suckering and canopy management for optimal crop yield. During the ripening season the grapes are tasted daily for ripeness and also chemically analysed to ensure they are picked when varietal flavours are most concentrated and there is a good balance between fruit and acid.
The vineyards (Viticulturist: Bennie Liebenberg)
The grapes were sourced from trellised vineyards in the Paarl, Darling and Philadelphia areas, situated some 50m to 180m above sea level. The Paarl vineyard is 20 years of age, grown in Hutton soil, grafted onto 101-14 rootstock and trellised on a ive wire hedge system. The vineyard received no irrigation and yielded nine tons per hectare. The Darling and Philadelphia vineyards are both six years of age, grafted onto 101-14 and R99 rootstock respectively and trellised on a five wire hedge system. The Darling vineyard received no irrigation while the Philadelphia vineyard received supplementary irrigation by means of a drip system. Both vineyards yielded eight tons per hectare.