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 enhancing the quality of the grapes.
Soils: The gravely soils are extremely rich in lime with a 7.8 – 8 pH.
Rainfall: Robertson is a winter rainfall area with approximately 300mm per annum.
Pest Control: Due to a very dry climate, spraying is minimal.
Soil Type: Stony soil rich in lime and clay
Age of the vines: 8 Years
Rootstock: Richter 101/14
Trellising style: 6 Wire fence system cordon with spur pruning.
Yield: Tons per hectare: 6 - 8
Barrel maturation: 12 months
in the cellar : Wine Making 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.
Vinification: The juice for this wine was cold soaked before it was fermented. Malolactic fermentation took place in small French oak barrels whereafter it matured in the barrels for 12 months before bottling.