Our vineyards are 18 hectares in extent and the predominant Oakleaf and Clovelly soil types are ideally suited for the production of red wines. Soil tests were undertaken in March 2001 by Spine van Niekerk from Elsenburg Agricultural College, and in consultation with our viticulturist, the varietals were strategically planted according to the appropriate terroir. Lola’s passion for Bordeaux style wines led to the planting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Shiraz has also been planted in 2001 and the first wines were produced from this block in 2004.
Our vineyards are personally cared for and nurtured by Bertus de Clerk and his expert team.
Our farm’s annual production of grapes is approximately 150 tons, with 80% sold to wine producing cellars and the balance delivered to our own boutique cellar, resulting in about 25 to 30 thousand bottles of boutique wine produced annually. With adequate water we can increase our production without any loss in quality, and irrigation is managed scientifically using Aquacheck probes, which utilise an Aquawave GPRS unit that feeds into the Irricheck Irrigation system server every hour, providing irrigation recommendations every two hours. The resultant report allows us to produce for quality or for enhanced volume.
Our farming operations are conducted according to best farming practices, and adhere to The Guidelines for the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) as far as possible. The IPW system is one of the best, recognised internationally for its monitoring and statistical features from start to finish of the wine production process. All sprays used are registered agricultural sprays.
Bernard has been responsible for all project and operational management since launching this venture, and we have undertaken to farm and produce wine with a commitment to quality and sustainability.