About
|
| Our farm is situated outside Worcester on the Ceres Road up on the slopes of the Brandwacht Mountains. The farm was bought in 2003 with only two small vineyards of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. In 2004 we decided to produce our wine under the Olifantsberg label. We had no winery at the time but a befriended wine cooperative let us make use of their facilities. 2005 saw our maiden vintage and in 2006 we again made wine at the same facility. Since 2007 we have made our wine on the farm in a building that used to be a glass blowing studio. The building was adapted for wine production and we bought our equipment. We have also received our “Estate” recognition soon after. So where once glass was crafted by hand, now our wines are crafted to perfection in our Olifantsberg Boutique Wine Cellar! |
|
| Our vineyards are on the Northwest facing slopes above the Breede River. Because of our elevation and also the almost constant winds we are exposed to our site is quite cool and the result is a very unique microclimate for premium wine production. |
|
|
Our winemaking philosophy is aimed solely on quality and for us that means healthy vines and a low yield of grapes with good concentrated flavour and colour. At present our annual harvest is only 25 tons. Drip irrigation is kept to a minimum to induce water stress in our soils which gives us small clusters of berries. We make use of composting, cover cropping and mulching to control weeds which keeps our need for pesticides to a minimum. These actions also return organic matter and Nitrogen to the soil, which in turn keeps soil micro organisms happy and keeps the soil structure and composition ideal. We believe by keeping the vines healthy we will gradually lower our need for spraying over time. We are also planning to experiment with biodynamic actions in the vineyards.
|
|
Since 2003 more blocks have been planted which includes Shiraz, Chardonnay, Pinotage and Chenin blanc. Total area under vineyards at the moment is only 5 Hectares but every year we will add new blocks to add to our range. For the future plantings we are focusing on cultivars that are heat and drought as well as wind resistant that will tell a story of the unique terroir of the Breedekloof.
In 2009 we decided to appoint a winemaker/viticulturalist to make and market our wines and to farm the vines together with our farm manager. |
 
|