There on 1.5 hectares our Pinot noir vines drive their roots deep into stone & clay to produce an unforgettable wine.
A tiny wine farm in touching distance of the small coastal town of Plettenberg Bay with two comfortable, pet friendly self-catering cottages: That Place & Ons Hoek.
That Place
That Place is a comfortable self-catering home where you can spend a good, relaxing holiday. Wide balconies show forest and pastoral views, rich bird-life,and, if you are lucky, elephants wandering through their paddocks across the valley!
Ons Hoek
Ons Hoek is filled with our parents books, treasures and knickknacks. This warm and comfortable house is for your exclusive use.
Wine of Origin
Plettenberg Bay – It’s a Feeling!
And it most certainly is! Hip, hop and happening, long silvery sandy beaches, crisp seas, whales and dolphins, nature trails, animal sanctuaries, horse rides, a plethora of welcoming hotels and lodgings and, well, wine … it’s a destination as diverse as you’ll find anywhere, embraced by the majesty of the Tsitiskamma mountains with Mount Formosa keeping a benign eye on us all.
A Vision of Vines
The remarkable naturalist, ornithologist and explorer William John Burchell (1781 – 1863) noted during one of his many travels up and down this area between 1810 and 1815, that the land here in Plettenberg Bay could be conducive to the production of wine.
The Vineyards of Plettenberg Bay
The first vines were planted at Bramon to much scepticism in 2000. The first harvest took place in 2004. The first Sauvignon Blanc Method Cap Classique bubbly in South Africa was produced by Mr Bubbly himself, the acclaimed wine maker Pieter Ferriera.
Wine of Origin: Plettenberg Bay
In 2006 we became a Wine of Origin Region with distinctive MCC and wines that convey a sense of place - wines and bubblies of great merit, award winning, accessible and delicious.
The WineMaker of Plettenberg Bay
For Plettenberg Bay’s emerging wine industry, having a cellar master of the calibre of Anton Smal is nothing short of a gift from the gods.
The Brilliance of Birds
When we got onto the farm there were almost no birds. You’d see the occasional pigeon, and on the edges of the gorge you might see sunbirds and sugarbirds in the proteas.
Replenishing
Every season in the vineyard is beautiful. When I wrote this, the vines were losing the last of their leaves. The lanes were lush and green and the caramel-coloured canes awaited pruning.
What’s in the glass? The long read
If you’re like me, you will have a natural abhorrence for the pretentiousness that some wine-lovers exhibit but you should not let this put you off beginning to think and speak about wine in a more articulate and informed way.
The Holy Grail
Pinot Noir has been described as the “Holy Grail” of wine. It is the most expensive wine on the market and this makes it a niche product.
Absolute Certainty!
In my short wine-growing career I have been amazed by the absolute certainty of opinion that winegrowers (and indeed, everyone in the industry) exhibit.
Growing Good Grapes
"Good wine is made in the vineyard”. This is a phrase you often hear when you mix with winegrowers. My guess is that the winemaker in the cellar might want to articulate this idea slightly differently
The Optimal Output Is …
I went to a Pinot presentation and workshop hosted at Bramon and run by Jan Boland Coetzee. I met some interesting people and tasted some pretty fine wine.
The Rhythm of Work
Farming is really hard work. It takes a particular kind of stamina to do field work. Most “farmers” are really farm managers who direct labourers to do the necessary work.
It’s Quality
The scale of wine farming is like everything else: as you produce more, so your average unit costs drop. But it is also true that as you produce beyond a particular quantity, you endanger your quality.
Do not despair!
Miraculously, almost all of our first vintage was sold before we could blink. This gave us a useful cash boost at a good time because we had decided to increase our planting.