Danie de Wet

Developments on the Estate include soil mapping to identify the correct terroir for the varietals planted in De Wetshof’s vineyards which vary from the alluvial soils near the Breede River, which runs through the estate, to lime-rich slopes of the surrounding hills and mountains.  Danie works with international viticulturist, American Dr Phil Freese and local expert Francois Viljoen, who is well versed in local conditions in the meticulous planning of the new plantings.

Social responsibility for their workforce has resulted in computers being used in the Estate’s crèche, pre- and after-school care centre.  The crèche was started in the late 1980s and the care centre in the mid-1990s with great success.  This can be measured by the high pass rate of many of the students who passed through its doors and are now in primary and high school.  Education for all ages is of high importance on the estate.  Adult learning classes are very succesfull and all spheres are touched on from aids and drug programmes to financial and social responsibilities.

Mervyn Williams

Technical education is however the highest priority and the best achiever here is Mervyn Williams, who went from gardener to winemaker of the estate within ten years. He tastes on the Wine and Spirit Board and has worked two harvests in Burgundy. He was also the runner-up in the Employee of the Year for Proudly South African in 2005.

Summer late afternoons receive cool breezes from cold southern seas creating chilly nights are and misty moisty mornings.  Lime rich gravel soils are irrigated with the aid of a fully computerised irrigation system a great asset promoting the quality of the grapes.  Due to the dry climate, and low pest and fungal activity spraying is minimal compared to other wine growing regions.

Bennie Stipp

The tasting room facade as well as the cellar facade are Thibault replicas -the cellar being a replica of the old Customs House, which at some stage also served as Post Office in Cape Town. The offices are a replica of the Koopmans De Wet House in Strand Street, Cape Town, dating back to 1791 designed by Louis Michel Thibault one of the most renowned architects of early Cape architecture.

The wines of De Wetshof are legendary.  Chardonnay appears in many guises from the most elegant and seriously wooded Bateleur which is a reflection of Danie’s personal taste, wonderful elegant breadth and length of flavour.  Danie’s experience and knowledge of his terroir leads him to choose fruit from specific vineyards, vinifying them separately and then carefully selecting the best barrels for this label.  Big in style, though less oaked is the Chardonnay d’Honneur and the Finesse is the lightest oaked of the barrel fermented Chardonnays. Danie has two chardonnays under the Danie de Wet label, the Limestone Hill and the Chardonnay sur lie.  Riesling, which British Wine Writer Jancis Robinson refers to as “poor old Riesling, the most under-appreciated [and mispronounced] grape in the world…the greatest white wine grape,” shines on De Wetshof and is one of the most highly thought of in the Cape.  A delicious basket of tropical fruit is to be found in the Sauvignon Blanc with its wooded sister the Blanc Fumé showing more orange skin oil, lemon and lime with seamless gentle flavours of oak.  The reds, Nature in Concert Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon Naissance and Merlot, together with the Dukesfield Cape Blend [Pinotage free] prove that Robertson is able to produce reds of great stature.  And the ‘sweeties’ the Cape Muscadel – about as traditional a Cape wine as you can get and the utterly delicious Edeloes, a Riesling botrytis affected wine, rich in flavour, redolent of soft dried apricots, roasted pineapple and honey.

Danie & Lesca de Wet with Dr Billy Gallagher

Recently a Celebration of Chardonnay was held on De Wetshof where the inaugural Golden Vine Award was made to Garth Stroebel for his support and promotion of Cape Wines and Chardonnay in particular.  Dr Bill Gallagher received it the previous year for support to the wine industry throughout his glittering career as the doyen of South African Chefs.

The future is well cared for too as Danie and Lesca’s sons Johann and Peter join them in the business – the third generation of De Wets on the family farm.

They are part of a new generation of young winemakers and marketers emerging in the ranks to take their place alongside their parents at wineries in the Cape.

Johann has been working on the farm for the past two years and Peter joined up after spending time studying and working in Germany and France and serving a season with Pieter Ferreira at nearby Graham Beck Wines and more recently at Cape Chamonix.

Winegrowing area Robertson, owner and winemaker, Danie de Wet.

Bonnievale Road [R317], Robertson
P.O. Box 31 Robertson 6705
Western Cape, South Africa
Telephone +27 23 615-1853, fax +27 23 615-1915
Email: info@dewetshof.com Web: www.dewetshof.com