THE VINEYARDS
The uniqueness of the very limited Darling Hills terroir are undisputed and no where else will you find anything quite the same. We can be tail in the air about this resource, but can not for a moment take credit for the foresight of those before us. Pockets of eroded granite type soils are selected as close as five kilometers from the cold Atlantic Ocean, at altitudes between one hundred and fifty and three hundred meters above sea level.
Soil preparation is thorough and not negotiable. It must allow maximum root development for nourishment and optimum water usage of the vines. No irrigation is possible and the clay content of the deep red soil is such, that it retains the winter rains from anything but the vine roots, all the way through the dry summer months until harvest time in February.
Baring closer to the ground, a warmer micro climate prevail around the berries of bush vines. This initiates a shorter ripening period resulting in a bit more fruity character in the juice and will therefore always be part of our vineyards.
The majority however is trellised and this allows the afternoon breeze to move beneath the vines, cooling them down, bringing a balanced natural acidity and freshness to our wines.
We keep viticulture practices simple but, with continuous consultation, training and evaluation exercises involving all levels of our workforce, we maintain quality every day of the year.
A high level of skill involving subjective decision making during winter pruning ensures spacing of bearers and manipulation of desired crop levels. Vineyard practices peak during the growing season from September when health and canopy management keep everybody very busy. All undesirable growth are removed by means of suckering, leaves are removed to allow for better light penetration which influences ripening of fruit and fertility of the following years crop, shoots need to be positioned upright and constant trimming of growth points to ensure controlled vegetative development are some of these practices.
We are grateful for, and respect our environment and therefore we manage our vineyards with this responsibility in mind. We do not spray insecticides, are a member of the Biodiversity in Wine Initiative and we gladly adhere to The Integrated Production of Wine Initiative.
