Our Vineyards
Located on a variety of slopes, soils and aspects, the vineyards that bear the fruit for the Kleine Zalze range of wines are exposed to fresh ocean breezes from the Atlantic coast, which lies a mere 15km away. This cool climate yields delicate flavours whilst at the same time providing optimal growing and ripening conditions for our fruit.
Fruit is sourced from the 120ha of vines planted on the Kleine Zalze estate, with the remainder coming from long term contracts, giving control from vine to bottle. Viticulturist Henning Retief provides the foundation for our prize-winning wine portfolio, ensuring grapes of exceptional quality by employing viticultural techniques that focus on sustainability.
Decisions, such as vine row planting direction, trellising and the height of vines above the ground, as well as the shape and density of leaf canopies all impact on the quality of fruit delivered to the cellar. Extensive yield reduction is also carried out to produce the best quality, fruit driven wines with outstanding character and maturation potential.
Our Green Approach
From the outset the environment has been an important consideration for us and the estate’s development has constantly taken this into account. We comply with the internationally recognised Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) scheme. The scheme certifies that the grapes and wine are produced according to environmentally sustainable production methods. Compliance with the IPW guidelines assures the buyer and consumer that the production process is environmentally sustainable and that the food safety requirements have been met.
We support and are accredited by the Wine & Agriculture Ethical Trade Association (WIETA) and also actively support local charities and organisations that are involved in community empowerment.
Our Winery
Our winemaking philosophy is underpinned by a three- pronged strategy of nurturing and developing all the components involved in the process: the vineyards, the cellar and the people.
The vineyards are where all great wines are made and we leave no stone unturned to produce the best quality grapes. The winery is responsible throughout the winemaking process for safeguarding the highest quality levels to produce great wines and our people are who make it all happen.