Wedderwill
Estate Agency in Durban

Unpretentious quality is the result. Wedderwill Wine Estate lets nature do the talking.

And few estates work so closely with Mother Nature. Situated on the Schapenberg, the farm’s south-facing vineyards yield to the passing winds, embrace the sun, and survive each turbulent storm. Those who work at Wedderwill believe they have a responsibility to the land in their care. It makes sense, then, not to work against these natural processes by introducing damaging toxins, or unsustainable practices. Nico Vermeulen was born in the Western Cape, schooled in the Orange Free State, and studies his craft in France. He has more than 30 year’s experience in the winemaking business, winning a host of Veritas Golds, Double Golds and Champion Estate Awards. He began his career at the Ashton Winery in the early 70s, before studying winemaking at Elsenberg in Stellenbosch. For more than a decade, Wedderwill has been implementing an ecologically-friendly farm management system. Biodiversity is the key, and large scale efforts have been made to clear alien vegetation and improve the health of the soil. International expertise has also been sought to improve efficiencies in composting, mulching and the growing of cover crops. The result is less soil erosion, better use of water, and fewer herbicides. They are already members of the IPW (Integrated Production of Wine), a voluntary industry body that is concerned with environmental sustainability, and positive human development. Savour the plum and berry in a well-crafted Shiraz, or smile at the smoothness of a Sauvignon Blanc bouquet. This joyfully fleeting experience has been millions of years in the making. More than 550 million years, it seems, at the start of a fortunate nexus of history and geography. On the slopes of the Schapenberg, the resulting soil is known as the Malmsebury Group. A weathered survivor of the Precambrian age, its crumbling clay retains water as jealously as it does the secrets of millennia. The cleansing Cape Doctor calms the baking hectares, and inhibits diseases on the vine. Seasons dictate when it’s time to prune or plant, water or harvest. It’s the weather that gives wine its personality, they say. As the Dark Ages receded and the 1500s approached, Europeans entrenched the traditions of red and white. A century later, they would ferry their skills to the Cape. Today, the family continues to celebrate its love affair with Mother Nature. Which is why those who work at Wedderwill believe they have a responsibility to the land in their care.