Wine Innovation profile: Neethlingshof Estate

The Neethlingshof estate lies just outside the town of Stellenbosch in the heart of the Cape Winelands, flanked by the Bottelary Hills on one side and Papegaaisberg mountain on the other.

Grapes have been grown on the farm for more than 300 years. De Wet Viljoen, winemaker since 2003, is very clear about the kind of wines he wants to make: “My wines must have a unique, distinctive identity, and they must reflect what is popularly called, ‘a sense of place’.”

Neethlingshof is a member of the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative (BWI), accredited for its conservation initiatives and projects to restore indigenous habitat.

It also applies integrated pest management protocols, using owls and snakes on the farm. Water management is a key priority and hydro-neutron probes monitor moisture levels in the soil. As a result irrigation is now better managed and water usage has been curtailed by 40%.

In 2009 Neethlinghof’s labels were given a new look to reflect a renewed emphasis on elegance created through its eco-sustainable farming practices.

The reds are now more subtly oaked, showing softer tannins and greater harmony, while the whites exhibit a purer expression of fruit. The estate’s reserve tier of Short Story Collection wines each tell a narrative bound up with the history or philosophy of the winery.

Contact details:

Physical address:             7599 Polkadraai Road, Vlottenburg, 7604, Western Cape, South Africa

GPS coordinates:             S 33° 56′ 28.2″

E 018° 48′ 6.7″

Postal address:                P.O. Box 104, Stellenbosch, 7599, South Africa

Tel:                                   +27 (0) 21 883 8988

Fax:                                  +27 (0) 21 883 8941

Email:                               info@neethlingshof.co.za

Website:                           www.neethlingshof.co.za

Neethlingshof Estate is one of the entrants in this year’s Wine Innovation Masters. Click here for further details