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Tribute paid to Stellenbosch viticulturist
Danie van Zyl, the viticulturist and farm manager at Alto Wine Estate in South Africa’s Western Cape, died suddenly last week.
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Van Zyl, who joined the winery in 2002, and in 2022 he led the team that undertook Alto Wine Estate’s 100th consecutive harvest. According to the producer, as a result of his two decades working in the vineyards, almost every block of the 90 hectares of the estate under vine – replacing around 10ha each year, with Cabernet Sauvignon being Alto’s key variety.
Van Zyl was also a keen proponent of cover cropping and of soil health, once saying: “My focus is to leave the farm behind in a better condition than what I found it in. I am not going to be here forever and try to manage the soil and everything that goes with it so that it just gets better and better. I don’t want the next generation to arrive and think: ‘Geesh look at all the nonsense this guy has created’.”
The circumstances surrounding his death, announced on Friday (13 September), have not been disclosed.
A tribute posted by Alto Wine Estate read as follows:
“Danie has been an integral part of the Alto family for over 20 years. He was the cornerstone of our team, whose dedication, expertise, and passion for viticulture were unmatched. His unwavering commitment to Alto and love for the vineyards made a significant impact on everyone who had the privilege of working with him.
Danie’s legacy will endure in the vineyards he tended with such care, and as we mourn his loss, we also celebrate the remarkable contributions he made to our farm and our terroir.
Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family, friends, and all who had the honour of knowing him.”
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Very sad indeed.
Thank you Danie for your wine where you poured in twenty years of your life. We never met, however I met you through your wine.
May your efforts with the terroir become your legacy for Alto and your successor’s standard. Merci beaucoup.
Reposez en paix
Danie will be missed….
This is a great loss. Very good man.