Cape Agulhas Wine District

13-Nov-2008 The unique location of the Cape Agulhas district has made it one of the most closely watched yet unchartered wine producing regions of the world. Joanne Simon ventures forth.

The original Elim was a place with "twelve springs and seventy palm trees" where Moses and the Israelites rested on their way to the Promised Land (Exodus 15:27).

For a group of pioneering wine growers, the countryside around South Africa's Elim - a hamlet at the centre of the web of dust roads connecting Gansbaai with Bredasdorp and the coastal towns of Arniston, Struisbaai and L'Agulhas - is the Promised Land. And they're not the only ones who think so. "Elim could well be as synonymous with Sauvignon Blanc in 10 years time as Marlborough, in New Zealand, is today," predicts influential UK writer Matthew Jukes.

Which is not to say that this southernmost tip of Africa isn't still something of a wilderness - neighbouring dorps with names like Wolvengat and Baardskeerdersbos suggest it might just be the Wild West of the western Cape, even though it lies over 200km south-east of Cape Town. "This is lion country," quips Agulhas Wines winemaker Conrad Vlok, who then concedes that Elim is actually pretty sophisticated ... compared to places down the road. "Places where they don't speak English so deliciously and can drink 16 beers before they need the toilet..."

Late-night humour aside, this is a pretty wild place for other reasons, not least of which is a coastline known as the "graveyard of ships" for its needle-like rocks and violent storms. And then there's the wind... "Whether it blows from the south-east, the south-west or the north-west, it's always blowing and we're on a peninsula so it always blows in from the sea," notes Zoetendal winemaker Willem Loots. "The boys in Walker Bay might think they've got a cool climate, but when the southeaster blows for them, it left the sea at Arniston and actually isn't cool anymore! Our average temperature is a couple of degrees lower than theirs - we only had one day over 30°C last year; for the rest of the time it was 18-19°C during January, February and March."

The fierce wind may keep sun-worshipping tourists at bay, but it's a well-documented fact that vines thrive on hardship (at least when it comes to making quality wines). So why has it taken so long for the establishment of a Cape Agulhas wine appellation?

One reason was South Africa's cooperative-controlled quota system, which prevented the development of new areas until 1992. "But we always knew where the good quality potential was," says Dawid Saayman, a soil scientist who had always been eager to explore the feasibility of planting vineyards in Cape Agulhas. Thus, when Lomond Properties told him they wanted to plant vines on an 800ha property just inland of Gansbaai, more famous for Great White Sharks than great white wines, he leapt at the opportunity - though even he admits that not many other soil experts would have given the project the go-ahead. The burning question was whether the pervading koffieklip - so hard that local houses are built from it - could be broken up.

Saayman duly dug some 800 holes (deep enough to take cover in when the wild ostriches objected to his presence) and eventually concluded that viticulture was not just feasible but downright desirable. He was so excited, in fact, that he brought the property to the attention of wine giant Distell, which entered into a joint venture with the shareholders of Lomond Properties: Wayne Gabb, Dave Mostert and Jannie Kuiper. As part of Distell's Cape Legends portfolio, Lomond Wines has recently launched its first two wines: Sugarbush and Pincushion Sauvignon Blanc 2005, the former lean, green and herbaceous (named by WINE columnist Neil Pendock as one of his top 10 wines of 2005); the latter full-bodied and redolent of tropical fruits (the one I prefer at this stage) - a remarkable discrepancy considering they come from adjoining vineyard blocks.

"It's been a steep learning curve," the team says - and if even soil expert Saayman and veteran Distell winemaker Kobus Gerber admit it, then you have to admire (or shake you head in wonder) at the sheep and wheat farmers who took the plunge into wine farming way back in the mid-90s.

A stranger in a strange land
(Exodus 2:22)


It all began when one of them, Johan de Kock, played golf with his old mate Newald Marais of Nederburg, Stellenbosch Farmers Winery (SFW) and later Distell fame, who commented that the area would be perfect for vineyards if only one had access to water. As it happened De Kock had just bought a farm with the Nuwejaarsrivier running through it. "So we tried to establish a joint venture with SFW - getting them to provide capital for eight years - but when they came here the southeaster was blowing and they decided they'd better not get involved..."

However, De Kock managed to pique the interest of his neighbours, Dirk Human and Francis Pratt (his brother-in-law) as well as a group of winemakers from more "traditional" areas - including Charles Hopkins, Johan Wiese, Hein Koegelenberg and Michael Loubser - and the result was the Land's End project, which kicked off in 1996 with the planting of vines. "When I saw the first leaves, I called Charles and said, 'It's growing, man, it's growing!' We were like children - finding our feet, having growing pains - and we made big mistakes."

One lesson was that Merlot and wind don't go; another was learning how to manage up to four or five different soil types in a single block, but all with extremely high salinity. "Sometimes we have to irrigate after rain to get the salt out!" And then there was the unusually small size of the berries due to the wind: "I phoned Johan Wiese in a panic," recalls Pratt. "I said, 'the grapes are colouring but they're only the size of peas! Why aren't they getting big?' You see, I was expecting berries the size of table grapes..."

Land's End's plantings now range from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot for a Bordeaux-style blend, to Semillon (one of only two gold medal winners at this year's Young Wine Show) and even a bit of Nouvelle. But the focus is firmly on cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz, with breaking news that "the whole shooting match" has been bought by Dave Hidden of Hidden Valley Wines to join his properties in Devon Valley and the Helderberg. "Elim fits right in with our philosophy of finding specific terroirs to work with, so when we heard Land's End was for sale - just by chance - we decided we had to buy it."

It seems his winemaker, New Zealander Chris Kelly, has been "hankering" to work with fruit from the area for some time, but Hidden simply knows it as a beautiful part of the world, having spent holidays at the De Hoop Nature Reserve. "It's going to be an exciting journey," he says.

A land flowing with milk and honey
(Exodus 3:8)

Speaking of journeys, the original group of sheep-turned-grape farmers have each found their own way. In 2000 Pratt went into partnership with Bruce Jack, who sources grapes from across the Cape for Flagstone (and has his own young vines planted near Napier, a dusty 30km or so from Elim). He jokes that it was a match made in heaven: "We both like to eat!" But whatever the case (and one suspects there's more to this relationship than abalone breakfasts - Jack knows his grapes), the result is The Berrio, which consists of a fruity, concentrated Sauvignon Blanc, already proving that Elim whites can age well, and a smooth, dense Cabernet Sauvignon.

"One day, when I grow up, I'll build my own cellar here," says Pratt, also revealing that he has "gone a bit mad" and planted Pinot Noir following a recent visit to France...

For De Kock, the immense drinkability of the red "homebrew" that he, Pratt and Human started making together in 2000 (a messy business, involving children's feet, white buckets and three old barrels...) was no longer enough. "Last year I finally admitted that I didn't really know what I was doing, and that I needed someone with winemaking and marketing ability."

Kleine Zalze winemaker Willem Loots heard his call, became his partner, and the result is Zoetendal Wines, which boasts a shiny-new cellar and tasting room (though the storage shed recently blew over in gale-force winds...). The wines so far include a delicate, grassy Sauvignon Blanc with a core of minerality (and the current release is the 2004, in keeping with the theory that cool-climate Sauvignon benefits from some ageing in bottle ("at WineX, our 2004 was still fruitier than some of the 2005s!"), as well as a spicy, peppery Shiraz 2004 whose soft, ripe tannins prove that the varietal is not only suited to warm climes. "Paarl claims to be area for Shiraz, and there certainly is a market for that big, hot style. But this wine has structure and a nice acid balance - and just taste the fynbossie! It's like walking through the veld after rain..."

Elim is in the middle of the Nuwejaars Wetland Ecosystem, the biggest wetland system in southern Africa (with access to the sea), comprising several vleis (most notably Zoetendalsvlei and Voëlvlei). This has resulted in exceptionally rich biodiversity, and in particular the "highly irreplaceable" Elim Lowland Fynbos. "The fact that we have four or five different soil types in a single block indicates that if we didn't have vines, we'd have four or five different kinds of fynbos," notes De Kock. (Not to mention the abundant birdlife: "Though our vines are also good for birdlife, the little buggers..." mutters Pratt.)

Well aware that they have a responsibility to "look after nature", 14 farmers have decided to form the 40 000ha Nuwejaars Wetland Special Management Area (SMA), with Dirk Human at the helm. "Conservation isn't just about putting up a fence to keep everyone out," he says. "It's the local people who give an area its character, so we want to look after agriculture, social development, infrastructure and tourism as well as conservation."

Let my people go
(Exodus 7:16)

Doing it themselves, of course, means that there's less risk of the government springing any surprises on them. "We don't want to lose our title deeds, our current income," admits Human. "That's why we're investigating every international law, conservation-wise, to make sure we do things properly.

"We're quite happy to be audited every step of the way - the last thing we want is for our vineyards to be ripped up and our lands expropriated!"

Apart from his involvement in establishing the Malachite Wines black empowerment business, Human has recently launched his own label, named Black Oystercatcher after the endangered birds that thrive along this coastline. Grown in a single vineyard block (shale), the Sauvignon Blanc 2005 has a floral nose and is a mouthful of ripe, tropical fruits with sweet-sour acidity.

"Not bad," deadpans neighbour Pratt. "A little bit better than Cloudy Bay..."

The Shiraz 2003 has a smoky nose with vibrant berry, pepper and spice on the palate, and both wines are made by Conrad Vlok, who worked at Delheim and Baarsma before joining Agulhas Wines, which is owned by a group of Johannesburg businessmen and the local Albertyn family, whose vineyards on the border with Agulhas National Park are South Africa's "real" southernmost vineyards.

Here he is responsible for the First Sighting wines, most notably a clean, crisp and fruity unwooded Sauvignon Blanc and a partially wood-fermented Blanc Fumé ("a big wine - something to put away for five years"). But Vlok is equally excited about the area's potential for Semillon, having added a small amount to his First Sighting Sauvignon Blanc and recently bottled the deliciously waxy Black Oystercatcher Semillon 2005.

"Everyone is talking about Cape Agulhas Sauvignon Blanc, but our Semillon ... well, watch this space!"

As far as reds are concerned, the First Sighting Shiraz 2004 contains mostly fruit from faraway Darling, but the 2006 will be 100% Elim fruit ("you can smell pepper just walking through the vineyard!"), perhaps including small amounts of Viognier, Grenache and Mourvèdre. Vlok is also "halfway between nervous and excited" about his 8ha of Pinot Noir.

So what's it like moving to "lion country" from a more traditional wine area? "At first you miss the akkerbome but you soon get used to it," laughs Vlok, who has clearly embraced life in this isolated part of the world with unbridled enthusiasm. "All this talk of springbok frolicking and eland grazing ... it sounds idyllic but we're all dreaming the same dream, so I believe it will happen."

CAPE AGHULAS FACT FILE

• Only Zoetendal Wines (Tel 028 482 1717) and Agulhas Wines (Tel 028 1902/6) have cellar facilities and are open to the public.
•  Self-catering accommodation is available in two cottages on Agulhas Wines (booking essential).
•  The hamlet of Elim was founded as a Moravian Mission Station in 1824 and became the home of many freed slaves over the next decade. It boasts the biggest Moravian church in the Cape; the oldest working clock in SA (built in 1757); the biggest wooden water-mill wheel; the only monument to the freeing of slaves; and a guesthouse that sleeps 10 people (sharing).
• For more information call Emile Richter on 028 482 1806.
• The whole Cape Agulhas region will soon open up, following the construction of a tarred road connecting Gansbaai with Bredasdorp and Agulhas (through Baardskeerdersbos and Elim).
• There's also talk of opening the SAAF Test Flight & Development Centre at Arniston up to international air traffic. It's the largest airfield in the southern hemisphere, after all - big enough for a space shuttle to touch down! But let's not get ahead of ourselves...

Published in Wine Mag

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