The complexity of a wine is largely determined by the complexity of the soil in which the vines grow. A complex wine is a multifaceted, multi-layered wine that reveals different flavors as you drink it. Complexity describes the depth of flavor and aroma of a wine, its nuances. The more complex a wine is the more interesting and a wine can receive no greater compliment.  Elim has soil with great complexity which gives our wines a head start.

Natural Complexity

Elim soil has three layers.

• Gravel / Ferricrete: This is the top layer. It is an iron-rich layer where the soil particles are cemented together by iron oxides precipitated from the groundwater to form an erosion-resistant layer. This gives The Berrio wines their flintiness.
• Clay: This is the second layer that is 100-200mm thick. Clay is rich in minerals and in organic materials that have built up over years of seepage. Clay also provides a density that retains moisture and supports growth. This is the layer that provides the wine with all the minerals and contributes to the body and complexity of the wine.
• Weathered Shale: Shale is a fine-grained, sedimentary rock composed of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. This is the third layer, rich in eon-old minerals that determine the minerality of the wine.

Cover Crops

In order to get the most out of the soil of Elim we grow cover crops in between the rows of vines. These are planted in April / May and then cut at the end of October/November so that we have organic material available for mulching and composting available in the vineyard.

The mulched cover crop adds a whole lot of goodness to the soil. It provides good bacteria; conserves soil moisture, temperature and nutrients; and ensures that the soil, the heart of a wine, is healthy.