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Hout Bay Vineyards - Summer Open Day - Saturday, 27th November 2010

Summer is upon us once again – rich, green and splendiferous. It is a season we particularly embrace, a time spent with friends, enjoying their company on warm, tranquil evenings, talking late into the night around the dying embers of a fire.

Sometimes, understandably, the talk turns to wine and we reflect on our achievements over the last six years, from the humble beginnings of Hout Bay Vineyards to the present day. Despite the success, we have come to realise that we have reached the limit that our modest expertise and knowledge will allow. For this reason, in order to take our winemaking to the next level, we have employed the services of a professional winemaker, Bertus Fourie. Known for his Diemersfontein Pinotage, a coffee-flavoured wine, Bertus now spends three days a month with us in a consulting role, and will guide us through next year’s entire harvest. Gradually we hope to move away from Cabernets and Merlots, and concentrate more on southern European wines. Peter’s regular business trips to Italy (six so far this year) have firmly entrenched this notion in our minds. Bertus also has extensive knowledge of southern Rhône wines, which will bolster the new long-term vision we have for the cellar. So look out for these exciting wines in two-to-three years’ time.

Ever since its inception, Hout Bay Vineyards has always maintained a balanced, healthy and respectful relationship with the environment, and once again we have renewed our efforts to sustain this symbiosis. The Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) is an environmentally-friendly approach to producing wine … from vineyard to cellar. We no longer use pesticides or herbicides, we clear our land of alien vegetation, encourage indigenous fauna and flora, carefully control chemical usage when cleaning the tanks, meticulously monitor wine ingredients and mindfully manage water consumption. To combat the inevitable pests in the vineyard we have ordered 10,000 ladybirds in egg form. They will be placed in open matchboxes and will hatch naturally in the warmth of the sun. The vineyard will be their home for a while and, as is their custom, they will only move on once they have eaten all the bugs, mainly mealie bugs. We have planted no less than 500 indigenous trees and in excess of 10 000 plants which include virtually every type of fynbos and several hundred proteas. Most of the water we use in the wine cellar is from a tank that collects mountain seepage which flows down the slopes of Skoorsteenkop, the craggy hill that stands sentinel and dominates a broad sweep of sky behind our house. The overflow trickles into the dam at the bottom of the property which is home to a raucous but happy family of ducks, swans, geese, frogs and somewhat quieter goldfish. Overflow from the dam is channelled into the Disa River which, as all residents of Hout Bay know, winds its way to the sea where rain clouds eventually gather, are blown inland and drop water on Skoorsteenkop again. It is both humbling and gratifying to have a pact with nature, to give back some of what we receive in abundance, for this embodies the fundamental essence of IPW.

Our next open day will be taking place on Saturday, the 27th of November, from noon onwards, when we will be releasing our 2010 Sauvignon Blanc which, in Bertus’ expert opinion, is an internationally-styled wine reminiscent of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. Cathy will release the remainder of the 2007 MCC that was not degorged last year but kept on the lees for another 12 months. We now intend to keep all our bubbly on the lees for at least 36 months as the additional year enhances the complexity of this regal drink. Our 2010 ‘Blush’ rosé, on the other hand, is simplicity personified and will also be available at the open day. It is extremely affordable and easy on the palate

As most of you know by now, our open days are very family-orientated, so please bring everyone along, as well as a picnic basket, and enjoy the afternoon on the lawn. There will be live entertainment from 13h00-15h00 in the form of a youth jazz band whose guitarist is Cathy’s nephew, Harison Lacey.

There will also be an exhibition of paintings by Hout Bay artist, Ann Walton.

We look forward to seeing you all at Hout Bay Vineyards.