Wine & Spirits - Winter 2023 - 33

of their parcel in Vau de Vey. They installed
higher posts along the vines, with wooden
rods spanning the rows.
Their hope was that by raising the buds
higher off the ground, away from the coldest
air as it settles during a frost event, the
crop would be protected. Additionally, come
summer, the canopy would fan out above
the bunches to help protect the grapes from
sunburn. Alice hopes it might turn out to be
an elegant solution to evade the intensifying
threats in spring and summer " by creating a
gentle shade from the sun " to keep the soil
cooler and protect the microbial life underground.
" After the vine has flowered, " the
grapes remain in dappled shade, " without too
much sunlight that can cook the grapes, nor
too much shade which can make them susceptible
to parasites, diseases and gray rot. "
They've now had two harvests from these
pergola-trained vines at Vau de Vey and seem
pleased with the results. 2023 was the first year
where the pergola grapes were higher up than
the others, and Alice reports that they were
" more numerous, larger and riper " but cautioned
that it was too early to draw conclusions.
" It's interesting in theory, but we still
have to wait to see more results. "
SOUTH AFRICA
As you drive up the south side of the
Kasteelberg onto the Roundstone farm, you
might be greeted by Chris and Andrea Mullineux's
three massive, lanky, velvet-furred
Weimaraners. I had hitched a ride with Chris
from the Basson vineyard, a parcel planted
in 1900 which they manage for Leeu Passant.
The dogs-themselves a small family, a
mother, father and son-played a game that
involved getting as close as possible to the
front wheels of the truck. Each one seemed to
disappear under the wheel, until they'd bound
past the window a few seconds later. It was a
little terrifying, but Chris assured me it wasn't
anything to worry about.
Chris and Andrea Mullineux purchased
Roundstone in 2014, having sourced syrah
fruit from the vineyard since 2007.
When they learned the owner was
selling, they pounced at the opportunity.
Now, the property hosts
their winery, a new tasting room,
their home, and a collection of
young vineyards.
It's a beautiful place to make
one's home-just short of 250
ADDING CROSS
ARMS TO A
TRELLIS ALLOWS THE
CANOPY TO FAN OUT,
CREATING THE DAPPLED
LIGHT THAT STEVE
MATTHIASSON
ENCOURAGES
IN THE NAPA VALLEY.
acres on the south side of the Kasteelberg
mountain, 57 of which have been planted to
grapevines. Forty-two of those acres are new
plantings, land that had been dedicated to
wheat, olives or cattle pasture. The new vineyards
look drastically different from the parcels
of syrah-the younger parcels are all bush
vines, trained with stok-by-paaltjie, the Afrikaans
term for echela training (as it's called
in the Rhône). A large post is placed upright
by each vine and, as the shoots grow upwards,
winegrowers tie the shoots onto the post, protecting
the shoots from the wind and encouraging
an even growth cycle that helps preserve
the fruit's natural acidity. Chris considers preserving
that freshness the biggest challenge in
the heat of the Swartland, where temperatures
can already climb to over 90° Fahrenheit.
Besides the difference in training, the rows
of the vineyard follow the contour
of the hillside. This is not
a new idea-recall the terraces
of the Mosel, the Côte-Rôtie, or
the Douro-but the Mullineuxs
expect it to be a key tool to aid
in the protection of their soils.
As rainfall becomes more unpredictable
and intense in a warming
W INTER 2023
WINE & SPIR IT S
33
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF DE MOOR AND MATTHIASSON WINERIES
Wine & Spirits - Winter 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - Winter 2023
