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Eikendal

Click the icon to read the profile on Eikendal Winemaker Nico Grobler

Situated in the Cape Winelands of South Africa, the barrel-vaulted cellar building of Eikendal Vineyards form a distinctive landmark on the R44 route, positioned between the historic university town of Stellenbosch and the residential suburbs of Somerset West.  Since 1981 the 76 ha large wine farm has been under the ownership of the Saager family from Zurich, Switzerland.

The Swiss owners recognised the great potential of the area and wasted no time in modernising and extending the vineyards and the cellar facilities.  The cooling, moistening effect of the breezes from the nearby Atlantic ocean combined with the excellent soil structure of Eikendal’s vineyards form ideal conditions for growing noble vines such as the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Shiraz, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.  Straddling the slopes of the Helderberg mountain range, some of the Cape’s fines wines are produced here.  The winery is also positioned in the so called “golden triangle” of South Africa’s red wine production.

The warm farm hospitality provided by Eikendal’s friendly team is a good reason for tasting the various wines in the cellar and relaxing in the lush gardens under the huge pine and oak trees next to the glistening dam.

Eikendal is less than a 40 minute relaxing drive from the city centre of Cape Town, or 30 minutes from the international airport.  The spectacular landscape of the close by Helderberg and the excellent quality of its wines make Eikendal a worthwhile point of call whilst visiting the area.

Bordeaux Wineries

Casal Pilozzo

Cape Jaffa

 

Country:  Mount Benson, South Australia

Website:  www.capejaffawines.com.au

Special Notes:  DISCOVER THE TRUE AUSTRALIAN TASTE!

About

Winemaker: Derek Hooper; Assistant Winemaker: Nigel Westblade

Derek Hooper studied at Roseworthy in 1991. Before establishing Cape Jaffa Wines, he gained extensive experience at world renowned wineries, including Domain de Chevelier in Bordeaux, Chapoutier in the Rhone Valley and Leconfield in Coonawarra, South Australia.  Nigel Westblade has been with Cape Jaffa since the 2003 vintage. He studied winemaking at Adelaide University and has since worked at various wineries around Australia and overseas including Delatite Winery in Victoria?s highlands, Tahbilk in Nagambie and Chateau Ste Michelle in Washington State.

Our Vineyard

The vineyards at Cape Jaffa were first planted in 1993. The site was selected not only for its cool climate, but also for the famous terra rosa soil over limestone, ideal for premium grape production. The majority of the vineyard is bilaterally trained, spur pruned and vertically shoot positioned to increase sunlight exposure. Vines are drip irrigated during the growing season. The constant sea breeze during the growing season reduces disease pressure, making the area well suited for sustainable and/or organic viticulture. Since establishment, we have been conscious of our environment and have endeavoured to keep all vineyard inputs ?clean and green? as much as possible. Our plans for the near future are to convert the vineyard to biodynamic management.