Rust en Vrede’s vineyards are planted on a mixture of broken down granite (coming off the Helderberg) and shale. These soils with their slope and northerly aspect have over the years proven to be wonderful for red grape production. We are relatively sheltered from the Harsh winds, and although we got whipped around in Mid November we didn’t suffer any permanent damage. Our cultivar and root stock selections on these soils give us the grapes that our wine maker demands for our style. Many small components that can be blended as the seasons dictate to create our distinctive full bodied wines.
The vineyards have been a very busy place since last harvest. Our staff have undergone intensive in-house and institutional training and are now proudly showing off their new found skills We have spent a lot of time on re doing the trellising systems, pruning and shaping them before bud burst. Spring was a little later than normal (not a train smash) and the season got off to a brisk start. Now after much effort we canopies are looking neat, even and open - which is any viticulturists wish for this time of year.
We are taking the vineyards in a new softer direction that allows us to use less fungicides, pesticides and herbicides. We are getting microbes back in the soil and creating a healthy, diverse bio system that will soon be fighting off pests and disease .
We have employed some new technology that will keep us at a competitive edge. A state of the art electrostatic spray pump is doing wonders for productivity and the environment. A topping machine is helping create the type of canopy we want, while freeing our staff up to do more important vineyard work. Nitrogen Pressure bomb sampling in the vineyards will give us the ability to determine the right time to add supplementary irrigation. Infra red remote sensing is helping us to understand where our weak spots are and fix them, and when to harvest certain parcels in individual blocks at optimal ripeness. This is an awesome tool for increased quality.
So all in all, our strive towards precision viticulture has taken leaps in the right direction and the results are starting to be seen in the vineyards. We hope you see the results in your glass in a few years.
