Estate Living Digital Publication Issue 4 April 2015 | Seite 7

new wine vineyards now adorn the
Plettenberg region, producing 200, 000
bottles of wine annually. Set in the valleys
and hills of Harkerville in the west, the
vineyards are framed by the Indian
Ocean and breathtaking Tsitsikamma
Mountains, providing extraordinary
natural and near perfect conditions for
the style of new aged wines that are
changing perceptions of wine and bubbly.
“Plettenberg Bay is one of South
Africa’s newest Wines of Origin and the
Plettenberg Bay seal is most definitely
a coup for the area,” says Peter. Today,
the Bramon Wine Estate enjoys global
recognition and has won many awards
for its wines, including two golds, a
Michelangelo international silver medal
and a hidden Gem in Platters Wine guide
for 2014. A 250-ton cellar was built on
the estate in 2010, making the wine for
seven other wine farms in the region and
producing a variety of cultivars, including
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot
Noir and Rosé, along with the expanding
Méthodé Cap Classique varieties.
The region is often compared favourably
to that of New Zealand – mainly because
of the cooler summer temperature,
averaging 22°C compared to 28-32°C of
Stellenbosch and Paarl. “Our Sauvignon

Blanc is considered equal to the one that
is produced on the Malborough estates in
New Zealand which is quite an accolade,”
says Patty Butterworth of Plett Winelands.
The cool temperatures allow for a longer
process of ripening and mean that the
varieties currently cultivated do extremely
well in this area, explains Doug Lund
from Newstead Lund Family Vineyards.
“Grapes stay on the vine for longer, which
leads to an extended season, meaning
more flavour, greater depth and more
complexity in the wines. There is also
a slow ripening process, because we
don’t experience severe heat, which
can compromise the flavour,” continues
Doug.
Plus, because the soils in Plett produce
juice with very low pH and minimal
sulphur, the wines are a healthier
alternative, with a longer shelf life –
especially ideal for wine lovers who are
sensitive to sulphur or wines high in sugar.
It also eliminates sore heads the next day,
a welcome notion for every wine drinker,
no doubt.
Sitting in the middle of the stunning
Garden Route, Plettenberg Bay is certainly
on par with any other premier tourism
destination in the world. The addition of

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