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PROTECTING THE BERG RIVER ECOSYSTEM
At this stage the treated water, fed into the winery’ s network of seven dams on the farm, is used purely for vineyard and homestead garden irrigation and to clean all cellar equipment. Any overflow reaching the Berg River, she says, appears to have contributed to an improvement in riparian life, health and activity, and in the quality of the water itself.
“ At the same time as we are improving the health of the local river, we are seeing the immensely positive impact of irrigation water quality on the health of our farm soils, their structure and water-holding capacity. In a trial conducted with two blocks of Chardonnay on the farm, cultivated in the same way, we saw a 50 % increase in yield in the block irrigated with the treated water compared with the control block. And, if anything, fruit quality was in better fruit sugar and acid balance.
PROOF IN THE VINEYARD: 50 % HIGHER CHARDONNAY YIELDS
“ Obviously we need to observe outcomes over several vintages for discernible patterns to emerge, but after over 20 months we can already see just how beneficial the bac-
Below: Cover crops between the vines at Nederburg improve soil health, structure and water holding capacity.
62 GROND TOT MOND DES 2025 | JAN 2026