There are many myths and stories to answer this question, but as social media did not exist back then, it is biased to pin it to so many claims. Maybe you should choose the story you relate to.

One of my favourites is in Persian legend, King Jamshid banished a lady of his harem, causing her to become downhearted and contemplate suicide. Going to the king’s warehouse, the woman sought out a jar marked “poison” containing the remnants of the grapes that had spoiled and were now deemed undrinkable. Continue Reading

The name Sauvignon Blanc can be loosely translated as “wild white” in French. It is
one of the most popular varieties of white wine in the world, and one of the top five
most planted varieties in South Africa. It is produced throughout the country, with
Stellenbosch listed as the biggest production area, followed by Robertson, the
Swartland and Worcester.

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I am not here to dictate to Mother Nature, nor will I ever complain about what she gives. She sets the rules, we adjust. But having only just seen the back of a three-year drought (our worst yet), I will say that we’ve become well acquainted with this Mother’s more demanding side. And in the process, proven that listening to her cries and demands is a pretty good idea – and the key to an excellent harvest.

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Ireland, Belgium, Finland, Balkan, Thailand and the USA are just a few more countries where you might find a selection of Aaldering wines in the near future. At the recent Prowein 2018 trade show in Dusseldorf, most of our existing importers and new connections sampled our latest vintages. Once again, Prowein was a success and we’re excited to share our range with even more wine lovers around the world!

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Before we give you an update on the 2018 harvest, we’d like to share this piece that was published by several researchers in South Africa:

“The South African wine industry is bracing itself for what might be the smallest harvest in more than a decade. The drought conditions that have been prevalent in the Western Cape for the third consecutive season will have a major effect on the 2018 harvest. Drought, a shrinking area under vines and frost damage will have the greatest effect on the crop size. Even though the 2018 harvest might be much smaller, vineyards are in a very good condition due to frequent rainfall in October and November, as well as cooler weather up to the end of November. Vineyard growth is generally good and there have been no noteworthy occurrences of fungal diseases or pests. The low dam levels and insufficient water resources are most likely to have the greatest determinant of a smaller 2018 harvest. Good, regular showers in December and January may of course bring great relief and change the outlook for the better.” Continue Reading

Have you ordered your limited edition Magnums yet? Christmas might seem far away, but we’re already (almost) half-way through the year! Our winemaker chose the Aaldering Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot as the star of this new Magnum series. The iconic wine is ready to be enjoyed, but will also cellar well for another 10 to 12 years. Continue Reading

Has 2018 been kind to you thus far? At Aaldering, the future looks promising. We are in the process of renewing our vines, which means you will

Last year, we identified certain blocks of the vineyard that were simply not good enough. As part of our ongoing effort to meet your high standards (and our own),
we started clearing a number of hectares. This will be replanted with new cultivars. They say patience is a virtue and you might have to dig deep – the process can take up to six years. But we believe the results will be worth it.

To compensate for the loss of revenue during this time, we have bought just under 4 hectares of our neighbour Blake’s best land. Soil sampling was done in collaboration with external specialists and consultants.

The planting of new varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec – will be subject to environmental factors, such as wind direction, sun, water and quality of the soil. We are working closely with specialists from Stellenbosch University to ensure optimum conditions for our new vines.

It’s a winemaker’s dream come true: to produce a wonderful golden dessert wine. The Aaldering Noble Late Harvest will be for sale from 2018.

LET’S START FROM THE BEGINNING: WHAT IS A LATE HARVEST WINE?

“Late harvest wine is wine made from grapes left on the vine longer than usual. Late harvest is usually an indication of a sweet dessert wine. Late harvest grapes are often more similar to raisins, but have been naturally dehydrated while on the vine.” Continue Reading