The past week has been one of the hottest we have experienced in the Cape. Yesterday it was 43 degrees Celcius with no relief in sight. We are nearing the end of the smallest vintage ever seen on Delheim but hopefully the longest tourism season will make up for this. World cup fever has set in and our own Soccer team – Delheim United will be going to one of the World Cup Matches to enjoy the sport at another level. We look forward to welcoming you all to the farm in the near future.

With just over 100 days to the Soccer World Cup, the Delheim Team would like to wish the rest of the South Africa all the best. We have been doing our part for Soccer Fridays, but let’s make every day a celebration of our culture and love for this wonderful country.

The Delheim Team

Initially, the ample winter cold and rain necessary for a great 2010 harvest augured well for Delheim.  Unfortunately this optimism was not destined to last, as the long cold and wet spell continued through the growing season during September and October, hampering the development of those varietals flowering at the time.  To make matters worse, there was a great deal of pressure from possible downy mildew infection.

 Even though the vineyards did not succumb to this additional threat, we then experienced uncharacteristically severe storm winds in November and December, resulting in extensive damage.  This wind was in fact so ferocious that shoots actually broke right off the cordon of grapes.  The Sauvignon Blanc was the worst hit, with an estimated 70% loss, which was especially devastating to us as we had initially thought that the crop would be an exceptional one this year. As it stands, we were only able to harvest 800 kg of grapes from a 2,5 ha vineyard which usually yields an average of 15 000 kg. 

 February is, of course, usually a very hot month, but so far it has been uncharacteristically moderate and cool, resulting in good quality white grapes.  Fortunately, the red grapes look more promising in volume, and only the Pinotage has not fared as well as hoped.  The Cabernet Sauvignon is ripening sooner than expected, and, provided that the current cool weather persists, we can expect a superb red wine vintage in 2010.

Kind regards

The Delheim Team

As you can see, our little Riesling bunch has changed a lot over the last few weeks. Harvest season has already started, but the Riesling grapes will stay on the vines for another few weeks. We harvest the grapes at a very high sugar level and for this reason we leave them on the vines to reach optimal ripeness. To get the sugar level we need, Delheim relies on Botrytis cinerea (more on that in our next update).

Kind regards
The Delheim Team

Our hearts go out to the farmers in the Franschhoek wine valley struggling with the terrible fires that have plagued the area over the last few days. Fires were reported all along the west coast up to Knysna. Please think of all the people suffering under these horrible circumstances.

Kind regards
The Delheim Team

Being part of the marketing and sales team and not out there in the vineyards, it is always difficult to understand the daily stresses on the vineyard team. The past two weeks have probably been one of the most stressful we have yet experienced at Delheim. The vineyards are yielding 50% less grapes on some varieties. The Sauvignon Blanc and Pinotage have been particularly badly affected. For the sales team this is really bad news as these are our growing brands. But then, we are a wine producer and not a factory with limitless inputs, so we are prone to annual fluctuations. Come and join us for a glass of moss and taste some of the daily harvested grapes, have a glass of wine in the restaurant and celebrate life, sunshine and the beautiful surroundings with us.

2010 is here and what seemed like the future is suddenly the present. Looking at our little vine, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of tranquility. As you can see the fruit is slowly but surely growing and reaching veraison. Cell division takes place and suddenly, there the little bunch is hanging. After a few cold evenings things are looking to turn around with a little higher humidity during the day, so it gets very difficult to predict what is going to happen next.

All the best for 2010 from all of us at Delheim (and our little vine)

While many of us are taking a well-deserved break from the rat race today, our vines do not have that luxury. Strong winds again raced along the Simonsberg mountain. Luckily the grapes are settled and were not drastically affected by the Cape Doctor.

It is the end of another year of learning. We had 18 children in the crèche and 16 children in our after-school programme. The year was filled with many outings and training, bike and running events and all in all fantastic learning opportunities for the children. We thank the Pebbles Team for their continued support and what they have done to help with all the activities, training of teachers etc. Also Anna Brom for the wonderful bikes that are fulltime at Delheim - what a positive impact it has on the children.

Come and have a lovely dinner at the Simonsberg Café on the 9th of December. Celebrate the special privilege of receiving a degree from the University of Stellenbosch by choosing a three-course dinner from our set menu for only R150 per person.

To book or for more information contact Daleen or Candice
Tel: +27 (0)21 884 4353
Fax: 086 667 7514
simonsbergcafe@delvera.co.za

Kind regards
Stian van Zyl