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Hans & Del
Hoheisen ... continued
Hans, with characteristic determination
to do the best he could in his winemaking efforts, was the
first in the valley to apply for this modern amenity. Hans
Hoheisen was one of the pioneer wine farmers, whose endeavours
were based entirely on trial and error. Vines of all types
were planted
with easy access for harvesting uppermost in mind - thoughts of soil pH,
suiting variety to soil-type and climate, let alone rootstock, were unheard
of. Vines
were vines and that was that - there was no grappling with the variables
offered by different clones. In the war-torn years of the 1940's mere survival
was what
counted most. There were no oenological and viticultural experts to refer
to for help, and for Hans Hoheisen it was often a case of standing over
a tank of
wine, text book on winemaking in hand.
Due to the lack of new machinery
and other materials as a result of the war, ingenuity had to be exercised
in the cellar. When it came to bottling and there were no bottles available,
Hans used second-hand beer bottles for his wine.
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All
problems and difficulties had to be overcome whilst
some sort of income for the farm was still generated. All
the more remarkable, then, is the success of wines such
as Drie Sprong HOH (Hans Otto Hoheisen) Muscat Dessert
and HOH Cabernet. Hans
considered these early efforts to be no more than 'vin ordinaires',
dubbing
them 'Hell Of a Hangover'! Nevertheless, He managed to sell
his wines to friends, but marketing presented several problems,
as the drier style of table wine then played very much second
fiddle to the fortified dessert wines, while brandy offered
even greater competition. Friends also said that HOH was too
obscure a name for the man on the street. This criticism
gave Hans a golden opportunity to permanently honour his wife,
Deli.
She had been a stalwart during all the ups and downs, helping
Hans in the cellar, planting the vines, keeping the farm accounts,
and being a constant source of encouragement.
What better way
for Hans to thank her than to rename the farm and its wines
in her honour? Thus Delheim - Deli's home - was born in 1949. |
