De Wetshof is a third generation wine estate in South Africa’s Robertson Wine Valley, where wine has been made for over 150 years. The estate was bought by South African wine pioneer, Danie de Wet’s father, Johann de Wet in 1950. Johann Senior saw the potential for agriculture and developed the farm to a premium producer of fruits and livestock in the region.
When Danie finished his studies at Geisenheim, the German Wine Institute in 1971, he returned to De Wetshof where he introduced the noble white varieties to the farm – Rhine Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay – over the next 10 years. Danie was a central figure when the first Chardonnay plant material was brought to South Africa during this time. Today the estate is managed by brothers, Johann Junior (CEO) who looks after the viniculture and marketing and the day to day operations and Peter (CFO) who handles production and finance.
On De Wetshof the firm belief prevails that you cannot determine where you are going unless you know where you have come from. This is why the history of De Wetshof Estate’s vineyards plays a profound role in determining present and future wine quality and underscoring the estate’s reputation for excellence.
Since the early 1970’s meticulous records have been kept of each vineyard’s reaction to soil-types, irrigation and the vagaries of climate, as well as their development and progress over the years.
The vineyards are thus vinified separately during the wine-making process, the winemakers having a clear understanding of what the fruit of each vineyard’s labour is going to deliver during a specific year.
The commitment to site-specific vineyard management and winemaking has been an integral part of the De Wetshof ethos from the outset and remains a vital non-negotiable aspect of all the Estate’s wines.