Harvest midway

The sudden death of my friend Frank Schubert at the age of only 50 left us all in disbelieve and sad. Wir trauern mit der Familie(picture taken on Oude Wellington). I took some consequences and started regular exercises and went for a medical check-up.

So far all goes to plan. The grapes are healthy and the quality appears to be better then last year. The berries are small an indication of concentrated flavours and potential. After last year's devastating small crop the volume has not disappointed this year. The organic blocks (Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon) are very healthy. Our harvesting team was on time and a pleasure to work with. It is always a challenge to get a harvesting team to pick at the exact right time when large farms compete with large contracts continuity.

The grading council of South Africa has again awarded Oude Welington four stars. The criteria are more stringent for the guesthouses but ensure an even higher standard for our guests.