Introducing Our new Viticulturist, Danie Stemmet
Danie Stemmet, new vineyard manager on Paul Clüver Family Wines, is relishing the opportunity of overseeing the 68ha of premium vines on this farm in the cool-climate Elgin region. One of his first responsibilities is overseeing the planting of 4.6ha of new Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards at the farm entrance, formerly the home of some of the De Rust Estate’s apple orchards.
“The wet conditions – especially after the relentless July rains – are making for challenging conditions, but hopefully we can get planting in spring,” says Danie, who hails from Paarl and studied vini- and viticulture at the Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute. “But the soils are prepared, irrigation pipes laid and the poles set, so now all we have to do is get the vines into the soils once conditions allow.”
Danie has experience in working in the Cape’s cooler climates, his previous post being at Ataraxia Wines in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. “As a trained winemaker I am aware of the unique qualities vines growing in cool climates bring to the final products, and have always been an admirer of the wines of Paul Clüver which have proven themselves to be of the country’s best,” he says.
“Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are cultivars that have made Elgin one of the country’s leading wine regions, but I am especially excited to work with the Riesling vineyards, as this variety intrigues me. As a viticulturist I have seen that in the vineyard each cultivar has different nuances and requires its own approach. Working in these vineyards on a farm that pioneered viticulture in Elgin 37yrs ago is a real privilege, as is following the Paul Clüver Wines’ ethos of regenerative farming.
“The most rewarding part will be to taste the wines Andries and his team made from my first year in the vineyards, and I just can’t wait.”