Newsletter February 2024

Figure 1 – The team in the vineyards as we start the new harvest season

Harvest 2024 began at Paul Clüver Family Wines in the week of 5 February, with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as the first two varieties in the picking bins. Like most of the Cape’s wine regions, our vineyard team began harvesting approximately ten days earlier than the norm, mainly due to the dry and warm conditions experienced since late December, which led to quick, early ripening.

Figure 2 – The board of trustees celebrating the outcome of auction

The 3rd of February was a day filled with giving, supporting a cause and giving back. The Cape Wine Auction, in which Paul Clüver Family Wines plays a profound role in offering a barrel of wine to be auctioned, as well as having Paul Clüver Jnr as chairman of its board of trustees, set a new record this year by raising R9 635 000 for the various winelands children’s charities they support.

Figure 3 – A delightful seared salmon on a bed of greens

Indulge in a culinary experience where the delicate notes of fresh salmon harmonize with the nuanced flavours of a renowned Pinot Noir. Our recipe for Salmon Fillets with Herb Crust and Lemon Butter Sauce is a celebration of simplicity and sophistication, offering a sublime dining experience that elevates the natural essence of this beautiful fish.

Pair with our Paul Clüver Estate Pinot Noir.

Figure 4 – These beautiful antelope, with their white masked faces and ebony hide roaming the fields

Driving into De Rust Farm, home of Paul Clüver Family Wines, visitors might find two or more bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus) grazing or looking bemusedly at passersby. These beautiful antelope, with their white masked faces and ebony hides, have been residents since 2005, when Dr Paul Clüver received a few full-grown bonteboks on his birthday. They have quickly adapted to the conditions on De Rust and the Groenlandberg.

Since the first bontebok arrived, their numbers have grown to a degree where they are familiar sights for those working and living on the farm and visitors, further entrenching our true ethos as a sustainable farm where all of nature can find a home.