A visit to the heart of the Paarl Valley

Wednesday, 25 May, 2011
Carla van der Merwe
In an easy to miss corner of Paarl, nestled in a biosphere reserve lies the unassuming Druk-My-Niet Wine Estate.
The Kirchner’s came across the farm in 2002 while on holiday and chose to settle on the farm because Dorothee fell in love with the quaint name Druk-My-Niet (squeeze or push me not) which had the same meaning in Bavarian-German as it does in Afrikaans.

The run down farm needed a lot of care and attention and Dorothee and Georg went to great lengths to restore the historical buildings (the original cellar dating back to 1692 and the manor house) to their former glory. A great deal of time and planning also went into the indigenous garden which stretches around the Kirchner’s home.

Close attention was paid to the details and the manor house boasts its original floors and the cellar (most of) its original ceiling. The only change made to the farm’s historical appeal is that the Kirchner’s decided to build their living area separate from the main house in a more contemporary style with sliding wooded doors reminiscent of what one would assume their home in Hong Kong looked like. Dorothee is firm in explaining their decision to build a modern extension to the farm and says; “I live in the 21st century so why shouldn’t I have the comfort of it”.

Druk-My-Niet Wine Estate covers only 24ha in its totality and has a very small production run by winemaker/ viticulturalist Abraham de Klerk. De Klerk’s passion for wine making and nature is contagious as he explains all about the farm and their vision of adhering to biodynamic farming principles. His explanations are fuelled by a vigorous intensity which one can only assume is what also makes him a great athlete.

Druk-My-Niet is home to a variety of animals, which include two guava fed Nguni cows, four race horses (affectionately referred to as my girls by De Klerk) and numerous species of birds. But the aesthetic beauty is not the only reason why this farm is so special. They have also proven that they have what it takes to produce premium quality wines with five of their expected seven wines already having been released to great acclaim.

Druk-My-Niet currently have two ranges in their portfolio, the Mapoggo range which includes a white and a red blend wine and the recently released Find Art Collection which comprises three single red cultivar wines.

Dusan Jelic and I were also fortunate enough to sample their flagship 2009 vintage T3 blend which is only due for release on 11 November of this year. The wine is a first of its kind and boasts three Mediterranean cultivars namely Tempranillo, Tinta Amarella and Tannat.

For more images from our visit to the estate please click here and for more information on Druk-My-Niet Wine Estate please visit their website at www.dmnwines.co.za.
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The team at Druk-My-Niet: Abraham de Klerk, Dorothee Kirchner, Lynda Schonfeldt and Georg Kirchner
The team at Druk-My-Niet: Abraham de Klerk, Dorothee Kirchner, Lynda Schonfeldt and Georg Kirchner

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