James Downes of Shannon Vineyards concurs, saying “We have to convert the grapes into premium priced wines. Reality is 1ha of vineyard yields five to 15 tons of grapes, while the equivalent of apples yields 100 tons.”
This is the situation in most regions, each with their own dynamics, whether it is wheat, citrus or butternuts as competing agricultural crop. Elgin is a fairly young wine region, with the oldest vineyards at Paul Cluver Estate (first to produce wine in Elgin) just shy of 30 years. So with my recent involvement with the Old Vine Project, where we classify old vines at 35 years and older, I am happy to hear that some Elgin vineyards will be qualifying soon. The challenge is to keep them in the ground.
What is encouraging is that the proprietors are recognizing mature vineyards offer better, more complete fruit, the result being wines of greater depth and detail.
At a recent Elgin showcase tasting, the line-up was solid, ranging through Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Syrah. The Sauvies were less showy than I expected, which is apparently what local producers want to achieve. “We want to embrace the typical black currant aromas”, says Downes. Again the discussion steered towards balance in the vineyards. When planting on sites previously used for apples, the soils are typically very rich in nutrients and the vines take 10 to 12 years to come into balance, which influences the style.
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