Off of the back of these consistent accolades and worldwide acclaim for the quality of the wines the winery has seen extensive growth and expansion while maintaining the highest level of quality.
In an economic climate where it is becoming increasingly common to see farmers uprooting vineyards in favour of other, more immediately profitable crops, it has become absolutely necessary to secure ownership of premium vineyards if you would like access to the grapes.
As part of an ongoing strategy to ensure that only the finest grapes from specific terroir are used, Ernie Els Wines has acquired Stellenzicht Winery, also in the Helderburg.
Louis Strydom, Winemaker and Managing Director, at Ernie Els says “Stellenzichts terroir has some huge potential and the hectarage will allow us to keep up with our demand without compromising on grape quality or origin. The soils have excellent structure and we will be taking a long-term view on re-planting that will ensure we have some of the best grapes on the Helderberg at our disposal”.
Baron Hans von Staff Reitzenstein, who is a partner in Ernie Els Wines and an avid wine collector and aficionado, is delighted that he will be able to preserve this excellent sliver of terroir and be true to its potential by striving to produce some of the best wines in the New World.
“The Helderberg is one of the most special places I have come across in the world. The natural beauty of the area and the ability to create wines with such structure and fruit purity makes it truly unique. We are excited to have Louis and his winemaking team now in control of nearly 300 hectares of the mountain and look forward to experiencing the true potential these vineyards have to offer.”
Stellenzicht is 218 hectares and is currently mainly planted to Rhône cultivars, with a focus on Syrah, and boasts a modern cellar and bottling facility. According to Strydom the re-planting program will focus on Cabernet Sauvignon but will still be primarily focused on finding the best sight for the suited cultivar.
Adding to Ernie Els Wines’ current 70 hectares the acquisition dramatically increases the wineries capacity. Strydom and his team will take control of the winemaking and viticultural operations at Stellenzicht from July 2017.
“We look forward to using the knowledge we have gained while putting Ernie Els Wines on the map and combining that with Stellenzichts rich history and heritage to re-ignite a wonderful old grand dame of the Cape Winelands,” says Strydom, “we will be re-looking at many aspects of the brand and look forward to breathing new life into it.”
Further developments and renovations to the Ernie Els Wines cellar door experience can be expected now that the acquisition has been finalized.