Darling Wines

Please read the following blogpost by Christian Eedes.

Darling Cellars Lime Kilns 2010

World Environment Day

June 5th is World Environment day. The theme for this year is "Forests: Nature at our service".

We at Darling Cellars are very passionate about preserving our environment. Being part of BWI makes us constantly aware of the struggling environment, and what we can and must do to help save and preserve it.

I'm not going to babble on about being green - you all know the importance of saving our earth and the dismal state it is currently in, but I do want you to reconsider your lifestyle and habits.

If you want to know what World Environment day is about, please check out this link - WED

I'm quoting the following facts for your convenience, but here is the link anyway - Link

Forest Facts

Saving forests requires a change in lifestyle

Pruning Bush Vine Grapes

In this post I will try to explain the process of pruning bush vines. It is very different from trellised vines, but the principle stays the same.

Firstly, pruning commences when the vines go into dormancy, which is during winter. The plant sheds its leaves and the processes in the plant came to a halt.

Before you start cutting away at a vine, there are some aspects to keep in mind.

Your first consideration must be the purpose of the specific block of grapes. Is this a bulk block, a reserve, a premium or ultra-premium block?

Secondly you must let the vine tell you how to prune it. It will show this through the vigor. A very vigorous vine is not in balance. This is your job to always maintain balance in a vine. Vigorous vines can be brought into balance through putting more bearers on. It is important to spread the bearers around the vine and not all to one side.

Thirdly when pruning you should consider the leaf to fruit ratio. This is actually controlled more during suckering, but the initial phase starts during pruning.

Okay, now to the practical part.

Let’s start off with first year plants.

(Pictures taken from "Wingerdbou in Suid-Afrika", page 203)

During the first winter pruning (B.) all the shoots are cut away, except the strongest one that is upright. This shoot is cut back to two buds. (can be three buds if the shoot is strong) Cutting back so drastically in the first year ensures that more growth goes into less shoots the following year, resulting in stronger arms and quicker development.

The vine should not ripen any fruit in the first two years. Any fruit should be cut off at an early stage. For the first three years we focus on vine development and not on production.

Pruning Season

Blogger was down last week, so I skipped an update, but here it is.

We started pruning last Monday. It is only the big producers that needed to start, the smaller producers will start in June/July. Pruning the old bush vines isn't very complicated. The vines are formed already. Things that is important is leaving renewal shoots and building arms for balance. I will explain all of this with some sketches later on. For now, I just want to show you some pictures of the pruned vines. We prune the vines in two phases. The second and final phase is as close to budding as possible.

This specific block is a Chenin blanc that is 26 years old.

Sowing Cover Crops

After some much needed rain, the soil isn't as rock hard and it gave the producers a gap to plant the cover crops. In a couple of weeks I'll show you how these grains grow and look, but for now I just want to show you how the seeds look. If you look at the picture, you will see the grain seeds, and the white pellets are a chemical form of nitrogen to assist the cover crop in rapid growth to have as much fiber as possible in the end.

There are several methods to sow the cover crop. You can do it by hand, by means of a planter (like in the pictures below) or by means of a fertilizer spreader. On terrains with a big percentage of larger rocks, it is sometimes impossible to use a planter or spreader and sowing by hand is the only way. Your covering will not be as good as with the other two due to no seedbed preparation, but it is still worth it to get some organic material onto the soil.

Happy Easter

I would like to say Happy Easter to everyone, and may you be blessed.

Also, I would like to write a bit about Easter. Sometimes Easter gets treated like Christmas, but this time there is no Santa, but chocolate bunnies.

People tend to forget the significance of this great event. This is the weekend where Jesus Christ was crucified, but more importantly He rose from the dead on the third day, and lives. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for the whole world. Not just Christians, but the whole world. He is the holy lamb, the perfect sacrifice so that God forgave us our sins. It is written in Hebrews 8 verse 12: "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Also in Romans 11 verse 27 :"And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."And in Hebrews 10 verse 11: "Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."

These words mean that He has forgiven ALL our sins, and He does not think about it anymore. It does not exist in His realm. Isn't that amazing!! Our God truly is amazing! Thank you Father.

I leave you with the following lyrics from Chris Tomlin - Indescribable

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
You are amazing God

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God


Christ on the Cross, by Jan van Boeck

Darling Wine Group Tasting

We have a bi-quarterly wine tasting group here in Darling. The group consists of about 20 people, which includes winemakers, marketers, wine merchants, wine lovers, a Scotsman, an Irish chap (with no disrespect to either of these brilliant guys) , a visiting Swiss, viticulturists, producers and wine enthusiasts.

The tastings differ. Each time a member of the group has the chance to do a tasting he or she thinks the group would really enjoy. We've had some fabulous wines in the past, ranging from all over the globe.

This time members could bring a wine they thought was interesting or deemed really good by them. It was a blind tasting where you must guess the origin and vintage.

Some really interesting wines were tasted, some, or should I say one, bordered on the bizarre, some really bold, some not so good and some brilliant.

The wines ranged from Argentina, South Africa, France, Hawaii and Australia.






I wont be discussing the wines, this is merely to showcase a very entertaining and fabulous evening, shared with friends, colleagues and fellow wine lovers. A very special thanks goes out to our host, Charles Withington, for his hospitality, and his wife who made the best food I've had this year!

The wines in tasted order:

1. FAIRVIEW Weisser Riesling 2009

2. LOMOND Sauvignon Blanc 2007

3. MRS KIRSTEN Chenin blanc 2007

4. CREDO GROENKLOOF Sauvignon Blanc 2002

5. BOUCHARD FINLAYSON – Missionvale Chardonnay 2006

6. VOLCANO RED - “Pele’s Delight” – Volcano Winery Hawaii

7. EVANS & TATE Cabernet Merlot 2005 – Margaret River – Australia

8. DOMAINE DE NIZAS Le Mas 2002 – Salleles France

9. LE RICHE – Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2001

10. CHATEAU LAVILLE BERTROU 2008 – La Liviniere France

11. VERGENOEGD – Estate Wine 2001

12. TEMPUS Temperanillo 2005 - Mendoza Argentina

I will however point out my best two wines of the evening, the VERGENOEGD – Estate Wine 2001 and the LE RICHE – Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2001. Great wines.