It’s been a while since we’ve had domesticated animals on the farm – apart from dogs and the vast array of chickens wandering around Nic and Christo’s gardens. A few cows previously provided fresh milk and some freshly made, rich, creamy butter. I no longer eat breakfast, but I remember childhood days fondly – a full breakfast on the stoep with fresh milk on my ‘super healthy’ Honey Smacks and toast with honey and generously spread butter – those were the days!
When we bought the farm in 2003, the two elder of our four sons were tasked with naming the cows. They became known as Daisy and Tom, after their favourite toy shop in London. They were always excited to see them when we visited. The only problem was that we eventually planted the paddocks to vineyards, and the cows had to go – another tricky parenting explanation was required.
Now we have come full circle with the cattle, but this time for other reasons. We are excited to have the animals back. As part of our regenerative farming philosophy which focuses on restoring and enhancing the health of the soil, we have introduced some cows and pigs into the vineyards, primarily for weed control. They will spend time grazing on the weeds and cover crops before the vines bud, after which the cows will move to under the pecan trees (the original paddocks) to graze while the pigs continue grazing in the vineyards. As pigs cannot lift their heads much, they will be active only under the cordon (the horizontal part of the vine, where the shoots rise from). I am thinking to myself – what could possibly go wrong!?
There are several benefits of having animals grazing in vineyards. Their grazing will assist with weed control. We are not against weeds – we like them, they are a natural part of bio-diversity. What we are doing is trying to increase the diversity of weeds – we want to avoid just having one dominant weed (a current issue) and to have consistency of weeds and cover crops throughout the vineyard blocks. Eating the weeds and their seeds will help to spread them. The manure and urine also enhance the soil health. Having animals grazing also means reducing the number of times the tractor passes through the vineyard rows, reducing soil compaction, and leading to better root formation. Finally, we will see further carbon added to our soils, promoting increased moisture retention and a more balanced growth environment. Ultimately, healthier vines, healthier vineyards and better quality grapes.
The cold and wet Cape winter continued through August, and we have now received more than our average annual rainfall and cold units. Christo and the vineyard team are pushing on with pruning. The teams’ pruning skill levels have improved this year for this intricate and demanding task – laying a strong foundation for the new vintage. Spring is now just around the corner, and this year’s ‘old school’ winter should result in an even budburst – a great way to commence the growing season for Vintage 2025, which we are already looking forward to with great anticipation.
Nic has continued to assemble the 2023 red wines. He is very excited about the Cabernet Sauvignon from the vintage. He believes the result of Christo’s vineyard interventions, which include careful pruning, canopy management, and disease control, has started to take root, and their harvesting decisions managed to bring the grapes in successfully before the rains. We are all convinced that Rondekop has the potential to produce some incredible Cabernets, and this level of conviction in Nic’s blending feedback reinforces our confidence. The wait for this wine will be worth it!
We know the regenerative viticulture path is correct, and introducing cows and pigs into our vineyards deepens our commitment. It will be interesting to see if our carefully researched thoughts and ideas work as planned. One thing for sure is that it feels great to work in harmony with Nature – it just makes so much sense.
