Altydgedacht Wine Estate

About Winery and Wines

Today 130 tons of grapes are picked annually with only a selected portion being used to make wine on the estate. Altydgedacht is situated only 15 km away from the Altlantic ocean and falls into one of the coolest wine-growing regions of South Africa. The prevailing winds blow from the sea ensuring a moderate climate, while the late summer mists contribute a cooling effect. This cooling effect means that the ripening period of the grape is lengthened and has the excellent potential for quality wine. Oak is used with care to complement the fruit flavours to produce subtle, complex and distinctive wines. Situated in the hills of the Tygerberg valley, the varying aspects of the slopes allow individual grape cultivars to be sited on slopes according to their heat preference. The average rainfall is 550 mm per annum. The deep red Hutton and Clovelly soils have sufficient moisture retention to carry the vines through the dry summer months. The vines are therefore not irrigated. A policy of low cropping is practised with yields not exceeding more than 10 tons/ha. The white cultivars produced are Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Hanepoot, Sauvignon Blanc, Weisser Reisling, S.A. Riesling and Viognier. The red cultivars are Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Merlot, Shiraz and Pinotage. Viognier and Cabernet Franc are the most recent cultivars to be introduced.