1. OUR PEOPLE

Our Employees
Our employees are important to us as they're the backbone of our farm's culture. Excellent working relationships are crucial as we're all part of the same little community and we very much rely on each other's support. Our September and Geduld families have been working with the De Waals for more than 7 generations and we're very proud of our association. Today our farm is a tribute to the dedication and loyalty of our employees.

Our Owners
The current owner, Niel de Waal, is a 12th generation South African, whose ancestors include some of the original pioneers who arrived from Europe at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. The De Waals have been successful wine farmers for many generations and settled in the Voor-Paardeberg area in 1877 where Niel's grandfather was the proud winner of the Genl Smuts Trophy in 1927.

It was never Niel's intention to become a full time farmer and after university he joined Rembrandt Group. During his business career he came to the erroneous conclusion that farming must be very profitable and in 1980 he took over the responsibility for the farm from his brother and appointed a farm manager. He's still waiting for his farming activities to become "very profitable", but over the years a beautiful and personally rewarding farming business was built up. He retired from the tobacco business in 2007 and he and Rentia now divide their time between their beach house in the Strand and the farm.

Our Winemaker and Viticulturist
Towards the end of the 1990’s it was clear that new expertise was needed so Hannes Aucamp, a graduate of Elsenburg Agricultural College and top viticulturist, was appointed to take the farm from good to great. He continued with the renewal of the vineyards and brought essential knowledge of the latest viticultural practices to our farm. He's also a perfectionist, which is an excellent attribute if you want to make really good wwines. He started to make some wine in 1999 and the first barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon showed real promise, but unfortunately it was polished off by friends and family before the ageing potential could be confirmed…

2. OUR FARM

History
The first owner of the farm Knoolefontein, in the Paarl District, was Johannes van Aarde who already lived there before 1763. In 1831 some land adjacent to his farm was granted to PJ Mostert and it became known as Klein Knolfontein. Willie de Waal purchased the farm in 1940 and in due course it became known as Oude Denneboom because of the huge old pine tree in front of the homestead.
Today the farm of 194 hectares is dedicated to precision wine grape and export citrus farming while olives have been grown on a small scale since 1955.

Olives
Olives of the Mission cultivar were planted in the 1950's and over the years we've added trees on the borders of our new vineyards. The olives are sold to processors but small quantities of oil is marketed by ourselves. However, in 2008 we planted 6.8 hectares of three Italian cultivars in the ratio in which the oil will ultimately be blended. Frantoio (50%) typically Tuscan, fruity and herbaceous, Leccino (30%) mild, sweet with subtle herbaceous flavours and Coratina (20%) green, herbaceous and somewhat bitter. So be on the lookout for an Oude Denneboom extra virgin olive oil of exceptional quality in a few years time!

Soft Citrus
We produce seedless Satsuma and Clementine soft citrus for the export market. As we have GlobalGap and Tesco Nature's Choice (Gold Standard) accreditation we make sure that fruit of only the highest standard are produced, for which we receive regular accolades from the industry. The citrus is harvested by hand from April to June, sorted and delivered to a commercial packhouse where it is packed in different pack sizes according to the requirements of our customers.

3. OUR GAME RESERVE

In 2001 approximately a third of the farm (60 ha) was set aside as a game reserve for the enjoyment of the people living on the farm (and as a stress reliever for the owner!). Today this is a place of tranquility where you can unwind while watching Springbok playing or Bontebok chasing a Cape Fox over the veld. The reserve includes a large storage dam stocked with fish and it is a haven for a large variety of water fowl and other birds. Apart from small animals like Meerkat, Cape Fox, Porcupine, Cape Grysbok and Steenbok there are also a registered herd of Bontebok. Other larger wildlife include Eland, Wildebeest, Springbok and Zebra.

4. OUR ACCOMMODATION

We've recently restored the original farm cottage which was built in the early 1800’s. The pair of barn owls that lived in the old cottage are now happily breeding in their new nesting box right outside the main bedroom.

The rustic but quite luxurious four star cottage is self-catering, which means that you only have to bring your own food and drinks, and even that can be arranged on request. You will have two en suite bedrooms, one with a double bed and the other with two single beds. There is a fully equipped kitchen, living area and a large traditional fireplace with both indoor and outdoor braai facilities.

The cottage is in the veld in the middle of our game reserve and therefore very private and tranquil. The best thing about such a cottage is that you don't have to do anything, but for the more energetic there are lots of activities . Watch the game and other wildlife, it's a bird watchers paradise (especially waterfowl), bring your tackle and do fresh water fishing, hike on the reserve and farm, bring your mountain bike, photography, explore the wines of Voor Paardeberg or join our employees in their daily tasks.

Please contact us through our website at www.oudedenneboom.co.za or call us at +27(0)21 853 4839 for more information.

5. OUR WINES

Our Philosophy
At Oude Denneboom we focus on the creation of a biologically sound environment with minimum intervention. We see ourselves as only custodians for the future and we have to leave the land in a better condition than when we took it over. We passionately believe that if something is worth doing it is worth doing well and today we're in an ideal position to do things in an eco-friendly way as we see the impact of our activities on our environment every day.

Vineyards
In 1996 the first new clone vines were planted after extensive research by top viticulturists and soil experts confirmed that the terroir of Oude Denneboom, as well as the culture of attention to detail and dedication, was ideally suited for the production of wine grapes for exceptional wines. Over the years Shiraz, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mourvedre were added with great success. As the climate lent itself to the production of some top quality white wines as well, Viognier and Nouvelle were added in recent years.

Most of the grapes are sold to commercial wineries, but as a boutique wine producer some of the best grapes of exceptional character are used to make our own wines.

Viticulture
All our vines are trellised and only irrigated on a supplementary basis. Pruning during winter and suckering during summer is done by hand to ensure a balanced growing vine with no or minimal interference. Just before harvest we remove unsuitable berries and bunches, leaving only the best grapes to ripen. All grapes are harvested by hand at optimum ripeness.

Winemaking
Our winemaking is true boutique style. Special rows in specific vineyard blocks are identified and these vines get special attention. Grapes are harvested at optimum ripeness for the specific style of wine that Hannes wants to make.The grapes are gently destalked and crushed while as many of the activities as possible are done by hand to ensure absolute attention to detail.

Our Wines
The current Oude Denneboom releases are as follows:

• Shiraz 2006: Winner Paarl Vintners Single Vineyard Shiraz Trophy. Intense ripe flavours of blackberry and spice, long elegant finish with good structure.
• Oude Denneboom Eland Red Blend 2007 – 4 star rating Wine Magazine - Released Nov 2008. Innovative and elegant deep ruby red blend with berry fruit and spicy flavours.
• Oude Denneboom Sauvignon Blanc 2008 – Released Nov 2008. Crisp, well structured with complex tropical flavours.
• Steenbok 2007: Swiss Int Airline Silver Medal. A well balanced, barrel matured white blend of 75% Chenin Blanc and 25% Viognier delivering a ripe fruit bouquet with subtle hints of spice and a lingering, buttery aftertaste with a lengthy finish.

THE WAY AHEAD
Attention to detail and dedication to quality are entrenched in the culture of our well-run farm, Oude Denneboom. We have seen the result of this culture and promise to release some exceptional and interesting new wines in future!

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AWARDS *

The following awards should confirm our culture of dedication, attention to detail and commitment to quality:

• The Paarl Vintners Shiraz Trophy for the Best Single Vineyard Shiraz (2006). This competition is the only one in Africa where the wine as well as the vineyard is judged to select a winner of this prestigious trophy.
• Top Vineyard Competition: A number of awards for being in the Top Three in the regional vineyard block competition which includes Franschhoek, Paarl, Simondium and Wellington.
• Boland Cellar Award for the Top Red Wine Producer (2004)
• Tesco (UK) Nature’s Choice Gold Award for achieving and demonstrating the demanding and far reaching requirements embodied within the Code of Practice, which is leading the way in attaining production and supply of high quality produce achieved in an environmentally responsible manner (2007/8)
• GlobalGap Certification for achieving the Global Standard for Good Agricultural Practices (2008/09)
• Capespan Exports Gold Award for the production of export grapes of the highest quality (2006)
• Pick of the Month – Shiraz 2005, Wine Tourism News, August 2007
• Swiss International Airline Wine Awards 2008 Silver Medal - Steenbok 2007