Hermanuspieterfontein & Holland – Slovakia
On the 285th of June we went to the Hermanuspieterfontein. On our way from the gamelodge, The Leopard Rock Reserve, we stopped at the hills of the Walkerbaai. This area is known for its whales and therefore a touristic attraction.

After enjoying the Walkerbaai we continued our trip to the Hermanuspieterfontein. This place thanks its name to mister Hermanus Pieters who arrived in the Cape in 1815. He became well known for finding a sweet water source during his trips in 1855, which he used for grazing his sheep at the shore.

Near the Waboomriver, the couple Pretorius became owners of the most wanted vineyard named ‘boerderij Waterval’. In collaboration with winemaker Bartho Eksteen they made a plan to start the Hermanuspieterfontein winery.

Here they cultivate grapes biologically and dynamically, and they use natural plant protection products. Draining the earth is done with ecological and animal actions, such as the help of ducks in the vineyard. They work with clones of the Sauvignon Blanc(2) on different levels, like the Nouvelle (cross between Ugni Blanc and Colombard) and Semillon. This results in a monocepage (a wine that for the largest part, 85% is made from one type of grape) that has a very intense taste.

To convince us, they made us sit in an open vehicle to go into the vineyards. Then we could discover the types of earth, and see the wine ranks according to the cultivating gigot-system with trylisses for ourselves.

This is where we discovered that Hermanuspietersfontein has different cultivations consisting of: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Grenache, Viognier, Nouvelle and Semillon. We have tasted the R3, R7 and wooded Sauvignon Blanc.

During the football match of Holland – Slovenia we got to taste a red wine, Swartskaap (100% Cabernet Franc). This was arranged in the winery, accompanied with some snacks. So you may understand that the atmosphere was very nice!

After the match we were challenged to do a wine pairing, and this was a challenge we could not resist.

It was a very nice day with a lot of nostalgia that took us into the night.

With vinous regards,

Noël Vanwittenbergh