Hemelrand Vine Garden

Red mullet tapenade, preserved artichokes and sundried tomatoes.

The vineyard was planted in roughly the following proportions: 40 % Chardonnay, 30% Roussanne, 13% Verdelho, 12% Chenin blanc, 3% Viognier, and 2% Muscat Blanc a petit grains. However, as mentioned the proportions of the different grapes produced varies significantly each vintage. Hemelrand it is situated at 360 meters above sea level, on gravelly clay, and Sandstone. It is cold and windy – a very marginal site. Grapes ripen slowly here. We have high hopes for this place.

In the cellar we do….not very much actually. We make wine in a way that could be better characterized by what we don’t, rather than what we do. Some folks say that great wine is 80% in the vineyards, 20% in the cellar. In our mind, the ratio is awfully close to 99% vineyard, 1% cellar. All one can really do in the cellar is not mess up a potentially great wine. Nothing of real value can be added in the cellar. The grapes are cooled, carefully hand sorted, and whole bunch pressed. The resulting juice is lightly settled.

Alheit Vineyards is a family business started in 2010 by husband and wife team Chris and Suzaan Alheit. They met at Stellenbosch University, fell in love, travelled the world together, got married, then travelled some more. Eventually they settled on Hemelrand farm close to Hermanus and started their project. Our goals are simple. We want to make wines with a clear sense of Cape identity. We want to show that the Cape’s vinous heritage is worth celebrating and protecting. We love old vineyards. We love dry farming. We love bushvines. We think that “ordinary grapes” are in fact wonderful. We believe that great things are possible here in the Cape, and that we are now just scratching the surface of what can be done.