Numbers are sort of the things that make the world go round. It sort of explains a lot of things. I saw the other day someone claims he can predict the future with a algorithm. Great for him. We need a few number here too.
1. I had some great respons on the Women's Wine Wednesday and Leanne printed some lovely cards. We still want to know who is interested to send the invites out. Contact here on 044 21 33639 otherwise we are going to harass you till you all show up.
2. The church events which I wrote on earlier dates is the following: Wine Auction held at Outeniqua High School at the 13th of August; The 'gemeente ete' at the Calitzdorp Church Hall will be the 15th and cost R50 - what a bargain. Contact Marinda for tickets as they must prepare them for the masses at 044 21 33311; the church bazaar will be held in the middle of September
3. Our dam is about 29% full. You can get this detail on the www.dwaf.co.za website. This is the official departement of water affairs website. So by the way I forgot to mention that this was also the first cement irrigation dam build in South Africa.
4. This is the amount of people having sinus problems in my family.
Because of the low level of the irrigation dam the Water Board decided to have the first 'beurt' only at the end of August. For me as farmer this immediatly is something of a problem as the plants are starting to bud. With budding the top part of the plant start its physiological processes as the temperature during the day as well as the mean temperature is higher. The soil temperatures will still be low and because of that the root system might still be in rest. You can verify this by digging a hole and looking at the roots of the plants. If you see a lot of thin white roots then you know your plant allready started its anual growth season. I hope it won't create to much of a problem as we only have three months left till the picking of the apricots.
I will start my irrigation schedule in the middle of August - a month later than usual - sort of to accomodate the drought effect. We must now get some water!!!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
The times are changin' ....again
I was surprised when I drove past my cling peach trees the weekend. The blooms are allready formed and will probably bloom within the next few weeks. It is a good thing and bad. The good part is the season starts and might be a early one. The bad if we do get some colder weather - frost - the trees might loose some flowers which in turn mean less fruit. The bees are also not that active at this stage meaning less possible fruit again. We can just hope for the best.
Still busy marking out my blocks for planting. I erased the block next to Calitzdorp Country Lodge. One of the vertical lines were not straight. This in it self is not a big problem. The thing is for the next 25 years I will drive buy and know that one of the rows is not perfect. Better repeat the whole process.
Some news of happenings in the community: The Dutch Reformed church is really getting busy. There will be a 'gemeente ete', an wine auction with Outeniqua High School and the normal church bazaar as well a choir performance. They are not sure about the bazaar and the form it will take on and are hoping for some input from the congregation and / or community for a better way of fundraizing during that. So anyone with an idea please let Marinda know at the church office (across the ACVV building). I really hope more people will get involved in this congregation even if it is only in supporting the different functions they have. SO GO AND SEE MARINDA AND GET THE DATES RIGHT AND SUPPORT THE CHURCH.
The church cornerstone was laid in 1910 which makes it in use nearly 100 years old. The town of Calitzdorp became a town because it had an congregation and started to have services of their own here. Another interesting piece of info is that the Calitzdorp dam was built only a few years later. A hundred years ago there was a lot of people with courage, hope and innovation in town. Not unlike now. If you look at the surnames of the people in those days playing a role in building the town the familiar ones like Fourie, Oosthuizen, Nel, Brink, Pretorius, Calitz, Geyser and a few others. Add to that the new ones investing in the town we can only go better. (Pleas don't use that 'i' or 'l' words - deffinately not kosher / politcal correct or nice)
Still busy marking out my blocks for planting. I erased the block next to Calitzdorp Country Lodge. One of the vertical lines were not straight. This in it self is not a big problem. The thing is for the next 25 years I will drive buy and know that one of the rows is not perfect. Better repeat the whole process.
Some news of happenings in the community: The Dutch Reformed church is really getting busy. There will be a 'gemeente ete', an wine auction with Outeniqua High School and the normal church bazaar as well a choir performance. They are not sure about the bazaar and the form it will take on and are hoping for some input from the congregation and / or community for a better way of fundraizing during that. So anyone with an idea please let Marinda know at the church office (across the ACVV building). I really hope more people will get involved in this congregation even if it is only in supporting the different functions they have. SO GO AND SEE MARINDA AND GET THE DATES RIGHT AND SUPPORT THE CHURCH.
The church cornerstone was laid in 1910 which makes it in use nearly 100 years old. The town of Calitzdorp became a town because it had an congregation and started to have services of their own here. Another interesting piece of info is that the Calitzdorp dam was built only a few years later. A hundred years ago there was a lot of people with courage, hope and innovation in town. Not unlike now. If you look at the surnames of the people in those days playing a role in building the town the familiar ones like Fourie, Oosthuizen, Nel, Brink, Pretorius, Calitz, Geyser and a few others. Add to that the new ones investing in the town we can only go better. (Pleas don't use that 'i' or 'l' words - deffinately not kosher / politcal correct or nice)
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Withoek Women Wine Wednesday
At my cellar we have as an assistant a woman who worked for my father for more than ten years. Now I am on the farm for almost three years and she still works for me. Leanne April is a born and bred Calitzdorper and her dad used to be a taxi driver for the Bergsig as well some of the Schools in the region. She was also invited to do a harvest (making wine in Virginia in the United States) at Afton Mountain. This was done in 2006 for 2 months. She enjoyed it and came back more interested and hungry for knowledge about the wine making process.
Leanne is planning a Women Wine Wednesday. As you know August is the month to celebrate womanhood all over the country and so does Withoek want to honour them. We are planning the 18th of August a womans night where for a certain fee we will provide a snack, wine tasting and a bit of socializing afterwards for the women of Calitzdorp (I am also not invited because of the natural physical disability). Further there is also a theme: Purple for the red wine. This is an event will take place at 6 o'clock the evening at the Withoek tasting room and promise to be a lot of fun. This will also be the launch of our first single cultivar dry red wine the Withoek Shiraz 2009.
We hope that you guys will show up in numbers and do contact Leanne for an invitation to the event at 044 2133639. You can also email us at withoek@telkomsa.net for more info.
Leanne is planning a Women Wine Wednesday. As you know August is the month to celebrate womanhood all over the country and so does Withoek want to honour them. We are planning the 18th of August a womans night where for a certain fee we will provide a snack, wine tasting and a bit of socializing afterwards for the women of Calitzdorp (I am also not invited because of the natural physical disability). Further there is also a theme: Purple for the red wine. This is an event will take place at 6 o'clock the evening at the Withoek tasting room and promise to be a lot of fun. This will also be the launch of our first single cultivar dry red wine the Withoek Shiraz 2009.
We hope that you guys will show up in numbers and do contact Leanne for an invitation to the event at 044 2133639. You can also email us at withoek@telkomsa.net for more info.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
House of straw? and other stories
I decided to have bonding session with my oldest son, Kobus. We had breakfast at the Spekboom Cottages and afterwards watch rugby with all the real locals there. Breakfast was excellent and I am not going to say to much about the rugby. It really was made into a great thing by James, Marie and Jean at the Spekboom Cottage. Thanks James you are really a great friend.
During the bonding session with other people also attending including Alex, Allan, Fritz and Tony I realized that there is a bit of a blind spot for the movement of information within any community in Calitzdorp. The only one really communicating very well is Hennie Smit with the KBU. The need is more about info on what is happening. In a small community like our own we sometimes don't always get in the right circles to get the info on things happening. The only real way is by the word of mouth. That is how I heard about the potjiekos of the church a few months ago as well as the Koos Kombuis show at Dorpshuis - both were excellent. I think that a blog for us with a few people of the different communities within the greater Calitzdorp must be able to excess and / or give info to a person to put it on. In this way you can quickly advertize for a school, church, private, any real function/happening/course/etc.
The first one I am going sort of going to advertize here is the Straw house course which is going to be done by Sonja Armstrong and Deon Kriek. Both big time involved in the 'Green' approach to life. Both of them is coming to present this course in - the Port Capital, Calitzdorp. The local contact person is Zelma Kriek. She lives in Oubaas Calitz's old house on the Groenfontein road. If you still don't know contact Laurence at Lorenzo's / Pizza Place - he serve some excellent pizza and curry and has opened a very nice deli with fresh bread and interesting cheeses.
At Withoek itself we are preparing for the new irrigation main line. Unfortunately for us the storm water pipe underneath the roads is blocked with soil and roots. We did contact the Eden Districts Municipality (Ralph Dixon) to come and have a look. So any other such blocked pipes or road reparation can be reported to him in his Oudtshoorn office.
The pruning is also going smoothly and they are nearly finished with the red cultivars.
On the Shiraz which was bottled last week. After again tasting it Chrissie finally put 'black forest cake' as the determining flavour which she picked up on it. That is why wine making is such a pleasure. You don't buy naartjie, orange or apple flavour product but a product that first produces different flavours at different temperatures for different people and to make it more interesting it changes over time and from bottle to bottle AND WITH THE FOOD ASWELL AS THE COMPANY YOU HAVE! So have my wine only with your best friends especially those you don't see often. There is still 2500 such occasions coming up (that is how many bottles there is) for all in Calitzdorp.
During the bonding session with other people also attending including Alex, Allan, Fritz and Tony I realized that there is a bit of a blind spot for the movement of information within any community in Calitzdorp. The only one really communicating very well is Hennie Smit with the KBU. The need is more about info on what is happening. In a small community like our own we sometimes don't always get in the right circles to get the info on things happening. The only real way is by the word of mouth. That is how I heard about the potjiekos of the church a few months ago as well as the Koos Kombuis show at Dorpshuis - both were excellent. I think that a blog for us with a few people of the different communities within the greater Calitzdorp must be able to excess and / or give info to a person to put it on. In this way you can quickly advertize for a school, church, private, any real function/happening/course/etc.
The first one I am going sort of going to advertize here is the Straw house course which is going to be done by Sonja Armstrong and Deon Kriek. Both big time involved in the 'Green' approach to life. Both of them is coming to present this course in - the Port Capital, Calitzdorp. The local contact person is Zelma Kriek. She lives in Oubaas Calitz's old house on the Groenfontein road. If you still don't know contact Laurence at Lorenzo's / Pizza Place - he serve some excellent pizza and curry and has opened a very nice deli with fresh bread and interesting cheeses.
At Withoek itself we are preparing for the new irrigation main line. Unfortunately for us the storm water pipe underneath the roads is blocked with soil and roots. We did contact the Eden Districts Municipality (Ralph Dixon) to come and have a look. So any other such blocked pipes or road reparation can be reported to him in his Oudtshoorn office.
The pruning is also going smoothly and they are nearly finished with the red cultivars.
On the Shiraz which was bottled last week. After again tasting it Chrissie finally put 'black forest cake' as the determining flavour which she picked up on it. That is why wine making is such a pleasure. You don't buy naartjie, orange or apple flavour product but a product that first produces different flavours at different temperatures for different people and to make it more interesting it changes over time and from bottle to bottle AND WITH THE FOOD ASWELL AS THE COMPANY YOU HAVE! So have my wine only with your best friends especially those you don't see often. There is still 2500 such occasions coming up (that is how many bottles there is) for all in Calitzdorp.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Chocolate Shiraz
After yesterdays report on the Shiraz I thought of getting the real proffesionals in with a tasting of the Withoek Shiraz 2009. Margaux Nel of Boplaas and my wife, Chrissie, both liked the wine and got more of the Mocca (rich Coffee flavours) and the dark Chocolate flavours. It certainly is a bigger wine with still very active tannins but certainly soft enough to be enjoyed now. I would recommend to have it with food especially red meats with a rich sauces. There is only 2800 bottles of this product and me and Chrissie will try and get rid of 365 of them for the year coming. We need the Calitzdorp citizens to come to the party for the other 2435. I think it is a bargain at R40 a bottle.
We will also be bottling the Muscadel next week. Smaller packaging (375ml). Excellent idea for a present knowing there will only be about 800 bottles of that product.
Best of luck for all running in the Calitzdorp Half Marathon tomorrow. There is also a shorter 10km for those of us that don't like to get too tired. The veld looks magnificent with the Aloes blooming. Certainly a nice way to enjoy Calitzdorp.
We will also be bottling the Muscadel next week. Smaller packaging (375ml). Excellent idea for a present knowing there will only be about 800 bottles of that product.
Best of luck for all running in the Calitzdorp Half Marathon tomorrow. There is also a shorter 10km for those of us that don't like to get too tired. The veld looks magnificent with the Aloes blooming. Certainly a nice way to enjoy Calitzdorp.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Withoek Shiraz
After the cold weather coming down on us lately we decided we might as well start bottling. As a small winery we try and put our own stamp on everything. Controling of the total wine making process is not negotiable. We are probably also the most eco friendly bottling plant in the world with all the processes being done manually. The process of bottling two thousand litres of Shiraz will take up to tomorrow - 16th of July.
At the laste tasting the wine had a very promising structure with good spice and red berry flavours. The alcohol is a bit high (15,6%) but as I see it you get half a bottle free. Thus must be a bargain. It is certainly a wine that you we would want to keep for a year of two but the softer tannins will allow you to enjoy it now.
The grapes used for the wine comes from the red hills facing south south west. The right aspect for the cooler southern breezes in the summer. Further with production of only 8 tonnes per ha it is also some of the more quality plantings in Calitzdorp as a whole. The irrigation of this block is done with pressure compensating drippers and fertigation is also done according to the needs and yield.
I also learnt about an interesting website for weather. It is a Norwegian website and it gives 5 different points in the Calitzdorp region. I am not sure about the accuracy but it is certainly something to have a look at. The website is www.yr.no. Go and have a look. Quite interesting.
On the farm side we are finished with the soil preparation and started this week of measuring out of the blocks. We also had all the blocks measured for the irrigation systems. We are planning a computer organized system for the new blocks. Give us more control.
On the negative side: some of our irrigation ball valves were stolen for scrap metal. If anyone do have an idea what / where / who please let me know.
At the laste tasting the wine had a very promising structure with good spice and red berry flavours. The alcohol is a bit high (15,6%) but as I see it you get half a bottle free. Thus must be a bargain. It is certainly a wine that you we would want to keep for a year of two but the softer tannins will allow you to enjoy it now.
The grapes used for the wine comes from the red hills facing south south west. The right aspect for the cooler southern breezes in the summer. Further with production of only 8 tonnes per ha it is also some of the more quality plantings in Calitzdorp as a whole. The irrigation of this block is done with pressure compensating drippers and fertigation is also done according to the needs and yield.
I also learnt about an interesting website for weather. It is a Norwegian website and it gives 5 different points in the Calitzdorp region. I am not sure about the accuracy but it is certainly something to have a look at. The website is www.yr.no. Go and have a look. Quite interesting.
On the farm side we are finished with the soil preparation and started this week of measuring out of the blocks. We also had all the blocks measured for the irrigation systems. We are planning a computer organized system for the new blocks. Give us more control.
On the negative side: some of our irrigation ball valves were stolen for scrap metal. If anyone do have an idea what / where / who please let me know.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Nice lunch with the Danes
Two Danish soccer followers came to visit Withoek on Wednesday. What a nice surprise. If we knew they would stay this long we would have organized something for their team as well. Maybe a semi final.
It was great having the first guests of Wim Dreyer, a South African tourist guide, working in the Southern Cape region for lunch. We couldn't never compete with the restaurants in town like Dorpshuis, Rooi Ketel and The Handelshuis, but with a good 'roosterkoek' en boerewors with a glas of Withoeks wines it was a real great event.
The dam's enlargment come on nicely. It is really something seeing those big machines working and moving 8 to 10 cubes of soil with ease. If I didn't pay for it I would want them to continue a bit longer. We also decided to add another piece of land to our one block which will then become 2,8ha. This block next to the river on the Indraai road will be planted with Colombard and is aimed at the Brandy market. They call it in the wine circles ' rabat' which is the wine they distill to make brandy and or spirits.
The biggest job this week was removing the bigger stones from the vineyard next to the Calitzdorp Country lodge - Allan Fabigs' place. The stones might make mechanical work on the soil difficult and be a bit hard on the ploughs. There is though a few stones which is very big and we will have to bury. I thought of loading a few and put them at the entrance of Herminashof. Might be nice for directions. Go to the stones and turn left.
It was great having the first guests of Wim Dreyer, a South African tourist guide, working in the Southern Cape region for lunch. We couldn't never compete with the restaurants in town like Dorpshuis, Rooi Ketel and The Handelshuis, but with a good 'roosterkoek' en boerewors with a glas of Withoeks wines it was a real great event.
The dam's enlargment come on nicely. It is really something seeing those big machines working and moving 8 to 10 cubes of soil with ease. If I didn't pay for it I would want them to continue a bit longer. We also decided to add another piece of land to our one block which will then become 2,8ha. This block next to the river on the Indraai road will be planted with Colombard and is aimed at the Brandy market. They call it in the wine circles ' rabat' which is the wine they distill to make brandy and or spirits.
The biggest job this week was removing the bigger stones from the vineyard next to the Calitzdorp Country lodge - Allan Fabigs' place. The stones might make mechanical work on the soil difficult and be a bit hard on the ploughs. There is though a few stones which is very big and we will have to bury. I thought of loading a few and put them at the entrance of Herminashof. Might be nice for directions. Go to the stones and turn left.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Week full of work
This week we finished most of our preparation of the soils for the different new plantings. Sort of finishing of with the removal of the rootstocks especially on the blocks we are going to plant the same type of plant. In Afrikaans they talk of 'wisselbou'. Because of the size of the previous blocks and the variety of cultivars as well as fruit types it makes it very difficult planting a new type of fruit and the economics forces you to plant as quick as possible to fully utilizing your possible natural resource soil.
Next step is the lay out of the blocks with chalk. We will then see precisely where the rows will be and where the irrigation pipes must come. We will also begin to dig the channels into which the irrigation laterals will go as well as the new pipeline system running down to Herminashof. With this comes a total new irrigation system which runs out of a dam which allready has to service a irrigation system. Thus the dam must be enlarged to accomodate this extra water volume.
The Withoek workers community also lost a member the past week. Dina Meiring died on Saturday the 3rd of July. She was the wife of Frans van Staden which was the secret behind the beautiful garden of Herminashof. They have one son Elton Meiring. Frans was arrested on Tuesday the 6th of July. Unfortunately for the small community around Withoek violence is still a possible solution to many a problem.
Chrissie is thinking of getting a program going amongst the Withoek community to try and eliminate the use of violence as means of solving problems. We will have to stop this soon.
Willem Mampa is the new gardener and allready started on Monday. We really hope he can fill the efficient shoes of Frans.
Also since Monday we started our annual pruning of the vineyards. We started with the early cultivars first and work our way through the spread.
Next step is the lay out of the blocks with chalk. We will then see precisely where the rows will be and where the irrigation pipes must come. We will also begin to dig the channels into which the irrigation laterals will go as well as the new pipeline system running down to Herminashof. With this comes a total new irrigation system which runs out of a dam which allready has to service a irrigation system. Thus the dam must be enlarged to accomodate this extra water volume.
The Withoek workers community also lost a member the past week. Dina Meiring died on Saturday the 3rd of July. She was the wife of Frans van Staden which was the secret behind the beautiful garden of Herminashof. They have one son Elton Meiring. Frans was arrested on Tuesday the 6th of July. Unfortunately for the small community around Withoek violence is still a possible solution to many a problem.
Chrissie is thinking of getting a program going amongst the Withoek community to try and eliminate the use of violence as means of solving problems. We will have to stop this soon.
Willem Mampa is the new gardener and allready started on Monday. We really hope he can fill the efficient shoes of Frans.
Also since Monday we started our annual pruning of the vineyards. We started with the early cultivars first and work our way through the spread.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
