Herminashof Cottage

In small villages like our own things do take time. Nothing happens like overnight. It is sometimes makes you love this place and also can lead to some frustration.

Our cottage renovation took more than a year and is now ready for old and new friends to enjoy. With older buildings the facelift takes longer and usually there is some surprises underleath the layers of cement. You might also find that some small problems can easily esculate into something major.

The cottage can sleep 4 and does have an bathroom which is shared. Bath and shower. Small self catering kitchen with microwave, frigerator and small stove. A must is the small braai area and wood will be provided. Less than 300 m from the centre of the town and still on a farm. Something everybody will like.

Do come and enjoy the Calitzdorp scenery with coffee at Handelshuis. Lunch at The Red Coffee Pot and dinner at Lorenzo's. Or order in pizza from the Pizza Place. Have a farmers night out at Bosvarkie or a quiet night / day in with a good book.

As I said nothing happens overnight and that is why you might as well stay the weekend and something might happen.

On the farm we are busy cleaning up like that great song of the rock group Barney states 'Clean up'. It will probably take a few weeks and we still have to take out some of the vineyards / orchards for the new plantings. Also finishing off the last years vineyards with the necessary anchors to keep the cordons in position.

The renovation of the old tasting room is also coming along and I must say not many buildings beats the view on Swartberg and Besemkop from the stoep. A real stoep to sit and chat and have good coffee. Hope to do that within a year.

Withoek fermenting

Withoek decided this year to make a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot with the purpose of ending up with a Bordeaux blend. We are a small cellar and don't get as much chance as the bigger cellars to experiment especially with blends.

Our Cab finished it's fermentation after a week and was basket pressed today. The Merlot was crushed at 25 degrees Balling and really looks good. Our Petit we will only harvest tomorrow and keep in cool storage until the it's time arrives to crush.

With all the wines we try and keep the fermenting temperature between 24 and 26 degrees for slower fermentation. Because of the cold storage of 4 days we do have a maceration period of about 48 hours before fermentation starts. Enough time for a lot of extraction of the flavours. Usually most of your colour is extracted within the first 72 hours of the fermentation process and with it most of your tannins as well. With the lower temperature I believe this happens at a slower rate but more controled.

News from our winemaker, Ronnie van der Walt. He liked Calitzdorp so much and decided to come more regurarly to keep watch as the Nederburg ad states to 'keep an eye on Mother Nature'. He asked to renovate the Withoek old tasting room into a 'bachelors flat'. I must add this must be the flat with the most beautiful view on the town and the Swartberg. Certainly nice having a new face on the Wesoewer road and certainly a big plus for Calitzdorp. Go and have a look.

On our more comercial agricultural side we are busy finishing off the Colombar and later this week the Petit, Ruby Cab and Tinta Barocca will get their turn. Then it is back to cleaning up and making ready for the new plantings for this year.