A New Press

Last September, the vineyard took delivery of a new Fendt tractor, made in Germany, something we have hankered after for years.

These machines are the BMW’s of the vineyard, with comforts approaching those of a passenger car. Not like the old days, when tractors didn’t even have cabs!

Then in February, literally just in time for the new vintage, the winery took delivery of its latest German toy. It now boasts a new 3,000 litre Willmes tank press – all stainless steel construction, with fully computerised operation. If we continue to use the German automotive illustrations, this is the Mercedez Benz.

The main reason for the acquisition is to enable us to pick each of the white varieties in a maximum of two days and get them right on the correct ripeness. It is better for the reds, too, because the extra capacity allows us to get these pressings done on the right day for tannin balance.

We now have two Willmes 3,000 litre presses: the first purchased in 1995 was responsible for a significant improvement in the quality of the whites.