Featured Estate

Philosophy – A Sense of Place

Oldenburg Vineyards is located in the Banghoek Valley situated in the mountains above Stellenbosch. Our neighbours include Thelema, Tokara, Delaire, Bartinney, Camberley and Rainbows End. We have approximately thirty hectares of vineyards, with Rondekop hill as the centrepiece.

Oldenburg Vineyards is located in the Banghoek Valley (pronounced “bun hook” and meaning “scary corner” due to leopards roaming around in times past) about 8 km from Stellenbosch.

If one had to find a single word that best describes our overall philosophy it would be balance. We realise that we are very fortunate with our terroir and know that we need to work in balance with nature as it is central to who, what, and where we are. Balance in the vineyard is essential to capture the best nature has to offer and equally we strive to make wines with great balance, complexity and elegance.

Oldenburg Vineyards produces smaller quantities of hand crafted wines. Low bunch loading on the vines through stringent crop thinning procedures ensure that only the best grapes make it to the winery. The harvest provides the nexus between the vineyards and the making of the wine. Extensive pre-harvest fruit analysis ensures the correct level of sugar ripeness (correct sugar-acid balance) and phenolic ripeness (correct tannic structure of the seeds and skins), to provide the perfect fruit.

Once the grapes are picked, they are transported in bins to a refrigerated container where they are stored at optimum temperatures before being transported to the cellar. A high degree of coordination is needed to ensure that the cellar is ready to receive the harvest, which happens over a period of weeks.

Once in the cellar the grapes are cooled to protect the flavour and finally hand sorted prior to crushing. During vinification we use natural processes with maximum respect shown to the fruit. Gravity plays a big role in order to minimise mechanical grape handling. Correct yeast selection is essential to emphasize the aromas, and cooperage selection and combination support the intrinsic characteristics of the grapes.

The maturation and the final blending of the wine is an intricate and closely monitored process with the ultimate aim of creating uniquely Oldenburg wines, which are characteristic of their grape cultivar and the soils which bore them, true to their terroir and sense of place.